As Chi Cheng and Shi Ling turned to leave, he turned back and mouthed this last sentence.
He believed that Song Licheng understood.
Only Song Licheng remained standing behind them, watching them walk away, still wanting to say something.
When he realized what Chi Cheng had said, he felt like he was nailed to the spot.
What right does he have to say these things now?
What I really didn't expect was that when Shi Ling looked at him again, after three years of relationship, all she felt was indifference, and she wouldn't even speak a word to him alone.
Those who say that couples can still be friends after breaking up are mostly deceiving themselves and burying their heads in the sand.
The two walked away without Chi Cheng saying a word.
However, in normal times, Chi Cheng usually does most of the talking; he says a few words, and she chimes in.
Or he's just teasing her casually.
However, he didn't say a word the whole way.
Shi Ling glanced at him, and Chi Cheng, noticing her indifference, still teased her, "Didn't you go when I asked you to? Were you planning to do something secretly?"
Shi Ling then tightened her grip on his hand, saying, "I don't want to go at all."
Chi Cheng could tell she wasn't faking it, but he was still somewhat speechless. When she was heartbroken, she looked like she was half-dead, on the verge of ascending to heaven. Now that she had truly let go, he took her hand in his and gently stroked it.
The two exchanged a few other casual words, and although they didn't quarrel over the matter, the atmosphere was not as pleasant as before.
Shi Ling had just remembered going abroad, and then asked Chi Cheng, "We'll get our results tomorrow, right? We took the exam in Hong Kong."
IELTS results are always released on Fridays, which is easy to remember.
Chi Cheng thought for a moment, "Is it 3 pm in Hong Kong?"
Shi Ling nodded, "Yes, that was the case last time."
The two had previously discussed how they did on the test, and it was clear that the crash course method used in the test preparation class was quite effective, as they got two listening passages and one reading passage right.
Chi Cheng has always been weak in these two areas because he's too lazy to practice.
So when Shi Ling asked him last time, he estimated that it would be a little better.
Shi Ling has always excelled in listening and reading, so her performance was just okay. Now we're just waiting for the results.
Chi Cheng raised an eyebrow at her. "What, are you in such a hurry to see me embarrass myself after the results come out?"
Shi Ling retorted, "How dare I?"
She still harbored resentment over his refusal to stay in Guangzhou, and seized the opportunity to add another point: "Young Master Chi is so confident that he doesn't need to study anymore, what can I say?"
The next afternoon, after waking up from their nap, the two started checking their grades.
The network is so slow it's driving me crazy.
Chi Cheng got annoyed after refreshing the page a few times.
He threw his phone aside and collapsed back onto the bed.
He pinched Shi Ling's waist and said, "Tell me when you're done."
A moment later, Shi Ling tossed the phone over, her tone icy, "Yours."
Chi Cheng thought he hadn't done well on the exam, so he answered his phone to check.
Surprisingly, it was quite good.
It was my first time scoring over 7 points, but the only downside was that my writing score was still 6, which didn't meet the required score.
He looked up at Shi Ling, whose face remained tense.
She met his gaze twice, and finally smiled, pursing her lips.
Chi Cheng's face hardened instead. "Are you trying to scare me on purpose?"
Shi Ling nodded.
Chi Cheng tossed the phone back to her. "What about you?"
Shi Ling said calmly, "It's just passed, no need to study the language."
Not having to study language means that all sub-scores are above 6.5 and the total score is above 7, so she did do quite well on the test.
She spoke of it so casually, and Chi Cheng knew that was just her personality.
He spread his hands, "As a reward."
Shi Ling was prepared for either passing or failing, but she was lucky to pass this time thanks to the test preparation materials. Her speaking score was an unexpected 6.5, which was quite exceptional.
She didn't show much joy and was about to ignore him.
Chi Cheng had already reached out and put his arm around her. They were already sitting on the bed, and whether it was intentional or just a habit, the two of them fell onto the soft bed together.
Chi Cheng hugged her tightly. "It's a reward for me."
Chi Cheng pulled her closer with force. The two lay face to face, forehead to forehead, nose to nose.
They were so close they could almost brush against each other's eyelashes, seeing their own reflections in each other's pupils. Their breaths were hot and intertwined. Chi Cheng asked her, "How will you reward me?"
