"Oh." Yan Shu nodded and sat down. She still couldn't understand; she felt something was being done behind her back, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. It was so frustrating. "Sigh, so frustrating."
"What's with all this talk about being depressed, kid?" Adai tossed the apple core into the basket. "How was your day?"
"Sigh, what else can I do?" Yan Shu sighed. "Everyone is like a riddle, how can an ordinary person like me understand their riddles?"
"Hey classmate, how come someone as ordinary as you ends up with those inhuman people?" A-Dai said, amused. She had heard Yan Shu talk about those four people many times, so she knew a little about them. These three should have absolutely nothing to do with Yan Shu, but... fate is such a strange thing.
"Because we're neighbors." Yan Shu answered without thinking. It was only natural, especially since she was Mu Yang's neighbor. Only then did she have the "right" to appear around them.
"Haha." Adai chuckled dryly. "Little Shu, people who aren't on the same level won't stick together."
"Yes." Yan Shu nodded, a little disappointed.
"What should we do?" Adai said with a laugh. "Really, why is the kid getting inexplicably upset again? A classmate called and said your class is having an activity."
Adai was a year older than Yan Shu, studying accounting, a subject that frustrated her the most. The mere mention of accounting always made her grit her teeth. Adai often said, "If you could choose a career based on your interests, then accounting wouldn't be a subject." Yan Shu would just laugh it off.
"Oh? Did you leave a phone number?"
"No. He said he'd call again—your classmate's voice is alright, but Mu Yang and Yang Sen's are still the best." Just then, the phone rang. "It's probably yours."
Yan Shu ran over and answered the phone: "Hello?"
"Is Yan Shu here?" It was a boy's voice, sounding a little nervous.
"That's me, may I ask who you are?"
"I am Su Ming."
"Oh," Yan Shu replied, trying hard to piece together an image of that person in her mind, but to no avail. "Is there something you need?" Oh well, she wasn't very familiar with the boy anyway.
"Here's the thing. Our class is having an activity the day after tomorrow, and the class monitor asked me to let you know."
"Okay. Wait a moment, I'll grab a pen." After noting down the time and location, Yan Shu said "Goodbye" and hung up. Turning around, she saw A-Dai smiling somewhat ambiguously. "What's wrong?"
"Even the boys' voices have become gentler."
"What?!" Yan Shu exclaimed, knowing that A Dai was always joking.
"No? Sigh, what can I do when you have Mu Yang?" Adai sighed dramatically.
"Me and Mu Yang?" Yan Shu thought with amusement: Why does everyone think that way? "That's impossible," Yan Shu said seriously.
The activity was proposed by the class committee, supposedly to enhance friendship among classmates and increase class unity. So, taking advantage of the fact that it was the beginning of the semester and they had some free time, they went for a barbecue.
It's a strange situation. We've all known each other for almost two years. Those who are meant to be familiar with each other are already, and those who aren't, we'll just leave them be. Yan Shu sat on a large rock, grilling the chicken wings in her hand. But grilling is quite fun!
"Huh?" The student next to me suddenly leaned over. "What did you say?"
"Talking to yourself." How embarrassing, how could you blurt out everything on your mind? "Your sausage is burnt."
"Huh?" The girl looked down and exclaimed, "Ahhhhh, my sausage!" She turned her head away with a pained expression, "I worked so hard to grill it."
"I know," Yan Shu said with a smile. It's quite cute for a girl like that, even though her personality is a bit strange. Her eyes glanced around, landing on the group of boys. Which one was Su Ming?
"So, Xiao Shu~~~~" The classmate who was worried about not having lunch tugged at her hand and called out in a sweet, coquettish voice. Xiao Shu felt goosebumps all over her body. "Give me your chicken wings." After saying that, she snatched them away.
"Hey, you..." Yan Shu couldn't beat her, so she had to stand up and get something to grill herself. She'd better grill a sausage first.
"Yan Shu." A familiar yet unfamiliar male voice.
Yan Shu looked up and saw a boy standing in front of her, wearing glasses, a plain T-shirt, and jeans. "He's like me, born to be a supporting character," Yan Shu thought at the time.
"What is it?" she asked with a smile.
"I want a large pork chop." The boy's voice sounded a little nervous.
Nervous? It turns out he is Su Ming.
"Oh." Yan Shu nodded, helped him put it on, and said, "Here you go."
"Thanks. Could you give me another piece? I'll grill it for you. It seems like the people in your group are always stealing other people's food."
Yan Shu turned her gaze back to the original spot, where someone shouted because another sausage had been burnt. Using the same trick again, she had managed to trick someone out of a piece of meat.
"Sigh, that's just how she is." She smiled bitterly, guessing that the sausage in her hand wasn't even for her.
"Let me grill it for you," Su Ming said, taking the grill from the pan.
"Thank you."
Su Ming nodded and walked back to the group of boys. Yan Shu, on the other hand, returned to her original spot and began grilling her sausages.
"Hey," her classmate nudged her hand, "I saw it."
"What did you see?"
"You were with Su Ming." She had a paparazzi look on her face. "That's suspicious. I'm going to report you to Yang Sen."
"Hey, don't talk nonsense, okay?" Yan Shu pressed down on her raised hand, which she was pretending to report. "Yang Sen has someone he likes."
"Huh, isn't that you?"
"How could it be me?" It's a bit sad, we're only together because we're neighbors. "Sigh, what kind of person is Su Ming?"
