After Shen Shanshan looked up at the light bulbs, she became even more dizzy: “Do you know why I like him?”
Lin Zhexia asked: “Why?”
Shen Shanshan: “Back in junior high, I came here with my father. My parents got divorced; they deliberately didn’t tell me, but I knew everything. It was raining on the first day of school, and I fell and got my new school uniform skirt dirty.”
“Even though I knew about their divorce, I never cried, but that day, just because of that fall, I suddenly couldn’t hold it together anymore. I stood at the school gate crying like an idiot.”
At this point in her story, Shen Shanshan paused slightly: “That day, it was Chi Yao who handed me a piece of clothing.”
“Strange, isn’t it? Later, I found out he was a person with a very difficult personality, but that day he handed me a piece of clothing.”
Not strange.
Lin Zhexia said in her heart.
Chi Yao was that kind of person. Although usually when people tried to get close, they would always be rejected.
But if he encountered this type of situation, he wouldn’t ignore it.
Having said this, Shen Shanshan began to feel sad again: “I think I drank too much.”
Her voice lowered: “Otherwise, why does thinking about him make me feel both happy and sad?”
Lin Zhexia couldn’t describe her feelings right now.
She had always known that Chi Yao was famous, that many people had tried to get his contact information.
But because this person behaved so poorly, most girls would completely change their attitude: what’s the point of being handsome when even dogs don’t want to get close?
This was her first time, the first time she had encountered a girl who had quietly liked Chi Yao for many years.
And this girl looked very gentle.
Her academic performance was excellent, and she had even squeezed into the physics competition for Chi Yao’s sake, simply because she knew he would participate.
And she had quietly stayed by his side, winning first place together with him.
…
All of these things together made her feel the weight of Shen Shanshan’s “like” for Chi Yao.
It wasn’t like the casual “he’s so handsome” on the forums, nor was it like approaching with a phone saying “can I add you as a friend,” or even like those secretly gazing eyes.
It was a kind of liking that could move people.
Lin Zhexia poured her a glass of water: “Why don’t you drink some hot water?”
Shen Shanshan accepted it: “Thank you.”
After taking it, she asked again: “This might sound abrupt, but do you know… what kind of girls does Chi Yao like?”
Lin Zhexia: “…”
Lin Zhexia thought for a long time.
There was nothing related to this question in her memory, but once, when she had argued with Chi Yao, this topic seemed to have come up.
She couldn’t remember exactly why they were arguing.
She only remembered jumping up and down in front of Chi Yao: “If I ever get a boyfriend in the future, I’ll find a tan, muscular, and gentle boy. Anyway, he’ll be better than you in every way.”
At that time, Chi Yao had snorted, seemingly mocking her for daydreaming.
After being ridiculed, Lin Zhexia became angrier: “What do you mean? Do you think I won’t be able to find a boyfriend in the future?”
…
Finally, she told Shen Shanshan: “I’m not sure about that either.”
Shen Shanshan: “Has he ever been in a relationship?”
Lin Zhexia shook her head.
Shen Shanshan: “Has he ever liked any girl?”
Lin Zhexia continued shaking her head.
Shen Shanshan continued to ask: “Then… perhaps… does he like… boys?”
Lin Zhexia was momentarily speechless: “…I don’t think he would hide it that deeply.”
Shen Shanshan also fell silent.
After the silence, she seemed to gather great courage again and said: “Let me tell you another secret.”
“I might have to transfer schools. My father’s job has changed, and I have to follow him to another city to take the college entrance exam. So this physics competition is probably the last intersection between him and me.”
Lin Zhexia now understood the meaning of “both happy and sad.”
Shen Shanshan, holding the water glass, said another sentence: “So, I plan to confess to him tomorrow.”
At that moment, the private room door was pulled open—
Xu Ting, with his arm around Chi Yao’s shoulder, walked in grinning.
The young man seemed to carry a slight chill from the northern night air. In one hand, he held a convenience store plastic bag, and with the other hand, he raised it to mercilessly brush off Xu Ting’s hand from his shoulder.
Xu Ting: “I just asked you to accompany me out for a bit, can’t you smile a little? People might think I dragged you out to fight.”