“Really? That’s great!” Cheng Zhang joyfully took out his phone. “Let’s exchange contact details. I can ask you questions on my phone in the future…”
They exchanged contact information, and after Cheng Zhang asked a few questions, Pei Chen learned that he was indeed in the third year of junior high school. Cheng Zhang then accompanied him to the entrance of the café and invited him to come by for coffee in the future.
After leaving, Pei Chen headed towards the bus stop.
After a while, his phone rang; it was Xuan Xia calling.
After a moment, Pei Chen finally pressed the answer button. Xuan Xia sighed with relief on the other end: “Big brother, you finally answered my call!”
“Is there something?” Pei Chen’s tone was still cold.
“Brother, please don’t be mad. I know I was wrong…”
Xuan Xia then proceeded to apologize for ten minutes straight, with sincere words and a tone that was almost tearful, almost as if he were reciting poetry.
As Xuan Xia continued, Pei Chen rubbed his aching forehead and, feeling helpless, interrupted him: “Are you done? You really talk a lot.”
Xuan Xia chuckled: “If I don’t say this much, it wouldn’t seem like a proper apology. Can you forgive me?”
At this point, he had to fully embrace his role as the chatty prince of Lincheng.
Pei Chen didn’t want to continue the conversation, but Xuan Xia, sensing that Pei Chen’s anger had subsided, reassured him: “Don’t worry, I was wrong this time. I definitely won’t do this again in the future.”
Pei Chen did not respond and asked calmly:
“Does Liang Zhiyi really have a cousin?”
“Yes,” Xuan Xia confirmed. “Actually, I meant to tell you about this a few days ago. The papers you corrected weren’t entirely in vain.” Xuan Xia then recalled something, “By the way, I just spoke with Liang Zhiyi on the phone.”
Pei Chen’s attention sharpened.
Xuan Xia had learned the specifics of their argument from that day and said: “I sensed that Liang Zhiyi feels quite guilty. I know you’re angry with her, but you might have misunderstood her. She hasn’t told anyone about this. If she really wanted to prank you, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths, and she didn’t gain any benefit from it…”
Pei Chen’s eyes darkened as he listened to Xuan Xia’s words.
Xuan Xia added, “I’m not trying to defend her. Our method was indeed wrong, but she helped you out of good intentions. Some of the things you said might have hurt her feelings. Liang Zhiyi is truly a simple and kind-hearted girl…”
Pei Chen recalled the pained and aggrieved words of the girl: “Pei Chen, is this how you really think of me?”
He lowered his gaze, falling into silence.
After finishing the call with Xuan Xia, Pei Chen returned home and completed all the physics exercises he had bought. He had already self-studied all the high school physics courses in advance.
Today was the last day of the National Day holiday. In the afternoon, he decided to relax and went out to the library to read.
When Xuan Xia called him to play games, Pei Chen declined. Xuan Xia, knowing he was heading to the library, stopped bothering him.
In the afternoon, the sunlight was not too bright and there was a slight breeze.
At the library, Pei Chen went to the natural sciences section and was browsing through books when a surprised female voice called out, “Pei Chen!”
He turned to see Sang Xunling, who was wearing a sky-blue dress, also there.
The girl approached him with a look of pleasant surprise and said softly, “What a coincidence, you’re here to read too?”
Pei Chen responded indifferently, then turned his gaze back to the books, his expression unchanged.
Sang Xunling had come alone and was surprised to run into him. She chatted casually with him for a bit before saying she would also pick out some books.
Pei Chen picked a few books on big data and went to the reading area, sitting down at a white rectangular table.
After a while, Sang Xunling also came over with a few books and sat down across from him, shyly smiling, “The air conditioning vent is over there, so it’s not as cold here.”
Pei Chen glanced at her briefly before continuing to read his books, seemingly indifferent.
Sang Xunling adjusted her braid and skirt, and stole glances at Pei Chen. Since this was their first time spending time together like this, her heart was filled with many pink bubbles of excitement.
She smiled softly and focused on her book.
The entire afternoon, even though Pei Chen didn’t initiate conversation, he responded when Sang Xunling occasionally spoke to him.
However, since they were in the library, she couldn’t talk to him much.
As time passed, the sky gradually darkened.
Pei Chen finished the last page and closed the book.
Pei Chen took a sip of water and casually turned his head, only to catch sight of a familiar figure at the entrance of the library.
His gaze halted suddenly.
Liang Zhiyi was wearing a light yellow camisole dress, her skin smooth and delicate like fine porcelain, and her demeanor bright and cheerful. She held a cat carrier in her arms, strolling slowly at the entrance and occasionally glancing inside the library with her clear, doe-like eyes.
Today, Liang Zhiyi, like Sang Xunling, had her hair styled in two braids, but hers looked more playful and lively.
Seeing her, Pei Chen’s eyes momentarily froze.
He then looked down at his phone and noticed a message from Xuan Xia sent half an hour ago: “This afternoon, Liang Zhiyi asked me where you were, saying she had something important to discuss with you. I told her you were at the library. I was afraid you might get upset, so I wanted to let you know first.”
