Chapter 87: IF Line – High School (Part 2)
After linking arms with Wen Yu, Ye Qizhen wasn’t so panicked. In such situations, having someone by your side made you feel much more at ease. The scariest thing was being alone.
Wen Yu glanced at Ye Qizhen and naturally picked up the conversation: “Mn, let’s go back.”
Full marks for cooperation.
Ye Qizhen squeezed out a smile.
Wen Yu led Ye Qizhen forward, passing right by that man.
She could sense Ye Qizhen was very scared because Ye Qizhen was clutching her arm, practically glued to her.
Walked a short distance.
Ye Qizhen still didn’t dare look back.
Wen Yu quietly checked from the corner of her eye. The man had walked in another direction and wasn’t following. She whispered to Ye Qizhen, “He didn’t follow.”
Only then did Ye Qizhen breathe a complete sigh of relief. She didn’t know if she misunderstood; misunderstanding would be best, otherwise it would be terrifying. She turned to look at Wen Yu. “Thank you.”
Wen Yu didn’t say anything, her attention on Ye Qizhen holding her arm.
Realizing the action was too intimate, Ye Qizhen immediately let go of her hand and put a small distance between them, the smile on her face fading too.
So enthusiastic just now, changing so fast, like changing faces. Wen Yu looked at her and complained internally.
“Sorry.” Ye Qizhen expressed her apology politely. Wen Yu already found her annoying; her behavior just now could easily cause aversion, right?
Wen Yu stood there, still not speaking.
Still such a bland reaction. Ye Qizhen thought about it; there was nothing else to say between them.
Lowering her head, Ye Qizhen continued to walk forward alone. Going home meant inevitably being lectured for two days, but at least it was safe.
Wen Yu watched Ye Qizhen’s back melt into the night, looking wilted, different from usual. She watched for a while, then stepped forward to follow.
Ye Qizhen was still walking straight ahead.
Wen Yu called her: “Ye Qizhen.”
Ye Qizhen turned back instinctively. Wen Yu had already walked up to her, their eyes meeting. Told me not to look for her two days ago, calling me actively today, what does she mean?
Wen Yu reminded her: “Your pants are dirty.”
“Ah?” Ye Qizhen was embarrassed upon hearing this, her face flushing instantly. Her first reaction was to go back to the dorm to change pants, but the dorm gate should be locked at this hour.
Seeing Ye Qizhen at a loss, Wen Yu was silent for a second before saying, “I live nearby.”
Ye Qizhen froze.
Wen Yu said calmly, “It’s obvious.”
Ye Qizhen was speechless, her face even hotter.
Wen Yu looked at her and suddenly wanted to laugh.
“Let’s go.” Wen Yu signaled an old building with her eyes. “Right there.”
In the end, Ye Qizhen dazedly followed Wen Yu into the alley next to the school.
Wen Yu walked behind her, as if covering for her.
Arrived very quickly, walking into the stairwell.
Ye Qizhen finally couldn’t help asking Wen Yu, “Didn’t you find me annoying and not want to talk to me?”
Others always wanted to be friends with her; no one had ever said things like “don’t come looking for me in the future” to her. Honestly, she still felt aggrieved deep down, especially meeting Wen Yu today.
Not an aggressive complaint, but soft and gentle, only hearing secret sullenness.
Wen Yu was stunned. Facing Ye Qizhen’s aggrieved expression, she softened her voice: “No.”
“Then why did you tell me not to look for you?” Ye Qizhen pressed, brooding over this sentence.
The incandescent lamp in the old stairwell emitted warm yellow light, falling softly on their faces.
Seeing Ye Qizhen stubbornly asking why, Wen Yu was confused for a moment. Why does she care so much?
“Why?” Compared to Wen Yu, Ye Qizhen felt she was a chatterbox, but she wouldn’t be comfortable without asking clearly. Besides, she felt Wen Yu didn’t hate her.
Wen Yu looked at Ye Qizhen lazily. “You will be gossiped about by them.”
Ye Qizhen fell silent. She hadn’t thought of this herself, let alone expect Wen Yu to tell her this… even though Wen Yu put on an indifferent, casual tone.
Wen Yu smiled faintly, turned around, and walked upstairs.
Ye Qizhen came back to her senses and followed Wen Yu’s steps, saying while climbing the stairs, “I don’t care. Some people just like to spread rumors. They even said we were love rivals. I don’t like Guan Ming at all.” Taking the opportunity to explain clearly to Wen Yu.
Don’t care? Wen Yu held the stair railing and said leisurely, “I don’t like him either.”
“That’s what I’m saying, they just love talking nonsense.”
