"Cough cough..." Xiao Qiqi couldn't catch her breath, coughing violently. She lowered her head, clutching her chest, and grabbed the concrete railing by the roadside. "You... what did you say?" Xu Chun patted Xiao Qiqi's blanket, her face glowing faintly in the golden light of the setting sun. "I've been with Xia Xuan these past few days. He even carried me back home at noon. Qiqi, I think we're in love."
After catching her breath for a while, Xiao Qiqi forced a smile and said, "Really? Congratulations!"
"I knew Qiqi was the best! Aren't you happy for us?" Xu Chun reached out and hugged Xiao Qiqi's arm tightly, speaking sweetly and coquettishly, her smile as sweet as a red rose dripping with dew at a roadside flower shop.
Xiao Qiqi pushed her away and pulled her hand away, "Stop hugging me, it's so hot."
Xu Chun asked casually, "By the way, Qiqi, what did you say you were going to tell me?" Xiao Qiqi clenched her fists and shook her head, "Maybe nothing, I've forgotten what I was going to say." Xu Chun then playfully pinched Xiao Qiqi's nose and laughed, "Oh dear, you're always so absent-minded."
"Xu Chun, let's go back. My stomach feels uncomfortable; it's probably because I caught a chill while coughing." The streets were still bustling with people, but Xiao Qiqi felt as if her legs were made of lead and she couldn't move an inch. Xu Chun, still reluctant to leave, finally looked at Xiao Qiqi's pale face and listlessly pulled her back to school.
22. Suspicion (Part 3)
Xia Xuan texted Xiao Qiqi all afternoon but received no reply. She tried calling, but her phone was off. She called the dorm, but Xu Chun answered. Xia Xuan didn't say anything and hung up. Thinking about today's events, could it be that Xiao Qiqi misunderstood something between her and Xu Chun? It couldn't be such a coincidence; did she see something? Even if she did, she should have confidence in herself; she couldn't be so petty, could she? Or was it something else? Xu Chun said Qiqi went on a date today, but Xia Xuan hadn't seen her at all.
After daydreaming in his dorm for a while, Xia Xuan grabbed a basketball, changed into his jersey, and decided to go play basketball on the playground.
After Xiao Qiqi returned with Xu Chun, she used the excuse of going back to the library to get some books to break up with Xu Chun. She wandered alone on campus, feeling utterly miserable, unsure how to cope. Her phone was full of text messages from Xia Xuan, but she didn't want to read them, so she finally turned it off. Before she knew it, she was on the playground, standing under the still-old, gnarled locust tree. Suddenly, she remembered the first day of school. She sat in the tree, watching the sunset through the shadows, while Xia Xuan stood beneath it, his long, slender shadow stretched long by the setting sun. The golden light ignited a faint smile on his face, gentle and refreshing like spring water and dew. The memory was so clear; it had never been forgotten, perhaps it had been buried deep in her heart long ago.
"Ah!" Xiao Qiqi felt a sharp pain on her forehead. A violent impact made her cover her face and squat down.
Someone ran up beside him, asking, "Hey, are you alright?"
Xiao Qiqi was already in a bad mood. She stood up abruptly and glared angrily at the boy in front of her with one eye. "You want me to smash it like this so I can see if it's okay?"
Seeing that Xiao Qiqi could shout angrily, Chen Yuanxing breathed a sigh of relief and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Are you really alright? Why don't you go to the medical room to get checked out?"
"Look at your head!" Xiao Qiqi angrily rubbed her forehead, which was definitely swollen. "Don't you know the infirmary is closed? Idiot." Saying this, she resigned herself to her bad luck and turned to leave.
Chen Yuanxing, carrying the ball, followed after her. "Oh dear, are you really alright? We really didn't mean to." Xiao Qiqi suddenly felt that this tall, tanned boy looked extremely familiar. She turned around and took a closer look, her anger flaring even more. She beckoned to him. Chen Yuanxing, confused, took a few steps forward. Xiao Qiqi pointed at the ball in his hand and said, "Put the ball down." Chen Yuanxing looked at the girl in front of him with short hair and delicate features, her forehead swollen high. He felt even more guilty and quickly obediently put down the ball, asking, "What happened?"
