08

However, at that moment, Jingyan did not respond to me quickly. She rested her chin on her hand as if pondering a difficult problem. Just when I thought she would remain silent until the class bell called us, she slowly spoke up: "An'an, it's not that I want to discourage you. In the past, I encouraged you to confess, but now I have come to a clear realization that there is an ocean of distance between you and He Xubei."

Jing Yan was very disappointed. She said, "Yi Ping'an, you are truly useless"

I pulled Song Jingyan's ear and said, I like that He Xubei

Fortunately, the bowl was not broken

As soon as I lifted my head, I saw Song Jingyan retract the gaze that had been following He Xubei and then direct it towards me

Jing Yan shot me a glance, put down the nail clippers, pressed one hand on my soup bowl, and gritted her teeth saying: "You dare to try it!"

When I first embarked on my journey of unrequited love, Jingyan had already been in two brief relationships. She is beautiful, has a cheerful personality, comes from a well-off family, and excels in her studies, attracting numerous admirers who could fill Changqing Street. However, no one could explain why a top student like her would be willing to be friends with someone like me, who struggles academically.

At the time of speaking these words, I did not foresee that one day they would come true

And I do this simply because, with the picture book, I can pretend that He Xubei belongs to me now. Following behind him, I even feel that just watching his back is a small kind of happiness

Indeed, indeed, being handsome and having good grades truly makes one the object of envy

The owner of the shoes dropped a remark that seemed strange yet not strange, and then left with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor not a smile.

On the first day of the new semester in the first year of high school, the school organized a welcome party, and He Xubei served as one of the hosts as a representative of the new students. He Xubei spoke Mandarin very well, with a pace as gentle as the spring water flowing through the mountain streams. His handsome and refined appearance, along with a faint smile, made many girls in the audience shine with starry eyes

When I shared this little secret with Jingyan, she couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Yiping'an, you really lack courage, don't you? If He Xubei finds out one day, he might think you are a stalker!"

As I earnestly expressed my views, Jing Yan broke into a smile and said, "An An, why don't you take a small stool and sit on the overpass to tell fortunes for people..."

Yi Ping'an, you truly are a "troublemaker"

I couldn't help but joke: "You two are here showing off your affection, have you considered my feelings?"

On the weekend, Jingyan asked me to accompany her for shopping. When I arrived at the agreed location, I saw two people in front of me sipping a cup of purple rice milk tea with two straws, their affectionate demeanor was simply nauseating

I have never seen the sea, so I do not know how far a stretch of ocean really is. Song Jingyan pointed at someone's name on the bulletin board with one hand and poked my forehead with the other, disdainfully saying: "It's probably about the distance between a top student and a poor student..."

She held my hand and said, "Well, An An, what does 'troublemaker' mean?"

I, who am of no use, can only lie on my desk every day to secretly observe He Xubei, imagining that he has become the leading man in my love story, and then return home to document every little detail about him, as well as my feelings for him.

As the perpetrator, the first reaction is either to flee the scene or to apologize proactively. However, I chose a third option: to lower my head and pretend not to see. The reason is that I truly feel embarrassed to face the owner of the shoes.

I told Song Jingyan about the last time He Xubei helped me and Yang Guang. After listening, she suddenly realized: "So it was a classic case of a hero saving a damsel in distress—though this 'damsel' isn't very beautiful, the 'hero' is still a hero!"

Jingyan's boyfriend is named Gu Feng, who is said to be one of the three male gods in the third year of high school. I hold this title in great disdain, and when Jingyan introduced Gu Feng to me as her boyfriend, I scoffed even more, saying: "This is too much of a misnomer."

"Are you envious? If you are, then go confess your feelings to He Xubei! If you like someone, you should express it; what if he happens to like you back? If He Xubei accepts, you can also show off your affection like this!"

Jing Yan looked at me with bright eyes, thinking that I was joking. After seeing me nod firmly, she covered her mouth and pretended to be surprised: "Oh my, the 'tomboy's' spring has arrived, and Yi Ping'an will also like someone!"

Every noon, the tall girls always gather together, gossiping about their "male gods" and "school heartthrobs" while eating. Jingyan and I sit behind them, smiling as we watch them swoon.

At that moment, I threw two "hygiene balls" at her: "You are a person nourished by happiness, unaware of the sorrow of unrequited love"

Ever since I learned that He Xubei also lives in the Happy Community, I have had an additional task on my way to and from school every day

It is terrible, it is terrible, it seems that someone’s shoes have been soiled

What if someone is in a relationship? Can't I just ask?

I finally lifted my head and said with a forced smile, "Well, you can ask, but aren't you afraid..."

"An'an, may I ask you, is He Xubei really that good?"

The most important thing is that his voice is so gentle

Visually, Gu Feng has red lips, white teeth, and bright eyes, with a pair of peach blossom eyes that resemble a small generator, giving any girl who looks at him a feeling akin to an electric shock. Intuitively, I feel that this person is not devoted in love and has a cold demeanor, and is not a good match.

"Song Jingyan, don't let your nail clippings fall into my bowl!" I hurriedly reached for the soup bowl, and in the tugging and pulling, the school's beautiful celadon soup bowl flew out of my hands. After almost five flips, it came to a stop on the edge of the table. Following the water stains on the table, I saw the last bit of soup spill onto a pair of white sneakers.

I said, it is truly a pity that He Xubei from Class 2 is not going to become a star, after all, he is quite the 'young heartthrob'!

"Song Jingyan, are you looking for a fight?" I pretended to make a gesture as if I were going to hit her, then leaned in closer and whispered, "Yanyan, do you think if I confessed to He Xubei, he would accept it?"

After a period of interaction between Jingyan and Gu Feng, I became even more convinced that they are not suited for each other

For someone like me, who lacks ideals, does not possess good looks, and whose academic performance is also not very impressive, the greatest joy of attending school now is being able to see He Xubei

I specifically set the alarm half an hour earlier, got up early, and waited at the entrance of the community, planning to quietly follow He Xubei once he came out.

I really want to say that this is just nonsense. Even if I confessed to He Xubei, it wouldn't necessarily mean showing off our love here, because the premise is that my confession would not be rejected by the male lead

Song Jingyan encouraged me to confess my feelings, saying that if you like someone, you should act quickly. She said: "Do you understand? Just like Gu Feng liked me back then, if you like someone, go after them! Besides, 'a woman chasing a man is like a layer of gauze,' He Xubei will soon be yours, Yi Ping'an."

However, in the end, I still did not do as she said. It turns out that I, who was fearless and even dared to fight with boys, lacked the courage to let the person I liked know how I felt.

Jing Yan recently said she wants to lose weight, so she is eating less, and at this moment, she is fiddling with a nail clipper. Meanwhile, I am still struggling with a bowl of hot egg drop soup, and without looking up, I replied: "Is it really that good? What does it have to do with you? You are already taken."

In the past, I would rush out with all my might when school was over, but now I always dawdle and leave last, because the one who used to leave last was He Xubei