“Anyway,” Lin Zhexia said, “it doesn’t matter. Get to the point.”
Xu Ting: “The point is our homeroom teacher requires at least two people for the performance, won’t let me go on stage alone, so I wanted to find Chi Yao to join me. I thought since Chi Yao is so popular, he’d be perfect on stage, and my performance would make a splash.”
Lin Zhexia’s first reaction was: “How did you come up with such a dangerous idea? Don’t you want to live?”
“…”
Xu Ting: “You don’t need to crush me twice. I’ve already been cruelly rejected.”
“But I don’t want to give up,” Xu Ting changed his tone, “help me out, persuade him for me.”
Lin Zhexia: “He doesn’t like being on stage.”
After thinking for a moment, she added, “And why do you think I can persuade him?”
Xu Ting didn’t even think before answering: “Because you two are close.”
Lin Zhexia initially didn’t want to get involved, but Xu Ting begged desperately, even elevating the matter to a philosophical level, telling her he “didn’t want to leave regrets in his once-in-a-lifetime youth.” Finally, she agreed to try and help.
“But he might not listen to me,” Lin Zhexia said before leaving. “I can’t guarantee he’ll agree.”
Having promised to help, she had to keep her word.
Lin Zhexia kept thinking about how to approach Chi Yao.
She pondered all the way, and that evening after school, she hesitated several times to speak.
Chi Yao stopped at the entrance: “Say it.”
Lin Zhexia’s words circled her mouth, and finally, she found a random excuse: “I’m thirsty. Can I go to your place for some water?”
“…”
“I just,” Lin Zhexia added, “haven’t had water at your place for so long, I kind of miss it.”
After saying this, under Chi Yao’s look that seemed to regard her as an idiot, she wanted to bite her tongue off.
Five minutes later, she was holding a glass, sitting on Chi Yao’s sofa, drinking water.
After finishing one glass, she still hadn’t figured out how to speak, so she asked: “Can I have a refill?”
Chi Yao looked at her composedly: “What do you think this is, a cafe with unlimited refills?”
Though he said this, he still poured her another glass of water.
Lin Zhexia felt that if she drank any more, she would burst, so she spoke up: “The school anniversary is coming up soon. Our class is preparing a performance. How about your class?”
Chi Yao tilted his head and said, “Not as creative as your class.”
“…”
Teacher Xu’s plan had spread widely.
“I heard Xu Ting wants you to perform with him,” Lin Zhexia finally got to the point. “You rejected him?”
Chi Yao made an “mm” sound: “I told him to clear the water from his brain before speaking.”
Lin Zhexia: “Actually, Xu Ting found me today and wanted me to help persuade you.”
Chi Yao was also holding a bottle of water. As he unscrewed the cap and walked toward her, upon hearing this, surprisingly, he didn’t immediately refuse. Instead, as he came closer, he asked her: “How do you plan to persuade me?”
Lin Zhexia spoke without hesitation: “A handsome guy like you should be on stage for everyone to admire.”
“Without you, the anniversary stage would be at a loss.”
“If you go on stage, you’ll be like a warm sunshine in winter for the audience, a cool spring in summer.”
Lin Zhexia stopped here: “I’m running out of words. Give me a few minutes to think more.”
There was another reason she agreed to help Xu Ting—a bit of personal desire.
Xu Ting’s phrase “once-in-a-lifetime youth” touched her.
She thought of Chi Yao’s seventeen years that would never return.
If he could perform on stage with his good friend during his high school days, it would probably add more memories to his high school life.
Thinking of this, she set aside those flowery persuasions and sincerely said: “Besides, I hope you can go on stage too.”
Chi Yao didn’t indicate whether he would agree or not.
He just held his water bottle, lowered his eyes, concealing his gaze, and when he looked up again, he had already returned to normal. His throat moved slightly: “…You want to see it?”
Lin Zhexia had a strange feeling that his tone suggested that if she said “yes,” he would agree.
In the next second, Chi Yao revealed his true nature.
He looked away and said, “Then keep wishing.”
“…”
The failed persuasion was within Lin Zhexia’s expectations.
She wasn’t too discouraged. After returning home, she found Xu Ting’s contact and sent him a message: Sorry, I couldn’t convince him. Maybe you should find someone else.
Xu Ting replied very quickly, starting with just two words and an exclamation mark: Haha!
Lin Zhexia: …Have you gone crazy?
Xu Ting: Haha! Stop pretending, I’ve seen through your little trick.
Xu Ting: You’re trying to lower expectations first, right? First, telling me you failed, then revealing a surprise twist.
Lin Zhexia slowly typed: No, you’re overthinking. I’m not joking with you.
Before she could send it, Xu Ting sent a screenshot of a chat.
With a note: Surprise! Chi Yao already told me he agreed. You can’t fool me!
Lin Zhexia: …
Lin Zhexia opened the screenshot.
Most of the screenshot was Xu Ting’s monologue, accompanied by intermittent insanity: Please, just perform with me, please, please, please.
Amid Xu Ting’s ramblings, that familiar cat avatar had replied with one sentence ten minutes ago.
Cat Avatar: Sign up
Xu Ting didn’t immediately understand: ??? Sign up for what
Cat Avatar: My name.