Chapter 20: The Crystal Ball: This is the unspoken secret among secret admirers...
January 20, 2018, sunny
The secret that belongs to secret admirers is that I secretly look at you across the crowd.
——Excerpt from Tao Shuran’s Diary
*
The distance between me and the person I like is like the continuous rain, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes near.
A gust of wind blew over, and the eager rain fell on my face as expected, but it disappeared in the next second, as if everything was just an illusion.
Tao Shuran stood in front of Liang Yuanjing, looked up, and could clearly see her face reflected in his clear eyes.
He is so frank and so pure.
She also understood that he said this not out of love, but simply because of a promise.
He said he wanted to help her realize Qingda's dream because it was raining that day and she had kindly comforted him.
So he reciprocated his kindness to her.
Taking good care of her studies is a commitment that has nothing to do with romance.
But liking someone doesn't require reciprocity, nor does it require calculation.
Tao Shuran forced a smile and accepted his kindness with bitterness.
After Fu Changpei left, Fang Qingyi pulled Tao Shuran to the inpatient department again.
She was a little shy and stood outside the door hesitating for two minutes before finally making up her mind to knock on the door.
Before entering the door, Tao Shuran heard Fang Qingyi muttering to herself nervously, saying that her father had a familiar friend who was a doctor in the First Hospital of the City, and was said to be a small leader.
But she was still a student after all, and it was her first time to greet an adult. She was so nervous that her tongue was tied.
"Forget it, for Fu Changpei." Fang Qingyi stepped in with a fearless expression, "I'll fight."
Upon seeing the doctor, Fang Qingyi clasped her hands together and said earnestly to the man in front of her, "Doctor Zhou, the patient in Ward 302 is my good friend's grandfather. Please take good care of him. I'm really sorry to bother you."
When they came out, Tao Shuran held her hand and felt the sweat on the girl's palm.
She took out a tissue from her pocket and looked up. "You asked someone to arrange a single bed for his grandfather. Are you really not going to tell Fu Changpei?"
"Don't tell him. He tends to overthink things. Telling him would only burden him."
Fang Qingyi glanced at her and said, "Besides, when Liang Yuanjing was sick last month, you secretly stuffed fever-reducing medicine into his drawer, but you didn't tell him it was you, did you?"
"Xiaoyi..." Tao Shuran opened his lips, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"I know." Fang Qingyi gave her a look that said nothing more, a smile on her face. "I understand."
This is an unspoken secret among secret admirers.
*
For some reason, the news that Fu Changpei's grandfather was sick and hospitalized spread to the class and eventually spread around, turning into a story that a classmate was seriously injured and hospitalized.
When the news reached the art class, it became that Liang Yuanjing was injured while playing basketball and was admitted to the hospital.
Half an hour before class started, Fang Shiyue hurried over and accidentally bumped into two classmates on the way, apologizing repeatedly.
It happened that Tao Shuran came back from fetching water.
Fang Shiyue grabbed her arm and asked, "Tao Shuran, how is Liang Yuanjing? I heard that his leg is broken."
"Where did you hear that rumor?"
Seeing that she was about to cry, Tao Shuran patted Fang Shiyue's shoulder and said softly, "He's fine. The teacher just called him to the office to move the test papers."
I hope your leg isn't broken.
Fang Shiyue breathed a sigh of relief, took out a scarf from her pocket, lowered her head shyly and said, "This is a scarf I knitted myself. Can you help me bring it to Liang Yuanjing?"
Tao Shuran did not extend his hand.
Her heart was hesitant. Even if she stayed by his side as a friend, it was still a cruel thing to help another girl give gifts to the one she liked.
Just when Tao Shuran hesitated for a few seconds, Liang Yuanjing's figure appeared from the corner at the end of the corridor.
Fang Shiyue's eyes lit up, and without caring about anything else, he immediately tiptoed forward.
She opened her arms to stop Liang Yuanjing, and checked him from front to back. Seeing that he was really not injured, she breathed a sigh of relief.
As an outstanding student in the art class, Fang Shiyue is a famous beauty in the grade. Her arrival is bound to cause some commotion.
Especially the collision with Liang Yuanjing.
