Chapter 4
Ruan Su Mo was thinking, if one day she were to join such a group, pondering over what kind of love letter would touch Gu An Sheng, what he liked to eat and what he disliked, what kind of people he hated and what activities he enjoyed, it would be best to have a personal profile as well. Just thinking about this made Ruan Su Mo unable to help but secretly chuckle, yet feel a bit sour. At least others had the courage to confess, but her feelings, which were referred to as "unrequited love," seemed to be forever shrouded in darkness.
She instinctively liked this child. Every time this happened, Ruan Su Mo would unconsciously feel her eyes redden. She thought of her mother, Lin Xi, who was a strong and gentle woman when her father was still alive. In her memories, her mother always called her by her nickname, Tian Tian, with a clear and bright voice. When she received a little red flower in kindergarten, her mother would always hug her and kiss her cheek, saying that their little Tian would definitely have a bright future. When she was being lazy, her mother would say, "Ruan Xiao Tian, if you don't go do your homework, Mommy will be angry, and starting tomorrow, there will be no candy." When she received a little red flower in kindergarten, her mother would always hug her and kiss her cheek, saying that their little Tian would definitely have a bright future. When she was being lazy, her mother would say, "Ruan Xiao Tian, if you don't go do your homework, Mommy will be angry, and starting tomorrow, there will be no candy."
It has been a long time since I last saw my mother. Occasionally, in the midnight hours, I reminisce about the scenes of our family's life during my childhood, the satisfied smile on my mother's face. When Ruan Su Mo awakens, she realizes that her pillow is damp, and she begins to look forward to the upcoming college entrance examination, the approaching holiday, and the swift return home
As Ruan Su Mo was apologizing to Li Xia, the clothes on her hand slightly slipped down her arm, which was leaning forward. It had just rained in the morning, and the playground was still quite damp. Li Xia almost immediately rescued Zhou Jiayan's jacket the moment the clothes began to slide off. Ruan Su Mo hurriedly adjusted Gu An Sheng's clothes, at that time, she had not fully paid attention to Li Xia's actions. It was not until she saw Li Xia with Zhou Jiayan's jacket hanging from her wrist, yet showing no signs of returning it, that she began to understand.
To his surprise, the other party responded in such a manner, leaving Zhou Jiayan momentarily stunned. After a long pause, he finally managed to utter, "I truly did not expect you to be more uninhibited than I had imagined."
You see, at such a young age, there will always be someone in our hearts for whom we feel immense joy due to a particular word or action. Perhaps it was unintentional, perhaps there was no special meaning behind it, but what does it matter? As long as we are happy, that is what counts. We are young, and it should be this way. A man would die for a confidant, and a woman would adorn herself for one who pleases her. As long as one day we can recall such moments and feel a slight smile tugging at the corners of our mouths, then our lives are not lived in vain. But what does it matter? As long as we are happy, that is what counts. We are young, and it should be this way. A man would die for a confidant, and a woman would adorn herself for one who pleases her. As long as one day we can recall such moments and feel a slight smile tugging at the corners of our mouths, then our lives are not lived in vain.
It is no wonder that apart from usually being with Gu Ansheng and the others, there are hardly two familiar people in the class. The only impression of Li Xia is because she happens to sit in the two rows in front of Ruan Su Mo. During an English test, Teacher Shi was called away for a class teacher meeting, and arranged for the discipline committee member to oversee the discipline before leaving the room. The whole class was as quiet as a tranquil pond. The little boy sitting next to Li Xia seemed to have gotten confused on some grammar point and sought her help, but unexpectedly, all he heard was the girl's sharp voice.
Am I really that obvious in my behavior
Zhou Jiayan's family background is no secret at Qizhong; the well-known Mayor Zhou is his father, who is reportedly busy preparing for the next election for the position of Municipal Party Secretary. His mother, a rising star in the political arena of City B, comes from an equally prestigious family.
Just like now, it seems clearly not one's own fault, yet an apology slips out so naturally.
The atmosphere became unusually oppressive, and Li Xia felt extremely uncomfortable under Ruan Su Mo's scrutinizing gaze. Finally, she threw her coat at her, as if to accuse her, saying: "If you are going to help someone with their coat, be a little more careful. Clothes are not difficult to wash, and isn't laundry detergent expensive? Every little bit counts, after all."
The small ice cream shop outside the school, nestled among various exquisite display windows, always appears somewhat shabby. The latex paint in the corners has begun to peel away in many places, revealing the color of the cement boards. However, the shop owner is extremely warm and welcoming, being a middle-aged couple in their forties, who are evidently very talkative
Is it because of dislike? That is why one repeatedly puts aside the feelings of others to refuse.
Are you annoying? I am feeling down, so please do not ask me or come near me
"Why are you looking at me instead of watching your basketball? Do I look that unattractive? Hey, why are you laughing?"
As Zhou Jiayan gradually became familiar with the owner of the ice point, he would wave from a distance and call for snacks. The owner’s wife was kind and always added a little extra to the portions. Occasionally, when there were particularly few customers, she would look at Ruan Sumo and say, "Sumo, right? Eat more, and if it's not enough, I'll give you more."
Unintentionally, I did something that drew the disdain of the fans of Zhou and Gu. I apologize
However, she does not have any of these
I accidentally said the wrong thing. I apologize
Ruan Su Mo did not wish to, but it seemed that whenever Gu An Sheng was nearby, she would instinctively lower her stance. She admitted that this was indeed somewhat pretentious. In fact, she occasionally harbored many petty grievances and bad temper. She wanted to secretly roll her eyes at those she disliked as she passed by, to shout "Heaven, kill me now!" when faced with a headache-inducing problem, and to retort to Gu An Sheng's followers, "I didn't drag him or trip him, nor did I find a rope to tie him to me; he willingly approached me, so what business is it of yours?" She also wanted to question Gu An Sheng, "Do you know that I have liked you for a long time? With your sharp mind, how could you not notice that there is someone here who is infatuated with you without regret?"
