The incident at the radio station ended with my departure. Everyone is a forgetful person, and this matter was soon buried in the endless new gossip. It was only occasionally mentioned when talking about me. To them, it was just another insignificant topic among many.
Sometimes when I sit behind Yu Xia, I always wonder, if he hadn’t met Yan Anyan that day , would he have stood firmly by my side regardless of whether he was right or wrong?
But I didn’t dare to ask, because I was afraid of hearing an answer I didn’t want to know…
Those little thoughts that were like a thorn in my throat were slowly piled up in a secret little corner of my mind, and my life was filled with the heavy schoolwork of the freshman. Sometimes when I heard the familiar radio sound on the playground, I still felt a little lost. Fortunately, this little loss slowly dissipated in the jokes with Xu Shihan, Lin Momo, and Sheng Yinuo. Lin Momo always liked to squeeze Sheng Yinuo when she had nothing to do, and Sheng Yinuo was not to be outdone. Every time the two met, they would inevitably have a verbal battle. Xu Shihan and I always had to watch the good show. Although Yu Xia didn't talk much, I felt at ease as long as she was with us.
In fact, even if I don’t join the radio station, having a few good friends around me is also a kind of happiness...
Starting from two weeks ago, Sheng Yinuo would tell us every day that he would play as a main , and told us to be there to see him.
After a lot of effort, the day finally came. Lin Momo and I made a super exaggerated cheering sign. Even Yu Xia, who usually doesn't like to join in the fun, came to cheer him up. We were so supportive, but who would have thought that Sheng Yinuo, who was always energetic on weekdays, was a little depressed at the critical moment.
"Hey, what are you doing? Are you nervous?" Seeing Sheng Yinuo's worried look, I couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder.
Sheng Yinuo, who was in a daze, was frightened by my pat. After coming to his senses, he immediately pretended to be calm and said stubbornly: "Come on, nervous? How is that possible!"
"It's best if you're not nervous. You must get first place for me, otherwise our cheering board will be in vain..." Lin Momo pouted.
Seeing the cheering cards in our hands, Sheng Yinuo suddenly became excited: "Su Bei, you did this for me! I didn't expect that Su Bei, who likes to argue with me on weekdays, still cares about me at the critical moment. It seems that I must win!"
"Su Bei, let me tell you, I didn't have much confidence at first, but when I saw you carefully prepared such a powerful cheering card for me, I suddenly felt full of strength!"
"Su Bei, I really like you. How about we get together after the game?"
Sheng Yinuo couldn't finish three sentences before he started to express his feelings again...
Every time he said something, I rolled my eyes at him. Lin Momo beside me kept poking my arm and smiling at me ambiguously. After she finished smiling, she couldn't help but squeeze: "I wanted to take credit and say that I contributed the most to this cheering sign, but now I think, forget it."
Of course, I rolled my eyes at her.
But before the roll of eyes flew away, I caught sight of a familiar figure.
Yan Anyan, carrying an oversized shopping bag, walked towards us with a smile. When she came to Yu Xia's side, she smiled at Yu Xia boldly without moving her eyes. She took out a bottle of Coke from the bag and asked, "Yu Xia, do you want to drink Coke? I bought both Pepsi and Coke. Which brand do you like?"
Yu Xia didn't want to take it, but Yan Anyan kept pushing it into his arms, so he couldn't refuse. He could only take it and throw it to Sheng Yinuo who was still talking like a machine gun: "Drink some water to moisten your throat."
Sheng Yinuo was stunned for a moment, but when he saw Yan Anyan, he instantly understood and took the drink without hesitation.
"Hey? Don't you like Coke?" Yan Anyan's face flashed with embarrassment for a moment, but he immediately put on a smile and searched in the bag, "Would you like some orange juice?"
In love, the one who loves more always loses. Just like Yan Anyan in front of me, in the eyes of outsiders, she is a proud and unbridled girl. I have heard about her domineering deeds more than once. But in front of Yu Xia, she is a little girl who can give everything for love. Even if she has a temper, it will be instantly resolved because of the other person's smile.
"I just want to drink water." Yu Xia took the bottle of mineral water I had just opened and put it to my mouth, and replied coldly, "I don't like drinks."
I was stunned for a moment, then understood the rejection in his actions, smiled, and took a bottle of water from the bag at my feet and opened it.
Yan Anyan glared at me fiercely, then pretended not to care, smiling as he took things out of the bag and continued to stuff them into Yu Xia's arms. Yu Xia was too lazy to refuse, and he directly passed on whatever she stuffed into Sheng Yinuo's arms. Five minutes before the game started, Sheng Yinuo's arms were already filled with a lot of snacks.
