Si Nian did not return to school but wandered aimlessly on the street. I followed her closely, going wherever she went. When she stopped, I stopped too. When she turned around and looked at me impatiently, she asked, "Why are you following me? Are you going to the girls' restroom?"
I didn't answer her but countered with a question, "Why aren't you going to class?"
"Why aren't you?" she raised an eyebrow in response.
"I took a leave of absence."
She was taken aback for a moment, then scoffed, "A genius like me certainly can't wake up early and stay late like those ordinary people. My time is precious; I have to save poor kids like you."
She said this lightly, with a hint of self-deprecation: "If I went to school, wouldn't that delay my progress in becoming a world hero?"
Suddenly, I felt an indescribable despair and sadness that made it hard to breathe. My body swayed slightly, and Si Nian immediately lost her smile and asked worriedly, "What's wrong with you?"
I shook my head and replied, "It's nothing."
She nodded but then asked, "What’s your name?"
I looked at her but didn’t answer.
She frowned slightly and repeated, "What’s your name?"
I still remained silent.
She suddenly became anxious: "Speak! You’re not mute, are you?"
I continued to say nothing, just staring at her as tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
Si Nian panicked instantly and hurriedly pulled out a tissue from her pocket and handed it to me. "Please don’t cry; I hate it when people cry."
I took the tissue and wiped my tears, but they kept flowing.
Si Nian sighed helplessly. "What do you want from me?"
"I want to know your name," I choked out.
"My name is Si Nian," she said with a mix of laughter and exasperation. "Why do you want to know my name?"
"I'll pay you back."
"You'll pay me back?" She was taken aback.
I nodded seriously, "I will return the money to you."
She smiled, "This ring isn't worth much; I bought it when I stumbled upon it. It was a bit expensive, but not too pricey."
"Then I want to return it to you."
Seeing my serious expression, she suddenly burst into laughter, "Alright, since you insist on paying me back, go ahead."
She reached out and patted my arm, "Remember, my name is Si Nian."
On the way back, I tried to ask her more about herself, but she was unwilling to say much and always cleverly changed the subject, maintaining that carefree smile.
I could only set my questions aside for the time being.
At the school gate, Si Nian suddenly said, "I heard your grades are really good."
I was momentarily stunned and then realized that Si Nian seemed to know quite a bit about me.
I turned to look at Si Nian; she winked at me with a bright smile.
At that moment, the security guard noticed us and rushed out, shouting at us, "Which class are you from? Why are you only coming back now?"
"I..."
Just as I was about to explain, Si Nian leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Gao Ming, you have to keep moving forward. No matter what happens, keep going."
"Only by moving forward will you know what the outcome is."
"Don't give up, okay?"
My heart skipped a beat; for some reason, Si Nian's words felt like a farewell and encouragement at the same time.
"Hey, did you hear that?" The security guard was still shouting.
"Answer me quickly!"
"Did you skip class to go on a date?"
I turned to look at Si Nian; she smiled at me.
"Let's go pray at the temple!" Then she turned and ran away.
I stared blankly at her departing figure, feeling somewhat dazed.
"Are you deaf?" The guard grabbed my arm and continued to nag, "Kids your age should be focusing on their studies. How can you be in a relationship so early?"
"You’re still young and don’t understand these things. You’ll get it when you grow up."
"You need to go inside right now and write a 5,000-word reflection. Otherwise, I’ll tell your homeroom teacher."
I numbly listened to the guard’s complaints as I walked into the campus.
I reached into my pocket and felt something hard. When I pulled it out, I was surprised to find it was Si Nian's ring.
Si Nian gave me the ring again!
The guard's nagging continued, but I tightened my grip on the ring, feeling my affection for Si Nian deepen.
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