23 The Person I Like

The teenager did not hesitate and gave a simple nod.

Jiang Ci seemed caught off guard by the hurt look that crossed his face because of her words.

"It’s actually nothing much," Jiang Ci said softly with a smile. "I’m quite happy right now."

Everything she had missed in her past life was right here in this moment. She was already content. As for Zhang Heyu, Jiang Ci found him unfathomable and impossible to predict.

Noticing her distracted gaze, Zhang Heyu let out a light laugh and reached out to pinch her cheek. "You're such a dork. Go back in. If you stay out here too long, they’ll start to get suspicious."

"Hmm?" Jiang Ci snapped back to reality, following his lead. "Suspicious of what?"

Zhang Heyu raised an eyebrow. "That we’re dating."

At those words, Jiang Ci’s face turned visibly red. Her breathing grew hot and erratic, to say nothing of the heart that had completely lost its rhythm.

Zhang Heyu waited a short while after Jiang Ci went inside before heading into the lounge. Upon entering, he saw Huo Chensi munching on a fry. Seeing Zhang Heyu arrive, Huo Chensi handed him a soda. "Have some. McDonald's isn't bad."

Zhang Heyu took the soda and took a sip, stealing a glance at Jiang Ci sitting across from him. The girl’s earlobes were still flushed. He curled his lips into a smile of ambiguous meaning.

Huo Chensi was chatting with Yu Xijin, occasionally bringing up Jiang Ci, who would offer a brief response or interject with a comment. Halfway through the time, the lounge door suddenly swung open. Seeing them having a good time, Huzi couldn't help but join the fun.

"Don't you have to watch the shop?" Huo Chensi asked as he saw Huzi walk over to grab the last fry on his plate. "Damn it, don't take mine."

Huzi was faster, snatching the fry and popping it into his mouth. "My brother is back, so I came in to hang out for a while."

"Join us, it's lively!" Yu Xijin invited him over.

Huzi naturally didn't refuse and sat in the empty seat next to Huo Chensi. "What are you all playing?"

"Nothing, just chatting."

Huzi suddenly thought of something and slapped his thigh. "Let's play 'I Have, You Don't'!"

Huo Chensi laughed and glanced at Chen Yanzhou. "I bet you just want to gossip about Brother Yu."

"You guessed it again," Huzi grinned.

Since no one had any objections, Huzi told everyone to open a dice-rolling app, starting with whoever got the highest number. Jiang Ci had never played before, so Yu Xijin explained the rules to her on the side. Once she understood, they began.

The rules were simple: each person states something they have done that the others haven't. If the other person has done it, they must fold one finger. Whoever runs out of ten fingers first loses.

In the first round, the highest roll belonged to Yu Xijin. She rubbed her hands together, took a sip of her soda, cleared her throat, and said, "Listen up: I don't have anyone I like."

Jiang Ci froze slightly. The others remained still. Huo Chensi and Huzi focused their gaze on Zhang Heyu and Jiang Ci, who had yet to move.

Suddenly, Jiang Ci felt her breathing quicken. She lowered her head and folded down one finger. At the same time, Zhang Heyu also folded one down.

"Holy crap, Cici, you actually have someone you like?!" Yu Xijin was truly shocked, as Jiang Ci had never mentioned it to her.

Jiang Ci felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny. Among all the gazes, she could feel the one from across the table—the most intense of them all. She didn't shy away and nodded. "Yes, for a long time."

"My god, what am I hearing?!" Huo Chensi gave a thumbs up. "The top student actually has a secret crush!?"

Hearing this, Zhang Heyu subconsciously frowned. Who did she like? How long was "a long time"? As he thought about it, his expression soured, a flicker of unreadable annoyance crossing his eyes as he pressed his tongue against his back teeth.

"Brother Yu, why did you fold a finger too?" Huo Chensi teased, courting death. "Who do you like?"

Zhang Heyu glanced at him sideways. "What? Can't I fold a finger if I have someone I like?"