Xiao Qiqi hooked the ball with her foot and pointed at Chen Yuanxing's foot, "Just stand there and don't move." When Chen Yuanxing saw Xiao Qiqi making a kicking motion, he quickly covered his head, "Sister, you don't expect me to just stand there and wait for you to kick it, do you?"
Xiao Qiqi raised her head, "Aren't you stupid? You kick me once, I kick you once, we're even!"
Chen Yuanxing covered his head and retreated further and further. Xiao Qiqi shouted, "Don't dodge! How can I kick you if you dodge?"
Chen Yuanxing quickened his pace, thinking, "Would I be stupid not to run?" He turned and strode off. But then he heard a gasp behind him and couldn't help turning back. There was the girl who had fallen and landed on the ground, looking quite disheveled with the ball. Chen Yuanxing watched her tentatively for a moment, and seeing that Xiao Qiqi showed no intention of getting up, he went back and nudged her, "Hey, little sister, you're not protesting my escape by falling down, are you?"
Xiao Qiqi, unlucky enough to fall face-first onto the soccer ball, couldn't hold back her tears. She hadn't even kicked the ball; instead, she'd tripped over a rock. It seemed like every little thing she did was go wrong. She'd finally found someone she liked, but he was involved with another girl, and then, while walking on the playground, someone kicked her in the head. Trying to get revenge, she kicked his foot instead, falling flat on her face. Thinking about all this, tears streamed down her face like a waterfall. She didn't move, just hugged the soccer ball and sobbed uncontrollably.
Chen Yuanxing was initially curiously watching Xiao Qiqi, but then he turned around and saw her lying on the ground clutching a soccer ball. A few seconds later, he saw Xiao Qiqi's shoulders shaking uncontrollably, followed by a heart-wrenching cry. Startled, he plopped down on the ground, thinking, "Oh no, I've kicked a crybaby."
The students playing soccer on the playground were already urging her on, "Young Master Chen, where's the ball? What are you dawdling about? You haven't fallen for that pretty girl, have you?" "No way, why did you make her cry?" "Young Master, is it an ex-lover? Why are you clinging to your ball?" Various playful voices came from the middle of the playground. Xiao Qiqi listened to their nonsense and cried even louder.
Chen Yuanxing ignored the laughter and jeers from his classmates on the playground. Seeing that Xiao Qiqi's crying wasn't a solution—her snot and tears dripping onto the red and white track, quickly creating a mess—he yelled, "Hey, get up! Stop crying! People will think I did something to you!" As darkness fell, the students—K University students playing soccer there—abandoned the ball and walked past, making all sorts of faces. Other students watched from afar, pointing and whispering. Chen Yuanxing rubbed his hands; this was truly the first time he'd encountered such a situation. "Hey, if you don't get up, I'm going to pick you up!"
At this moment, Xiao Qiqi felt heartbroken, angry, and wronged. Thinking about it made her homesick, and she cried so bitterly that she wouldn't listen to Chen Yuanxing at all. Seeing that Xiao Qiqi didn't move or pay attention, still howling like a wolf, Chen Yuanxing gritted his teeth, picked her up, and put her down on the ground. Xiao Qiqi's eyes were already red from crying, and she was covered in tears and snot. Seeing Chen Yuanxing's large basketball jersey sleeve swaying in front of her, she tugged at it to wipe her nose.
"Hey, you woman, you're disgusting! What are you wiping on me like that?" Chen Yuanxing jumped up and yelled when he saw Xiao Qiqi wiping her snot and tears all over her sleeve. Xiao Qiqi grabbed his shorts and started pulling. The basketball shorts were elasticated, so they couldn't withstand such a tug. Seeing that half of Chen Yuanxing's buttocks were almost exposed, Chen Yuanxing had no choice but to squat down angrily and pull on his shorts. Xiao Qiqi continued to wipe her tears and tug at Chen Yuanxing's sleeve, while her other hand held onto his trouser leg. Chen Yuanxing could only glare at her helplessly. "Hey, you wicked woman, are you doing this on purpose? I just accidentally hit you, is it worth crying like this?"
"I...I, I just cried..." Xiao Qiqi was exhausted from crying, and her sobs gradually subsided. She choked back tears as she retorted, "...Who told...who told you to hit...hit me...?"
