Jiang Du stаrеd аt Wеi Qingуue in astonishmеnt. Аt that momеnt, her seсrеt, likе а bаllоon stretсhed to its limit, was suddenly piеrсed bу a nееdlе. Yеt she hаd tо mustеr аll hеr wisdom аnd willpower tо рrevеnt the persоn beforе her from hеаring thаt dеаfеning рop.
"Whу wоuld I write уоu а lettеr?" Thе wоrds slippеd оut, sounding аlmost like a сhallenge, but shе соuldn’t helр it. How strangе аdоlesсеnсе wаs—shе’d rathеr оffend thе boу she liked thаn spеаk а single wоrd оf truth. Аs if аdmitting she liked Wei Qingуue would make her just likе everyоne elsе, as if guаrding hеr seсret would open up a whole new world, a kingdom of her own.
Wei Qingyue seemed to have anticipated all her reactions. He wasn’t the least bit awkward, nor did he press further. His smile was as elusive as flowing light as he said, "I don’t reply to just anyone who writes me letters."
Jiang Du froze again. She couldn’t tell if this was Wei Qingyue’s arrogance inadvertently revealing itself in that moment, or if he saw it as a form of charity—as if being worthy of his reply was the greatest honor a girl could receive.
At this thought, her mood not only darkened but also grew stifled.
She didn’t know how to respond to Wei Qingyue’s remark. Glancing at him, her heart raced uncontrollably. She could only rub her hands together and say, "I’ll go order the fruit platter."
"I’ll do it," Wei Qingyue replied in his usual tone. When he said he’d handle it, Jiang Du wasn’t sure whether to follow or return. He tilted his head, signaling for her to come along. After hesitating for a few seconds, Jiang Du followed him.
When they returned, Jiang Du suddenly stopped him and said, "Maybe I should go in first."
Wei Qingyue chuckled. "Avoiding suspicion? There’s nothing to avoid between us, is there? Look, you’re not even willing to keep writing me letters."
How strange—why had he suddenly become so fond of teasing? Hearing the grating word "keep," Jiang Du hurriedly denied it:
"I never wrote you a letter, so there’s no ‘keep’ or ‘not keep.’"
Wei Qingyue let out an "oh," giving her a meaningful look before smiling. "My mistake."
Heart racing and breath short, she hurried into the private room first. A group of girls was huddled together singing "I’m a Girl." Seeing Jiang Du enter, Liu Xiaole quickly pulled her into the group and handed her the microphone.
Jiang Du couldn’t sing at all, nor could she mimic the natural swaying of others. She stood rigidly, while Liu Xiaole shouted at Lin Haiyang and the class monitor:
"Audience in the back, let me see your hands! Come on, everyone join in!"
This was everyone’s favorite imitation of pop stars. Lin Haiyang played along, waving his hands and whistling as if they were really at a concert.
The worst part was that Wei Qingyue soon entered. He sat there, watching Jiang Du being jostled left and right under the shifting lights, and smiled again.
Jiang Du’s mind went blank. This wasn’t singing—it felt like making a fool of herself. She thought no one could be more awkward than her and wished Wei Qingyue weren’t in the room at that moment.
The only saving grace was that the swirling star patterns could hide everything.
When it ended, Jiang Du felt as if she’d been granted a pardon. She quickly put down the microphone and retreated to a corner. To avoid conversation, she picked up a piece of honeydew melon and slowly nibbled on it.
"Wei Qingyue, aren’t you going to sing a song?" Zhang Xiaoqiang asked him. "Everyone’s waiting!"Amidst the clamor, Wei Qingyue actually agreed. He selected a song, took off his padded jacket, and tossed it with a flick of his hand, landing it right in Jiang Du’s lap. A dry, orchid-like fragrance enveloped her face. Instinctively, she caught the jacket, then quickly set it aside, flustered.
What was he doing? Why did he throw it her way? But Wei Qingyue always seemed to act as if everything he did was perfectly natural. He wasn’t putting on an act or being overly sensitive—he had just casually tossed aside a piece of clothing. No one else would misunderstand, only her. Inside, her heart was a stormy sea, and she stretched this unintentional detail endlessly, imbuing it with meanings she both hoped for and believed impossible.
The padded jacket wasn’t far from her, within easy reach. Jiang Du pretended to rest her hand on the sofa, inching it closer until her fingers brushed the edge of the fabric—whether it was the collar or a sleeve, she couldn’t tell. Her pinky pressed lightly against the jacket, her expression betraying nothing.
As soon as Wei Qingyue began to sing, the girls let out a collective “Wow.” His voice was pure and clear, and he stood there loosely, the starlight now catching the tip of his nose, now resting on his shoulder. Jiang Du watched him silently. He wasn’t singing a pop song or one of those English tunes everyone loved to show off with.
