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墨書 Inktalez
In another school in Beijing, Reiko, despite facing setbacks in love, did not let it dampen her spirit and continued to maintain her cheerful and bright personality.
"Girls should be more refined and quiet."
That was something Li Xueshou suddenly said to Reiko as winter set in during 2001.
It was one of the few clear days after the onset of winter in Beijing, with the sun shining brightly outside, casting a golden glow in the classroom corridor.
Reiko was dressed in a bright outfit, or perhaps it wasn't just the outfit; it was the sunlight falling on her and her radiant smile that made her seem enveloped in a golden halo.
It was around three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Although the sunlight was beautiful, it was close to sunset. Since there were no classes during the first two periods, many students were still playing basketball on the playground.
Li Xueshou had just finished playing basketball and was carrying a ball as he walked to class. As he passed by Reiko, he paused for a moment and casually dropped that remark.
Reiko, who had been animatedly chatting with her classmates, suddenly fell silent as if frozen by the coldness around her upon hearing his words.
The girls who had been joking with her also paused and quieted down.
This was the first thing Li Xueshou had said to Reiko after she had silently harbored feelings for him for two years following Jian Ming's rejection.
Reiko had initially thought that someone as handsome and talented as Li Xueshou would have no connection with her. Although she secretly admired him, she never intended to pursue anything with him.
Having already faced rejection from Jian Ming, someone she had known since childhood and shared a strong emotional bond with, Reiko had long given up hope of dating during her university years.
Many classmates who had not dated before were now eager to experience romance before graduation. There was a saying circulating on campus that not having dated in college felt like being in a relationship without ever holding hands—something quite regrettable.
To avoid such regrets, many third-year students like them were broadening their search beyond their class, department, or hometowns to the entire school and even online, eager to find a partner before graduation, as if racing against time to experience love.
However, Reiko did not have such thoughts; her attitude towards love was to prefer being alone rather than engaging in a chaotic relationship.
So even though she had secretly admired Li Xueshou for a long time, since he had never once directed his gaze towards her, her decision was to bury this silent infatuation deep within her heart forever.
As for dating during college, her life philosophy led her to conclude that if there were regrets, then let them be regrets!
In life, who doesn't have one or two things worth regretting?
However, the sudden remark from Li Xueshou disrupted the calm waters of Reiko's heart.
Not only her, but even the few female classmates who were joking with her began to tease Reiko.
"Reiko, I think that Li Xueshou has some feelings for you; otherwise, why would he choose to say that to you among so many girls?"
Indeed, although Li Xueshou had been classmates with them for over two years, very few in the class really knew him. He was close only with a few boys from his dormitory and had little interaction with other classmates, especially the girls; he hardly spoke with any of them.
Moreover, it was said that no girl had ever appeared by his side since he started school.
From the beginning of his time at the university, he had been working in the school's publicity department and was known as a prominent program host. Aside from attending classes where he would briefly meet everyone in the classroom, it was said that most of his time was spent busy in the publicity department.
What classmates observed confirmed this; he always rushed into the classroom just before the bell rang and hurried out right after class ended.
Aside from classes and class gatherings where he could be seen, the only other time one could catch a glimpse of him was during large school events where he hosted programs.
During class gatherings, he mostly chatted with his dorm mates or quietly kept his distance from the crowd.
Thus, in the minds of his classmates, he was both mysterious and aloof.
For someone like him, Reiko could only harbor a secret admiration; there were no other inappropriate thoughts.
However, the other female classmates were not pleased with Reiko's attitude. Stirring the pot and fanning the flames was something girls excelled at, and they seized the opportunity to encourage Reiko to take the initiative.
"When are we going to create an opportunity for you two to test him out, how about that?"
In the dormitory, several classmates were still chattering away, urging Reiko on.
"What are you all doing?" Reiko's face surprisingly flushed, and her demeanor became somewhat awkward.
Reiko was originally a cheerful person. If she had no feelings for Li Xueshou in her heart, she would have waved her hand and gone about her business, ignoring their teasing.
But Reiko did have a little secret crush on Li Xueshou. After being teased by everyone, the small flame that had been smoldering in her heart suddenly flared up, licking at her restless heart and slowly reigniting the feelings she thought had cooled.
From that day on, Reiko was no longer as lively and active as before; she spoke less loudly and confidently. She became quiet. In class, after class, and even when she left Li Xueshou's sight in the dormitory, she maintained a calm and demure demeanor.
"Where did the old Reiko go?"
Seeing Reiko sitting quietly at her desk, her roommates filed in one by one, their faces displaying expressions of either schadenfreude or surprise.
"Wow, Reiko is reading Carrie, a book by Dreiser!" Nan Xue exclaimed softly with long hair cascading over her shoulders.
Everyone knew that Dreiser's books were Li Xueshou's favorites! But they also knew that Carrie and Jenny were the books Reiko had always avoided. She wasn't fond of reading literary romance novels; even when she read Dreiser's works, she only read titles like An American Tragedy and Financier. As her roommates put it, she was a typical person who had romantic aspirations but lacked any romantic instincts or willingness to sacrifice for love.
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