Chapter 34: Heart Moves: Day 14

Today’s atmosphere felt exceptionally different.

During self-study period, Bei Huai noticed some classmates furtively scribbling on greeting cards while others packed apples into little boxes.

Every sign pointed to the arrival of Christmas Eve.

Bei Huai had never paid much attention to the holiday before, but she’d heard enough about it—even if you haven’t tasted the pork, you’ve seen the pig trot by.

She knew people exchanged apples on Christmas Eve, and some even mustered the courage to confess their feelings.

That very morning, she’d headed to the market bright and early, handpicking two perfect apples before stopping at a specialty shop. After dithering for ages, she’d bought the wrapping paper the owner swore was all the rage with girls these days.

By the time Cen Jin showed up, she found the usually aloof girl fumbling awkwardly with a packaging box. It was clumsy enough on its own, but Bei Huai’s growing impatience made it worse—she balled up the paper in frustration after just a minute and tossed it aside, then sliced off a fresh sheet to try again.

Cen Jin nearly doubled over laughing.

“Do you really need to go to all this trouble? There are pre-packaged apples everywhere outside school, and the school convenience store stocks them too. Why not just grab one?” Under Bei Huai’s withering glare, Cen Jin’s laughter tapered off. She coughed and voiced her bewilderment.

“What do you know?” Bei Huai huffed coldly, ignoring her as she soldiered on with the folding.

Cen Jin pursed her lips. “Right, I wouldn’t understand,” she drawled sarcastically.

“Have fun fiddling with it alone, then.” With a pat on Bei Huai’s shoulder, she turned and walked away.

Once Bei Huai had finally wrestled the box into shape, she carried it back to the classroom. But at the door, she froze—a small stack of greeting cards already sat on Jiang Wan’s desk.

Jiang Wan was poring over them intently, a smile flickering across her face now and then. She looked genuinely delighted, a touch of girlish bashfulness softening her features.

Bei Huai’s heart plummeted. She instinctively tucked the apple box behind her back and sauntered over, feigning nonchalance.

As she passed Jiang Wan’s side, she caught a glimpse of the girl hastily snapping a card shut and shoving the rest into her desk drawer.

What, something she wasn’t supposed to see?

A twinge of discomfort stirred in Bei Huai’s chest. Her eyes darkened, her brows knitting into an even frostier line. She dropped silently into her seat and angled her body just enough to peer into Jiang Wan’s drawer.

It was stuffed with gift boxes—not just apples, but chocolates too, all wrapped exquisitely, far classier than her own botched handiwork.

Bei Huai glanced at the box in her hand, pressed her lips thin, and tossed it into her own drawer without a word.

Of course. A girl as popular as Jiang Wan would never run short on gifts. She probably couldn’t keep up with them all.

“Wow, Jiang Wan, are these love letters? So many—I’m jealous!” Bei Huai overheard Jiang Wan’s deskmate gush.

“Oh, no, just holiday blessings from everyone,” Jiang Wan replied softly, her gentle tone soothing to the ear.

“Here, this is for you. Merry Christmas Eve!” She pulled an apple from her desk and offered it to Mi Shuyun.

Mi Shuyun beamed. “Thanks! Merry Christmas Eve to you too!”

Bei Huai watched the exchange, unblinking, waiting… and waiting. But once the apple was handed off, Jiang Wan turned straight to her homework, showing no sign of looking her way.

The spark in Bei Huai’s eyes faded bit by bit, doused like a bucket of ice water over her last flickering ember.

Back in the day, she wouldn’t have batted an eye at missing out on gifts.

But this was Jiang Wan. How could she… how could she just overlook her?

Hadn’t Jiang Wan called them friends? Even Mi Shuyun got one. Why not her?

Liar. Such a little liar.

Disappointment and bitterness flooded her chest, mingled with a sharp sting of grievance. It pressed down hard, leaving her breathless, trapped with nowhere to vent the ache.

She wanted to ask, but dreaded the answer. She yearned to claim her place, yet couldn’t bridge the gap. She longed to let go, but clung too tightly, unwilling to walk away.

Never had she imagined she’d grow so insecure, unraveling over something as trivial as a gift.