He was singing “Half a Heart,” a song Jiang Du had never heard before.
The prelude was enchanting, lingering, steeped in a strong retro vibe. Jiang Du glanced at the lyrics on the screen—they were clearly about unrequited longing.
“I never expected you to sing love songs, Wei Qingyue!” Zhang Xiaoqiang was the first to tease him, and the only one brave enough to do so. She asked, half-jokingly, half-seriously, “Don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to someone?”
The girls immediately perked up, their eyes fixed on Wei Qingyue as he walked over. He sat down beside Zhang Xiaoqiang, stretched lazily, and pulled his padded jacket toward him. By then, Jiang Du had already moved her hand away.
She felt as if her heart had been snatched into mid-air, left hanging unresolved.
Wei Qingyue laughed and took a sip of his carbonated drink, shaking his head. “How boring. Why are you so boring too, always jumping to conclusions like that? Do I have to like someone to sing a love song?”
Not liking anyone, boring, trivial matters… Jiang Du felt as if a hammer had struck her head repeatedly. He didn’t like anyone, and liking someone was, in his eyes, a trivial matter. Even Zhang Xiaoqiang was just a boring girl to him…
Zhang Xiaoqiang was momentarily embarrassed, but she was quick to recover. Smiling, she said, “It was just a joke. Why are you so touchy? Earlier during dinner, you were teasing Jiang Du, and she didn’t say a word.”
Wei Qingyue had a knack for making people uncomfortable. He was naturally rebellious, and it often showed unintentionally. After shutting Zhang Xiaoqiang down, he nonchalantly reached for a can of drink in front of her, opened it, and took a sip.
But it seemed Zhang Xiaoqiang was well aware of her old classmate’s temperament and didn’t take it to heart. Fortunately, the chaotic, colorful lights flashing in the room helped conceal Jiang Du’s surprise. Besides surprise, there was also a faint sense of melancholy.
Lin Haiyang was a mic hog, and he really could sing well. Even after belting out songs for so long, his voice showed no signs of hoarseness. For his final song, he deliberately chose “Cold Rainy Night” and pointed at Jiang Du. “Your favorite. Today, I’ll let you listen to your heart’s content. Tell me how I sound.”
Jiang Du wanted to prove to everyone that she wasn’t as closed off or unsociable as they might think. So, after a brief moment of panic, she steadied herself and clapped her hands for Lin Haiyang, offering him encouraging applause.I get along just fine with my classmates, I'm no Lin Daiyu, she thought to herself. I have friends, I'm not unsociable.
With the song, that drizzly, somewhat desolate autumn night surfaced before her eyes. She remembered every second, every second of that chance encounter with Wei Qingyue in the cafeteria, and the slanting rain under the streetlights.
Including this song, "Cold Rainy Night."
Lin Haiyang finished singing with abandon, and Jiang Du clapped her hands so hard they stung slightly. Lin Haiyang smugly handed the microphone to Liu Xiaole, looking at Jiang Du and saying, "How was that, not bad, right?"
Soon, the music grew lively again. Liu Xiaole took on a high-difficulty challenge, singing her idol Nicholas Tse's song "Alive," deafeningly loud.
Unnoticed, Wei Qingyue had changed seats. He had gone out again midway, and when he returned, he saw Jiang Du vigorously applauding Lin Haiyang. Against the backdrop of Liu Xiaole's straining voice, he suddenly sat down beside Jiang Du, tilting his head so close it was almost against her ear, and said:
"You like 'Cold Rainy Night'? I can sing that one too, better than your classmate."
It was too close—so close that the warmth of his breath brushed against the curve of her ear. The words entered her ears so clearly that Jiang Du shuddered all over. Instinctively, she leaned back slightly, her eyes blinking incessantly as she looked at Wei Qingyue.
He seemed to have only wanted to tell her this one thing—simple, just stating a fact. Then he stood up, stepped over her pressed-together knees, and sat in the middle of the sofa.
After that, there was nothing more. The music, voices, and wildly flickering lights in the karaoke room, who sang what, what was eaten from the fruit platter, what heart-wrenching lyrics scrolled across the screen... Jiang Du remembered none of it. She only remembered the words beside her ear, the breath of his speech, so incredibly real—real enough to feel like a sudden dream, a feeling both contradictory and harmonious.
In winter, night fell early. When they stepped outside, the city lights had just come on. Amidst the flickering neon lights on the streets were scattered pedestrians and ceaseless streams of cars. Objectively speaking, Zhang Xiaoqiang's birthday had been a success—everyone had eaten, drunk, and enjoyed themselves to the fullest.
All the restlessness and unusual emotions also became subtle upon stepping back into the daylight.
