Song Yifei was practically beaten out of the dorm by Su Jingming. Those who witnessed the scene couldn't help but marvel, "So the rumor about Su Jingming taking on five guys at once is true. Song Yifei is taller than him, yet he still got thrashed."
Hearing this, Su Jingming only hit harder.
Song Yifei rubbed his aching waist, cursing as he walked away. "How can he be so impossible to tease? He doesn't act like this when Wen Yan teases him!"
Once Song Yifei was gone, silence returned to the dorm. Su Jingming stood by his chair, pondering what on earth he should give Wen Yan.
There were less than forty-eight hours until the birthday, and a light drizzle had begun to fall outside.
Su Jingming looked out the window. This was Liangcheng in April, a place of endless spring rain.
Wen Yan’s eighteenth birthday was to be a simple affair; he planned to invite a few close friends and classmates for a modest meal.
Since the birthday fell on a Saturday, Wen Miao had called him home on Friday. Su Jingming only hesitated for a few seconds after school ended before turning to head back to his own house.
Upon arriving home, Su Jingming took a quick shower, grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge, and rushed back out.
His destination was clear: the Liangcheng commercial street.
He stepped into an accessory shop. The owner looked up, saw the young man, and stood. "The item you wanted is ready. I figured you’d be coming for it around now."
Su Jingming nodded. The owner went to a cabinet, pulled out a jewelry box, and opened it. Inside was a hand cord woven from black string, with a tiny silver bell embedded in the center.
The owner took it out and handed it to Su Jingming. "Weaving that little bell in took quite a bit of effort."
Su Jingming looked down at the cord. The small bell wasn't obtrusive, and its chime was so faint it couldn't be heard unless one listened closely. He had heard that bells symbolized peace and safety.
Seeing him lost in thought, the owner asked curiously, "A gift for a girlfriend? You should have chosen red string."
"..." Su Jingming paused. "Black looks better." Wen Yan had fair skin; black would look good on him.
The owner raised an eyebrow and nodded, asking no further questions.
Su Jingming asked the owner to wrap it carefully. When the owner suggested pink wrapping paper, Su Jingming politely declined.
"Are there still girls these days who don't like pink?"
Su Jingming replied, "...He’s a bit unique." He pointed to a dark blue paper nearby. "That one, please."
The owner’s eyes filled with confusion, finding it harder and harder to understand what young girls were thinking these days.
By the time Su Jingming left the shop, it was nearly evening. He found a random place on the street to grab a bite to eat, his mind already churning over how to give the gift to Wen Yan in the most natural way possible.
He went through several scenarios in his head.
Scenario One:
"Happy eighteenth birthday. This is for you."
Too ordinary. It didn't capture the significance of turning eighteen at all.
*Pass.*
Scenario Two:
"Happy birthday. Are you happy that Tiga is giving you a gift?"
Too childish and cocky. He’d probably get hit.
*Pass.*
Scenario Three:
"Hey, Wen Yan, happy birthday! Hope you’re always happy, yo!"
Crap, I’m not some damn hip-hop artist.
*Pass.*
Scenario Four...
Su Jingming swallowed a mouthful of rice, suddenly feeling very dull. *Aside from liking Tiga, I feel like I’m useless.*
With these thoughts, the food in his mouth became tasteless.
Leaving the restaurant, Su Jingming walked with his head down, deep in thought about how to give Wen Yan an unforgettable eighteenth birthday.
"Su Jingming."
Someone called his name from ahead.
He looked up. It was Zhang Jia.
Subconsciously, Su Jingming swallowed. Ever since Wen Yan had exposed Zhang Jia’s feelings for him, he hadn't spent any time alone with her.
The atmosphere always felt a little awkward.
Zhang Jia was wearing a floral dress, her hair draped casually over her shoulders. Upon closer inspection, she was even wearing a bit of delicate makeup.
Zhang Jia hadn't expected to run into him at this time and place.
"Are you..." She saw his hands in his pockets. She wanted to ask if he was shopping, but his hands were empty. "Just walking around?"
Su Jingming nodded. "Yeah."
Zhang Jia’s interest was piqued. She took two steps forward. "Are you alone? I am too. Why don't we walk together?"
"I’m heading back."
It was an instinctive rejection. A flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Jia’s eyes, and she gave an awkward smile. "Alright then. See you at school on Monday."
Su Jingming managed a dry "Goodbye."
The commercial street was a crowded place with all sorts of people. Just a few blocks away were the bars, where the crowds were even more chaotic.
Su Jingming had only just passed Zhang Jia when he turned back. "Are you going home?"
Zhang Jia, who had been walking away with a look of disappointment, turned back in disbelief. "Are you...?"
"It’s getting late, and the commercial street area is a bit messy. Are you still planning to shop?" Su Jingming’s tone was flat, simply asking for her opinion.
Zhang Jia shook her head. "No more shopping. I’m going home."
If she couldn't take a hint like that, she would be truly dense.
She stepped over to Su Jingming’s side and said generously, "My house is just over that way. Thanks for walking me."
Su Jingming lazily glanced in that direction, gave a grunt of affirmation, and started walking the way she indicated.
