Chapter 29, Estrangement
The summer vacation after the college entrance exam felt incredibly long. Ji Linxue was actually a homebody, if there was nothing important to do, he would sit at home reading, rarely going out unless necessary.
However, what puzzled him was that Gu Hengzhi used to text him every day, but there had been no word from him in the past few days since they returned.
At first, he thought Gu Hengzhi was busy with work and didn't have time to check his phone, but he had been talking in the group chat, yet there was still no private message.
Ji Linxue couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it, because there was something even more bothering him.
Zhao Xinye would sometimes wait downstairs for him, but he didn't go out much, so he never knew.
Until one day, when he went out grocery shopping with his mother, he saw the person sitting by the flowerbed and thought he had seen wrong.
Zhao Xinye also froze for a moment, then quickly stood up after realizing, "I..."
He stopped, unsure what to say.
Ji Linxue glanced at his mother. His mother indeed recognized him, "Isn't that the young man I told you about a while ago? Have you made up with him?"
Hearing the excitement in her tone, Ji Linxue didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Mom, I have something to tell him. You go to the supermarket and wait for me first."
"Alright, alright. Be sure to talk to him nicely," his mother patted his arm and walked away reassured.
Ji Linxue walked directly towards Zhao Xinye.
Today, he was wearing a light white shirt and black trousers, his usual casual attire giving him an air of elegance and aloofness.
Zhao Xinye stared at him, his tanned skin gradually flushing red.
Ji Linxue paused, "?"
This person was really too strange. He simply stopped, speaking to the other person from a few meters away.
"You're here to find me, right? Is there something wrong?"
Zhao Xinye snapped out of it and took a few steps forward, saying, "I came to ask for your answer. I know your grades are good, and you might not think much of me, but I'm willing to work hard! Whichever university you want to go to, I'll go with you..."
Ji Linxue's brow furrowed deeper the more he listened.
He directly interrupted Zhao Xinye's words, "I don't understand what you mean."
The repulsion on his face was too obvious. Zhao Xinye realized something and became dejected, "Are you rejecting me?"
Ji Linxue pressed his temples, feeling his head start to ache.
"I don't know what you're talking about. If you're trying to tease me, then you're really too boring."
Zhao Xinye instantly understood the crux of the matter, "I'm not teasing you. I genuinely like you."
Ji Linxue's expression instantly froze. His mouth twitched, and for the first time, he experienced what it meant to be speechless, "I'm a guy."
"I know you're a guy. Why can't a guy like a guy?" He said it so righteously that Ji Linxue couldn't find a reason to refute for a moment, watching blankly as he walked closer.
"I'm not joking. I'm very serious about my feelings," Zhao Xinye stopped in front of him. "Can you give me a chance?"
Ji Linxue said earnestly, "You should focus on your studies now, and I really don't like guys."
"I'm already trying hard to study," Zhao Xinye whispered. "If it weren't for trying to catch up to you, I wouldn't have even gotten into No. 1 High School."
Ji Linxue hadn't expected there to be a reason involving himself in this. While surprised, he didn't forget to state his stance,
"It's impossible for me to accept you. You should find someone else to like. And studying is your own business, if you give up because of someone, that's truly foolish."
Zhao Xinye looked a bit despondent.
Ji Linxue had blocked all his words. Although he was mentally prepared and knew that Ji Linxue wouldn't agree easily, he hadn't expected to be rejected so firmly.
Seeing him turn to leave, Zhao Xinye hastily chased after him, "Wait, can you tell me which university you want to go to?"
He had missed one chance and didn't want to miss a second.
Ji Linxue, however, said, "I skipped a grade. I've already graduated now."
Zhao Xinye paused, his steps slowing down.
Ji Linxue walked quickly and soon disappeared from his sight.
His phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He took it out and saw it was the girl who had invited him to KTV that day.
The girl sent many messages in a row, including a shared link.
[Xiao Yu Sleeps All Day : Woc! Did you see it? Ji Linxue is actually the top scorer in the college entrance exam!]
[Xiao Yu Sleeps All Day : /Share Post [Shock! The Top Scorer in S City's College Entrance Exam is Actually So Handsome!]]
[Xiao Yu Sleeps All Day : I happened to see this when I was browsing posts today, Isn't this Ji Linxue? Even the name is the same!]
Zhao Xinye clicked on the post she sent. As soon as he entered, he saw a picture of a boy.
Ji Linxue was wearing a pure black down school uniform, standing on the track and field. He had no unnecessary expression on his face, looking cool and handsome. His fair skin, contrasted by the black clothes, seemed to reflect light.
There were already many comments under the post.
[He's our school's heartthrob!]
[Holy moly, he's really handsome! Even without the top student halo, he's a great looker!]
[Why didn't they put up the other heartthrob? Doesn't Gu Hengzhi deserve a name? He also scored very well.]
[Is the person above from Deyin? I heard those two are a couple, is that true?]
[Yes, they're always together, very sweet.]
"..."
Zhao Xinye's heart was terribly bitter. So that was it. Ji Linxue already had a boyfriend, which was why he rejected him.
