Chapter 2 Carry You To Me
Cheng Ge said something to Qing Nuan. On that cold night, his gentle voice seemed to warm even the cold dew.
Qing Nuan later imprinted that sentence deeply in her life, in every tormenting night. She recited it over and over again, and the more she recited it, the more it seemed to dispel the fear in her heart and the gossips that echoed in her ears.
The world kisses me with pain, and I repay it with song.
——Rabindranath Tagore
1
Compared with junior high school life, high school life is more like a purgatory of sea of questions.
It seems that every teacher of the key class likes to keep the class late. Qing Nuan's grades are in the middle of the class, just like her personality, not outstanding, not outstanding, and extremely mediocre.
Cheng Ge still takes care of Qing Nuan as before, but there is one more person between them.
The original two-person group has turned into a three-person group.
Luo Weiwei seemed to like following Cheng Ge very much, and Cheng Ge, whether out of kindness or habit, would not only call Qing Nuan but also Luo Weiwei during after-school activities or lunch breaks.
Luo Weiwei is different from Qing Nuan. She is beautiful and unruly, and her grades are among the best. Even the school uniform looks exquisite on her.
It was through repeated comparisons that Qing Nuan slowly discovered that Cheng Ge was becoming more and more handsome. Many girls would take the initiative to get close to Cheng Ge, while Qing Nuan always looked like an ugly duckling.
Her clothes are still tacky and her grades are still not improving.
Until one day, when Cheng Ge asked Qing Nuan to have lunch together again, Qing Nuan refused.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Ge asked.
Qing Nuan looked up at Cheng Ge, then looked at Luo Weiwei who was standing next to Cheng Ge in beautiful clothes, and then lowered her head.
"Brother Ge, you and Weiwei should go eat. I haven't memorized my English text yet. Isn't the teacher going to check my recitation in the afternoon? I have to memorize it quickly, otherwise I will be embarrassed this afternoon."
"Let's go to the playground at noon. I'll recite with you." Cheng Ge grabbed Qing Nuan and said coercively, "Eat first. How can you have the energy to recite the text if you don't eat enough? You're really good at saving food for the cafeteria."
Qing Nuan hesitated for a while and was unable to refute.
Luo Weiwei stood beside Cheng Ge without saying a word, but there was a hint of deeper meaning in her eyes when she looked at Qing Nuan.
It was a vague gaze that seemed to be able to penetrate into the heart.
Qing Nuan felt that she looked a little embarrassed .
In the end, she followed Cheng Ge and Luo Weiwei to the cafeteria in a depressed mood .
Just like before, Cheng Ge stood in the long queue for food, while Qing Nuan waited at the table leisurely.
However, now there is not only him but also Luo Weiwei waiting for Cheng Ge.
Qing Nuan felt awkward no matter what. Sitting next to Luo Weiwei, it seemed out of place. Luo Weiwei was a famous beauty in the whole grade, and many boys were scrambling to please her. But she was so humble that she often heard people around her praising Luo Weiwei's beauty and then asking with contempt: "Who is the person next to her? He is dressed so shabby, why is he sitting next to Weiwei?"
"She, I heard she's Cheng Ge's friend."
"Why would Cheng Ge make friends like this? Isn't Cheng Ge with Wei Wei? That girl looks superfluous."
Hearing this, Qing Nuan felt a dull pain in her heart and her cheeks were slightly hot. She didn't understand why everyone said that she had done nothing wrong.
Besides, it was clearly she and Cheng Ge who knew each other first.
Are only beautiful girls worthy of having dinner with Cheng Ge? Qing Nuan didn't think so before, but she changed her mind a few years later. She felt that in order to be worthy of the other person, she had to make herself better through hard work.
Luo Weiwei heard others gossiping and said to Qing Nuan apologetically, "I'm sorry, Nuan Nuan, don't take what they said to heart."
Qing Nuan shook her head and said nothing.
Finally, Cheng Ge came back with two meals. He gave one to Qing Nuan and the other to Luo Weiwei. Finally, he went back and brought his own meal.
In the past, when they were having meals, Cheng Ge would always enthusiastically talk about some interesting things that Qing Nuan found fresh and , such as what advertisement a star from a certain basketball team endorsed, or what new song a certain foreign actress released.
Qing Nuan claimed to be Cheng Ge's best listener, because she came from a small town and didn't know the foreign stars that Cheng Ge admired. At best, she only knew domestic stars like Jay Chou, Jacky Cheung, and Andy Lau. So every time Cheng Ge talked to her about those international superstars, she would always listen very carefully.
And now, Cheng Ge has not changed. He is still talking about those new and interesting things and those charming stars, but he is no longer the only listener.
Qing Nuan didn’t understand what Cheng Ge was saying, but Luo Weiwei did.
"I like this song, too. I even voted online yesterday to help it make the list!" She even likes the same star as Cheng Ge.
"You actually like to listen to my goddess's songs too!"
Cheng Ge looked like he had found a soulmate.
"Of course! The goddess is not just yours. She has also been my goddess for many years, okay!" Luo Weiwei looked admiring.
Qing Nuan listened silently at the side, stuffing rice into her mouth mouthful by mouthful, as if she was chewing wax.
When one day you discover that everything seems to remain the same, but has actually changed a long time ago, that is truly terrifying.
Qing Nuan suddenly realized that she had never had as much in common with Cheng Ge as she did with Luo Weiwei.
Even though they were at the same table and the cafeteria was so noisy, Qing Nuan still felt that there was an unresolvable awkwardness around her.
The three of them were having dinner together, and she couldn't get a word in, while the other two were chatting happily.
Yes, she was ignored.
Qing Nuan was not happy, but she couldn't say it out loud, for fear that people would think she was making a big deal out of nothing. She was struggling and remained silent for the whole meal. Cheng Ge then noticed something was wrong with Qing Nuan and asked, "Nuan Nuan, why are you silent?"
Qing Nuan smiled weakly, trying to find a decent excuse for her silence: "As the old saying goes, don't talk while eating, and don't talk while sleeping. I'm trying to be a lady, can't you see that?"
Cheng Ge tapped Qing Nuan's head with his finger and said lovingly, "Come on, you are already a lady enough, you don't need to learn!"
The fingers tapped Qing Nuan's head with gentle force and fell into Luo Weiwei's eyes.
Qing Nuan suddenly found herself a little greedy for this feeling - a joking, slightly doting, warm contact.
All of a sudden, all the resentment and dissatisfaction in Qing Nuan's heart turned into a smile on her lips: "Okay, I won't study anymore. After dinner, we agreed to go to the playground to recite."
After saying this, Qing Nuan was actually afraid that Luo Weiwei would follow them again.
But fortunately, Cheng Ge said to Luo Weiwei: "You go back, we have to recite the book."
Luo Weiwei smiled at Qing Nuan: "Nuan Nuan, I'll go back first."
Qing Nuan breathed a sigh of relief.
For a moment, Qing Nuan felt that she was a little selfish.
But, what does it matter? If you don't force feelings, what does it matter if you are a little selfish?
