Chapter 174: Fang Jiangning’s Birthday
Senior year was tough, but not without its moments of joy, like today, Fang Jiangning’s birthday. Yu Linna, eager to celebrate with her friend, readily skipped evening self-study.
Her close friends in their class also skipped evening study to join the celebration.
The party was held at Fang Jiangning’s house. Her mother had ordered a large cake and decorated the house with balloons, spelling out “Happy Birthday.” As her friends arrived, music filled the air, the atmosphere festive and cheerful.
Several of Fang Jiangning’s close friends from their class were there. To Yu Linna’s surprise, no boys had been invited. Fang Jiangning claimed she wasn’t close to any boys. Hmph, such a cute girl shouldn’t be wasted on boys, Yu Linna thought.
Ye Zhiyun and Dai Wenqian arrived fashionably late, their unfamiliar faces drawing curious glances from the other guests, who were surprised to learn they were from the Experimental High School, their rival. That Fang Jiangning was friends with students from their rival school was unexpected.
However, there was no animosity; they were all students, after all, their shared youth transcending school rivalries.
Yu Linna wasn’t surprised to see Huo Ningning; she was close to Fang Jiangning.
“Good evening, Little Linna…” Huo Ningning, wearing glasses and a pretty dress, greeted her hesitantly.
“You look beautiful today.”
Huo Ningning blushed, a shy smile on her face.
For Fang Jiangning’s birthday, Yu Linna had bought a new outfit: a white turtleneck sweater, a light-colored coat, and a black pleated skirt, paired with warm tights. Her classmates, accustomed to her usual frumpy attire, were stunned; it was the first time they had seen her in anything other than her school uniform.
Yu Linna, naturally beautiful, had always been too frugal to buy new clothes, usually wearing her old tracksuit. She had intended to wear something casual to the party, but Ye Zhiyun, disapproving, had dragged her to a clothing store, forcing her to buy a new outfit, despite her protests.
“Linna, we’ve known each other for so long, and this is the first time I’ve seen you dressed so nicely! Come on, let’s take a picture!”
Fang Jiangning pulled her close, snapping a selfie with her phone.
Huo Ningning, envious, wanted to join them but hesitated.
“Me too! Me too! I want a picture with Yu Linna!”
“Me too! Yu Linna, since we’re graduating soon, can I have your WeChat?”
“I want a picture too!”
The other classmates crowded around her, eager for a photo. Ye Zhiyun, fiddling with her camera, planned to take some solo shots of Yu Linna later, though she had promised to prioritize Fang Jiangning, the birthday girl.
“Zhiyun, take a picture of us!”
“Okay, everyone stand over there.”
Ye Zhiyun, resigned to her role as the designated photographer, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. Everyone else was in the photos, while she was stuck behind the camera.
Despite her frustration, she took several photos, her skill evident, prompting other guests to ask her to take pictures of them, requests she couldn’t refuse, spending the next hour as their personal photographer, unable to talk to Yu Linna.
After Fang Jiangning blew out the candles and cut the cake, they sat around, chatting and planning their trip to the cinema, the next item on their birthday itinerary.
Being all girls, they were less restrained, their manners less refined, enjoying the cake and the company.
Yu Linna, having finished her cake, wondered if she should rescue Ye Zhiyun from her photographer duties when Huo Ningning approached her. Yu Linna’s expression was neutral, her heart calm, while Huo Ningning’s heart pounded in her chest.
“Um, Little Linna… I…”
“What is it?”
“…Are you still mad at me?”
After all this hesitation, that was her question? Yu Linna felt a twinge of annoyance.
Whether she was still angry… after so many years… it was hard to say. She couldn’t claim to be completely over it, but the pain had faded with time.
“I’m angry… at myself.”
“…So you still haven’t forgiven me? I know I was wrong, I…”
“It’s okay. We’re classmates now. Let’s not dwell on the past.”
Yu Linna waved her hand dismissively, ending the conversation. Her meaning was clear; she no longer considered Huo Ningning a friend.
Huo Ningning’s face fell; this wasn’t the outcome she had hoped for. She wanted to explain, to apologize properly.
“I’m sorry, Little Linna… I was wrong back then. Can you please forgive me?”
“…”
Yu Linna’s resolve almost wavered, but she shook her head.
If a simple apology could erase the past, the pain, the hurt… it would be too easy. Had Huo Ningning considered the consequences of her actions back then?
“Ningning, let it go. It’s not worth it. We both have our own lives now, don’t we?”
“It’s not the same.”
“What’s so special about me?”
“I owe you.”
This introverted girl, so stubborn, so persistent in seeking forgiveness…
Yu Linna suddenly thought of Nangong Ying.
“You’re a lot like Nangong Ying.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just forget it.”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, she turned away.
That retreating figure, so familiar, the loneliness, the isolation… it hadn’t changed. Huo Ningning sighed, her heart sinking. Yu Linna wouldn’t forgive her.
The birthday party continued, the cake finished, the music fading. Fang Jiangning led the group to the cinema, a cheerful, boisterous bunch, buying popcorn and drinks, their excitement palpable.
Huo Ningning, perhaps intentionally, switched seats, sitting next to Yu Linna, who, unable to escape, resigned herself to her presence, her mood darkening.
“Little Linna, I’ve decided. Whether you forgive me or not, I won’t give up. I want to be your friend again.”
“Are you sick? Or drunk?”
“I’m serious!”
Huo Ningning grabbed her hands, her gaze earnest.
I want to punch you in the face, Yu Linna thought.
What was this girl thinking? So persistent, so clingy… she hadn’t been this shameless before.
The movie started, and Yu Linna, pulling her hands away, quietly ate her popcorn, her other side occupied by a classmate, who, seeing her enjoying her popcorn, offered her some of her own, a gesture Yu Linna readily accepted.
So that’s it, the classmate thought, a realization dawning.
The classmate, Gao Yueran, one of Fang Jiangning’s friends, had always been curious about Yu Linna’s aloofness, her close bond with Fang Jiangning, but her reluctance to interact with others. Now, she seemed to have found the answer.
Food?
Indeed.
The movie, a teen romance about high school students rebelling against the pressures of the gaokao and falling in love, bored Yu Linna to tears.
The other girls seemed to enjoy it, but Yu Linna, finding the plot ridiculous, couldn’t stay awake, slumping in her chair, drifting off to sleep. Huo Ningning, noticing, gently nudged her, but she didn’t respond. She took off her jacket and draped it over Yu Linna.
Ye Zhiyun, eating popcorn, saw this from across the aisle, her jaw tightening, a kernel of popcorn stuck between her teeth.
A sudden surge of… displeasure… washed over her.
She clenched her fist, crushing the popcorn, startling Dai Wenqian, who wondered what had triggered such a reaction.
When Yu Linna woke up, the movie was over. She yawned, noticing the jacket draped over her shoulders, then looked at Huo Ningning, who was now only wearing a thin sweater, her eyes widening in surprise. She returned the jacket.
“Thank you…”
She couldn’t bring herself to speak to Huo Ningning as coldly as she had before.
People had feelings, and Huo Ningning’s actions, her kindness… Yu Linna couldn’t ignore it.
Huo Ningning smiled, putting on her jacket, not saying anything. On their way back, she deliberately stayed close to Yu Linna, who didn’t pull away, much to Huo Ningning’s delight. Her efforts were working; Yu Linna wasn’t as resistant as before. Though forgiveness might take time, she was hopeful.
Huo Ningning was happy, but someone else… wasn’t.
