Chapter 016

He Ye had a particularly fulfilling year. She had been busy with homework at school, but during the winter vacation, she finally finished reading the four tutorial books recommended by Lu Jin.

Although it didn’t instantly boost her grades to a particularly high level, He Ye gained new insights, especially in Chinese and English. It was like a disciple in a martial arts drama who, after gaining higher internal power, would improve significantly with persistent practice.

This was all thanks to Lu Jin.

The first day of school was Monday, and by the end of the night, they were the only two left in the classroom. He Ye looked at Lu Jin, who seemed unfamiliar again after the winter break, and brought up the topic of the tutoring book. “I think it’s been very helpful to me. Thank you so much.”

Lu Jin, focused on mopping the floor, replied casually, “As long as it helps. I’ll recommend a good tutorial to you next time I find one.”

He Ye eagerly said, “Okay, you can just buy two, and I’ll give you a red envelope later.”

“Um.”

The next semester of senior high school life could be summed up in four words: college entrance examination sprint.

Regardless of whether they were students who loved studying or those distracted by sports, literature, art, or even ambiguous relationships, everyone buried themselves in a sea of questions.

Every day, stacks of test papers filled with exercises were distributed. Students in the front row had long been accustomed to the mechanical action of passing test papers to those sitting behind them.

The first placement test was held in early March. He Ye continued to rank third in the class, but her overall grade ranking improved from over 60 last semester to the top 50, though she was still at the bottom—48th.

He Ye was reserved in front of her classmates, but when she got home in the evening and saw her father, she couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving with joy. Her father happily brought out the wontons she had specially prepared for a midnight snack, giving each of them a bowl.

Regarding his daughter’s test scores, He Yong no longer dared to praise her immediately, as he had done the previous year, fearing he might inadvertently add pressure. He wondered if his daughter might have a chance at getting into Peking University or Tsinghua University, but he never voiced this thought aloud.

“Not bad, not bad. Dad isn’t good at giving compliments, and I don’t know what gift you like, so I’ll reward you with one thousand yuan. Buy whatever you want.”

He Ye replied, “I don’t need this kind of reward. I just want you to be happy with me.”

As a student, the only way she could repay her father was with good grades.

He Yong said, “Dad runs a supermarket and earns 10,000 yuan a month, but tonight I’m happier than ever. So I still have to reward you.”

He transferred one thousand yuan to his daughter without further discussion.

Of course, He Ye accepted it happily.

After the results came out, though some students felt anxious about their unsatisfactory scores, the tense atmosphere before the exam generally relaxed.

The weather finally started to feel like spring. It cleared up for several days, and the temperature rose, prompting everyone to eagerly switch to lighter clothing.

During the weekend, He Ye and Zhu Qing went to a scenic spot for an outing.

At noon, they bought a bucket of oden from the scenic spot’s store and found a quiet pavilion where they sat on a bench to eat.

He Ye ate a string of fish balls while peeling a tea egg.

Zhu Qing, biting into a beef ball, glanced at He Ye’s slender white fingers. Enviously, she said, “It’s said that a fair complexion can hide a multitude of imperfections. You’re beautiful to begin with, and even I can’t help but stare at you when you’re so pale.”

Her skin was tender and smooth, like jade—a natural good quality.

He Ye had heard similar compliments from her friends many times. She glanced at Zhu Qing’s hand and said honestly, “You’re not much darker than I am.”

Zhu Qing replied, “Even a slight difference in color can have a significant effect. Plus, I have acne.” She pointed to a small red spot on her left cheek.

He Ye smiled and said, “Who told you to eat so spicy? The college entrance examination is coming soon, so be careful in the next three months. You can eat whatever you want after the exam.”

Zhu Qing was about to respond when she suddenly looked in a certain direction in surprise.

He Ye turned around and saw Zhou Xiangming waving at her with a smile, accompanied by Lu Jin and a boy named Li Liang.

More than a hundred meters away, the boys walked toward them, holding lunch boxes from the canteen.

Zhu Qing smiled at He Ye and said, “You still say we aren’t fated to be together?”

