In this world, people who are different will be more or less excluded by their group.
In a sense, Jiang Xing is one of them.
During break time, both boys and girls gather in groups to do their favorite activities. It is rare to see a single person. I believe no one can endure the loneliness of being left out.
But I watched Jiang Xing, who was sitting next to me, walk out of the classroom calmly. Then I quickly realized that it was not just her. I had also been alone.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly. Then I slowly stood up and walked towards the convenience store, intending to buy a bottle of my favorite green tea to soothe my tired body and mind.
In the whole school, the most crowded places, apart from the toilets and the playground, were the small shops that were packed with people during every break. I carefully held the money in my hand and waited for a long time behind the long queue. Just when I was about to succeed, I was suddenly pushed aside by a huge force.
I let out a low scream and managed to avoid falling with great effort.
"Get out of the way! Let us go first!" Several boys holding basketballs squeezed into the crowd, sweating all over, their voices surprisingly loud.
"What? Why are you cutting in line?" Several students behind complained quietly.
"Stop talking nonsense! How about we just buy it first? Do you have any objections?" Several burly boys immediately waved the basketballs in their hands, as if they were going to "become the king of the mountain."
The complaining voices died down immediately and no one dared to say anything.
I stood still coldly, turned my head away and didn't want to look at them, and walked straight back to my previous position, but was pushed by a hand again.
"Don't touch me!" I frowned in disgust. "Please go to the queue."
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what we said? Stand at the back!" The leading boy narrowed his eyes and approached me, "Don't force me to do anything to a girl!"
I sneered and was about to speak when I heard a loud but chilling voice behind me: "Don't force us girls to do anything to you, right?"
This voice was surprisingly convincing, and the other students who were originally in line actually made way for it .
At the end of the road, Jiang Xing, with her long hair tied into a high ponytail, pursed her lips in displeasure and walked towards them slowly.
In the blink of an eye, she had walked to my side, and regardless of my surprise, she held my arm firmly with her slender hand.
As if he didn't expect that the person who stepped forward would be a pretty girl, the boy who cut in line sneered disdainfully: "Why do you, a girl, mind other people's business? You're so thin that you're like a chopstick!" As he said that, several people laughed together.
"You guys are just too idle." Jiang Xing said in a bad tone, "A few older boys actually cut in line. How shameless! Don't you feel ashamed and still brag about it?" She looked at those people with a mocking look without hesitation, "Go back to the back of the line!"
"Hey, are you tired of living?"
"Don't waste my time here. It's been jammed for so long. The teacher will come over soon." Jiang Xing looked away with disgust, as if even looking at them was an insult.
After hearing the word "teacher", the faces of several boys changed. They seemed a little afraid, but they also felt it was too embarrassing to be scolded by girls in public. In the end, they could only grumble a few times unwillingly, and left in shame without even buying a drink.
The crowded store finally returned to normal, but everyone's eyes, either admiring or puzzled, shifted to Jiang Xing.
" Don't you still need to buy something? Class is almost time." Seeing that I was still in a daze, she raised the corner of her mouth and gently pushed me.
The smile was so faint, so faint that others might have thought it was just a beautiful illusion.
But I clearly discovered that just such an ordinary smile, appearing on Jiang Xing's face, seemed to light up her entire beautiful face, it was so dazzling.
I hurriedly bought two bottles of drinks, hesitated for a long time, and finally handed one bottle to Jiang Xing.
"Thank you for what you did just now." I mustered up the courage to say thank you.
She raised her eyebrows slightly, then took the drink gracefully, unscrewed the cap boldly, and poured most of the bottle down her throat.
"Do you like green tea too?" she said in a relaxed tone, shaking the drink in her hand.
This tone was just like a normal chat between two good friends... I couldn't tell whether I was excited or timid, I barely suppressed my uneasiness and nodded: "I guess so."
"I like it too." She smiled again, "Oh, by the way, next time you meet someone like this don't bother with them, arguing is not good for you, just bring up the teacher."
"Okay, okay..." I hadn't recovered from her smile yet and could only respond woodenly.
Jiang Xing was amused by my unnatural expression and patted my shoulder gently with her soft hands.
"What are you still thinking about?" Her smile became even bigger, completely different from the indifferent girl who just walked into the class. "Class time is about to start, let's go."
"Ah? Okay." I was stunned, then suddenly realized and followed her towards the classroom.
In the following days, I gradually discovered Jiang Xing's uniqueness.
This girl who seems indifferent to everything actually has a warm and kind heart. I have seen her many times holding a ham to feed the stray cats and dogs on campus. When facing these harmless and cute animals, she always smiles softly and innocently, as if she is an angel from a distant heaven.