Jiang Du walked arm in arm with Liu Xiaole, pressed close together affectionately. Truthfully, Jiang Du wasn't very used to being this close to others, but after sharing a meal and singing together, it seemed natural to grow closer.
They walked for a while, reluctant to part, but eventually had to go their separate ways, each heading home. Only Jiang Du was going in the opposite direction from everyone else. As for Wei Qingyue, even Zhang Xiaoqiang didn't know which area he lived in.
"Jiang Du, will you be alright alone?" Zhang Xiaoqiang asked her. As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Haiyang volunteered to walk Jiang Du home. Jiang Du quickly declined, saying, "I can take the bus. It's only about a hundred meters from the bus stop to my house—very close, no need to trouble you."
"Alright then, taking the bus is safer, and there are still buses running now," Zhang Xiaoqiang said, glancing at her watch. She planned to take a taxi with Liu Xiaole and the others. Smiling, she asked Wei Qingyue, "How are you getting back?"
But Wei Qingyue's gaze seemed somewhat distracted, and he didn't answer. Everyone followed his line of sight and saw a tall, handsome middle-aged man in a knee-length black coat walking toward them.
Among the group, only Jiang Du and Zhang Xiaoqiang had met Wei Zhendong.In middle school, Wei Zhendong had been invited to the school as a parent representative to give a speech, carrying himself with great presence. Zhang Xiaoqiang had a deep impression of him. Undoubtedly, Wei Qingyue's father was a handsome man, standing out conspicuously wherever he went.
As for Jiang Du, she had also met this uncle, but her memories were of a violent nature. Suddenly, she became even more nervous than Wei Qingyue.
"Hello, Uncle Wei." Seeing that Wei Qingyue remained motionless, Zhang Xiaoqiang hesitated for a moment but still called out politely to Wei Zhendong, who was approaching.
Wei Zhendong was indeed tall and imposing. As he drew near, he naturally exuded an air of intimidation. Beneath his handsome eyebrows were smiling eyes as he said, "Zhang Xiaoqiang, you're the vice class monitor named Zhang Xiaoqiang, right?"
Everyone exchanged glances, as none of them knew Wei Zhendong, but Zhang Xiaoqiang clearly did. The man seemed to radiate wealth from head to toe, his presence commanding. The teenagers instinctively grew reserved.
Feeling pleased that such an impressive elder remembered her name, Zhang Xiaoqiang nodded. "Uncle Wei still remembers me. Well, today is my birthday, and I invited my classmates out for dinner and fun. What a coincidence to run into you here." She pointed and smiled, saying, "These are all my classmates."
Then, quite naturally, she glanced at Wei Qingyue, thinking it would be more appropriate for him to introduce his father next. Strangely, Wei Qingyue showed no intention of introducing his father. Wei Zhendong looked at his son with a thin, insincere smile, narrowed his eyes slightly, and then turned to the group of teenagers with a warm smile.
"Hello, everyone."
"Hello... Uncle Wei," they greeted him in uneven unison.
Only Jiang Du remained silent, watching Wei Zhendong with a wary, almost hostile gaze.
"No wonder I couldn't find you. Your phone was off—turns out you were out playing with classmates," Wei Zhendong said lightly, glancing at Wei Qingyue. To Jiang Du, that glance felt like the prelude to a storm. Her intuition told her so, and she couldn't help but look at Wei Qingyue.
The air grew so cold that Jiang Du suddenly shivered for no apparent reason. Staring fixedly at Wei Zhendong, she stepped forward and said:
"Uncle Wei, I borrowed Wei Qingyue's phone to play games for a while and drained the battery. I'm sorry."
Her teeth clenched, Jiang Du felt her cheeks trembling.
Wei Zhendong smiled with great magnanimity. "It's nothing. As long as you're having fun." He then mentioned he had matters to attend to and told Wei Qingyue to go home on his own.
After he left, the group gradually became lively again. Liu Xiaole remarked how handsome Wei Qingyue's father was, saying she had never seen such a good-looking middle-aged uncle. However, she noticed Wei Qingyue listening expressionlessly. Before they could finish their admiration, he walked to the roadside to hail a taxi.
The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit strange. Zhang Xiaoqiang, of course, sensed it too. Not wanting to pry, she thought for a moment, quickly put on a smile, and said it was already dark, reminding everyone to be safe on their way home. After expressing her gratitude at length, she looked over at Wei Qingyue, who had already hailed a taxi. He gestured to a few of them:
"Get in the car."
After saying their goodbyes and watching several of them get into two taxis, Zhang Xiaoqiang even leaned out the window and waved. For a moment, only Wei Qingyue and Jiang Du remained by the roadside, standing under the deep blue night sky.
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