This was unexpected by everyone. The impression Wei Qingyue left on people, to be precise, wasn't one of being cold and aloof. He had a hostile air, his brows often furrowing with impatience. He wasn't a standard top student. Many top students were polite, distant, keeping people neither too close nor too far. Wei Qingyue was like a thorny plant.

So, when he so openly joked about Jiang Du, everyone was stunned. Jiang Du was so mortified she could have bolted out the door.

In the end, it was Zhang Xiaoqiang who smoothed things over, saying, "What are you doing? Bullying Jiang Du because she's timid? Don't just tease her like that."

There was a genuinely teasing look in Wei Qingyue's eyes. He separated his chopsticks, and with a "snap," poked through the plastic wrap sealing a cup, startling Jiang Du again.

"Just a joke, don't mind it. Aren't I the only one here from another class? Just trying to liven things up," he explained briefly.

Jiang Du could only manage a smile. It was a strained smile, the muscles in her face not quite under her control.

Soon, the waiter brought the dishes. Lin Haiyang, sitting near the door, was busy helping to pass them around. Zhang Xiaoqiang glanced over a couple of times and took the opportunity to talk about food, successfully changing the subject. The atmosphere at the table gradually became more lively.

Because there was a lazy Susan, Jiang Du always waited until no one was spinning it to gently push the glass turntable. However, every time she was about to, she found that Wei Qingyue would reach out with his chopsticks at that exact moment. She could only give up, while he nonchalantly picked up some food.

After this happened several times in a row, the plate in front of Jiang Du was empty. She couldn't help but raise her eyes to look at him. Across the sounds of laughter and conversation, Wei Qingyue seemed prepared to meet her gaze. Their eyes met, and his held a faint, teasing smile.

Jiang Du's ears instantly grew hot. She held her chopsticks, not knowing what to do, then put them down again and took a sip of her lukewarm juice.

The considerate Zhang Xiaoqiang soon noticed that Jiang Du hadn't eaten much. While urging her to eat, she stood up and served her beef, lamb chops, broccoli... piling a small mountain on her plate.

"Why are you like a child, only drinking beverages? You'll get full from that," Zhang Xiaoqiang said. She was wearing a birthday accessory on her head. When she smiled, her snow-white teeth were revealed, perfect enough for a commercial.

Jiang Du felt a little embarrassed being told that. She quickly thanked her, but felt a wave of relief inside; she finally didn't have to spin that turntable anymore. In fact, when she occasionally went to wedding banquets at hotels with her grandparents, she was also quite afraid of these lazy Susans. No one else seemed embarrassed, but she got embarrassed too easily, never able to find the right moment to spin it. In the end, she'd come home half-full and have to eat again.

She stole a glance at Wei Qingyue. Beside him, Lin Haiyang was leaning in to ask about games or something. Wei Qingyue was a gaming expert, the kind who often spent entire nights at internet cafes on weekends. In contrast, the other two girls seized the opportunity to ask Wei Qingyue for advice on studying science subjects.

Throughout the meal, Jiang Du barely said a word, remaining very quiet. She envied how proactive and at ease everyone else was in this kind of setting, complaining about teachers one moment, gossiping about who was dating whom the next, and then seriously discussing their studies.

This was fine. She was surrounded by voices, by cheerful faces, and the light shone on every youthful countenance. She could listen quietly to others and, while pretending to be casual, let her gaze secretly flit across a certain person, like a swallow's tail gently brushing against the awn of wheat.

As the host, Zhang Xiaoqiang had to constantly pay attention to whether anyone was being left out. So, when she realized Jiang Du hadn't said anything, she proactively started a new topic:

"Jiang Du, you must have read a lot of books since you were little, right? Share your composition secrets with us?"

Suddenly being put on the spot, Jiang Du was caught off guard. She blinked, always appearing a bit unnatural under everyone's gaze.

"I don't have any secrets, I just..." Jiang Du began stiffly, "...just write." If Wei Qingyue weren't here, she thought, she would have been able to express herself better.

Liu Xiaole chimed in, "It's talent, isn't it? Writing compositions is all about talent. I don't have high expectations; I just use templates. I won't get a high score, but it won't be too bad either. I've already given up on composition."

