DXXZL - 28

As the group walked out of the school gate, Zhou Yuan draped his arm over Xu Xiangyang’s shoulder and lowered his voice: “You idiot, why did you invite Jiang Tu? With his personality, just sitting there lowers the mood by a few degrees. Are you trying to make things awkward?”

Xu Xiangyang was speechless: “It’s not that bad, is it?”

Behind them, Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi walked arm in arm, side by side with Lu Ji. Lu Ji turned his head and asked: “What do you want to eat?”

Zhu Xingyao glanced at him: “Today’s your birthday—it should be about what you want to eat, right?”

Lu Ji smiled: “Then let’s stick to the original plan and head downtown. I’ve booked a private room at a restaurant. After dinner, we can go upstairs to the KTV and sing.” This way, they could spend a long time together tonight.

“You just won an award. Don’t you need to celebrate your birthday with your family?” Li Xixi asked curiously.

Lu Ji replied: “We celebrated last night with my family. Tonight’s more casual.”

Jiang Tu and Lin Jiayu walked behind everyone else. Lin Jiayu turned her head to look at him, her emotions complicated.

Originally, Zhou Yuan had planned to take a taxi, but Lin Jiayu quietly mentioned: “There’s a direct bus at the entrance.” So, the group boarded the bus, occupying the last two rows. Lin Jiayu sat next to Jiang Tu, and when no one was paying attention, she leaned closer and sighed softly: “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

Wasn’t this just asking for trouble?

Jiang Tu turned his head slightly, his expression cold: “Shut up.”

Lin Jiayu huffed and turned her head to look out the window. From middle school onward, he hadn’t really celebrated his own birthday, let alone joined others in celebrating theirs. Yet here he was, going along to celebrate Lu Ji’s birthday.

Did he want to pursue Zhu Xingyao? But it didn’t seem like it. His attitude toward her in public wasn’t even as warm as it was toward Lin Jiayu herself. Only a ghost could tell that he liked Zhu Xingyao.

The restaurant was on the third floor of a shopping mall. When the seven of them entered the private room, Zhu Xingyao noticed two additional people—a boy and a girl. Lu Ji introduced them as childhood friends from the neighboring Foreign Language High School. The boy looked at Zhu Xingyao, raising an eyebrow with a grin: “I’ve heard so much about you, but I’ve never seen you until now. Finally, Lu Ji managed to bring you out.”

The girl teased: “Yeah, it took him so long to get you to agree. What’s wrong with you?”

Lu Ji kicked the boy lightly and glared at the girl: “Shut up.”

This was Zhu Xingyao’s first time being teased by someone’s friends as if she were their girlfriend. She smiled awkwardly, turning her head to look at Li Xixi. As her gaze shifted, it met Jiang Tu’s, who was sitting beside Lin Jiayu.

He silently looked at her for a moment before subtly lowering his eyes.

“Zhu Xingyao,” Lu Ji called, placing the elaborate, thick menu in front of her. “You girls order the dishes.”

Zhu Xingyao snapped back to reality, turned her head, and smiled: “Alright.”

The three girls sat together, leaning their heads close as they browsed the menu. Lin Jiayu felt like a country bumpkin—she had never eaten at such an expensive place before. Seeing the prices, she couldn’t help but gasp and only ordered a plate of cucumber salad.

Lu Ji glanced over and couldn’t help but laugh: “Lin Jiayu, are you vegetarian?”

Lin Jiayu: “…”

Zhu Xingyao guessed what Lin Jiayu might be worried about and turned to ask: “What do you like to eat?”

“How about some fish?” Lin Jiayu pursed her lips, trying to appear more generous.

Lu Ji chuckled.

After a moment, Lin Jiayu added: “Jiang Tu likes fish too.”

Zhu Xingyao paused, looking up at Jiang Tu. He picked up the water jug, silently poured several glasses, and placed three in front of them. Leaning back in his chair, he looked at her: “Don’t worry about me. You order.”

