Ouyang Xiao kept smiling.
Time stretched on and on, dragging its strange tail as it swayed past them. Something was aging, while some things would remain unchanged even after ten thousand years. They gazed at each other for a long time, strangely sharing the same smile, an arc of happiness that seemed to encompass all they could look forward to together.
Song Jing thought, if this is what liking someone means, then she must like them.
Ouyang Xiao stood in the halo of light, reaching out his hand to her, and said, "Why aren't you coming over? Can't you see I'm standing here waiting for you to catch up?"
In her dream, Song Jing laughed happily and said, "I'm coming right now!"
It was a beautiful dream, a good omen. So, while Song Jing was receiving an IV drip, whether she was asleep or unable to sleep, she kept thinking about it, over and over again. A sweet smile radiated from her lips, eyebrows, eyes, fingertips, limbs, and even every cell in her body. It seemed that as long as Song Jing knew there was a person in the world named "Ouyang Xiao," she could simply breathe and live happily.
At 7:30 in the morning, the bell rang for the first class, and Song Jing hurriedly walked into the classroom.
During the teacher's lecture, Song Jing secretly glanced at Ouyang Xiao. She had no other intentions; a dream is just a dream. She wanted to know if this person, the real person, had truly stirred the little curiosity and enthusiasm she possessed.
Song Jing was a child, though she didn't really consider herself one. She always thought perhaps her soul was in the wrong body. There were many things, complex things, that she didn't understand; she was naive, but that didn't mean she was completely ignorant. Perhaps her methods were immature, but she persisted in her way.
Direct and frank.
Perhaps it could be called "hitting the nail on the head".
Ouyang Xiao focused intently on listening to the lecture and taking notes. Occasionally, he would rest his cheek on his left hand, and when he heard something interesting, he would purse his lips and smile gently, revealing a mischievous smile, or nod slightly. His dark eyes, however, were always burning with intensity, and his eager expression made him exceptionally vibrant. With a smile, he resembled a leopard hunting its prey, which was very beautiful.
It's so captivating that you can't take your eyes off it.
At noon, Song Jing was kept behind for a talk with the teacher. When he came out, most of the people had already left.
"Here! These are my notes from the past few days, and the math teacher gave me a test. Do it once and bring it to me for correction. Also, write down any parts you don't understand on the test paper..."
In the corridor, Song Jing walked towards the stairwell, the classroom right next to it, while Ouyang Xiao emerged from the classroom as if she had planned it all along. The two walked towards each other. It was November, already winter, and Song Jing, wearing four layers of thick clothing, still felt a bit cold, while Ouyang Xiao appeared to be wearing only three layers.
"Aren't you cold?" Song Jing couldn't help but ask softly as they were about to pass each other.
Ouyang Xiao glanced at her sideways, then turned back, expressionless, and shoved everything she was holding into Song Jing's arms. Seeing Song Jing's stunned expression, her gentle voice suddenly turned fierce, but she still whispered, "Don't show this to anyone else! Not even Li Yueling!" After saying that, she glared at her fiercely. Seeing that Song Jing had some reaction, she continued walking forward with satisfaction, her steps becoming much lighter.
Song Jing's clear voice came from behind: "Okay, I understand."
Ouyang Xiao couldn't help but smile slightly.
Time flies like water, passing by quickly.
The school rarely holds events; the students' primary task is always to study hard. This year, however, they've unusually started preparing a New Year's Eve party. I learned that leaders from the township are coming to inspect the area, and the party is just for their entertainment. Whatever the reason, there will be movies and performances to watch on New Year's Day, and the whole campus is immersed in a joyous atmosphere.
Before that, Song Jing and Ouyang Xiao had an unpleasant incident and were in a frozen period—that was true for them, but in the eyes of others, they had always kept to themselves and it was only natural that they had exchanged a few words before the semester was about to end.
To others, they were no different—just ordinary classmates. But deep down, the two of them simply felt that it was better that the other was different. The whole affair began and ended because of that word "different"—resulting in jealousy, anger, and a cold war.
