「Side Story 1: Liang Yuanjing’s Perspective」
Liang Yuanjing noticed the girl named Tao Shuran first, actually earlier than anyone imagined.
It was a scorching summer where the sun beat down relentlessly, and all the youthful vigor steamed into a haze of heat that clung to the sycamore trees lining the streets and rose upward.
High school third year had just started not long ago, and the teachers did not manage them too strictly yet. The pressure of the Gaokao had not permeated Flight Class 1 at all. When the bell rang, everyone still rushed noisily onto the sports field and claimed the basketball court with the best view.
In the crowd surging outward, Liang Yuanjing dangled the ball from one hand and strolled forward leisurely.
He propped himself against the window ledge and lifted his chin toward the person inside.
“Wanna play ball?”
Fu Changpei was calculating the third sub-question of the last major math problem. He did not even look up when he heard this; his pen scratched across the scratch paper.
He was very focused when solving problems, bathed in warm light.
Liang Yuanjing was patient too. He leaned on his arms and waited for him to finish the last problem, then decisively dragged him out to the sports field.
Halfway there, they ran into the homeroom teacher of Science Class 1, who half-jokingly said to him, “Liang Yuanjing, where are you dragging my star pupil off to this time?”
“Nowhere special, just taking him out to get some sun.”
Liang Yuanjing hooked his lips in a generous smile. “Teacher Zhou, which team are you betting on to win?”
“You’re too polite saying it like that. When have I not bet on you?”
“True enough.”
Liang Yuanjing tilted his head, raising his eyebrows. “I never disappoint you, do I?”
“You brat, you make everything look effortless. If only everyone had your talent.”
Teacher Zhou tsked, then suddenly stopped talking and waved them off.
Liang Yuanjing chuckled derisively. He shoved one hand in his pocket and sauntered through the white corridor.
The evening sun set, casting a serene and beautiful glow over the campus nestled among greenery. The walls were dyed orange-yellow, like a faintly colored oil painting.
Amid his careless steps, Liang Yuanjing spotted a slender figure at the end of the corridor.
He instinctively paused. There was no other reason; it was simply that the “battle” ahead was too intense, blocking the only way downstairs.
“With your grades, I suggest you aim for an ordinary first-tier university for the Gaokao.”
“To be honest, Science Class 1 has never had a student with such a poor foundation as you.”
“You really want to get into Qing University?”
The girl, who had been silently hanging her head, suddenly looked up. Her voice was firm as she said, “Yes, I want to get into Qing University.”
“So I’m not giving up.”
“Teacher, I can stay until 11 p.m. for evening self-study before going home. On Sundays, I don’t need rest; I can come to school to study too.”
Hearing this, Liang Yuanjing raised his eyebrows and turned to ask Fu Changpei in a low voice—
“What’s her name?”
“Tao Shuran.”
This was the first time Liang Yuanjing saw Tao Shuran.
A girl who left a deep impression on him at first sight, a girl who would settle for nothing less than Qing University.
This was his first impression of her.
He lifted his chin and casually said to Fu Changpei, “Your notes are done but you don’t even look at them. Lend them to her.”
Fu Changpei chuckled lightly. “Too late, they just got borrowed.”
Liang Yuanjing raised an eyebrow lazily. “By who?”
“Fang Qingyi borrowed them.”
Fu Changpei smiled, a shallow dimple appearing on his right cheek, his tone unhurried.
“Handed them right to your classmate Tao Shuran.”
“You’re getting cheeky.”
Liang Yuanjing laughed and cursed. He raised his foot to kick him, but Fu Changpei tossed the notes from his bag into his arms with a grin.
“Since that’s the case, you can deliver them for me when you have time.”
Liang Yuanjing asked, “Why not deliver them yourself?”
“I plan to visit Science Class 1 less.”
Fu Changpei’s voice lowered. “I feel like Fang Qingyi might like me a bit.”
“But I’m not ready to like anyone yet.”
Their playful commotion was loud. Liang Yuanjing draped an arm over Fu Changpei’s shoulder and passed behind them casually.
At the end of the stairs, he inexplicably glanced back.
In that instant, his gaze collided with the girl’s panicked, hastily averted eyes.
Tao Shuran.
Liang Yuanjing silently repeated her name once. Interesting.
To be fair, Liang Yuanjing and Tao Shuran did not interact much.
Flight Class was at the northernmost building. Sometimes when he went to find Fu Changpei, he passed her classroom.
Several times he caught her at the back door. Her unchanging panic showed as she fled without looking back, her escaping figure unmistakable.
Liang Yuanjing smiled with amusement and turned to ask Fu Changpei, “Why do I feel like she’s always avoiding me?”
Fu Changpei teased, “Struck out in love? Finally not everyone’s favorite?”
“Get lost, you’re teasing me too.”
Liang Yuanjing drawled, “Your top student god charm isn’t any less than mine. Want me to post your contact info on the school forum tomorrow?”
Fu Changpei made a surrendering gesture. “Don’t cause me trouble. You know I’m worst at turning people down.”
In contrast, Liang Yuanjing was best at it.
Perhaps because he had been through too many such situations, rejection had become instinct. When Fang Shiyue stood before him, he already had a full set of lines ready before she even spoke.
