Chapter 75 p1
Winter break was coming to an end. Wei Zhuoning, who had been frantically writing throughout the vacation, completely forgot about her homework. Just before school started, she realized that she hadn’t touched the gigabyte of assignments, so she quickly called Chi Lin in the middle of the night.
“Help me, Lin! Have you finished your winter break homework? Let me copy it!”
Chi Lin: “I haven’t finished it either…”
“Huh?! I really misjudged you. I didn’t think you were like me. I thought you’d have finished it within a week of the holidays starting.”
“I had planned to, but I’ve been unexpectedly busy.”
Chi Lin prayed that Wei Zhuoning wouldn’t ask what she was busy with, because she really couldn’t explain.
Fortunately, Wei Zhuoning didn’t ask: “Alright, say no more. I can only shamelessly call in reinforcements. I’ll message Lin Xiaozhi to bring her homework; she must have finished it. Can we copy at your place? Your house is spacious.”
“Okay.”
Early spring of 2044, after two negligible snow flurries, the weather began to warm up.
Wei Zhuoning had been immersed in the joy of making money throughout the winter break, unable to extricate herself.
During the final exams, she had exhausted her brain and worn out her fingers to maintain her daily 15,000-word writing goal, finally securing a coveted recommendation spot on the writing platform.
After getting the recommendation, her earnings skyrocketed.
Every day, seeing the numbers in her account, she felt like she was dreaming.
She didn’t dare to look too much, afraid that if she did, she would find it was a beautiful dream about to end.
With the brain-computer interface keyboard Lin Xiaozhi had given her, she focused and wrote 10,000 words daily throughout the winter break. As the holiday neared its end, she checked her earnings: 80,000 yuan.
She had never seen so much money.
Wei Zhuoning nearly jumped through the roof.
After two more all-nighters, she finally finished her story. After it hit the completed works chart, her earnings surged again, reaching 100,000 yuan, which she could withdraw next month.
Next month was just two days away.
Even before the money was in her hands, she had already planned how to spend every penny of the 100,000 yuan.
She would buy her mother a closet full of new clothes; this was a long-held wish that she finally wanted to fulfill.
Their second-hand washing machine, which sounded like a ticking time bomb every time it started, could finally be retired. The tattered sofa would also be thrown away. She wished she could replace everything in their home with new things.
Of course, there was one person she would never forget.
She wanted to buy Lin Xiaozhi the most expensive, the best, the most fitting gift.
She searched online for a long time, thinking that Lin Xiaozhi looked good in everything, but also feeling that nothing was good enough for her.
Undecided, she posted a few gift options in her author group chat, asking everyone to help her choose.
The other authors were shocked: “Lingxi, you’re rich! All these are luxury items over 10,000 yuan. You’re giving them as gifts?”
“Yes, as a gift, to someone very important to me.”
With everyone’s collective wisdom, Wei Zhuoning finally chose a necklace from J’s.
She remembered that Lin Xiaozhi seemed to have worn a ring from that brand.
J’s designs were always refined and elegant, yet with a hint of wildness in the details, perfectly matching Lin Xiaozhi’s personality.
Throughout the winter break, she and Lin Xiaozhi had rarely met.
Lin Xiaozhi was afraid of disturbing her writing, so she hadn’t actively sought her out.
Besides, where would they go?
Invite Lin Xiaozhi to her home? Her home was so small and cold; the young lady probably wouldn’t even be able to bring herself to step inside. It made Wei Zhuoning feel a little self-conscious.
Go to Lin Xiaozhi’s home? Wei Zhuoning was afraid that on her home turf, the situation would get out of control, which would be terrifying.
Now that her writing was finished and she was free, they could finally meet.
Chi Lin’s home was the best option.
She messaged Lin Xiaozhi, and quickly received a reply.
“Letting you just copy is out of the question. As class president, I will personally supervise you finishing your homework. You can ask me if you don’t understand something, but you have to write it yourselves.”
“…Is it too late to cancel the plan?”
“Too late. If you don’t come, I’ll come to your house and drag you here.”
Wei Zhuoning: “…”
Carrying her tablet and the gift, Wei Zhuoning took the bus to Chi Lin’s house.
She was willing to buy clothes for her mother and replace their appliances, and she was willing to buy Lin Xiaozhi a necklace worth over 10,000 yuan, but she hadn’t planned anything for herself.
She still took the bus.
Fortunately, the bus wasn’t crowded today, and she managed to snag a seat in the corner of the last row.