She was losing herself—and yet, she savored every bittersweet moment.

~~~

The two didn’t speak again for the rest of the evening self-study. As it ended and Bei Huai rose to leave, Jiang Wan called after her, brow furrowed in confusion. “Aren’t you walking home with me today?”

She wasn’t sure when the habit had started, but they’d fallen into the routine of heading home together after dark.

What Jiang Wan didn’t realize was that Bei Huai always had to cab it back afterward.

Bei Huai glanced back at her, gaze snagging on the chocolate in the girl’s hand. A chill crept into her eyes.

“No.”

Without waiting for a response, she strode out of the classroom.

She walked alone across the campus, surrounded by couples strolling hand in hand, their faces lit up with cheerful smiles. She alone wore a sullen scowl, her mood dark and brooding.

She stuck out like a sore thumb amid the festive crowd.

Was chocolate really that irresistible? Not a single apple in sight—just chocolates everywhere.

Did they love the chocolate that much, or the person handing it over?

And those greeting cards—what honeyed words were scrawled on them to hold their attention for so long? They were stuffing every last one into their backpacks, clearly planning to savor them later.

Bei Huai’s thoughts spiraled into chaos, her mood souring with every passing notion.

She patted her pocket, craving a cigarette to dull the edge of her irritation, but her fingers closed around only a few lemon candies instead—the kind Jiang Wan adored.

She stared at the sweets in her palm, momentarily dazed, then slipped them back after a few seconds.

At some point, she had started quitting smoking on purpose, ditching the cigarettes from her pocket all because someone had once earnestly told her to cut back—it was bad for her health.

Even after all this time, she could still vividly recall the sincere expression on that girl’s face as she spoke.

So innocent, it set her heart racing.

Leaving the school gates, Bei Huai headed for the nearby convenience store to grab a pack of smokes, but something made her stop dead in her tracks.

She lashed out with a vicious kick at a nearby pillar, venting the frustration and anger churning inside her.

A dangerous glint flickered in her eyes.

Right then, her phone rang.

Bei Huai’s face was icy as she hung up without even checking the screen.

Seconds later, it buzzed again.

With an impatient frown, she answered.

“Don’t bug me.” Her voice came out sharp and hostile.

The caller hesitated, clearly thrown off.

Tong Baifeng and Qu Tao exchanged bewildered glances, the others just as puzzled.

Something was wrong with Sister Huai’s reaction. Had the plan backfired? Or gone completely sideways?

Sensing she was about to hang up, Tong Baifeng blurted out, “Sister Huai, wait! Did something mess up with Little Wife? Were the cards delivered to the wrong person?”

Bei Huai’s thumb froze over the end-call button. She narrowed her eyes, her tone turning cold and menacing. “Greeting cards?”

That voice alone told them Sister Huai was livid. They straightened up in alarm and launched into a rapid explanation, selling out Tong Baifeng without a second thought, their apologies profuse and sincere.

Tong Baifeng: “…”

It turned out the group, egged on by Tong Baifeng, had penned those cards and slipped them onto Jiang Wan’s desk.

Every single one sang Bei Huai’s praises.

Bei Huai’s grip tightened on her phone until her knuckles whitened. She ground out through clenched teeth, “You idiots!”

Who asked you to stick your noses in?

Realizing it was all her own misunderstanding—a total mix-up—Bei Huai had no idea how to face Jiang Wan now, not after she’d been so frosty moments ago.

Regret hit her like a punch to the gut.

“Little Bei?” A familiar voice called from behind.

Bei Huai flinched, her finger accidentally ending the call. She spun around to find the girl bundled up in an oversized puffer jacket, her cheeks flushed pink, fingertips numb and white from the cold. She still clutched the chocolate tightly.

“I thought you’d already gone.” The girl shuffled over with tiny steps, her words slow and deliberate, but her eyes sparkled with unrestrained joy.

Bei Huai looked away, fiddling self-consciously with her earlobe.

“Here—this is for you.” Oblivious to Bei Huai’s inner turmoil, Jiang Wan held out the chocolate.

“This is… for me?” Bei Huai stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

“Yeah. Christmas Eve apples are so cliché, so I went with something different.” The girl’s smile was sweetness itself. She leaned in close to Bei Huai and whispered, “I even gave Guanguan an apple. You’re the only one who got something special—don’t tell her, okay?”

“Little Bei, I hope you’re safe and happy every year.” She pressed her palms together, beaming with delight.

The girl’s eyes were clear and luminous, yet they burned like a warm flame, wrapping around Bei Huai.

