Classmate Number Seven - 12
Class 5 won the basketball game just as everyone expected. But if anything, the victory itself seemed less interesting to people than the gossip that followed.
For a while, Shen Ju's name was everywhere, all thanks to her bold public pursuit of Chen Xifan.
Sometimes it happened during break. Qi Xia would be hunched over her desk, working through chemical formulas, when several girls returning from outside gathered at the back of the classroom and started whispering excitedly.
"Shen Ju is seriously going for it, huh? She's so damn brave. An inspiration to us all."
"She's incredible. Chen Xifan has rejected her over and over, but every time she runs into him, she still greets him like nothing happened. How does someone develop that kind of mental strength? Ahhhh!"
"Come on, she was acting on television at that age. She's been in the spotlight since she was little."
Someone else gave a sour little laugh. "And what does that prove? She's still getting rejected every single time. Has Chen Xifan ever accepted anything from her? Has he even looked at her properly? She's just making herself feel good."
"Maybe Chen Xifan just isn't into girls with Shen Ju's bright, cool kind of style. I really want to know who his girlfriend will be someday."
"Not necessarily. There's a saying that pursuing a guy is only a thin veil away from success. With Shen Ju being this proactive, I'll bet you anything she'll have our school heartthrob wrapped around her finger by the end of the semester."
...
Qi Xia was distracted. She twisted open her water bottle without realizing how much force she was using. Hot water spilled over the rim, scalding the back of her hand until it turned red. A sharp pain shot through her.
She couldn't concentrate on the problems anymore. Under her breath, she muttered, "Why hasn't class started yet?"
And it wasn't just during class breaks. Sometimes, even after school, she would run into Shen Ju.
Jingda offered plenty of extracurricular activities. One afternoon, Qi Xia was heading downstairs with her schoolbag when she spotted the street dance club performing on the sports field. Shen Ju was among them.
With her makeup carefully done, a sleeveless top, and wide-leg jeans, Shen Ju looked youthful and vibrant. The simple, casual outfit only made her beauty and cool confidence stand out more.
She held the center position, dancing without a trace of self-consciousness, while a large crowd gathered around the performance.
After finishing a routine, she leaned over to look at the video someone had recorded. "Did you make me look good?"
"What, are you sending the video to Chen Xifan?"
"Of course. If you want to chase someone, you have to make sure they see you every single day."
"How long has it been now? Are you ever going to win over our school heartthrob?"
Shen Ju smiled with absolute confidence. "Obviously."
Qi Xia watched from a distance, bitterness rising in her throat. The wind was strong enough to make her rub her eyes again and again.
A hollow sadness settled inside her, the emptiness left behind by a receding tide. Who wouldn't like a girl who was bright and open, someone who could stand in the sunlight without hesitation? Unfortunately, Qi Xia felt she might never become such a person.
Compared with Shen Ju's very public pursuit, Chen Xifan seemed almost like an outsider to the whole affair. He went to class, played basketball, and carried on with his life as usual, though he spent less time in the classroom than before. Several times, Shen Ju came to Class 5 only to find him absent.
By the middle of May, the AMC Math Competition was about to begin. The school arranged for its competition students to travel abroad for preparation, which meant Chen Xifan would be away for half a month. Shen Ju's visits to Class 5 grew less frequent, too.
Even with him gone, Qi Xia still found excuses to turn around and glance toward his seat every day. It was only when she saw the empty chair that she remembered, a moment too late, that he wasn't there.
She thought this was unbelievably stupid, but habits formed over time were never easy to break.
A few days later, Qi Xia fell ill.
Her health had never been particularly good. She was used to injections and medicine. Unfortunately, Cao Yu got sick around the same time, and for those days, Qi Lanjing took the two girls, one older and one younger, to the hospital every day.
Illness cost money, and that only tightened the tension in the family. Cao Shuwei didn't say much, but his expression had grown so grim it was difficult to describe. Grandma Cao was even worse, constantly muttering that they didn't have enough money.
It was the weekend. After accompanying Qi Xia to her injection, Qi Lanjing walked out of the hospital with her and stood by the roadside, waiting for a taxi.
"Are you still feeling bad?" Qi Lanjing asked. "You look much better than you did a few days ago, and you don't have a fever anymore. Just a little cough."
Qi Xia nodded. "I'm much better."
"I bought some ribs and black-boned chicken. I'll make soup for you and Xiao Yu when we get back, you can both build your strength. Look at you. A few days of being sick, and your little face has gotten even thinner."
Qi Xia had just finished her IV and didn't have much of an appetite. She touched her cheek. "Auntie, can I go home and sleep for a while first? I'm a little tired."
"Of course, of course. I'll bring you something to eat later."
After saying goodbye to Qi Lanjing, Qi Xia took the subway back to Baita Lane alone. As soon as she stepped through the courtyard gate, she happened to run into Lin Shuangyu, who was taking Grandma Chen for a walk in the garden.
Grandma Chen called out to her. "Xia Xia, how are you feeling?"
Qi Xia walked over with a gentle smile. "I'm not feeling bad anymore, Grandma."