After that, Ji Linxue lived a peaceful life. Zhao Xinye finally stopped looking for him, and Gu Hengzhi's side was also quiet, seemingly busy.
Time spun around until September, and C University started classes.
When Ji Linxue arrived at the station, Shen Shaoyan picked him up. After getting into the car, he couldn't help but ask, "Where are Gu Hengzhi and Lu Yu?"
Shen Shaoyan held the steering wheel, glancing at the rearview mirror, "Those two have been busy lately, staying at the company every day, sometimes working overtime until early morning."
So busy... No wonder Gu Hengzhi hadn't replied to his messages.
Ji Linxue thought to himself.
The high-speed rail station was quite far from the school. The car traveled for two hours before reaching its destination.
Shen Shaoyan first went to his own school, which was not far from C University, only a half-hour walk away.
The four of them had discussed renting a place outside of school during the summer vacation, so they didn't even need to go to the dorms to arrange things. They simply accompanied Ji Linxue to C University.
At the entrance of C University, there were many new students reporting, each radiating vitality and anticipation, filled with youthful energy.
Shen Shaoyan accompanied him to the Department of Computer Science to register. By the time they finished the admission procedures, it was already noon.
"A friend of mine recommended a restaurant. Want to try it?" Shen Shaoyan suggested.
"Sounds good," after sitting in the car all morning, Ji Linxue felt a bit tired, and without Gu Hengzhi by his side, he felt somewhat unaccustomed.
Ji Linxue reflected internally. He had clearly been on his own for over a decade. When did he become so reliant on others?
The restaurant was quite far from the school, seemingly near the city's CBD. All around were tall buildings, like walking into a steel jungle.
Standing by the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling window, one could even see the city's landmark building, a uniquely shaped tower.
Shen Shaoyan seemed to be a regular here. After picking up the menu, he ordered a large variety of dishes, which surprised Ji Linxue.
Only after the waiter left with the menu did he ask, "Is it necessary to order so much for just the two of us?"
Shen Shaoyan smiled mysteriously, "You'll know soon."
The dishes were quickly served. Shen Shaoyan didn't touch his chopsticks, and neither did Ji Linxue. He noticed Shen Shaoyan constantly checking his watch, suggesting that others were definitely coming.
The very next second after this thought appeared, the restaurant door was pushed open, and two tall figures appeared at the entrance.
Ji Linxue's gaze instantly fixed on them.
Shen Shaoyan waved, "Heng Ge, Xiaoyu, over here."
The two walked over, one after the other. They were both wearing well-tailored black suits. Gu Hengzhi lagged a step behind. Compared to two months ago, his figure was leaner, and his demeanor had become sharper and more composed.
"Why are you two here so early?" Lu Yu naturally sat next to Shen Shaoyan. "How long have you been waiting?"
Shen Shaoyan said, "Not long. The dishes just arrived. They're still hot."
While they were talking, Gu Hengzhi had already walked over. His steps clearly hesitated for a moment before he finally sat down next to Ji Linxue.
But Ji Linxue still felt that something was off. Usually, the moment he sat down, a warm body would press against him, followed by caring greetings. However, after two months apart, Gu Hengzhi didn't even greet him, just lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
Not to mention Lu Yu, even the slow-witted Shen Shaoyan noticed something was wrong and quietly mouthed to Ji Linxue, "Did you two fight?"
Ji Linxue shook his head. He also felt it was inexplicable. The last message on WeChat was from a few days ago, him and Gu Hengzhi exchanging good morning greetings. They hadn't even argued about anything.
Lu Yu looked at one, then the other, and proactively picked up his chopsticks, "It's time to eat. It'll get cold if we don't eat now."
Everyone began to eat. The atmosphere at the table remained very silent. Even with the talkative Shen Shaoyan present, it felt very quiet.
Ji Linxue had little appetite. He ate a few bites of rice and then put down his chopsticks.
The movement was small, but everyone looked over.
Shen Shaoyan was surprised, "Why aren't you eating? Is the food not good?"
This restaurant was very close to Lu family's company. When he came to visit them during the summer, he had eaten everywhere around and this was the best one.
Ji Linxue shook his head, "It's very good. It's my own problem."
Gu Hengzhi's eating speed clearly slowed down.
Shen Shaoyan looked at this scene and silently buried his head in his rice bowl, not daring to say more.
After sitting for a while, Ji Linxue stood up, "I'm going to the restroom. You all eat first."
To get to the restroom, one had to pass through a corridor. Ji Linxue went in, washed his face, and felt his thoughts become much clearer.
He dried the water droplets from his face and, as soon as he stepped out of the restroom, saw a familiar figure.
Gu Hengzhi was leaning against the corridor wall, his strong physique enveloped by the suit, making him look abstinent and captivating.
He seemed to be toying with something in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he put the item away.
Ji Linxue lowered his gaze and glimpsed what seemed to be a jewelry box.
"Are you also here for the restroom?"
"No," Gu Hengzhi's voice was a little nervous. "I was waiting for you."
"Aren't you unwilling to talk to me? Why are you waiting for me?" Ji Linxue averted his gaze, his eyes cold.
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