Lu Ji glanced at Jiang Tu. He hadn’t expected Jiang Tu to come along tonight. Recalling the rumors about him and Lin Jiayu, he wondered if they were true. Regardless, the presence of someone with such a cold demeanor made the atmosphere feel somewhat strange.

This strangeness became even more apparent in the KTV room. Li Xixi and a few boys fought over the microphone while Zhu Xingyao was dragged into chatting and playing cards with Lu Ji’s childhood friends. When one of them tried to hand Zhu Xingyao a beer, Lu Ji blocked it: “What are you doing? She doesn’t drink.”

Zhou Yuan, walking down from the song selection booth, clicked his tongue: “So protective, huh?”

Zhu Xingyao still wasn’t used to this kind of teasing. Feeling awkward, she said: “Actually, I can drink a little.” Usually, during banquets or gatherings, Zhu Yunping and Ding Yu would let her have a small amount of red wine—no more than half a glass.

Suddenly, she felt a gaze from the corner of the room. Looking up, she saw Jiang Tu sitting in the shadows of the sofa. It was dim where he was, and his expression was hard to make out, but she knew he was watching her. She froze.

They were all still wearing their school uniforms, though most of the boys had taken off their blue-and-white jackets after entering the room.

Jiang Tu wore a black hoodie. Among the boys, he was the only one wearing glasses, exuding a reserved and quiet aura that stood in stark contrast to the bright, outgoing vibe of the others.

For some reason, Zhu Xingyao felt that he seemed… out of place here. He didn’t look happy, nor did he seem to fit into the atmosphere. Why had he come? She couldn’t figure it out. Just then, Zhou Yuan brought over a deck of cards and said: “Can you really drink? I’ll pour a glass for everyone.”

Zhu Xingyao had just nodded when she saw Jiang Tu move slightly forward, leaning his body. The spotlight above illuminated his shoulder, making his expression seem even colder. In a measured tone, he said: “We’re all minors. Is drinking appropriate?”

Zhu Xingyao: “…”

Lu Ji turned to look at him, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly kicked Zhou Yuan in irritation: “I already said no drinking. If you want to drink, do it yourself. Girls don’t drink.”

Zhou Yuan pouted, feeling wronged: “But we’ve always drunk before…”

Xu Xiangyang quickly intervened: “Exactly. Girls shouldn’t drink. If they’re caught by their parents later, it’ll be bad.”

To be honest, he was starting to regret inviting Jiang Tu.

It wasn’t that he had anything against him, but tonight’s atmosphere was indeed a bit off. He worried it might ruin Lu Ji’s mood, especially since it was his birthday. Pouring himself a drink, he said: “Let the boys drink. The girls can just snack on fruit and sing.”

The music started.

It was “I’m Not Worthy,” a track from Jay Chou’s new album.

Li Xixi sat on a tall stool and began singing.

Everyone froze for a moment.

Their gazes shifted toward Li Xixi.

Xu Xiangyang couldn’t help but laugh: “Li Xixi’s singing is actually pretty good. No wonder she wanted to audition before, though they only accepted men.”

Zhu Xingyao: “…”

Li Xixi was completely absorbed in her performance and didn’t hear any of this. If she had, it probably would’ve sparked another storm.

A while later, Li Xixi pulled Zhu Xingyao up and pushed her onto the tall stool: “I picked two songs for you.” Zhu Xingyao played the cello and wasn’t as skilled at singing as Li Xixi, but her voice was pleasant, and her natural grace shone through. Under the spotlight, she was radiant.

This was the first time Jiang Tu had heard her sing. Leaning back on the sofa, he pushed his glasses up and watched her intently.

Since Zhu Xingyao had said she needed to be home by midnight, the waiter brought in the birthday cake before 11 p.m. They sang “Happy Birthday,” cut the cake, and Xu Xiangyang led the gift-giving by presenting Lu Ji with a set of physics competition problems.