He Ye replied, “…That could also be your fate with them.”

Zhu Qing teased, “Okay, okay, even if it’s mine, you’re just a supporting role, okay?”

He Ye smiled and shook her head.

When the boys entered the pavilion, He Ye had just peeled a tea egg, and both of her hands were greasy. She awkwardly greeted Zhou Xiangming and then started eating the egg white, listening intently to the conversation between Zhu Qing and Zhou Xiangming with her eyelashes lowered.

Zhou Xiangming asked, “Are you guys out for fun?”

Zhu Qing replied, “Isn’t that obvious? Are you three boys here to enjoy the spring or to worship Buddha?”

Zhou Xiangming explained, “We came out early this morning to climb the mountain. We just came down from a nearby peak and came here to worship Buddha. With the college entrance exam approaching, I’m praying for good luck to get into a key university.”

Zhu Qing responded, “If I don’t do my best, Buddha can’t do anything about it.”

Zhou Xiangming looked at her food box and said, “What you’re eating isn’t meatballs but dung balls, right?”

Zhu Qing: …

“Are you disgusting?” She dropped the meatball and chased Zhou Xiangming, who ran out of the pavilion like a monkey, with Zhu Qing following him.

He Ye was suddenly left alone: …

Across from her, Lu Jin ate silently.

Li Liang, who was sitting next to him, had initially been laughing at the two people outside the pavilion. After a while, he realized the situation inside: there were two boys and one girl, making him feel like a third wheel.

“Well, you eat first. I’ll go buy a bottle of water.”

Li Liang set down his lunch box and left in a fairly natural manner.

He Ye watched him leave and noticed that Lu Jin seemed to be looking at her. She looked over tentatively.

After a morning of mountain climbing, Lu Jin’s face was slightly flushed, but his eyes remained clear and cold, easily making those he stared at feel pressured.

He Ye lowered her head and finished the last piece of egg white, as she didn’t like egg yolk.

Lu Jin asked, “How long have you been walking around?”

He Ye thought for a moment and said, “About two hours. It was almost ten o’clock when we got here.”

Lu Jin inquired, “Will you continue exploring later?”

“Yes, it’s a rare chance to get out and have some fun.”

Lu Jin said, “After we finish eating, we’ll go worship Buddha and then leave.”

He Ye tried to make conversation, “You all are impressive for climbing such a long mountain.”

Lu Jin replied, “Once you get used to it, you can try it yourself later.”

He Ye nodded politely.

Her hands were still dirty, so she opened the box of wet wipes she had brought, took out a wipe, and carefully cleaned her fingers.

Lu Jin said, “Want to wash up? I’ll help you pour some water.”

When He Ye looked up, she saw Lu Jin holding a bottle of mineral water and unscrewing the lid.

There was indeed some grease on her hands, so He Ye accepted the help and walked to the outside of the pavilion.

She reached forward, and Lu Jin tilted the bottle, pouring out a thin stream of water.

Outside the pavilion, Zhu Qing, having lost sight of Zhou Xiangming, stopped panting and turned back. Seeing the scene, she snorted and questioned Zhou Xiangming quietly, “Tell me the truth. Does Lu Jin like He Ye?”

Zhou Xiangming, unwilling to betray his friend, immediately denied it, “Don’t talk nonsense. Lu Jin is just being a gentleman. He doesn’t have impure thoughts like you.”

Zhu Qing smiled meaningfully, “Normally, you should be shocked by such an unfounded question. Your eagerness to clear Lu Jin’s name only exposed yourself.”

Zhou Xiangming: “…”

He awkwardly touched his nose, leaned closer to Zhu Qing, and said in a lowered voice, “This is Lu Jin’s secret. You mustn’t tell He Ye. She hasn’t noticed anything at all.”

Zhu Qing was secretly thrilled that her guess had been confirmed, but she maintained a calm exterior, as if she had seen through everything. “I understand. My He Ye is still not perceptive enough to consider emotional issues.”

Zhou Xiangming added, “That’s great. I think Lu Jin doesn’t want to disturb her studies.”

