I was thinking about a very serious question. The stars in the night all look the same, so why do they still try to break through the darkness? Later I realized that if I had always been hiding behind you, you would never see me. Just like the ivy that grows more and more luxuriantly on the wall, it will die and wither, but it is happy with it.

Before school started, the restless Luo Qiqi came back from H City. She was bored and called me to say that she wanted to hold a unique masquerade party.
Yang Yanxiao spent two days to find an abandoned factory on a construction site in District H. Luo Qiqi hired a van, and the back of the van was filled with props for setting up the venue. She sat next to me and showed me some photos she had taken in H City with her newly bought mobile phone.
I squinted my eyes at the photo of Luo Qiqi proudly wearing a bikini, but she was covering her mouth and laughing uncontrollably on the other side.
When we arrived at the warehouse, it had already been cleaned and all that was left was for us to hang up the props.
"Who is so diligent?" Luo Qiqi looked at the three boys suspiciously.
Ling Haochen put his arm around Yang Yanxiao's shoulders, looking away and shaking his legs. Yang Yanxiao smiled with her hands covering her mouth like a shy little girl.
"Mr. Yang, you're not bad." Luo Qiqi's words didn't sound like a serious compliment, but they were very useful to Yang Yanxiao.
Yang Yan snorted and said, "That's right. Don't you see who I am? The title of 'Little Tornado' is not just a name."
"Come on, you're so proud of yourself just because I praise you." Luo Qiqi rolled her eyes at him, then held a bunch of colorful flowers and shouted, "Nianzi, go set up the venue."
I followed Luo Qiqi like a little follower, turned around and made a "come on" gesture to Yang Yanxiao, and Yang Yanxiao smiled and returned me the same gesture.
I was carrying a paint bucket to paint the rusty abandoned iron pipes on the ceiling. Mu Shaobai was holding the table below and said, "Qing Nian, come down, I'll do it. This is too dangerous."
"It's okay. When I was a kid, I often helped my grandma install light bulbs at home." I waved the paint brush and smiled carelessly.
Mu Shaobai was amused by me and said, "Aren't you afraid of heights? And...will it be inconvenient for you to wear a skirt?"
"Boom——" A light suddenly flashed through my mind, and I forgot that I was wearing a skirt today.
I quickly squatted down, hugged my knees, and was so careless that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Mu Shaobai was still smiling, showing a small canine tooth.
I lowered my head and laughed until my shoulders shook and my face felt like a hot fireball.
Ling Haochen squeezed over and carried me off the table before I could react.
"Hey, Ling Haochen." I patted his shoulder.
Ling Haochen said in an adult tone: "Tsk, what are you doing? You are just a little girl, climbing up and down. And you..." Ling Haochen pointed at Mu Shaobai and said, "Xiaoxiaoxiao, why don't you work faster? Hurry up, or you won't get paid."
Mu Shaobai stopped smiling, stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, sir."
Ling Haochen was very satisfied and said like a leader: "That's good enough. I'll give you a raise tomorrow."
"Thank you, sir!" Mu Shaobai saluted again.
Ling Haochen found the game fun and wanted to continue, but he was chased all over the field by Luo Qiqi who was holding a lantern. Luo Qiqi chased him and beat him while shouting, "You are pretending! Pretend again!"
Ling Haochen ran and shouted for help: "Help! Cruel Luo Qiqi, didn't you say I was your idol?"
"That's only when you're racing, get to work!"
I watched them running around the field with a smile, and continued to busy myself with my work with Yang Yanxiao and Mu Shaobai.
After setting up the factory, it was already 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
Luo Qiqi looked at her phone and said, "Yang Yanxiao, please contact us and ask for the drinks to be delivered before 5:30 pm. Let's go back and take a shower and prepare our masks. Please notify your friends to arrive at the venue at 6 pm. Our party will be held on time at 6:30 pm."
Luo Qiqi was like an ace boss and arranged the division of labor perfectly.
She turned around and said to me, "Nian Zi, come back with me. We are the protagonists of tonight." She looked at me, extremely mysterious and serious.
I didn't know what Luo Qiqi was up to. When I followed her to her house, she led me to the closet.
"Close your eyes!" Luo Qiqi ordered me, and I closed my eyes obediently.