Ouyang Xiao never considered himself a petty person, but when facing Song Jing, he always felt a sense of defeat, a sense that he needed to re-evaluate himself or Song Jing. Twelve-year-old Ouyang Xiao was more often defeated by ten-year-old Song Jing.
On this day, the Chinese language quiz papers were handed out, and Song Jing, for the first time ever, or rather, unexpectedly, got the highest score in the class, especially in the composition. The teacher praised her, but instead of reading aloud and commenting on the first-place work in front of everyone as usual, she used the compositions of Ouyang Xiao and another girl as examples for her comments.
"Hey, give it to me!" As soon as get out of class ended, Ouyang Xiao placed his hands on either side of Song Jing's desk, his attitude and demeanor condescending.
Song Jing looked up in surprise, then quickly raised her eyebrows: "What do you want to do?"
Ouyang Xiao banged on the table, looking impatient: "You're not planning to refuse to give me the essay, are you?!" He frowned like an old man, as if he was about to start a fire.
Song Jing's face turned cold, and she turned her head away, giving off an expression that said, "I just won't give it to you, so what?"
"Song Jing!" Ouyang Xiao gripped the edge of the table, feeling like he was about to explode again. He was supposed to be a calm, self-controlled person who was smart enough to know that getting angry wouldn't solve anything! Well, he understood now; getting angry at least allowed him to vent his painful frustrations.
Song Jing raised her chin: "What?"
Ouyang Xiao practically gritted her teeth as she squeezed out a few words: "No."
As soon as Ouyang Xiao turned and walked away, Song Jing's smug expression vanished, and he lowered his head in annoyance.
How could this be? This wasn't what she really meant! But Ouyang Xiao was so forceful with her, she couldn't help but be even more forceful in return. How could she let him look down on her? But if Ouyang Xiao softened, she would still be stubborn, thinking that she absolutely couldn't back down, she should be even more arrogant, how could she... Even the slightest hint was unacceptable. She liked him, and it was best if no one else knew about this except her.
After all, she had said some hurtful things...
Is that the reason?
No, that's not it. Song Jing understood; it was because they were "different." On ordinary days, she acted even more ordinary than the most average classmate, but once they faced each other directly, after exchanging a few words, she couldn't help but want to target him. Her tone would involuntarily become sharp, her words harsh, and she couldn't resist attacking him—such childish behavior… Okay, Song Jing admitted it. She just wanted to get his attention, wanted him to talk to her a little more, and ideally, for him to admit—to admit that he also liked her, and that he liked her even before she liked him…
Song Jing slumped over the table, feeling utterly listless.
"Ah Jing, let me see your essay!" Li Yueling patted Song Jing's shoulder forcefully.
Song Jing stretched out his hand and waved it weakly, saying, "Take it yourself if you want to see it."
"Oh!" Li Yueling shoved Song Jing aside without any politeness, grabbed her test paper, and started flipping through it. After a while, she exclaimed, "Jing, how come I didn't know you had morning glories planted in front of your house?! Jing, how come I didn't know your windows were white? When I went to see them, weren't they still black? When did they change to white? And, and..."
It's so noisy!
Song Jing drooped her eyelids, simply covered her ears, and ignored her.
The following Wednesday, the composition books were handed out. At that time, Song Jing was sitting next to Ouyang Xiao, talking to Li Yueling about random things. Because the seating in the class was frequently changed, for some reason, although Song Jing and Ouyang Xiao were both in the first row, they had never been together.
As soon as the composition books were handed out, Song Jing subconsciously picked up Ouyang Xiao's notebook and opened it. She had only read one line when she saw: "Those seemingly insignificant ideals, which would be ridiculed if spoken aloud, are the dreams for which we dedicate our lives. I don't remember where I saw this sentence..." Song Jing paused, and before she could think of anything, a loud noise pulled her out of her reverie.
"Put it down!" the boy said angrily. "You're not allowed to read my essay! You have no right to read mine either!" He shouted angrily, reaching out to snatch the essay from her hand.
