When Zhang Shutong trotted all the way to the entrance of Class 1, he found that the entire grade's students were gathered in Class 2.
Turns out everyone was squeezing over to see that Christmas tree Gu Qiumian had moved over.
After all, it was a unique existence in the whole school.
Today's Christmas tree had a dazzling array of gifts hanging from it.
"Wow, feels exactly the same as the one in the mall..." Someone marveled like this. Meaning there was a star-shaped light at the top of the tree as well.
I was the one who put that up, taking quite a bit of effort, Zhang Shutong added in his heart.
Standing on the outer edge of the crowd, he took a glance inside Class 2, yet didn't find Gu Qiumian's figure. These past few days, Zhang Shutong ran to school, leaving home very early, often arriving at school a tiny bit earlier than her.
Zhang Shutong turned around and returned to the classroom.
Today he discovered Lu Qinglian from a pile of chocolates.
Though it really was a bit much, Zhang Shutong thought to himself. Yesterday the apples' domain was still confined to her desk, but today it actually showed a trend of spreading toward his desktop.
Christmas chocolates—Zhang Shutong had never quite understood when this custom spread into the country. It seemed to become popular overnight.
He was even less aware that so many people in school had a trend of giving chocolates.
"Morning."
He nodded at Lu Qinglian.
"For you."
Lu Qinglian was reading a book. Hearing this, she tapped the desk with her long, slender fingers.
"For me?" Zhang Shutong almost suspected he heard wrong.
"It was already like this before I arrived."
Most were a bar of Dove, with a few scattered gift boxes, and even a few gold coin chocolates. Right now they were scattered across the desk, dazzling one's eyes.
Zhang Shutong's mind was a bit messy as well. Had this kind of thing happened on past Christmases?
In past Christmases, it wasn't that he hadn't received chocolates from strangers, but it was basically an unexpected discovery from his desk drawer when arriving at school to pack his backpack, without knowing who had stuffed it in.
He would generally choose to split and eat them with a few best friends, while silently thanking that unknown classmate or classmates in his heart.
Today's Zhang Shutong, however, prepared to emulate Lu Qinglian's approach. He scooped the chocolates into his arms, dumping them all onto the podium. Sure enough, a pile of unowned chocolates was already displayed on the podium.
"Zhang Shutong, you are so heartless."
Someone wiping the blackboard teased.
It was the female student in the front seat, the discipline committee member, Wei Chenchen.
"I didn't expect there to be this many either."
"You are a prominent figure in school now as well, very normal," Wei Chenchen said. "In the past you were too low-profile, not many people noticing our class harbored such a character. A while ago it was catching poachers, then an avalanche, and recently even swapping classes. You and Classmate Lu received the most chocolates."
Zhang Shutong nodded in realization.
"Maybe the one I gave is inside too," the young girl said with a sideways glance. "Wasted money."
"Merry Christmas." Zhang Shutong smiled.
Many things had become different now.
Zhang Shutong was adapting to these changes as well—just like how he had never actively given anyone a gift on Christmas Day, yet now he did; or for instance how he had never eaten imported chocolate on this day, yet today he ate it too—
"Senior," a girl said properly, "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
Xu Zhiruo placed a box of chocolates in front of him:
"Don't misunderstand, sending it on behalf of someone."
As expected of the eldest young lady, Zhang Shutong thought to himself, even giving chocolates to people had a secretary doing the labor. Zhang Shutong saw her holding a very large plastic bag in her hand, which presumably held quite a lot more inside.
Zhang Shutong unwrapped a piece of chocolate and popped it in his mouth, the slightly bitter taste spreading on his tongue. He stuffed the rest into his pocket, because there was still a meal gathering at noon; today's schedule was truly full enough. After lunch, class would start, followed by an English monthly test in the afternoon. Once school let out, he would have to head to the restaurant with the eldest young lady without stopping, returning home very late.
Speaking of which, did one need to give a return gift after receiving chocolate?
After a good while, Zhang Shutong rubbed his face. The impact of the environment on a person was truly huge; he had actually started considering this kind of thing as well.
The noon dismissal bell rang. When people had almost all left, Zhang Shutong carried a bag and went to the entrance of Class 2.
Today he rarely didn't hear the choir singing, because Gu Qiumian was busy enough; she still had to go eat with a group of people at noon. Everyone usually had their own circles—just as Zhang Shutong had also made an appointment with his best friends at noon, who had already taken a step ahead to the restaurant.