I heard Luo Qiqi opening the closet door. Her movements were so cautious that I felt like I had opened the door to a new century. Luo Qiqi reminded me not to open my eyes, so I raised my hand and made an "OK" gesture.
“Dangdangdang——” Luo Qiqi came close to me, and I felt like a dark shadow was pressing down on me. She said, “Miss Ji, you can open your eyes now.”
I slowly opened my eyes, and Luo Qiqi slowly moved past me. Two identical evening dresses were hanging in the closet, one black, one white, sexy but not revealing, noble but not conservative, a little fresh, and particularly elegant.
"This is the sister outfit I ordered from abroad, one black swan and one white swan." Luo Qiqi introduced , her eyes a little wet, "Nianzi, it's great to meet you."
I was stunned for a moment, then nudged Luo Qiqi with my elbow and said, "Then I'll go and try it on without hesitation. Please help me comb my hair later."
"Okay!" Luo Qiqi jumped up immediately after hearing this and said, "Go quickly, no, wait, I want to change too." After that, she took off the white evening dress and handed it to me.
"You are white, I am black, and my name is the noble black swan." Luo Qiqi said with a smile.
"My name is the Proud White Swan." I took the clothes with a smile, walked to Luo Qiqi's bed, and pulled down the curtain.
I looked at the soft evening dress in my hand, and I was touched. This was the first time I wore such a nice dress in my life, and I was with a friend. White swans have wings, so can they fly wherever they want to go?
I tried on my clothes and drew aside the curtain. Luo Qiqi was already dressed, with her back to me. She turned back slowly, and I seemed to see an elf from the darkness, so noble indeed.
"It's really beautiful." I praised sincerely.
"You are so beautiful too." Luo Qiqi came over and helped me tidy up the feathers on my waist. She looked up and smiled slyly, "Doing your hair?"
"Okay!" I nodded.
Luo Qiqi pushed me in front of the dressing mirror and tapped her head with a wooden comb. I guess she was thinking about what kind of hairstyle she wanted to give me.
After a while, Luo Qiqi started to braid my hair. I watched her skillful movements and asked, "Qiqi, have you ever braided anyone's hair before?"
Luo Qiqi said: "No, when I was little, I was a little princess who loved beauty. My mother especially liked to braid my hair. But since I entered junior high school, they have not paid much attention to me. Now I am working abroad and send me living expenses every month. I am very bored living alone, so I don't have the energy to take care of these things. I just cut my hair short, and it's fine like this."
The first time I heard Luo Qiqi talk about her childhood, I asked, "How long has your mother been away? What would you do if she came back and saw that you were no longer the sweet little princess you once were?"
"Who cares?" Luo Qiqi snorted, "As a parent, if I don't take good care of my daughter, do you still blame me? Anyway, they can beat or scold me when they come back, whatever they want."
I smiled and said, "Me too. My mother died when I was very young. My father didn't care about me at all and just told me to study hard. I also wore a ponytail and school uniform every day to go back and forth between school and home, but I don't want to go back to that home. I don't like my stepmother. She and my father always quarrel."
Luo Qiqi stopped what she was doing, and I watched myself in the mirror become blurry. I continued, "So I really envy you guys, you can do whatever you want. Although your parents are in the United States, you will be very lonely most of the time, but you have Ling Haochen and his family. I don't have any close friends, and I have to go back to my home every night where there is always a quarrel. Qiqi, tell me, if you were going to quarrel, why did you choose to be together?"
Luo Qiqi leaned over and hugged me, her voice choking as she said, "Don't cry. Anyone who cries is a traitor."
I wiped my tears and said, "I didn't cry."
"That's more like it." Luo Qiqi continued to braid my hair, "You have to remember that those mistakes have nothing to do with us. We just need to live our own lives and be worthy of ourselves."
Luo Qiqi tied a rubber band on the end of my hair, helped me stand up, and said, "Beautiful girl, praise me quickly."
"Praise you." I gave her a thumbs up and saw tears in her eyes.
"Let's go." Luo Qiqi stretched out her hand to me, and I put my hand on the back of her hand, just like a little eunuch supporting the old Buddha.
But tonight, Luo Qiqi and I are both aloof swans.
There were many people at the party, many of whom I didn't know, and they all wore masks. There was a long row of tables at the venue, with all kinds of drinks, foreign wines, snacks and fruits on them. The people present wore all kinds of formal clothes and masks of all kinds.