Chen Yuanxing covered his eyes, not daring to look at his brand-name jersey. "It was just the ball that accidentally hit me. I didn't do it on purpose."
"You, you did this on purpose." Xiao Qiqi's words finally flowed a little more smoothly. "Bastard, scoundrel, you son of a bitch, a rotten egg, a rotten duck egg, a dead egg, a turtle egg..."
Chen Yuanxing stared wide-eyed at Xiao Qiqi, "My God, this is really something, what kind of swear word is that?"
"A word specifically used to curse you, you stinky bastard!" Xiao Qiqi gasped, changing the other corner of Chen Yuanxing's jersey and wiping the snot and tears from her face. "You hit me, I'll tell the teacher."
"Haha..." Chen Yuanxing finally couldn't help but laugh, "Little sister, are you in third grade? Go tell the teacher!"
"I'm only in third grade, what's it to you?"
Chen Yuanxing looked at his badly damaged jersey with disgust. "Tsk tsk, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. You've cried your eyes out and wiped yourself clean. Now it's time to put my pants down, isn't it?"
"Hmph!" Xiao Qiqi slowly loosened her grip on Chen Yuanxing's pants, but her other hand was still clutching a clean corner of his jersey. She sniffled, "I'm tired of crying, I can't walk anymore."
"What does that have to do with me?" Chen Yuanxing trembled, a bad feeling creeping over him.
"You hit me, and now I'm completely exhausted. Shouldn't you carry me back?" Xiao Qiqi replied confidently, but in her heart she was filled with resentment. "Hmph, you carry beautiful women outside, and I'll find a handsome guy to carry me. We'll even out."
People say that lovers are all idiots, and it's true. Xiao Qiqi is a senior in college, not young anymore, and shouldn't have such a childish, vengeful mentality. But what can you do when you're young and in love? Love can make us lose our rationality.
"Oh my god, are you kidding me? Why should I carry you?" Chen Yuanxing broke free from Xiao Qiqi's hand, stood up, and complained.
"You hit my face, look how swollen it is, and you even made me fall. It's embarrassing and heartbreaking, and I've been crying for so long. You should take responsibility for everything!" Xiao Qiqi viciously tugged at Chen Yuanxing's shorts again. "Believe it or not, if you dare to run away, I'll rip them off!"
Chen Yuanxing scrutinized Xiao Qiqi's eyes, which were filled with blatant threat and calculation. Then he glanced at the people still gathered on the playground. Clearly, this girl wasn't some innocent freshman or sophomore. She was more likely to keep her word. Frustrated, he tugged at his pants and asked, "Are you even a girl?"
Xiao Qiqi raised his chin. "Squat down!"
Chen Yuanxing and Xiao Qiqi locked eyes for a moment, then Chen Yuanxing lowered his head, defeated, squatted down, and gritted his teeth, "I'm scared of you! By the way, what's your name? Which college are you from?"
Xiao Qiqi huffed and puffed as she climbed onto Chen Yuanxing's back, pinching his neck. "Stop talking nonsense. Asking so many questions because you want revenge? Ugh, you stink."
"I just played soccer, okay, sister?" Chen Yuanxing said, head down, walking quickly across the playground, ignoring the strange looks from all around. "If you think I smell bad, then walk by yourself."
Xiao Qiqi had spent the afternoon shopping and then had a good cry. To be honest, she didn't have the strength to walk at all. She just buried her head in his back and ignored him. Chen Yuanxing asked Xiao Qiqi where she lived several times before she finally said, "Building 8."
Chen Yuanxing stamped his foot, "Sister, you're not going to tell me you're graduating, are you?"
Xiao Qiqi hummed in agreement, her eyes gradually becoming misty.
"My God, Senior Sister, I'm impressed. You're so old, why are you still so childish? Letting a strange guy carry you back, how could you even think of that?"
This time, Xiao Qiqi didn't even whimper and simply fell into a deep sleep. Chen Yuanxing cursed his bad luck and considered throwing Xiao Qiqi onto the road several times, but then he thought of her heartbroken little face from crying earlier and couldn't bear to do it. Perhaps this senior sister had really encountered something sad?