Settling down comfortably, the sunlight warmed her body.
School would start again soon, it would be their senior year, and the weather was getting warmer. Everything felt bright, peaceful, and warm. Wei Zhuoning was full of energy.
She wondered how students in the past coped with the summer heat during the entrance exams.
Entering the hellish senior year in the sweltering September heat must have been unbearable. How could anyone concentrate on studying?
Today, going to Chi Lin’s house, she was a little embarrassed to give Lin Xiaozhi her gift in front of Chi Lin. She had also prepared a small gift for Chi Lin, a new electronic gadget.
Both the necklace and the gadget were in her backpack. Imagining Lin Xiaozhi’s happy expression upon receiving the gift, she couldn’t help but smile foolishly.
The bus suddenly swerved, and everyone screamed and lurched to one side. The person next to Wei Zhuoning fell heavily against her, nearly crushing her.
What the heck?
Never mind, she just needed to protect her backpack – in this day and age of self-driving cars, those who still squeezed onto buses were all fellow sufferers. Better to be tolerant.
Wei Zhuoning lowered her head to play with her phone.
The bus took another small turn, and the person next to her “threw herself into her arms” again. Wei Zhuoning almost jumped up:
“You…”
“Hmm?” The person in her arms blinked her large eyes, looking utterly innocent. Not only did she not move away, but she snuggled closer:
“Just a few days apart, and you’re already acting like strangers? Rejecting me even when I’m throwing myself at you?”
“It’s you…” Wei Zhuoning stopped moving and settled back down. “Why are you here? Didn’t we agree to meet at Chi Lin’s place?”
Lin Xiaozhi said: “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to see me earlier?”
“No, that’s not it.” Wei Zhuoning quickly denied.
“I came all the way here, going through all this trouble just to see you half an hour earlier, and the first thing you do is yell at me. I’m so pitiful.”
Lin Xiaozhi was wearing a pair of round, thin-rimmed glasses, her long hair loose. At some point, she had dyed her hair a coppery brown. Dressed in a woolen coat, she looked every bit the sophisticated college student, yet she was acting like a child, whining and acting spoiled.
Wei Zhuoning knew she was joking and wasn’t truly upset, but her desire to coax her into a good mood was overwhelming:
“That’s not true, I didn’t yell at you.”
“You didn’t yell at me? Then why were you so loud just now?”
“I was happy to see you…”
“Really happy? Not lying to me?”
Wei Zhuoning nodded seriously: “Really, really.”
Over the winter, Wei Zhuoning’s hair had grown a bit longer, falling softly on her shoulders, making her look even cuter than before.
Lin Xiaozhi leaned on her shoulder and looked up at her, whispering, “Prove it to me.”
“How do I prove it…”
Lin Xiaozhi pointed to her lips.
Wei Zhuoning’s heart pounded. She glanced around. Even though their seats were quite secluded, the bus was still crowded…
“Don’t be silly.”
“You don’t love me.”
“…”
Just as Wei Zhuoning was about to combust, Lin Xiaozhi simply closed her eyes.
Her eyelashes were thick and long, her lips glistening. She looked more delicious than the tastiest soft candy Wei Zhuoning had ever eaten.
Wei Zhuoning’s heart was thundering. She stealthily checked their surroundings again, and after confirming that no one was watching them, she mustered her courage and quickly pecked Lin Xiaozhi’s lips.
Lin Xiaozhi opened her eyes, smiling: “Was that a little bird pecking at rice?”
Wei Zhuoning’s blush had spread from her cheeks to her ears. She lowered her head like a child caught doing something wrong:
“Can we… do it again when there’s no one around?”
“Sure, but by then, with interest, it won’t be so easy to get away with just a peck.”
“What do you want to do…”
“Everything.”
“…”
Wei Zhuoning lacked many things, but not imagination.
With just one sentence from Lin Xiaozhi, she had already constructed hundreds of scenarios in her mind, each one leaving her flushed and breathless.
“What are you thinking about?” Lin Xiaozhi tapped her chin.
Wei Zhuoning quickly shook her head, trying to dispel those scandalous thoughts.
PDA was indecent.
Wei Zhuoning decided to give Lin Xiaozhi her gift early, using the warmth of the moment to temper the dry atmosphere that was threatening to set her ablaze.
“This… is for you.”
Wei Zhuoning pulled the wrapped necklace out of her backpack and handed it to Lin Xiaozhi.
