"You...you're too cruel." Han Shu's face turned red.
Ju Nian was also stunned. Han Shu didn't have that much of a grudge against her, but just a moment ago, she only wanted him to die! After her excitement subsided, she was exhausted. Oh well, let them make a fuss. She was just being teased. If they laughed at her, she would just pretend she was deaf. What did she care what others thought of her?
On the other side, the note, which had fallen into the hands of who-knows-who, was intercepted by Chen Jiejie. She and Han Shu had always been on good terms. After walking over, she carefully read the contents of the note, and then said to the person who was grimacing in pain:
"That's going too far! Why are you letting them spread my things around like that?"
"Your things?" Han Shu asked, puzzled.
"I like these sentences, but I can't remember them all. I asked Ju Nian to copy them down for me when she got home. You've learned to bully girls too? That's so mean!"
"How was I supposed to know it was yours? It was even worse that she kicked me," Han Shu retorted stubbornly.
"You deserve it!" Chen Jiejie put the note into her backpack in front of everyone. She pulled Ju Nian, who was sitting blankly by the flower bed, and said, "Are you alright? Ju Nian, thank you for copying it down for me. I really like it."
Ju Nian opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She forced a smile, got up, and walked towards the women's restroom. She needed to wash her face properly.
Han Shu shook off Fang Zhihe, who was supporting him, and hopped after him.
"The men's restroom is over there," Ju Nian turned around and pointed in a direction.
"Give me back my student ID!"
Ju Nian shoved her student ID along with the entire pencil case into his hand, as if she had just realized she was holding something incredibly dirty.
Han Shu took it, turned his head and looked around again. There was no one else around. Zhou Liang, Fang Zhi and the others were all ten meters away. He straightened up, rubbed his cheeks, and said in a voice that was as low as it could go, "Never mind, I was wrong just now. I didn't expect them to make such a fuss. I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Ju Nian replied softly.
--sorry!
--It doesn't matter!
A perfect demonstration of polite language.
Everything returned to normal, perfectly normal, as if the chaotic scene from just moments ago had never existed. There was no blame, no resentment, just a calm and indifferent demeanor.
Han Shu's sense of powerlessness was clearer than ever before.
"I saw you crying when I passed the intersection last night."
"I didn't cry."
"You did cry."
"Okay, I cried. Han Shu, this is my business."
Han Shu's self-esteem suffered another heavy blow. He was not a meddlesome person. Dean Han required him to be confident, intelligent, polite, knowledgeable, sincere, and restrained. He felt that he had done his best, but Xie Junian was like a funhouse mirror, reflecting all his shortcomings. In front of her, he was shallow, hypocritical, stupid, rude, insecure, and impulsive.
"You think I care about your affairs? Let me tell you, even if I win the exam, you won't feel proud of it if you act like this," he said coldly.
"I'm not comparing myself to you." She lowered her head again, looking like a timid wife.
"I'm not used to being worse than a woman."
After a while, Han Shu heard Xie Junian's slow and deliberate voice coming from the women's restroom: "Then why don't you compare yourself to Madame Curie?"
Chapter Thirty: No one is irreplaceable
Ju Nian often felt that she should actually be grateful to Chen Jiejie. She had never truly opened up to this new deskmate, yet Chen Jiejie had helped her out of awkward situations more than once or twice. This time, she had even resolved a major embarrassment in front of many people. However, when Chen Jiejie said, "Thank you, I really like it," and then put the note Ju Nian had tucked into her book into her backpack, Ju Nian felt a sense of emptiness, even though she knew Chen Jiejie meant well.
I dwell on the southern slopes of Mount Wu, amidst towering hills; at dawn I am the morning clouds, at dusk I am the passing rain, morning and evening, beneath the Yangtai Terrace…
Fang Zhihe said that this was the goddess of Wushan inviting King Xiang of Chu to "sleep," and his interpretation may not be wrong. However, in Ju Nian's view, this love poem from a thousand years ago, which incorporates a boy's name, is nothing more than an ordinary girl's longing for her beloved day and night.
Ju Nian wanted more than just a lifelong friend, but she didn't know how to say it. Even after writing this note and keeping it tucked inside a book for a whole week, she didn't have the courage to place it in Wu Yu's hand. Han Shu and the others' commotion made her feel even more that what she couldn't let go of was a joke. Could Wu Yu understand her feelings? If not, could she still step back to the position of "lifelong friend"?
