Who cares? Su Jinning will probably say it for him anyway.
Yeah, he'll probably help me clean up this mess.
Isn't he the best at making up stories?
What about all those crazy shippers on the forums? They'll probably be crying and lamenting for ages after they find out he's gone, and his story will probably make headlines again. Then, once the hype dies down, everyone will slowly forget about them.
It's as if this campus couple never existed, and they... never loved each other.
In this chaotic era, everyone is busy meeting and busy with the future. Separation has become the norm.
He seemed to be toyed with by fate; he struggled and tried desperately, but still met with such an end.
He opened his phone, but accidentally clicked on the photo album. There were only two photos in it: one was taken under a cherry blossom tree, which he liked very much and had asked Su Jinning for a copy of; the other was taken at the beach that day when it was snowing.
In the lower left corner, there is also a line of poetry written by Su Jinning.
He didn't have the courage to watch it a second time.
He opened the camera's built-in editor and cropped out Su Jinning's half, leaving only his own half.
Let's just assume that this photo has always been taken of him alone.
Let's pretend we never met.
He looked at the two photos he had cropped, and there were still traces of Su Jinning next to them, either in her hair or on her shoulder.
He tried many methods but couldn't remove it, and finally felt a little wronged and really wanted to delete it.
But when he saw the red 'Confirm Delete' message, his eyes were suddenly stung.
Photos can be deleted, but can the cheers we shouted for each other during the 2000-meter race on the playground, the songs we played together, the unintentional glances we exchanged in class, the starlight in his eyes, the sunsets we watched together, the kisses on the school playground, the promises we made—can they all be deleted?
Yes, he can't erase it. That person was a part of his entire youth, leaving behind too many touching memories.
Even after photoshopping, traces remain, just like how I still love you even after turning around.
He put down his phone, and a chill immediately seeped into the blanket. The little nest he had painstakingly warmed up became icy cold after just a little bit of air conditioning.
The tattered blanket, even though I've been covering myself with it for so long, why can't it keep out the cold...?
Tears that had been held back for so long welled up instantly. He simply walked down from the bay window, curled up on the bed because of the cold, but refused to cover himself with a blanket anymore.
Does it need to get colder, even colder, so that the burning longing in my heart can be frozen and covered by snow?
But he still longed for that embrace, the one who would urge him to cover himself with the blanket and pull him into her arms, blanket and all.
He was always so warm, and I couldn't help but snuggle into his arms; it had become a habit.
But people who are born with cold hands and feet will even dream of snow.
"Su Jinning, it's spring, but I'm so cold..."
This time you're the coward, you little liar.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Ning's birthday is tomorrow, but I'm still torturing myself.
Chapter 97 Late Summer
The two rows of tree-lined avenues along Sanli Road had already sprouted green buds, and under the bright sun, spring was in full bloom. Less than two weeks into March, the temperature in Shanghai had already reached around 25 degrees Celsius.
Perhaps last winter was just too cold, and God had a change of heart and wanted to make up for it, but it's a bit too much to have to put on short sleeves after only two weeks of taking off the cotton-padded coat.
On the first day of school for the first and second years of high school, we barely attended any classes. We wandered around and even did a group cleaning, just like going home after not seeing it for months.
But senior year students weren't so lucky. They had a mock exam on the first day of school, and anyone who didn't know better would think the college entrance exam was just two days away. The teachers were pushing the students to keep up.
Everyone says the courses are boring and tedious, but Su Jinning doesn't think so. Every day, besides doing practice questions and listening to lectures, she just stares out the window in a daze.
The view from the fourth floor is quite nice; at least you can see that familiar tree-lined path. The wind blows through the branches, making them sway gracefully, which is very pleasing to the eye.
The A and B classes have always been rotating, and with the numerous exams and high pressure since the beginning of senior year, many students go in and out of the A and B classes. They stay for two days, fail the exam, go back, and then come back after doing well. They all look like they've eaten shit.
Some students even complained that they were almost suffering from acclimatization problems.
Class A was relatively stable, but it caused quite a bit of trouble for the students, with their seats being moved around frequently.
Jin Shuoshuo had considered changing Su Jinning's seat so he could sit in the front. But Su Jinning absolutely refused, even bringing up a stupid excuse like he'd be so nervous about being too close to the teacher that he'd fart. Jin Shuoshuo could tell he didn't want to change, so he rolled his eyes and didn't mention it again.
Many people came and went in the two weeks, but Su Jinning seemed to have remained unchanged.
In the crowded Class A classroom, he was the only one occupying a double desk.
It looks quite impressive.
But I always feel lonely.
——
During this period, he has been very focused on his studies, making significant progress in all subjects and doing a large number of practice problems every day.
He used practice problems to mask his inner turmoil, trying to keep himself busy and preventing his mind from thinking about anything other than eating, sleeping, and doing problems.
In his spare time, he would curl up in a chair and listen to music, as if he couldn't let his senses relax completely for even a moment.
Chen Hang would always share funny videos or bizarre things from the school forum with him, but he usually wouldn't watch them.
The news of Shen Moyu dropping out of school has caused a sensation at the school, especially in the senior year, with posts about it appearing almost every day.
Su Jinning tried her best not to listen or look.
However, almost every time he comes to a public place, someone points at him and says something to the people around him.
People always remember him together with Shen Moyu. For many, the loss of one of them is like a chopstick losing its other half.
Although his friends kept quiet about it, he couldn't shut those people up.
Chen Hang always comforted him, telling him not to overthink things. He always stood up for Su Jinning in the face of rumors and tried to shut them up.
It's certainly not a good thing to have your scars discussed by others, but as long as he focuses on his studies and doesn't think about anything else, it's as if nothing happened.
But after thinking it over, this was the only way to escape.