——
The midterm results were out, and Su Jinning was still firmly in first place on the list. The second place was ten points behind him, which was quite an achievement. The girl in second place was so angry that she almost cried, saying that her second place was really embarrassing.
Many people surrounded the little girl to comfort her. At first, he didn't want to care at all; what did her poor exam results have to do with him?
But then more and more people started glancing at him, exchanging a quick look before turning away. Su Jinning was utterly confused; those looks clearly wanted him to go over and comfort her. Was it really his fault? Was this some kind of moral blackmail?
Su Jinning silently walked over, tossed a candy to him, and casually ran a hand through her hair. "Eating candy will make you feel better. Try harder next time."
It seems his handsome face worked wonders; the girl stopped crying instantly and her face turned bright red.
Su Jinning suddenly froze, then remained motionless for a long time, prompting even the girl to ask him, "What's wrong?"
Su Jinning shook her head blankly and walked out the door.
He peeled off the last piece of milk candy, put it in his mouth, and the sweet milk spread in his mouth. He closed his eyes, as if he was feeling the milk candy melt.
He crumpled up the candy wrapper and threw it into the trash can on his left. Then, he squatted down against the wall.
There's absolutely no basis for the idea that eating sugar makes you feel better, but he still believes it to this day.
Perhaps it was because the candy in someone's hand that year was just too sweet.
His grades did reach the level he desired, but he never tasted such sweet candy again.
The wind carried the scent of summer; it was warm on my face, gently ruffling my hair, and then swirling along the boy's silhouette into my heart.
Life without him is dull, hopeless, and without end. Even the candy in my mouth tastes unexpectedly bitter.
Love in youth is like a fireworks display in life—fleeting yet incredibly brilliant, leaving an unforgettable impression.
——
The atmosphere was tense during the midterm exams, and the school, for the first time ever, gave them an extra day off, saying they should get some rest. But the lie was quickly exposed.
The reason was that the toilet pipe was clogged, and since the repairman was not working on Sunday, he could only fix it on Monday.
Who cares? Being on vacation is better than anything else.
Su Jinning hadn't spent so many days at home in a long time. He usually spent his holidays at school. Su Yi was too busy with work to come home, and when he did, he had to cook for himself and rush back to school on Mondays. He couldn't help but admire his willpower in his first and second years of high school. He could actually get up at five in the morning and even play games all night.
He really can't do it now. He slept for two out of the three-day holiday, and his neck was numb and his body was sore, but he still wanted to sleep.
The pain of senior year of high school runs deep, without a doubt.
Although the room was large, it felt suffocating, as if an invisible hand was choking him. He teetered on the edge of oxygen deprivation every day, and perhaps with the slightest pressure from that hand, he could suffocate to death.
He might as well stay at school; at least he'd have someone to talk to.
He now enjoys living in groups and surviving in lively environments, not for any other reason than that he hates being alone.
Just as Su Jinning was feeling frustrated and depressed, Chen Hang's message came just in time, inviting him out for barbecue that evening.
In Shanghai, April feels almost like summer. I don't know when it started, but every barbecue restaurant has set up tables and chairs outside, and food stalls are popping up one after another. The streets that were quiet just a few days ago have suddenly become lively, filled with the rich aroma of barbecue.
Song Wenmiao and Chen Hang arrived early, and by the time Su Jinning arrived, the dishes had already been ordered. The three of them chatted casually, and He Qing and Chen Yuanyuan also arrived, looking travel-worn.
It's been a long time since we've all gotten together like this since we entered our senior year of high school. We've been too busy with our studies, and during holidays we've just stayed in our dorms studying. We're all getting so bored we're practically turning into mold.
Old friends always have something to talk about. Even though these people are together every day, they can still chat for a long time while sitting at the dinner table.
Chen Hang is always very emotional when he drinks. He has a bad temper when he's drunk and talks nonsense. He also loves to brag. Despite how much others dislike him, they have tolerated him for so many years.
Friendship is a magical thing.
“Yuanyuan said she’s going to the University of Tokyo... so I’m going too!” Chen Hang shouted loudly, leaning on Chen Yuanyuan’s shoulder, wishing the whole street could hear him.
Chen Yuanyuan's face was also red, whether from drinking too much or from Chen Hang's words, she didn't know. She pinched his face and said, "Come on, you still make careless mistakes in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. If you really can't do it, you should sell insurance!"
"Hey, you look down on me? Even if I fail the exam, I'll still go with you." Chen Hang hugged the other person tightly and wouldn't let go.
"What will you do if you don't get into university? Work as a cleaner at someone else's university?" Su Jinning scolded him with a smile.
The surrounding laughter improved Su Jinning's mood considerably.
He Qing suddenly asked him, "What about Brother Ning? Where are you planning to go in the future?"
Su Jinning blurted out: "Fudan University".
"Oh, I remember you said that when we had dinner together last semester, you told the top student that with your grades you'd definitely get a guaranteed admission to university!"
At this point, Su Jinning suddenly choked up.
He Qing wanted to have a normal conversation, but to his surprise, no one at the table dared to speak after he finished talking. Even Chen Hang, who had been drunk and talking nonsense, suddenly sat up straight and stared at Su Jinning.
Song Wenmiao quickly nudged He Qing's arm and coughed awkwardly twice.
The atmosphere always collapses in an instant. Su Jinning stared at the beer with a layer of bubbles still floating in the glass, picked it up and drank it all in one gulp, and laughed twice: "Of course, with this score, I'd be lucky if I could walk sideways."
Sparse laughter broke the silence, like a transition.
The group chatted for a while, but Song Wenmiao kept typing, ignoring several attempts to speak to him. Su Jinning, not wanting to pry into his privacy, jokingly reminded him, "What are you doing? Are you in a relationship or something? Typing like that all the time?"
Song Wenmiao snapped to attention and put away his phone, the worry between his brows slowly easing: "Ah, what are you saying? It's just a friend."
Su Jinning was dizzy from drinking and didn't ask any more questions. Throughout the meal, Song Wenmiao only looked down at his phone and glanced at him occasionally, seemingly absent-minded and rarely speaking.
Su Jinning had sensed something was wrong a long time ago, and finally asked Song Wenmiao after the dinner.
"What are you talking about? When did you become so gullible!" Song Wenmiao chuckled, put his arm around Su Jinning's shoulder, and touched his nose, saying, "A friend just wanted to chat with me, nothing serious."
Su Jinning narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing it at all. He was always good at observing micro-expressions, and he could see through many people's lies in front of him at a glance.
But he didn't want to ask any more questions, so he just patted Song Wenmiao on the shoulder and said, "Tell me if anything's wrong. Okay, go home."
Just as the two were about to turn and leave, Chen Yuanyuan's sharp voice came from afar: "You're lying to me! If you want to break up, just say so!"