DXXZL - 55

After Lin Jiayu left, Jiang Tu stood motionless for a long time, his head bowed as if in repentance. But what did he have to repent for? To himself? Or to Zhu Xingyao? Jiang Tu didn’t know what those eighty-seven love letters meant to Zhu Xingyao. To him, they were an uncontrollable outpouring of emotion—a desperate vent for his unspoken feelings.

After a long while, Jiang Tu turned and got back into the car. He took a cigarette from the center console, placed it between his lips, and lit it. He took a deep drag, but the heaviness in his chest remained. He didn’t know how to explain things to Zhu Xingyao in a way that would make her feel better.

Those letters...

He hadn’t even dared to write “I like you” on any of them.

In the end, they had become the catalyst for Zhu Xingyao agreeing to date Lu Ji.

His phone screen lit up with Xiao Jiang’s dedicated ringtone.

Jiang Tu glanced down at it, extinguished his cigarette, and picked up the phone to answer. On the screen, Zhu Xingyao was wearing a loose cotton dress and a pink hair cap. She tilted her head and looked at the screen. “You’re in the car? It’s so dark over there.”

Jiang Tu looked at her, his voice slightly hoarse. “Mm, I’ll be back soon.”

Zhu Xingyao smiled. “What time are you going tomorrow?”

Jiang Tu asked softly, “I promised to attend the afternoon discussion session. What about you?”

“I’ll go with Xixi around four in the afternoon. We’ll do a quick rehearsal on stage, then get dressed and ready...” Zhu Xingyao looked at the dim screen. Jiang Tu’s expression grew obscure, and she hesitantly asked, “Are you feeling down?”

Jiang Tu took a deep breath and turned on the car light, forcing a smile. “No.” He gazed at her quietly and said in a low voice, “After the anniversary celebration is over, I have something to tell you.”

What could Jiang Tu possibly want to say to her?

That night, Zhu Xingyao tossed and turned in bed, wildly guessing whether he was finally going to confess.

She ended up suffering from insomnia again.

The 70th anniversary celebration of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School was grand. From eight o’clock in the morning, Lu Ji, Xu Xiangyang, and Zhou Yuan arrived early. As an alumnus representative, Lu Ji had to give a speech, so he needed to arrive ahead of time.

Zhou Yuan had a camera slung around his neck. After most of the alumni had arrived, he turned and asked, “Didn’t Jiang Tu say he was coming?”

Xu Xiangyang replied, “Probably for the afternoon discussion session.”

Lu Ji’s face showed no emotion as he walked inside. Zhou Yuan leaned closer to Xu Xiangyang and whispered, “You said Jiang Tu is pursuing Zhu Xingyao—is that true or not?”

“It’s true,” Xu Xiangyang confirmed. He had only suspected it before, but later received confirmation from Li Xixi.

Zhou Yuan clicked his tongue and frowned. “Hasn’t that guy been pining for her for years? Feels like he’s after a friend’s girlfriend... Wait, no, Lu Ji and Jiang Tu aren’t close, but we used to have meals together in high school. It’s awkward.”

Still, Lu Ji and Zhu Xingyao had broken up years ago. If Jiang Tu wanted to pursue her now, it was his business.

At 1:50 p.m., Jiang Tu entered the discussion room. The 2006 graduates were seated in a row. He glanced over, and several familiar faces looked back. Xia Jin had arrived early, leaving a seat beside her. She waved happily, “Jiang Tu, sit here!”

Everyone in the room turned to look. Jiang Tu gave her a cold glance. Xia Jin had donated a building to the school, and the school leadership was deeply grateful. Principal Liu noticed this and quickly came over to pat Jiang Tu on the shoulder, smiling. “Jiang Tu, I remember you well. Go ahead and sit.”

On the other side of the empty seat sat Zhou Yuan, next to Lu Ji and Xu Xiangyang. Jiang Tu walked over, tapped Zhou Yuan’s shoulder, and said indifferently, “Switch seats with me. I need to talk to Lu Ji.”

Zhou Yuan was dumbfounded. “Huh? You two...”

What could they possibly have to talk about?

Seeing Jiang Tu’s icy expression, Zhou Yuan hesitated for a moment and then stood up.

Xia Jin’s face fell. Zhou Yuan glanced at her and sat down, whispering, “Hey, don’t look so grim. We’re all classmates here. It’s not good to treat people differently. How about I tell you a joke?”

“Sure,” Xia Jin forced a smile.

Zhou Yuan pulled out his phone and searched Baidu, grinning. “Just wait a sec.”

Xia Jin: “...”

