Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Lin Xu returned home, Ye Feng's words still echoing in her mind: "Sometimes, I feel that way too."
She lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Ye Feng's smile was like a warm ray of sunshine on a winter day, lingering in her thoughts. The perfect scholar, viewed by everyone as a deity, also had unspoken worries and pressures; he would even play an old arcade game in the storage room to unwind.
Thinking of this made Lin Xu's lips curve into a faint smile. She got up and walked to the window, pushing it open.
On this winter night, the cold wind howled, and the deep blue sky was adorned with countless twinkling stars, shimmering like Ye Feng's bright eyes. Lin Xu rested her chin on her hands, gazing at the starry sky, her thoughts drifting far away.
On the day the final exam results were announced, Lin Xu arrived at school early. She stood in front of the bulletin board behind the teaching building, scanning the densely packed list of scores for her name.
Fortieth in grade, eighth in class.
"Again eighth?" Lin Xu bit her lip, a wave of intense frustration rising within her. She had given it her all during this period, studying day and night, but why couldn’t she catch up with those ahead of her?
She felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment and loss, as if all her efforts had been in vain.
"Wow, look! Ye Feng is first in grade again! That's incredible!" Xu Jiaqi's voice suddenly came from behind her, filled with unabashed admiration and envy.
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat, as if an invisible hand had tugged at it. She instinctively turned to look at the front row of the classroom, where Ye Feng was deeply engrossed in his book, seemingly indifferent to the surrounding chatter and his own results.
He remained as he always was—cool and aloof—as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
"What are you looking at?" Xu Jiaqi suddenly leaned closer to Lin Xu with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Stop looking; Ye Feng never glances at us ordinary folks."
Lin Xu's face flushed instantly; she hurriedly turned away. "I... I was just looking at the score list."
"Really?" Xu Jiaqi smiled knowingly. "Do you know which class Ye Feng signed up for at the tutoring center recently?"
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat. Of course she knew Ye Feng was going to a tutoring center, but which class was he in?
"He... he's going to a tutoring center?"
"Yeah, it's over on New Street at Zhuangyuan Education," Xu Jiaqi said proudly. "I made sure to find out."
Hearing the words "Zhuangyuan Education," Lin Xu felt a surge of inexplicable emotions within her. During the winter break, she passed by Zhuangyuan Education on New Street almost every day. She slowed her pace, peering through the glass window, searching for that familiar figure in the classroom. Yet, each time she returned disappointed.
She always miscalculated the timing; either she arrived too early to find it empty or too late to find it deserted, never managing to encounter him. "Is this what they call fate without a connection?" Lin Xu chuckled self-deprecatingly.
On the first monthly exam after school resumed, eager to achieve a good score, Lin Xu arrived at the exam hall half an hour early. Her heart raced because this time, the seating arrangement was different from before; the first exam room had been expanded, and she found herself seated in the same room as Ye Feng.
This unexpected surprise filled her with excitement and anxiety, leaving her somewhat at a loss. "Ye Feng, do you think this exam will be difficult?" Xu Jiaqi stood in front of Ye Feng's desk, deliberately raising her voice with a slightly coquettish tone.
Ye Feng was organizing his exam materials and replied without looking up, "It should be fine; if you've studied seriously, it won't be too hard."
Lin Xu sat in the back row, silently observing this scene with mixed feelings. How she wished she could be as confident as Xu Jiaqi, standing gracefully before Ye Feng and speaking to him naturally instead of watching from afar, lacking even the courage to approach.
"Quiet! The exam is about to begin!" The invigilator entered the classroom and began rearranging the seating. "We will rearrange seats according to your scores," the teacher announced while checking the list. "Ye Feng, you sit in the first row, first seat. Lin Xu... you will sit next to Ye Feng."
"What? Me?" Lin Xu's heart nearly stopped; she even doubted whether she had heard correctly. She was going to sit next to Ye Feng? It felt like a dream!
"Teacher," Xu Jiaqi suddenly raised her hand, interrupting the teacher, "Can I switch seats with Lin Xu? My eyesight isn't very good; I want to sit closer so I can see better."
Lin Xu's heart sank like lead. Of course, how could she deserve to sit next to Ye Feng? A plain girl like her, with average grades, didn’t belong at the same desk as the top student in their grade.
Just then, Ye Feng spoke up: "Teacher, I think it’s better to stick with the original arrangement. The exam should be fair; we can't change seats for personal reasons."
The classroom fell silent as everyone turned in surprise towards Ye Feng. Lin Xu looked up just in time to meet his gaze. He smiled at her—a warm and bright smile that reminded her of that afternoon in the storage room when he had smiled at her with a hint of mischief and tenderness.
"Alright, let's stick to the original plan," the teacher announced, breaking the silence in the classroom.
Lin Xu cautiously walked over to the seat next to Ye Feng and sat down, her palms sweaty. She stole a glance at Ye Feng's exam paper and noticed he was writing quickly, yet his handwriting was neat and clear, just like his demeanor—clean and sharp.
Suddenly, she realized she had written her exam registration number incorrectly; she had swapped the 0 and 6! Panic surged through her—this was an exam after all. If her registration number was wrong, wouldn’t that mean her efforts were in vain?
She felt as restless as an ant on a hot pan, unsure of what to do. Just then, Ye Feng quietly slid a note over to her: "Don't panic, just use correction tape to fix it."
Lin Xu froze for a moment, looking up at Ye Feng in surprise. Did he really notice her predicament? And he was so thoughtful to remind her?
She opened her mouth to say thank you, but Ye Feng had already handed her the correction tape. Their fingers accidentally brushed against each other, and Lin Xu felt a jolt of electricity shoot from her fingertips throughout her body. Her heart raced as if it might leap out of her chest, and her face burned with heat.
After the exam ended, Lin Xu's hands trembled as she packed her bag. She knew this might be the closest she ever got to Ye Feng. Soon, they would return to their own paths like two parallel lines that would never intersect again.
"Lin Xu," Ye Feng suddenly called out as she prepared to leave.
"Hmm?" Lin Xu turned around, trying hard to keep her voice steady.
"I read your essay," Ye Feng said. "It was really good. Especially that piece 'Starry Sky'; it had a lot of feeling."
Lin Xu's face flushed instantly; she hadn’t expected Ye Feng to read her essay, let alone remember it so clearly.
"Th-thank you," she murmured, looking down shyly.
"Actually," Ye Feng paused for a moment, "I think you have great potential. If you're willing, we could study together."
Lin Xu's head shot up, eyes wide in disbelief. Ye Feng—the top student in their grade—was actually suggesting they study together?
"Of course," Ye Feng added quickly, "this will be our little secret. Just like that day in the storage room."
Lin Xu looked into Ye Feng's eyes; they seemed to hold stars within them—twinkling brightly and gently.
Comment 0 Comment Count