In that instant, the winter chill vanished. All Bei Huai felt was a cozy swell in her chest, like lounging in a steaming hot spring.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden realization drained the color from her face. She could only mutter a quick “Wait here for me” before bolting back toward the school.

Jiang Wan watched the girl’s silhouette fade into the night, her own smile gradually dimming.

Truth be told, she’d jumped when she first spotted the little stack of cards on her desk.

But once she read them, she couldn’t help but laugh and blush at the same time.

—Hey Little Wife (scratched out), hi Sister Jiang! Our Sister Huai’s amazing in every way—she just doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve and sucks at sweet talk. Bear with her, yeah?

—Don’t let Sister Huai’s icy, tough exterior fool you. Get to know her, and you’ll discover her true inner beauty!

She didn’t know what Bei Huai had told her little bros, but they had clearly gotten the wrong idea.

What Little Wife? She and Bei Huai were just good friends, nothing more.

That was what she kept telling herself, but after seeing so many comments like that, complex emotions still stirred in her heart. It left her flustered the moment Bei Huai walked in later.

She instinctively hid all those greeting cards.

She probably… hadn’t noticed, right?

Jiang Wan had no idea why she was so nervous. She suspected Bei Huai knew nothing about it, and if she learned what was written on the cards, the two of them would end up equally embarrassed.

So afterward, she didn’t say a word to Bei Huai. Strangely enough, Bei Huai stayed quiet too.

Was she angry?

But why?

Jiang Wan couldn’t make sense of it. Being brushed off by Bei Huai filled her with an irrepressible sense of loss—especially since she hadn’t even given her the gift yet.

The chocolates were handmade by her and her mother after several attempts, and the packaging had taken quite a bit of effort too.

Yesterday, her mother had asked why she was putting so much care into this Christmas Eve gift.

After thinking it over, she answered earnestly, “Because I want to give it to a very special friend.”

“How special?” her mother teased with a smile.

“Special enough that from the first moment I saw her, I wanted to be her friend.”

The more she got to know Bei Huai, the more she liked her.

Gradually, that liking grew into a touch of heartache as well.

In truth, her affection for this friend had quietly begun to change in nature without her realizing it—though Jiang Wan had deliberately chosen to ignore that fact.

Bei Huai picked up the apple she’d left in the classroom and hurried back. Long before she drew near, she spotted the girl standing at the school gate.

Perhaps chilled by the cold, the girl’s hands were tucked deep into her sleeves. Her little face was flushed red from the frostbite, and she kept craning her neck to peer inside the school. A couple of seconds later, she hastily pulled back.

A gust of cold wind must have rushed in, because she shivered and started stomping her feet without thinking.

She looked utterly adorable.

Bei Huai couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curving upward. She quickened her steps.

“Here.” She held out the packaged box to Jiang Wan.

Just as the girl started to pull her hand from her sleeve, Bei Huai let her arm drop.

“Never mind.”

Jiang Wan blinked in surprise, still processing it, when Bei Huai circled behind her. She felt her backpack zipper slide open, and something slipped inside.

“Ahem. I made the packaging myself,” Bei Huai said as she came back around after placing the apple. She cleared her throat lightly, making a point of it.

“Amazing! Thanks, Little Bei.” Jiang Wan curved her eyes into smiling crescents, her praise lavish and sincere.

Bei Huai lowered her gaze a fraction.

Beneath the soft moonlight, her features seemed to soften. Even the sharp edge between her brows had eased away. She let out a low chuckle.

Her voice was gentle. “Peace every year.”

The moment she got home, Jiang Wan opened the gift from Bei Huai.

It was a perfectly ordinary apple—a little larger and redder than usual.

But to her, it was exceptionally cute.

Mm, and sweeter than the average apple too.

Beside the apple was a greeting card.

It was written in Bei Huai’s bold, unruly handwriting.

Yet the words stood in stark contrast to the script.

—I know getting close to me is exhausting. Thanks for sticking with it. If it’s you, I’d be willing to try getting better. See you tomorrow.

Jiang Wan traced the writing with her fingertip, a soft glow reflected in her eyes. Her lips curved into a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

She carefully tucked the card into the drawer where she kept her collection of treasures.

She had a feeling she might have a good dream tonight.

