Chapter 246 - 112: A Sudden Turn for the Worse (Part 1)

Chapter 246: Chapter 112: A Sudden Turn for the Worse (Part 1)

"How about ’milady’ then?"

"You’re not allowed to call me that either."

"Anyway, I can’t stand persistent people like that." Xu Zhiruo bared her canines defiantly. "Like that deskmate of yours. He kept asking if you were okay. You already said you were fine, so can’t he take a hint? He just had to keep asking. So annoying."

"But just last week, you told me you were a little touched," Gu Qiuyan asked. She was referring to the boy who had a crush on Zhiruo.

"Yeah, it was a little touching. I mean, he was really thoughtful, right? He learned what I like to eat, what books I read, whose music I listen to. It wasn’t like he knew me super well, but at least he was willing to put in the superficial effort. He’d even go out and buy me milk tea during breaks. I used to think that kind of thing was a little silly—I mean, who needs someone to buy them a cup of milk tea? But when it actually happens to you, and everyone else starts teasing you about it, it’s actually quite moving."

"So?" Gu Qiuyan quietly waited for the ’but’.

"So, it’s best not to agree to something in the heat of the moment. Then I realized I didn’t actually have feelings for him, so I quickly turned him down. What do you think?"

Xu Zhiruo added,

"So, Qiumian, you have to think this through. If he’s being persistent, you have to put up a strong defense. Don’t be impulsive."

Gu Qiuyan blinked.

"It’s not what you think. He wasn’t being persistent, he was just worried about me. Don’t get the wrong idea about him."

"Then shouldn’t you be a little happier? A handsome suitor, huh?"

But Gu Qiuyan just shook her head and said nothing.

"Sigh. Hey, want to take a picture? I just found a great photo-editing app. It’s really good, you can take photo-booth-style pictures with it, but it’s only in the Apple App Store. Let me borrow your phone again." Knowing Gu Qiuyan didn’t know much about these things, she started messing with it herself, leaning in close to her. "Look at the camera, smile..."

The shutter clicked, and the image froze.

"Qiumian, you’re going for the cool and aloof look today, huh?" Xu Zhiruo said, tapping away at the screen with her head down. "How about I add a cuter filter for you?"

Gu Qiuyan gave a distracted "Mhm."

Zhiruo quickly finished her tinkering and opened the photo album. "What do you think of this one?"

Gu Qiuyan nodded.

"And this one?"

She swiped through them one by one. It was the exact same photo, but in her hands, it took on several different styles: bright and lovely, anime-style, a bluesy one with a hint of melancholy... until a boy’s face suddenly appeared before them without warning.

"Is this..."

Xu Zhiruo froze. She recognized him as Gu Qiuyan’s deskmate. The background looked like the inside of a car, with a snowy night outside.

She knew she was wrong again. Their relationship was much deeper, or rather, much more complicated than she had thought. This wasn’t some simple game of chase. They were clearly eloping in a car!

"Whoa, eloping! He actually dared to drive you out for a secret joyride..."

Gu Qiuyan froze for a moment when she saw the photo, too. She knew it was taken that night during her driving lesson. After a moment of silence, she reached out and tapped the screen.

"Can’t you see there’s someone else in the passenger seat?"

Xu Zhiruo squinted, vaguely making out the silhouette of a man. But now she was completely confused.

"Then what were you guys doing? This looks kinda creepy."

Through the front windshield, the candle-like headlights painted the road a warm yellow. The night was pitch-black, with snow drifting down all around. The camera’s flash had gone off at just the right moment, illuminating the car’s interior in a stark white. The boy was frozen mid-turn, his expression a mix of surprise and resignation. It was obvious the phone’s owner had taken the picture secretly.

"The person in the passenger seat is my homeroom teacher. Didn’t I just say I had some things to take care of these past few days? We drove there that night."

’Qiumian, who are you trying to fool?’ Xu Zhiruo thought. ’What kind of ’business’ requires an underage student to drive? If it were really that important, the teacher should have been the one driving.’

’And even putting that aside, if it really was for business, why were you taking a picture? And why was he looking at you? You must have been smiling so happily back then, not like the face you’re making now.’

But Gu Qiuyan was unwilling to say more. Zhiruo asked her several times what their relationship was, but she just said they were ordinary classmates. As she said this, she was taking a sip of water, moistening her lips. Her tone was unreadable.

Xu Zhiruo knew she had finally hit on the heart of the matter. She slapped her thigh.

"I know! You’re hesitating!"

"Hesitating?" Gu Qiuyan’s hand, holding the glass, paused.

"You don’t actually want to be here singing with us, right? Your heart is somewhere else, but you don’t dare to go. You’re chickening out!"

"Who..."

Gu Qiuyan was about to argue, but just then, a song ended. The other two girls came over to the sofa, laughing and out of breath.

"Zhiruo, what are you and Qiumian talking about? You left the two of us to sing all by ourselves! Ah, I’m so tired..."

’I’m trying to counsel our dear Mianmian,’ Xu Zhiruo thought. ’After all this questioning, I’ve finally gotten to the crucial part. You two little troublemakers, don’t interrupt my pep talk.’

But Gu Qiuyan had already stood up. She set down the empty crystal glass in her hand.

"I’ll pick a song, too."

She picked up the microphone and bent over the song selection kiosk.

"What’s up with Qiumian? She’s been staring at her phone on the sofa all day..."

"Okay, okay, let’s just listen to her sing. Qiumian is a much better singer than we are."

They quieted down, ready to applaud and cheer her on. But when the intro started, they realized it wasn’t her usual preferred style. The girl in front of the screen hummed softly along with the melody.

She was also wearing a silver pendant in her hair today, but since she was singing a quiet song, it didn’t sway with her movements.

* * *

"Remember how I told you I used to have a girlfriend?"

Song had been smoking too much, and his voice was a little hoarse.

"After she and I broke up back then, I felt terrible, like I’d wronged her. I was heartbroken and fell into a slump for a while. I’d often just drive aimlessly around the island. The people around me didn’t understand. My parents, just an old couple, were worried about me, so they’d take the boat to come see me every week. They didn’t care if it was a weekday or a weekend; they came whenever they were free. At first, they didn’t know the way and didn’t want to tell me they were coming, so they’d just show up secretly. One time, I was in the middle of class, and I glanced out the window and saw them on the athletic field, holding a basket of eggs and a dressed chicken... I had just transferred here to teach. I hadn’t even learned all my students’ parents’ faces yet, but my own parents had already paid a visit.