"Su Bei, Shi Han, let's go and watch Sheng Yinuo and the others train!"
As soon as the get out of class was over, Lin Momo excitedly pulled us to the basketball court, not giving us any chance to refuse.
Before we reached the basketball court, a man holding a large bouquet of red roses blocked our way.
There were many tall roses, blocking the face of the person who came. We could only determine that it was a boy based on his height and clothes, but we didn't know who he was exactly.
I was just about to pull Lin Momo around him, but I found my hand was held tightly. I turned around and saw Lin Momo hiding behind Xu Shihan with a nervous look on her face. It was obvious that she knew who the person in front of her was.
Seeing her reaction, I naturally understood.
At this time, Xu Shihan had no way to rush to the front, so I had to stand up and block this boy named Chen Hao.
I haven't seen him since my birthday, nor have I heard any news about Just when I thought he had completely disappeared from my life, he appeared again in a conspicuous manner, catching me off guard.
I wondered whether I should speak first or wait until he took action.
Lin Momo behind me grabbed my clothes and hid for a while, but Xu Shihan stood side by side with me, with no fear on her face, which surprised me even more.
"It's okay, I'll stay with you." She smiled at me, her voice trembling slightly.
Although she was obviously scared, Xu Shihan still stood by my side, which made me feel warm in my chest and made me more courageous.
"Chen Hao, this is a school. I hope you can put away your tricks and leave here." I straightened my back and said to the person in front of me.
"Hey, you know it's me without me saying anything?" The rose moved away from his sight, revealing Chen Hao's disgusting face.
These days, he cut off the long hair that covered his eyes, and I was a little surprised to see him showing his whole face. When the word "handsome" appeared in my mind, which was completely inconsistent with the him I had seen before, I thought I was crazy.
He grinned and walked to my side naturally, looking at me, but he seemed to be talking to Lin Momo behind me: "You obviously like me, why are you hiding?"
"Who likes you? Don't be so self-indulgent!" Lin Momo shouted from behind me, her cheeks flushed, she looked angry but also vaguely shy.
"Yeah?"
"Of course! How could I possibly fall in love with a little jerk like you!"
These two people were separated from Xu Shihan and me, like a couple sulking each other and talking through a wall. I could clearly hear the guilt in Lin Momo's tone. Was it my illusion again this time?
I was just about to move aside so that the two of them could face each other when Lin Momo pleaded behind me in a low voice: "Su Bei, help me..."
My heart softened all of a sudden, and I stood up again and said, "Chen Hao, you heard it too, Momo doesn't like you, so don't pester her anymore. Even if you bring flowers to her every day, Momo won't be shaken by it, it will only make her more disgusted! The forest is so big, don't hang yourself on a tree, okay?"
"That's right!" Xu Shihan agreed.
Chen Hao smiled awkwardly when he heard what I said, and there was a sly light in his narrow eyes. He fixed his eyes on me, with a playful expression, but a serious tone, and said, "Well, I think what you said is very right. It's really not right to hang yourself on a tree. I should also change direction."
Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that I had driven Chen Hao, this big trouble, away from Lin Momo. But when I turned around, I saw Lin Momo's somewhat disappointed face.
At that time, I just thought it was an illusion in my eyes. I didn't think about the meaning behind this expression in my heart. I didn't realize that when you like someone, there is often a kind of behavior called saying one thing and thinking another.
Of course, if I had realized it at that time, perhaps there would not have been any of the things that happened later...
Before I could comprehend Lin Momo's expression, Chen Hao took a step forward and stood in front of me: "Su Bei, what about you? How about I chase you in a different direction?"
Faced with this self-defeating result, I was annoyed and angry for a moment, and rolled my eyes at him: "We are not familiar with each other at all, don't waste your time..."
The only person I like is Yu Xia.
Thinking of Yu Xia, my heart aches again. He never gave me an explanation about the hug between him and Yan Anyan, and the confession after his birthday. This morning, when I went downstairs, I only saw Sheng Yinuo's smiling face. If I ask him, he will tell me that Yu Xia said that he couldn't leave with us because of something else.
Is there something wrong, or do you just not want to face me?
"If I have the time to get to know you better, do you think there is a chance for us?" Chen Hao put the bouquet of roses behind him and continued, "I know you don't like these tacky things. Tell me, what kind of pursuit do you like? We can stop doing these empty things."
His words made the corners of my mouth twitch uncontrollably, and I sneered, "I really admire your ability to adapt to circumstances and like everyone you catch."
