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墨書 Inktalez
Lu Chenyu glanced at Lin Xi.
Although he and she had once held hands, and on that hazy moonlit night she had given him her first kiss, despite missing her deeply over the past six months, standing in front of her, Lu Chenyu still felt insecure.
It had been half a year. Although he longed for her, he never had the courage to contact her. Countless nights he lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and many moments he felt an impulse to go find her immediately.
However, thinking back to his hesitation when filling out his application, Lu Chenyu felt a pang of discomfort and guilt.
Because of this guilt and pain, he had not dared to reach out to her for six whole months. The more he endured, the tighter his longing became, and the more painful it was for him.
After enduring for half a year, he finally mustered the courage to come, only to see Lin Xi with someone so close to her, who seemed to be subtly provoking him in every conversation.
A single glance filled with longing was enough to make Lin Xi, who had also missed him for half a year, crumble instantly. She understood all too well that lonely gaze of yearning because she had experienced it herself.
"Alright then, since Brother Shaojie wants to treat us to dinner, let him do it," Lin Xi turned her face towards Lu Chenyu. "After all, he's our Brother Shaojie; it's only natural for him to treat us both." A smile appeared on Lin Xi's face as she tried hard to sound teasing.
Her words seemed casual and lacking in politeness but also implied a closeness with An Shaojie. However, An Shaojie understood that Lin Xi had already placed herself in the same trench as Lu Chenyu and was intentionally trying to alleviate Lu Chenyu's insecurity and doubts.
Yet An Shaojie did not know that when Lin Xi finished speaking, her heart couldn't help but ache slightly.
Because she knew that her words would undoubtedly hurt An Shaojie; even if it wasn't a knife, it would be like a needle or a thorn pricking at his sensitive and fragile heart.
Sure enough, An Shaojie's stubborn lips pressed together, and his defiant gaze dimmed momentarily.
But soon after, he regained his usual aloof and cold demeanor and forced a seemingly indifferent smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah, Lin Xi is right. After all, I've grown up with her since childhood; it's my responsibility to take care of her." With that, An Shaojie put one hand in his pocket and waved the other towards Lin Xi and Lu Chenyu. "Come on, let's go eat."
At Yage Restaurant near the campus entrance, as the three of them settled down at their table, Lu Chenyu got up to go to the restroom. While the waiter was pouring tea for them, a group of students walked in from outside.
As they approached Lin Xi's table, several of them stopped by and patted An Shaojie's shoulder while their eyes simultaneously swept over Lin Xi's face with ambiguous smiles that carried ill intentions.
"Well, Class Leader, a world for two, not bad."
"Hey, Class Leader, why don't you introduce us?"
Who in the class doesn't know about An Shaojie's childhood sweetheart, the one he used to ask about everywhere with a torn piece of paper? They know her name, her college, major, class, even her dorm building and room number, as well as the roommates in Lin Xi's dorm—almost everything has been thoroughly investigated by them.
Does Lin Xi need an introduction in front of them? They just want to have some fun at his expense.
Lin Xi held her cup and lowered her head to drink.
"Oh, Lin Xi, these are a few classmates from our class and dorm." An Shaojie hurriedly stood up to introduce Lin Xi.
But in this situation today, An Shaojie had no choice but to introduce Lin Xi in front of these guys; otherwise, they would make an even bigger fuss. This wouldn't help him at all; it would only ruin his plans.
In the past, An Shaojie might have indulged them a bit, but today was absolutely different because he had realized he had a strong rival.
Moreover, he suddenly discovered that many things were not as he thought or wished; Lin Xi had her own feelings. He needed to get to know her again.
Lin Xi stood up, slightly raised her eyes and smiled lightly at everyone before sitting back down. She awkwardly spun her cup in her hands while keeping her head down.
"Well, not bad at all, very cozy for the couple." The group seemed unfazed by Lin Xi's discomfort and lack of enthusiasm, continuing to joke around while patting An Shaojie's back and shoulders.
At that moment, Lu Chenyu walked out of the bathroom with wet hands.
"Class Leader, don't always be in your own little world. When are you going to treat your buddies?" a boy said jokingly.
"Come on, let's not disturb the Class Leader's beautiful moment." A girl playfully pushed the boy in front of her and laughed, glancing between An Shaojie and Lin Xi.
Standing behind Lin Xi and waiting for the group to pass was Lu Chenyu. Listening to their conversation made his expression shift from white to black.
During the meal that followed, even though Lin Xi tried hard to balance things out on her own, it still felt somewhat awkward.
After finishing dinner and arranging Lu Chenyu's accommodation, the three of them unexpectedly walked towards the school gate.
As they reached the entrance, Lin Xi hesitated and stopped in her tracks.
An Shaojie and Lu Chenyu also halted, both looking at Lin Xi.
"Brother Shaojie, you’ve accompanied me to the library today, treated us to dinner, and helped arrange his accommodation. You've worked hard all day, so I really feel bad about bothering you now. You should head back to rest; I can just stroll around the campus with him," Lin Xi said politely to An Shaojie.
Her few casual words of politeness suddenly created a distance between her and An Shaojie.
Ever since An Shaojie found her, they had been eating together and studying side by side every day, feeling as if they were back in childhood—there was no sense of distance, just a natural intimacy. She would follow An Shaojie around, calling him "Brother Shaojie," smiling as she shared various jokes from class or the dormitory while he listened with a gentle smile.
However, when Lu Chenyu stood in front of her, it felt as if she had suddenly returned to reality from some dream. The An Shaojie before her seemed like someone who had appeared out of nowhere from a distant place, making her feel disoriented as if she didn’t remember or recognize him.
In contrast, Lu Chenyu was undeniably real; he had once held her hand and embraced her in a way that made her heart race, someone she missed to the point of breathlessness.
That night had indeed felt like a dream.
Yet, looking at his weary face and the large backpack he carried on his back—this boy who appeared both mature yet still youthful, with a hint of melancholy mixed with his newly adopted maturity—Lin Xi felt countless pangs of pain flash through her heart.
Yes, he lacked the steadiness and maturity of An Shaojie; he didn’t give her that sense of security and reliability. But he could make her heart ache and race. So, the always understanding and tolerant Lin Xi knew that what she just said might touch a sensitive nerve in An Shaojie. Even if it didn’t reach the level of causing harm, it would at least sting him. But Lin Xi couldn’t worry about that too much.
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