Xia Xuan stood under the magnolia tree outside the playground, holding a basketball, watching Chen Yuanxing's figure carrying Xiao Qiqi until they disappeared. His body was frozen like a rock, and he didn't move for a long, long time. It wasn't until a familiar classmate came over and invited him to play basketball that he was startled out of his daze.
So that's how it is! Xia Xuan felt her heart tighten, with nowhere to vent. She could only desperately pat, run, fight, leap, and shoot, releasing all her doubts, anger, suspicion, and sadness into the exercise.
23. Suspicion (Part 4)
Chen Yuanxing woke Xiao Qiqi up downstairs. Xiao Qiqi woke up groggily and found herself leaning against the railing of the bicycle shed under the dormitory. Without even looking at Chen Yuanxing, she turned around and went upstairs.
"Hey, senior, you still haven't told me your name!" Chen Yuanxing's heavy breathing came from behind. "How rude of you! I carried you across most of the campus, and you didn't even say thank you."
Xiao Qiqi turned around and reluctantly said, "First, you're from K University, and I'm from A University. I'm not your senior, so stop trying to pull strings. Second, you hit me first, so it's only right that you carried me back. Why should I thank you? Third, my name is Xiao Qiqi, and I live in 402. If you feel wronged, feel free to come to me for revenge." After saying that, she strode back to the building, ignoring Chen Yuanxing's murderous glare behind her.
No one was in the dorm. Huang Yu returned just after washing her face, looking travel-worn. But as soon as she saw Xiao Qiqi's swollen face, she quickly put down what she was holding. "Oh dear, Qiqi, what happened to you?"
Xiao Qiqi's eyes were swollen shut, her forehead was burning with pain, and a large bump had formed on it. She grimaced and said, "Huang Yu, look at me, am I disfigured? I was kicked by a clumsy guy's ball just now."
Huang Yu carefully examined Xiao Qiqi's face, then kicked her with a hot towel to apply it. "Qiqi, something's not right. Your eyes look like you've been crying, not like you've been kicked."
Xiao Qiqi grumbled, "It hurt so much, of course I cried."
"Oh." Huang Yu wasn't one to overthink things, so she didn't ask many questions. "Hey, where's Xu Chun? Did she go on another date with Xia Xuan?"
Upon hearing Xia Xuan mention a date, Xiao Qiqi felt a sharp pain in her heart and said sullenly, "I don't know. Huang Yu, I'm going to Huangshan tomorrow."
"Going to Huangshan? Who are you going with?" Huang Yu changed the water on the towel. "With your face like this, what's the point of going to Huangshan!"
"Can't I go alone?" Xiao Qiqi retorted sharply. She had originally planned to go with Xia Xuan, but now it seemed like a good place for her to relax by herself.
"Why are you so irritable today?" Huang Yu asked, unscrewing the water bottle in confusion. "It's out of water. I'll go get some more and continue applying it when I get back. Getting kicked is just bad luck, don't get too upset." With that, she took the two empty bottles and went downstairs. Xiao Qiqi sat in her chair, thinking about Xia Xuan and Xu Chun, wishing she could have another big argument with someone. But it was all pointless, so she didn't wait for Huang Yu to get more water. She climbed into bed, hugged her lazy bear, and punched it a few times before drifting off to sleep.
When Huang Yu returned from fetching water, she saw Xia Xuan walking towards the dormitory, his jersey soaked with sweat. She quickly caught up and called out, "Xia Xuan." Xia Xuan stopped when he saw Huang Yu and naturally reached out to take the water from her, saying, "Let me help you carry it."
Seeing his sullen expression, Huang Yu only gave him a bottle. "Xia Xuan, have you seen Xu Chun?" Xia Xuan was annoyed at the moment and just shook his head lightly.
Even though Huang Yu wasn't good at reading people, he could tell that Huang Yu was unhappy. He said strangely, "It's really strange today. Everyone looks angry." Xia Xuan wanted to ask about Xiao Qiqi, so he asked, "Who's angry?"
"Qiqi, when I got there, I saw her eyes were red and swollen, and there was a big bruise on her forehead. Apparently, she got hit by a ball on the court. I'm getting some water to put on her face." Xia Xuan was anxious when she heard this. "What...what happened to her? Is it serious? Why didn't you take her to the hospital?"