My words made Chen Hao smile disdainfully. He looked at me with an arrogant expression on his face: "Su Bei, let me tell you honestly, from the first time I saw you, I felt that you were different from others. I was interested in you at that time. After hearing what you said today, I was like, how do I put it, my mind was suddenly enlightened..."
I didn't want to continue to be involved in this mess, so I pulled Lin Momo and Xu Shihan to leave, but Chen Hao suddenly blocked our way.
"A good dog doesn't block the road." I shouted angrily.
"Dogs don't block the road, but people can!" Chen Hao looked like a rogue.
"Chen Hao!" I was so angry that I shouted his name.
"Su Bei, I tell you so much because I think highly of you. Not everyone is worthy of my flowers and my care." Chen Hao said arrogantly.
"Really?" I sneered, "Should I be grateful to you for giving me a bunch of cheap roses at a discount in the flower shop? Sorry, I don't want them."
"Su Bei!" This time it was his turn to be angry.
"Who are you? Are you a student of our school?" The security guard came over with a whistle and stared at Chen Hao from head to toe. "What's your name? Which department are you from?"
"Uncle, he's not from our school." Xu Shihan took the opportunity to say, "He's disturbing us. Can you please ask him to leave?"
"You're not from our school, but you dare to walk in?" The security guard pulled Chen Hao, "Get out quickly, or I'll call the police. Don't blame me for my harsh words then!"
"You..." Chen Hao looked at me angrily, threw the rose in his hand to the ground , turned and left.
At this time, someone in the crowd shouted, "Hey, littering is not allowed in our school."
There was laughter all around.
After seeing Chen Hao leave, the uncle walked up to me with a stern face and criticized me, "Students should study hard and stop thinking too much. School is not a place for you to fall in love with bad boys. Also, the farther you stay away from people like this, the better. Look at the look in his eyes when he left. The uncle knew at a glance that he was not a good person. Girl, you should learn to judge people in the future. Don't let people fool you just by giving you flowers or saying a few sweet words."
"Thank you uncle, I understand, and I will never do it again." I was very sincere. Who would want to meet someone like Chen Hao again in the future!
"Well, if you encounter any trouble at school in the future, report it to the Security Department in time." The uncle gave instructions and left.
I turned to look at Lin Momo. She was thinking about something. It was only after Xu Shihan called her twice that she came back to her senses. She smiled at us apologetically said, "I'm sorry to cause you trouble again."
"My dear sister, what are you saying? I'm sorry." After thinking about it, I decided to speak out my doubts, "Momo, what are your feelings for Chen Hao?"
"Me to him?" Lin Momo hesitated for a moment, then smiled and patted my shoulder, "What are you thinking? He and I are just acquaintances. How could I possibly like such a person? Let's go, I still want to watch Sheng Yinuo shoot the ball!"
She smiled and strode forward, as if the disappointment that had just flashed across her face had never appeared...
Later, I thought about it more than once: if Lin Momo had admitted her feelings for Chen Hao to us early on, and there hadn't been so many conflicts between Chen Hao and me, would things have turned around?
But I know this is impossible.
Without the premise of "knowing it earlier", most people put themselves first in their hearts. Some things have been fermenting all the time. They haven't happened yet because they haven't matured yet. What is coming will eventually come.
The three of us came to the basketball court, but we didn't see any intense game. We looked around but didn't see Sheng Yinuo. We only saw a group of girls standing in the middle of the court chatting and laughing.
The first person I saw was Yan Anyan. She was standing in the middle of the crowd like a proud princess, with a smile on her face that was so bright that it made me sad.
Fortunately, Yu Xia was not by her side, otherwise my sadness would be even greater.
"Huh? No training today? So disappointing!" Lin Momo sighed in disappointment, "Su Bei, how about we go back?"
I didn't reply to her. I stared straight in the direction where Yan Anyan was, and walked towards that direction step by step as if I was possessed.
There are too many questions I want to ask and too many doubts I want to get explained.
Since I can't find Yu Xia, it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to give me an explanation, right?
"An Yan, is she here to see you?"
"She has such a fierce expression!"
"An Yan, you should ignore her."
…
The girls kept talking about my faults. I stood in front of Yan Anyan, stared at her and asked, "Can you talk to me alone?"
"Just say it here. There's nothing I can't tell you all." Yan Anyan smiled nonchalantly, forming a sharp contrast with my anger.
