After that day, Xie Ci would wander over every day after school and walk Xu You home.
He was already a popular figure at No. 1 High School, and blatantly waiting at the school gates every day surrounded by crowds made it impossible not to attract attention.
Yu Yi and Xu You usually walked home together since they lived in the same direction, but because of Xie Ci, Yu Yi had to find someone else to walk with.
Although she wasn’t a gossip, she definitely couldn’t help being shocked.
Initially, Yu Yi kept her thoughts to herself, but after holding back for several days, she finally found an opportunity during PE class to pull Xu You aside for a walk around the track field and have a heart-to-heart.
“How did you end up dating Xie Ci? It’s unbelievable!”
Since they were close friends and had known each other for a while, Yu Yi asked directly.
This question had been asked so many times that Xu You’s expression barely changed as she explained simply: “We were classmates before.”
“Classmates? But you two…”
“What about us?”
Yu Yi fell silent.
Xu You didn’t press further. The wind made her cold, so she pulled up her down jacket’s hood, quietly staring at the distant blue, empty sky.
It was clean without a trace of impurity, only the wind lightly sketching the shapes of clouds.
The two walked side by side on the rubber track, passing the parallel bars and the basketball court behind the iron fence, enjoying a rare moment of leisure in their senior year.
“It just feels strange. I thought you were more rational, wouldn’t waste your youth on someone like Xie Ci who’s so flamboyant,” Yu Yi said honestly.
“Flamboyant?” Xu You heard this description and wanted to laugh, but felt it wasn’t appropriate, so she asked, “Why do you think he’s flamboyant?”
“Isn’t he?” Yu Yi’s mouth twisted as she began to recall.
Before the class split, she was in Class 5, their classroom was on the second floor, directly facing the cafeteria. There was a small path next to the supermarket by the cafeteria, lined with many trees. Due to its secluded location, many students, especially boys, liked to do mischief there.
But from Class 5’s corridor, you could see that spot quite clearly, about 70-80% visible.
Sometimes after the first period’s morning exercises, there would always be groups of boys wandering over to squat there and smoke.
Most were troublemakers from their grade, including Xie Ci.
Her desk mate at the time had a crush on Xie Ci for a long time. She would always deliberately pull Yu Yi to stand in the corridor just to catch a glimpse of him.
She would observe his basketball posture, note what jacket or t-shirt he wore.
Even Xie Ci’s silhouette on his bicycle, his playful laughing with friends – she remembered it all clearly.
So her desk mate was quite contradictory. While listing Xie Ci’s many flaws, she would secretly cry at her desk when she saw other girls stopping Xie Ci in the corridor to confess.
Despite knowing what kind of boy he was, she still carefully cherished everything about him, bit by bit.
During self-study periods, her desk mate liked to tell Yu Yi many things about Xie Ci, mostly unfavorable.
She spoke clearly and logically, seemingly seeing through everything, yet still liked him so much.
Yu Yi couldn’t understand this at all, thinking such affection was simply inexplicable.
So now that Xu You and Xie Ci were together, Yu Yi found it not only incredible but also thought Xu You was being quite irrational.
After quietly listening to Yu Yi’s story about her desk mate, Xu You remained silent for a while.
Reaching the corner, Xu You suddenly spoke, “I once read a line in a book.”
“What was it?”
Xu You thought for a moment.
“I like to keep my distance from things that change, and I’m used to it.”
“Only this way can I understand what won’t be abandoned by time.”
Xu You stared ahead absently, speaking slowly in a light tone. As if remembering something.
“Like loving someone – it’s full of variables. So I take a step back, watching quietly until I see sincerity.”
Yu Yi listened in confusion, shaking her head in incomprehension.
“When you like someone, you can be free.”
After saying this, Xu You smiled and said nothing more.
—
As winter came, temperatures in the north dropped below zero. Xu You’s class was the grade’s accelerated class, and they always stayed late for evening self-study.
Although Xie Ci lived far away, he still walked Xu You home every day, then slowly made his way back alone under the pitch-black sky.
However, saying goodbye was always difficult, as Xie Ci never wanted to leave.
During that time before the senior year winter break, grandmother’s health continued to deteriorate, and her parents moved her to a better hospital in Lin City for treatment. But she was old after all, and the hospital had issued several critical condition notices, asking the family to prepare for the worst.
At home, her parents’ arguments became more frequent, and at school, the increasingly intense tests plus tremendous academic pressure made Xu You feel more and more exhausted.