Jiang Tu sat down next to Lu Ji, his expression blank, leaning back in his chair and looking forward. Similarly, Lu Ji’s expression was indifferent, occasionally exchanging a few jokes with Xu Xiangyang or other old classmates. The two of them exchanged zero words throughout, making those around them feel awkward.

Didn’t they agree they had something to discuss?

Was Jiang Tu’s comment just an excuse to reject Xia Jin? For a moment, the way everyone looked at Xia Jin and Jiang Tu became somewhat suggestive. Xia Jin came from a wealthy and influential family and was beautiful—your standard rich and gorgeous woman. Everyone else was scrambling to chat her up, but Jiang Tu remained cold and aloof, exuding arrogance.

Xu Xiangyang asked Lu Ji, “Should I switch seats with you?”

Lu Ji replied, “No need.”

Xu Xiangyang had no choice but to let the awkwardness continue.

Outside the discussion room, a group of high school students gathered in the corridor. Most of them were girls, standing on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of the successful figures inside. They whispered among themselves about who was the most handsome. A short-haired girl excitedly said, “I like the one in the gray shirt and glasses—he looks so cool and aloof.”

Another girl chimed in, “I like the one in the white shirt next to the guy with glasses.” Her face lit up with admiration as she explained, “Don’t you remember? That’s Lu Ji! The one who confessed to Zhu Xingyao with the starlight lamps. He’s the legendary god of our school—super romantic, handsome, and rich!”

The short-haired girl said, “But they broke up, didn’t they?”

“So tragic... I heard they were reported, and Principal Liu broke them up.”

“Who would be so nasty to report them...”

A boy couldn’t take it anymore and muttered, “Can you girls quiet down? I can’t hear what they’re saying.” Rolling his eyes, he added, “It’s been like this all day. Wherever I go, I hear girls talking about Lu Ji. It’s pointless! None of you are Zhu Xingyao. She’s a goddess. Look in the mirror. If I were in her year, I’d chase her too.”

The boy’s careless remark earned him a chase from a few familiar girls.

Principal Liu was chatting with someone at the door, his ears perked up. Hearing the students’ chatter, he sent the person inside and walked over with a blackened face. In a low voice, he scolded, “What are you all yelling about? If you want to listen, do so quietly. If not, go play somewhere else. Especially you girls—what’s going through your minds? Don’t think about copying others and dating early. Those kids come from wealthy families and are talented. Whatever they do, they’ll live comfortably. If you don’t study hard, you’ll end up drinking northwest wind in the future!”

“Those kids...”

Did he mean Zhu Xingyao?

So the rumors were true—Principal Liu didn’t like pretty girls who dated early.

A few girls pouted and ran off.

A nanny van stopped in front of the arts building. Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi stepped out, each accompanied by assistants and stylists. Li Xixi also brought bodyguards to maintain order. Zhu Xingyao carried a red cello case, walking ahead with Li Xixi, while their assistants followed behind with their belongings.

They were quite eye-catching. After just a few steps, a wave of excitement erupted: “Ahhhh! It’s Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi!!!”

Soon, a group of students rushed over excitedly.

Xiao Kui quickly stepped in front of Zhu Xingyao. Zhu Xingyao smiled. “It’s okay. They’re just students. No need to stop them.”

Li Xixi’s assistant was experienced. She loudly told everyone not to crowd and to stay safe since they had to prepare for the evening performance. The students cooperated, taking out their phones to snap photos. One student eagerly asked, “Can we take a group photo?”

The photo session took over half an hour. Only then did Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi move on to rehearse the performance order.

After the rehearsal, Li Xixi took her phone from her assistant and logged into the campus forum. Scrolling through, she sighed. “Students these days are so lucky—they all use iPhones. Back then, we only had button and flip phones.” She held up her phone to show Zhu Xingyao. “With today’s internet, our photos are already all over the forum. They’ve probably spread through every class group chat by now.”

Zhu Xingyao laughed. “Of course there’s a big difference between ten years ago and now.”

Xiao Kui poured Zhu Xingyao a cup of warm water and smiled. “How do you log onto the campus network? I want to check it out too.”

Zhu Xingyao taught her how to log in and casually scrolled through. Suddenly, she saw a very old thread that had been bumped to the top. It was from the summer of 2008, about the starlight lamps, and already had nearly 100,000 replies.

Xiao Kui gasped. “What kind of legendary post is this? So many replies!”

Zhu Xingyao fell silent.

Why hadn’t this post been deleted yet?

Li Xixi said, “This is the legend of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School.”

A very romantic legend.

A secret unknown to most.

As Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi began applying makeup, the discussion session ended. Xu Xiangyang called Li Xixi and asked, “Should I bring you guys some food?”