Because the scene where she helped me in the store was not seen by many classmates, in everyone's mind, she was still the arrogant and unapproachable transfer student. But I was always on the lookout for opportunities to talk to her.
Ni Nuo said: Maybe you two are attracted to each other? One doesn't want to get involved in the boring crowd, and the other is disdainful.
At the beginning, Jiang Xing would occasionally come close to me with the homework book from the previous class and ask earnestly, "Is this the homework from before?"
Facing her arrival, I cannot deny that I was delighted, but I also maintained a normal attitude while explaining to her.
Until one day, when we were walking back to the classroom from the convenience store with our favorite green tea in our hands, we met Xiang Nanfeng who was squatting in front of the teaching building.
When he saw Jiang Xing and I standing side by side, his dark eyes were first filled with confusion, and then he walked towards me quickly as if he had figured something out.
"Hi, Wen Yu." Xiang Nanfeng's tone couldn't be more natural. "Do you have time after school?"
Jiang Xing's hand holding Green Tea froze at first, then she leaned back, and it was obvious that she didn't want to disturb him.
But I pursed my lips uneasily, and stepped back repeatedly, came to Jiang Xing's side, stretched out my hand and pinched a corner of her clothes, and Jiang Xing's eyes lit up.
"No time," I said in a low voice. "Not at all."
"Then I'll take you home?" Xiang Nanfeng insisted, and his stubborn look was like a child who couldn't get any candy.
I lowered my head, unable to think of the words to say no.
The atmosphere between us was too unusual, and Xiang Nanfeng and Jiang Xing were standing there, attracting everyone's attention. I looked around in panic, afraid that someone would pay too much attention to this place.
Why did he keep insisting? If he really felt pity for me, then he was too stubborn.
"I'm sorry, classmate," Jiang Xing's voice finally rang out again like redemption. She reached out and held my hand, which had become cold due to nervousness. "Wen Yu has already made an appointment with me."
"Today? Then tomorrow is also fine." Xiang Nanfeng's eyes moved slightly.
"Every day from now on." Jiang Xing smiled faintly.
"Okay..." Xiang Nanfeng backed off, but there was a little embarrassment on his face. He waved to us generously, "See you another day."
He laughed a few times, and his tall figure gradually walked away, but I didn't dare to raise my head.
Jiang Xing stood by my side like a pillar of support, waiting for me to calm down and breathe normally before she asked softly, "Do you hate him?"
I shook my head in panic.
"So...are you afraid of him?" She changed her approach.
After a brief thought, I shook my head again.
Without waiting for her to ask the third time, I spoke in a hoarse voice: "I...I can't explain it clearly. I just feel helpless and don't know what to do. After all, we are too different."
Even the clever Jiang Xing couldn't understand this confusing statement, but fortunately she was not the type of person who liked to pry into secrets.
She just patted my palm and said soothingly: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
I was still in the panic I had just felt, and could only murmur and repeat, "Are you here?"
"That's right." Jiang Xing's hand fell on my hair and rubbed it gently. "Why, don't you believe me?"
Although this sentence is serious, it clearly carries a teasing tone.
I looked up and saw a boyish I couldn't help laughing out loud.
Jiang Xing is a good girl who does what she says.
She was always with me, walking, chatting and eating together. Xiangnanfeng came to "disturb" me several times, but she repelled him with just a few words, and the world returned to its original silence.
As time went by, this seemed to have become a compulsory course for me every day. Xiang Nanfeng, who had been defeated by Jiang Xing countless times, would always appear in front of me the next day as if nothing had happened, and ask me in a different way, like a close friend: "Would you like to watch a movie together?"
"Xiang Nanfeng is such a strange person." During lunch break, Jiang Xing and I sat on chairs on the garden path and chatted idly.
Although I have gotten used to his daily "harassment", when I hear the name Xiang Nanfeng, I still can't ignore the lingering anxiety in my heart.
"By the way, Wen Yu, do you have any favorite activities?" Jiang Xing said as she picked out the eggs from the lunch box and gave them to me. "There's a basketball game at school this afternoon. Do you want to go and watch it?"
"I'm not interested in sports." I smiled sheepishly, "But I can still watch the fun."
"Oh..." Jiang Xing stretched out his voice thoughtfully, "Then go ahead. I have always been interested in basketball."
"Can you play basketball?" I was a little surprised.
This perfect girl is actually into boys' sports?
Hearing my question, she raised a confident smile on her fair face: "Well... I'm sure that few boys can beat me!"
Seeing that I was standing there, unable to speak, Jiang Xing pretended to be angry and pushed my shoulder: "Why, do you think I'm bragging?"
"No, no!" I explained quickly, "I just think you're awesome..."
"Ha! Slick talk!" She laughed out loud without keeping a serious expression. "Well, let me explain the game to you this afternoon!"