Lu Ji’s expression was indescribable as he laughed and cursed: “Get lost.”

Zhu Xingyao had originally planned to give Lu Ji an album as a gift, but Li Xixi felt it would be awkward if she didn’t prepare anything. So, Zhu Xingyao took a Parker fountain pen from Zhu Yunping’s collection—she gave the pen, while Li Xixi gave Jay Chou’s album.

This was repayment for the cello pendant Lu Ji had given her before.

She handed the pen box to Lu Ji with a faint smile: “Happy birthday. I hope you take first place in the national winter camp.”

Lu Ji accepted the gift and opened it immediately. He raised an eyebrow and smiled: “I’ll use this pen during the next exam.”

“Use it to write love letters next time,” Zhou Yuan nudged him with his shoulder. “It’ll make your handwriting look better.”

Zhu Xingyao paused, lowering her head.

Li Xixi stifled a laugh behind her hand.

At this moment, Jiang Tu brought over two glasses of alcohol and glanced at Lu Ji indifferently: “Lin Jiayu and I didn’t prepare gifts, so we’ll substitute them with these two drinks.” He tilted his head back and downed both glasses in one go. His long, elegant neck and sharp Adam’s apple moved with each swallow, and he quickly set the glasses down.

Lu Ji hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lin Jiayu before suddenly smiling: “Can you really speak for Lin Jiayu?”

Lin Jiayu fell silent for a moment, looking at him and quietly saying: “Happy birthday. I’ll send you a gift next time.”

Lu Ji: “…”

He wasn’t demanding a gift—he just wanted to know who Jiang Tu liked.

The cake had been cut, and the gifts had been given.

Jiang Tu picked up his school uniform and glanced at Zhu Xingyao: “Lin Jiayu and I will take a taxi since we’re on the same route. How are you getting home?”

Lin Jiayu quickly added: “Right, we’re on the same route. Is your driver picking you up? If not, let’s go together.”

Lu Ji paused, looking at the two of them.

Without hesitation, Zhu Xingyao nodded: “I didn’t ask my driver to come. I was planning to take a taxi anyway.”

The group went downstairs. Lu Ji asked Zhu Xingyao: “Are you not holding a recital this year? I’m still waiting for your ticket.”

Zhu Xingyao apologized: “I’ve been too busy this year to prepare. Next year, after I pass TestDaF (a German language proficiency test), I’ll need to submit a performance video to the school. I’ll prepare then.”

Lu Ji raised an eyebrow: “Alright, I’ll wait. Don’t forget.”

A few empty taxis were parked downstairs.

Everyone took separate taxis home. Zhu Xingyao and Lin Jiayu sat in the back seat, while Jiang Tu leaned against the front passenger seat. Zhu Xingyao’s intuition was correct—his height had reached 185 cm, growing 2 cm taller than last year. His long legs had nowhere to stretch, and he told the driver: “Go to Star Garden Villa first.”

Zhu Xingyao frowned: “Isn’t Hexi Alley first?”

Jiang Tu: “We’ll drop you off first.”

The boy’s voice was as indifferent as ever, but Zhu Xingyao felt warmth in her heart. That was always how Tu Ge was—kind to those around him, even if he acted tough on the outside. She smiled softly: “Alright.”

The taxi stopped at Zhu Xingyao’s house. She got out and waved at Jiang Tu and Lin Jiayu: “See you at school on Monday.”

________________________________________

In the dim and narrow alleys of Hexi Lane, Jiang Tu walked briskly, with Lin Jiayu jogging behind him. “Jiang Tu!”

He didn’t turn his head. “You’d better not ask anything.”

Lin Jiayu: “…”

She swallowed her frustration. Fine, she wouldn’t ask! After all, she already knew that he liked Zhu Xingyao.

As soon as Jiang Tu stepped into the house, he could tell Chen Yi had been there tonight. The living room was in disarray, and Jiang Jinhui sat on the sofa smoking. He glanced at Jiang Tu briefly, then lowered his head and took another drag as if he hadn’t seen him at all.