I couldn't waltz, I didn't join the crowd, I walked along the tables, tasting every possible food, I was so hungry.
"Girl." Ling Haochen's voice came from behind me. He snapped his fingers, then leaned against my back and reached out to take off the mask on my face.
I turned my head slightly and met his gaze.
My face turned red, and he took a step back and bowed to me: "Can I ask you to dance with me?"
I hesitated: "I won't."
"It's okay, I'll teach you." Ling Haochen came over, gently held my hand, and put his other hand around my waist.
I put my other hand on his shoulder, imitating what I had seen in TV dramas.
Ling Haochen looked particularly elegant in his tuxedo, and looked quite mysterious and handsome with a black eye mask on.
I followed Ling Haochen's steps and occasionally stepped on his feet, but he didn't mind at all.
"I'm sorry." I apologized a little embarrassedly.
Ling Haochen laughed and said, "I almost gave you my life when I was a child, do you still care if you step on me a few times?"
I stopped moving all of a sudden, feeling as if I had been electrocuted.
Ling Haochen looked at me and smiled, with a hint of something difficult to capture in his eyes.
"You..." I didn't know where to start and could only stare at him blankly.
Ling Haochen continued to dance with me, humming the theme song of "Alien Legend" in my ear. I followed his steps and a smile appeared on my face.
Time is like a gear, it keeps turning, as if it brings us back to the starting point. Grandma, my Superman seems to be back. If he comes back, will he never leave again?
When the party was over, I secretly ran to the rooftop alone to enjoy the night view.
The moon is very round, and the lights not far away are particularly bright. I like this kind of night very much, it is quiet enough, enough for people to imagine the scenes that they dare not imagine in those days.
If I hadn't met Ling Haochen, would I not have met so many people? Would I still be wearing a ponytail like before, suppressing my inner desire for freedom, and living a boring life day and night?
How annoying.
There was a sound of climbing on the iron ladder. I turned my head and saw Mu Shaobai in a knight's outfit. He saw me sitting on the ground and came over to sit with me: "What are you thinking about?"
I looked up at the moonlight and said honestly, "Think about the past and the present."
Mu Shaobai heard this and chuckled, "What's the difference between the past and now?"
I was silent for a long time, then said, "I am very happy now."
"Happiness..." Mu Shaobai said with a hint of meaning, "When you transform from boredom to happiness, you must lose something."
"I know, I've already risked it all." I sneered.
Seeing my answer, Mu Shaobai didn't ask any more questions.
After a while, Ling Haochen and the other two climbed up with fruits and beer.
"That's so mean." Yang Yanxiao ran over to sit between me and Mu Shaobai, cursing, and put the heavy fruit basket in his hand on the ground.
Luo Qiqi put the wine on the table, sat down and said, "There were too many people just now, let's have a few drinks now." As she said that, she took the lead in handing me a bottle of beer.
I was about to take it, but Ling Haochen snatched it away quickly.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Luo Qiqi complained.
Ling Haochen said, "Qing Nian can't drink."
"It's okay, I can do it." I didn't want to spoil Luo Qiqi's fun, so I went to get another bottle.
"Tsk." Ling Haochen grabbed it again, pointed to his lower abdomen, and winked at me, "You can't drink it, don't disobey me."
I immediately thought of the scene when I first met Ling Haochen, and it suddenly dawned on me. Could it be that he remembered the time of my period? Thinking of this, my face became hot.
Luo Qiqi didn't understand what was going on and shouted, " What are you doing, Ling Haochen?"
"I won't let her drink! If you want her to drink... you have to get me drunk!" Ling Haochen said, and snorted complacently.
Luo Qiqi was so angry that she couldn't speak. Get Ling Haochen drunk? Even if Luo Qiqi, Mu Shaobai, and Yang Yanxiao were combined, they couldn't drink more than Ling Haochen.
I laughed secretly in my heart, but was inexplicably moved.
I looked up at Ling Haochen, who was still arguing with Luo Qiqi. Is Ling Haochen, who was protecting , really the alien superman who pulled me out of the river that year? Yes, they are so similar.
I stood up, leaving them behind, and looked down at this strange yet familiar city. An airplane flew across the sky and rushed into the clouds.
