DXXZL - 27

The room’s light was still off. The old house in Hexi Alley, even with the living room lights on, appeared dim and dusty. Jiang Tu stood sideways, his expression half-hidden in shadow. Whether it was Lin Jiayu’s imagination or not, she thought she sensed a fleeting stiffness in him.

The next moment, he reverted to the cold and reserved boy he always was.

As if it had all been her imagination.

In middle school, Jiang Tu and Lin Jiayu were in the same class and lived in the same neighborhood. With only one road to take, they often walked to and from school together. Given Jiang Tu’s aloof and solitary personality, few girls could get close to him.

Lin Jiayu was practically the only girl who had grown close to him. By their third year of middle school, rumors began to spread that she was his girlfriend. At fifteen or sixteen, she didn’t fully understand what it meant to like someone, but having grown up with Jiang Tu, their relationship was much closer than most. She depended on him for many things.

She tried imagining taking their relationship further and realized that the thought brought her joy—she liked Jiang Tu. But before those feelings could grow deeper, they were swiftly extinguished by both Jiang Tu and her mother.

Her mother had said: “Both our families live in this shabby Hexi Alley—it’s not ideal, but we’ll be fine once the area gets demolished. After that, we’ll live a better life. Jiang Tu is a good kid, but his father’s gambling habit will cause trouble sooner or later… Your father and I don’t expect you to marry a rich man, but you absolutely cannot end up with Jiang Tu. His family situation is too messy. If you marry into that, you’ll suffer.”

Lin Jiayu, her face flushed, protested: “Mom, what are you talking about… I’m still so young!”

Her mother continued: “I’m just warning you—no early romance, and definitely no involvement with Jiang Tu!”

At that time, they were sitting in the living room with the door open. Her mother’s voice carried loudly in her excitement. Jiang Tu, who happened to be leaving his house, overheard everything. He walked to their doorway, his expression calm: “Aunt Lin, I don’t like Lin Jiayu. What you’re worried about will never happen in this lifetime. You can rest assured.”

He had so bluntly stated that he didn’t like her. Did he even know what it meant to like someone? Lin Jiayu thought angrily.

Being rejected outright was humiliating. She felt deeply hurt, angry at her mother, and even angrier at Jiang Tu.

For most of the semester, she avoided him entirely, deliberately steering clear of him on their way to and from school.

It wasn’t until the summer vacation after their third year, when something happened to Jiang Tu’s family, that she realized she had made a mistake. Having grown up together, their bond ran deep—even if it wasn’t romantic love, it was still a profound friendship.

Her academic performance had always been decent, and as long as she studied hard, she knew she could get into a good university.

When she saw Chen Yi and those thugs fighting, she couldn’t imagine how she would feel if one day Jiang Tu became a stranger to her. She would be devastated. She might not like him romantically, and she might not want to be with him, but she couldn’t bear to see him struggle.

The day after the incident with Jiang’s family, Lin Jiayu went to reconcile with him. Standing outside the red brick wall of Hexi Alley, she said: “Jiang Tu, I don’t like you anymore, and I won’t date early. I’ll study hard and get into a good university. Then, I’ll find a boyfriend in college—someone much more interesting and likable than you.”

Leaning against the wall, Jiang Tu smiled faintly: “That’s a good mindset to have.”

Lin Jiayu huffed. After a while, she couldn’t help but whisper: “What about you? What kind of girl do you like?”

He was silent for a moment before replying: “I don’t know.”

At that time, Lin Jiayu didn’t know that Jiang Tu had already met Zhu Xingyao on the night of the incident. Turning to look at him, she found it hard to imagine what kind of person he could possibly like. Jiang Tu was so cold and solitary.

She thought it would be incredibly difficult for him to fall for anyone.

She muttered softly: “You’d probably need a goddess to make you fall in love.”

An offhand joke.

But…

It seemed to have come true.

Wasn’t Zhu Xingyao exactly that—a goddess? A celestial being like a star in the sky.

Even though Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao were in the same class and sat near each other, Lin Jiayu had never associated them together before. Aside from their appearances, the gap between them seemed insurmountable—one belonged to the heavens, the other to the earth.

People like them, who grew up in Hexi Alley, lived such grounded, realistic lives. Jiang Tu, with his calm and restrained demeanor, couldn’t possibly harbor feelings for someone like Zhu Xingyao.

It was only after repeatedly replaying that photo in her mind that she began to sense something was off.

Perhaps Jiang Tu really had fallen for a star in the sky.

________________________________________

Lin Jiayu looked up at Jiang Tu. Even if he did like her, she knew he would never admit it. Asking was pointless.

But she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

Just as she thought Jiang Tu would ignore her question, he lowered his eyes. There was no trace of panic from having his secret uncovered. Calmly, he said: “Is there anyone who doesn’t like her?”

Lin Jiayu froze: “Huh?”

What kind of answer was that?