However, Xu You rarely told Xie Ci about these things. Since her childhood, she had always been the type to endure things silently.
The day before New Year’s break, Xie Ci accompanied Xu You home as usual.
They stopped by the roadside to chat for a while, mostly Xie Ci talking while Xu You listened silently.
Seeing him smile and joke casually, her heart would soften considerably.
“Achai?” Xie Ci called her nickname in his usual playful tone.
“Mm.” She responded.
“I’m leaving.”
“Okay.”
“No gesture?”
Xu You stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, “Bye-bye.”
Xie Ci bent down and kissed her back before leaving satisfied. Watching Xie Ci walk away, Xu You turned around and walked toward the residential complex.
“—What were you just doing?”
A familiar voice came from beside her, and Xu You froze in place, as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her in the winter cold.
Something was wrong.
Seeing her father’s expression, she knew without guessing that everything was over.
Xu Zhiping’s face was ashen as he gritted his teeth, “I’ll save face for you outside, but you’re coming home with me.”
Following behind her father, slowly climbing the stairs, Xu You’s mind worked to find a solution.
“You’re back, what’s wrong?” Chen Xiuyun was waiting at the door and noticed something off about Xu Zhiping, so she asked.
“Ask Xu You yourself!” Xu Zhiping violently pushed open the door and entered.
Xu You kept her head down, following her parents inside. Just as she took off her shoes, something flew past her and crashed against the door behind.
Xu Zhiping stood in the living room, agitated, suddenly slamming the table and shouting at Xu You, “Get on your knees!”
Xu You didn’t argue at all, obediently kneeling down.
Chen Xiuyun instantly understood what had happened.
“You’re still in contact with that boy?” Chen Xiuyun’s voice rose in disbelief.
Seeing Xu You’s pale face but stubborn silence, Chen Xiuyun took a deep breath, “You’ve disappointed me so much, Xu You.”
“You knew about this and didn’t tell me, this is why she’s been spoiled like this!” Xu Zhiping directed his anger at Chen Xiuyun.
Pacing back and forth in the room, he grew increasingly furious, demanding: “Dating? Is this the time for dating? How can you be so inconsiderate!” Xu Zhiping slapped his own face at Xu You, “You might not care about face, but do you know you’ve completely embarrassed your parents!”
Xu You’s face was snow-white as she bit her lip hard, not arguing back at all.
“Let it go for now, she still has afternoon classes, we can discuss this when she gets back tonight. It’s not good to disturb the neighbors.” Chen Xiuyun sat aside, hand supporting her forehead, feeling sympathetic seeing Xu You’s state.
“Protect, protect, you keep protecting her!! This is all because you didn’t teach her well, she’s dating boys and you don’t even tell me, look what you’ve spoiled her into!” Xu Zhiping’s anger turned toward Chen Xiuyun, “You only think about your mother every day, when have you ever cared about this family?!! Now look what’s become of Xu You?”
Dating in senior year, in an ordinary family, was considered a capital offense. Especially for Xu You – happening to her was completely incomprehensible in her parents’ eyes.
Xu Zhiping had completely lost his head in anger, cursing without restraint, “You’re at the hospital every day, when have you ever looked after Xu You, your mother won’t live much longer anyway, yet you keep spending money on her like it’s nothing.”
Chen Xiuyun exploded upon hearing this and started arguing with Xu’s father, “What do you mean I only think about my mother? Xu Zhiping, do you have any conscience? Back then you had nothing, if it weren’t for my mother giving us 1000 yuan1, could Xu You even have been born?! Who raised Xu You by her side from childhood?! Now you can’t wait for my mother to die, you’re just a beast!”
“I’ve endured for so many years, what have you ever given this family? Every time you talk about taking on projects, yet not a penny ever reaches home, finally there’s 200,000 yuan2 this time, but you lend it to your boss to buy a house! If they had the ability to repay, why wouldn’t they get a bank loan instead of borrowing from you! Your own wife and daughter live in a rental place, having to put up with the landlord, while you’re out there freely lending money – who’s really neglecting the family?”
Xu Zhiping had always been chauvinistic and couldn’t stand hearing such words. He immediately became physical with Chen Xiuyun.
Chen Xiuyun kept crying while cursing, “Forget it, I don’t want to live anymore, I’ll die with my mother, anyway Xu You doesn’t listen, what’s the point of me living?”
Her mother’s crying broke her heart.
The scene was so chaotic that even later, Xu You couldn’t remember what she had said or done, probably just kept kneeling there.
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