Over there, Lin Haiyang couldn't pick up a shrimp with his chopsticks. Frustrated, he switched to a spoon. Miraculously, he could still manage to insert a comment:

"How about this, let's all write an essay about Zhang Xiaoqiang's birthday party later. We'll see if only Jiang Du is uniquely gifted. Jiang Du, show us your true strength, blind our dog eyes!"

"Oh, give me a break. You think we're writing essays after a school trip in elementary school? Lin Haiyang, you and your cheeky mouth are the worst. If you want to write it, go ahead. Jiang Du, don't pay any attention to him." Liu Xiaole laughed and playfully hit him a few times.

That's just how Lin Haiyang was, cheeky, as if he'd feel itchy if he didn't get scolded by a girl for a day. At first, he only teased Wang Jingjing, provoking her to scold him. Later, he teased everyone in the class, and the girls basically spoke to him without any inhibitions, except for someone as honest and quiet as Jiang Du.

Jiang Du really admired how her classmates could get along so well. She thought Lin Haiyang was a real character, a happy-go-lucky person. His parents must also be very easygoing people, with a lively and interesting family atmosphere, to have raised a son like him.

This was a habit of Jiang Du's; she would always try to guess what her classmates' parents were like based on their behavior. However, she could never have imagined that Wei Qingyue's father would hit him.

At this thought, she subconsciously glanced at Wei Qingyue, who was sitting with his legs crossed. He seemed to be listening, but also seemed lost in his own thoughts, his gaze a bit unfocused. But then he suddenly looked over, meeting Jiang Du's inquisitive eyes, and smiled faintly.

Jiang Du immediately averted her gaze.

The meal, full of eating and drinking, lasted for over an hour. The cake was cut at the very end. Lin Haiyang smeared icing all over Zhang Xiaoqiang's face. As Zhang Xiaoqiang tried to dodge, she grabbed Wei Qingyue to hide behind him, and in that moment, Lin Haiyang's smear landed on Wei Qingyue.

He was wearing a dusty-blue padded jacket and also a red scarf. A streak of cake suddenly appeared on him, but he didn't seem to mind. He just very naturally pulled Zhang Xiaoqiang out from behind him and pushed her forward. "She's good-tempered, smear away."

"Wei Qingyue, you really know how to backstab an old classmate!" Zhang Xiaoqiang laughed loudly. She was very happy, the kind of happiness that made both her eyes shine brightly.

Jiang Du watched this scene, an indescribable feeling in her heart, perhaps envy or something else. She stood up beside her chair. Lin Haiyang wouldn't joke with her like this, and neither would anyone else. Here, she was a bit of a misfit, like a docile sheep.

The heating indoors was too strong, making her face feel very hot.

Besides her, everyone had already had some sort of interaction with Wei Qingyue. In their school days, the top student always had a natural halo, not to mention a Wei Qingyue with such a strong personality. Jiang Du couldn't help but press the back of her hand to her cheek as she followed everyone out in a line.

When it was time to pay the bill, they came out first. Zhang Xiaoqiang had pulled Wei Qingyue along to go pay.

The cold wind felt refreshing on her face. Jiang Du unconsciously put her hands in her pockets. A few of them stood in the wind, discussing their plans to go sing karaoke next.

When the two top students came out, the most eye-catching thing was the red scarves around their necks. They looked like a matching couple's set. Jiang Du pretended to glance over unintentionally, her expression calm, a faint smile on her lips. She didn't know what she was smiling about; she was just smiling because everyone else was.

"Let's get a cab! Lin Haiyang, you take Jiang Du and the other two girls. I'll take the next one with Wei Qingyue and Xiao Le." Zhang Xiaoqiang arranged everything methodically, expertly running to the roadside to hail a taxi.

"How far is it?" Wei Qingyue suddenly asked. Zhang Xiaoqiang replied, "It's about a twenty-minute walk. A taxi will be faster."

"Let's walk. We just ate so much, we can digest it." Since he suggested it, Zhang Xiaoqiang asked the others for their opinions. As if accustomed to the top student arranging everything, no one had any objections. So, the group crossed the road, talking and laughing.

