In the blink of an eye, a new day dawned with the first light of morning.
As usual, I boarded the morning bus to school, seated by the window, quietly savoring the autumn breeze.
Today seemed to pass exceptionally swiftly, and before long, we arrived at the school station. I alighted the bus and leisurely made my way toward the school gates.
Upon reaching the entrance to our classroom, I habitually glanced toward Chu Qingci's usual spot. It was empty; he had yet to arrive.
After returning home yesterday, I hesitated for a long time in my room, contemplating whether to send him a friend request on WeChat.
In the end, I decided against it.
Soon after, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me and gave a slight nod.
That's when I saw a tall figure place a backpack on a chair.
Perhaps noticing my gaze, he returned my look.
Caught off guard, I hastily turned my head away.
As I looked back, I heard a soft laugh from behind.
I must admit, his behavior over the past few days had been somewhat unusual—he had become more approachable.
Just as I remarked on his newfound amiability, his demeanor seemed to revert as if I hadn't said a word.
"Are you Chu Qingci? I'm Gu Qiuyue from the neighboring class. Let's be friends!"
Hearing this voice, I abruptly turned my head.
The situation was rather intriguing; it seemed there was some drama unfolding.
Gu Qiuyue was quite remarkable—beautiful, academically excellent, and proactive. Her unorthodox approach left teachers with little recourse, often responding with only a few remarks.
Although Gu Qiuyue verbally agreed readily, her actions remained unchanged; she was still the same as always.
I began to anticipate what would happen next.
I wasn't alone in my actions; a few of my friends were also present, all staring intently in Chu Qingci's direction.
When I looked at them, they returned my gaze, their eyes conveying a mutual understanding.
Gu Qiuyue remained standing, and Chu Qingci showed no reaction, not even looking at her.
Seeing Chu Qingci's indifferent attitude, Gu Qiuyue felt somewhat disheartened and asked him again.
"Chu Qingci, did you hear what I said?"
Gu Qiuyue spoke softly.
This time, Chu Qingci responded, though he did not reply verbally. Instead, he directed his gaze toward me.
Truly fatal, the drama unfolded.
I was merely an onlooker, though I liked him, the current situation made it impossible for him to notice me.
Despite thinking so, I felt too embarrassed to avert my gaze.
Gu Qiuyue noticed Chu Qingci moving his eyes and realized he was looking at me.
She followed his gaze and saw me, someone she knew. We often exchanged a few words and got along quite well.
So when Gu Qiuyue looked at me, I looked back at her. Neither of us spoke.
An awkward atmosphere settled between us, and the scene grew tense.
She seemed to realize something, smiled at me, and I nodded in return, smiling back.
"Alright, I understand. I won't bother you."
After saying this, Gu Qiuyue turned and left through the back door.
As she reached the doorway, she suddenly turned back and said to me,
"Shen Jia, remember to treat me to a meal!"
Before I could respond, she had already disappeared from my sight.
After she left, I looked at Chu Qingci, who had now averted his gaze from me.
I stared at him for a while, but he showed no reaction.
I turned my head back, rested it on the desk, and began to feign sleep.
I recalled that in my previous life, my relationship with Chu Qingci had not progressed as swiftly as it had now.
He only became close to me in our senior year of high school, the year he had just transferred.
His demeanor was somewhat reserved; he didn't enjoy interacting with others much.
However, as you got to know him, you realized he was no different from anyone else.
In my last life, he had also appeared with injuries. I asked him about it, but he never disclosed the reason, always speaking vaguely about the past.
In this life, he bore the same injuries as before, but I could see how he was hurt and even anticipate some upcoming events.
Perhaps I now knew who had bestowed this ability upon me.
Suddenly, I felt a sense of anticipation about meeting that person, even though only two days had passed.
Today's farce ended peacefully.
When school was dismissed and I was on my way home, I habitually went to the sink to wash my hands.
Today was no exception.
Unexpectedly, when I returned to the classroom after washing my hands, Chu Qingci was still seated, not having left.
At this moment, a few of my friends, who also liked to dawdle, were still there as well.
Seeing Chu Qingci, I asked curiously,
"You're not leaving?"
He looked at me and said,
"I heard what you said yesterday."
I recalled our conversation at the bus stop the day before.
So, he had heard me.
"I see. I thought you hadn't heard."
I felt a surge of joy.
"Then wait for me to finish."
I spoke with a joyful tone.
"Alright."
He replied softly.
Watching our interaction, Yun Jing and the others widened their eyes, staring at us.
Once I had nearly finished packing, I turned to Chu Qingci and said,
"Alright, let's go!"
I walked toward the door, with Chu Qingci following behind at a leisurely pace.