Jiang Tu turned around and walked into the room, his tall, lean figure facing away from her. “I told you to stop thinking about these things. I’ve heard plenty about who Lu Ji likes and who he’s pursuing—you don’t need to tell me.” He paused. “Many girls like him, but you’re not one of them, and he doesn’t like you. Focus more on math problems. Your last monthly exam results weren’t great. With your current grades, you won’t get into a good university.”

Don’t easily fall for someone who doesn’t like you.

It’s a painful experience.

Lin Jiayu: “…”

The conversation quickly veered off track. Frustrated, she stomped her foot: “You’re so infuriating! I know he doesn’t like me—I never said I liked him!” This guy always managed to crush her confidence.

Her raised voice caught Jiang Lu’s attention. The little boy immediately turned and asked: “Sister Jiayu, who do you like?”

Lin Jiayu: “…”

Jiang Tu flicked the light switch on the wall and closed the door in front of her.

Lin Jiayu returned to the living room, meeting Jiang Lu’s curious eyes. Pouting, she muttered: “I don’t like anyone. I’m going back to study.”

Fuming, she retreated to her room and sat down at her desk.

Opening her textbook, she suddenly froze.

Just now…

Had Jiang Tu not denied it?

“Is there anyone who doesn’t like Zhu Xingyao?”

…

By early November, just like last year at this time, the final round of the physics competition had concluded. This time, the results were accurate—both Lu Ji and Xu Xiangyang had won first prize at the provincial level. Lu Ji’s score ranked third nationwide, and both of them successfully entered the national training team to participate in the winter camp.

The night before Lu Ji returned, Zhu Xingyao received a text message from him. In truth, he rarely sent her messages—they often found themselves unsure of what to talk about.

This time, Lu Ji’s message asked: “When I return this time, can we have dinner together?”

Perhaps fearing she might decline, he quickly followed up with another message: “It’s my birthday, and everyone will be there.”

At that moment, Zhu Xingyao was listening to a German audio recording while copying and pasting beginner-level German phrases into a document on her computer. Her phone vibrated beside her. She picked it up, hesitated for a moment, and replied: “When is it?”

Lu Ji responded quickly: “The day after the midterms. Is that okay?”

Zhu Xingyao looked up at the calendar on the wall, where a red circle marked the date.

November 23rd—she didn’t have German class that day.

She replied: “Okay.”

Setting her phone down, she unplugged her USB drive and walked into her father’s study. Looking at Zhu Yunping, she said: “Dad, can I use your printer to print something?”

Zhu Yunping was sitting behind his desk reading a book. He looked up and smiled: “What do you want to print? Shall I help you?”

“It’s some German materials. Xixi and two classmates want to learn too. I only have one textbook, so I need to print three copies to share with them,” Zhu Xingyao explained as she crouched down to plug in the USB drive. “I’ll do it myself.”

“Are they planning to study abroad too?” Zhu Yunping moved aside to give her space.

“No, they just want to learn. Xixi says she wants to learn to show off, but one of the classmates is really serious about it.”

Zhu Yunping couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s good—it’ll make it less boring for you to study alone.”

On the day Lu Ji returned, just like last time, it happened to be Friday afternoon during the class meeting. While Xu Xiangyang was giving a report, Lu Ji stood in a blind spot near the podium, out of the teacher’s view, and lazily waved at Zhu Xingyao with a smile.

A small wave of excitement rippled through the classroom.

Zhu Xingyao’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She felt a bit annoyed by Lu Ji’s boldness, fearing the teacher might call her in for a talk. But then she remembered the heartfelt letter he had written to her that morning and decided to forgive him.

Jiang Tu noticed her initial panic, the slight puffing of her cheeks, and finally her relaxed expression.

His heart ached with a numb, throbbing pain.

After school, the students near the back door who had seen Lu Ji earlier couldn’t help but gossip again. The topic naturally revolved around Lu Ji and Zhu Xingyao.

“So, has Lu Ji finally won over Zhu Xingyao? Are they together now?”

“Who knows? We haven’t seen them go out together. Lu Ji doesn’t spend much time at school anyway. We’ve only seen them eating in the cafeteria with a group of people a few times.”

“What if they went out privately and we just didn’t know about it?”

Xia Jin turned her head and saw Zhu Xingyao talking to Jiang Tu. Jiang Tu was looking down at her.

Zhu Xingyao tilted her head and smiled: “I’ve already printed the materials. I’ll bring them over after the exams next week.”

Jiang Tu murmured softly: “Alright.”

Suddenly, Li Xixi turned around and whispered in her ear: “Didn’t you say you wanted to pick out a birthday gift for Lu Ji? Let’s go.”

Jiang Tu froze as he pulled out his chair. He turned his head and looked at Zhu Xingyao.

It felt as though something heavy had pressed down on his heart, suffocating him.

Zhu Xingyao looked up, meeting his calm gaze. For some inexplicable reason, a faint sense of unease rose within her. It was different from the flustered panic Lu Ji had caused when he secretly waved at her in front of the homeroom teacher and the entire class.