The relationship between father and son had hit rock bottom; they no longer greeted each other when they met at home.

Late at night, even the chaotic Hexi Alley fell silent. Tonight, the moonlight was surprisingly clear, with a crescent moon hanging above and a few sparse stars nearby. Jiang Tu leaned against the rooftop railing, the cold autumn wind blowing through his black hair.

Occasionally, he heard rumors about Lu Ji and Zhu Xingyao—”One is as radiant as the moon, the other as distant as a star. They’re a perfect match!”

He lifted his head slightly, gazing at those few stars. A wild thought flickered through his mind.

—If Zhu Xingyao, that star in the sky, were to fall one day and become like Lin Jiayu—losing her privileged background, her goddess-like aura, and becoming ordinary—would she then be within his reach?

The ember between his fingers burned to its end, scorching his hand. Only then did he snap out of his thoughts, disgusted with himself.

How dark must his mind be to entertain such thoughts?

Jiang Tu, you must have gone mad tonight.

________________________________________

After morning reading class on Monday, Zhu Xingyao acted like a diligent teacher, distributing printed German materials to her three “students.” She also placed a thick German dictionary on Jiang Tu’s desk, saying seriously: “The dictionary is for you. I know Li Xixi well—her enthusiasm will fade after three days, and Ding Xiang… doesn’t even do homework. So I’m counting on you.”

Li Xixi protested: “I can at least last a week. Don’t discourage me!”

Ding Xiang sighed while busy copying homework.

Jiang Tu flipped through the thick stack of materials. He hadn’t expected her to be so serious. His lips curved slightly: “Alright.”

Xu Xiangyang passed by, stopping to look at them: “You guys are learning German?”

Li Xixi looked up: “What’s it to you, Class President?”

Hearing her call him “Class President” made Xu Xiangyang’s scalp tingle: “Nothing, nothing. Study whatever you want.”

German was harder to learn than English, but Zhu Xingyao had a natural aptitude for languages and learned quickly. Ding Xiang only studied for one large break before declaring he was giving up. Li Xixi persisted, but Jiang Tu, who had always been quick at learning and had an excellent memory, found it much easier than Li Xixi.

By Friday, Li Xixi announced her surrender: “I’m done studying. Teach me a few phrases occasionally, but I barely scored 120 on my English exam… and now German? Spare me! I’m not going abroad!”

Zhu Xingyao wasn’t surprised: “I figured as much.”

She paused, looking hopefully at Jiang Tu.

Jiang Tu seemed to know what she was thinking and said indifferently: “I rarely leave things unfinished once I start them.”

Zhu Xingyao immediately smiled, turning to Li Xixi and Ding Xiang: “Learn from Tu Ge!”

In the afternoon, rain began to fall outside the window. Standing between the desks, Zhu Xingyao looked out at the rain, catching sight of Jiang Tu flipping through a German oral practice book from the corner of her eye. She sat down across from him and asked brightly: “Do you have any questions for me?”

Jiang Tu looked up, his slender fingers pressing on the page: “These—you haven’t read them yet.”

Zhu Xingyao murmured softly, reading aloud from the top of the page. After each line, she translated it into Chinese, and Jiang Tu wrote it down beside her.

Occasionally, he would read a line himself.

On the last sentence, she paused, her voice suddenly softening: “Ich liebe dich (German: I love you).”

Jiang Tu abruptly looked up at her: “What did you say? I didn’t catch that.”

Zhu Xingyao raised her voice slightly: “Ich liebe dich.” She grew a little flustered and whispered, “It means ‘I love you.’“

A moment of silence passed.

The sounds of classmates laughing and the pitter-patter of rain filled the air. Jiang Tu’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he lowered his voice: “Ich liebe dich.” He paused for a second, then suddenly looked into her bright, confused eyes: “I understand.”

Ich liebe dich.

He repeated it silently in his heart.