In this competition, our school faced last year's champion University of Science and Technology. We thought there was no hope of winning, but who knew that Sheng Yinuo's several three-pointers made the situation confusing, and he also won the applause of the whole audience with a layup after a block. Usually, I thought he was a bit annoying because of his tall size, but I didn't expect that once he stepped onto the court, every time he jumped and turned, a group of little fans would scream wildly, and they wished they could blow the roof of the basketball court off.
Lin Momo whispered, "Did you see the look in Yan Anyan's eyes just now? It was so scary. I have imagined a palace drama in my mind."
"It's not that exaggerated, right?" Xu Shihan frowned and said weakly.
Lin Momo pulled Xu Shihan to her side and spoke earnestly like an elder: "Xiao Xu, you are still too young and don't understand the truth that women's hearts are as deep as the sea. Let me tell you, jealousy is a very terrible force, and no one knows what kind of result this force will eventually lead to."
For us now, this is just a sigh from Lin Momo who has watched too many palace dramas, and no one will take it to heart. But we don't know that in the future, we will always be entangled in such a life for many, many years.
The chat about feelings ended quickly, and our attention was completely attracted by the fierce battle on the field. Although the opponent was the champion team last year, Sheng Yinuo and his team did not lose their momentum. Instead, they kept competing with the opponent on equal terms. The score also rose alternately in steps, and every goal of the opponent made people extremely nervous.
After Sheng Yinuo made the last three-pointer, the score ended at 79 to 77, and the whole audience was boiling. The three of us girls stood up from our seats and screamed, wanting to rush up to him and give him a big hug.
Before we could rush over, he was surrounded by a group of little girls, who carefully offered him water and towels. I couldn't help laughing as I watched him squeeze out of the crowd with a smile on his face and walk towards us in a disheveled state.
"Su Bei, it would be fine if you didn't bring me water, but you actually laughed at me. My little heart is sad." He pouted and pretended to be angry.
"Okay, okay, I'll bring you some water and a towel." I took out some water and a towel from the bag and handed them to him. "Not only that, I'll also let you, the great player on the school team, treat me to dinner tonight, okay?"
"Okay!" As soon as I agreed, Sheng Yinuo realized something was wrong and poked me on the forehead with his hand, "Why am I the one who treated you? Shouldn't you treat me? I am the hero of this victory!"
"It's my treat!" Yu Xia said readily.
Everyone turned to look at him and nodded at the same time.
Walking out of the stadium, the setting sun dyed the entire earth red. Most of the leaves on the trees had turned yellow. When the wind blew, the leaves fell one by one, and there was an inexplicable sense of desolation.
No one noticed how Yan Anyan, with a scary expression on his face, left.
"I suggest having a barbecue," said Lin Momo.
"I... I don't mind." Xu Shihan has never had any opinions of her own. When it comes to going out to eat, she basically has three words to say: whatever, it's all right, it's up to you. We don't expect her to have any constructive suggestions.
"Su Bei, what do you think?" Sheng Yinuo asked me.
"Then listen to Momo and have barbecue!"
"Okay, let's go barbecue." Sheng Yinuo swept away his previous fatigue and became full of energy in an instant.
Yu Xia and Sheng Yinuo walked in front, while Lin Momo, Xu Shihan and I chatted and laughed behind. The setting sun stretched our shadows very long. It was like the protagonists in the boys' comics that Sheng Yinuo liked to read who had just finished participating in a competition, leaving behind a brilliant painting.
If someone asks me what color youth is, at this moment I would say it is a warm red like the sunset.
Time seemed to have stopped at this moment while we were chatting and laughing. Xu Shihan and I were discussing how to blackmail Sheng Yinuo later. We couldn't let him go just because Yu Xia treated us. However, we didn't notice that Lin Momo, who was walking beside us, became much quieter since some time.
She didn't agree noisily like usual. Instead, she looked fearful and nervous, and kept shrinking behind me as if she was hiding from someone.
"Momo, are you okay?" Xu Shihan was the first to notice her abnormality and asked a little worriedly.
"No... I just suddenly wanted to eat some stir-fried dishes." Lin Momo pretended to be indifferent on her face, but her body unconsciously moved closer to me and held my arm tightly. This behavior was really unlike her usual noisy and fearless self.
It was already getting dark, and not far behind us there was a car light shining in our direction. It was Xu Shihan who reminded us, "It seems this motorcycle has been following us for a while. Momo, why do I feel like the person on the motorcycle is looking at you?"
Hearing this, Lin Momo's face turned pale, she held my arm a little tighter, and a look of fear and evasion began to appear in her eyes.
"Lin Momo, tell me honestly, do you know that person?" I suddenly became more alert and glanced at the motorcycle behind me.
Lin Momo nodded a little embarrassedly.
