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墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Xuanyu had been waiting for a long time. Two performances had already taken place on stage, yet there was still no sign of Junxi. He glanced at his watch repeatedly, feeling that something was off. Just as he was about to stand up and search for her, he suddenly heard the host announce that the next performer would be Junxi.
Junxi?
Zhou Xuanyu was taken aback. He only knew she would be speaking on behalf of the graduates today, but she had never mentioned any other tasks for the day.
As he pondered this, the curtains on stage began to part.
Zhou Xuanyu's gaze was captivated by the light, and he found himself unable to look away.
On stage, Junxi wore a flowing white gown, her dark hair cascading down. Her gentle and graceful features appeared especially fair under the lights; the contrast of black and white made her eyes sparkle like black jewels.
This ethereal version of her was nothing like the carefree person he had seen earlier when she spoke.
The audience below fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into applause, even though she hadn’t done anything yet.
Junxi smiled in gratitude for their support.
With that smile, it seemed as if the stage lights shone even brighter.
Zhou Xuanyu couldn’t help but hold his breath as beads of sweat formed in his palms.
Junxi didn’t look in his direction; instead, she furrowed her brows and lowered her head. Her fingertips brushed against the strings of the instrument, and with a few swift motions, music filled the air.
It was "Perfect Union of Flowers and Moon."
For many years, she had not heard her play the Gu Zheng, but her hands had not lost their skill. As the melodious tunes echoed in his ears, Zhou Xuanyu even felt the illusion that Lin Jingming was still present.
Zhou Xuanyu constantly reminded himself that the person before him was Junxi. Even though her posture and technique resembled Lin Jingming's so much, she was not Lin Jingming.
Lin Jingming was no longer here.
Thinking of this, a sharp pain gripped Zhou Xuanyu's heart. He wanted to step outside for some fresh air. Just as he reached the door, his phone rang.
The number was unfamiliar; it wasn't from within the country.
Sure enough, when he answered, the other party spoke in French.
Compared to other languages, he was not unfamiliar with French; after all, he had lived in France for five whole years.
The person's speech was rapid, but Zhou Xuanyu managed to catch the main point: Jia Man had been in a car accident in France and was being taken to Josp Hospital...
Zhou Xuanyu jolted, and someone bumped into him from behind, causing his phone to slip from his grasp.
With a loud crash, it shattered into pieces.
Everything seemed to revert back to that dark night five years ago.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The person who bumped into him was a student. Seeing his phone's screen shattered, they hurriedly apologized.
But Zhou Xuanyu didn't have time to pick it up. Without looking back, he ran outside, shouting over his shoulder to the student, "Please give my phone to Wen Junxi on stage and tell her to wait for me."
This abrupt request left Zhou Xuanyu uncertain if the student would understand him or relay the message properly, but he had no time to waste.
Jia Man absolutely could not be harmed; she was Lin Jingming's final trust placed in him.
As the performance came to an end, Junxi finally dared to lift her head.
She wasn't sure if agreeing to substitute for Tim would remind Zhou Xuanyu of Lin Jingming. However, she understood that since they had decided to be together, the knot between them, no matter how difficult, had to be untied.
They could no longer avoid Lin Jingming's question.
In the audience, many people stood up to applaud. Amidst the sea of faces, she momentarily lost sight of Zhou Xuanyu, and an inexplicable panic began to rise within her.
Could it be that her actions had crossed a line for him, and he had already left?
Junxi hurriedly took her bow and exited the stage.
Xue Waiwai and the others were waiting for her at the back.
"Junxi, I didn't see this coming; you really have hidden talents."
"Yeah, is there anything you can't do?"
"Alright, alright, there's nothing else happening now, right? Didn't Mr. Zhou say he would treat us to dinner later? Where is he?"
"…"
Just as Junxi was feeling dizzy from the questions, a boy suddenly ran up to her.
"Classmate, this is for you." The boy handed her a broken phone.
Junxi recognized it immediately; it was Zhou Xuanyu's phone. The letters on the case were her initials. He had specifically commissioned someone to design it.
"Why did you give this to me?"
"I don't know. I bumped into that man, and his phone broke, but instead of asking me to pay for it, he hurriedly left and told me to pick it up and give it to you."
Junxi hesitated before taking it.
"Oh, by the way, he said before he left that you should wait for him to come back."
"Come back? Where did he go?"
"I have no idea. He just said that one thing." The boy finished speaking and hurried away as if he had completed a task.
