Chapter 21

On Saturday morning at 6 o’clock.

In autumn, in G province, there was a significant temperature difference between morning and evening. Su Xi, with her unique constitution, didn’t feel the cold, but she went with the flow and wore a thin coat.

“Su Xi, what are you looking at?” Wu Fangfang dressed up specifically for today’s outing.

Under a white blouse, she paired a navy-blue skirt with a medium-length hem, reaching just above the ankles. She wore a pair of round-toed, small leather shoes. It was indeed exquisite, except for the fact that she carried a military green crossbody bag, which seemed out of place.

However, Wu Fangfang was clearly satisfied with her outfit today. She smiled, linking arms with Su Xi, and asked, “Su Xi, what are you looking at? I noticed you’ve been glancing towards the east several times. Are we waiting for someone?”

Su Xi actually wanted to go to her house, located in the west, to see if her brother and the others had left.

She just wasn’t sure when their group would leave for the hike and was afraid of delaying everyone’s time.

After some thought, she decided to check after they returned in the evening. She smiled and changed the subject: “No, just looking around casually. You look really nice today.”

Wu Fangfang immediately forgot what she had just asked. She proudly twirled around, the corners of her skirt fluttering with a youthful vibe, exuding the unique vitality of a girl in her twenties. “I think it looks good too. This was bought for me by my mom last year. I haven’t worn it many times. Since we’re going out today, I plan to ask the class leader to take a few photos for me.”

When she mentioned the class monitor, Wang Hongbing, Wu Fangfang’s cheeks turned rosy, displaying the charming demeanor of a little girl.

Watching this, Su Xi couldn’t help but suppress a laugh and tease her, “So, why do you still have the time to come find me?”

Inside, Su Xi couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed that in the class, there were only four female students in total, and except for her, all the others had been matched up.

“You little brat, we’re good friends. Of course, I want to be with you.” Wu Fangfang blushed from Su Xi’s teasing, reaching out to pinch Su Xi. She wanted to see if Su Xi dared to mock her again.

Su Xi quickly dodged, playfully raising her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I was wrong. I promise when we get to the mountain later, I’ll find a chance to slip away. I won’t delay you two at all.”

“You still dare to talk! You still dare to talk!” Wu Fangfang blushed so much and stomped her feet. People in this era had contradictory feelings about relationships.

They longed for free love, wanting to bravely break through feudal constraints, yet they were secretive, afraid of being known by others.

“Do you want it or not?”

“…I do…”

“Pfft!!!”

“…”

Su Xi couldn’t help but admire the people of this era.

Due to the large number of people, the tram was too crowded, so the whole class decided to walk.

With a distance of nearly 15 kilometers, it would take about 3 hours to walk. In the future, most people won’t be able to endure such a journey.

But they were all military academy students, and even though they were soon-to-be doctors, they were first and foremost soldiers.

So, when they set off, including Su Xi, the four girls had a calm demeanor, treating it as if it were just a temporary drill, especially since they didn’t have to carry heavy weights.

Su Xi looked worriedly at Wu Fangfang’s feet; she was wearing heels.

Little did she know, Wu Fangfang had changed into a pair of white retro sneakers at some point.

Su Xi: “……”

“Are you… carrying a spare pair of shoes?” So, the unexpected bag you brought contains shoes?

Wu Fangfang smiled, tilting her chin up. “Of course! I wear heels for photos, not for drills or climbing mountains. Do you think I’m stupid? I’m pretty smart, right, sis?”

Su Xi pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. According to her judgment, those white retro sneakers looked better with the outfit than the leather shoes you put away.

But in this day and age, people prefer leather shoes. Different times, different aesthetics. Su Xi nodded in acknowledgment, wearing a look of ‘you’re quite clever.’

This earned her an even more radiant smile from Comrade Wu Fangfang.

Su Xi: “……”

………………………

Mountain Baiuin was vast, with lush greenery as far as the eye could see.

Su Xi had never seen the Baiyun Mountain planned for the future, but she felt that the natural environment, untouched by much human intervention, was stunning enough.

Watching the beauty bestowed by nature, Su Xi felt that the fatigue of continuous walking for 15 kilometers had disappeared.

Her classmates felt the same way; a group of them laughed and ran together, planning whether to go to the lake first or climb the mountain. Some were discussing, while a few more adventurous male classmates made bets on who could reach the summit first. The loser would be responsible for washing smelly socks for a month. Their enthusiasm was evident.