No wonder her neck felt a draft. Jiang Du's expression suddenly turned troubled. She stopped and looked at everyone apologetically. "I'm sorry, I forgot my scarf. I'll go back and get it. You guys go ahead."

"I'll go, I'm a fast runner!" Lin Haiyang volunteered. The words had barely left his mouth before he was already running back, his long legs pumping.

Jiang Du felt even more embarrassed and apologized again for her carelessness.

"It's fine, wear mine for now. Don't catch a cold." As she spoke, Zhang Xiaoqiang unwrapped her own scarf and wound it around Jiang Du's neck. Jiang Du was terrible at refusing people, so she could only let the red band settle around her neck.

It was for a very brief time, maybe five or six minutes, that she and Wei Qingyue wore the same colored scarf. Even though it belonged to someone else, it was still a rare moment of uniformity. She walked behind the group, habitually watching everyone's backs, including Wei Qingyue's.

The wind lifted the boy's hair, making it flutter refreshingly. She could even clearly see every movement of his strands of hair, matching the beat of her heart.

Lin Haiyang really did come back quickly. He brought the scarf, handing it to Jiang Du while panting. Looking at his flushed, steaming face, Jiang Du suddenly wanted to smile. "I'm so sorry for making you run all that way."

"Why are you always so formal? How about this, next time your grandma makes her sauce, bring me a jar?" the boy said mischievously. From behind them came Liu Xiaole's voice, "Lin Haiyang, that's too much! Extorting a jar of sauce just for getting a scarf!"

"Okay, when my grandma makes sauce, I'll pack a jar for you," Jiang Du agreed.

Lin Haiyang walked beside her, saying, "I'm always hungry after evening self-study. You have no idea, we guys can eat a lot. After evening self-study, if I have steamed buns with sauce, I can eat three. Do you believe me?"

Jiang Du couldn't help but chuckle. "I believe you. You're tall."

"Let me tell you, guys are all reincarnated from hungry wolves. We exercise a lot. How come you eat so little? I see you eat like a bird."

Jiang Du quickly denied it, "That's not true, I eat quite a bit. A little bird only eats a few bites."

On the way to karaoke, she passed the time talking with Lin Haiyang about meaningless details. Jiang Du would look ahead from time to time, but Wei Qingyue never once turned back.

He can't see me.

But at least I can see him. And also, this road beneath our feet, we walked it together. She didn't ask for much, just a little bit of happiness, like a soaring song whose urgent strings had already become magnificent waves.

Inside the KTV, rich and turbulent streams of light meandered across their faces. As they walked down the corridor, deafening music and a chorus of caterwauling leaked from a room with a door that wasn't properly closed.

Jiang Du couldn't sing; she only dared to hum quietly to herself. But the significance of today wasn't about the meal, nor was it about the singing. She didn't feel forced at all; she just felt that this day was far too fortunate.

Grandma had said that the sixth day of the Lunar New Year was an auspicious day. Many couples get married on this day; it's like that every year.

Neither New Year's Eve nor the first day of the New Year could compare to the beauty of this sixth day.

After they sat down in the private room, countless spinning little stars fell on their faces, the color of the deep blue sea. Jiang Du sat at the very end, listening to them discuss which songs to choose.

"You still owe me a song." Amidst the dazzling lights, Zhang Xiaoqiang spoke softly. She looked at Wei Qingyue with a smile. Wei Qingyue played dumb, frowning slightly. "What do you mean, I owe you a song?"

Zhang Xiaoqiang shushed him. "The New Year's Day performance. You stood me up."

Only then did Wei Qingyue smile, brushing it off. "My voice isn't good today, I'm too lazy to sing. How about this, you pick a song to sing, and I'll critique it for you?"

"Look at you being so cocky," Zhang Xiaoqiang cleared her throat. "I sing English songs with better pronunciation than you, don't be so arrogant."

"Then you must be very noble. A London accent?" Wei Qingyue said with a smile as he opened a pull-tab can. After a 'pop', the cold liquid flowed down his throat.