Junxi looked at the broken phone in her hand, unsure of what had just happened, but she had a bad feeling in her heart.
He had left her again without explanation, just like five years ago. Back then, it was when her parents were imprisoned, and today was her graduation day.
Both were significant moments in her life, yet he had never been able to be there for her properly.
Wait for him to come back? How long did he expect her to wait this time?
Seeing the change in Junxi's expression, Xue Waiwai and the others guessed that something must have happened.
"Hey, actually, there's no rush about the dinner invitation. We can wait until he comes back."
"Exactly! We'll wait patiently."
Junxi suppressed her unease and smiled at Xue Waiwai and the others.
"Don't worry. When he comes back, I'll make sure we give him a good talking-to."
The sisters all laughed and then playfully dispersed. Only Xue Waiwai remained by her side.
"I know you're pretending to be fine on the outside, but you're really anxious inside, right? Mr. Zhou must have something important going on to rush out like that, leaving his phone behind."
"Xue Waiwai, I'm afraid he might leave me again."
"How could that be? Stop overthinking it. You two have worked hard to get to this point; if he were to leave you, he'd be foolish!"
Xue Waiwai reached out and hugged Junxi.
Junxi leaned on Xue Waiwai's shoulder, and a tear slid down her cheek. Every time they reconciled, she thought it would be the last time, but no matter how close they got, fate always found a way to create distance between them.
Ultimately, it was her lack of confidence.
Because she didn't know if Zhou Xuanyu truly loved her.
After the graduation ceremony ended, Xue Waiwai and the others had activities planned, but Junxi had no desire to participate. Seeing her in such a state, her parents took her home directly.
Once home, Junxi said nothing, and her parents asked no questions. She took a shower and went straight to bed.
Perhaps it was true that what one thinks during the day comes out in dreams at night; as soon as she fell asleep, she dreamed of Lin Jingming. The scenery around her mirrored that of her eighteenth birthday party.
For a girl, turning eighteen is a significant milestone in life. Many parents place great importance on this birthday, and Junxi's parents were no exception. Thus, her birthday party was organized with great fanfare.
Zhou Xuanyu was invited to attend, but he didn't come alone; he arrived with Lin Jingming, who was also on the guest list.
They walked in hand in hand, a couple that looked enviable from both afar and near.
Although Junxi had long known that these two were not just ordinary friends, seeing them standing so intimately before her made her heart ache and flutter.
But she couldn't show it. Zhou Xuanyu was the person she liked, and Lin Jingming was the teacher she respected; she didn't want to hurt either of them.
She wanted to distance herself, but others were unaware. Somehow, the jokes began to revolve around Junxi and Zhou Xuanyu.
"Junxi was particularly famous for two skills when she was younger," someone suddenly said.
"What are they?"
"One was fighting with Zhou Ziyan, and the other was teasing Xuan Yu's romantic interests."
"I did not!" Junxi quickly denied it.
"Whether she did or not, Xuan Yu knows best. Xuan Yu, what do you say?" The person nudged Zhou Xuanyu.
Zhou Xuanyu glanced at Junxi with a smile in his eyes and surprisingly nodded in agreement: "That's right."
"Don't talk nonsense," Junxi glared at him. Realizing it was inappropriate, she quickly averted her gaze.
"How is that nonsense? When she was ten, she told me in front of a woman I brought home, 'This auntie isn't as pretty as the one from yesterday,' and that beauty turned on me right then."
Zhou Xuanyu's words made everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Jingming was laughing too.
The meddlesome person couldn't help but remind Lin Jingming: "Jingming, you better watch out; Junxi might just cut off your romantic prospects too."
"I trust Junxi," Lin Jingming said with a cheerful smile as he looked at Junxi.
"Don't believe me!" Junxi blurted out.
The people around her were taken aback, and even Zhou Xuanyu himself was stunned.
It was Lin Jingming who calmly stepped in to diffuse the situation. "You child, I think Yigao has had too much to drink."
Junxi remained silent.
Zhou Xuanyu took the opportunity to pinch Junxi's cheek in front of everyone. "Your face is so red; did you really drink?"
His fingertips were hot, and Lin Jingming's gaze was equally intense.
Junxi nodded and excused herself to find Zhou Ziyan, running off. But she didn't go far; she stood at the edge of the crowd, watching Zhou Xuanyu and Lin Jingming whispering to each other, seeing them dance together in an embrace, watching them hug as if no one else existed...
Eighteen years old—this truly was her worst birthday party ever.
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