Chapter Seventeen

“Did I message you yesterday? I was already asleep.” In Yu Xingyue’s recollection, she never replied to Wang Tianqi’s messages. She guessed that either Wang Tianqi was making trouble out of nowhere or it was all just a joke.

Wang Tianqi then said, “Go check the chat history between your phone and mine. See what your auto-reply said to me.” Turning away, Wang Tianqi ignored Yu Xingyue. Her reaction left Yu Xingyue half doubtful. If it was truly an auto-reply, there was no need to check; she already knew what the reply said.

“Well, I get annoyed when people message me while I’m busy, so I set an auto-reply to scold them. You’re the first person to see it,” Yu Xingyue laughed.

“Oh wow! So I’m the lucky first audience? I’ll kill you,” Wang Tianqi said as she playfully swatted Yu Xingyue. Yu Xingyue didn’t dare resist, but since it was the auto-reply’s fault, this should be considered an apology. As long as Wang Tianqi calmed down, everything could be settled. Still, she wouldn’t let Wang Tianqi hit her without paying it back later.

Afterwards, Wang Tianqi clapped her hands and hummed, “I’ll forgive you this once today. But if I ever see your foul-mouthed auto-reply again, I’ll get serious.”

Tilting her head with a half-smile, Yu Xingyue looked at her and said, “Have you ever been serious? Forget it, if you ever get serious, I’ll have to congratulate you. I’ve never seen you truly serious. You better try harder to catch up with me.” With that, Yu Xingyue left, but before going, she tousled Wang Tianqi’s hair and then ran away.

“Ahhh! Yu Xingyue!” Wang Tianqi shouted. A girl’s hair was a sacred place, only allowed to be touched by someone she liked. Wang Tianqi seemed a bit angry after Yu Xingyue’s prank, yet she didn’t really hate her; instead, she found it quite enjoyable.

“What’s wrong with me?” Wang Tianqi slapped her own face. “Wang Tianqi, remember what happened today; one day you’ll have to pay her back”—referring to the hair-tousling incident.

Just as Yu Xingyue was about to return to the classroom, she received a message from Sun Ying. From yesterday onward, Yu Xingyue no longer regarded Sun Ying as a sister but as a familiar stranger. The message was just three words: “I was wrong.” Nothing more.

Yu Xingyue didn’t reply. Before her anger subsided, she stayed in the internet café run by Liu Hailizi. Those three words held little meaning; a simple apology wasn’t enough.

“Just like that, you want me to go back? Dream on!” Yu Xingyue’s tone turned cold. Her worries had become hidden truths before Sun Ying. Why hide her true feelings? It was better to let go for once.

“Xingyue-kun, why are you still standing at the door? Class is about to start; aren’t you coming in?” Liu Hailizi reminded her.

“Ah, right away!” Yu Xingyue hurried into the classroom as the lesson began.

The class content was the same as usual—new material. Yu Xingyue was accustomed to the teaching pace here. This was his most focused moment; he always answered questions the fastest. Liu Hailizi felt gratified—he was the first to keep up with her teaching progress.

Sitting at the back, Wang Tianqi wore a sour expression, especially after seeing Yu Xingyue and recalling the hair-tussling. She had intended to draw a funny face on the back of Yu Xingyue’s shirt with a pen, but seeing him study so hard while she was being mischievous softened her heart, and she didn’t proceed.

***

After class…

“Hmm, where exactly is Xia Qinyu?” Yu Xingyue had wanted to talk to Xia Qinyu after class but couldn’t find her anywhere, as if she hadn’t appeared at all.

He approached the podium and asked Liu Hailizi, “Teacher, where did Xia Qinyu go?”

Liu Hailizi knew what Yu Xingyue was about to do but could only answer, “She wasn’t feeling well today and asked for leave. She’ll be back in class tomorrow, don’t worry.” Then she left the classroom.

Yu Xingyue pondered: leave of absence? Or should he go to her house after school? No, better not. If she came tonight, he could ask her directly.

“Ahhh! Someone’s jumping off a building!” A shout echoed from somewhere. Hearing this, everyone rushed outside to see. Yu Xingyue froze. Someone was jumping? Before he could react, a figure suddenly dropped to the ground with a “whoosh,” blood pooling everywhere. Yu Xingyue stood near the window; the jumper hit the window, splattering some blood onto Yu Xingyue’s face. Startled, he fell to the ground.

“Are you okay?” Wang Tianqi came forward, concerned, wiping the blood off his face with a tissue. Honestly, she was shaken too—who would have thought someone would die right beneath the window like that?

“I’m fine, just scared,” Yu Xingyue said.

The body fell just outside the classroom window. Everyone left the room. The school principal announced the classroom would be closed temporarily until the matter was resolved.

With nothing else to do, they had to go home. Liu Hailizi patted the medical kit on her shoulder. “I was startled hearing about the jumper. Wang Tianqi told me some blood got on you. Are you okay?” She was worried the incident might leave psychological scars on Yu Xingyue.

Yu Xingyue shook his head. “I’m fine, teacher. Since the classroom can’t be used, and there are no extra rooms, we’ll just go home.”

“Let’s go. I’ve already called a car waiting outside.”

“You’re fast at calling a car…” Yu Xingyue said, a bit speechless.

As they left the school gate, an ambulance was already outside. But it was only there to collect the jumper’s body. Yu Xingyue understood the reason behind the suicide—pressure. Japan’s suicide rate was notoriously high; no matter how much pressure one felt, wanting to die was often the cause. Only death could end all that pressure.

At that moment, Yu Xingyue truly felt how fragile life was. When Zhang Yan died, he didn’t feel much. But now, a terrifying fear gripped him—the fear of death. Why was he afraid when he wasn’t dead yet? It was the fear of death approaching.

***

In the car, Yu Xingyue stayed silent, gazing out the window. He needed calm; the shock hadn’t fully worn off.

Liu Hailizi soon noticed his unease and comforted him, “Xingyue-kun, don’t be afraid. What’s done is done.”

“You don’t understand, teacher. What if one day, the one who dies is me?” Yu Xingyue said softly.

“Don’t say such ominous things!” Liu Hailizi said sternly. “You’re still young; you can’t die. If you died, how devastated would your family be?”

Family... Did Yu Xingyue still have that word in his heart? Liu Hailizi didn’t know his family situation, so she said this. Yu Xingyue replied, “I’m just saying it casually. Actually, I don’t want to die. I have many things left unfinished.” Thinking of Lin Zimo, he imagined how heartbroken she would be if he died.

“Looks like you’re thinking about someone special, huh?” Liu Hailizi read his thoughts. “Is that person a girl?”

“You really can’t hide anything from a teacher. Yes, there is someone I care about, but coming here means enduring two years apart,” Yu Xingyue said.

“Can you tell me what kind of person she is?”

“She’s... it’s complicated. When I first entered middle school, I was messy and closed off to everyone. The teacher even mistook me for a girl because of my long hair. Later, I met her,” Yu Xingyue began recounting how he and Lin Zimo met, though he didn’t go into much detail.

From being ordinary friends to becoming a couple, few knew their story. Meeting was difficult; video calls showed faces but left the heart lonely. The person on the screen could not be touched.

“When I boarded the plane, she was reluctant to part with me. Now that I’m here, I realize how important she is to me,” Yu Xingyue finished his story about Lin Zimo.

Liu Hailizi said, “I truly hope you two last a long time. I hope when you return, she’ll see you in a new light. She’ll change over these two years, and so will you.”