His tone was not very likable. You could call it sarcastic, but if you took it seriously, Wei Qingyue would just deny it, and explaining himself once would be his limit. He really just said it casually. In short, Wei Qingyue was not someone who knew how to please others, nor did he care much about other people's feelings.

Zhang Xiaoqiang shot him a glare. She saw that Lin Haiyang was already eager to sing a Cantonese song. The moment he opened his mouth, it was a typical imitation accent, with some strange pronunciations. Yet, Lin Haiyang sang with complete absorption, making her and the other girls laugh.

After that, Liu Xiaole urged the class president and Zhang Xiaoqiang to sing a male-female duet. Both were top students in the class and collaborated well on class affairs. Not singing a duet would be a disservice to such a good classmate relationship.

"What should we sing? I feel like all the male-female duets are pretty corny," Zhang Xiaoqiang said, browsing the song list blankly.

"How about 'Love and Thoughts in the Wind and Rain'?"

"'You're the Most Precious'?"

"'Bosom Lover', hahaha!"

"You guys are all so nostalgic. These songs are so old, anyone who didn't know better would think they were picked by old folks."

Jiang Du listened to everyone's lively discussion, unable to chime in as usual. She sat very straight, her back forming a flat line. Beside her, Wei Qingyue was already half-reclining on the sofa, his hands pillowed behind his head, his long legs crossed.

The duet began. The class president's singing was so bad it was hard to listen to. Lin Haiyang was already roaring with laughter, showing no mercy, making the president so embarrassed that he wanted to give up. Lin Haiyang quickly waved his hands, "Don't, don't, President, you have to see it through to the end."

The singing was very loud, like explosions in all directions. Liu Xiaole suddenly said she wanted to eat some fruit and that they seemed to have forgotten to order a fruit platter. Wei Qingyue stood up directly. "I'll go. You guys keep singing."

She didn't know if he was bored or if the room was too stuffy... Jiang Du mustered her courage and finally spoke to him:

"How about I go instead? I can't sing anyway."

"Then what did you come for?" Wei Qingyue asked with a smile. The question immediately flustered Jiang Du. She pursed her lips and mumbled, "I'll go order the fruit platter."

When she actually walked out, she felt a wave of dizziness. The corridor, with its dazzling, flowing lights, was like a bizarre, fantastical world. She had just stepped out, and she was already lost.

"You don't sing, yet you still came along. Why did Zhang Xiaoqiang invite you to her birthday? You're going the wrong way." Wei Qingyue had appeared behind her at some point. He tugged on the hood of her down jacket. It wasn't a strong pull, but it gave Jiang Du a solid scare. She turned around, taking a long moment to react.

Feeling flustered, it took Jiang Du a while to find her voice. "I can go order the fruit platter."

Wei Qingyue snorted with laughter. "I'm going to the restroom."

Huh? Jiang Du froze. She had been getting ahead of herself. In an instant, she felt ashamed. This was so embarrassing.

A drunk man staggered past in the corridor. The adult man nearly crashed into Jiang Du. Wei Qingyue casually pulled her aside and said, "This is it? You get lost here too?"

Jiang Du stammered, "I've never been here before."

"You barely ate, you can't sing, and you don't talk to people much. Are you that shy around strangers? Aren't they all your classmates?" Wei Qingyue seemed to be smiling again, an unsettling smile.

Speaking of the meal... Jiang Du shot him a few suspicious glances, wanting to say something but holding back. Her eyelashes drooped.

"Jiang Du." Wei Qingyue suddenly called her name. She looked up and saw the light move across his face.

"Are you very nervous every time you see me?" He asked so directly that for a moment, Jiang Du felt as if her soul had left her body.

On pure instinct, she stammered a denial, "N-no, I'm not."

Wei Qingyue held a smile, a very subtle one. He glanced around and then suddenly said to her:

"If you feel restrained talking to me, you can," he paused deliberately, watching the girl's expression. As expected, Jiang Du's nerves were stretched taut, as if they would snap with his next words. Her eyes were very beautiful, her pupils dark, holding a brilliant and colorful light. At the center of that light was his reflection.

"Write me letters."

He said these four words with certainty. He was still smiling, still looking into her eyes.