Wen Yu listened silently.
Arrived at the second floor.
Wen Yu looked for the key to open the door.
“Wen Yu.” Ye Qizhen called her softly. “Don’t take those nonsense words to heart.”
Hearing someone say this to her for the first time, Wen Yu opened the door sullenly, turned to Ye Qizhen, and threw out a sentence: “Never have.”
Ye Qizhen smiled. Now she only had one impression of Wen Yu: Cool girl.
Ye Qizhen originally planned to stay at Tang Tang’s house, so her backpack happened to contain a set of clean clothes. Unexpectedly, it came in handy.
“Why didn’t you go home today?” Wen Yu asked casually. She intuitively felt Ye Qizhen should be the obedient girl type, the kind who went home obediently on weekends.
“Oh, I…” Ye Qizhen stammered, “Originally agreed to stay at a friend’s house for the weekend, then she had something to do.”
“Bathroom is over there.” Wen Yu pointed.
“Mn, thank you.”
In a few minutes, Ye Qizhen changed into clean trousers and also changed her uniform T-shirt.
Walking out of the bathroom, she roughly looked around the room. It was a small two-bedroom apartment, not many things, simple and tidy furnishings.
Also, there were traces of only one person living in the room, not cohabiting with someone else as rumored.
Wen Yu sat at the dining table eating dry bread, with an open bottle of purified water beside her.
Ye Qizhen walked over. “You’re eating bread again.”
Chewing dryly, Wen Yu asked, “Do you want some?”
Ye Qizhen hadn’t eaten more than a few bites of the wontons earlier. She was really a bit hungry; even dry bread was desirable.
Wen Yu looked at her: “Sit.”
Ye Qizhen sat beside her, nibbling on dry bread. “Do you live alone?”
Wen Yu had also heard rumors about herself. Hearing Ye Qizhen ask, she blinked and smiled, “No, there’s a boyfriend too.”
Ye Qizhen’s words got stuck in her throat. “Boyfriend?”
“Mn,” Wen Yu rested her chin on her hand, looking at the person beside her, speaking as if it were true, “Occasionally stays overnight here.”
Ye Qizhen was dumbfounded.
Seeing Ye Qizhen believed it, Wen Yu rested her chin and laughed. If she kept bluffing, someone would be scared silly.
Ye Qizhen reacted. “You lied to me!”
Silly. Wen Yu laughed even harder, the corners of her beautiful mouth raised, shoulders trembling.
Ye Qizhen watched entranced. Looks so good when smiling. How nice it would be if she smiled like this more often. She couldn’t help laughing along with Wen Yu.
The air was briefly joyous.
“Don’t they all say that about me?” Wen Yu tore a small piece of bread and put it in her mouth.
Ye Qizhen suddenly didn’t know how to comfort Wen Yu. Rumors were too terrible, so terrible that the truth was pale and powerless. Or rather, everyone didn’t care what the truth was, only caring about momentary satisfaction of the mouth.
After laughing, the two quietly ate the bread in their hands in unison.
Night fell. Ye Qizhen looked out the window; it was pitch black outside. Thinking of being followed, she was still scared.
“Still afraid?” Wen Yu saw it.
“…No.” Ye Qizhen’s denial lacked confidence; she didn’t believe it herself.
Wen Yu was noncommittal.
Finished half a piece of bread. Wen Yu said to Ye Qizhen somewhat abruptly, “You can stay here tonight, I live alone.” After speaking, she felt like her brain had cramped; actually letting someone stay overnight at her place.
Ye Qizhen wasn’t a overly familiar person. With her relationship with Wen Yu, it didn’t seem to reach the level of crashing at her place.
Each had their thoughts.
“Are you afraid of me?” Seeing her silent, Wen Yu asked, “If you’re afraid of me, you dare to come home with me?”
Ye Qizhen pursed her lips and smiled. Clearly looking like such a cool girl, why so childish when teasing people?
Wen Yu stared at Ye Qizhen’s smile under the night light. She thought she didn’t care, but deep down, she seemed inexplicably inclined for the other party to choose to stay.
“Will it trouble you?” Ye Qizhen said properly.
But Wen Yu said lightly, “Up to you.”
Ye Qizhen thought, Student Wen’s answer is indeed unique. In the end, she stayed. She was afraid at night, and had already agreed with her family not to go back.
Two people staying in one room had to do something; couldn’t just stare at each other.
Afraid Ye Qizhen would be awkward, Wen Yu actively asked Ye Qizhen if she wanted to watch TV.
Result, Ye Qizhen took out a notebook and exercise book from her bag. “No need, I’ll organize my wrong questions.”