But when Fang Shiyue cried, “You don’t have to like me, but can you not like anyone else?” all the calm pretense on Liang Yuanjing’s face vanished.
He glanced at her emotionlessly and asked, “Why can’t I like someone else?”
Fang Shiyue froze in place, as if she had not expected him to fixate on that. Even her crying stopped.
Liang Yuanjing withdrew his gaze and walked past her indifferently.
His cold voice showed no mercy.
“You have no right to demand that of me.”
He had said those words more than once. Back when his parents had just divorced, that nominal father of his had hypocritically come to find him.
“Son, all the family property in Dad’s hands will be yours later.”
“As long as you cut ties with your mom.”
Li Wan sometimes sternly warned him too: “Liang Yuanjing, don’t casually provoke girls at school. You aren’t allowed to like anyone.”
Everyone seemed to meddle in his life, and now even the emotion of “liking” was to be taken from him.
Liang Yuanjing found it ironic. He smiled indifferently and walked on.
Sometimes he wanted to tell them it was all needless worry.
Though it was too early to say now, deep down he felt he would never like anyone in this lifetime.
In this world, pure love was hard to find.
The commotion with Fang Shiyue was too big. He was called into the dean’s office to write a self-criticism. When he got home, Li Wan gave him a thorough scolding over dinner.
Liang Yuanjing was in a bad mood and went out alone to wander aimlessly.
These past few years had been like this. Li Wan rarely came home; he was used to being alone. When she returned, he felt unaccustomed and suffocated, every inch of air filled with oppression.
West Kang Road was not a great street for strolling. The greenery on both sides was lush, dotted with scattered bookstores and breakfast shops, all serving Affiliated Middle School.
Liang Yuanjing had nowhere particular to go. After a couple steps, he reached the supermarket downstairs from Fu Changpei’s building. He went in to buy a bottle of water.
But there he saw an unexpected person.
“What are you doing here?”
Liang Yuanjing opened the fridge door, pulled out his phone to pay. “Do you know how much?”
“Three yuan.”
Tao Shuran said, “Fu Changpei went inside to restock. He’ll be back soon.”
For some reason, Liang Yuanjing heard a tremble in the girl’s voice. His scanning motion paused, and he lowered his head to glance at her.
He teased casually, “Why so nervous?”
“Are you two secretly dating?”
The words hit some trigger. Under his gaze, Tao Shuran shot to her feet. Her eyes widened, shock and panic plain on her face. She looked like she wanted to speak but could not.
She was actually kind of cute.
Liang Yuanjing was used to bantering with friends, but this was the first time he saw such a reaction. He chuckled lightly and grabbed a pack of strawberry soft candies from the shelf, tilting his chin at her slightly.
“Make it an even ten yuan. This pack of candy’s on me.”
“Don’t say thanks, and don’t say sorry.”
Already anticipating her next words, Liang Yuanjing leaned back with arms crossed, drawing out his tone with an unconscious indulgence even he did not notice.
He looked at her helplessly. “Tao Shuran, are you avoiding me a bit?”
“Otherwise, why are you different with me than with others?”
As soon as he spoke, Tao Shuran looked up at him.
The shock in her eyes intensified, as if she had never imagined he would say such a thing. Her lips pressed together several times before she incredulously said:
“You think I’m different with you because I’m avoiding you?”
Liang Yuanjing said matter-of-factly, “What else?”
“Could it be you like me?”
“No…” Tao Shuran quickly changed the subject and looked up to ask him, “Do a lot of people like you?”
“Is it really liking?”
Liang Yuanjing snorted lowly. His expression was languid, his tone a bit roguish. “Most of it just stems from hormonal surges of puberty. They like me today, give up tomorrow. All that ‘liking’ comes at a cost; you have to offer equivalent value.”
Tao Shuran’s pen paused as she did problems. She stopped to listen seriously. Toward the end, she frowned.
“What you said is completely wrong.”
She looked up at him earnestly and said—
“Liking is unconditional. Liking is just liking. You hope he’s well, hope he succeeds smoothly, hope he’s safe and sound, dreams come true.”
“I ask for nothing; I just want to quietly like him.”
Liang Yuanjing’s gaze followed her voice. Her fair and pure face, a pair of harmless almond eyes wide and round, her slender and thin shoulders straight and upright.
He rarely saw such resilient and stubborn temperament on a girl’s face. Sometimes he thought she resembled a sapling, gathering strength to grow into a towering tree.
His gaze was briefly drawn for a second before casually shifting away.
He chuckled lowly. “I was just talking casually. No need to take it so seriously.”
But she said very seriously, “Liang Yuanjing, I listen seriously to every word you say.”
Liang Yuanjing blanked for a second and looked up, just missing her averted gaze.
In his line of sight, he only saw her profile in the dim and bright light. Liang Yuanjing rarely paid attention to a girl, yet he was occasionally drawn to her.
She had a quality of peaceful serenity, and the way she liked someone was very pure.
Liang Yuanjing leaned down and asked slowly, “Is that so? Then let me test you. What else have I said?”
This was meant as a joke. The alley after dinner was quiet and beautiful, distant dog barks echoing long and loud, perhaps from some old man walking his dog with a cane.