Huang Yu looked at Xia Xuan with even more curiosity. "Xia Xuan, you've changed. Why are you so impatient?" Xia Xuan was always calm and composed. Xia Xuan smiled wryly. Just now, as soon as he went to the playground, he saw Xiao Qiqi climbing onto the back of a tall boy, burying her head tightly in his neck, looking extremely intimate. He was incredibly agitated at that moment. Now, hearing that Xiao Qiqi was injured, how could he remain calm? Seeing Huang Yu still looking at him strangely, Xia Xuan smiled and said, "We're here. We often get injured playing soccer. I have some medicine to reduce bruising and swelling. I'll get it for you in a bit." After saying that, he put the water bottle on the ground and quickly walked towards his dormitory.
Huang Yu shook her head, "What's wrong?" Unable to figure it out, she could only shake her head and go upstairs. When she entered the dormitory, she saw that Xiao Qiqi was already fast asleep on the bed. She called her for a long time but received no response. Helpless, Huang Yu applied a hot towel to her forehead. Just as she climbed off Xiao Qiqi's bed, Xia Xuan's call came. Huang Yu ran downstairs again.
Upon seeing Huang Yu, Xia Xuan immediately asked, "How is she? You said her eyes were swollen, did she cry? Here's some medicine, help her apply it. She's so lazy, if you don't keep an eye on her, she might just fall asleep." Huang Yu took the medicine and noticed Xia Xuan was still wearing her wet jersey, clearly having come downstairs without changing. "She's already fast asleep. Xia Xuan, when did you become so knowledgeable about Xiao Qiqi and so concerned about her? You even guessed whether she cried or not so accurately." Xia Xuan smiled faintly, not answering Huang Yu's question, and turned to leave. But Huang Yu called out to her, "Xia Xuan, tell me the truth, what happened between you and Qiqi? I'll give you some big news."
Xia Xuan, still worried that Xiao Qiqi's phone was still off, said, "If you want to know something, just ask Qiqi later." His eyes were slightly smiling as he looked at Huang Yu. Huang Yu felt embarrassed by his dark gaze and turned away guiltily, saying, "Xiao Qiqi said she's going to Huangshan alone tomorrow. It seems like it's true. That girl, she disappears all the time."
"Thank you, Huang Yu." Xia Xuan thought for a moment, then added, "If she buys tickets tomorrow, please tell me, okay?" Huang Yu looked at the gentle yet unyielding man before her and nodded. "Huang Yu, you're so adorable! No wonder Qi Qi always says so much about you." Xia Xuan flashed his white teeth, his handsome face even more charming. Huang Yu secretly swallowed, realizing it was a stunt. By the time she realized it, Xia Xuan had vanished. Huang Yu stamped her foot. What was going on? Wasn't Xia Xuan always close to Xu Chun? When did Xiao Qi Qi appear? Should she tell Xu Chun about this? Huang Yu wasn't the same enthusiastic older sister she'd been for three years; she still kept her guard up.
Xiao Qiqi slept soundly, and when she woke up it was already noon. Looking in the mirror, she saw her forehead covered in purplish-red medicine, which seemed to have reduced the swelling a bit, but her eyes were still terribly red and swollen; it seemed she had indeed cried a lot yesterday. Xiao Qiqi washed her face, came out of the bathroom, and asked Huang Yu curiously, "Hey, why didn't you go out?"
The yellow fish didn't even blink, focused on playing the game, "Waiting for you to wake up."
"Why are you waiting for me to wake up?" Xiao Qiqi wiped the medicine on her head with a towel. "Huang Yu, thank you. You applied the medicine for me, right?"
"No need to thank me, thank Xia Xuan instead." Huang Yu said sullenly. Xiao Qiqi could hear her voice now, and turned to look at Huang Yu. "Big sister, who upset you?"
Huang Yu closed the game, turned around and looked at Xiao Qiqi seriously, "Qiqi, there's something I don't know if I should ask."
Seeing Huang Yu's piercing gaze, Xiao Qiqi lowered her eyes and stammered, "What...do you want to ask?"
“Xu Chun came back last night and said she’s dating Xia Xuan.” Huang Yu was still staring intently at Xiao Qiqi. Xiao Qiqi’s hand trembled, and she almost dropped the towel. She felt sad and her face grew even paler. She turned and sat down on her stool. “Yeah, she… told me the same thing yesterday.”