After several exams, as they returned to the classroom to pack their things for the holiday, Ju Nian quietly said "thank you" to Chen Jiejie. Chen Jiejie was momentarily speechless, unable to recall why she was being thanked, and after a moment of surprise, she smiled.
"No need to thank me, I really like it. Ju Nian, let's go play ball together tomorrow, I've booked the court."
Ordinary classmates usually address each other by their full names, but Chen Jiejie called her "Ju Nian" with such intimacy that it surprised Ju Nian. Wu Yu had been busy lately and hadn't been in the mood to play ball, so she was about to politely decline when she heard Chen Jiejie add something.
“I met Wu Yu a few days ago. He said there shouldn’t be any problems and asked me to call you. Ju Nian, you don’t not have time, do you?”
Ju Nian was speechless, as if a wad of cotton was stuck in her chest. There was no immediate pain, just a dull ache, like a breath caught in her throat, unable to escape, unable to find relief. Since when had her meetings with Wu Yu required being relayed through completely unrelated people? They had already made the arrangements before even remembering to tell her. Was she too oblivious, completely unprepared for these subtle shifts in the shadows?
"Ah, okay." She lowered her head and continued packing her things; that was the only sentence she could think of.
The next day, Ju Nian went to the stadium that Chen Jiejie had booked as agreed. It had just rained, and the sky was a pale blue. Ju Nian ran into Wu Yu at the entrance. She was walking absentmindedly, and Wu Yu called out to her first.
Ju Nian turned around, and Wu Yu smiled and complained to her, "If you walk like that, you won't be able to pick up any treasures right under your feet."
He's still the same as before; when he smiles, even the clouds seem to part.
Ju Nian jokingly tapped his arm with her racket, saying, "You can't just pick up random treasures from the roadside."
"You calculated this with your fingers?"
Ju Nian smiled without answering, "I knew you were busy, but I didn't expect you to suddenly remember to play ball with Chen Jiejie."
Wu Yu said, "I was really busy the other day. I worked an all-night shift at an internet cafe, and when I came out, I ran into one of your classmates. She said you finished your exams today and asked if we wanted to find a place to play basketball. It's been a long time since we've both touched a racket, and my skills are rusty. Aren't you deskmates? I told her to remember to tell you the time and place. You don't look very energetic, so you might not be able to beat me this time... What are you laughing at?"
"Did I laugh?" The cotton ball that had been weighing on Ju Nian's heart turned out to be a cotton candy. She took a sip, and it melted, leaving a sweet taste.
After entering the stadium and finding the reserved court, I didn't expect that there would be others besides Chen Jiejie. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy had a tall and slender figure. His white jersey was very neat and fit well. He was chatting with Chen Jiejie when Chen Jiejie signaled that everyone was there. He turned around and saw that it was Han Shu.
"Why did you invite him?" Ju Nian muttered to Wu Yu.
"Who? You don't like him?" Wu Yu asked.
Ju Nian blushed and shook her head, saying, "Forget it, it doesn't really come down to whether I like it or not."
Chen Jiejie had already come over with a smile to greet them. She was wearing a pink sports skirt, which made her skin look even whiter and her figure more beautiful. Han Shu followed slowly behind, glancing at Ju Nian and then looking at the ceiling light, as if there was something particularly interesting on it. Ju Nian also secretly glanced at it, but there was nothing there.
"Han Shu, this is Wu Yu," Chen Jiejie introduced simply.
Han Shu smiled at Wu Yu, then turned to Chen Jiejie and asked, "Can we begin?"
"Oh, wait a minute, I need to go to the restroom." Ju Nian interjected somewhat shyly. She happened to be on her period, but Chen Jiejie had made an appointment with Wu Yu, and she had to come. It was an innate sense of protection for something she cherished.
"It'll be quick, sorry."
This was her first time at the stadium. Chen Jiejie told her where the restrooms were, thanked her, and ran off in that direction.
"Hey, wait a minute, you've gone the wrong way!" Han Shu called out to her.
Ju Nian inexplicably stopped in her tracks. Chen Jiejie also said blankly, "That's right, that's the direction."
Han Shu said irritably, "How long has it been since you last came? That restroom was demolished a long time ago, and the new one is still under construction. Turn left at the back door of Hall 4 and go straight to the end, then go through a small door. That's where they temporarily borrowed the restroom from the restaurant next door. I forgot to tell you that this stadium is inconvenient right now."