Song Jing subconsciously turned around, and Ouyang Xiao's face, flushed red with anger, was right in front of her, about three centimeters away. As if burned, Song Jing's face quickly turned red, and she hurriedly threw her notebook on the table, jumped up, and ran back to her seat.
As she ran, she thought to herself, "What am I doing? What am I feeling guilty about? What am I afraid of?" But her heart was pounding, and she couldn't face it. She knew she would do something she would regret later. So, she decided to run away. That was just the kind of timid and cowardly person she was!
Song Jing sat in her seat and couldn't help but steal a glance at Ouyang Xiao.
Ouyang Xiao stared blankly at him, looking helpless, as if she wanted to laugh but couldn't.
So cute!
Song Jing thought to herself, and secretly rejoiced. She smiled for a while and thought, "I'll just take the essay to him to see later. There's no harm in it."
"I don't want to!" Ouyang Xiao angrily turned her head away.
Song Jing's face flushed red, and she snatched the exam paper away: "Fine, don't take it! If you hadn't asked me for it, I really wouldn't have given it to you!"
"That's rare!" Ouyang Xiao suddenly found herself arguing with Song Jing.
"Of course it's rare! It's rare for me to get first place, how can it not be rare?!" Song Jing retorted quickly in a huff, her cheeks puffed up so high that her lips could hold a teapot.
Ouyang Xiao glared at him: "Who wants to see something that someone else has already seen!" He was clearly the first one there, so he was the only one entitled to see Song Jing's things first, wasn't he?!
Song Jing blinked, puzzled: "What?"
"It's nothing!" Ouyang Xiaozhen was angry. She left Song Jing alone on the rooftop and ran down the stairs. She didn't understand, didn't comprehend, and didn't know. Getting angry was useless; even if she died of anger, it wouldn't help. Just avoid it, everything will be alright, and she should live a bright life.
"...You stingy guy!" Song Jing stuck out her tongue and made a face at Ouyang Xiao's back. She decided to put it on his desk later, just like before. If she didn't understand something on her test paper, she would put it on Ouyang Xiao's desk, and half a day or a day later she would see the detailed solution on her own desk. Having made up her mind, Song Jing became happy again.
That evening, the homeroom teacher announced that a New Year's Eve party would be held.
“Our classmate Ouyang Xiao plays the violin beautifully, so we don’t need to hold any selections for our class. Let’s just let him go!”
Everyone first looked at Ouyang Xiao in unison, then fell silent for a few seconds before whispering among themselves.
"He's amazing! He can even play the violin..."
"I heard he used to live in the city, but he came to our village because of some trouble..."
"Oh, I see!"
No wonder.
It was decided that Ouyang Xiao would represent Class 2, Grade 6 at the New Year's Eve party. That evening, Song Jing learned that Zhen Liang was the representative of Class 1, Grade 6, and would be performing a solo dance, Swan Lake, a ballet. Song Jing listened silently to the people in the dormitory excitedly talking about the New Year's Eve party, pursed her lips, pulled the blanket over her head, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
The practice was scheduled after class, and that day Song Jing went with a large group of people to "visit" Ouyang Xiao who was practicing.
The large classroom was quiet, and a thin mist seemed to permeate the air.
The melodious music began to play. The boy, wearing a white shirt, stood with his back to the door, his head slightly raised. The sycamore leaves outside the window were almost all gone, but the bamboo forest remained green, swaying gently in the wind.
The white hem of his clothes fluttered, and his short, jet-black hair also fluttered gently. The boy's fingers glided across the strings, occasionally swaying his body to the music. Then he would turn around, pause for a moment, and the music would continue, end, and stop.
Applause erupted.
Ouyang Xiao put down her violin and walked over, asking with a hint of confusion, "Why are you all here?" And why was Shen Jichu the one leading the group? Shen Jichu was the oldest in their class, already seventeen years old. If Ouyang Xiao hadn't had such good grades, the class monitor position would have been given to Shen Jichu.
Shen Jichu chuckled and rubbed his hands together: "I came to watch you play the violin!" He then playfully punched Ouyang Xiao on the shoulder, hooking his arm around him to close the distance. "Hey! Boss, you play so well! What's your name?"