After the unique dance party, I was promoted to the second grade, which meant that Ling Haochen and the others were about to graduate.
Although all of them except Mu Shaobai considered studying as a hobby, they still had to take the graduation exams, and I didn't have the heart to disturb them. Most of the time, they went to school and came home alone. When they became graduates, the teachers were stricter.
But after not seeing them for a long time, I suddenly missed them, I missed Luo Qiqi, I missed Ling Haochen. My heart was suddenly pulled, Ling Haochen was so important in my heart.
The ginkgo tree outside the classroom seems to have grown a circle, and its leaves are emerald green. As September approaches, autumn is coming soon, right? By that time, these leaves should have turned yellow.
At night, I tossed and turned at home and couldn't sleep. When it was 11 o'clock and I started to panic, I thought of Mu Shaobai. I thought of what he told me that day: When you transform from boredom to happiness, you will definitely lose something.
Thinking of this, I called Mu Shaobai.
"Hello?" Mu Shaobai's voice was a little hoarse.
"Are you asleep?" I was startled and felt sorry for disturbing him.
"No, I was just looking at the exercises."
I held the phone tightly and asked softly, "Am I disturbing you? How about you do the questions first and I'll hang up first and we'll talk later."
"Don't." Mu Shaobai said hurriedly, "Don't hang up, I have a headache, please chat with me. By the way, is there something you want to talk to me about?"
I exhaled, took a deep breath, and said, "I remember what you said to me at the dance, Mu Shaobai, I feel..." I paused and continued, "I seem to have different feelings towards Ling Haochen."
The other party was silent for a long time and did not speak.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked anxiously.
"It's okay, just continue." Mu Shaobai's voice was calm.
I thought about it and continued, "I don't know what you mean by loss, but I think I should cherish it before I lose it."
I heard Mu Shaobai take a breath and seemed to put the phone far away.
"That's good. In fact, Haochen is really outstanding. Besides, if he knew that you liked him, he would definitely be very happy..."
"Don't tell him yet." I said hastily.
Mu Shaobai chuckled twice and said softly, "I understand. Go to bed early."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, I lay down in bed peacefully. My worries were put aside for the time being, and I slowly began to feel sleepy. Goodbye to this night that made my heart flutter like a deer.
Because my mind was always on Ling Haochen, I didn't notice the war that was gradually spreading in the house. At first, I only knew that Ji Ming didn't get into the school that Ji Dahai wanted, and then Ji Dahai used his connections to find a vocational school, but Ji Ming didn't want to go to a vocational school at all.
Ji Dahai was pulling a feather duster , while Ma Wenjuan was hugging Ji Ming tightly beside him.
"What are you doing? Do you still want to beat Ji Ming? It's already very sad that the child didn't get into a good school." Ma Wenjuan blindly protected her son.
Ji Dahai was so angry that he threw the feather duster on the ground, stomped on it a few times, pointed at Ma Wenjuan and blamed her: "It's all because you spoil your son too much! If you were a little stricter with him and let him hang out less, would his grades be so bad? You are so foolish! Foolish mother! Can you protect him forever?"
"I have been protecting him all my life. He is my son!" Ma Wenjuan said righteously.
I no longer had any hope for Ma Wenjuan's worldview. I put down the book and said, "Dad, don't argue with her. She's unreasonable."
When Ma Wenjuan heard what I said, she immediately became excited, and her words were not without sarcasm: "Hey, you little girl, I am your elder! Do you know how to be polite? Have you wasted your years of studying?"
I glared at her and said, "You are my father's second wife. We are not related by blood at all. Why should I be polite to someone like you?"
“You…” Ma Wenjuan’s eyebrows jumped with anger, and she immediately pointed the gun at Ji Dahai, “Okay, Ji Dahai, look at the good daughter you have educated, look at the good daughter you are proud of!”
Ji Dahai had been furious for a long time. Ever since Ma Wenjuan brought Ji Ming to our house, Ji Dahai had been as strict with Ji Ming as he was with me. It was only because one was a boy and the other was a girl that his education methods were different, but he treated Ji Ming as his own son from the bottom of his heart. Now that Ji Ming was lawless under his mother's "protection" and had not grown at all, Ji Dahai was naturally very angry.
"Qing Nian is my proud daughter! If Ji Ming could be a little bit like his sister and get admitted to a good school, I wouldn't have to worry so much about him!" After scolding, Ji Dahai sat on the stool, breathing heavily.
