When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the dormitory ceiling, bathed in the clear glow of the moonlight. The room was silent, save for the occasional snore from Gao Dabang. That inexplicable embrace with Ling Xiao felt like nothing more than a dream.
Yi Taitai had told me to test Ling Xiao’s feelings, but I honestly couldn't tell what the result was. Maybe that almost-kiss, replaced at the last second by a hug, had just been a figment of my imagination. I still couldn't fathom why he’d stopped me from speaking, or why he’d held me so tight.
Regardless, that embrace gave me a massive surge of courage. I decided then and there: this Young Master Qiao was going to confess. No matter how it ended, I wouldn't be able to rest in peace if I didn't say it.
Perhaps the lingering effects of the alcohol were still at work, but as I lay in bed, my stomach felt warm, like a furnace crackling with sparks. In all my years, I had never liked someone this much. I felt like everything about him was perfect. As my mom said, he was handsome and had a good personality (mostly). More importantly, he was incredible at fencing. I wanted to tell Ling Xiao that I was pretty great, too—and if he’d have me, I’d become even better for his sake.
***
I had woken up briefly in the middle of the night, and by the next morning, the hangover had mostly cleared, though a morning run was out of the question. After washing up and getting dressed, I headed for the cafeteria. As I pulled open the door, my eyes drifted to the closed door diagonally across the hall. My heart suddenly felt like it had been dipped in honey. God, the feeling was so cheesy it killed me, but I loved it anyway.
Ling Xiao was probably out for his run. I let out a yawn and called back into the room, "Dabang, you ready yet?" Just then, I heard a *click* from across the hall.
Ling Xiao stepped out of his room. He stopped when he saw me. I was surprised—he hadn't gone for a run?
The events of the previous night were a bit awkward, but my heart was mostly filled with joy. I raised a hand and gave him a bright smile. "Thanks for yesterday. You were the one who brought me back, right?"
Ling Xiao looked at me but didn't say a word.
I sighed inwardly. We’d already hugged, yet I still couldn't read him. My male god was just too mysterious. From a distance, he was like an iceberg across the sea; up close, he was like a night mist—intangible, a bit cold, yet inexplicably tender.
Before Ling Xiao could respond to my greeting, Gao Dabang charged out from behind me. "Let's go, let's go! Coach Hu is giving his routine lecture today. Don't be late!"
"It's still early," I protested, but when I turned back, Ling Xiao was already heading downstairs on his own. I really couldn't understand him, but I didn't plan to try anymore. My head was currently spinning with plans for the perfect confession; I didn't have the mental capacity to guess his thoughts.
Still, Ling Xiao, your heart is harder to read than a girl's. Do you know that?
***
Regarding the post-drinking blunder, there seemed to be a tacit agreement between us never to mention it. He probably thought I was too drunk to remember, which suited me perfectly. What’s a confession without a surprise?
I didn't understand why he’d stopped me from speaking back then, but thinking it over later, a drunken confession in a bathroom would have lacked sincerity. Didn't Ling Xiao always tell me to be more serious?
Given his personality, he must take love very seriously. I had to give him a proper, solemn confession. And ideally, it should be romantic.
Auntie Tian’s advice on how boys chase girls (and vice versa) wasn't going to cut it. For specialized tasks, you need a specialist. I had to consult Yi Taitai about how a guy should chase another guy.
I invited Yi Taitai out for a meal to get his suggestions. He looked troubled. "This is tough. There are ways for guys to chase guys, sure, but you're chasing Ling Xiao. I can't think of a single way to woo a frigid iceberg like him..."
As we both fretted, we wandered aimlessly through the streets. We turned from the bustling main road into a secluded, tree-lined path and suddenly heard the sound of strings being plucked.
Ahead of us was a music shop, nestled under the shade of green trees. The notes of a guitar took flight from the leaves like a skylark.
Through the glass display window, I could see colorful guitars hanging on the walls—cool electric guitars, traditional acoustics, and even those cute little ukuleles.
I stared blankly at the wall of instruments. The polished glass reflected not only the guitars but also the high walls of the campus across the street, where students occasionally walked past the ivy-covered bricks.
I thought of Ling Xiao, who always wore headphones, tuned out from the world. I didn't know what kind of music he liked, but he clearly enjoyed listening to it. He’d been ostracized and bullied in middle school, always alone. Now, he’d developed this unsociable, solitary personality. Music must have been the thing that stayed by his side all this time, keeping him from being truly lonely in a crowd.
"I've got it," I said, my eyes lighting up.
When Yi Taitai heard that I wanted to learn the guitar so I could serenade him, he was speechless. "Is that really necessary? It's not like you're confessing to a girl..."
I asked him, "If the person you liked played the guitar and sang for you to confess, would your heart flutter?"
Yi Taitai paused, then put on a bashful expression. "Why are you asking me...? Fine, yes, it would. But Ling Xiao is an iceberg. Just because us mere mortals would be moved doesn't mean he'll fall for it. Besides, you're a total beginner. It'll take at least a month or two to play anything decent. Don't you think that's too long? Didn't you say you studied violin for two years as a kid? Just play the violin. At least you have a foundation!"
"You can't sing while playing the violin. Besides, it's *because* I have zero experience that it matters. When he realizes I learned it just to confess to him, he'll understand how serious I am, that I'm not joking." We were already inside the shop. I looked up at the guitars on the wall, my heart racing like a knight about to slay a dragon, choosing the perfect sword for the task.
***
I bought a guitar, but I didn't have time for classes, so I had to teach myself using the internet. It was for the best; it helped me kick my Weibo addiction. I hid the new acoustic guitar in my locker and acted like nothing was wrong the next day—training, eating, the usual. However, every time I saw Ling Xiao, I had the urge to rush up and say, *Don't be in a hurry, just wait a little longer, it's coming soon!*
But he would usually just give me an expressionless look across the dining table, the fencing strip, or the locker room, as if saying: *I'm not in a hurry at all.*
This "closet romantic" was hopeless. He couldn't pick up on my burning signals at all.