Wen Yu was stunned, with a face saying “as long as you’re happy,” and went to the bathroom to shower herself.
Ye Qizhen seriously reviewed her wrong questions. Let alone her family being dissatisfied with her grades, she was quite dissatisfied herself. This was the worst she had done since starting high school.
Past ten o’clock, Ye Qizhen also finished showering.
There was only one bed here. Ye Qizhen thought about it; sleeping on the floor was more appropriate for her.
But when she was about to spread the quilt, she heard Wen Yu say, “You sleep on the bed since you’re on your period, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No no,” Ye Qizhen shook her head repeatedly. If Wen Yu had to sleep on the floor, she wouldn’t stay overnight here. “You sleep on the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Wen Yu looked at Ye Qizhen, silent for more than three seconds before saying, “Have you ever thought…”
Ye Qizhen: “Mn?”
“We can both sleep on the bed.” Wen Yu said helplessly. The bed was more than enough for three people, but she saw Ye Qizhen insisting on sleeping on the floor.
Ye Qizhen looked at Wen Yu, mute, speechless, then giggled foolishly.
This bed was very spacious. With Ye Qizhen and Wen Yu’s frames, sleeping four people wouldn’t be a problem.
After they lay down on the bed, there was still a distance of more than one person between them.
Wen Yu slept poorly, falling asleep very slowly.
Ye Qizhen didn’t fall asleep either.
Breathing the silent air, don’t know when drowsiness arrived—
Slept lightly.
Not long after falling into a light sleep, Wen Yu dreamed she fell into a dark vortex. Someone was dragging her down, down… The sarcastic ridicule filling her ears was noisy and piercing. Annoyed, accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, she woke up suddenly.
Waking up from nightmares was a common occurrence.
She habitually turned on the light, filling the room with brightness, illuminating the walls white.
Only then did she find a sense of security.
Ye Qizhen didn’t sleep deeply either. Stung by the bright light, she frowned, reached out to rub her eyes, and opened them hazily. “What’s wrong?”
Wen Yu realized she wasn’t alone tonight and had woken Ye Qizhen up.
Ye Qizhen sat up too. Seeing Wen Yu’s complexion wasn’t good, sweating a little on her forehead.
“Feeling unwell?”
Wen Yu shook her head.
Ye Qizhen got out of bed, took a bottle of purified water from the fridge outside, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Wen Yu.
Wen Yu was thirsty and drank a small sip with her head back.
Ye Qizhen sat down beside her, gently stroking her back, helping her breathe.
Back being stroked, Wen Yu was at a loss with this sudden thoughtfulness.
“Had a nightmare?” Ye Qizhen guessed.
“Mn.” Wen Yu never imagined that waking up from a nightmare, there would be someone accompanying and taking care of her. She held the water bottle, staring at Ye Qizhen blankly.
“Don’t be afraid.” Ye Qizhen patted Wen Yu’s back again to comfort her. So cool girls get scared by nightmares too.
“Coaxing a child?” Wen Yu had recovered.
Ye Qizhen smiled without speaking, taking the water from Wen Yu’s hand and putting it aside.
Wen Yu was afraid of keeping Ye Qizhen awake and wanted to turn off the light. But Ye Qizhen asked, “Will you be scared if the light is off?”
“I won’t be afraid.” Wen Yu’s voice calmed down, answering decisively.
Ye Qizhen felt Wen Yu was being stubborn but was too embarrassed to expose it. With a snap, Wen Yu turned off the light anyway, plunging into darkness.
After waking up from a nightmare, Wen Yu usually found it harder to fall asleep, awake in the silence.
Ye Qizhen turned her head slightly, unable to see clearly. She asked tentatively in a very small voice, “Wen Yu?”
She saw Wen Yu’s state just now was very bad and was worried.
Wen Yu responded: “Mn?”
Sure enough, not asleep yet. Ye Qizhen wanted to ask if she was afraid, but asking would probably be in vain.
Thinking back and forth, her hand fumbled carefully under the covers until the back of her hand rubbed against the back of Wen Yu’s hand.
After a brief pause.
She quietly reached out her hand—
Wen Yu’s fingertips trembled slightly. The back of her hand was wrapped in warmth and softness. Ye Qizhen’s fingers rubbed against hers, tentatively holding tight—warm and unfamiliar.
Holding her hand, Ye Qizhen asked cautiously, “Is this better?”
Wen Yu didn’t make a sound. Strange; suddenly felt much more grounded.
Ye Qizhen got the answer because Wen Yu let her hold it, tacitly agreeing.
Wen Yu closed her eyes, hearing a gentle and reassuring voice beside her ear: “Sleep.”