~~~

Everything was heading in the right direction.

Bei Huai had started paying serious attention in class. True, it was a struggle—she often felt lost in the clouds or only half-grasped the material—but it was a vast improvement over before.

Jiang Wan had even offered to tutor her in math. Her own skills were just average, but she figured she could manage with Bei Huai.

Then…

She regretted it.

“You… we’d have to start from high school basics. You don’t know anything,” Jiang Wan said, rubbing her temples.

“Got it.” Bei Huai rubbed her chin.

Time to go harass those teachers, then. They had nothing better to do anyway.

And so the faculty office gained a new regular visitor.

One they couldn’t chase off no matter how hard they tried.

After enough repeat visits, the other teachers shifted from initial shock and curiosity to simply ignoring her presence, treating it as normal.

Some even started thinking Bei Huai wasn’t as bad as the rumors made her out to be.

That day, fresh from asking her questions and stepping out of the office, Bei Huai ran headlong into two people.

She took a clear look at the newcomer, and her gaze turned icy in an instant.

With no intention of paying him any mind, she moved to walk around him.

“I’ve heard you’ve been studying hard lately, frequently stopping by the office with questions,” the man said first.

He stared at the girl with her frosty expression, softening his tone as much as he could. “If you need it, I can arrange a private tutor for you. That’s the most efficient way to boost your grades.”

“Bei Huai, your father’s right. You won’t have to go to all that trouble running back and forth anymore,” Director Qin added from the side.

“No need,” Bei Huai replied curtly, without so much as a glance at the man, and strode away.

“Hey, this kid.” Director Qin hurriedly tried to smooth things over. “Mr. Bei, don’t take it to heart. Girls her age are all rebellious.”

Bei Rong watched the girl’s retreating back, his brows knitting together, his voice laced with impatience. “She’s been like this since her first year of high school. Whatever, I can’t control her anymore. Let her do whatever she wants.”

Director Qin gave an awkward smile, though inwardly he grumbled: Can’t control her? I’ve never seen you even try. Every time you come to school, you head straight to see your precious son.

Bei Huai? You only give her a lecture if you happen to run into her.

One gets all the attention, the other none at all.

It was plain as day who he favored.

No wonder the poor girl harbored such resentment.

She had set out in high spirits, only to run into someone who ruined her mood along the way. Bei Huai returned to the classroom with a scowl.

She had just reached the door when she spotted the girl biting the end of her pen, her small face scrunched up as if facing an insurmountable puzzle.

She patted her pocket—no luck. Then she rummaged through her desk drawer—still nothing.

No way. Had she already gone through all the candy she’d brought?

The school didn’t carry the kind she liked; she couldn’t buy it even if she tried.

Jiang Wan pulled a long face, digging desperately through her desk in refusal to give up.

“What are you doing?” A cool voice drifted down from above.

Jiang Wan looked up to find a single candy resting on her desk.

“!!!” Her eyes lit up. She popped it into her mouth in short order, then gazed at Bei Huai with big, hopeful eyes still glistening.

“Got any more?”

“Nope.” Bei Huai shot her an exasperated glare.

Eating all that candy—she wasn’t worried about cavities?

“One a day. That’s it.”

The girl pouted, her face crumpling like that of a wronged little wife. The sight nearly made Bei Huai chuckle, chasing away every trace of her earlier frustration.

“It’s for your own good,” she said, ruffling the girl’s hair with uncharacteristic gentleness.

Jiang Wan wasn’t having it. She swatted away the offending hand, tilted her chin up, and put on an imperious tone. “Double the ancient poems, classical passages, and vocabulary words for today.”

“Bring it on,” Bei Huai shot back, arching a brow.

Jiang Wan huffed in annoyance, but a second later, she broke into a grin.

“You said it yourself.”

“That funny, huh?” Bei Huai asked, even as her own lips twitched upward against her will.

~~~

Days slipped by, and the final exams loomed ever closer.

A few days before the tests, Jiang Wan promised Bei Huai a gift if she could climb two hundred spots in the rankings.

The girl had boasted at the time, “Two hundred? Watch me jump three hundred.”

“Fine. I’ll hold you to it,” Jiang Wan had replied with a smile.

Before long, finals arrived.

Jiang Wan and Bei Huai were assigned to exam rooms far apart.

“Good luck!” Jiang Wan called out across the sea of students to the girl at the other end.

The girl waved back and headed into her exam room.

Everyone in Class 6—and the teachers in the office—had seen how hard she’d worked lately.

Truth be told, Bei Huai was plenty smart. She might not have covered first-year material, but once she got a concept down, she could apply it effortlessly.

Jiang Wan had zero doubts about her.

She trusted Bei Huai completely.

But when Jiang Wan emerged after finishing all her exams, she learned the truth: Bei Huai had skipped.

She’d skipped English, with no explanation.

Where was Bei Huai?

No one knew.