The makeup artist was applying foundation to Li Xixi, who replied, “No need. We’ve already eaten something small. We won’t eat after applying makeup.”

Meanwhile, Zhu Xingyao received a message from Jiang Tu.

She replied, “No need. I’ve already eaten.”

And added, “I’m getting my makeup done.”

After a moment of thought, Zhu Xingyao took a selfie in the mirror and sent it to him.

This was the first time Zhu Xingyao had sent Jiang Tu a photo. In the picture, half her face was hidden behind her phone, her eyes smiling, her loose hair framing her fair and beautiful features. Jiang Tu stood under the teaching building, the sunset’s glow enveloping him. He lowered his eyes to look at the photo, guilt sinking deeper within him. If she knew the truth, would she regret sending him that photo, smiling at him like that?

Lu Ji, hands in his pockets, passed by with Xu Xiangyang and Zhou Yuan.

He happened to glance at Jiang Tu and immediately spotted Zhu Xingyao’s photo.

Lu Ji’s expression darkened, the frustration of his youth pressing down on him again. He quickly averted his gaze and walked faster.

________________________________________

That evening, in the school auditorium.

The host excitedly shouted, “Do you all know who the opening act is?”

The students below screamed passionately, “We know! We know! It’s Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi!”

“Li Xixi! I absolutely love her songs!!!”

“Zhu Xingyao is the goddess of our school! Who doesn’t know her!!!”

Some students even made fan signs and banners. Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi stood backstage watching, both unable to hold back their laughter. Li Xixi sniffled. “I suddenly feel like crying. It reminds me of our teenage years. Being sixteen was so nice.”

Zhu Xingyao’s teenage years were hazy and not entirely happy, but certain events were profoundly meaningful. Both complete and incomplete memories coexisted. She smiled.

The first two rows of the audience were reserved seating, with name cards placed on each table.

Zhu Xingyao spotted Jiang Tu in the first two rows. His face was cold, and sitting beside him was Xia Jin.

Li Xixi leaned over and whispered, “Xia Jin donated a building to the school. I bet she used her influence to get that seat.”

When the two of them took the stage, the screams from the audience rivaled those at one of Li Xixi’s concerts. Zhu Xingyao wore a bright red dress, her collarbones smooth and elegant. A star-shaped pendant hung in the soft shadow at her chest, shimmering.

Jiang Tu recognized it—it was the necklace he had given her.

He swallowed hard, emotions swirling within him. Tonight, Zhu Xingyao seemed ready to give him an answer.

Minutes later.

Jiang Tu lowered his eyes, stood up, and left his seat.

Xia Jin asked, “Where are you going?”

Jiang Tu acted as if he hadn’t heard her. Taking advantage of the dimmed stage lights, he strode away.

Xia Jin thought for a moment, then chased after him without hesitation.

After Li Xixi finished singing, she left the stage, leaving Zhu Xingyao alone. The spotlight shone solely on her.

When the lights came back on, Zhu Xingyao saw Jiang Tu’s figure already nearing the exit of the auditorium, with Xia Jin chasing after him. She froze, her gaze following them. The audience below turned their heads to follow her line of sight.

Zhu Xingyao quickly snapped out of it, smiled at the audience, took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and raised her bow.

The night breeze swayed the branches. Jiang Tu stood where he had stood during the freshman welcome party seventeen years ago. From afar, he watched the dazzling Zhu Xingyao on stage. She had transformed from a sixteen-year-old girl into a twenty-six-year-old woman.

One mistake of his had lasted ten years.

Jiang Tu didn’t know how to make Zhu Xingyao forgive him. He couldn’t even forgive himself.

Xia Jin, wearing stilettos, nearly tripped. Finally, she caught up to him.

Jiang Tu looked at her indifferently. “Xia Jin, what exactly do you want?”

Xia Jin pursed her lips. She had dated others over the years, but Jiang Tu was different. She had never met a man like him. Feeling wronged, she said, “I’ve been showing it so obviously all day—I like you. Don’t you know?”

Jiang Tu frowned and said coldly, “I thought I made it clear enough—I don’t like you. You’ve always known that.”

Xia Jin’s expression stiffened, tears threatening to spill.

On stage, the final note ended. Zhu Xingyao lifted her skirt and bowed to the audience.

Jiang Tu raised his eyes, watching her walk backstage. Then he turned and left.

Before leaving backstage, Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi went to the restroom. As they approached the door, they overheard a few young girls discussing them inside.

“Zhu Xingyao is so beautiful in person—she really is a goddess. No wonder the school’s gods went to such lengths to pursue her back then.”

“I envy her so much!”

“If only I were that pretty—I’d trade ten years of my life for it!”

Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi exchanged a glance, smiling helplessly. Just as they were about to enter, the stall door opened. Xia Jin stepped out, looked at the girls, and chuckled. “Why envy Zhu Xingyao? Don’t you know what Principal Liu thinks of her? Every year, he uses her as a negative example, telling you not to copy her. Why don’t you listen?”

The girls’ expressions stiffened. Someone whispered, “Senior Xia Jin.”

Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi stood outside the door, frowning as they listened.

Xia Jin smiled sweetly. “Do you really think her relationship with Lu Ji was some kind of legend? Back then, she dated Lu Ji but was also ambiguous with another guy, stealing someone else’s boyfriend. Others couldn’t stand it and reported her. Lu Ji and her reunited and broke up again in college. Let’s just say Zhu Xingyao isn’t as perfect as she seems on the surface. Study hard, little sisters.”

Li Xixi cursed softly and stormed in. “Xia Jin, are you insane? What nonsense are you spouting? You’re such a—”

Li Xixi’s assistant quickly covered her mouth and pleaded, “Xixi, please don’t say anything inappropriate. Mind the occasion.”

Zhu Xingyao glared coldly at Xia Jin. “What did you say?”

Xia Jin paused, then quickly recovered. She flipped her long hair and said nonchalantly, “Didn’t you hear everything?”

The young girls, seeing the intense scene, were terrified and hurriedly slipped away.

At 9:30 p.m., Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi entered the large private room. It was already full of people.

________________________________________

At 10:00 p.m., Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi walked into the large private room, which was packed. Everyone looked up simultaneously. Ding Xiang had brought his wife along and greeted them cheerfully. “Finally, you two are here.”

The once youthful faces had all changed—matured, grown prettier, or even gained weight—like Zhang Sheng, who, not yet thirty, already sported a beer belly. Surrounded by a few people, Zhang Sheng glanced over, saw Jiang Tu, and sneered.

Xu Xiangyang, the class monitor, had arrived early.

Li Xixi walked up to him, opened a can of beer, and chugged it. Xu Xiangyang was alarmed and quickly held her back. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, just thirsty.”

She had been cursing Xia Jin the entire ride. How could she not be thirsty?

Xu Xiangyang sighed in relief and watched his girlfriend drink heartily.

Reporters and paparazzi were everywhere at the school gate. Everyone knew Li Xixi and Zhu Xingyao had returned to their alma mater for the anniversary celebration. Their nanny vans had been chased by paparazzi all the way, and they were already trending on Weibo. Jiang Tu had arrived at the private room early. He sat in a corner of the sofa, raised his eyes, and looked at Zhu Xingyao. It was just like in high school—he sat alone, and others kept their distance. Zhu Xingyao remembered how he had left without even watching her performance earlier, with Xia Jin chasing after him.

She lowered her head, recalling Xia Jin’s harsh words, and bit her lip.

Li Xixi handed her a can of beer and whispered, “Here, drink up. Don’t let that trash upset you.”

“You’ve been cursing her out the whole way,” Zhu Xingyao said, trying not to laugh. Now, whenever she thought of Xia Jin, she imagined the word “trash” written across her face. She accepted the beer Li Xixi offered and started drinking.

Zhu Xingyao sat next to Li Xixi. Classmates gathered around. “Come on, everyone, cheers!”

Someone asked, “Where’s Xia Jin?”

Li Xixi rolled her eyes and smiled sweetly. “Miss Xia Jin is busy. She’s with the leaders, no time to join us.”

Jiang Tu walked over, stood beside Zhu Xingyao, and said softly, “Don’t drink too much.”

Zhu Xingyao ignored him, smiling brightly as she clinked glasses with her classmates. A few years ago, when she had been in trouble, Ding Yu had forced her to quit drinking. Since then, she rarely drank, and her tolerance wasn’t as good as before. After just a few drinks, her head began to spin.

Jiang Tu noticed her face turning red. After a moment of silence, he reached out and took her glass. “You’ll get drunk if you keep drinking.”

At that moment, the door opened.

Xia Jin walked in.

Li Xixi, with her fiery temper, glared at Xia Jin. Without assistants or paparazzi present, she felt unrestrained. Raising her voice, she said, “Everyone, no recording or filming. I have something to say. Everyone knows that Xingyao was reported back then. Some say it was someone from our class.”

Everyone was stunned. “Who? No one in our class would be that nasty, right?”

Li Xixi sneered. “Apparently, someone was that nasty.”

Zhu Xingyao looked at Xia Jin, her mind replaying Xia Jin’s insults. Overcome with anger, she blurted out, “Yeah, I still don’t know which trash person reported me. If I find out, I’ll definitely kill them!”