Liu Chang’an turned off the background music and microphone, and patted the microphone a few times like an old-fashioned leader testing the mic. “Hello, hello,” he said, and the private room fell silent.
This made Qian Ning and Lu Yuan feel a little regretful. Why hadn’t they had the courage to take the microphone and confess to Bai Rui earlier?
At a time like this, a girl’s heart was more likely to flutter along with the sound of the microphone.
Liu Chang’an looked at his high school classmates, from the tender age of entering adolescence to the remaining innocence before leaving the ivory tower of academia, preparing to enter the real world of university life. They might reunite during the first university break, or perhaps at a class reunion in ten, twenty, or thirty years. As the years went by, they would only be fleeting acquaintances in each other’s lives, leaving behind small ripples in the long river of time.
Liu Chang’an’s voice was gentle, tinged with nostalgia:
“In the fall of 2014, we first stepped into the middle school campus, amidst the bustling crowd, quiet trees, busy teachers and staff, and countless unfamiliar faces. Some of them are sitting right here today… Time really flies.”
Liu Chang’an paused, looked at his classmates, and they too fell silent, their gazes still lingering between Liu Chang’an and Bai Rui.
Liu Chang’an also glanced at Bai Rui, who opened her mouth as if to say something, but restrained herself. Liu Chang’an’s gaze made people feel a little shy, even though he wasn’t her ideal type. But girls were emotional creatures, and in this environment, the focused attention of their classmates and the tender, ear-stroking sound of the microphone were enough to evoke emotions that didn’t align with her rational decisions.
Bai Rui still managed to control herself, waiting for Liu Chang’an to make his move. This was likely her last victory in high school, and after An Wan.
“That day, I also saw Qian Ning, Lu Yuan, Zhao Wuqiang… Miao Yingying and Lin Xinhuai. Oh, Lin Xinhuai was sitting behind Miao Yingying, and it seemed like he was plotting something even back then…”
The classmates burst into laughter. Lin Xinhuai touched his head, Miao Yingying blushed, and shot Liu Chang’an a sympathetic glance because she knew Bai Rui wouldn’t accept Liu Chang’an.
Liu Chang’an’s gaze turned to Bai Rui, whose lips curled up slightly, as if she too were reminiscing about their first meeting.
“After I left the classroom, I saw Bai Rui for the first time. She was wearing a gray, white, and black striped skirt, a white uniform top, and a red butterfly knot. Her ponytails swung back and forth, and her face had a shy, passionate smile. She was very lovely…”
Liu Chang’an paused again, and the other classmates burst into laughter. On the first day of school, Liu Chang’an had seen Bai Rui fall down the stairs, and that incident had become a joke among their classmates. It had even increased Bai Rui’s popularity, making people wonder what kind of girl could make someone so smitten.
“I’m sorry… I was late that day, and only later found out you were our classmate…” Bai Rui said with a hint of pride and guilt, her fingers playing with her hair.
“It has nothing to do with me,” Liu Chang’an shook his head.
“It’s like he wants to eat swan meat, but can’t even get a bite,” Qian Ning snickered.
Seeing the atmosphere between Liu Chang’an and Bai Rui become increasingly ambiguous, Qian Ning couldn’t resist teasing them. The sound wasn’t loud, but everyone heard it, and Bai Rui’s face changed color. She didn’t want Liu Chang’an to be discouraged by Qian Ning’s teasing and lose his courage.
“Yeah… that day, I also saw An Wan for the first time. She was as beautiful as a swan…”
Liu Chang’an put down the microphone, and his voice seemed to resonate more clearly in the air than when he used the microphone. How did he suddenly switch to talking about An Wan?
“An Wan was standing not far behind Bai Rui, with sunlight shining through the trees, casting shadows on her shoulders and face. It was as if I could see every single strand of hair on her soft ears, her white neck, and her bright eyes were like black pearls hidden beneath her eyelashes. She was wearing a gray, white, and black striped dress, one foot forward, and the other backward, her heel against the wall. When she suddenly turned around and looked at me, I felt like I was transported through time and space, seeing a river, hearing the call of a wild goose, like a man who had finally found what he was searching for, his heart fluttering with excitement. I felt dizzy, and that’s why I fell down the stairs.”
