"Shuqing, why are you hanging out with Xia Jin?"
"What's wrong?"
"It's amazing how you guys all get along so well. And don't you think you're closer to Xia Jin than to me?"
Will it?
"Yes, you used to come and play with me all the time, but now you go to Xia Jin all the time, even to do your homework. It feels like you've been neglecting me ever since you met Xia Jin."
Speaking of homework, Chai Shuqing thought of being stood up by Xia Jin. She and Yao Yunqi had always been such good friends, and she was willing to neglect her best friend since childhood to agree to go out with Xia Jin. In the end, Xia Jin made her wait for so long. Even if Xia Jin might have had something come up and there was a reason, Chai Shuqing couldn't put her mind at ease and not care until she heard an explanation from her.
Because of some personal feelings, Chai Shuqing spoke in favor of Yao Yunqi that day: "You are different from Xia Jin. We have been playing together since elementary school. You hold a very important place in my heart. I did not neglect you on purpose."
In the throes of budding romance, Chai Shuqing's feelings for Xia Jin were no less intense than her childhood friendship with Yao Yunqi. But Chai Shuqing could vaguely sense that these two feelings were different in her heart.
However, Xia Jin didn't see it that way.
no the same.
So Yao Yunqi is more important than her? Xia Jin was still sullen after arriving at the classroom.
During break, Chai Shuqing came over to ask her about standing someone up. Xia Jin was depressed, her mind filled with the thought that she wasn't as important to Chai Shuqing as Yao Yunqi. She became so withdrawn that she didn't want to talk or explain.
Adolescent emotions are intense, so intense that they are uncontrollable. Reason tells her she should explain things to Chai Shuqing. But ultimately, emotion triumphs over reason, and Xia Jin, in a bad mood, ignores Chai Shuqing for the entire day.
Chai Shuqing felt wronged; she was the one who got stood up, and the other person was still angry with her. This made her even more upset, to the point that she ignored Xia Jin's several attempts to reconcile.
I had a cold war with Xia Jin until the end of the high school entrance exam.
After the high school entrance exam, Chai Shuqing and Yao Yunqi made a pact to attend the same high school. Xia Jin overheard this and got angry with her again.
Chai Shuqing didn't understand and asked her what she was angry about. Xia Jin didn't speak properly and said sarcastically, "I'm angry at myself, okay?"
In fact, if Chai Shuqing had calmed down and analyzed the sentence, she would have understood that Xia Jin felt a deep sense of loss because her middle school entrance exam scores were much lower than Xia Jin's, and she couldn't go to the same high school as her, while others could go to the same high school as her. She hated herself for not being able to achieve the same level of academic performance as Xia Jin.
However, teenagers are prone to acting on their emotions. They are not mature enough, and when they encounter problems, they don't think about solving them, but instead argue.
At that moment, all Chai Shuqing could think about was, "I didn't do anything wrong. You're angry with me for no reason, so I'll be angry with you too. Don't expect me to talk to you on my own initiative."
The conversation was very unpleasant. Xia Jin spoke with barbs and sarcasm, saying the most hurtful things to the person she cared about most in her impulsive age.
In a fit of anger, Chai Shuqing deleted Xia Jin's contact information. When Xia Jin discovered that she had been deleted, she deleted Chai Shuqing's contact information in return.
And so, the two lost contact.
Like intersecting lines, they meet at a certain point and then go in different directions, never to intersect again.
Junior high and high school are like a watershed moment; once you cross that watershed, you grow up a lot all at once.
When Chai Shuqing entered the new campus in her first year of high school, she regretted deleting Xia Jin. At certain moments, she would think of that familiar face, but could only sigh silently in her heart, sacrificing it to the regret of her youth.
Yao Yunqi would secretly tell her about the boy she had a crush on and share her secrets with her. Chai Shuqing knew she liked girls, but she never doubted the purity of this friendship.
One day, her sister reminded her that the homeroom teacher suspected that she and Yao Yunqi were dating. She thought it was outrageous, and then she thought of Xia Jin. She thought of Xia Jin, who had repeatedly caused trouble for Yao Yunqi because of her kindness. Suddenly, she understood everything.
My student days.
Everyone interacts as friends, and the line between friendship and love is even more blurred among people of the same sex.
Xia Jin stood in the middle of that blurred boundary.
I don't want to pursue friendship, and the path to love is completely uncertain.
So even the reason for being angry is so vague that it cannot be explained in words.
.
Chai Shuqing snapped out of her thoughts.
The university campus at night is filled with the vibrant energy of youth mixed with the lingering heat of the day.
Small groups of people passed by them.
Xia Jin was able to walk easily when she first carried her on her back, but after walking for a while, she got a little tired.
A few strands of hair clung to her snow-white neck, which Chai Shuqing gently parted with her fingertips.