“Hall 4? Back door... left or right?” Ju Nian tried to repeat what Han Shu had said.
"This is Hall 3. Hall 4 is 15 meters ahead on your right! Didn't Xi Murong teach you a sense of direction?" Han Shu looked like a good-tempered person who had endured something that everyone else should be impatient about.
"Han Shu, can't you explain yourself more clearly?" Chen Jiejie said, frowning.
"I have used the most scientific way of describing it."
Wu Yu put down her racket. "It's okay, Ju Nian, I'll go with you."
"You know where I'm talking about now, right?" Han Shu asked Wu Yu.
"If you go in the direction you mentioned, you should be able to find it. If not, just ask around."
Han Shu smiled and bent down to adjust his shoelaces. "By the time you two return from your world tour, the rental period for this venue will probably be half over."
"Han Shu, all you do is talk! I'll go with Ju Nian then." Chen Jiejie couldn't take it anymore.
Ju Nian was completely overwhelmed. All she wanted to do was go to the restroom, that was all. She really didn't understand why it had sparked such a long discussion among them.
"No need, really no need, I can go by myself." She chose to avoid trouble.
Han Shu had already tied a perfect knot in each of his sneakers. He straightened up, clapped his hands, and sighed, "Alright, alright, I'll take you there. I also need to wash my hands. Come on, don't dawdle. By the time you've made up your mind, my beard will have grown long."
After he finished speaking, he walked out first, and Ju Nian could only follow him speechlessly. After exiting the back door of Hall 3, there was actually only Hall 4 nearby, and it wasn't as secluded and winding as Han Shu had described.
Han Shu initially didn't talk to Ju Nian, focusing on his journey. With the back door of Hall 4 in sight, he blurted out, "You're such a nuisance."
Ju Nian walked a little behind him, silent.
“It’s been several months and the area around the stadium is still not finished. What a terrible project! I’ve told Chen Jiejie that there are better places, but she just won’t listen.”
Ju Nian remained silent.
"Don't say I didn't tell you, there's construction going on up ahead too, it's all bumpy and uneven, and it just rained, so don't walk around like you're in space."
silence.
"Well, you don't look that bad in your sportswear."
silence.
"But I think pink suits you better."
Silence is golden!
Han Shu finally couldn't help but turn around and glance at Ju Nian.
Are you so choked up you can't speak?
Instantly, Ju Nian conjured up an image of someone who looked remarkably like herself. His face was ashen, and he was trembling from the urge to urinate. She really wanted to say that most people don't hold it in their mouths, but facing someone like Han Shu, she wisely uttered only two concise words: "It's alright."
"Are you still angry about what happened that day? You can't be that petty, can you?"
Ju Nian shook her head, then realized that Han Shu was just a step ahead and couldn't see her movements, so she said, "No."
As soon as she finished speaking, Han Shu suddenly turned around. He was wearing badminton shorts and facing Ju Nian. He reached up and rolled up his trouser legs, revealing a patch of his thigh.
"What are you doing?" Ju Nian was startled by his sudden exhibitionism and stood there blankly, her eyes fixed on him.
"See? You kicked me that day, and I still have bruises. It hurt so much when I got home that night, so I asked my mom for a bottle of liniment. She asked me where I was hurt, but I was too embarrassed to tell her."
Han Shu was so engrossed in showing his injuries to the assailant that he was so focused on thanking Jie Nian for the viciousness of his kick that he didn't even realize that his trouser legs had rolled up so much that they were almost up to his thighs.
"Here, here! See that! I'm not even angry... What's with that expression?" Ju Nian's embarrassed look, which she quickly averted, finally caught Han Shu's attention. He had probably never done anything like this in front of a girl before. He had genuinely only wanted her to see that he was also badly hurt, and he definitely didn't mean to be a pervert. Now he felt embarrassed too, and quickly smoothed out his trouser legs. His face was burning, but he still tried to downplay it.
"If I didn't show you, you'd think I kicked a sandbag. I'm not one to hold grudges against girls, and I won't bother you with medical expenses or anything like that. Let's just let this go. What do you think?"
Han Shu was extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the gourd with the saw cut in the year. "If you think there is a problem, you can appeal. You have to give me an answer!"
"Ah, what did you say?"