Chapter 15 – Another Crush

In the end, Xu Shiqi went to buy the phone by herself.

After she made the suggestion, the girl paused her porridge-drinking, seemingly deep in thought for a moment, before slowly saying, “Sorry, I have something to do today.”

Xu Shiqi’s invitation was casual. She thought the girl was as free as she was, so she provided a place to pass the time. Unexpectedly, she was refused. But since it was just a casual offer, she didn’t mind, so she just smiled and continued watching her drink the porridge before seeing her out the door.

High school boys and girls were already in the throes of youth, and when they sat together, their conversation topics included not only studies but also the opposite sex.

During this period, Wen Baohua said she must find a prince charming and live a fairytale life. No one laughed at her. She had a typical virtuous and gentle personality, so it wasn’t surprising that she married early. Although her prince charming didn’t seem to be perfect, the reality was not far from her original dream.

Kuang Xiaoan, on the other hand, became uncharacteristically shy. A boy from the neighboring class always made her sit by the window during breaks, craning her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of him and storing every moment in her heart.

As for Xu Shiqi, everyone eagerly awaited her thoughts. However, at that time, she had no interest in such matters. She only sat with them out of necessity. Nobody believed she had no crush, so they started comparing boys in their class to her. Xu Shiqi either called one boy a shorty, another a skinny bamboo pole, or criticized someone’s sweat smell after PE class, or gently dismissed someone’s overdeveloped body as ancestral throwback with too much body hair.

Disappointed and wide-eyed, everyone realized Xu Shiqi’s standards were incredibly high and picky. Even Kuang Xiaoan, not giving up, asked Xu Shiqi what she thought of her crush. Xu Shiqi just returned an apologetic look and asked if she really wanted to know. Kuang Xiaoan gave up, quickly changing the subject to protect her sweet fantasies from Xu Shiqi’s blunt critique.

Throughout high school, while other girls had little romances, Xu Shiqi had none, or she protected herself too well.

Xu Shiqi didn’t understand why she was so different, uninterested in any boys, thinking her feelings just hadn’t emerged. She didn’t regret it.

However, after struggling, she realized she couldn’t like any boys no matter how hard she tried. She couldn’t reveal the real reason to her old classmates. So, her high standards and picky perfectionism became the perfect excuse.

Xu Shiqi bought a cheap phone. The shopkeeper assured her it could survive seven or eight drops, even if it fell apart, it could be reassembled and still work. Though she didn’t ask if it could withstand high heels, she was satisfied. Seeing the smart phones exuding an aura of “having me equals ruling the world,” she decided not to torture her eyes and settled for a basic phone.

A few days later, on a weekend, she received a call from Kuang Xiaoan. Classmates living in the same city led their separate lives, only gathering monthly. Sometimes, running into each other, they’d chat briefly and perhaps plan a meal, often forgotten in the flow of life. Only when someone from out of town returned did everyone gather. Kuang Xiaoan, loving company, never missed a chance to get together. This time, she proudly called everyone, having brought her boyfriend along.

Wen Baohua said it was improper to make the guest treat them, so she meticulously planned the day from lunch to tea and dinner, then to a bar, making Kuang Xiaoan laugh and warn against scaring her boyfriend off with too much drinking.

Xu Shiqi, more focused on Kuang Xiaoan’s chosen man, didn’t mind the opposite sex, but she still valued friendships. If she ever reached a breaking point where she had to share her secret, Kuang Xiaoan or Wen Baohua would be her confidants. But that moment hadn’t come, and she preferred seeing her friends happy.

Kuang Xiaoan’s boyfriend was open and cheerful, unlike Wen Baohua’s complementary marriage. Xu Shiqi wondered if they were lively together, but having someone to share life with was happiness.

On the agreed day, many classmates arrived, some with their partners, to Kuang Xiaoan’s chagrin. At lunch, despite her boyfriend’s warning, he couldn’t avoid being toasted by everyone. When they noticed Kuang Xiaoan’s smirk, it was too late. Her boyfriend drank freely, showing his boldness. Xu Shiqi whispered to Kuang Xiaoan, worrying about his health, but Kuang Xiaoan laughed, saying his drinking charm won her over, and they had prepared for this, knowing they needed to impress everyone.

True to her words, everyone ended up under the table, still giving thumbs up in defeat. Kuang Xiaoan’s boyfriend stood victorious, humorously asking if he made her proud before collapsing himself.

Wen Baohua lamented the ruined welcome party and lost afternoon plans, realizing her vision of nostalgic conversations was overly idealistic.

Xu Shiqi reminded her of their usual pattern: drinking, sleeping it off, and then continuing to party.

That afternoon, Kuang Xiaoan took her boyfriend back to the hotel to rest, not rejoining her friends. Wen Baohua and Xu Shiqi adeptly sent their drunk classmates home. When taking the last boy, he suddenly grabbed Xu Shiqi’s sleeve, his face flushed with alcohol but eyes determined.

Wen Baohua hesitated. She knew this boy had always been alone, never missing a gathering, always sitting opposite Xu Shiqi, never daring to confess despite everyone’s encouragement. Today, he seemed to have reached a breaking point. Wen Baohua glanced at the expressionless Xu Shiqi, finding her suddenly unfamiliar and unapproachable, but this was a chance she couldn’t ruin.

“I’ll check if the car is parked properly,” Wen Baohua said, hurrying away. She knew Xu Shiqi’s indifferent attitude towards this boy, treating him like any other classmate with gentle detachment.