"Of course you can!" Huo Chensi, never one to shy away from chaos, added, "With all your ex-girlfriends, I've never seen you truly like any of them!"

He paused, then added, "You wouldn't happen to like our little sister Cici, would you?"

Jiang Ci had just picked up a fry to eat, but when she heard this, her breath hitched, and her hand shook involuntarily. Yu Xijin looked from Jiang Ci to Zhang Heyu, waiting for the tea.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Heyu lowered his gaze, his voice flat. "Mind your own business."

This kind of deflection was often a tacit admission. He didn't deny it, nor did he confirm it. The answer left much to the imagination. Huo Chensi, of course, knew Zhang Heyu's feelings for Jiang Ci; he was just doing it on purpose.

By the end of the round, the first loser emerged: Zhang Heyu.

"Hahaha, holy shit, the first time I've ever seen Brother Yu lose so miserably." Huo Chensi laughed until his stomach hurt, and Huzi couldn't help but join in.

Zhang Heyu kicked him without mercy.

They chatted for a while longer, but Jiang Ci saw it was already past six in the evening. Worried about her grandmother at home, she turned to Yu Xijin and the others. "Um, I think I need to head back now."

Huzi: "So soon? I thought there would be another round!"

"You guys keep playing, have fun." Jiang Ci looked at the plush toys she had won; there were quite a few, and they wouldn't fit in her bag.

Zhang Heyu raised his eyelids. "Huzi, don't you have some bags? Get one out."

"Got it, got it!" Huzi went to the front desk, grabbed a paper bag, and handed it to Jiang Ci.

Jiang Ci took it and smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Brother Yu's friends are my friends. Come back and hang out often!" Huzi scratched the back of his head and grinned.

Jiang Ci finished packing up, but the strawberry bear wouldn't fit, so she held it in her arms and headed out. She had only taken a few steps when she heard the lounge door close behind her, followed by Zhang Heyu.

Jiang Ci blinked. "Why did you come out too?"

"Walking you home." Zhang Heyu spoke lazily. As he reached her side, he took the bag from her hands. "Let's go, little classmate."

Taken aback for a moment, Jiang Ci started walking.

When Jiang Ci arrived home, her grandmother had just finished dinner. "Why is Cici back so early today?" Her grandmother wiped her hands on her apron. "I thought you weren't eating here tonight, so I made fewer dishes."

Jiang Ci shook her head. "It's fine. I was worried about you, so I came back early."

"You child... go sit in your room for a bit. I have one more dish to finish."

Jiang Ci went to her room and placed all the plushies on her desk. She counted them; there were about five. She recalled walking home with Zhang Heyu, the two of them standing at the bus stop.

The evening sunset was calm. The surrounding neighborhood was old, and the scent of home-cooked meals wafted from every household, weaving together into a unique atmosphere. She looked down at their shadows cast by the setting sun—one long, one short.

Suddenly, a low voice sounded in her ear: "Jiang Ci."

She looked up at him, hugging the strawberry bear tighter, her voice soft. "Yes?"

It was early October, and the heat of summer was fading in Nancheng. The leaves were beginning to turn yellow. A gust of wind stirred the fallen leaves with a rustling sound. Zhang Heyu’s gaze landed on her fair, delicate face, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead." Jiang Ci’s pink lips curved into a smile.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Zhang Heyu pulled his gaze away to look at the bag of plushies in his hand. "Who is the person you like?"

Jiang Ci’s heart skipped a beat. She nervously picked at the fur of the strawberry bear, looking down as she explained, "I don't actually like anyone. I just said that."

Zhang Heyu noticed her fidgeting and raised an eyebrow. "Classmate Jiang Ci, you didn't sound like you were lying just now."

"What about you?" Jiang Ci retorted instinctively. "Why did you fold a finger?"

Zhang Heyu’s expression remained calm as he said, "I was afraid you'd be lonely, so I folded a finger to keep you company."

