Chapter 26: If We Weren’t All Girls, I…

Wen Wan Ning saw the chocolate gift box in her hand and pointed at it. “Are you here to give me a Christmas present?”

Shen Jia Yan looked down in the direction of her finger. “Ah, yes.” She handed over the gift box. “Merry Christmas.”

Wen Wan Ning took the box, her eyelashes drooping slightly and casting faint shadows on her cheeks. A subtle curve appeared at the corner of her lips. “Thank you. Merry Christmas.”

Shen Jia Yan was always so thoughtful, so special. Her care permeated their everyday lives, and her gifts appeared for every holiday.

Standing up for her in danger, delivering medicine and water when she was sick, the “Little Star” on her birthday, chocolates for Christmas, lollipops for Children’s Day…

Her dull and monotonous high school life had truly become vibrant and something to look forward to because she had met Shen Jia Yan.

Lü Yue sighed in admiration. “This gift box is so beautifully packaged. Is it chocolate?”

“Yes, it is,” Shen Jia Yan replied to her.

She pulled Shen Jia Yan and Wen Wan Ning over to stand by the window.

“Let me tell you,” she said to Shen Jia Yan with a gossipy expression, “today, several gifts were stuffed into Wan Ning’s desk, including chocolates.” She leaned back against the windowsill, her hands clasped in front of her chest. “I haven’t looked at the little notes attached yet, but I’m analyzing it—they’re definitely from Wan Ning’s admirers. After all, our Wan Ning is so pretty.”

She then shook her head regretfully. “It’s a shame, though. She just threw all those gifts away.” She suddenly straightened up and looked at Shen Jia Yan. “Jia Yan, don’t you think Wan Ning is too wasteful? If she didn’t want them, she could have given them to me.”

Shen Jia Yan forced a smile. “I think—”

“Yueyue.” Wen Wan Ning frowned at Lü Yue, interrupting Shen Jia Yan.

“Fine, fine, I won’t say any more. You have your principles.” Lü Yue made a zipping motion across her mouth.

Wen Wan Ning placed the gift box on the windowsill and gently opened it. “I was just craving some chocolate.”

She picked up a piece, unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and smiled warmly at Shen Jia Yan. “It’s delicious.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Lü Yue said slyly, “It has to be the best desk mate. She doesn’t even glance at other people’s gifts before throwing them away, but she eats Jia Yan’s chocolate right in front of her.”

“If we weren’t all girls, I’d suspect something was going on between you two.”

“Ahem…” Wen Wan Ning choked.

Shen Jia Yan quickly reached out and gently patted her back. The glass window behind her reflected her reddened ear tips.

“Are you okay? Do you want some water?” she asked with concern.

“I’ll go get some water,” Lü Yue chimed in.

Wen Wan Ning hurriedly waved her hand, signaling that it wasn’t necessary.

After a moment, Wen Wan Ning straightened up and said seriously to Lü Yue, “Yueyue, don’t say things like that. You’ll make Jia Yan uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine,” Shen Jia Yan wanted to explain that she didn’t mind, but then she thought about Wen Wan Ning’s attitude and felt that might not be appropriate. “Ah, I didn’t mean that. What I meant was…”

She truly didn’t know how to put it.

Wen Wan Ning smiled. “No need to explain. I understand what you mean.” She glanced at her watch and continued, “Class is about to start. Jia Yan, you should head back. Don’t be late.”

Shen Jia Yan forced a smile onto her lips. “Okay, I’ll go then.”

She walked toward the stairs absentmindedly.

Wen Wan Ning had thrown away everyone else’s gifts but opened hers, looked at her, and said it was delicious with a smile.

This sent ripples across the calm surface of her heart, making it sway.

But Wen Wan Ning’s later attitude, as if eager to distance herself, plunged her mood to the bottom.

Was she afraid of such a relationship? Or was she overthinking the special treatment Wen Wan Ning gave her?

To Wen Wan Ning, they were probably just good friends, or even just good classmates…

The more Shen Jia Yan thought, the more downcast she became. She let out a deep sigh.

Forget it. She wasn’t thinking of anything more right now anyway. Good friends it was. At least she could still stay by her side.

The class bell rang.

Wen Wan Ning sat at her desk, staring down at the math test paper, but she hadn’t written a single word for a long time.

Lü Yue, sitting beside her, noticed she hadn’t moved for a while and curiously leaned over to peek.

She thought to herself: What kind of question is so hard that it’s stumped Wan Ning for over ten minutes without her even starting?

But with one glance, she saw that the problem was very simple—one step would solve it.

She scooted closer to Wen Wan Ning and whispered, “Wan Ning, what are you thinking about?” She couldn’t imagine any other reason besides being lost in thought.

Wen Wan Ning didn’t respond.

Clearly, she was too absorbed in her thoughts.

Lü Yue tapped Wen Wan Ning’s pen with her own.

