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墨書 Inktalez
When they were studying at A University, there was a school uniform, and most students wore it just like in middle and high school, wandering around in their uniforms. It was only during gatherings or dates that they would take off their uniforms and dress up a bit.
Dressing up meant that everyone in the dorm would pitch in—one person would bring cosmetics, another would contribute a top, and if someone had a skirt, they would lend that too. It was a mix-and-match effort until around junior year when they gradually acquired decent clothes to wear out instead of uniforms.
Strangely enough, the students who frequented coffee shops back then were mostly freshmen and sophomores. By junior and senior years, they seemed to lose interest in coffee shops and preferred karaoke rooms instead. So, the coffee shop was mostly filled with young faces still wearing their uniforms.
When Su Hailu sat down in front of Lin Xi, Lin Xi had just finished reminiscing about those old days and was lifting her cup to take a sip of coffee. Su Hailu stood silently before her, looking at Lin Xi before taking a seat.
Lin Xi didn’t put her cup down but instead looked up intently at her, as if she didn’t recognize her.
In truth, she didn’t fully recognize her; at least, it felt unfamiliar.
Although Su Hailu had never been loud, she certainly wasn’t a quiet girl either. It was hard to believe she could sit there so quietly; it seemed she had changed a lot.
When Lin Xi received Su Hailu's call, she was taken aback. After that last contact when she hurriedly hung up, Lin Xi thought Su Hailu didn’t want anything to do with the past. So, Lin Xi hadn’t reached out to her since then, assuming Su Hailu wouldn’t contact her again either.
Even the best of friends can feel like strangers when faced with certain uncomfortable pasts.
Unexpectedly, yesterday Su Hailu took the initiative to reach out to her and even suggested meeting up. This genuinely touched Lin Xi and made her reflect on her own petty thoughts and long-standing guilt.
Su Hailu still ordered orange juice, showing that she hadn’t changed much; she maintained her habit of loving fruit juice. She said juice was good for beauty—she still cared about looking good.
After sitting down, Lin Xi kept observing her closely; truly, she hadn’t changed at all—no signs of hardship—only a maturity and calmness that added depth to her presence.
What was the status between her and An Shaojie? Had they broken up or not? Was it Su Hailu who initiated the breakup or An Shaojie? There were no clues on her face to reveal any information.
It seemed love had not affected her in the slightest. Maturity and calmness were merely the results of time and age; they didn’t seem related to romantic experiences.
"Why are you staring at me?" Su Hailu was still the same as before; her tone and demeanor hadn’t changed, and the smile she showed was just like it used to be.
Lin Xi lowered her head and smiled.
"You haven't changed at all," the two said in unison.
Then they both paused, exchanged smiles, and fell silent again.
"How have you been?" It was Lin Xi who broke the silence first.
"Not bad, and you?" Su Hailu stirred her orange juice with a straw, the yellow liquid swirling in the cup.
"I," Lin Xi lowered her head and smiled, "I'm just the same as when I was studying."
Su Hailu's hand that was stirring the orange juice suddenly paused for a moment before continuing, but clearly, the frequency and strength of her stirring had become a bit erratic.
Is she panicking?
What is she panicking about?
Lin Xi stared at her, trying to guess.
She finally stopped stirring. She knew that trying to hide would only reveal more of what she wanted to conceal; it was better to do nothing at all.
"Are you married?"
This time it was Lin Xi who was taken aback. This question was not something Su Hailu usually cared about; she had always been quite vocal about her stance on remaining single.
"I responded to your call, didn't I? I've been single all along!"
Lin Xi glanced out the window. The night outside had grown darker, perhaps due to the snow on the ground or because the glass windows were soundproof. Even though people were coming and going outside and cars were passing by, it didn't seem to slow down because of the thick snow on the ground. From inside looking out, it felt as if the night outside was still and quiet, as if everything outside was frozen in place, including the moving people and passing vehicles.
In reality, it wasn't that the scenery was still; time had become frozen in Lin Xi's eyes.
After graduating from university, Lin Xi had hardly met or interacted with any of her classmates. She had kept herself trapped in a moment from the past, neither moving forward nor backward.
Su Hailu was the first university classmate Lin Xi met ten years after graduation, making it feel as if time had returned to a decade ago. However, her state of mind was much calmer than it had been back then, rendering everything around her more serene and still.
Su Hailu's smile faltered for a moment, briefly disappearing before reappearing. "That was just childish behavior; don't take it seriously. Having a family is always good."
As she spoke, she kept her gaze fixed on her cup, unable to look Lin Xi in the eye. Her eyes would lift momentarily only to dart away again.
Why couldn't she meet my gaze? Lin Xi noted this detail, pondering silently.
"But no one wants to start a family with me, right? If being alone counts as having a family, then I've always had one," Lin Xi joked self-deprecatingly.
"Have you not met anyone suitable? Or are you still unable to forget him?" Su Hailu asked unconsciously.
Hmm? Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat. How did she know about her breakup with Lu Chenyu? When she left, she and Lu Chenyu hadn't broken up yet, had they? After going abroad, she hadn't been in touch with Su Hailu; no one had told her about the breakup.
Upon further reflection, Lin Xi realized that Su Hailu hadn't asked about her relationship with Lu Chenyu during their interactions. Did she already know about their situation?
"It's not that I can't forget; he just disappeared suddenly without any explanation. I don't know what I did wrong," Lin Xi said, her expression darkening.
"If he disappeared, then he must have his reasons. Why dwell on the past?" Su Hailu replied, still unable to meet Lin Xi's eyes.
Lin Xi assumed that Su Hailu had heard about her situation from elsewhere. Even though they hadn't been in contact as classmates, it didn't mean no one knew about her circumstances or discussed them. Later on, Su Hailu shifted the topic and candidly talked about her relationship with An Shaojie, including the reasons for their breakup. She mentioned that after going abroad, they felt incompatible and decided to part ways, and they hadn't kept in touch afterward. Lin Xi didn't think much of it; however, the image of Su Hailu pushing a wheelchair lingered in her mind. That night, she didn't bring up the matter with Su Hailu beforehand. She sensed that this was a topic Su Hailu was reluctant to discuss, so even if she asked, Su Hailu wouldn't reveal anything.
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