Ma Wenjuan was a bitch, and she kept on asking, "Isn't that right? You just feel bad that Ji Ming didn't get into a good school to save your reputation."
The veins on Ji Dahai's fists bulged and he was so angry that he covered his chest and started coughing.
I walked over with a frown, grabbed Ji Ming and scolded him, "Ji Ming, just tell me whether you will go to the school your father found for you or not? Although the system is different from other schools, you can learn both skills and knowledge. You decide whether you will go or not! If you don't want to go, go out and work on your own and don't ask your family for a penny."
"Ji Qingnian, how can it be your turn to take care of this family?" Ma Wenjuan yelled.
"Shut up!" I glared at her fiercely, "I respect you as my elder, that's why I didn't hit you!"
I have always been humble and obedient to Ma Wenjuan, but today I was really angry and needed to vent. Ma Wenjuan looked at me who was different from the past and seemed to be afraid to continue.
I slowed down my tone, looked at Ji Ming who looked a little scared, and said, "Don't worry, I won't laugh at you. If anyone laughs at you, I will never let him go."
Ji Ming raised his head and looked at me.
"Keep your word." I pointed a finger at Ji Ming.
Ji Ming suddenly raised his head, disdained to shake hands with me, and said, "Just think about it, really, who asked you to protect me."
Hearing this, I smiled. I turned around and looked at Ji Dahai, and his brows slowly relaxed.
I don't like Ma Wenjuan, but I care about Ji Ming very much, because no matter how naughty or troublesome he is outside, he is always willing to listen to me.
More than a month passed, and after the Golden Week, Ji Ming's matter was settled.
I haven't been in touch with Ling Haochen and his group for a long time, so I took advantage of my free time to study more, but I always thought of Ling Haochen in my mind consciously or unconsciously, so much so that I was always distracted in class.
"Nian'er." Mo Yanyan pushed my arm at the front desk and said, "Teacher Xie wants you to collect the exercise books in the class and take them to the teaching office. It seems that someone from above came to check and wanted to see how our homework was done."
I nodded, called on my classmates to put away their exercise books, and then walked towards the teaching office.
"Director, this is our class's homework." I knocked on the open door.
"Put it there." The director pointed to a random place, then looked up and saw that it was me, and said, "Ji Qingnian, come here."
I put down my exercise book and walked up to him obediently. The director said earnestly: "Student Ji, you know, with your grades, you have a bright future. Don't let your teachers and parents down."
I knew what the director meant, so I replied, "Don't worry, I will try my best."
"That's good." The director nodded and said, "Go get busy first."
"good."
I left the teaching office and walked in the corridor, with a lot of thoughts in my mind.
Don't worry? It turns out that I can say these two reassuring words without blushing or beating my heart.
A bright future? Is that your expectation or mine? I just want to study what I am interested in and live freely.
But this is too difficult. Many students are burdened with the expectations of their teachers and parents, and they are constantly instilled with words from textbooks. They cannot have their own free time and cannot do what they like. They are like canaries in a cage, eating the food sent by their owners and wailing sadly.
I was once that canary, but the master's eyes are always sharp and he can observe the spirit of the canary.
I held the test paper in silence for a long time - this time the score was even lower than the last time.
Mo Yanyan saw me in a daze, stretched out her hand and waved it in front of me, and asked, "Nian'er, what's wrong with you?"
I put down the test paper weakly, supported my forehead with my hands, and sighed frequently.
Mo Yanyan took my test paper and looked at it, then said, "I told you that making friends with them would affect your grades, right? You didn't believe me."
"This is my own business."
I took the test paper back, put it in my textbook, and walked out of the classroom.
As I walked out of the classroom, Jiang Lin called me.
"Nian'er, the head teacher asked you to go to the office."
"I know, teach me a lesson." I put my hands in my school uniform pockets and smiled at Jiang Lin. She looked at me puzzledly, as if she was thinking about something.
Do you wonder why I have changed? I don't care that much.
When I entered the office, I unexpectedly found Ling Haochen there. Ling Haochen put his hands behind his back, tilted his head and blinked at me, and my gloomy mood suddenly brightened.
I walked over and stood side by side with Ling Haochen: "Teacher, are you looking for me?"