Wen Wan Ning came back to herself. “Hm?”

“What are you thinking about?” Lü Yue asked softly again.

“Ah?” Only then did she realize she had zoned out. “Nothing.” She lowered her head to work on the problems.

Lü Yue watched her from the corner of her eye and thought: Impossible. She never wastes class time. Attentively listening in class and diligently doing exercises during self-study—that’s her normal state. She’s been acting strange today.

Wen Wan Ning reread the problem, but halfway through, her mind wandered back to what had just happened.

She thought about Lü Yue’s words suspecting something was going on between her and Shen Jia Yan.

She had never considered their relationship as anything beyond friendship. Besides, as Lü Yue said, they were both girls.

The bell for the end of class rang.

Wen Wan Ning looked at her workbook, where she’d only completed two problems, then stood up and said to Lü Yue, “Let’s go out for some fresh air.”

Lü Yue yawned, rubbed her eyes, and stood up too. “Sure, I could use a wake-up.”

The two walked out to the large platform on their floor. A cool evening breeze brushed past.

Wen Wan Ning gripped the railing with both hands, thought for a moment, and asked, “Yueyue, do you think…”

Lü Yue waited a while but heard no follow-up. She frowned. “Think what?”

Wen Wan Ning took a breath and said softly, “Do you think that the way I get along with Jia Yan…” She chose her words carefully. “…is different from the way I get along with you?”

So that’s what she wanted to ask. It must be because of what I said by the window.

“Psh, I was just joking around. Don’t take it to heart,” Lü Yue explained.

Wen Wan Ning had no intention of letting the topic drop.

Even if it was offhand, there must have been something special for Lü Yue to say that only about her and Shen Jia Yan.

“Really?” She looked at Lü Yue somewhat seriously.

Sensing her earnestness, Lü Yue got a bit more serious too. “Well, it’s not that big a deal.” She propped her elbow on the railing, resting her cheek on her palm. She glanced at Wen Wan Ning, then at the night sky, and continued, “It’s just that you two seem especially attentive to each other. If you were opposite sexes, there’d definitely be something going on. But since you’re both girls… it should be fine.”

“Best friends can be close like that. It’s normal. Though you’re a bit different with her than with me or my sister, I get it—everyone has different personalities and ways of interacting.” Then she joked, “I’m so magnanimous, I won’t mind if you treat Jia Yan better than us.”

Wen Wan Ning was truly comforted by Lü Yue’s words and felt much more at ease.

She didn’t know exactly what her feelings toward Shen Jia Yan were. The care, the concern, the things she did for her—they were all genuine.

As for why it felt so special, different from how she treated others, she hadn’t thought about it.

From the moment she entered this top high school, her mind had been filled with only one goal: getting into a good university. Nothing else.

Her life was like a notebook filled with formulas—neat, precise, but monotonously devoid of any ripples.

Shen Jia Yan’s appearance was like a sudden beam of sunlight slanting into her rigidly ordered world.

She felt the warmth it brought and responded in kind, but she didn’t know why…

When Lü Yue’s words poked at her, she began to question if their relationship was “normal.” If there was any “deviation,” she seemed unable to accept it.

She kept reassuring herself, psychologically hinting.

They were just friends who liked each other, “good besties” as Lü Yue put it. Yes, that had to be it.

Every evening after school, they still walked together as usual, but Wen Wan Ning spoke less and less.

Shen Jia Yan thought it was because the college entrance exam was approaching, and the pressure from studying was mounting for Wen Wan Ning.

One evening after school.

The three walked together as usual. Shen Jia Yan shared the jokes and interesting things she’d collected that day with Wen Wan Ning.

However, aside from occasional forced smiles, Wen Wan Ning gave no other response.

It wasn’t just today—this attitude had persisted for many days. Unable to hold back, Shen Jia Yan asked with concern, “Wan Ning, have you been under too much pressure lately?”

Wen Wan Ning’s steps suddenly halted, the backpack strap digging a faint mark into her fingertip.

In the twilight, Shen Jia Yan’s eyelashes cast fine shadows under the streetlamp, her concerned gaze as gentle as ever.

Wen Wan Ning stared at their shadows on the ground, almost overlapping, her throat tightening. “Yeah, probably.” She kicked away a pebble. “The exam’s coming up soon.”

It was a perfect excuse, and Shen Jia Yan believed it. She sighed softly, pulled two lollipops from her bag, gave one to Lü Yue, and handed the other to Wen Wan Ning. “Sweet things improve your mood. Want to try?” She slipped the candy into her hand, their fingertips brushing accidentally.

Wen Wan Ning gripped the candy tightly, the plastic wrapper crinkling faintly. Then, she quietly stepped back, putting some distance between them.

“Thanks.” She forced a smile. “Let’s hurry home.”

With that, she quickened her pace ahead without thinking.

In the night, their shadows trailed one behind the other, no longer overlapping.