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墨書 Inktalez
The project is progressing smoothly, and our "AR Campus" proposal received unanimous praise from the judges during the preliminary review, successfully advancing to the finals. The final round requires us to submit a more refined prototype and conduct a live defense.
In our team of three, I am responsible for the overall design and visual presentation, Shen Yizhou handles the technical implementation, and Li Wei, a senior from the School of Management, takes charge of business planning and the defense PowerPoint. Our roles are clearly defined, and our collaboration is enjoyable.
However, just as we were fully preparing for the finals, trouble came knocking at our door.
We are not the only popular team in this competition. Another strong contender is led by Qiao Weiwei, a campus beauty from the design school, who is also highly favored to win. Their project is an intelligent second-hand trading platform for campus use, which reportedly has already attracted interest for Angel Investment.
Qiao Weiwei is not only beautiful but also comes from a privileged background and possesses strong professional skills. She has always been the center of attention in our school. It seems she has some reservations about me as a "sudden competitor," especially after learning that my team includes Shen Yizhou.
I began to hear whispers about me, both overtly and subtly.
“I heard that Lin Xi’s project made it to the finals solely because of Shen Yizhou’s technical support; her design skills are quite average.”
“Exactly! She’s usually so inconspicuous; how did she suddenly get involved with Shen Yizhou? Isn’t it just because she’s eyeing his background and abilities?”
“I heard she’s been quite flattering towards Shen Yizhou to get his help.”
These comments reached my ears like tiny needles, pricking at my heart and making me uncomfortable. I knew I shouldn’t care, but faced with these jealous and malicious speculations, it was hard not to feel affected.
What troubled me even more was that Qiao Weiwei began to approach Shen Yizhou more intentionally. Several times when I went to find Shen Yizhou to discuss technical issues, I found Qiao Weiwei in the computer lab as well. She would come over with coffee or snacks, chatting happily with Shen Yizhou, discussing some “technical challenges.”
Shen Yizhou’s attitude towards her was polite yet distant, just as I had always seen it. However, he didn’t explicitly reject her advances. This left me feeling like a heavy stone was pressing down on my chest.
“Look at that Qiao Weiwei, it’s obvious what her intentions are,” Su Meng said indignantly. “She’s always hovering around Shen Yizhou, making it seem like they’re on the same team.”
“Let her be; if she wants to hang around, that’s her choice. Besides, Shen Yizhou isn’t paying her any attention,” I replied casually, though inside I couldn’t help but feel sour.
What truly unsettled me was an accidental encounter.
That afternoon, I was in a café with Li Wei, refining our defense PowerPoint. In the middle of it all, I went to the restroom. When I returned, I passed by a semi-open booth and inadvertently caught sight of two people inside—Shen Yizhou and Qiao Weiwei.
They seemed to be discussing project matters. Qiao Weiwei was facing away from me, smiling happily with her body slightly leaned forward in a familiar posture. Meanwhile, Shen Yizhou, though his expression remained indifferent as usual, didn’t immediately create distance like he normally would.
My feet felt glued to the ground as I froze in place. My heart felt like it was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand; I could hardly breathe.
What were they talking about? Why was Shen Yizhou meeting with her alone here? Didn’t he say he was busy?
A whirlwind of questions and speculations churned in my mind. I dared not look any longer and almost fled back to my seat in distress.
“Lin Xi, what’s wrong? You look so pale,” Li Wei asked with concern.
“Nothing… just a bit overwhelmed,” I forced a smile and replied. “Maybe it’s too much coffee; I’m feeling a little anxious.”
At that moment, the sweetness and anticipation that had blossomed from Shen Yizhou's subtle care suddenly cooled by more than half. Reason told me that they were likely just normal project discussions, but emotionally, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and wavering.
To Shen Yizhou, was I really just an ordinary teammate, or perhaps... just someone he felt a bit responsible for after I clumsily spilled coffee all over him? Was he with Qiao Weiwei in the same way? Or even... better?
I began to feel a bit insecure. In my interactions with Shen Yizhou, I no longer felt as relaxed as before; I found myself constantly observing his expressions and trying to decipher his intentions.
He seemed to notice something was off with me.
Once, while we were discussing an algorithm problem online, I kept making mistakes because my mind was wandering.
"Lin Xi, you're not focused," his message popped up on the screen.
"Sorry, Senior, I..." I didn't know how to explain.
"Are you having any trouble?" he asked.
I hesitated for a moment before typing, "No, it's just... I've been a bit tired lately."
"The pressure of the finals is quite heavy," he replied, "but you need to believe in yourself. Your design has great highlights; I'll handle the technical issues."
Reading his encouraging words brought me a little comfort. Yet the image of that café still felt like a thorn, piercing my heart.
Perhaps I was being too greedy. To be his teammate and receive his help was already a tremendous stroke of luck. I shouldn't ask for more.
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