But Jiang Tu was far too reserved. His emotions and feelings were buried deeply and hidden quickly.

At sixteen or seventeen years old, she was always unable to catch even the slightest trace of his inner world.

It seemed as though Jiang Tu was merely glancing at her curiously. He quickly turned away and walked out of the classroom.

“Tu Ge left so fast—he must be going to work again,” Li Xixi muttered. Then she asked Zhu Xingyao: “Have you decided what to buy? If you can’t think of anything, I’ll suggest something. Jay Chou released a new album this month, and Lu Ji likes Jay Chou, right? He probably hasn’t bought it yet because of the competition. Let’s get him the I’m Busy album!”

Zhu Xingyao turned her head: “Ah, okay.”

Her thoughts drifted involuntarily.

Jiang Tu liked Mayday. And in just over a month, it would be his birthday—his 18th birthday.

Mayday hadn’t released a new album this year.

________________________________________

The seating arrangements for the midterms were quickly finalized. Zhu Xingyao, Jiang Tu, and Lin Jiayu were assigned to the same exam room. Their seats formed an interesting triangle. Before the test papers were handed out, Lin Jiayu kept glancing alternately at Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu.

Jiang Tu leaned back in his chair, his cold gaze fixed on her with a hint of warning.

Zhu Xingyao felt that Lin Jiayu’s recent looks toward her seemed a bit strange—though perhaps it was just her imagination.

She noticed Lin Jiayu staring at her pencil case and whispered: “Do you want to borrow a pen?”

Lin Jiayu let out a small “Ah” and reluctantly said: “Sure.”

Zhu Xingyao handed her a beautiful fountain pen that felt exceptionally good in the hand. Upon seeing the hexagonal white star emblem on the cap, she remembered that Lu Ji also owned a pen from the same brand—it was called Montblanc.

It was very expensive, and Lin Jiayu hesitated to use it, fearing she might damage it.

She sighed inwardly. She knew Jiang Tu so well—if he truly liked Zhu Xingyao, he would never say it out loud.

The day after the midterms ended, it was Friday.

After school, Zhu Xingyao tucked the letter she had received that morning from J into her German textbook and waited until most of the students had left before slowly standing up. Jiang Tu hadn’t left yet either; he was working on his physics homework for the weekend.

Zhu Xingyao turned her head and asked: “Tu Ge, don’t you have to work today?”

She didn’t specify “part-time job.”

Jiang Tu looked up at her, subtly closing his workbook. He stood up and stuffed his books into his bag, replying: “No.”

Outside the classroom, Lu Ji and Zhou Yuan were already standing in the corridor.

Xu Xiangyang slung his backpack over his shoulder, turning to look at Li Xixi and Zhu Xingyao: “Let’s go, ladies.”

Li Xixi rolled her eyes.

Xu Xiangyang: “What do you mean by rolling your eyes?”

Li Xixi retorted: “It means I don’t really want to eat with you.”

Xu Xiangyang: “…”

He helplessly threw up his hands, his face contorted in frustration: “Miss Li, I’ve already apologized to you several times. Are you still mad?” Then, under his breath, he muttered: “It’s not like I made you flat-chested. Being mad at me won’t make them grow.”

Li Xixi: “…”

Her short hair seemed to bristle as she rolled up her sleeves.

Xu Xiangyang’s expression changed instantly. He quickly ran out of the classroom. Zhu Xingyao hurriedly held Li Xixi back as she fumed: “Nobody stop me today—I’m going to chop Xu Xiangyang into pieces!”

Xu Xiangyang: “…”

Chop what?

He quickly hid behind Zhou Yuan: “It’s Lu Ji’s birthday today—we can’t have bloodshed. Miss, can you calm down and let me off the hook for now?”

Lu Ji laughed so hard his shoulders shook. Turning around, he saw Lin Jiayu walking out of the classroom. She had overheard and looked up at him: “It’s your birthday today?”

Zhou Yuan grinned: “Why not invite your desk mate too?”

It made sense. With so many people already tagging along, one more wouldn’t hurt. Lu Ji smirked: “Desk mate, want to join us for dinner? It’s my birthday.”

Lin Jiayu pointed at Li Xixi and Zhu Xingyao: “Are all of you… going?”

Zhu Xingyao nodded.

Lu Ji glanced up and saw Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu already stepping out of the classroom. Jiang Tu was looking at him with an impassive expression. Before Lu Ji could say anything, Xu Xiangyang spoke up: “Jiang Tu, are you coming too? Lin Jiayu’s going.”

He figured that since Jiang Tu and Lin Jiayu were childhood friends, it wouldn’t be right to only invite her.

Besides, they all knew each other, and Lu Ji and Jiang Tu had somewhat bonded after their 3,000-meter race rivalry—a case of “not fighting, not knowing.”

Zhu Xingyao assumed Jiang Tu would definitely decline. She turned her head to look at him, thinking he seemed to have grown a little taller. The next moment, his usual indifferent voice came from above her: “Alright, I have time anyway.”