Тhе сlаssroom still held а fаint scent оf orangеs. Мidwау thrоugh, Тeaсher Xu came in onсе, and thе girls gavе him аn арplе аnd а fеw рieсes of chосolаte. Xu said, "Dоn't try to bribе me with sugar-соаtеd bullеts. Yоu'vе been wild lоng еnough—sеttlе dоwn."
Settling dоwn wasn't sо еasy. Тhе first self-studу period wаs with the English teасhеr, who strоlled around fоr а bit bеforе рlауing а listеning eхеrcisе. In the bаck, somе inattеntivе bоys wеrе still whisреring. By the timе the first evening self-study еnded, everуone immеdiatеlу rushed оut into the hallway, darting around and exchanging gifts.
The hallway was icy cold, but it couldn't suppress the restless hearts of the teenagers.
"He wrote back to you." Jiang Du handed Wang Jingjing the letter, still warm from her body heat. The girl, who had been plucking at the fur of a stuffed toy, froze, her mouth opening soundlessly but forming the words "Wei Qingyue."
Seeing Jiang Du nod, Wang Jingjing swore, "Holy shit! Holy shit!" After she'd cursed enough, she suddenly sprang up like a coil and dashed out.
Jiang Du didn't know what had happened to her. She called out "Wang Jingjing!" and chased after her, but the girl had already disappeared toward the restroom.
She stood at the classroom door. Students from various classes hurried through the hallway, their figures flickering past the glass windows, laughing and playing under the lights.
Wang Jingjing soon returned, panting heavily. She had washed her hands and was beaming with excitement. "I should've bathed and burned incense to show respect, but there's no time for that now. At least I washed my two paws, hahaha!"
The classroom wasn't exactly safe. Lin Haiyang was the worst, always poking his nosy head over to see what was happening. Wang Jingjing scanned the room and noticed Chen Huiming gossiping nonstop with a few other girls. Whether intentionally or not, Chen glanced in their direction a few times—definitely not with good intentions. Wang Jingjing quietly calculated. Though she seemed carefree, she could be incredibly meticulous when it mattered.
Good news should only be shared with the closest of friends. There weren't many people in the world who genuinely wished you well. She felt that the fewer people who knew about Wei Qingyue's reply, the better. Of course, Jiang Du was the exception—someone who only knew how to copy essay templates could never write a chatty, grandmotherly love letter.
"I have a small flashlight. Let's find a place to read the letter." Her eyes darted around mischievously.
The break was only ten minutes long, which meant they'd have to skip class. Jiang Du's heart raced as she stared at the thin, creased letter in Wang Jingjing's hand—a letter she had briefly held. Now, that piece of paper carried a vast and mysterious world, one she had longed to plunge into but had been unable to reach, lost in a foggy crossing.
Even the most introverted and shy girl could become astonishingly brave in such a moment. As if possessed, Jiang Du agreed to Wang Jingjing's plan. It was her first time skipping class, all because of Wei Qingyue.
The two girls hid beneath the flower trellis behind the comprehensive building. Jiang Du held the flashlight while Wang Jingjing carefully unfolded the letter with faint rustling sounds. Her hands trembled, nearly missing the paper. Wang Jingjing asked if she was cold.
The light fell upon the boy's bold, powerful handwriting.
"XX:
I don't know how to address you, so I'll use this placeholder. Please don't mind. After all, you never signed your name.Receiving your letter, to be honest, I wasn't surprised, even though you and I may have had no interactions. I received all three letters and read them. What intentions you had in writing to me, I think I can guess. In your eyes, I'm probably nothing more than "good-looking and academically strong"—beyond that, I doubt you know much more about me.
If it's those two points that attracted you, I want to tell you that they are merely superficial glamour, not worth investing illusory passion in. Appearance is innate—I've never considered myself particularly superior in looks, certainly not to the point of inspiring affection. If merely relying on appearance could earn someone's affection, I should have been loved long ago. As for academic performance, as long as one isn't extraordinarily foolish and puts in some effort, the results won't be too bad.
Everyone has a side unknown to others, even an embarrassing side. I'm being very honest with you about this because I feel your three letters were equally sincere. I have an obligation to remind you because I am not the perfect image people imagine.
The questions you raised in your letter, I can answer. I plan to study in the United States—there's nothing particularly worth staying for here. I usually don't wipe desks or chairs before sitting; boys generally don't pay much attention to such things.
And the tree in front of the library—I guess you must sit by the window in class, conveniently positioned to watch the scenery, so your mind wanders freely. I don't quite understand how girls can derive so much sentiment from a tree or a bird every day, but I respect that perspective. The world is inherently uneven, and everyone's understanding differs. The side of the world you see may be the opposite of what I perceive.