"Qingnian." The head teacher called my name affectionately and said, "Come, come closer. What happened to you these days? Are you very tired? Why is this exam..."
I laughed in my heart and said, "Teacher, maybe I'm a little tired. I can't concentrate in class and can't control my thoughts."
"Classmate, who are you thinking about that makes you unable to control your thoughts?" Ling Haochen asked quietly behind me.
I couldn't help wanting to laugh, but the head teacher's expression immediately changed, and he sternly scolded Ling Haochen: "Ling Haochen, what are you talking about! Are you still acting like a student? Shut up!"
Ling Haochen said dissatisfiedly: "Teacher, when I was silent just now, you said that my attitude was not correct. Now I am speaking, and you told me to shut up. What should I do?"
The head teacher's glasses slipped down his nose and he said sternly, "You are such a grown-up, can't you have some sense of propriety? It's all because of you that Ji Qingnian has been led astray!"
"Teacher." I said coldly, "Ling Haochen and I both made mistakes, why didn't you teach me a lesson? Besides, my head is on my body, and my poor grades are my business. What does it have to do with Ling Haochen?"
"You..." Perhaps he didn't expect such words to come out of the mouth of a good student like me. The head teacher was a little confused for a while. He swallowed his anger and pointed at us and said, "Call your parents! Now! Immediately!"
30 minutes later, Ji Dahai and Uncle Hua, who was in charge of Ling Haochen, came to the office and kept apologizing to the head teacher. The head teacher threatened to report us to the whole school for criticism. After apologizing, Ji Dahai roared in a low voice: "I will punish you when I get back!"
So, at 3 o'clock on this Friday afternoon when the sun was shining brightly, the school gathered all the teachers and students in the playground to make an example of them.
I stood in the crowd, looking at Ling Haochen standing alone on the stage in confusion.
The head teacher held the microphone in his hand and accused Ling Haochen. Ling Haochen was used to this kind of occasion, and he just admired the scenery and occasionally joked with the low-flying birds.
"Ling Haochen!" The head teacher yelled until his voice broke. "What kind of attitude is this? I'm telling you, I'm going to give you a serious warning now. Wherever you go in the future, you will carry this stain on your back! As for Ji Qingnian, because of his excellent attitude in admitting his mistakes, he will be given a warning. Ling Haochen, read your self-examination."
What's going on? It was just a warning to me, but Ling Haochen was not only punished but also had to read a self-criticism. This is not fair.
I wanted to go up and explain, but Mo Yanyan stopped me. Mo Yanyan held me tightly and said, "Auntie, bear with it. If you go up, it may bring a bigger punishment to Ling Haochen."
But...but it's not his fault.
My heart ached. It was obviously me who approached them willingly. It had nothing to do with Ling Haochen.
My nose felt sore, and Ling Haochen's figure on the stage became more and more blurred, and finally turned into a triple shadow.
I wiped away my tears. Ling Haochen's eyes were on me. I lowered my head to avoid him, not wanting him to see my ridiculous look.
The briefing ended quickly and all the students left, but I stood there and refused to move.
"Nian'er, let's go." Mo Yanyan pulled the corner of my clothes.
"You go first." I pushed her hand away.
I raised my head, looking for Ling Haochen. He jumped down from the stage, ran straight to me, frowned and asked, "Are you crying?"
"No." I shook my head.
Ling Haochen passed his hand through my palm, held it tightly, and said, "Come with me."
I was led by him and ran with him. All the scenes around me were receding. I seemed to be unable to see the surprised eyes of my classmates. I was like a free bird.
It's enough that I'm happy.
Ling Haochen took me to the oldest wooden building in the school and pointed to a pot of yellow chrysanthemums for me to see.
"What do you mean?" I asked puzzled.
"You are like this pot of chrysanthemums now." Ling Haochen said.
I slapped him hard and said, "You are the chrysanthemum!"
"I'm talking about real chrysanthemums!" Ling Haochen explained quickly, then looked at my blushing cheeks and laughed, "Ji Qingnian, what are you thinking about? Hahaha, I mean you are like this pot of chrysanthemums, blooming in its best condition, so you can bloom , I will protect you."
I curled my lips and said, "What a lousy metaphor."
"Compare people to flowers." Ling Haochen said.