The class monitor, Wang Hongbing, acted like a concerned mother, quickly grabbing a few students who were attempting to slip away. With a few strong claps to garner the attention of all the students, he loudly exclaimed, “I’ll emphasize once again, don’t venture too deep into the mountains, and don’t go alone. It’s best to team up with others. Lunch is ready; I’ve had a few male classmates carry it for us. Each of you grab your lunch before setting out. Also, it’s 9:30 in the morning now, and we must start heading back no later than 3:00 in the afternoon. So, manage your time yourselves, and no one is allowed to be late, understood?”

“Understood!” the students replied in unison.

Su Xi packed her lunch—two large steamed buns and two eggs—into her bag. She, along with Wu Fangfang, the class monitor Wang Hongbing, and the sports committee member Chen Yundong, formed a small team and headed toward the Maple Leaf Area.

“Are the maple leaves red at this time?” Su Xi, not being a local, had no idea when the maple leaves in this area turned red.

“Not yet, it’s too early. Wait until December, depending on the specific weather each year. Sometimes, if the weather gets cold quickly, it might be around November,” explained

“No, it’s too early. Let’s wait for December, depending on the specific weather each year. Sometimes the weather gets cold quickly, and it might be around November.” Wang Hongbing, also a local, walked with Wu Fangfang and turned around to explain when he heard Su Xi’s question.

“Isn’t green beautiful too?” Su Xi dodged a pothole and asked curiously.

“It’s definitely not as beautiful as when they’re red, but green is nice too. Besides, in that area near the lake, if there’s a small boat, we can take a ride and enjoy the lake. That’s also nice,” said Wu Fangfang. After saying this, she leaned in to please Su Xi, whispering, “Plus, there are people taking photos over there.”

Su Xi: “….”

Well, the sour taste of love, for the sake of friends, it’s okay to occasionally look at green maple leaves.

The group chatted and laughed all the way and soon arrived at a large maple forest.

Sure enough, in October, the maple leaves were all green.

Su Xi casually found a stone stool to sit on without disturbing Wu Fangfang and Wang Hongbing’s search for a photographer.

Chen Yundong also seemed to notice the sweet atmosphere between the class monitor and Wu Fangfang, and he came to sit on the stone next to Su Xi with a knowing look.

Chen Yundong was from Beijing, his family was well-off, he was tall, and he was somewhat handsome, considered a popular figure in school.

The first time he saw Su Xi, he fell in love with this girl, who was as beautiful as a fairy at first sight.

However, although Su Xi was a stunning beauty, she was also a top student and extremely devoted to her studies. She spent her days either in the library researching or assisting professors in the laboratory, busy as a spinning top.

She was a goddess but also a study god, creating a strong sense of distance that made people only dare to admire from afar.

So even though most of the boys in the school admired her, very few actually took action.

Even those one or two self-proclaimed literary talents wrote a few romantic poems to Su Xi, but they didn’t create any ripples.

Chen Yundong had been a fearless leader since he was a child, but when it came to Su Xi, he was at a loss, his face turning red, unable to say a word.

So, even if he had a crush on her for two or three years, the words he had spoken to Su Xi didn’t exceed five words.

Now, by defeating most of the boys in the class, he finally had the chance to enter Su Xi’s world.

Unexpectedly, he got the chance to spend time alone with her. Chen Yundong felt that this was heaven helping him. He couldn’t hesitate anymore. The opportunity was right in front of him. If he didn’t confess now, he would simply let down his own title of fearless leader.

With this in mind, Chen Yundong slapped himself hard on the face and said, “Slap! Slap!” twice, trying to make himself brave through the pain.

However, when it came to the moment of truth, he couldn’t control the increasing heat in his face. In the end, he couldn’t even look at Su Xi, wishing he could bury his head in the mud. After a while, he mumbled, “Comrade Su… Su Xi, would you… would you like to be my… my girlfriend?”

“……”
The wait for a reply was excruciating. Chen Yundong didn’t know how long had passed. From the excitement of confessing to the anticipation of a response and then to the disappointment of not receiving an answer, it felt like centuries had passed.

Surrounded by silence, time seemed to stretch on endlessly.

As time passed, Chen Yundong’s face became paler and paler. He clenched his teeth tightly, wanting to ask again but not knowing how to start.

But he couldn’t just give up like this. He was unwilling. He didn’t know how long he would have to wait for such a good opportunity again. So he mustered the last bit of courage he had left and turned his head to look at Su Xi.

And then… His face froze.

Where… Where is she?

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Lucia: My blud confessed to the air T____T

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