Ruan Su Mo, it is your turn for duty today. How could you forget to wipe the blackboard? I apologize
Ruan Su Mo took a liking to the small, tadpole-like delicacies that cost 0.5 yuan per bowl as soon as she arrived. They melted in her mouth. Later, after playing basketball with Gu An Sheng and Zhou Jia Yan, they came together a few times, and the two of them also ordered that white, cool treat. It was only then that she learned its scientific name was "liang xia" (cold shrimp). Ruan Su Mo often sat across from Gu An Sheng, watching him eat. After all, he was a boy, and he finished it in just a few bites, without the usual distance that boys maintained with girls at school. Instead, he seemed quite childlike.
Ruan Su Mo continued to smile without speaking. She raised her eyes to look at the two people running on the field, just in time to meet Zhou Jiayan's gaze as he waved his hand this way and mouthed the words: "Soon." Ruan Su Mo nodded, and as she turned her body, she realized that Li Xia had already walked a few steps away. Almost instinctively, she called out to her: "Why don't you join us? We're going to the small shop around the corner to have ice cream, and, well, Zhou Jiayan will be there too!"
Money? Ruan Su Mo pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile. Li Xia's face turned red in an instant as she looked around, trying to change the subject.
Due to numerous concerns, the current Ruan Su Mo appears humble before Gu An Sheng, not resembling her true self. As Zhang Ailing once said, she has lowered herself to the dust, yet her heart still blossoms with flowers
Ruan Su Mo pretended to be ignorant: "What?"
Since arriving at Qizhong, it seems that Ruan Su Mo's most frequent action is to apologize to others
On a later day, there was a friendly basketball match between Qizhong and Erzhong from the city, a clash of titans. Ruan Sumo did not understand basketball, nor did she grasp what the boys referred to as the elimination rounds of the NBA. She was simply accustomed to standing by the basketball court, holding the jackets of Gu Ansheng and Zhou Jiayan, waiting for them as they exuberantly showcased their youth in something they excelled at. The school, in its benevolence, organized such a match during the leisure time leading up to the college entrance examination, primarily to allow the senior students to relax and not to become overly tense.
The sound stood out particularly in the spacious and quiet classroom. Ruan Su Mo was not the kind of person who would easily get involved in such matters, yet he couldn't help but glance at Li Xia. Clearly, a group of classmates in the class, who loved to watch the drama unfold, had deliberately twisted the word "ask" into "kiss." The few who joined in the teasing began to make jokes, led by Zhou Jiayan. He said, "Li Xia, when will you let our Brother Hu 'kiss' you?"
Therefore, Li Xia's hostility towards Ruan Su Mo is not without reason. Why is it that you are so close to the prominent figures in the class? These details are not important; what truly matters is why you are so familiar with Zhou Jiayan. Attending classes together, going to the cafeteria together, visiting the ice cream shop together, and going to the convenience store together, hearing him call your nickname loudly, and even letting you hold his jacket. Li Xia felt extremely angry but did not know how to express it. Ruan Su Mo was unaware of the reason and only thought that his voice had disturbed her, so he nodded and said, "I’m sorry." Attending classes together, going to the cafeteria together, visiting the ice cream shop together, and going to the convenience store together, hearing him call your nickname loudly, and even letting you hold his jacket. Li Xia felt extremely angry but did not know how to express it. Ruan Su Mo was unaware of the reason and only thought that his voice had disturbed her, so he nodded and said, "I’m sorry."
The entire class burst into laughter, and Ruan Su Mo couldn't help but chuckle softly. However, Li Xia appeared particularly composed, maintaining her expression as she said: "Why are you talking so much? When the time comes, it will naturally be a 'kiss'. What does it have to do with you?" Li Xia wore a nonchalant expression, while the boy surnamed Hu beside her suddenly turned red in the face, quietly turning back to continue his own inner turmoil.
When the beginning of summer arrived, Gu Ansheng had just scored a three-pointer. Upon seeing him make the basket, Ruan Sumo couldn't help but exclaim, "Yay!"
Imagine, what an ambiguous word it is in the eyes of the beginning of summer. The imagined me is not like this; what is it like then? Understanding and empathetic, or unreasonable and obstinate? Regardless, have you ever imagined it?
She certainly did not want to be regarded by Gu Ansheng as a rural woman who lacked decorum, was strongly jealous, and could not hold her own in society. She wished that, although she could not be a princess, at least she could be a well-educated and cultured attendant by the side of a prince, so that she would have the opportunity to openly gaze at someone as radiant as him. She had clearly forgotten how, at the age of 13, she had forcefully taken Gu Ansheng's first embrace and how she had struggled internally when Gu Ansheng was being beaten.
Li Xia stood firm, slowly turned her head to stare at Ruan Su Mo, her face unexpectedly flushed to the roots of her ears, and cautiously asked a question
Ruan Su Mo turned around and felt that the girl in front of him looked very familiar. After thinking for a long time, he finally realized that it was actually his classmate Li Xia. She smiled apologetically, wondering if she had disturbed her by being too loud.
The hand that has turned life upside down has finally polished the remaining tenderness to a shine
As the speech concluded, the discipline committee member stood up to restore order, and this minor incident was thus quelled; however, Li Xia's mood could no longer be calmed.
As soon as the words fell, a sarcastic remark was heard: "Love-struck fool."
Later, the cafeteria, ice cream shop, and convenience store began to see more appearances of four individuals