I admit that my heart is as sweet as honey at this moment. I think a certain corner of my heart has not only sprouted, but also blossomed.
From then on, there was always a very strange feeling between Ling Haochen and me. When I looked at couples holding hands on the street, I suddenly began to imagine that it was Ling Haochen and me.
I didn’t seem to behave well in school because of the teacher’s warning. Wherever I went, I would see people pointing at me and whispering about the rumors between Ling Haochen and me.
Rumor has it that Ji Qingnian is in love with Ling Haochen.
I ignored it.
One day after school, I was walking along the street and felt like someone was following me. I walked to a parked car, pretended to be cutting my hair in front of the window, and saw a group of girls who looked like young people in the rearview mirror.
I deliberately turned into an alley and waited for them to come.
Seeing them looking around at the intersection, I leaned against the wall and said, "Here."
They heard the noise and came in from outside and surrounded me. The leading girl was wearing a black jacket and had a huge earring on her earlobe. She said coolly, "Are you waiting to die here?"
"What's the matter? Tell me." After hanging out with Luo Qiqi for a long time, I've become like her.
The girl with the earrings said contemptuously, "I heard that you and Ling Haochen have been getting close recently?"
I said bluntly: "You are wrong, not recently, we have always been close and have a good relationship."
The girl with the earrings seemed to have not expected me to answer like this. She didn't say anything to scare me, but directly ordered, "Stay away from him in the future."
"Why?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
The girl with earrings widened her eyes and said, "Why? You will only obey me if I beat you, right?"
"Oh." I responded coldly and prepared to leave.
The group of girls were like wild horses running around and immediately blocked me.
The girl with earrings held a cigarette in her mouth and walked up to me. She held the cigarette in one hand and moved her other hand, ready to blow at me at any time.
"What are you doing?" Luo Qiqi's voice suddenly came from the alley.
Luo Qiqi came over, looked at the girl with earrings, and said, "Old friend, long time no see, what are you doing?"
The girl with the earrings said proudly, "I'm helping my friend beat up a shameless woman. What? Do you want to try it?"
Luo Qiqi laughed twice, looked at me, and said, "I've never hit such a fair and tender face before, let me do it."
The girl with earrings took a step back as if she was enjoying the show. Luo Qiqi flexed her wrist , then swung it in a circle, and with a crisp "snap", it landed on the girl's face.
The others were puzzled, but they didn't dare to help. The girl with earrings covered her face and cursed: "Luo Qiqi, are you blind? Why did you hit me?"
Luo Qiqi turned around and stood in front of me, saying, "Look carefully, everyone. This person is my friend. If you know what's good for you, get out of here right now. The farther away the better. If you mess with her again next time, I won't just slap you in the face."
Luo Qiqi was quite famous in the underworld, and ordinary hooligans didn't dare to mess with her. The girl with the earrings realized that she had messed with the wrong person, so she could only run away unwillingly.
Luo Qiqi sneered: "No future!"
I bumped Luo Qiqi with my shoulder and praised her, "You're pretty good."
Luo Qiqi raised her head and boasted: "That's right, you didn't even go out to find out who I, Luo Qiqi, am. You should thank me. If I hadn't happened to pass by here, your fair and tender face would have been scratched red."
I chuckled and said, "I'll fight back."
Luo Qiqi smiled and hugged me, saying, "Good job, you can't be bullied by others."
"Do you know who they are?" I asked.
Luo Qiqi thought for a while and said, "I'm not sure, because there are so many people who like Ling Haochen, and you never know who dislikes you. But don't be afraid, I will protect you." After saying that, Luo Qiqi patted my shoulder like a little adult.
I burst out laughing and accepted Luo Qiqi's kindness: "Thank you, Miss Luo."
"You're so polite! Come on, I'll treat you to something to eat." Luo Qiqi pulled me outside generously.
"I'm going to have a barbecue," I suggested.
"You are so vulgar."
"What does it matter? The barbecue is delicious and spicy enough!"
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the glass wall of the 56-story building, and the street echoed with the unbridled laughter of two girls. Luo Qiqi and I chased each other to the barbecue place, which was something I had longed for.
And now, I am standing in the sunset, and someone comes to open the cage, holding the key in his hand, and appears in front of me like a savior. I have just stepped out of the cage and need them to lead and protect me. I am afraid that if they turn around, I will never find them again.