Chapter 12: Does the Setting Sun Have a Taste Too?
The students of Chuanhai No. 1 High School were all respectable individuals, with strict upbringing. There had never been a theft incident at the school. It didn’t make sense for anyone to hold a grudge against him either. Lu Li had never made any enemies during his entire year at Chuanhai No. 1 High School. After thinking it over and over again, he concluded that the document could only have been taken by An Baili. Recalling An Baili’s anxious search for him earlier, Lu Li felt more and more certain that this guess was likely the truth. But why did An Baili take the document? Where was she now? Why didn’t she come to class?
Lu Li, burdened with worries, endured until the second class in the afternoon, but An Baili still hadn’t returned. Ironically, it was usually An Baili who looked at him with anticipation, but now it was Lu Li who was eager to see her. In the end, he didn’t wait for An Baili, but he did wait for Silly Goose, who had finally composed herself.
Chu Jingyi’s clothes were neatly arranged, her small leather boots gleaming under the sunlight, spotless and ethereal. She seemed calm as usual, only her gaze would pause unnaturally when it swept past Lu Li.
The moment he saw the Class Monitor, Lu Li recalled the sweet taste of the girl’s lips. The taste of young girls was always bittersweet, full of vitality and youthful energy, different from mature women. If he had to choose, Lu Li preferred young girls.
She sat down behind Lu Li, silently opened her textbook, and prepared for class. Lu Li turned around to talk to her, but was slapped in the face by the Class Monitor’s textbook: “I don’t want to talk to you right now!”
Fine, if you don’t want to talk, then don’t. Lu Li also turned around proudly. What kind of man would continue to offer a warm face to a cold shoulder? A few minutes later, Lu Li turned his head again, this time with a smile: “Jingyi, do you know where An Baili went?” A prime minister’s heart should be broad enough to tolerate a boat. There was no need to argue with a silly deer.
Hearing this, Chu Jingyi felt a pang of displeasure, and her mouth pouted involuntarily: “How would I know? If you’re so concerned, go find her yourself.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how jealous she sounded, and even she blushed: “I mean, I don’t know. Baili must have been angered by you and ran away. She likes you so much, but you…” Rather than blaming Lu Li, she was blaming herself.
But you kissed me… The girl swallowed these words, deciding to keep them a secret for the rest of her life. Unless, unless…
The afternoon classes ended quickly. The homeroom teacher held a class meeting and announced that there would be a monthly exam tomorrow. The top ten students would be eligible to go to Mulan City to participate in the Academic Competition. Lu Li knew about this competition. He didn’t have the chance to participate in his previous life, so he must strive for it this time, because this competition was highly valuable and extremely beneficial for college entrance. There were only three subjects in the liberal arts competition: Literature, Moral Philosophy, and Jurisprudence, corresponding to the high school courses of Chinese, Ideology and Morality, and Law.
Lu Li packed his school bag, wanting to say a few words to Chu Jingyi. After all, he had suddenly kissed the innocent girl, he had to show some gesture. His gaze met Chu Jingyi’s, and their thoughts were surprisingly aligned. However, Silly Goose was too embarrassed to speak first, just looking at him pitifully.
“Class Monitor, let’s go to the botanical garden for duty together.” Today was originally his and An Baili’s turn to inspect the botanical garden.
“Okay.”
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Chu Jingyi felt that everyone was looking at her and Lu Li differently, with ambiguous and scrutinizing gazes, as if they all knew what had happened in the activity classroom today. She lowered her head and counted the eyelets on her shoelaces, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
It’s all Lu Li’s fault. She thought. Good friends don’t kiss and hug, and they don’t stick their tongues into each other’s mouths… Lu Li was taking advantage of the fact that she was his only good friend.
The botanical garden was a secluded place, a good place for heart-to-heart talks. During college, Lu Li also liked to date An Baili in the woods, but unfortunately, his mentality was completely different now. Although it was called inspecting the botanical garden, it was actually just signing a name on the attendance sheet. If the botanical garden really needed maintenance, there were professionals to handle it.