Then she noticed Lin Shuangyu and hesitated before greeting her. "Hello, Auntie."
Lin Shuangyu was a gentle woman. She nodded with a smile. "Hello, sweetheart."
Only at such close range did Qi Xia realize how much Chen Xifan's eyes resembled his mother's. They both had peach-shaped eyes, bright and sparkling when they smiled, as though starlight had gathered inside them.
"That's good, as long as you're feeling better. Wait a moment. I have a little present for you."
Grandma Chen was such a lovely old woman. She dug around in her pocket for a while before finally pulling out a handful of gummy candies and holding them out.
"When you're sick, your mouth often tastes bitter. Have some candy. It'll sweeten things up."
Lin Shuangyu added, "I hope you get well soon."
Qi Xia's eyes lit up. She accepted the candy with both hands. "Thank you."
On her way back to her room, she couldn't resist turning around for another look. Lin Shuangyu and Grandma Chen were picking flowers and discussing how to make rose pastries.
Qi Xia found herself wondering about something. Lately, she seemed to run into Chen Xifan's mother in Baita Lane all the time. So why had she never once seen his father?
*
The last Saturday of May finally arrived, bringing with it Xu Youfei's birthday.
Xu Youfei lived in Ziyu Academy. Qi Xia had heard people talk about it before. It was one of Jing City's famous wealthy neighborhoods, where properties sold for more than two hundred thousand yuan per square meter. Even knowing that, she was still stunned when she entered the community and saw row after row of detached villas.
The houses were beautiful and imposing. There was an artificial lake, a football field, and enormous stretches of lawn. The place looked less like a residential neighborhood than a tourist attraction.
Xu Youfei came out to greet them herself. "I've been waiting forever!"
Qi Xia handed her the present. "Happy birthday, Feifei. You look beautiful today."
"Hahaha, right? It took me three hours to put this whole look together."
"Three hours well spent," Xing Anya said.
A voice full of shameless attitude came from behind them. He Xiao popped his head out from a short distance away.
"Well spent my ass. Miss Xu started bombarding me with phone calls at five in the morning, ordering me to buy things and pick people up. Am I your servant or something?"
"Correction. You're my servant!" Xu Youfei declared, lifting her chin.
They bickered their way into the house. Xu Youfei told the girls to eat whatever they wanted and play wherever they liked, since she still had a few people to pick up.
Perhaps to let the high schoolers enjoy themselves without restraint, not a single adult was home. Quite a few classmates from Class 5 had arrived. Some were playing video games, others were shooting pool. Wei Yupeng had gathered a group of people for a game of Werewolf.
Qi Xia and Xing Anya weren't particularly interested in joining the commotion, they sat on the sofa eating fruit and chatting. After a quiet hour, Xu Youfei announced that everyone had arrived and told them to get ready to cut the cake.
Qi Xia looked around, instinctively searching the crowd for a familiar figure.
According to their math teacher, the AMC competition had ended two days earlier, and the students from Jingda had already returned home that very day. Was Chen Xifan not coming to Xu Youfei's birthday?
She kept turning her head, Xing Anya finally looked at her in confusion. "Xia Xia, who are you looking for?"
Qi Xia searched the room one more time, but Chen Xifan was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment settled quietly in her chest.
"Nobody. Just looking around," she answered, her voice subdued.
The three-tiered birthday cake had been wheeled out, everyone was busy putting in the candles. Then, just before the lights went out, the front door opened, and someone arrived fashionably late.
It was Chen Xifan.
He wore a gray T-shirt and washed denim jeans, with a baseball cap pulled low over his head. It had been more than half a month since she'd last seen him, Qi Xia could have sworn he'd grown a little taller. The brim concealed half his face, accentuating the sharp line of his jaw.
The moment Chen Xifan stepped inside, every light went out. In the soft, flickering glow of the candles, the birthday song began.
He didn't draw attention to himself. Instead, he walked a few steps closer and stopped near the outer edge of the crowd, his back against the wall. Qi Xia happened to be standing there too.
They were close.
Her heart, like a kite that had slipped its string, began to beat wildly again.
He was a surprise that had fallen straight from the sky. Qi Xia nearly cried out.
In the darkness, she saw Chen Xifan clapping along with everyone else. Then his soft singing reached her ears.
"Happy birthday to you..."
It was the first time Qi Xia had ever heard him sing. His voice was naturally clear and smooth, but now he had lowered it deliberately, giving it a faint, magnetic roughness. Qi Xia felt as though a feather had brushed the inside of her ear.
When the lights came back on, no one noticed that the ear hidden beneath her dark hair had turned completely red.
Xu Youfei called everyone over to divide up the cake, then ran toward Chen Xifan.
"Ge, where's my present?"
Chen Xifan lifted the brim of his cap. "On the table."
Before she could say anything else, several boys called him over to the balcony.
Xu Youfei hooked her arm through Qi Xia's. "Forget about them. They're a bunch of aviation nerds. Probably off discussing model planes again. Come on, let's play Werewolf."
Qi Xia stole a glance at Chen Xifan's retreating back, a smile slowly spreading across her lips.