There was already a lot of discussion around, and Liang Yuanjing didn't like the prying eyes from all directions.
He lowered his eyes and spoke calmly.
"I'm fine."
Fang Shiyue: "That's good."
It was during their conversation that the students around them began to whisper.
"Did they really talk?"
"If he was rejected, would Fang Shiyue, with such high self-esteem, still come here every day?"
"I also think they are really dating, but they probably don't dare to admit it now because they are afraid of being punished."
"Hey, Tao Shuran, you're often with Liang Yuanjing and the others. Did you know he's in a relationship?"
Tao Shuran stood there, feeling like her heart was like a bloated balloon that was pricked by a needle. All her emotions disappeared, leaving only a faint sadness.
This is secret love. Because there is no clear and ostentatious love, even the melancholy will seem lonely and quiet.
Will Liang Yuanjing like Shangfang Shiyue?
She looks beautiful, bright, and flamboyant, possessing a brightness and brilliance that is unmatched by anyone else.
"I have no idea."
Tao Shuran shook his head, and the thermos in his hand seemed to start to get hot, and the emotions in the insulation layer were almost about to leak out.
She turned quickly and walked away.
…
Liang Yuanjing was still holding Tao Shuran's homework book in his hand, but before he could give it to her, she had disappeared from his sight.
He tilted his head and saw that his way was completely blocked by the girl in front of him.
He was actually a little annoyed, but his good upbringing prevented him from losing his temper with a girl in public. He just glanced around and said in a cold voice, "Let's talk, Fang Shiyue."
Fang Shiyue's heart skipped a beat, and she slowly followed him to the empty room at the end of the corridor.
In fact, I already had a premonition in my heart.
But when Liang Yuanjing said the words of refusal, she still felt very sad.
Tears suddenly overflowed, and she looked up at him. The boy she fell in love with at first sight on the basketball court was now looking down at her.
His dark pupils were deep, and his eyelashes were very long, most of the time hanging down to cover half of his pupils, making him look extremely cold.
It was this face that she had seen shine, be gentle, and indulge. Today, she finally saw his coldness and ruthlessness.
Fang Shiyue choked up and said, "Liang Yuanjing, you don't have to like me."
"But if you refuse my right, you can't like anyone else."
"Because I would be very sad and miserable. At least until the college entrance exam is over, you can't like other people, okay?"
Her tone at the end was very humble, and she hardly sounded like the arrogant Fang Shiyue.
Liang Yuanjing said: "No."
His voice was calm, leaving no room for any lingering feelings.
"You are not mine, and you have no right to ask me for anything."
Fang Shiyue raised her head and stared at him in disbelief with tearful eyes. After a while, she laughed bitterly and reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Staring at his expressionless face, she said coldly with hatred after being rejected:
"Liang Yuanjing, they are right, you are a disaster."
Liang Yuanjing was no stranger to such words.
He lowered his eyes, hiding all his emotions, and walked forward silently. His back was straight and he never looked back, looking very inhuman.
Fang Shiyue knew that there was no chance for them anymore.
Those lingering fairy tales she had imagined were completely shattered today like a witch's mirror.
She squatted down and burst into tears without any manner.
This caused quite a stir, and later Liang Yuanjing was called to the office and given a scolding.
Tao Shuran felt it was very unfair.
It was clearly not his problem. He was just exercising his right to refuse. Why should he be blamed?
By the time Liang Yuanjing finished writing his self-criticism and came out of the office, most of the first self-study class had already been over.
The classroom was very quiet, with only a few more discussions when he walked in.
Liang Yuanjing ignored everyone, pulled out a stool and sat down. After a while, he tapped the edge of the table with his fingertips.
"Tao Shuran, bring me your collection of wrong answers."
The boy's voice was crisp and clear, and he seemed to be unaffected at all. Even so, Tao Shuran couldn't help but look at his face with worry.
Out of concern for her friend, she cautiously asked, "Are you okay?"
"What can I do for you?"
Liang Yuanjing lifted his eyelids to look at her. Dark blue veins could be vaguely seen through his thin and deep eyelids. He tilted his head back slightly, his whole body full of rebelliousness and unruliness.