Lu Li found a bench under a sweet-scented osmanthus tree and sat down with the Class Monitor. It was the season when the sweet-scented osmanthus flowers were in full bloom, their fragrance overflowing and wafting for miles. If they had come earlier, they could have picked gardenias in the botanical garden. The flowers and leaves were white and soft, with a lingering fragrance, a perfect match for Chu Jingyi.
Lu Li still had the leisure to appreciate flowers and associate them with women, but the Class Monitor didn’t have the same mood. She sat on the bench as if on pins and needles, feeling more and more like this was a date between young lovers. Various thoughts raced through her head. What did Lu Li mean? Did, did he like her? What, what should she do?
“Class Monitor, I was impulsive back in the activity classroom.” Lu Li started the conversation, getting straight to the point with sincerity. This indeed made Chu Jingyi’s tense shoulders relax slowly.
“You… why did you kiss… kiss… me like that.” She was even too embarrassed to say the word “kiss”. This girl was so pure that it made one’s heart ache. Times were changing, and many high school students in modern society had already tasted the forbidden fruit, going out with boys and girls arm in arm. Girls like Chu Jingyi were becoming increasingly rare. Thanks to Chu Xiaodong, he was a capable man who provided his daughter with a perfect growing environment.
Hmm, next time he saw Chu Xiaodong, he would reward him with a third-class merit.
“Because I thought you were very cute at the time.”
“Cu, cute?…”
“Yes. Your face was red, your eyes were watery, your ears were twitching slightly, and your little hands were gripping my arm so tightly that it hurt. So I couldn’t help but kiss you. Are you angry?”
“Angry!” Chu Jingyi’s words lacked any force. “You, you did that to me, how can I explain it to… to my husband in the future? Did, did I do something wrong…” She started to whimper again at the end, truly a wronged little girl.
The sun was setting in the west, the warm yellow sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting mottled shadows on their faces. The fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus and the girl’s body fragrance intertwined, as beautiful as a dream. This kind of scene was perfect for a confession. Lu Li felt a sweetness in his nose, a psychological sweetness. He suddenly realized that he enjoyed spending time with Chu Jingyi, without having to worry about life or reality.
“It’s a little sweet.”
“…What…”
“I’m talking about the sunlight.” Lu Li looked at the crimson clouds. “The setting sun is a little sweet.”
“Does the setting sun have a taste too? You, you’re lying to me again…”
“It does. The setting sun has a taste too. The morning sunlight tastes bitter, like fresh lotus seeds in summer. Swallowing the core whole makes it feel even more bitter.” Lu Li’s voice was gentle and meaningful, deeply attracting the Class Monitor. She looked at Lu Li’s profile and was somewhat mesmerized.
“The midday sunlight tastes like Red Bull, with a bit of the pleasure of a hearty drink and a bit of hesitant awkwardness. Some people taste the pleasure, while others taste the hesitation.”
“…Then what does the setting sun taste like?”
Lu Li looked into her eyes.
“At least now, it’s sweet.”
He didn’t think Chu Jingyi could understand his metaphor, so he could say these words without any psychological burden.
Silly Goose quieted down, seemingly savoring his words, chewing on them one by one. After a long time, she finally spoke: “…Only this time. Next, next time you must ask for my consent…” Lu Li was stunned for a while before realizing that she was talking about the kiss.
There was a look in her eyes that Lu Li couldn’t quite understand, a look he had seen in his sister’s eyes: “After all, you are my best friend… I’ll forgive you this time…”
Best friend? Lu Li felt relieved, partly relieved, partly with a man’s selfish regret. He didn’t want to lose the pure friendship between him and Chu Jingyi, but he also had a desire to possess her. This contradiction was something that even Lu Li, who had lived two lives, couldn’t resolve.
Under the setting sun, the young man extended his little finger for the first time: “Pinky promise?”
Chu Jingyi was stunned for a moment, then excitedly extended her hand: “Pinky promise!”
“Pinky promise, hang on a hundred years, no changes. Whoever changes is a big white goose!”
Under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree, Silly Goose’s clear voice echoed like a paper airplane, passing through the leaves, over the teaching building, soaring into the vast sky, and finally disappearing into the orange-red horizon.
Like a swan taking flight.
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