Liu Chang’an paused again, looking a bit embarrassed and relieved. “Fortunately, An Wan isn’t here today, or I wouldn’t have dared to say this.”
The entire private room fell silent, with their classmates staring at Liu Chang’an in disbelief. Who would have thought that a three-year-old rumor had such a surprising truth? It was An Wan, not Bai Rui, who had made Liu Chang’an fall down the stairs!
Qian Ning and Lu Yuan let out a sigh of relief. Liu Chang’an might seem ordinary, but he always gave people a sense of intimidation. This time, he had really provoked Bai Rui, and Bai Rui was now probably furious.
Bai Rui bit her lip, her chest heaving with effort, trying to calm down her emotions, her face burning with anger. Liu Chang’an’s words meant she had been misunderstanding him for three years? He had always liked An Wan, not her, Bai Rui?
Was An Wan that beautiful? Was she the gentle lady in The Book of Odes? Was An Wan the swan meat?
“Liu Chang’an, you knew you’d be rejected, so you’re doing this on purpose!” Bai Rui exclaimed, then turned around and stormed out.
“You guys aren’t going to chase after her?” Liu Chang’an asked Qian Ning and Lu Yuan, who were still stunned.
The two finally came back to their senses and rushed out after her.
…
…
After school, An Wan left behind a beautiful silhouette, angrily returning home.
No doubt Liu Chang’an was a scoundrel. If Bai Rui invited him, he would definitely go, especially since she was the object of his infatuation.
Thinking carefully, Bai Rui was indeed very beautiful, despite having a bit of baby fat on her face. Maybe in the eyes of boys, she was lovable, like a plump rabbit. Her figure was also hard to fault, and An Wan had seen her in the dressing room, thinking she was as lovely as a little white rabbit.
As friends, they could only occasionally remind him. Liu Chang’an wasn’t the type of person who would listen to advice and change his mind. He had a casual attitude towards everyone, and it was hard to know what he was thinking.
High school was almost over, and Liu Chang’an and Bai Rui wouldn’t be able to stir up any more waves. But what if Liu Chang’an confessed to Bai Rui tonight? Maybe Bai Rui would accept… Lu Yuan and Qian Ning were together, so they should stop them. But this was ultimately between the two of them.
Thinking about all sorts of confusing things, An Wan returned home, seeing an unopened express package at the door. As she opened the door, she picked up the package and called out, “Mom, you bought flowers again?”
“This express delivery didn’t even call beforehand, just leaving the package and running off?”
The voice came from the bathroom, and An Wan closed the door, suddenly remembering something important she had to do today, glancing in the direction of the bathroom, slipping off her shoes, and sneaking over to the couch, searching for her phone.
There was no phone in the bedroom, on the balcony, or in the kitchen. The only possibility was that her mom had taken it into the bathroom.
Did her mom have the habit of taking her phone into the bathroom? An Wan wasn’t very sure, but she had an impression that she might have done it before.
An Wan dialed her mom’s phone, and it was immediately hung up. The bathroom responded with a puzzled voice: “Why did you call me?”
“I misdialed,” An Wan quickly said.
The bathroom responded with a gentle humming, like an old song from the 80s or 90s, sounding very carefree.
She had hung up so quickly, which meant she had her phone with her in the bathroom, playing with it while taking a bath? An Wan remembered her mom wasn’t that reliant on her phone.
As she pondered, An Wan’s phone prompted her with a message, showing that her classmate Zhao Wuqiang had added her as a friend.
Even though they were in the same class, not everyone added each other as friends, and An Wan wasn’t close to Zhao Wuqiang. Maybe it was because they were about to graduate, and he added her as a keepsake?
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