I tried to calm myself down so that I could talk to her on the same level. Yu Xia once told me that when two people are negotiating, the one who gets angry first is bound to be the loser, and I don't want to be the loser.
Before I could really calm down, Yan Anyan's voice rang out. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for everyone present to hear every word she said clearly.
She asked, "Are you here to talk to me about Yu Xia? I know you saw it yesterday."
Sadness surged in my heart and I stared at her with wide eyes, full of disbelief and sadness.
The scene of them hugging each other played in front of me like a slide show. Every time it flashed, it was like a thorn that pierced my heart accurately.
It was like someone poured a bucket of cold water on a windy northerly day. I was trembling all over and couldn't utter a word.
"Su Bei, you and Yu Xia are not boyfriend and girlfriend. Even if we were together, you shouldn't hate me, right? We are just dating normally, and you will always be his good friend, and also my friend."
I stared at her smug face, wishing I could rush up to her and tear it apart.
When did I become violent?
"What? Are you angry?" She laughed again, "What right do you have to be angry? Didn't you always say that you and Yu Xia are good friends? Shouldn't you be happy for your good friend when he has a girlfriend?"
When I heard the word "girlfriend", I got angry: "You are not his girlfriend."
"Not now, but maybe in the future!" She looked at me with a cold expression , and swept my face with cold eyes, "Su Bei, do you know that you are very selfish? You want to keep the one you like by your side, whether you like it or not."
"I am selfish?" I suddenly calmed down and smiled at her, "Am I selfish, or are you afraid?"
She didn't say anything. We looked at each other and could see the dislike for each other in each other's eyes .
In the end, she sneered, ending the silent confrontation.
I heard her say, "Su Bei, I will definitely beat you this time."
She said it with such certainty that I felt a little guilty. Yu Xia had been so distant these days, and had left early so many times. From being inseparable to often disappearing...
My intuition told me that something must have happened that I didn't know about.
I want to ask further questions, but I am afraid of hearing answers that I don’t want to hear.
"No one should say anything until the end," I said, refusing to admit defeat.
"Heh, even after seeing us hugging you, you still won't give up? Or you say you won't lose, but in fact you've already lost your mind?" Yan Anyan lifted her long hair, "Su Bei, you're not as strong as you appear."
"But I am at least much stronger than you think." I said stubbornly, "You..."
"Su Bei." Suddenly, my arm was grabbed and the words that were about to come out were interrupted by a soft call.
I turned around and saw Sheng Yinuo's worried face.
"Where did you go just now? I couldn't see you anywhere." I put away the sarcasm I had just shown when talking to Yan Anyan and looked at him gently.
"The team is having a small meeting. The competition is about to start. Yan Anyan and the others are going to perform. I'll take you to the stage!"
Without giving me a chance to refuse, Sheng Yinuo pulled my arm and walked forward. He exuded a different aura than usual. Usually, Sheng Yinuo was always laughing and it was rare to see him so serious.
After settling me down, he gave Xu Shihan a few words of advice before returning to the team.
I didn't sit down, but stood by the chair, my eyes fixed on Yan Anyan in the center of the stage.
The music started and the cheerleading team had already formed up. Yan Anyan was standing in the middle wearing clothes of a different color from the other girls, making her particularly eye-catching.
The song was a popular dance music many years ago, which was popular on the streets for a while, and the initial movements were a little bit rustic. I told Xu Shihan about this, and she laughed at me for watching it with prejudice. She had seen them rehearse once, and it was quite exciting.
I curled my lips in noncommittal and said nothing more, still looking at the stage.
"Ah——" A scream attracted everyone's attention. Chaos broke out in the middle of the court. A group of girls surrounded them, not knowing what had happened to whom.
The members of the basketball team also quickly arrived at the center of the stage, and amid the noisy voices, one could vaguely hear that Yan Anyan was injured.
"Su Bei, let's go over and take a look!" Xu Shihan suggested.
Before I could refuse, Lin Momo responded to Xu Shihan's words and pulled us over there.
As expected, Yan Anyan was injured. She was lying on the ground with beads of sweat on her head. Looking down, her ankle was red and swollen, and it didn't look like she was pretending.
Everyone around asked with concern: "An Yan, are you okay?"
"An Yan, we'll take you to the infirmary right now." A boy carried her on his back and ran out, followed by several girls escorting him.