I had to learn the guitar in secret. To keep it a mystery, I’d take my laptop, open a tutorial video, and huddle in the bathroom to practice. This frequently annoyed Lao Qi and Gao Dabang.
Lao Qi cursed at me, "I've never seen anyone look so suspicious while learning the guitar! The dorm is huge, and there’s a massive balcony, yet you insist on strumming that thing in the latrine!"
I sat with my legs crossed, cradling the guitar. "You don't understand," I said through the door. "It's called 'hiding one's clumsiness.'" I plucked a string of notes. Well, it didn't sound like a skylark yet, but it was at least a sparrow.
Lao Qi retorted, "Aren't you afraid that when you finally bring that guitar out, it'll smell like the toilet? From what I'm hearing, your playing already has a distinct 'commode' vibe to it!"
I quickly picked up the guitar and sniffed it. Did it?
Later, I bought some air freshener and sprayed the bathroom every day. The scent must have rubbed off on me, because the guys on the fencing team started avoiding me wherever I went.
During our runs, they all kept their distance. I got annoyed. "It's air freshener! Not perfume!"
Ling Xiao was ahead of me, so I shamelessly ran up beside him to see if I could smoke him out. He didn't move away. I was incredibly moved—he was the only one who didn't find me repulsive!
"The Captain is the best!" I panted as I ran beside him, flattering him shamelessly. I truly couldn't wait to confess. I kept glancing at his profile as we ran, and I started losing my sense of direction. I just thought he was so handsome; he was practically my sun. At that moment, my "sun" looked straight ahead and said coldly:
"Focus on your running."
...What a cruel sun.
***
After just one week, I was getting the hang of the guitar. I’d mastered the basic techniques. Truly, love is the best teacher. At this rate, if I picked a song and focused on it, I’d be ready in another half-month to... hehe... do the deed!
Early one morning, as I headed downstairs, I unexpectedly ran into Grandma Zhao. She was wandering around with a bag in her hand. I asked her why she was here so early to feed the cats. She told me her husband had suddenly suffered a stroke and was hospitalized. She had to stay at the hospital for a few days and asked if I could help feed the cats. She held out the bag of cat food, asking tentatively. Naturally, I agreed.
After training at noon, I skipped lunch and headed straight for the woods with the cat food. Damn, those feline overlords were practically staging a rebellion when they saw it wasn't Grandma Zhao! Only my "Ling Xiao-er" watched from a distance, never trying to scratch me. After serving the rest of the gang, I crouched in front of him and fed him handfuls of kibble. "Ling Xiao-er, you're still the best to me."
"What did you say?"
Ling Xiao’s voice came out of nowhere, startling me. I spun around to see him standing outside the cat shelter. He was holding a lunch box, which he walked over and handed to me.
"Thanks, Captain!" I opened it and saw there was even a Beef Lion’s Head! How did you know I love these? And you still won't admit you're a closet romantic?!
I ate gratefully while Ling Xiao sat down beside me. He glanced at Ling Xiao-er and asked suspiciously, "What did you just call him?"
"Oh, uh, nothing," I said, my mouth full of rice as I felt a pang of guilt. "Ling-dang'er! His name is Ling-dang'er! Captain, thanks for this. How did you know I was here?"
Ling Xiao looked down and gave the cat a stroke, saying nonchalantly, "I'm the Captain. There isn't much I don't know."
Poor Ling Xiao-er looked uncomfortable being petted by him and bolted a good distance away.
Ling Xiao withdrew his hand and sat up straight, watching the cats eat. He glanced at me occasionally, then back at the cats. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke. "Qiao Mai, you said we were friends, right?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Why?"
"As a friend, it seems I haven't done much for you. It's always been you providing all the warmth."
"Don't say that. You might be a bit cold, but my warmth is enough for both of us!"
Ling Xiao looked at me in shock. After another silence, he suddenly said, "I've decided to terminate the contract."
"...What?" I nearly choked on my rice. "Really?!"
"Yes," Ling Xiao said, reaching out to steady my wobbling lunch box. "For a friend. Since you want me to, I should listen to you at least once."
My face flushed. I thought to myself, *this guy flirts so unconsciously, can't he just talk normally?* Then another thought hit me. "But what about the termination fee? It must be a huge amount, right?"
"Don't worry about that. I have my ways." He reached out and moved the large ginger cat that was trying to jump onto my lap. "Eat."
I said to the ginger cat, who was eyeing my lunch box, "Did you hear that? Go back and eat your own food!"
Ling Xiao added, "You too."
***
I was thrilled that Ling Xiao had decided to stop fighting in those underground matches. The problem, however, was that termination fee. Even though he had a World Junior Championship title, the prize money for that isn't like the Olympics, and domestic prize money is even smaller. Those underground matches were so shady; the buyout fee was bound to be astronomical.
I asked Yi Taitai to look into it for me, and sure enough, it was a massive sum. I pooled all my own prize money together, but I was still a bit short of a round number. I opened my locker and saw that guitar—it had cost several thousand yuan, and I’d barely played it. But now wasn't the time for regrets. I returned the guitar and bought a second-hand one online for a few hundred yuan. As long as it made a sound, it was fine.
Once I had the cash in hand, I calculated that if I added it to Ling Xiao’s savings, it should be enough. But then a new problem arose: how on earth was I going to give this money to Ling Xiao so that he’d actually accept it?
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Point to Point: The Fencer’s Heart | Chapter 40 | A Secret Serenade | Novela.app | Novela.app