Shi Ling knew he was up to no good, so she didn't answer him.
Chi Cheng remembered what the two of them had said last time, "Baby, didn't you promise me that if I passed the exam, you would stay up there one more time?"
Shi Ling felt increasingly uncomfortable as he stroked the delicate skin on her neck. "Next time," she said.
Chi Cheng didn't press the matter, and smiled, "And this time?"
Shi Ling ignored his mischievous grin, reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, decisively sealing his lips with a kiss.
She had only suckled a few times when Chi Cheng switched from defense to offense, taking the initiative and holding her even tighter.
**
Chi Cheng got the benefit, and in the afternoon he accompanied Shi Ling to the library to study.
He took a break and called the agency, who said they would apply for the shortest possible 4-week language course for him as soon as his transcript arrived.
Chi Cheng went outside the library to make a phone call, and after hanging up, he still checked his pockets.
When I felt the urge to smoke, I would lean against the wall outside the library and smoke.
There's probably no one as arrogant as him on the C University campus. If he smokes right in front of the library, he'll probably just walk away to take care of it.
Many people passing by glanced at Chi Cheng a few times.
One bold girl even came up to him and asked for his WeChat ID.
Chi Cheng didn't even glance at it. "No."
The girl stood next to him for a while, but seeing his indifference, she walked away awkwardly.
After finishing his cigarette, Chi Cheng returned to his seat to find Shi Ling.
Seeing that her seat was empty, he left her a note.
"I borrowed a book from the reading room and will be back soon."
Chi Cheng followed the signs and walked in. There were two reading rooms on this floor: one was a larger general library, and the other was for specialized books.
Given Shi Ling's recent intense focus on writing her thesis, it's clear she won't be reading anything else.
It was quieter inside than the study area outside. The afternoon sunlight cast long shadows on the rows of bookshelves, as if they were coated with a nostalgic hue. Coupled with the unique smell of old books and the one or two books with curled edges peeking out from the shelves, it was hard to tell whether people were passing the time or whether time had worn them down.
The bookshelves were much taller than a person, and after walking through a few rows, I even had the illusion that I didn't know which row of bookshelves led to which place.
Chi Cheng walked slowly past the rows.
He wasn't in a hurry; when he came across a bookshelf that interested him, he would stop and casually flip through a few pages.
When he saw Shi Ling, she was standing in front of the bookshelf against the light, reading a book.
Her hair was tied up low, and the sunlight made it look golden, making it appear even softer and more voluminous as it fell down her shoulders.
Because she was looking down, her beautifully curved neck was exposed.
Chi Cheng stood in front of the row of cabinets for a while, but Shi Ling was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice.
He smiled and picked up a book to read as well.
Shi Ling grabbed several relevant books in one go. Actually, she couldn't possibly read all of them, so she just picked the ones that were most relevant and aligned with the topic of her thesis.
She made her selections, then looked up, preparing to put the unwanted books back in their original places.
She was stunned as soon as she put the book on the bookshelf. The bookshelf opposite her, which was originally full of books, now had a small row of empty books.
There seems to be someone standing on the other side.
Just as Shi Ling noticed the familiar clothes, Chi Cheng bent down, lowered his head, and peered into the space opposite her row of books, where he had hollowed out the area.
"Hey classmate, let's get to know each other."
It seemed that his scholarly air softened his unruly nature.
Looking at his delicately handsome face, one might mistake him for someone from a campus idol drama.
Shi Ling was somewhat helpless. "How did you get in here?"
Chi Cheng smiled and handed her the note, "Why wouldn't I come when you invited me?"
It is considered impolite to speak loudly in a library; two people should speak softly through the air between each other across the bookshelves.
There was still a hint of tobacco in his breath, and Shi Ling knew he had gone out for a smoke.
Chi Cheng leaned on the bookshelf and beckoned to her with his finger.
Shi Ling was puzzled.
Chi Cheng said softly, "Come here."
She took several books from Shi Ling's bookshelf, leaving it quite empty. Knowing what he was going to do, she took the remaining books and awkwardly moved closer.
The books were all opened, leaving the middle empty except for their two tender faces facing each other.
I buried my head in the bookshelf; even though it was a bright and sunny afternoon, there was a strange sense of gloom.
Shi Ling glanced around and pecked him on the lips.
They parted after a single kiss.