Jiang Jianhuan stood there in frustration, just like the girl from before, with her head down, brows furrowed, biting her lip and stamping her feet.
That's it... my image is completely ruined.
After thinking about it all night and organizing countless words, Jiang Jianhuan finally found a reasonable explanation. Just as he was about to muster up the courage to use this as an excuse to chat with Su Mo the next day, he discovered that the lead singer on stage had changed.
Su Mo has disappeared.
One day, two days, three days... He didn't show up until the holiday ended and school started. The bar owner said that something came up at home and he couldn't come back to work part-time. Jiang Jianhuan pressed for his contact information, but the owner refused, citing personal privacy.
She pleaded there for several days, using countless methods and excuses, until the boss finally relented. However, when she excitedly dialed the number, all she heard was a cold, robotic voice.
Sorry, the number you dialed does not exist.
The phone slipped limply from her ear, and a huge sense of loss overwhelmed her. Jiang Jianhuan felt a sharp pain in her chest from regret.
If only she had been a little braver; losing contact with him was far more terrifying than losing face or being rejected.
The world is so big, and there are so many people. How can I meet him again, or perhaps never meet him again?
Jiang Jianhuan was depressed for a long time. She even lost interest in going out shopping with Chi Lan. As her good friend and deskmate for three years in high school, Chi Lan tried her best to cheer her up. She even invited a lot of classmates and friends to throw her a college entrance party.
The room was bustling with activity, filled with balloons and ribbons, and laughter echoed all around. But what Jiang Jianhuan saw in his mind was Su Mo, head down, coldly playing the guitar and singing on the stage.
After starting university, the girl finally regained some of her vitality, enjoying the vibrant campus, the enthusiastic upperclassmen, and the joy of sharing a dorm room with her best friend.
Jiang Jianhuan and Chi Lan went to buy daily necessities hand in hand, and got to know the other people in the dormitory. The atmosphere was very harmonious and lively.
On the day of the freshman orientation, Jiang Jianhuan, as usual, chattered away absentmindedly. It was a sultry afternoon, and the air was filled with the scent of grass.
Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced the eardrums and came from the microphone on the stage, bringing Jiang Jianhuan to an abrupt halt.
She turned her head blankly, opened her mouth slightly, and stared at the person on the stage in disbelief, almost doubting her own eyes.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly. A boy in a white shirt stood there, holding a microphone, and delivered his speech with a blank expression. His familiar voice came out one sentence after another, echoing and reverberating in my ears.
Jiang Jianhuan stared at the stage, almost forgetting to breathe. She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly she raised her lips and burst into silent laughter.
very nice.
It's so wonderful to see you again.
She covered her mouth, staring straight in that direction, her eyes sparkling and clear in the sunlight.
In just a few minutes, Jiang Jianhuan found out that Su Mo was the top scorer in this year's entrance exam, so he was speaking as a representative of the new students, while he himself was studying in the Department of Arts, majoring in music.
For some reason, Jiang Jianhuan felt a surge of joy and excitement.
What a coincidence! They're in the same grade! They're both freshmen! And they even enrolled in the same batch!
What a rare and precious connection and understanding this is!
This is so exciting!
Jiang Jianhuan was finding it hard to control himself.
In the quiet campus, footsteps became clearly audible from the main road to the lakeside path. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the setting sun hung red in the sky, dyeing a patch of lake surface crimson.
Su Mo stopped and turned to look at the person who had followed her all the way.
"Why are you following me?" His eyes held impatience, and his lips were tightly pressed together. Jiang Jianhuan panicked and her mind went blank when she met his gaze.
"I...I didn't, I also took this road." She explained in a flustered manner, vividly illustrating the phrase "trying to cover up the truth only makes it more obvious."
As expected, Su Mo frowned and her tone became completely serious.
"Still lying?"
Jiang Jianhuan was both ashamed and embarrassed; her cheeks were burning hot and her ears were flushed red.
She dared not look at him again, staring down at the pebbles at her feet, her voice barely audible.
"I'm sorry."
The girl's ears were red, as if she was about to cry.
"I'm just afraid I won't be able to find you again."
Chapter 4
Later, Su Mo gained a tail. Despite being such a sensitive and shy person, she strangely possessed an extraordinary capacity to endure certain things.
"Su Mo, why did you disappear after that day? I looked for you for so long, thinking I would never see you again."
The girl kept talking to him.
—Ever since she saw Su Mo at the freshman orientation, it seems like Su Mo runs into her wherever she goes.
And each time, despite his expressionless face, Jiang Jianhuan could always find something to talk about, even if he didn't respond.
But occasionally, Su Mo would respond to her.
"What do you want from me?" he asked casually. Jiang Jianhuan, who had prepared a whole bunch of things to say, suddenly stopped, swallowing the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"Because I want to explain what happened that day to you." She uttered the words with difficulty, suppressing the thought of "because I like you," and burying it deep in her heart.
Su Mo clearly remembered.
"Explain what?"
"Well, I'm not usually like that. I just happened to see that scene and decided to help those in need!" Jiang Jianhuan said earnestly, struggling to salvage his image, which was on the verge of collapse in Su Mo's eyes.