"Okay."
There were plenty of Werewolf enthusiasts in Class 5, most of them seasoned players. Qi Xia was still a beginner by comparison. She drew the Witch card, only to have the worst luck imaginable and get killed on the very first night, leaving her with only a few final words before she was eliminated.
She stood nearby watching for five or six minutes when Xu Youfei called a pause to answer her phone. Then she hurriedly pulled Qi Xia aside.
"Xia Xia, help me!"
"What happened?"
"Could you go to the parcel station by the artificial lake and pick up a package for me? A friend made me a SpongeBob cake by hand, but the security guards won't let the courier deliver it to the house."
Xu Youfei shoved her Werewolf card into Qi Xia's hand.
"Or you can take over for me this round. I'll be right back."
Qi Xia glanced at the card. Seeing the Werewolf role, there was no way she dared take it.
"You play. I'll get the package."
She moved quickly, stepping out of the house and walking briskly all the way to the parcel station. After finding the SpongeBob cake, she carried it back toward the house.
A cool breeze drifted across the lake in the night, and the trees lining the road whispered in the wind. After walking for more than ten minutes, Qi Xia began to sense that something was wrong.
This didn't look like the road she'd taken earlier.
She turned around and surveyed her surroundings under the streetlights. Everything was unfamiliar. The road leading away from Xu Youfei's house had been lined with plane trees, but this one was lined with willows.
Qi Xia reached into her pocket. Empty.
Her phone was in her schoolbag.
She scolded herself for being an idiot. Standing at the fork in the road, she couldn't even figure out how to get back to the parcel station.
The world around her had fallen completely silent. Panic began to creep in.
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
Qi Xia took a step backward, caught between running and asking for directions. But the moment she saw who was coming, she froze.
Chen Xifan was walking toward her. He moved at an easy, unhurried pace, as if he were simply out for a stroll, holding something that looked like a photo album in one hand. Earbuds were tucked into his ears. When he noticed Qi Xia, he seemed to pause in surprise, then removed them and walked closer.
"Qi Xia? What are you doing here?"
Qi Xia wanted the ground to swallow her.
"I came to pick up a cake, but I forgot how to get back."
Chen Xifan frowned slightly. "Making a guest run errands. Xu Youfei really knows how to order people around..."
"Don't blame her. She's busy. I only did it because I happened to be coming this way."
Chen Xifan glanced at her but didn't pursue the matter. "Come on. Follow me."
His voice held little emotion. He simply lifted his chin, gesturing for her to come along.
"Okay."
Chen Xifan took the cake from her hands with effortless courtesy. Even knowing it was nothing more than his good upbringing, Qi Xia's heart still stumbled at the gesture.
The two barely spoke on the way back. They were classmates, but they weren't close, and neither of them could find anything to say.
Qi Xia followed behind him, keeping a distance of less than two meters. The space around them was wide open, yet she felt as if she were trapped in a sealed room, the air growing thinner with every breath.
She looked up at Chen Xifan ahead of her.
The one thing she knew best about him had always been his back.
They had walked for a little over ten minutes when the light ahead suddenly dimmed. Several streetlights in this section had gone out. Chen Xifan slowed his pace, and Qi Xia slowed with him.
Stars scattered across the night sky. The moon hung dim and hazy. Under the blurred glow of the streetlights, their two long shadows stretched across the road.
Qi Xia suddenly remembered something she'd once read in a book.
‘If you stepped on someone's shadow, they wouldn't be able to walk away from you.’
So she shifted her feet and quietly stepped onto the shadow of the person ahead.
At that very moment, Chen Xifan turned around without warning.
Qi Xia froze where she stood, startled.
She thought she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. But Chen Xifan had only turned back to reassure her. He gave her a small, gentle smile.
"Don't be scared. Just stay with me."
He had turned around because he thought she was frightened.
Under ordinary circumstances, a girl following a boy along a dark road at night would probably feel uneasy. His thoughtfulness warmed something inside her, and she smiled back.
"Mm. I'm not scared."
They hadn't walked much farther when the scenery around them began to look familiar. Ahead, lights shone brightly. They were almost there.
Driven by a selfish desire to spend just a little more time talking to him, Qi Xia tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes.
"Why... why were you out here?"
Chen Xifan didn't turn around. He raised the book in his hand. "They wanted to look at my stamps, so I went home to get them."
Qi Xia thought about his answer for a moment, and guessed that Chen Xifan's family probably lived here too. "You collect stamps?"
"Yeah. Just for fun."
They reached Xu Youfei's house soon after.
They walked up the steps. At the entrance, Chen Xifan pulled open the door but didn't go inside. He held it open and turned slightly toward Qi Xia, gesturing for her to enter first.
She felt like she was walking on clouds, lightheaded and unsteady, as though none of it could possibly be real.
Qi Xia held her breath. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They entered one after the other. The light gathered above the boy's head as he was swept into the crowd, surrounded by everyone and once again becoming the center of attention.
Qi Xia stood where she was, staring blankly at the scene before her.
She thought that, perhaps, getting lost tonight hadn't been such a bad thing after all.
---
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