Zhou Xiangming admired his good friend even more because, unlike other boys who would pursue their interests without considering the girl’s situation, Lu Jin was being considerate.

While the two were whispering, Lu Jin and He Ye had separated again, sitting on opposite benches and eating their own food.

After lunch, the boys went to worship Buddha, while the girls, who had already burned incense, continued to enjoy the scenery. They appeared to be just ordinary classmates.

The bright weather lasted for more than ten days. That night, He Yong, who had returned to his hometown for the night, called his daughter after school. “Xiao Ye, I saw the weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow. Don’t forget to bring an umbrella. Don’t ride a bike. Take the bus instead.”

He Ye agreed readily, hung up the phone, and continued doing her homework until midnight before going to bed.

After a good sleep, she woke up and had forgotten her father’s reminder. She made her own breakfast, ate it, put on her backpack, and set off.

It was cloudy outside, but cloudy days were common in Ancheng and didn’t necessarily mean rain.

He Ye didn’t think much of it and rode her bicycle out of the community from the east gate.

As she was riding, the sky suddenly darkened. He Ye looked up and saw a large, dark cloud floating behind her. She could even see the rain curtain hanging from the depths of the dark clouds, connecting heaven and earth.

It was clear that if this cloud caught up with her, she would be soaked.

He Ye gritted her teeth and pedaled faster.

Too focused on the sky, He Ye didn’t notice a bus had stopped at the intersection she had just passed, with a familiar figure standing near the exit.

Lu Jin also recognized He Ye from the bus.

He had taken the bus due to the weather forecast and was uncertain when the rain would start. However, as the bus passed by He Ye, a few raindrops hit the window.

The bus stop was ahead. As the bus stopped, Lu Jin was the first to get off.

Just as the bus drove away, He Ye arrived on her bicycle. The increasingly dense raindrops prevented her from noticing the pedestrians on the roadside until she heard someone calling her name.

With her feet still on the pedals, He Ye looked toward the bus stop on the right.

Lu Jin caught up with her, holding an umbrella.

He Ye stopped in surprise. “Why are you here?”

Lu Jin covered her with the umbrella and explained, “We took the bus. I was feeling carsick and wanted to get off for some fresh air.”

He Ye understood but realized the current situation…

Lu Jin glanced at his watch and said, “Let’s go together. We’ll still make it in time.”

As he finished speaking, the rain started pouring down. Fortunately, Lu Jin quickly grabbed He Ye’s schoolbag from the bicycle basket, saving it from getting wet.

He Ye couldn’t refuse such a downpour.

“I’ll push the bike.”

Lu Jin moved the umbrella handle to his left hand and took the bicycle’s handlebar with his right hand.

He Ye felt awkward.

Lu Jin said, “Come closer.”

He Ye felt even more uncomfortable but noticed that Lu Jin was actually tilting the umbrella towards her. If she didn’t move closer, he would end up getting wet in the rain.

She quickly moved over.

Lu Jin added, “If you’re worried about being seen by your classmates, you can walk inside.”

He Ye did have this concern, mainly because Lu Jin was too outstanding. Any girl close to him would easily attract gossip and speculation.

The two adjusted their positions, with Lu Jin holding the bike with his left hand and the umbrella with his right hand, while He Ye walked on the inside, her figure overshadowed by his.

Knowing how gentlemanly he was, He Ye didn’t dare move too far, even though their shoulders occasionally brushed against each other.

The rain cleaned the red bricks of the sidewalk, and shoes made a clattering sound when stepping on them.

He Ye quietly regretted, “My dad reminded me last night that it would rain, but I actually forgot when I left.”

Lu Jin said, “I’ll lend you this umbrella when we get to school. I’ll buy another one for myself.”

He Ye protested, “No, you should use it yourself. I’ll buy a new one.”

Lu Jin replied, “This is an old umbrella of mine. It’s time for a new one.”

“Yeah?”

He Ye looked up, wanting to observe, but when her gaze met Lu Jin’s, she suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly looked away.

The wind from the rain blew the hair by her ears, brushing against her fair face repeatedly.

The boy’s eyes lingered for a moment before moving away.