"Just an average guy. Average looks, average build, average brains, average grades, average athletic ability—basically, just a very, very, very average guy." She blinked after saying that. "What, interested?"
"No, no. I was just asking casually," Yan Shu quickly shook her head.
"Oh—" she drawled, then suddenly cried out, "Ah—it's burnt again! Xiao Shu—"
Yan Shu handed over the grilled sausage again without hesitation, and she took it and ate it without any politeness.
"Here you go." A large pork chop was handed to her at the opportune moment. Turning around, she saw Su Ming smiling shyly, "I grilled it for you."
She thought he was joking, but it turned out he was serious. She was stunned for a moment, then blankly accepted the package and said, "Thank you."
"Yan Shu, can you come down for a bit?" Yan Shu answered the phone and heard Su Ming say this.
"Is there something you need?" Yan Shu turned her head and saw A Dai's interested expression.
"Yeah, something came up. I'll wait for you downstairs at your dorm."
"Well... okay." Yan Shu hung up the phone, turned to A Dai, and said, "I'm going downstairs for a bit."
"Okay, I approve." Adai nodded, her smile slightly ambiguous. "Is it that boy?"
"Okay." Nodding, Yan Shu changed her shoes and went downstairs.
When she got downstairs, for some reason, Yan Shu had a strong urge to run away. She laughed at her own neuroticism and went out the door.
Su Ming paced back and forth anxiously, glancing upstairs at Yan Shu's room. As soon as Yan Shu appeared before him, he called out, "Yan Shu!"
Yan Shu walked over: "Su Ming, is something the matter?"
Su Ming looked at Yan Shu, opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. Finally, he closed his eyes and said, "I like you, Yan Shu."
Wh...what! Yan Shu suddenly felt like a bomb had exploded in her head! What...what was he saying! She was speechless, her face blank with shock.
She didn't know this person well; she only knew he was a boy named Su Ming, and like her classmates said: "So-so. But he's a nice person." But she really didn't know him well.
More importantly: How could anyone like someone as ordinary as me?
"I like you," Su Ming repeated, then looked up. "Will you go out with me?"
Ah, ah, ah--what is he saying? Did she hear correctly? She looked up and saw Su Ming's serious eyes.
"I...I..." How was she supposed to answer? Why hadn't anyone taught her?
"Actually, it's okay if you don't agree. I heard from them that you and Yang Sen..."
"No, nothing like that happened," Yan Shu quickly denied. She and Yang Sen were really not from the same world; she and the three of them were from completely different places. "I...I just..."
"Really?" A look of joy flashed across Su Ming's face, followed by a hint of unease. "Actually, it's okay if you don't agree. I know I'm just average, not outstanding at all."
Yan Shu watched him speak nervously. It turned out he was just as nervous as she was; perhaps they were both just ordinary people. Unlike Xiao Wei and Yang Sen, who handled such matters with decisiveness and efficiency.
"We can try starting as friends..." Su Ming's voice grew softer and softer, and Yan Shu suddenly found him very cute.
She lowered her head, her voice soft as she said, "I...you said you liked me...I was startled. I...I think we can give it a try."
"Huh?" Su Ming was stunned. He hadn't heard Yan Shu's words clearly. "Is that okay?"
"Hmm." Yan Shu nodded. "Give it a try." Then, she looked up, smiling a little shyly, "I didn't even know I was so ordinary, how could you like me?"
"No, no." Su Ming pushed up his glasses a little awkwardly. "You're very cute."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shu blushed deeply. To hide her embarrassment, she exaggeratedly bowed, just like in the comics: "Then please take care of me."
"What are you doing?!" Yang Sen! Yan Shu turned around and saw Yang Sen walking over, with Mu Yang following behind him.
Mu Yang? What's he doing here?
"What are you doing?" Yang Sen walked over, looking at Su Ming. He'd never seen this kid before. With a slightly strange expression, he asked abruptly, "Who is he?"
"He...he's Su Ming." Yang Sen's imposing presence left Yan Shu stammering, unable to speak. She looked at Yang Sen and Mu Yang, feeling something was off. "He..."
"I'm his boyfriend." Before Yan Shu could finish speaking, Su Ming interrupted her.
"Boyfriend?" Yang Sen's voice suddenly rose an octave. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, no." Although being confessed to was a sudden thing, she answered seriously. Just because Yang Sen was capricious didn't mean others were. "It's true. This is my boyfriend, Su Ming."
Yang Sen stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost. After a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter, making Yan Shu panic: "What, what are you laughing at?"
Yang Sen ignored her, walked over to Mu Yang, and patted Mu Yang on the shoulder: "Hey, Mu Yang, this is her 'boyfriend'." He even emphasized the words "boyfriend".
Mu Yang smiled slightly, looking at Yan Shu with an expression Yan Shu had never seen before: "This is your boyfriend?"
Yan Shu nodded blankly, but a strange fear gripped her heart. "Mu Yang, I..."
"You think this is what you want?" Mu Yang's voice was cold.
"I……"
"I understand." Mu Yang turned and left coldly.
Yang Sen was suddenly filled with anger. He looked at Yan Shu and said, "Fine, you're something else." Then he turned around and chased after Mu Yang.
Yan Shu stood there, speechless. Why? Why had everyone become like this? Yang Sen's accusing gaze made it seem as if he had done something wrong, but what exactly had he done wrong?
"Yan Shu..." Su Ming seemed to have something to say.
"Yan Shu--There's a phone call--" A Dai's voice rang out at this moment.