Pei Chen glanced back at the entrance and noticed Sang Xunling, who had been observing him, now looking curiously at the door. To her surprise, she saw Liang Zhiyi.
Sang Xunling’s eyes widened slightly.
Why is she here at the entrance?!
With a subtle expression, she asked Pei Chen, “Did I see that correctly? Is that Liang Zhiyi?”
Pei Chen responded with a quiet “yes.”
Sang Xunling smiled, “What a coincidence, she’s here too…”
Pei Chen didn’t reply, glanced at the gray sky outside, and finally said, “I’m about to leave.”
Sang Xunling, seeing this, packed her things and said, “Alright, I’ll leave with you.”
Meanwhile, outside the library.
Liang Zhiyi waited idly at the entrance.
This afternoon, after helping take Cookie to the pet store for a bath, she decided to bring it along to apologize to Pei Chen in person. After asking Xuan Xia, she found out that Pei Chen was at the library.
While waiting, she silently organized her apology speech in her mind and practiced it quietly.
However, after waiting for a long time without seeing him, she grew bored and squatted by the wall next to the entrance, placing the transparent cat carrier on the ground and playing with Cookie, muttering to herself, “What if he stays here reading late into the night? How long do we have to wait…”
Suddenly, she heard the sound of rain pattering and looked up to see that it had started to drizzle.
Indeed, the autumn rain in Lincheng was relentless.
She petted Cookie’s head through the glass of the carrier and sighed, “Oh no, Cookie, it looks like we’re going to be stuck here…”
As Liang Zhiyi finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of someone emerging from the library.
She quickly looked up and met Pei Chen’s deep, distant gaze.
The boy approached her, dressed in white and black, his demeanor reserved and aloof.
The sound of raindrops hitting the ground echoed in Liang Zhiyi’s ears, each drop striking her heart.
In their silent exchange of glances, her mind went blank.
Regaining her senses, she hurriedly picked up the cat carrier and stood up. But as she shifted her gaze slightly, she noticed that Sang Xunling was walking beside Pei Chen.
Sang Xunling, almost at her side, gave Liang Zhiyi a gentle smile and said, “Zhiyi.”
Liang Zhiyi greeted her, looking at the two of them with surprise, “Were you in the library just now?”
“Yes, Pei Chen and I were reading in there this afternoon.”
Seeing Sang Xunling’s victorious smile, Liang Zhiyi felt a pang of jealousy. So, while she had waited outside, Pei Chen had been inside, enjoying his time with Sang Xunling…
She wished she hadn’t come.
Feeling Pei Chen’s gaze on her, she suppressed her feelings of hurt and averted her eyes.
Sang Xunling opened an umbrella and turned to Pei Chen, “You’re taking the bus home, right? Let’s go to the station together.”
Pei Chen replied coldly, “You go ahead.”
Sang Xunling’s smile froze.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I have something to do.”
Sang Xunling quickly recovered her composure, smiled at him, and said, “Alright, then. See you…”
She turned and walked away, glancing back after a while to see Pei Chen still standing in the same spot, with Liang Zhiyi next to him.
Her eyes were filled with shock.
Back at the library entrance, Liang Zhiyi looked down at the cat carrier. After a few seconds, Pei Chen’s deep voice came from above, “What are you doing here?”
Liang Zhiyi, feeling a pang of sadness, didn’t want to admit she was there to apologize. “I was at a nearby pet store giving the cat a bath… I happened to pass by.”
This afternoon, she went to the café to play and brought Cookie along for a bath.
Pei Chen, hearing this, didn’t challenge her lie. Instead, he looked at Cookie in the carrier. The cat meowed happily upon seeing him, clearly excited.
Liang Zhiyi silently rolled her eyes.
Why is this little guy so thrilled just to see him? How embarrassing…
Seeing that Pei Chen didn’t say anything, Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but ask, “Did you come to the library with Sang Xunling this afternoon?”
Pei Chen lifted his eyes to meet hers and replied indifferently: “We ran into each other by chance.”
“Oh…” Realizing it was a misunderstanding, she forced a smile, “That’s quite a coincidence.”
Pei Chen looked at her bright and cute appearance with her dark braids hanging over her shoulder and remained silent.
Liang Zhiyi kicked a small pebble at her feet, feeling uncertain about how to apologize. After a moment, she mumbled, “It’s raining.”
“Hmm.”
What does “hmm” mean?
He doesn’t get her hint…
Seeing that her subtlety had failed, she lowered her head and said quietly, “I didn’t bring an umbrella, so you go ahead. I’ll wait here with Cookie.”
Then, she saw Pei Chen open the umbrella he was holding. She turned her head, not wanting to look at him.
But two seconds later, a shadow suddenly fell over her.
She looked up to see Pei Chen holding the umbrella over her.
His cool gaze was fixed on her as he asked softly, “Aren’t you coming?”