Seeing how scared she was, I rushed over to the people in the car and asked them, "Hey, why are you following us?"
Hearing my voice, the motorcycle stopped and the boy sitting on it took off his helmet. A devilish and arrogant face appeared in front of me. He squinted his eyes and looked me up and down, and said in a joking tone: "Little girl, you are good-looking!"
"If you follow us again, I'm going to call the police," I threatened.
"Call the police? What evidence do you have to prove that I followed you? This road is so wide, can't I go that way too?" He smiled and added, "You rushed over like this, are you trying to chat me up?"
"Let's go!" Before I could object, Lin Momo rushed behind me and nervously tugged at my clothes to stop me from continuing to entangle with the person in front of me.
I was not the kind of person who would give up, so I stayed where I was, staring at that person.
"Su Bei!" Sheng Yinuo and Yu Xia ran over. From the sound of their footsteps, one could hear their anxiety.
They stood in front of me, completely separating me from the man on the motorcycle, like two high walls, making me feel safe.
"Hey, there's a flower protector!" The man on the motorcycle whistled, "Lin Momo, which of these two is your flower protector?"
"No... No, we are... just classmates."
I was surprised by Lin Momo's words. At this time, it would be more beneficial for her to admit it than to deny it. Why did she explain in a panic?
Passing over Yu Xia's shoulder, I carefully observed the boy. His semi-long hair covered his eyes, and I could only roughly tell that he looked okay, but still inferior to Yu Xia and Sheng Yinuo.
"Neither of them? None of them, why are you meddling in other people's business?" The man on the motorcycle put away his cynical smile, his eyes gleamed with a fierce light, and asked provocatively.
"Stop talking nonsense and get out of here." Yu Xia replied coldly.
"I haven't had a fight for a long time. I'm really itching to fight!" Sheng Yinuo rolled up his sleeves, looking eager to fight.
"Fight? Just you two?" The man on the motorcycle said with some disdain.
"Sheng Yinuo, he seems to look down on you who has studied Taekwondo for ten years! In this case, let's have a competition!" Yu Xia paused, as if thinking of something, and said, "Maybe you don't like Taekwondo, but like my karate, how about we try it?"
It turns out that Yu Xia's expression is so realistic when he lies. After knowing him for many years, I can't remember the last time I saw him lie without changing his expression.
"Don't bluff me." The man on the motorcycle had a calm expression, looking at Lin Momo beside him, "Lin Momo, what's the matter? Did you find two bodyguards to test my ability?"
After saying that, he got off the motorcycle, shook his coat, and looked at Sheng Yinuo and Yu Xia without fear.
"Okay, let's try it!" Yu Xia pressed.
The relationship between the few people suddenly became tense. Xu Shihan, who was standing aside, was also frightened by the situation and hid aside, not daring to make a sound.
Lin Momo, who had been dodging, rushed out. She reached out and pulled Yu Xia and Sheng Yinuo over, and said to the man, "Okay, stop making trouble. Chen Hao, if you want to see me again in the future, just leave!"
After hearing what Lin Momo said, the boy named Chen Hao's arrogance subsided a little.
Yu Xia and Sheng Yinuo were about to rush forward, but were held back by Lin Momo. She looked at the two of them with a very nervous and serious expression: "Okay, stop messing around!"
Sheng Yinuo looked a little aggrieved, but he couldn't resist Lin Momo's insistence, so he had to give up.
Chen Hao got back on the motorcycle and before putting on his helmet, his eyes stayed on me for a moment with a frivolous expression on his face.
As he rode away on his motorcycle, he deliberately stepped on the accelerator to the maximum in front of us. The loud and violent noise made me feel even more unhappy.
After Chen Hao left, Sheng Yinuo looked at Lin Momo a little depressed: "Lin Momo, what are you thinking? Which side were you on just now?"
Yu Xia originally wanted to say something, but seeing Lin Momo’s flushed face and aggrieved expression, he could only hold back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
I pulled Lin Momo over and asked, "Lin Momo, you'd better tell us the truth. How did you know this kind of person?"
Lin Momo turned her head and looked at me, frowning slightly, with a rare look of depression on her face: "That man is called Chen Hao. He can be considered a friend of my high school classmate. After we met once at a class reunion, he sent me messages every day saying that he liked me and wanted to pursue me. I felt a little awkward so I blacklisted him, but I didn't expect to meet him here again. He is studying at the nearby Forestry University, but for someone like him, going to university should be just a formality..."
"Could it be possible that he has been following us just now?" I asked.
"I saw him not long after we left the school gate. At first I thought he didn't notice me, but I didn't expect..." Lin Momo was a little distressed.
I turned my head and saw a fleeting shyness on Lin Momo's face. I wondered if it was an illusion. I glanced at Xu Shihan again, and she also looked at me and nodded.