"Really?" Huang Yu's voice, ethereal and distant, lingered in Xiao Qiqi's ears, causing her a sharp, unbearable discomfort.
"I don't know." Xiao Qiqi stood up angrily, stormed into the bathroom, closed the door, and covered her face with a towel. Really? How could she know? Xia Xuan, Xu Chun, Xiao Qiqi—what kind of distance was this?
Xiao Qiqi finally washed her face and came out, only to find Huang Yu still staring blankly at her. She forced a smile and said, "I'm going to Huangshan this afternoon. Don't tell anyone, okay? Not even Xu Chun or Lin Wen."
Why did you go to Huangshan at this time? Are you trying to escape something?
"Huang Yu, stop asking, okay? Stop acting like a savior, okay? Just mind your own business." Xiao Qiqi frowned, applied eyeshadow (her eyes looked terrible), and then applied foundation to her bruised forehead.
"Smack!" A bottle of medicine was slammed onto Xiao Qiqi's table by Huang Yu. "Xia Xuan gave this to you. I'm not going to meddle in your business anymore, Qiqi. I'll just say one thing: we've been sisters for four years, so let's not create any conflicts before graduation. It'll only make things difficult for everyone."
"Yellow Fish, what do you mean? Do I think I did something wrong?" Xiao Qiqi herself felt that her voice was too cold, but she couldn't muster any enthusiasm at all.
Huang Yu sighed, "I knew it was impossible to be a good person! You and Xu Chun are both fools, so don't do things that hurt your own people for someone you don't know. Also, I didn't tell Xu Chun about Xia Xuan sending you medicine, so don't worry."
Xiao Qiqi clenched her fist and then released it. With a flick of her wrist, the bottle of medicine fell to the ground with a loud "thud," splattering the purplish-red liquid everywhere. She clenched her fist again and released it, then turned around and grabbed two pieces of clothing from the closet, stuffing them into her backpack. She put on her shoes and said, "I'm leaving." Without giving Huang Yu, who was still frowning, another glance, she opened the dormitory door and strode away.
Huang Yu stared blankly at the dormitory door shaking violently from the force of the slamming. She glanced down at the spilled medicine on the floor, shook her head, and smiled bitterly. "What did I say wrong? It was just a pointless reminder." Her eyes flickered to the phone, recalling Xia Xuan's instructions from yesterday. Xiao Qiqi could be ruthlessly calm at times, stubbornly navigating alleyways at others, and endearingly childish at others. Huang Yu ran to the balcony, watching Xiao Qiqi's slightly swollen eyes squinting as she trudged heavily on the ground, each step seemingly trying to break through it. Still worried, she went back inside and dialed Xia Xuan's number.
Xiao Qiqi felt as if she were standing on a precipice at the top of a mountain, with the urge to jump off at any moment. She couldn't shout or complain, couldn't tell Huang Yu that "Xia Xuan is my boyfriend," couldn't defend herself against Xu Chun for fighting over a man, and dared not confront Xia Xuan to ask him if it was true or false. So she could only keep her anger, frustration, and sadness to herself, just like the beautiful scenery of the secluded valley she had encountered by chance, leaving the beauty and loneliness to her to savor.
Xia Xuan rushed out of the dormitory and saw Xiao Qiqi's short hair bouncing in the sunlight from afar, like a dancing elf, her back straight and her steps heavy. Looking at her back, Xia Xuan couldn't help but smile. Why was she angry with her?
Xiao Qiqi was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and completely oblivious to Xia Xuan, who had been following her all along. Even when Xia Xuan shielded her from the crowd on the bus, she remained oblivious. Her mind was filled with wild thoughts, and she kept talking to herself. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, her only goal: to travel to Huangshan alone and never see that couple again! Xia Xuan, Xu Chun—to hell with them! Buying tickets, entering the station, having her ticket checked, boarding the train—she went through each step like walking a runway, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
He slammed his bag on the small table on the train, glared hatefully out the window, and muttered, "Damn it, you can all just die."
"It's not you, it's us." Someone said softly from the other side, a gentle drowning, a light drifting cloud.