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Jiang Wen's facial features were smooth, and he wore a loose Nike windbreaker with the zipper undone, revealing a black and orange color-blocked short sleeve underneath.
He stared blankly at the girl in front of him for a few seconds, then somewhat perfunctorily and indifferently pulled the love letter from her hand and opened it.
Cheng Jiajia lowered her head in relief, remaining silent.
Suddenly, he asked, "Do you like me?"
Jiang Wen's expression was calm, his voice quiet and devoid of emotional fluctuation.
Cheng Jiajia was momentarily unsure of his attitude, stunned for two seconds and feeling a bit anxious. She lifted her face, unconsciously revealing a hint of desire and pleading. "Um, Jiang Wen, can I... be your girlfriend? Please don't reject me."
Jiang Wen seemed to be lost in thought. He gazed over at the rockery, his eyes cold and unfocused.
In his line of sight, there was a slightly swaying shadow.
The owner of the shadow thought they were well hidden but accidentally revealed half of their shoulder while holding a half-eaten apple, with a bright red string tied around their wrist.
His gaze drifted back to Cheng Jiajia's face, and one corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Oh, sure."
It was an ordinary Wednesday, with the Golden Crow sinking low on the horizon, swaying precariously at the edge of the sky. Feng Ning finished her run and headed back to the dormitory, needing to pass through a quiet little garden. The garden used to be a biological park, with many winding paths.
As she passed by the Rockery, she suddenly slowed her pace. Small pebbles were kicked away, rolling a short distance.
It was particularly quiet here, with only a few students occasionally passing by, making any sound seem especially jarring.
A shy and timid female voice spoke up, "I... have something to tell you."
Feng Ning felt somewhat frozen, pondering what kind of scene was unfolding before her. Just as she was about to turn back, her footsteps halted.
What a coincidence.
The boy was actually Jiang Wen.
The girl had her back to her, standing on the grass in a light-colored ankle-length dress, her slightly curled long hair falling loosely.
With handsome boys and beautiful girls set against the perfect backdrop of dusk, it looked like a picturesque illustration from a fairy tale.
The girl raised her arm and handed something over, her face slightly flushed. "This is for you. Can you take a look at it now?"
Feng Ning understood. She shifted her stance, both waiting and watching.
In a good mood, she took another couple of bites from the apple in her hand. Her fingers were sticky with juice.
With a bit of intention to eavesdrop, she dared not make any loud noises for fear of disturbing their moment.
Someone once asked her this, and how did she respond?
"Then you just have to consider yourself unlucky," Feng Ning said.
But right now, Jiang Wen was sitting there, with a band-aid that Feng Ning had personally bought stuck above his brow.
It was cartoonish, light blue, featuring an innocent little elephant topped with a white daisy. Paired with his disheveled appearance, he looked as if he had suffered some great betrayal.
Feng Ning couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, reflecting on what she had done to him.
After a moment's thought, it seemed that she really was the one at fault first. Hesitating for a moment, the words that almost slipped out turned into, "Then I guess I must thank you for your misguided affection."
At the quiet bus stop, with few pedestrians around, the occasional speeding car splashed a puddle of water. On a rainy night, under the lights, they sat and squatted without moving. It truly felt like a scene from a movie.
"Thank you for your misguided affection..." Jiang Wen repeated in a low tone, suppressing his anger. "Wasn't it you who liked me first?"
"...Huh?" Feng Ning paused for a moment, her expression complicated. "Well, um, I’m awake now."
But Jiang Wen was no longer awake.
When love is depicted in books, it is often filtered through too many beautiful lenses; however, love in reality brings about subtle fear, discomfort, and joy.
The unfamiliar confusion and pain stirred up a strong resentment within Jiang Wen. His pride, restraint, and indifference were all cast aside.
He could no longer endure it and found it hard to understand. "So you don't like me? Why did you play that kind of joke on me then? The love at first sight on a rainy day and the sticky notes—were all those lies?"
"...?"
The continuous questioning left Feng Ning at a loss for words.
She felt helpless and couldn't help but wonder about Jiang Wen's pure innocence, which was completely at odds with his appearance.
Feng Ning did not deny that at first, Jiang Wen's pretentiousness sparked a desire to bully him, and she even became a bit smug as she teased him.
She recognized her own fault but didn't want to admit that everything stemmed from her own prank.
Feng Ning sighed inwardly, sincerely reflecting for two seconds, and somewhat petty, she shifted the concept, "If you suddenly develop feelings for someone, you need to be patient. Wait until you can distinguish whether it's love or just hormones before making any further decisions. If you haven't experienced puppy love before, just try it a few more times until you get used to it."
Her words were ambiguous, making it hard for others to tell if she was mocking herself or imparting wisdom. However, what Jiang Wen could be sure of was that he had been played.
When emotions reached a critical point, he managed to calm down instead.
Under the moonlight, the droplets falling from the eaves were very quiet. His handsome features were cold and sharp, with the last glimmer of light in his eyes resembling the most piercing icy spring in a mountain stream, shrouded in a faint mist.
Jiang Wen stood up, his expression returning to one of indifference. As he passed by her, he paused for a moment and slowly said, "You really are ridiculous."
Feng Ning took a piece of chocolate from her pocket, tore open the wrapper, broke off a small piece, and put it in her mouth to let it melt.
The incessant rain seemed to separate them into two worlds as she quietly watched Jiang Wen gradually walk away.
The heavy rain fell on the road, soaking his clothes as he did not look back. His lonely silhouette stretched far away under the dim yellow streetlights.
The next day in the corridor, Feng Ning took the initiative to greet him.
Jiang Wen wore a clean white school uniform shirt, not glancing sideways, treating her like a stranger as they brushed past each other.
*
Sitting in the cafeteria eating, Shuang Yao was quite surprised when she heard about it. "So, he really likes you? What kind of trouble has this cold-faced prince gotten himself into?"
"What cold-faced prince?" Feng Ning frowned. "Could you stop reading so many romance novels?"
"Jiang Wen is fifteen or sixteen now, right? After living for so many years, is he growing up in a vacuum? A cool and handsome guy like him being such a softie is just too out of character. He's actually a little bunny?? That's such a contrast!"
Feng Ning slammed her hand on the table, frustrated. "Exactly! Damn it, if I had known he was this innocent and fragile-hearted, I definitely wouldn't have provoked him! Besides, I didn't do anything wrong! I just teased him a bit; I didn't assault him. Does he really need to act like a good woman cornered by a bully?"
She angrily shoved a piece of grilled chicken and some fried noodles into her mouth, chewing as if to vent her frustration.
"You uncouth girl, how vulgar! Can you lower your voice a little? Do you want everyone to hear?" Shuang Yao sensed something was off about the situation but couldn't pinpoint what it was. After pondering for a moment, she said, "That said, you did provoke him first. Why not just sincerely apologize?"
The uncouth girl Feng Ning put down her chopsticks. "Apologize? What nonsense! How should I say it? 'You're great; I'm not worthy; forget me; next!'?"
"...."
Shuang Yao rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't be here; you should go to De Yun Society and perform stand-up comedy."
Feng Ning smirked.
Who would have thought that just two days after Shuang Yao's admonishment, Feng Ning would find herself liberated?
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