Lin Xiaozhi was slightly stunned, completely surprised by the gift.
She took it carefully. Seeing the childish cartoon pattern on the wrapping paper, and the crookedly applied tape with its exposed edges, she knew that Wei Zhuoning had wrapped it herself.
Lin Xiaozhi’s smile reached her eyes:
“For me? What’s inside?”
“Yes, for you. It’s… why don’t you open it and see?”
“It’s wrapped so nicely, I don’t want to open it.”
“It’s not nicely wrapped at all; I’m terrible at wrapping. Just open it, you can even rip it open if you want.”
Lin Xiaozhi glared at her: “No way. This is the first official gift you’ve given me. I’m going to keep everything about it, inside and out, exactly as it is.”
Wei Zhuoning: “…”
Lin Xiaozhi carefully tore the wrapping, actually managing to open it without damaging the outer layer.
Glancing inside, she saw only a small section without any logo, and her expression immediately changed:
“You bought something from J’s?!”
Wei Zhuoning: “Ah? You can tell?”
Lin Xiaozhi loved J’s and knew everything about the brand.
A box this size could only contain a necklace.
Their cheapest necklace cost over 20,000 yuan…
Lin Xiaozhi forcefully swallowed the words “Are you crazy? Why did you buy something so expensive!” that were about to burst out.
She naturally knew how hard this girl worked. How many words did she have to painstakingly write to buy this necklace?
She couldn’t say anything to dampen the mood. It was a gift given with a sincere heart. Even if it were a blade of grass, Lin Xiaozhi would happily twirl it around her finger for three days and three nights, let alone an exquisite necklace.
Lin Xiaozhi: “Can I open it?”
Wei Zhuoning: “Of course, it’s yours now.”
Lin Xiaozhi pulled out the box and opened it. The beautiful choker necklace made her heart flutter.
“Do you… like it?” Wei Zhuoning didn’t dare to speak too loudly, afraid that a loud voice would disturb the beautiful scene before her.
The necklace suited Lin Xiaozhi perfectly, as if it were made for her.
Lin Xiaozhi placed the box on her lap, picked up the necklace with her slender fingers, and said to Wei Zhuoning:
“Can you help me put it on? I want to wear it now.”
“Sure.”
Wei Zhuoning would always remember this day.
On a bumpy bus, she used the money she earned for the first time in her life to make the person she liked happy, putting a carefully chosen gift on the girl she loved.
“Does it look good?”
To better display the choker, Lin Xiaozhi deliberately undid two buttons of her shirt, widening the collar. Even her gaze became alluring.
“It looks beautiful… You look beautiful with or without the necklace.”
Wei Zhuoning, who rarely spoke sweet nothings, made Lin Xiaozhi’s heart flutter even more.
Lin Xiaozhi wrapped her arms around Wei Zhuoning’s neck, pressing close, and whispered in her ear:
“By giving me this necklace, do you want to keep me by your side forever?”
So close…
Wei Zhuoning was about to combust.
“Can you stay by my side forever?” Wei Zhuoning’s heart was pounding. She wasn’t sure if she was worthy of someone as exceptional as Lin Xiaozhi.
Lin Xiaozhi took her hand, interlacing their fingers tightly.
“Zhuoning, I like you. You’re all I think about. I like you so much it hurts here.”
She pointed to her chest.
Wei Zhuoning’s eyes welled up, her voice hoarse: “Me too…”
“I know the future is long, and many, many things we can’t imagine will happen, but my feelings for you will never lose to time.” Lin Xiaozhi lifted her head and kissed Wei Zhuoning’s tears.
“Zhuoning, you’re the best person in the world. To be liked by you, I must have saved the world in my past life.”
Lin Xiaozhi’s sweet words left Wei Zhuoning weak in the knees. When they got off the bus, she almost stumbled and fell.
Fortunately, Lin Xiaozhi caught her.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xiaozhi teased her. “Just a kiss, and you can’t handle it?”
Wei Zhuoning pushed her: “Nonsense, I just tripped.”
As they walked hand-in-hand to the entrance of Chi Lin’s community, Chi Lin was already there waiting for them.
These two usually bickered and teased each other, rarely seen holding hands so sweetly. Seeing them joined at the hip from afar, Chi Lin knew they must be sickeningly sweet today.
“Lin!” Wei Zhuoning greeted her.
Chi Lin asked quietly, “Did you bring it?”
She was referring to Lin Xiaozhi’s winter break homework.
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