Chapter 9: Profile
Su Yu returned the letter and gift to the boy who had confessed. Watching the undisguised dejection and disappointment in the boy’s eyes, Su Yu felt a pang of familiarity. If he had confessed last night, he might have looked the same.
“What’s your relationship with Xia Qian Ge?”
The boy gripped the envelope tightly, staring at Su Yu, clearly misunderstanding something.
“Xia Qian Ge and I…” Su Yu hesitated for a moment before answering, “We sit near each other. We’re classmates.”
“Sorry, I got a little carried away.” The boy glanced at the gift box in his hands, which Su Yu had discreetly returned, probably to spare him embarrassment. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
On the way back, Su Yu seemed preoccupied. Human nature was such that even though he wanted to distance himself, he was nervous about the possibility of Xia Qian Ge accepting someone else’s confession.
In his previous life, it hadn’t been Su Yu who returned the gift and letter, but Xia Qian Ge herself. This change could only be attributed to the fact that Su Yu hadn’t confessed. As for why it had to be him who returned them this time, Su Yu didn’t know.
The butterfly effect was a chain reaction. His small decisions could influence future outcomes.
Back in the classroom, Xia Qian Ge quietly thanked Su Yu, then turned back to her practice problems. She had experienced this kind of thing so many times that it barely fazed her anymore. Why would such a dazzling, sought-after girl… agree to be with him later? Su Yu was increasingly puzzled.
…
As evening approached, the setting sun painted the sky in hues of blood, casting a crimson glow into the classroom.
The afternoon’s lectures and exercises had drained the class of any remaining enthusiasm for studying. Senior year was like a relentless machine, and they had to keep pace, or they would be left far behind.
Su Yu rested his head on his desk. He had just helped his deskmate with a few problems and was feeling tired. His deskmate was a shy girl, short, probably only around 155cm tall. Her timid voice and large, black-framed glasses made her look particularly adorable. Su Yu always thought she resembled a fluffy white marshmallow, tempting him to reach out and squeeze her.
Unfortunately… no matter how cute the girl was, she hadn’t piqued Su Yu’s interest back then. In his previous life, his eyes had only seen Xia Qian Ge.
Xia Qian Ge was still working on problems, seemingly practicing English listening comprehension. Su Yu watched her from his desk. This had been his habit before—when tired of studying, his first instinct wasn’t to look into the distance to relax, but to tilt his head and stare at Xia Qian Ge’s delicate profile.
The setting sun cast a golden glow on her snow-white skin, making her look like a piece of fine jade bathed in cool moonlight, captivating his gaze.
“Hey, wanna go for a walk?”
Chen Kai appeared out of nowhere, putting his arm around Su Yu’s shoulder and nudging him with his elbow. In the past, Su Yu would have playfully wrestled with Chen Kai until Xia Qian Ge noticed the commotion, glanced back at him with a smile, and then returned to her work. Just that one glance would have satisfied him.
“Let’s go, I’m hungry anyway.”
This time, Su Yu simply nodded. He and Chen Kai left the classroom quietly, so discreetly that even his deskmate, absorbed in her problems, didn’t notice his departure.
But the moment he disappeared through the back door, the thin white earphone wire slipped from Xia Qian Ge’s slender, pale neck. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and faint blue veins appeared on her jade-like skin in the setting sun, lingering for a moment before fading away.
…
“One more month, and we’re outta here.”
Chen Kai and Su Yu strolled around the track, digesting their dinner.
Hearing Chen Kai’s sigh, Su Yu just smiled. The track was mostly filled with younger students. He watched as a dust-covered soccer ball soared through the air, past the defense, and into the goal, followed by a roar of cheers that echoed across the field.
The youthful energy wasn’t diminished even by the setting sun. Sweat glistened on the track. This was youth, and he had experienced it once before.
“You seem different…” Chen Kai stroked his chin, studying Su Yu carefully. “You’re quieter. Are you worried about the gaokao?”
“Aren’t you worried?”
“Nah, I’ve already got the grades for the university I want. You, on the other hand… Xia Qian Ge’s aiming for the top, her scores are sky-high.”
“I…” Su Yu looked at the setting sun; the sky had completely darkened. “I’m not planning on applying to the same university as her.”
“What?” Chen Kai exclaimed, his eyes wide. “You’re kidding, right, Su Yu? Weren’t you… completely smitten with Xia Qian Ge?”
“People change. I don’t want to exhaust myself.”
“Then… where are you applying?”
“Qingchuan. I want to be further away from home. I heard the scenery is beautiful there.”
“Qingchuan University’s entrance requirements are pretty high, too. If you work hard, you might still get into the same university as Xia Qian Ge.”
“When I was chasing her, you told me to give up. Now you’re telling me to keep going. What’s up with you?” Su Yu glanced at Chen Kai, speechless.
“Of course I want you to succeed. You’ve liked her for almost three years, you can’t just forget her like that. You… you have to try one last time before graduation. If you fail, then go to Qingchuan.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Even if I still like her… I’ll just keep it to myself.” Su Yu smiled, but the curve of his lips was strained. “It’s for the best, for both of us.”
“Don’t—” Chen Kai suddenly tugged on Su Yu’s arm, interrupting him. “Xia Qian Ge is behind us.”
“Huh?”
Su Yu raised his eyebrows and turned around. He saw Xia Qian Ge and her best friend not far behind them—the girl who had said he wasn’t good enough for Xia Qian Ge. She was from Class 2, and Su Yu wasn’t very familiar with her yet.
Their eyes met. Su Yu smiled and waved in greeting.
Xia Qian Ge rarely came down to the track. At least, in Su Yu’s memory, she rarely, if ever, did.
“You’re the guy who returned the gift for Qian Ge, right? I saw you today. Not bad.” Lin Siyi’s large eyes darted around, her tone teasing. “Just don’t steal what you’re supposed to be returning.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Xia Qian Ge nudged Lin Siyi and looked apologetically at Su Yu. “Sorry about that. This is Lin Siyi, my best friend. She always talks nonsense.”
“It’s okay… just a joke.”
Su Yu took another look at Lin Siyi. She seemed like a completely different person from the one who had aggressively told him to leave Xia Qian Ge alone. Now they talked about ideals; later, they would talk about reality. It turned out… people really did change, becoming almost unrecognizable.
Author’s Note
(The plot is moving slowly at the moment, not sure if you guys like it or not. Personally, I prefer more buildup before the climax, a slower burn. Plus, I think the current plot is pretty good, a kind of homage to my high school days.)
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