"One of Niccolò Paganini's Twenty-Four Caprices."
Shen Jichu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then we won't bother you anymore! ...We, we're going back."
Well? ?
Does it look like this?
Ouyang Xiao thought for a moment and said, "I've almost finished my practice for today, and I haven't eaten yet. Let's go downstairs together!" I forgot to mention that the large classroom is on the sixth floor, while Class 2 of Grade 6 is on the third floor. The first and second floors are student dormitories.
"Song Jing..." Ouyang Xiao called softly as she walked past Song Jing.
Song Jing, already lagging behind the group, slowed down even further, falling far behind unnoticed. The people ahead of her and Ouyang Xiao suddenly turned and headed downstairs. Song Jing turned and ran towards the rooftop. It was unclear when it started, but Song Jing and Ouyang Xiao had developed a tacit understanding: if something needed to be discussed face-to-face, they would quietly call each other's names and wait on the rooftop to clarify things.
Just as she was pondering, Ouyang Xiao arrived behind her and asked softly, "These past few days..." She paused, seemingly hesitant, "Could you get me some food?" Every time she practiced until dark, she could only eat cold rice; these days were simply torture!
Song Jing turned to face him, her eyes sparkling, lost in thought. She pursed her lips slightly and said, "I don't want to!" Before Ouyang Xiao could protest or say anything else, she playfully wrinkled her nose. "Should I put the lunchbox in your drawer or on the balcony of the large classroom?... Hmm, neither of those places is very safe. Maybe I should just throw it on the windowsill of the large classroom." If anyone else saw her getting lunch for Ouyang Xiao, wouldn't it become the talk of the school, making me worse than a rat that everyone wanted to kill? Think it over carefully, think it over carefully.
Ouyang Xiao remained silent, quietly watching Song Jing, who was looking down and seriously considering whether the balcony or the windowsill was better.
"You...you stay up very late every day?" Song Jing suddenly looked up at him.
Ouyang Xiao responded softly, "Mm."
Song Jing frowned, then quickly relaxed her grip: "...Yourself, you yourself..." Take good care of yourself.
Ouyang Xiao nodded in understanding.
Song Jing looked down at her toes for a moment, took a deep breath, looked up and smiled, seemingly embarrassed, with a slight blush: "About last time... are you still angry?" Surely you're not really that petty...
Ouyang Xiao stared at her intently for a few seconds with his dark eyes, then coughed lightly and turned his head away: "No." He wasn't usually that petty, but with Song Jing, he couldn't help but be petty—but you shouldn't wear your thoughts so obviously on your face, it's quite funny.
"I knew it!" Joy flashed across Song Jing's face, instantly radiating happiness. She looked like she was about to jump up and down. Song Jing's smile faded under his gaze. She turned her head away, looking quite shy. She scratched the back of her head, chuckled twice, and fell silent.
A gentle night breeze stirred, lifting the stray hairs on Ouyang Xiao's forehead and the loose strands of hair on Song Jing's shoulders. The lights were gradually turned on, and the village nestled in the mountain valley in the distance seemed like a lone star twinkling in the vast night sky.
"Do you like the violin?" Ouyang Xiao suddenly asked.
Song Jing paused, unsure how to answer. She bit her lower lip in frustration, the consequences of her previous slip of the tongue still fresh in her mind. How could she reply now? Should she say she'd only seen the violin on TV and had just met it in person, that she didn't understand it and it didn't recognize her? No, no! Song Jing shook her head, remaining silent for a long while. Under Ouyang Xiao's watchful gaze, she reluctantly chose a non-harmful phrase: "...I don't quite understand it, but...but...the music you played sounded very soothing, very relaxing." Feeling anxious, as if taking an exam, Song Jing forced a fawning smile.
"I can teach you."
Huh? Song Jing stared at Ouyang Xiao with his mouth agape and eyes wide in disbelief, still not quite understanding what was going on.
Ouyang Xiao turned her head away: "Violin."
"Really?"