He suddenly wondered if he was being too much of a busybody.
A girl dressed up like that to come here surely had an appointment.
But his inner sense of justice was clamoring.
An embodiment of justice could not allow a lone girl to wander around such a place; it was too dangerous.
Su Jingming rubbed his temples. His "chunibyo" tendencies were acting up at the worst time.
Seeing his poor expression, Zhang Jia asked, "Have you not been resting well lately? Being rank one must be a lot of pressure. Wen Yan and the others are in your dorm too; does the studying feel very competitive?"
"It’s fine." That wasn't what was giving Su Jingming a headache.
"Then you should rest well. It’s just being rank one. Look at you last semester—to get that top spot, you looked so haggard." Zhang Jia suddenly remembered the Su Jingming of last term. He had looked normal on the surface, but the madness in his eyes had been impossible to hide.
Several times, Zhang Jia had seen Su Jingming’s hands shaking from solving problems, yet he refused to stop.
Su Jingming gave a faint hum of agreement. He had mostly forgotten about the events of that period.
Perhaps because being with Zhang Jia wasn't particularly pleasant, Su Jingming’s pace grew faster and faster. He didn't notice that Zhang Jia, wearing small heels, was almost at a jog just to keep up.
The next second, Zhang Jia grabbed Su Jingming’s sleeve.
"Can’t you wait for me?" Her voice carried a hint of a pout. Su Jingming froze, his entire body turning stiff from head to toe.
Zhang Jia didn't notice his reaction. She grumbled, "So what if you have long legs?"
To an outsider, they looked like a couple in the middle of a minor lover's spat.
Su Jingming stopped. Tonight, he wore a gray hoodie. His eyes were deep, his expression thin and detached. His face held little emotion, and his lips were pressed into a straight line.
Zhang Jia felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze. She whispered, "I just wanted you to wait for me."
There was a double meaning in those words.
Su Jingming heard it. He lowered his eyes and asked, "Zhang Jia, do you... toward me..."
Before he could finish, Zhang Jia interrupted him. "Toward you what? Oh, right, why aren't you wearing your glasses again? You’re actually quite handsome without them. There’s no need to package yourself like that."
Su Jingming frowned, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "Sorry, I hope you understand what I mean. Toward you, I..."
"Toward me, you’ve never been willing to spare a second glance?!" Zhang Jia looked up, a faint mist of tears forming in her eyes, making her look quite pitiful.
Su Jingming considered himself exceptionally respectful toward girls over the years and never had any intention of bullying them. In his eyes, girls were meant to be protected—otherwise, he wouldn't have saved Wen Miao back then.
But Zhang Jia was the first of her kind he’d encountered; she had cried in front of him twice now.
The tip of Zhang Jia’s nose turned slightly red as she stared intently at Su Jingming. "You know exactly how I feel about you. I wanted to ask you last time—don't you feel even a little bit of a spark for me?"
She didn't think she was lacking; she was more outstanding than most girls her age.
Why didn't Su Jingming want her?
Su Jingming was silent for a moment. "What do you like about me?"
He asked directly, his dark eyes searching hers.
Zhang Jia was stumped. What did she like about Su Jingming?
Initially, her impression of him was "bookworm" and those black-rimmed glasses. Now, beneath those glasses were eyes that fascinated her.
He always looked at people with indifference, as if he didn't care about anything.
Even when questioned, he never deigned to argue, as if he stood upon a high mountain peak, unconcerned with the world below.
At seventeen, one is full of fantasies.
Zhang Jia thought Su Jingming was her ideal type; she just liked this kind of boy.
After a silence, she countered, "Do I need a reason to like you?"
"Su Jingming, do you have someone you like? If not, then you won't understand my thoughts."
Su Jingming was slightly stunned. In this regard, he was indeed a blank slate. When Zhang Jia asked if he had someone he liked, the fingertips hidden in his pocket went numb. Touching the corner of the gift box felt like being scorched by a raging fire.
He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Su Jingming’s silence was undoubtedly a significant blow to Zhang Jia. Seeing that her home wasn't much further, a sense of desolation welled up in her heart.
Su Jingming had someone in his heart.
"Who is it?" Zhang Jia asked softly. She even wanted to ask: boy or girl?
Su Jingming slowly raised his eyes to hers and said simply, "Thank you for liking me, but don't waste your time on me. It’s not worth it."
Zhang Jia let out a laugh, though she didn't even understand why she was laughing.
Was it because of Su Jingming’s "thank you"?
Or because of his ambiguous answer?
Suddenly, Zhang Jia stopped laughing. In the April spring night, a gentle breeze blew, stirring her skirt and the stray hairs by her ears.
She looked at the messy black hair on Su Jingming’s forehead. His exposed eyes looked exceptionally captivating in the night.
The figures passing by became a mere backdrop. The seventeen-year-old boy and girl stood in the middle of the street. The sound of car horns and the chatter of the crowd formed a dividing line.
If one listened closely, there even seemed to be the sound of cicadas in the trees.
Determination filled the girl’s eyes. With the corners of her eyes reddened, she clenched her hands behind her back into fists, her knuckles turning white.
"Is it Wen Yan?"
***
