Chapter 15

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Right after He Xu finished asking about the English competition, the homeroom teacher called Chen Xi early the next morning to ask if she wanted to participate. Perhaps it was already planned in advance; without hesitation, Chen Xi agreed. The competition was scheduled for mid-August, about half a month away. One afternoon, Chen Xi contemplated what to say and brought it up with her uncle, learning that winning the contest would add bonus points to the college entrance exam. Her uncle was very supportive.

Time was tight, and urgent training was necessary. He Xu’s mother was an English teacher who had emphasized cultivating He Xu’s English skills from a young age, especially his spoken English. In contrast, Chen Xi’s spoken English was her weak point. To make up for this, Chen Xi took the initiative to contact He Xu to ask if he had time to practice speaking together.

He Xu was more than happy to oblige. They agreed to meet at the city library to study together.

The temperature in Xiping rose quickly in July, easily reaching thirty-seven or thirty-eight degrees Celsius, the air thick with humid heat. Chen Xi, sensitive to the heat, wore a light, floral dress on purpose. Her aunt had taken her cousin off early that morning to play mahjong, so Chen Xi skipped saying goodbye and just told Mrs. Wu before leaving.

Carrying her backpack, Chen Xi took the No. 5 bus to the city library. The phone given to her by Zhou Yanzhou was secretly tucked in her bag. Only after the bus had traveled some distance did she take it out, instinctively opening her messages to check for new ones. The last conversation was from three days ago. A faint shadow crossed her eyes as she quietly exited the messaging app.

At the third stop, He Xu got on the bus. He swiped his student card and squeezed into the crowded bus, his gaze roaming the cabin until he spotted Chen Xi sitting by the window in the second-to-last row.

The window wasn’t fully closed; a warm breeze blew in, tousling the wisps of hair on her forehead. Against her pale, slender face, slightly furrowed in thought, it gave her a fragile, disheveled beauty. Her fair skin made her stand out among the crowd.

To avoid taking up too much space, Chen Xi curled her calves inward, sitting sideways on the seat, a small bundle like a cat.

He Xu stared at her for a moment, then squeezed over to the aisle seat beside her. Grasping the handrail, he smiled and greeted, “What a coincidence.”

Hearing the voice, Chen Xi turned to look at He Xu, who had appeared out of nowhere, surprised. She instinctively asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be on bus No. 3?”

He Xu didn’t admit that he had deliberately transferred buses to meet her. Instead, he casually lied, “I just stopped by a convenience store; it was on the way.”

The No. 5 bus was always crowded, especially on weekends, with almost no seats available. There were two stops left before the city library. A middle-aged man sat next to Chen Xi, probably getting off at the next stop, already craning his neck early to prepare. Before the bus stopped completely, the man lifted his plastic bag and got up to exit.

He Xu naturally took the vacant seat beside Chen Xi. Even though it was only for one stop, He Xu was satisfied.

He glanced at Chen Xi from the corner of his eye, noticing she was wearing a dress today. Thinking about the two of them studying together later, he couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

At that moment, he was genuinely happy.

Chen Xi didn’t notice He Xu’s small gesture and asked without guile, “Have you decided on your speech topic?”

Hearing the serious question, He Xu collected his thoughts and confidently said, “My topic is how to stay calm under pressure. The draft is mostly done; I’ll polish the details today.”

After sharing, He Xu inquired about Chen Xi’s topic.

Chen Xi had just learned about the competition and hadn’t prepared at all. She didn’t take the contest as seriously as expected.

Facing He Xu’s question, she feigned calm and shook her head, “Not decided yet.”

He Xu paused, awkwardly comforting her, “No rush, there’s still time. If you want, I can suggest some topics.”

Chen Xi smiled and agreed.

Before He Xu could speak, the bus arrived at the city library.

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Few people got off at this stop. The bus was packed, and Chen Xi struggled to follow He Xu out. He Xu was considerate, immediately asking if she had been bumped and pulling a bottle of milk from his bag, saying she should drink some in the morning.

Chen Xi accepted the milk and whispered a thank you.

The city library required no reservation and had four floors: the first and second were public areas, while the third and fourth were study rooms. The two went to the third floor.

They sat by the window, looking down at the bustling street below. Opposite was the gymnasium, beside it the largest mall in Xiping, and further inside was People’s Square.

The octagonal pagoda in People’s Square was one of Xiping’s top landmarks. Legend had it that it was built during the Tang Dynasty under Empress Wu Zetian. Over the years, it had been repaired and rebuilt several times. Many tourists visited to check it out, making it a well-known local attraction.

Sitting in the library, Chen Xi gazed at the pagoda, as if reliving a forgotten history.

He Xu noticed her silent stare and, flipping open his materials, curiously asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Chen Xi blinked and whispered, “I wonder if the octagonal pagoda will always be the tallest landmark in Xiping.”

The city government almost forbade any building around it from surpassing the pagoda’s height, but Chen Xi, recalling rumors her aunt had mentioned, felt this rule might someday be overturned.

He Xu followed her gaze and saw the imposing pagoda standing solemnly in People’s Square, surrounded by shorter buildings that made it appear sacred and majestic.