Jiang Ci was speechless. "You're such a fake, Zhang Heyu."

"Are you curious about who I like?"

As he spoke, Zhang Heyu suddenly leaned over and crouched slightly in front of her so they were at eye level. The slight curve of his lips was roguish. The sudden proximity caused Jiang Ci’s brain to short-circuit. Her dark lashes trembled, her red lips parted, but the words died in her throat.

Jiang Ci knew that whoever Zhang Heyu liked, it would never be her. If he really did have someone, she thought, she might never be able to like anyone else again.

"If I were curious, would you tell me?" Jiang Ci asked with a smile, though her voice was much quieter than before.

Zhang Heyu watched his own reflection in her clear eyes and immediately caught the flash of disappointment, his heart softening. He raised his tone, teasing, "I’d tell you... I’d tell you I don't like anyone."

Jiang Ci froze, pressing her lips together in silence.

Seeing her dazed expression, Zhang Heyu stared at her flushed cheeks, his throat bobbing again. His voice turned hoarse. "I’ve told you mine, shouldn't you tell me yours?"

"Tell you what?" Jiang Ci blinked, her breathing shallow.

Zhang Heyu straightened up, reached out to pinch her cheek, and drawled, "Tell me who you like."

Jiang Ci shook her head.

Zhang Heyu was truly exasperated. Since he hadn't managed to trap the little girl, he pressed his tongue against his cheek. "I told you mine, so you have to tell me yours. Don't you know about reciprocity?"

"I never agreed to tell you." Jiang Ci refused to answer, not daring to look at him, unaware of how displeased his expression had become.

Zhang Heyu let out a scoff, surprised that Jiang Ci could be so infuriating. "Jiang Ci, how is this any different from a scam?"

"..."

Jiang Ci pouted, acting righteous. "It's not."

"Is he at Nancheng No. 3 High School, too?"

"..."

"Do I know him?"

"..."

"How long have you liked him? What’s his name? Tell me, maybe I can vet him for you."

Jiang Ci couldn't stand his endless questioning. The Zhang Heyu she knew usually didn't talk much; why was he suddenly so talkative about this?

"You don't like Zhi Jiangwen, do you?" He was the only male peer of hers that Zhang Heyu could think of. If it were him, Zhang Heyu would want to kill him right now.

"It's not him." Jiang Ci looked at him sideways, smiling. "I can't tell you yet."

Zhang Heyu glanced at her and sighed helplessly. "Then one last question. You have to answer this one."

"As long as it's not too much."

"Do you plan on liking someone else?" Zhang Heyu looked indifferent, but his heart was trembling with nerves. He wasn't sure, and he didn't know how Jiang Ci felt about him. In her heart, how much of a gap was there between him and her secret crush?

The boy who had always stood at the peak was now standing at the bottom looking up at the summit, hidden by clouds, unable to see the end.

Jiang Ci shook her head, then nodded. Would she always like Zhang Heyu? The answer remained uncertain even after her hesitation. She couldn't give a definitive response. "I don't know."

Zhang Heyu seemed to have expected this answer. He gave a knowing nod and didn't speak again. Looking at the bright side, he still had a chance.

The bus pulled up to the stop. They boarded together. Jiang Ci suddenly remembered something and tilted her head toward him. "Remember to come to my house tomorrow afternoon."

"I remember." Zhang Heyu smiled, though his heart ached as he looked at her face.

Jiang Ci looked away, a thought forming in her mind that she dared not believe. She looked out at the street, hidden in the sunset glow.

"Zhang Heyu, is that answer really that important to you?"

Zhang Heyu spoke softly, "You could say it's important, or you could say it's not."

The answer wasn't important; the result was. Regardless, at worst, they would just be competing on equal footing.

Jiang Ci: "I'll tell you when there's an opportunity."

"Don't lie to me."

That night, Jiang Ci lay in bed clutching the strawberry bear, her heart racing uncontrollably. She thought carefully about why Zhang Heyu was so fixated on that answer.