"Su Bei, An Yan said he has something to ask you, so come with us!" The girl who had just gone out with me came back and pulled me out without saying anything, with a puzzled look on her face.
"Su Bei!" Lin Momo called my name from behind.
I waved at her, indicating that I would be back soon. Actually, I didn't know what Yan Anyan wanted to talk to me about, but it couldn't be good.
When they arrived at the infirmary, the doctor said it was a sprain. After treating him, he told Yan Anyan to have a good rest and not to do any strenuous exercise in the near future.
After hearing this, Yan Anyan sat on the bed and sobbed, choking up and asking the doctor: "Doctor, can I not participate in the cheerleading training? The official competition will be held in a few days!"
"If you don't want your feet to be disabled, don't even think about dancing until they're fully healed," said the doctor.
"Then what shall we do..."
“If you want to limp around in the future, go ahead and jump. I won’t stop you.” After saying that, the doctor gave me a few more instructions to get some rest and then left, leaving me, a few cheerleading girls, and two boys from the basketball team.
Not long after, another group of cheerleaders came into the ward. I stood in the corner, still wondering why Yan Anyan asked me to come.
After everyone who entered the ward expressed their concern for Yan Anyan, a girl suddenly said, "Su Bei, it was you who did it, right?"
"What?" I looked up at the girl who accused me in astonishment. I didn't know her and this was probably the first time I met her. "You can't eat anything you don't want to, and you can't say anything you don't want to say without evidence."
"Nonsense? I took a special look at the scene after you left. An Yan's fall was not an accident. Someone dropped some essential oil where she usually stood, which caused her to slip." The girl took out a tissue from her pocket. There were obviously some oil stains on it. "This tissue is the evidence."
"So what?" I asked, "What does this mean?"
"Except for you, no one other than the cheerleaders went to the middle of the basketball court. There was no one there when we were rehearsing. Why did the oil appear where An Yan was standing after you left? Who else could it be if not you?" the girl analyzed.
People around her started to agree with her, including the boys on the basketball team, and they all pointed the finger at me.
"Who knows if someone in your team is jealous of Yan Anyan and did all this?" Xu Shihan and Lin Momo pushed open the door and walked in. They both stood beside me, one on the left and one on the right, like two guardians.
"Su Bei, I know you are jealous of Yu Xia and I being close. Even so, you can't hurt me, and you can't alienate me from my teammates after hurting me!" Yan Anyan burst into tears, and every word she said implied that I was the one who did it. My sophistry was just an attempt to alienate me. "I know you like Yu Xia, and I also know that you feel uncomfortable after seeing me and Yu Xia together, but Su Bei... I really like dancing, and I really hope to cheer for the school basketball team during the school competition. How could you... "
Her crying covered up the words she was about to say. Of course, even if she didn't finish, everyone understood what she meant. To sum it up, she loved dancing, and it was my jealousy that prevented her from cheering for the school.
"Yan Anyan, stop pretending. Who knows if you are using this trick of inflicting pain on yourself?" Lin Momo couldn't stand it and retorted to her.
Her tears flowed like a faucet, and she couldn't stop them. Even the boy next to her couldn't stand it and accused me, "Su Bei, if you dare to do it, you must take responsibility for it."
"Go to hell with your daring. If you have evidence today to prove that I did it, I will stand here and let you punish me. If you don't have evidence, don't throw dirty water on me. Although I, Su Bei, have an impatient temper, I would not do such a thing as secretly harming others." I glared at Yan Anyan, whose acting skills were superb, and sneered, "Who knows if someone deliberately staged such a drama in order to compete with me? After all, this world sympathizes with the weak and does not care about the truth."
"Su Bei, what do you mean?" Several girls stood in front of Yan Anyan, and their expressions looked like they wanted to eat me alive.
"It means exactly what it says. I want to advise you to be careful in everything and not let others use you as a tool for free." After saying that, I turned and left, even though the people behind me kept swearing at me without looking back.
"Momo, Shihan, you go back first. I want to be alone." After walking out, I said to Lin Momo and Xu Shihan who had been with me.
"But……"
"Let's go back first!" Xu Shihan considerately pulled Lin Momo, who wanted to say something to me, away, leaving me alone standing there for a long time before I had the strength to move.
Do you feel aggrieved?
certainly.
Are you sad?
certainly.
But I know better that I can't show my grievances and sadness in front of Yan Anyan. Isn't it that she directed and acted all this just to defeat me? I absolutely can't let her get what she wants.