Chapter 9: A Stunning Encounter three
I sat down dejectedly on the sofa beside me, my eyes fixed on the closed kitchen door, feeling upset. Escaping is never a good way to solve problems. How should I face Xu Yun next?
And, there is Hanako Yin...
When Hua Ziyin's name came to my mind clearly, I was so frightened by my weird thoughts that I almost jumped up from the sofa. At this moment, Hua Ziyin on the sofa suddenly moved. I stared at him nervously, like a child who had done something bad and was afraid of being discovered, and my heart beat faster for no reason.
I even suspected that Hua Ziyin, who was sleeping on the sofa, also heard my thoughts at that moment.
I was so scared that I held my breath and dared not move. Fortunately, Hua Ziyin just turned over, facing me, sniffed, and fell asleep peacefully again.
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief and waited for a long time. When I was sure that he had not woken up, I tiptoed over. Because of his turning over, more than half of the quilt fell to the floor. I gently picked up the quilt and bent down to cover him. When I looked up inadvertently, I met a pair of eyes that were looking straight at me. Those dark and deep eyes, like a cold pond, seemed to capture me in their eyes.
I quickly stepped back in panic, turned around and used a bad tone to cover up my panic: "Hua Ziyin, are you sick? You woke up without making a sound, do you want to scare me to death?"
He completely ignored my unfriendly tone, looked at me quietly, and after a long while he sighed, smiled to himself, and said, "Xihe, I knew it was you."
"You, what do you mean?" I was frightened by his unusual gentle tone, and suspected that he was going to say something sensational again. "Don't play tricks, Xiaoyuan dragged me here, otherwise I wouldn't want to come."
I was eager to distance myself from the matter, but he smiled tolerantly and said, "I know."
"I'm glad you know." I sat back on the single sofa calmly, pretending to concentrate on playing with my phone, but the corner of my eye involuntarily glanced at Hua Ziyin.
He struggled to sit up, leaned against the back of the sofa, and sighed softly. I thought he wanted to say something, but he didn't say a word, just sat quietly, his eyes over my shoulder, lingering on a certain place for a long time.
After a long while, I heard him say, "I just had a dream. Everyone was cast under a spell and turned into small animals. They could only change back to their original appearance when they were recognized. It was strange that I couldn't even recognize my parents, but I recognized you right away."
His voice was low and light, like he was talking in a sleep.
The sound floated gently, tickling my ears like the tips of tender grass. I couldn't help but shrink back, and the next second I became angry because of this inexplicable feeling.
Why do I always have mood swings because of someone as insignificant as Hua Ziyin?
Without even looking up, I said, "You've watched too much Spirited Away, haven't you?"
"Probably." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, and added, "In the dream, I was n't . I knew I could recognize you, and then I smelled that familiar fresh scent, and I knew it was you. Sure enough, I opened my eyes and you were in front of me. How great."
I sneered, wondering if he was sick and his brain was confused, or if he was still dreaming.
However, the next sentence he uttered softly was like a spell that froze me in place, unable to move, and even my breathing seemed to have stopped.
He said, "It's the smell of white withered flowers. I'll always remember it."
White withered rose is a kind of wild rose. It has nothing special in appearance or smell. Therefore, almost no one knows that the incense I often use smells like white withered rose, except one person.
And that person, like a short-lived ephemeral flower, bloomed brilliantly in my world, and then left quietly, leaving no trace.
I was confused and asked, "How...how did you know?"
He avoided answering and just stared at me for a long time. As he stared at me, he slowly smiled. It was a warm and clean smile that I had never seen before. Then, he said, "Xihe, promise me that after I leave, don't push yourself too hard."
He hit the nail on the head, as if he had seen through me.
I turned my face away so that he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes, and said stubbornly, "When I was in Baisha School, I was the high and mighty Song Xihe who did whatever I wanted; here, although I am the plain-looking Song Hexue, there are still outstanding boys like Xu Yun who like me. Why should I force myself? It's really funny. I never need to force myself."
"So, what about pretending to like Xu Yun? Does that count as forcing yourself?" He tilted his head and stared at me, his eyes looking like fire. "I don't understand, why would you force yourself to like someone you don't like at all?"
I was speechless. I never knew that someone who was not so familiar with me could see through me so easily.
I tried to argue in vain: "Who said I don't like Xu Yun? Of course I like him. I told you a long time ago that everything I'm doing now is just playing hard to get."
"Really?" He pointed at the kitchen, with an anger on his face that I couldn't understand. "The person you like is right there, but you're hiding here with someone you hate so much? Song Xihe, how long are you going to keep lying?"
I was speechless, trying to maintain the upward arc of my mouth, so that he wouldn't see the horror in my heart. No one has ever understood me like this, and no one can understand me like this.
I quickly organized my words in my mind, trying to mock him with my usual sharp tongue to cover up my purpose. However, before I opened my mouth, he seemed to have seen through my thoughts and said, "Xihe, don't try to hold on by yourself! If you feel tired, go back to Baisha School. I will always be there."
When he said this, the anger on his face slowly faded, and only a gentleness remained in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows. My shadow was clearly reflected in his dark eyes, and I even saw pity slowly accumulating in his eyes.
He was pitying me, I should be angry, Song Xihe never needed sympathy from others. However, my nose suddenly felt sour without any warning at that moment.
I blinked my eyes to stop the tears from falling, pretending to be calm and said, "Psycho..." But I couldn't say any more words. Fortunately, Xu Yun opened the kitchen door and walked out. I turned my back to Hua Ziyin and pretended to look at the furnishings in the room.