Looking at her smiling face as bright as a sunflower, the basketball game that I was not interested in originally seemed to become attractive.
Maybe...we are friends now?
I woodenly chewed the eggs that Jiang Xing picked for me, and the scenes of our time together a few days ago appeared before my eyes. Thinking of her warm hands and her stubborn figure who always insisted on standing by my side, my heart couldn't help but warm up slightly, and the happy emotion pulled the corners of my mouth upwards.
No, there is no maybe.
I firmly summarized the answers to my questions just now.
Jiang Xing and I are friends now.
I had never had any hope, thinking that the position of friends around me would be vacant for a long time, and that someone who could protect me and chat with me would never appear, and being alone was the best destination . But Jiang Xing was like a colorful flame, with a temperature that could embrace me and melt me, and broke into my life.
Seeing her still excitedly talking about the afternoon basketball game, I couldn't help but feel anxious and expectant.
If you have time, can you introduce her to Nino?
One is the most important person in my life, and the other is a close friend who may be able to accompany me all the way.
This thought made me laugh out loud, interrupting Jiang Xing's fantasy about basketball. She raised her hand and gently hit me on the forehead: "Silly girl, what are you laughing at? Didn't you hear what I just said?"
"Nothing!" I quickly put on a straight face and shook my head. "What did you say?"
"I said, have you finished eating? Let's go to the basketball court and find a suitable seat first, otherwise we won't be able to grab a spot." As she said that, she couldn't wait to stand up and look in that direction.
At this moment, she no longer resembled the cold and indifferent girl she was when she first transferred into the class.
I think intimacy is a weapon that can break through any cold shell, right?
Twenty minutes before the basketball game started, Jiang Xing and I bought our favorite green tea and snacks and squeezed to the front where we could block out the scorching sun.
The school had already announced the game a few days before, so many basketball-loving students came earlier than us. The cheerleaders from each class were well-trained and stood in the middle of the court to liven up the atmosphere. Their colorful skirts were accompanied by enthusiastic cheers, and the tense game was about to start. Even I, an outsider who knew nothing about basketball, began to look forward to it.
"Hey? Isn't that Xiang Nanfeng?" Jiang Xing, who had just opened a bag of potato chips next to me, suddenly had his eyes lit up and pointed to a place not far away.
My hand holding the green tea trembled, and then I looked in that direction.
I saw a team led by Xiang Nanfeng, wearing black and yellow basketball uniforms, striding towards the center of the court. Facing the enthusiastic cheers of the audience, a very proud smile appeared on his angular face, and he kept waving to everyone to show that he would definitely win.
"South wind! South wind!"
The situation on the field began to reverse drastically. Many girls who had been sitting quietly in the audience stood up with red faces, curled their hands into trumpet shapes, and screamed loudly.
"I didn't realize this guy is so popular..." Jiang Xing stroked his chin, looking like he was enjoying a good show, "Is he good at playing basketball?"
I was stunned: "It seems so. I occasionally see him walking around with a basketball."
Jiang Xing didn't have any special reaction to my ambiguous answer. She just followed Xiang Nanfeng with an unclear look and uttered "Oh".
Before I could react to the meaning of this word, I heard a sharp whistle on the field, and the game officially began!
As the basketball moved back and forth on the court, the cheers of the audience rose and fell, but I was dizzy from the movements. Jiang Xing was kindly explaining the game to me in my ear and expressing his opinions from time to time.
"Oh! That's a great shot!"
"Idiot! How could you get blocked? You should be faster!"
"Pass the ball! Pass it quickly!"
I silently watched the young men from the two teams sweating as they fought for the rolling ball. Although I had a lot of questions about Jiang Xing's explanation, I ended up asking nothing. I just stared with my eyes wide open, pretending to watch carefully.
Figures flashed on the field, and team uniforms of various colors were intertwined. I was somewhat surprised to find that all along, my attention had been on only one person - he was Xiang Nanfeng, who was extremely active, frequently scored for the team, and was excellent in all aspects.
Sure enough, no matter where he is, he is always a shining star that attracts a lot of attention. People like me, if we get close to him, will only be burned by his light.
"The game is over! Class Three wins!"
The referee's order interrupted my thoughts.
Class 3 is our class, and it is also the team that Xiang Nanfeng belongs to... The entire stadium was silent at first, as if the world was coming to an end, and then it broke out into cheers like thunderous roars. There were even emotional girls who ignored the teachers and referees' dissuasion, ran out of the audience seats, and ran towards Nanfeng excitedly.
But Xiang Nanfeng, who had become the target of the whole audience, abandoned his teammates who were still hugging and jumping together, and searched for something in the audience with his burning eyes, which finally fixed in the direction of Jiang Xing and me.