"There are only 138 days left until the college entrance examination. Of all the things in the world, explaining the questions to you is the most important."
Tao Shuran could almost imagine that after they fell in love, Liang Yuanjing would say to his girlfriend in an irresistible and doting tone, "Your affairs are the most important in the world."
Her heart seemed to be entangled by invisible threads, her blood was excited by the tight feeling, but at the same time she was sad about the shackles.
"Okay." She put away all her emotions, opened her notebook obediently, and looked at his eyebrows.
"Liang Yuanjing, continue with the topic." Tao Shuran lowered his eyes and said softly in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Don't listen to what others say to you."
Liang Yuanjing raised his head and raised his eyebrows with interest.
To be honest, Tao Shuran was indeed the most considerate girl he had ever met. She seemed to be able to capture the slightest emotions hidden in the corners with her clear and bright eyes.
In the eyes of many people, being pursued by so many girls is an extremely happy thing. He, the person involved, seemed to show a little impatience, which means he didn't know how to appreciate it.
Liang Yuanjing was unwilling to linger in this vague relationship, so he chose to cut off all ambiguous feelings with a sharp knife.
Because of being cold, you will never be comforted.
He was a little surprised that someone would suddenly say such a thing, but his face still showed his usual nonchalant expression.
With his chin supported by his hands, he leaned closer to look into her clear and bright eyes with a bit of mischief.
"Then tell me, what should I do?"
Liang Yuanjing probably doesn't know how invincible his face is.
When they suddenly approached and their eyes met, Tao Shuran was completely stunned. She blinked and felt that the whole world was quiet.
There was only him in her eyes.
And it was also the first time for Liang Yuanjing to see a girl at such a close distance.
He quickly reacted, stood up, quickly closed the opened notebook, grabbed the water cup on the table, let her do the questions by herself, and left in a hurry.
Just as he turned around, Liang Yuanjing suddenly thought of the scene just now - he saw all of himself in her eyes.
So focused, it seems to have condensed all the light.
Her eyes are like crystal balls, very beautiful.
She's right, don't listen to what others say.
He looked into her eyes and understood that he had to be himself.
*
When the countdown to the college entrance examination entered 100 days, the atmosphere related to the examination was tense to the extreme.
Tao Shuran had already sensed some subtle changes taking place at home, hidden in the details.
It started with the sound of Zhao Yanyun closing the door quietly when he came back at night, and Tao Hongfeng bringing in a cup of hot milk late at night every day.
Tao Shuran also worked harder, and her sleep time was compressed again and again. She got up at five in the morning to memorize her lessons, and stood alone on the balcony, waiting for Tao Hongfeng to finish breakfast and come to the balcony to hang clothes. He was suddenly startled by her.
Even Zhao Yanyun, who was always very demanding, felt that she was trying too hard.
He even gave her some pocket money so that she could go shopping with her friends when she had time.
Tao Shuran shook his head.
Later, when she thought back on those days, she found herself like a wound-up machine, and the end point of stopping was the goal of getting into Qingda University.
What is the significance of Qingda?
It’s alongside Liang Yuanjing.
It was another weekend. Tao Hongfeng couldn't stand her studying hard at home, so he found an excuse and asked Tao Shuran to deliver food to Fu Changpei's house next door.
Tao Shuran sent a message to Fu Changpei in advance, asking if he was at home.
"Yes, Jing is here too."
Seeing this message, Tao Shuran paused for a moment, turned around and asked Tao Hongfeng in the kitchen, "Dad, did we make sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch?"
"Yeah, how about you come over and give dad a taste."
Tao Shuran: "Can I pack some and send it over to Fu Changpei's family?"
"Sure." Tao Hongfeng agreed readily, "Does the child from the old Fu family also like sweet and sour pork ribs?"
Tao Shuran said "hmm".
He lowered his head and quickly closed the lid of the lunch box, but his heart was already in a state of confusion.
She lied. It was never Fu Changpei who liked to eat sweet and sour pork ribs. Just like her heart, every time she went across the street, she wanted to see someone else.
Before leaving, Tao Shuran adjusted her hair in front of the bathroom mirror.
She had just cut her bangs some time ago, and because she was on vacation, her hair naturally fell on both sides of her shoulders, making her look particularly well-behaved.