Some of the trivial matters you shared in your letter were quite interesting. I imagine your parents must dote on you greatly. Only those who grow up in happy families notice the details of life and have the ability to extract the most beautiful aspects from them."
Reading up to this point, Wang Jingjing finally couldn't hold back and exclaimed with a startling outburst, "Ah, he really understands me! How did he know my parents adore me?"
Jiang Du's eyes felt sore, and she gripped the flashlight tightly. Wang Jingjing didn't seem to need her response anyway; after her own outburst, she quickly hushed herself, saying, "Quiet, quiet!" though Jiang Du hadn't made a sound.
The cold wind seemed to pass right through her, chilling her to the core, leaving her face icy. The two fuzzy heads huddled together again.
"You expressed lament over the passage of time in your letter, but there's no need to dwell too much on sorrow. The future holds promise, and people should look forward. Lingering in the past serves little purpose. At least for me, the past isn't worth clinging to—I look forward to the life ahead. But our experiences differ, so your perspective may not align with mine. What each person values varies.
Those three letters didn't trouble me. I'm probably rougher around the edges than you imagine—I'm not easily troubled by things.
I'm not very good at offering blessings, but if I must say something as a closing remark, then I wish you progress in your studies—that should be something you care about. I've left my QQ number on the back for you. You can add me, or if you prefer corresponding by letter, that's up to you."
The letter ended here. Wang Jingjing abruptly flipped it over, stirring a gust of air that startled Jiang Du, who instinctively wanted to read it again.
Sure enough, on the back was a string of numbers.Wang Jingjing waved it like a triumphant little flag: "Ahhh, Wei..." Her voice suddenly dropped to a whisper as she tugged desperately at Jiang Du's sleeve, her eyes sparkling. "It's Wei Qingyue's QQ number! Oh my god, I got his QQ number!"
Jiang Du was jostled by her pulling. She tried to carve a mask onto her face—cooperative, appropriate—to match her best friend's joy.
But her mind was in a daze. Was this really Wei Qingyue? Did he really write this?
It was as if she had touched a finer texture, a clearer vein—if Wei Qingyue were a tree. Jiang Du's eyes stung. She couldn't even bring herself to ask Wang Jingjing naturally, "Let's read it again."
How strange—she didn't actually need to read it again. She had already memorized it at a glance. Every word he wrote, every stroke, every pause of the pen, was imprinted not on paper but in her heart.
Jiang Du had always had a good memory, but this was the first time she realized she could truly remember something after seeing it just once.
Beside her, Wang Jingjing's voice babbled incoherently. Whatever she was saying felt distant to Jiang Du, as if it came from a hazy sea. She was still immersed in that reply letter—the letter that echoed like a vast reverberation, knocking again and again against the walls of her heart.
He said he was going to America. He said she must have parents who loved her dearly. No, Wei Qingyue, I was only pretending in the letter to have loving parents. What I really meant were my grandparents. Does anyone love you? Why don't you feel any attachment to your hometown?
Jiang Du's heart suddenly ached with a sharp tug. Stiffly, she placed her hand under her lips and exhaled softly, just as Wang Jingjing patted her shoulder.
"Deskmate, deskmate, what do you think he means in this letter? Does it mean he's allowing me to keep writing to him? Does Wei Qingyue like me? Lin Haiyang told him it was me writing the letters—he knows who I am, right?"
Wang Jingjing had too many questions. Jiang Du snapped back to reality, unsure which one to answer first.
"Tell me, how should I reply?" Wang Jingjing tried hard to suppress her excitement. She never expected Wei Qingyue to reply with such a long letter—that he had so much to say to her, even if she didn't fully understand some of his words.
That didn't matter. What mattered was that she had received a reply from Wei Qingyue. She was unique—Wei Qingyue had shown her special favor. The vanity unique to young girls naturally surfaced.
In that moment, Wang Jingjing even had an unprecedented thought. After a moment's consideration, she said to Jiang Du:
"Actually, from now on, I'll reply myself. You can give me some suggestions, but I think it's better if I write to him myself. Otherwise, it might seem like I'm not sincere enough. What do you think?"
Jiang Du's heart was instantly pierced. For a few seconds, she was speechless. Each breath felt stifled, as if something had been ruthlessly stripped away—but this was her own doing, her self-imposed trap. She lacked courage, so she didn't deserve it.
"Okay," she pretended to be as calm as possible, saying softly, "Let's do it that way then."
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