She is so sensitive that she may have discovered earlier than me that Lin Momo might have more than just aversion to Chen Hao.
An unruly boy like Chen Hao is fatally attractive to many girls. While they are disgusted by his entanglement, they are also addicted to the feeling of being chased.
The appearance of Chen Hao was like a trivial episode, which was soon covered up by the smell of barbecue and forgotten. No one knew what kind of changes this boy would bring to our lives in the future.
In the past, I didn’t have any obsession with celebrating my birthday.
Until I started to look forward to it, what would Yu Xia do on her birthday?
I don't care about gifts, I just want the feeling that he cares about me.
So, such an ordinary day became different because of the expectations.
Those little thoughts stirring in my heart, like a sponge, slowly began to swell because of too much hope injected into it...
When did the subtle changes in my relationship with Yu Xia begin? Was it from the appearance of Yan Anyan? Was it from a certain afternoon that I didn't know about? Or was it from that morning that only he and Sheng Yinuo knew what happened?
I have celebrated many birthdays with them and received many birthday gifts from them, including my favorite yo-yo, the house model that Sheng Yinuo made after staying up late, and the bracelet that Yu Xia polished herself...
So, this year, when Sheng Yinuo pushed a car with a dozen colorful balloons tied to the back seat and a colorful flag with "Su Bei, Happy Birthday" written on it, I would be as happy as in previous years, but I would also think that this year was just like many birthdays in the past, with no difference.
Yu Xia stood behind him, watching all this with a smile, as usual.
"Thank you!" I'm never the kind of polite person who wants to accept but also refuses with them. After accepting the bicycle, I walked around to Yu Xia and stretched out my right hand in a coquettish manner, "Where's my gift?"
Sheng Yinuo screamed behind me: "Su Bei! You are such a heartless person! I gave you such a big gift, but you didn't even give me a kiss. Instead, you bypassed my gift and went to find Yu Xia. Ouch, my little heart hurts so much!"
The only thing in my sight was Yu Xia. I looked at him, holding back the trembling in my voice, and asked again, "Where's the gift?"
Yu Xia took a step forward, touched my head, and whispered to me, "Happy birthday, Su Bei."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed to receive such a casual blessing. I lowered my eyes and tried my best to look unconcerned.
At this time, a word came to my ears.
"Su Bei, I hope I can be by your side on every birthday from now on."
Yu Xia's warm and magnetic voice, like the warmest wind of this season, instantly surrounded me. All my loss and melancholy disappeared because of such a simple sentence.
No need for gorgeous and exquisite gifts, nor for a grand and romantic scene, just a simple word.
A sentence that allows me to see that perhaps in the days to come, we can walk side by side can make me feel happy and satisfied.
After Yu Xia finished speaking, he slowly moved his hand away from my head. When he let go of my hand and tried to step back, I grabbed his sleeve, my eyes filled with tears, unable to speak.
He smiled and raised his hand to ruffle my hair: "Sorry, I forgot to prepare a gift for you."
I raised my hand and pretended that my nose was itchy. While rubbing it with my hand, I raised my arm and used my sleeve to wipe away the tears that were about to fall. When I put it down again, I put on a bright smile: "A pat on the head is a birthday present, but that won't do! At least there should be a big cake."
"Ahhh, Yu Xia! You broke the rules! You actually touched my dearest little Su Bei's head! No no, Su Bei, I want to touch your head too. Not only that, I want a hug too." As he said that, Sheng Yinuo walked around in front of me and opened his arms.
"Go away!" I stretched out my hand to block him, not letting him get any closer to me.
The sadness between Yu Xia and I also became blurred because of Sheng Yinuo's intrusion, as if it had never happened.
Maybe I have never noticed it, or maybe I have noticed it a long time ago, but that morning, there was deliberately hidden sadness in the eyes of the three of us, but we just didn't want to admit it.
Eighteen years old is destined to be a turning point.
Riding the new bike, I no longer have the reason to sit behind Yu Xia. Whenever I think about it, I feel empty and a little disappointed.
If you ask me how my birthday is different from ordinary days, I would say that my mother made a more sumptuous breakfast in the morning, Sheng Yinuo gave me a present, and Yu Xia gave me a bicycle. Apart from that, I still have to attend classes and the teacher still takes attendance. I still can't help falling asleep in the political economy class, and then Xu Shihan pushes me awake. I wipe the saliva from the corners of my mouth and drowsily greet the roll call in the next class.
Is there anything else different?
Another difference may be that this year Yu Xia said that they would spend every day together in the future.
Listening carefully, there doesn't seem to be anything ambiguous about this sentence, but for me, I don't know why, it always sounds like a promise.