He walked 367 steps, raised his hand, and knocked on Fu Changpei's door.
But this time his heart was beating especially fast. Tao Shuran had never been so excited before.
The door opened.
It was the person she wanted to see.
Liang Yuanjing raised his hand, covered her lips, closed the door and walked out, making a gesture to keep quiet.
Tao Shuran's pupils dilated.
The whole space was filled with the faint fragrance of the boy's raised hand. Her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes stared blankly at the corner of his drooping clothes, feeling as if all her breath was robbed by his breath.
The feeling of liking someone is wonderful.
The wonder of being able to capture his scent amidst the myriad dust particles.
"Come in later." Liang Yuanjing lowered his voice, "There's a quarrel inside."
There was only a small crack in the door, and faint sounds of quarreling could be heard.
Tao Shuran opened her eyes wide in disbelief, unable to imagine that the woman screaming hysterically inside was the gentle and amiable Teacher Song whom she usually saw in the corridor.
She immediately pulled Liang Yuanjing and said, "I want to buy some textbooks. Why don't we go to the bookstore downstairs?"
Tao Shuran never thought that Liang Yuanjing would agree to him.
After all, he doesn't look like someone who has nowhere to go.
Who knew that Liang Yuanjing glanced at her and said "OK".
Tao Shuran rarely has time to be alone with Liang Yuanjing.
Most of the time, Fang Qingyi and Fu Changpei would always come between her and him. When this girl saw someone she liked, she would chatter non-stop and there would never be a dull moment.
Now she is alone.
Tao Shuran frowned secretly, searching for topics in his mind, and annoyed himself for being so tongue-tied.
In the bookstore, she picked up two real test papers and walked through a pile of colorful teaching supplementary books. Slowly, Tao Shuran stopped in front of a row of popular science books.
Following her gaze, Liang Yuanjing picked up a book and asked casually, "Are you still interested in flying?"
Tao Shuran said "hmm".
Liang Yuanjing became interested, held her up with both hands, and looked down at her face, asking with a bit of inquisitive curiosity:
"Then share with me what you know?"
Being noticed by someone you like is a happy yet challenging thing.
Tao Shuran felt that the air around him became a little thinner.
She took a deep breath, looked into his eyes and spoke slowly.
"I know that the world's largest twin-engine aircraft is the Boeing 777, the fastest wide-body twin-engine aircraft is the Boeing 777-300, and the aircraft with the longest flight range is the Boeing 777-300X."
"An hour before takeoff, the crew must arrive at the airport, check flight documents, observe weather conditions, conduct takeoff checks, then taxi out, take off, enter the flight, and arrive at the destination."
She also knew that his favorite aircraft was the F-22, a heavy stealth air superiority fighter with sleek curves.
In a painting competition, Liang Yuanjing drew this picture of an airplane on a whim and won first place.
Tao Shuran knew all of this. She knew that his dream of soaring into the sky had never changed.
Some people are born to belong in the vast sky.
Also destined to be looked up to.
After hearing what she said, Liang Yuanjing's eyes flashed with surprise. He didn't expect that this gentle girl in front of him was also an aviation fan.
He pinched the spine of the book with his fingers, and suddenly thought of something. He supported himself on the bookshelf and slowly leaned down, keeping an eye-level distance from her.
It seemed as if he had to look into her eyes to see if there was any sign of lying.
Tao Shuran's heart was pounding nervously.
Liang Yuanjing approached with some tentativeness: "Could it be that the person you like is from our flight class?"
-----------------------
The author has something to say: "I know that the world's largest twin-engine aircraft is the Boeing 777, the fastest wide-body twin-engine aircraft is the Boeing 777-300, and the aircraft with the longest flight range is the Boeing 777-300X."
"An hour before takeoff, the crew must arrive at the airport, check flight documents, observe weather conditions, conduct takeoff checks, then taxi out, take off, enter the flight, and arrive at the destination."
The flight-related knowledge in this chapter comes from books such as "Triumph in the Skies". Since I am not an aviation professional, I can only read relevant books and materials before writing. If there are any inaccuracies, you are welcome to give me guidance [heart]
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