He waved to Shen Zhifei and said, "Feifei, you're really something. I definitely wouldn't sneak out, so why did you go to all this trouble to come all the way here to see if I was here?"
Shen Zhifei put her coat on the bed and said, "Don't wait for me after school tonight."
"Huh? Why?" Song Lang asked, puzzled.
"...About the math Olympiad competition." Shen Zhifei glanced at his coat again. "Don't catch a cold."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The autumn sun shone on him, casting a somewhat desolate glow.
Song Lang sensed that his brother was unhappy, but he didn't think much of it. He grabbed his coat, put it on, and started playing cards again without a care in the world.
After returning to his classroom seat alone, Shen Zhifei began to bury himself in writing. One after another, eloquent and encouraging articles were sent to the podium, making Class 4 of Grade 7 the center of attention.
The sports meet was to last for two days. After 5 p.m. that day, almost all the sports events were coming to an end, and the students went home one after another.
Shen Zhifei sat on the playground for a while before getting up and walking towards the South Gate.
The road outside Xiaonanmen has been under repair recently. To ensure the safety of teachers and students, the gate has been closed for almost a month, and very few people come here.
From afar, Shen Zhifei spotted Lin Qian.
The girl was slender and tall, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.
Shen Zhifei stood in the shadows at the base of the wall, leaning against the ancient banyan tree that had lived for countless years, his eyes fixed on the girl in the distance.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes... an hour passed.
The person they were waiting for never showed up.
Shen Zhifei came out as the horizon swallowed the last rays of the sun.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Lin Qian was overjoyed. She turned around and looked in the direction of the sound. When she saw the face clearly, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.
Shen Zhifei took off his tracksuit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, saying, "It's cold."
Lin Qian finally couldn't hold back her tears, which streamed down her cheeks and soaked her front.
Shen Zhifei opened his arms, pulled her into his embrace, and gently patted her back to comfort her.
Lin Qian cried even harder.
"Why?" A muffled, trembling sob came from his chest. "I thought he would come. I can't understand... He read every single one of my letters. Why didn't he come?"
Shen Zhifei gazed into the unknown distance, listening intently to the girl's intermittent sobs. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry."
Lin Qian gripped his arm tightly, her sobs becoming uncontrollable, her whole body trembling slightly, like a wounded little animal whimpering in the autumn night.
Meanwhile, Song Lang was riding his bicycle home, wobbling along, when he suddenly remembered that there was something he needed to do.
What is it?
After thinking for a long time, I suddenly remembered the letter while waiting for the elevator.
He rummaged through his coat and found the envelope.
Song Lang noticed that the envelope had been opened, but he didn't have time to think about it. He quickly took out the letter, glanced at it, muttered "It's over, it's over," and turned to run out, speeding towards the school.
The streetlights have come on, casting a dappled warm yellow glow on the road leading to the school.
Song Lang abandoned his car at the gate, said a few words to the security guard, and then ran south as fast as he could.
When he arrived, panting, he saw the two people hugging each other from afar. He clicked his tongue twice, thinking to himself, "Which class's young couple is having an early romance?"
He looked around but didn't see Lin Qian. Could it be that she left first because he had been waiting too long?
I glanced at my wrist and saw it was almost seven o'clock.
He thought he should go and apologize to her tomorrow.
Just as I turned to leave, the people who were hugging in the distance separated, and the slightly taller boy took out a tissue from his pocket, as if he was wiping away the girl's tears.
Song Lang couldn't help but take another look.
He recognized Shen Zhifei at a glance.
Shen Zhifei wiped her tears very gently, just like he wiped the blood from Song Lang's forehead during the day. It was very light and slow, and his actions alone gave her a feeling of being cherished.
Song Lang hid behind the banyan tree, thinking to himself, no wonder his brother seemed unhappy during the day. It turned out that he was the one who opened the envelope, and that his brother liked Lin Qian.
He watched Shen Zhifei and Lin Qian walk out of the school gate side by side before slowly walking to the gatekeeper's office to ride his bike home.
With his parents away on a business trip, Song Lang ordered takeout and waited for Shen Zhifei to return.
When he heard a noise from the security door, he looked up at the clock on the wall; it was exactly 7:30.
Shen Zhifei changed into slippers and walked into the living room, where he met Song Lang's gaze. He subconsciously bit his lip.
Song Lang beckoned to him and said, "Come and eat. I ordered braised chicken rice, slightly spicy. Is it alright?"
"Hmm." Shen Zhifei put her schoolbag on the sofa and sat down next to Song Lang. The two sat around the carpet in front of the sofa by the coffee table and unpacked the takeout.
Song Lang would glance at his side every now and then. Shen Zhifei sensed his scrutiny, but remained silent, taking apart the chopsticks and handing him a pair.
The two ate while watching TV, but neither of them paid any attention to what was being broadcast.
After finishing his meal, Song Lang put his chopsticks aside, got up, and strolled over to the washing machine, pretending to do laundry. Then, feigning surprise, he asked, "Hey? Feifei, where's your tracksuit jacket? Bring it over so I can wash it with you."