He Xu looked away and optimistically said, “It should be. Didn’t the government say no buildings around it can be taller?”

Chen Xi smiled but said nothing.

They studied so intently they barely noticed anyone else, working straight until four in the afternoon.

Chen Xi finished her first draft of the speech and, feeling hungry, finally looked at the time. It was past mealtime. She glanced at He Xu, still working on his exercises, and quietly asked, “He Xu, shall we eat first and continue later?”

He Xu didn’t hear clearly, puzzled, “What?”

Chen Xi blinked and repeated, “Do you want to eat something first?”

Only then did He Xu put down his pen, sensing his own hunger.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and apologized, “Sorry, I lost track of time. What do you want to eat? My treat.”

Chen Xi thought for a while and finally chose the fastest option: “KFC?”

He Xu readily agreed, “Sure, there’s one right across the mall.”

Fearing her belongings might be taken if left in the library, Chen Xi packed up and followed He Xu downstairs for a meal.

On the way, He Xu occasionally asked about their study progress and the competition speech; Chen Xi answered each question.

They entered KFC one after the other. Chen Xi ordered a spicy chicken leg burger, He Xu, wanting a rice meal, chose the bacon mushroom chicken rice. Chen Xi wanted to pay but He Xu insisted on paying first.

After ordering, they found a seat and sat down.

While waiting for their food, Chen Xi propped her chin on her hand, her gaze drifting over the crowd outside the window.

He Xu brought over two colas, handing one to Chen Xi and keeping one for himself.

Just as Chen Xi took the cola, she spotted a familiar figure.

She shivered in fright and instinctively straightened her back.

Zhou Yanzhou had come in to buy a lighter but unexpectedly saw Chen Xi entering KFC, laughing and chatting with a boy about her age.

Adolescents didn’t need much adornment; just a youthful, vibrant face and pure, untainted eyes were enough to make adults sigh, “Youth is truly wonderful.”

Zhou Yanzhou found the sight of the matching pair oddly piercing.

He stood frozen, staring at their backs for a while, suddenly recalling that he had seen that boy once before.

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The boy who shared an umbrella with Chen Xi at the gate of Xiping No. 1 High School?

Zhou Yanzhou was well past the haze of youth, yet watching the moment when the hem of Chen Xi’s floral dress accidentally brushed the boy’s hand, causing his neck to flush red, he couldn’t help frowning.

Recalling that Chen Xi had ignored his text a few days ago, Zhou Yanzhou raised an eyebrow, a faint, inscrutable cold smile crossing his sharply defined face.

He looked up and met Chen Xi’s panicked eyes, then turned away without any emotion.

Chen Xi never imagined running into Zhou Yanzhou here. That scene had left her inexplicably guilty, as if caught in an embarrassing moment. She even felt too ashamed to meet Zhou Yanzhou’s gaze.

Only when she saw Zhou Yanzhou leave without hesitation did Chen Xi hastily stand and try to follow.

He Xu returned with their trays, seeing Chen Xi nervously packing and preparing to leave, he quickly grabbed her arm. “Your burger’s ready. Where are you going?”

He Xu’s sudden grasp brought Chen Xi back to reason.

Looking outside, Zhou Yanzhou’s figure was already gone, as if the whole scene had been an illusion.

Chen Xi sat back down, took the burger He Xu handed her, and prepared to eat before deciding what to do.

Just as she was about to take a bite, her phone buzzed loudly inside her bag.

Chen Xi put down the burger, pulled out her phone, and saw the caller ID. Nervously, she answered.

A man’s commanding voice came through: “Come out.”

Chen Xi’s heart jolted. She was about to reply when the call abruptly ended.

Was he angry?

Sensing trouble, Chen Xi made a decision. Clutching the phone, she apologized, “Sorry, there’s an emergency at home. I have to go.”

Before He Xu could respond, Chen Xi grabbed her bag and hurried out, leaving half-eaten burger untouched.

He Xu watched her anxious retreat until she disappeared through the mall entrance before looking away.

Chen Xi searched around outside the mall but couldn’t find Zhou Yanzhou. Just as she was about to call him, a black car stopped steadily beside her.

She put down her phone, bent over, and glanced at the back seat, seeing only a side profile.

Nervously inhaling, she mustered her courage to open the rear door and slowly got inside.

The man’s expression was grim. Chen Xi dared not provoke him, breathing quietly and trying to minimize her presence.

The car merged back into traffic. Chen Xi bit her lip and quietly stared out the window.

Before she could gather her words, she felt movement near her knees.

Looking down reflexively, she saw the man expressionlessly take her backpack, flip open a notebook inside, and on top lay the speech she had written for He Xu.

Zhou Yanzhou opened the first page, his expression unreadable as he read aloud: “Respected leaders and dear classmates, I am He Xu from Class 2, Grade 11. Today, my speech topic is—”

Chen Xi was petrified, staring dumbfounded at Zhou Yanzhou, unable to utter a sound.

When he read “He Xu’s” name, Zhou Yanzhou deliberately paused for two seconds. Seeing Chen Xi’s pale, frightened face, he suddenly lost interest.

Closing the speech, he turned to scrutinize the curled-up Chen Xi in the corner, a half-smile on his lips, and teasingly asked, “Your first love?”