Compared to her previous outspokenness, Xia Jin has indeed become much more restrained and composed. She thought that Xia Jin must have studied very hard in high school, considering she used to be someone who disliked studying so much.
Is it because of her?
She gently patted Xia Jin's shoulder: "It's okay, I can get down and walk by myself."
"Didn't you say you wanted me to carry you to the dorm?"
How could anyone be so cruel as to insist on carrying her to the dormitory?
Chai Shuqing struggled to her feet, but lost her balance and staggered back a few steps. Xia Jin reached out and grabbed her.
"I'll take pity on you and not let you carry me to the dormitory." Chai Shuqing raised her hand and tidied her hair.
Xia Jin was not grateful at all: "You owe me half a favor again."
Chai Shuqing: "?"
"If I had carried you back to your dorm, you would have owed me a favor. But since I only carried you halfway, I'll only accept half a favor from you. That's reasonable, isn't it?"
What a load of rubbish!
Chai Shuqing had just emerged from the regretful memories of her youth and originally wanted to speak to Xia Jin gently.
Now it seems like I should just forget about it.
She was lucky she wasn't driven to death by this person.
Chai Shuqing: "You carried it voluntarily!"
Xia Jin: "Wasn't it you who threatened me?"
"How did I threaten you? You can choose not to carry me."
"And then what? You just rode back on that senior's electric scooter? Doesn't that count as threatening me?"
Chai Shuqing pursed her lips and remained silent.
We remained silent all the way to the dormitory building.
Before Chai Shuqing could return the hat to her, she left.
Chai Shuqing looked away, as if she had just caught a glimpse of something, paused, and then looked back again.
That's strange, why is Xia Jin heading towards dormitory building C8?
Back in her dorm, Chai Shuqing messaged Yao Yunqi: "Are there any upperclassmen living in your dorm building?"
Yao Yunqi: [I don't know, let me ask for you.]
A few minutes later: [Yes, some second- and third-year female students do live on the top floors.]
Okay, she's overthinking it.
Turn off the phone.
Of the other three people in the dorm, Si Tang was on the phone, Jiang You was listening to music with headphones on, and Xiao Feifei was playing on her phone with her head down.
Chai Shuqing rummaged through the wardrobe for clothes, took a shower, and then climbed into bed.
Reporting for the day was quite tiring.
Chai Shuqing planned to scroll through her phone for a while and then go to sleep.
Perhaps because she had walked too much on campus that evening, the food she ate for dinner was quickly digested, and at this moment, her stomach was growling with hunger.
The dormitory building was a bit far from the commercial street. Chai Shuqing lay in bed, not wanting to go out. She tossed and turned, but in the end, laziness won out over her hunger.
Eating late-night snacks can easily lead to weight gain.
Chai Shuqing comforted herself in this way.
I gave up the idea of going out to buy it myself.
Xia Jin texted her: 【I left my hat with you.】
Chai Shuqing held her phone and read the sentence several times, pondering its meaning.
Immediately after, Xia Jin sent another message: "Remember to dry it after washing before returning it to me."
Chai Shuqing suddenly sat up in bed.
Hearing her noise, Si Tang, who was in the bed opposite hers, covered his phone and asked, "What's wrong? Are you going to sleep? Did my call disturb you?"
"No, no, you can keep making the call. I'm not going to sleep that soon."
Si Tang then continued talking to the person on the phone.
Chai Shuqing let out a breath.
I glanced at the time; it was only a little past nine.
I was so angry at Xia Jin.
To thank the other person for their "feeding," Chai Shuqing sent them a bunch of "punching and kicking" emojis: 【Why should I!! Wash your hat!!】
She only wore it for a short while.
Do you think I made your hat dirty?
Xia Jin: [Of course it wasn't you. It's just that I've been wearing that hat for quite a while, and I was going to take it to the dorm to wash tonight, but you ended up wearing it.]
Chai Shuqing: [Come out here. I can give your hat back to you right now. You can take it back and wash it yourself.]
Xia Jin: [My back aches and I can't get out of bed.]
Chai Shuqing: [Yeah, right! You can take it back and wash it yourself; I'm not washing it for you!]
Xia Jin: [Please take care of the disabled person, thank you.]
Chai Shuqing: "..."
Chai Shuqing turned off the screen, too lazy to pay attention to her.
Si Tang: "Hey, do you want to take your military training uniforms to be washed? They can dry overnight."
Jiang You was aloof and didn't like to talk. Xiao Feifei was introverted and opened her mouth, wanting to answer but not knowing what to say, so she hurriedly said "Ah". Only Chai Shuqing gave her a complete answer: "The fabric of the military training uniform is so itchy. I was planning to wear a short-sleeved shirt underneath the uniform."
Si Tang walked to her bedside, rested his fingers on the bed railing, and chatted with her: "Won't you be hot dressed like this? And the military training uniform is long-sleeved and long-legged."
Chai Shuqing thought about it and it seemed to be true.