An extremely bad premonition came over me, and I even had the urge to run away.
The next second, he ran towards me in front of everyone at the speed of a 100-meter sprint with a victorious smile on his face, and suddenly stopped and stood in front of me.
Even the referee opened his mouth wide as if he had seen something incredible.
With Xiang Nanfeng's arrival, our location naturally became the focus of countless eyes, but he seemed to have noticed nothing. He raised his thumb and pointed it at himself, saying loudly: "How about it, Wen Yu, wasn't I awesome just now?"
I shrank back a few times, trying to lower my presence as usual, but the name "Wen Yu" had already come out of his mouth clearly.
Obviously sensing my resistance, Jiang Xing frowned, and seemingly nonchalantly blocked me behind him, and then actually gave Xiang Nanfeng a provocative smile.
"I don't think it's amazing." She interrupted and narrowed her eyes arrogantly, "I can do it too."
As soon as the words fell, the whole room was in an uproar, and several students who had heard the conversation clearly had already dropped their jaws in shock.
I tugged at Jiang Xing's sleeve with some concern, and signaled to her with my eyes not to be like this.
Even though she was doing this for my own good and standing up for me, is it really okay for her to say such challenging words?
But the moment I raised my head, I saw that her beautiful eyes were filled with a fanaticism that she had never had before. That look, that smile, was like a lion waiting to hunt, with confidence.
Jiang Xing...she’s not just doing this for me, she really wants to challenge Xiang Nanfeng!
The challenge has been issued, and everyone is holding their breath, nervously waiting for Xiang Nanfeng's answer: acceptance or rejection?
Xiang Nanfeng didn't show any sign of anger. He looked at Jiang Xing's arrogant face with approval, then raised the corner of his mouth and said two simple and clear words: "Come on!"
As if he had already anticipated such an answer, Jiang Xing took off his heavy school uniform jacket without hesitation. He handsomely took off his heavy school uniform jacket and threw it to me. He easily supported himself on the fence of the audience seats with his hands and jumped into the venue with ease.
This was a two-person match that no one had expected, let alone dared to imagine.
In the huge arena, the figures of Xiang Nanfeng and Jiang Xing were clearly visible. I was so nervous that I clenched my hands together, and even my knuckles turned bluish-white.
No matter how good Jiang Xing is at playing basketball, how could he possibly beat Xiang Nanfeng, who has countless experience on the court and is good at sports?
Looking around, although the expressions on all the audience's faces were filled with unprecedented anticipation, I believed that the ending they had in mind was similar to mine. Everyone placed their bets of victory on Xiang Nanfeng.
The referee's shrill whistle kept sounding, and my heart was beating fast and fast. But even though I was stupid, I was surprised to find that the situation on the field had changed dramatically.
The relaxed smile on Xiang Nanfeng's face gradually turned serious, and his relaxed brows began to frown, while Jiang Xing looked determined to win from beginning to end.
"beep--"
The final whistle was extremely sharp, piercing everyone's tense nerves.
Xiang Nanfeng bent down with sweat dripping down his body, his hands on his knees, looking at Jiang Xing who was still standing straight in disbelief, his lips opened and closed, uttering a few words - "You win."
The sound was neither loud nor soft, but everyone heard it clearly.
Jiang Xing raised her hand nonchalantly, but there was no doubt that joy was revealed in her eyes.
As she walked towards me, she kept saying modestly: "It's nothing, it was just luck, you are also very good."
"Wait a minute! How did you do that just now? There's no way you could make the shot from that angle!" Xiang Nanfeng was anxious, and regardless of his tired body, he quickly caught up.
"Oh, you mean what happened just now...I don't know either." Jiang Xing simply played dumb.
But Xiang Nanfeng was not willing to give up, so he just followed her and kept talking. The two of them kept arguing until they came to me.
I handed over the green tea and tissues, but heard Xiang Nanfeng ask a little unhappily : "No for me? I'm thirsty too."
"Are you still short of drinks? The girls over there are waiting! Don't fight with us!" Jiang Xing pushed him.
I don't know why, but seeing him looking at Green Tea pitifully, I couldn't bear it and quietly handed him a bottle of unopened drink.
Without any pause or expected awkwardness, Xiang Nanfeng quickly took the drink and drank most of it in a few seconds.
"Ha ! Look at how generous Wen Yu is. Look at you!" Xiang Nanfeng leaned back in his seat contentedly, turned around and smiled at me, "Thank you!"
Looking at that smile, the corners of my mouth seemed to be pulled upwards by a thin transparent thread, and they unconsciously rose up little by little.
Smelling the warm wind with the scent of camphor, looking at the youthful figure in the distance, something in my heart is slowly collapsing...