Xu Shiqi sighed inwardly.

This boy was the one she once called a “shorty.” He had grown tall but remained shy.

She knew of his feelings but couldn’t reciprocate, choosing to ignore them to avoid awkwardness.

This was another unrequited love story, unlike Wen Jialuo who kept her secret. Seeing the boy about to speak, Xu Shiqi quickly said, “If you say it, we’ll never meet again.”

His eyes widened, hearing such gentle yet harsh words. He let go, sitting dejectedly, his face turning pale from drunkenness.

Xu Shiqi watched him coldly, unmoved by his pain. If she could, she would have chosen this excellent man. But there was no “if,” her heart ticked mechanically, every beat the same.

“I’ll take you home,” she said softly.

The boy, silent for a while, finally murmured thanks.

Xu Shiqi supported his trembling arm, holding up his nearly collapsing body. Her touch made him shiver, not knowing if from excitement or despair.

Wen Baohua waited outside, her eyes lighting up at their appearance but dimming at Xu Shiqi’s unchanged expression, realizing the boy had no chance. She sighed, helping to support him.

After dropping the boy home, Wen Baohua drove Xu Shiqi back to her shop. It took her a while to speak.

“Do you think his love for you might last a lifetime?”

Xu Shiqi was stunned, remembering she once asked the same question.

“Your sister is smart,” Xu Shiqi said leisurely. “When a crush reaches a certain level, the magnetic field might make the other person aware. If the other person doesn’t respond, it’s already a form of rejection—just like with me. Not confessing actually preserves a complete admiration and avoids greater hurt.”

“Maybe the person Jia Luo likes has a personality similar to yours,” Wen Baohua said with a bitter smile. “Actually, thinking about him is the only reason I can believe what happened to Jia Luo. By the way, did you know that it was your comment about his height that spurred him to play basketball like crazy and eventually grow so tall?”

Xu Shiqi laughed, “Then shouldn’t he thank me?”

Wen Baohua glared at her, “Heartless woman.”

“I don’t feel sorry for him,” Xu Shiqi said quietly.

Matters of the heart involve two people, but ultimately, they are still personal matters. Wen Baohua didn’t say anything more. She just stopped at a red light and glanced at Xu Shiqi for a while. In the past, when they discussed boys, the boys were also discussing them. Apparently, Xu Shiqi was liked by more than just that one boy in the class. After all, her soothing voice was captivating, and her looks were quite striking. It wasn’t just the boys; even the girls wanted to be close to her and talk to her. That’s why being good friends with Kuang Xiaoyan used to make Wen Baohua quite proud.

Thinking about those past events, Wen Baohua smiled. Time passes quickly. Maybe in the blink of an eye, they will all be old, and by then, Xu Shiqi should have someone by her side.

The plan was disrupted by alcohol, and it was hard to gather everyone for dinner. However, the night’s activities were still on, and the familiar bar with the familiar private room greeted Xu Shiqi with familiar noise when she pushed the door open.

Kuang Xiaoyan’s boyfriend had won everyone’s hearts with his drinking ability. He had quickly become well acquainted with everyone and was now being coaxed into singing a duet with Kuang Xiaoyan, who had a raspy voice. Wen Baohua was still busy setting up snacks and drinks. Oh, this bar was actually owned by her second uncle.

Glancing around, Xu Shiqi noticed that the boy who almost confessed to her was also present. He was the only one who hadn’t sobered up, just sitting motionless on the sofa.

As soon as Xu Shiqi entered, Kuang Xiaoyan grabbed her like a lifeline.

“Xiaoyan can sing if you guys first get her boyfriend drunk,” Xu Shiqi said with a smile.

Kuang Xiaoyan looked at her with admiration.

Everyone groaned in unison, deciding to spare the main singer and instead make her supporter pay the price, pushing Xu Shiqi to the front.

In front of the private room’s projector was a small semicircular stage with a microphone stand on the side. A spotlight shone directly there.

Xu Shiqi chose a song, pulled up a high chair, set the microphone to a lower position, and then started singing with a smile: “When the spring warms the flower wall, it’s time to leave the mud, to learn to be brave and independent…”

When Xu Shiqi sang, no one else spoke loudly. It wasn’t that her singing was extraordinarily good; it was that no one could create the atmosphere she did. She even turned off the projector, just listening to the accompaniment and singing slowly and softly. Her voice resonated throughout the room, touching everyone’s hearts closely.

While Wen Baohua was lost in the music, she saw a phone light up on the table. She got up and went to the attached bathroom to take the call, finishing it quickly before leaving the room. Though she already knew from the call, she was still startled to see Wen Yu and Wen Jia Luo standing outside the door.

“What are you doing here?” Wen Baohua asked curiously.

Wen Yu was about to speak when Wen Jia Luo, who had been leaning lazily against the wall, suddenly perked up. “Sis, who’s singing?”

The question was somewhat redundant because she had already recognized the voice. While still asking, she had already unceremoniously pushed the door open, and the voice inside became louder.

“When the spring warms the flowers, every moment has new light. Hope is like spring rain protecting the new seedlings, wishing you peace and everything well. Spring warms you, flowers bloom in your heart…”

Then the projector light came back on, instantly making the figure of the woman on stage seem a bit blurry. Cheers and shouts erupted from all around, and the magical moment where it felt like only that person was singing in the clouds fell into a messy reality.