When seeing her, Gu Qiumian was crossing her arms and talking to Xu Zhiruo:
"Everyone arranged properly?"
"Arranged. Exactly one table. Asked this morning, no more, no less, eighteen people. Though..." The little secretary hesitated for a moment, "I counted one extra person. Is he going?"
The young girl secretly pointed her finger at Zhang Shutong standing at the doorway.
Gu Qiumian shifted her gaze over accordingly.
"Him..."
Amidst her busy schedule, Gu Qiumian granted an audience to Zhang Shutong.
"You go first."
After saying that to Xu Zhiruo, she asked from a distance:
"Was the chocolate delicious?"
Zhang Shutong nodded, just preparing to praise the morning's chocolate a few words, when unexpectedly Gu Qiumian reached out her hand directly:
"Where's mine?"
Zhang Shutong thought to himself, why is the atmosphere not quite right? Shouldn't she blink her eyes and ask what business he has?
Unfortunately, by the time he sensed the atmosphere wasn't right, it was too late; Xu Zhiruo had already slipped away in a flash.
When leaving, she didn't forget to close the room door. Only the two of them remained in the classroom. Heating rose up. She wasn't wearing a coat, wearing only a plaid wool cardigan over a white shirt. The midday sunlight shone on her fair face, making it impossible to look away.
The girl before him had snow-white skin and rosy lips, a strand of her long hair falling into her arm crook. Gu Qiumian backed against the window, the sunlight illuminating the contours of her body to an unprecedented warmth, yet those flying eyes held not much warmth inside.
Zhang Shutong thought to himself that it was really not good; his intuition was always very accurate:
"...Forgot to buy."
Rather than that, he simply had no concept of giving chocolates.
However, Zhang Shutong had plenty of confidence today. He hid the box containing the necklace behind his back a bit and asked:
"Free tonight?"
"For what?"
"Asking you out for dinner."
"Who's going?" she asked crisply.
"Just the two of us."
"Eat what?"
"You pick."
"What if you don't have enough money?"
"I brought out all my New Year's money."
In the end, she didn't say whether she was going or not, looking as if Zhang Shutong had merely passed the first test:
"Zhiruo asked just now, are you going to eat at noon?"
"Not going for now, made an appointment with friends."
"Then what did you come look for me for?"
"A present." Zhang Shutong knew it was time to say these two words out loud, feeling a rare hint of nervousness. He handed the plastic bag before Gu Qiumian, yet couldn't utter more words, "Mm... Merry Christmas."
Zhang Shutong stared into Gu Qiumian's eyes, waiting for her reaction.
She finally blossomed into a smile:
"Bought for me?"
"Of course."
"What is it?"
"A surprise. See for yourself."
Although lighthearted on the surface, Zhang Shutong braced himself, thinking this was definitely not right. Shouldn't Autumn Rain Mianmian snatch the plastic bag to look closely? Why was she still crossing her arms and holding her ground?
Zhang Shutong thought to himself, could she think it's a very ordinary small item? After all, he was merely holding a red plastic bag in his hand, feeling it gave a festive atmosphere. Zhang Shutong pulled out the long box:
"A necklace. Bought from that bookstore you used to always go to. I think..." he deliberated, "you should like it."
Gu Qiumian snatched the box away without allowing further explanation:
"The one in the city?"
"Mm."
"When did you leave the island?" she asked with a smile. "How come I didn't notice?"
"Prepared quietly." Zhang Shutong thought hell would freeze over before you noticed.
"The box looks pretty nice."
"Good as long as you like it..."
"Why is there a long hair on it?"
Gu Qiumian suddenly narrowed her eyes.
Zhang Shutong was instantly stunned, thinking where a hair came from, let alone a long hair. The day he got the necklace from the senior sister, he put it in the desk drawer; could it be that Mom secretly took it out to look? But that shouldn't be either; she never entered his room casually...
"How could there be?" Zhang Shutong swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "Is it your hair?"
"Oh, maybe I mis-saw." Gu Qiumian inspected the box.
Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief:
"You can unwrap it to see. The style should be what you li—"
"Seems to have a scent of perfume too?" She suddenly wrinkled her nose.
"..."
Zhang Shutong opened his eyes. He was a person relatively dull to scents, but whether there was a perfume scent or not could still be distinguished:
"Is there?"
"This one is even a limited edition." Yet Gu Qiumian had already ended this topic.
Zhang Shutong nodded. Of course it was a limited edition. To put it bluntly, the money spent on her present alone equaled the other five combined. Zhang Shutong's eyes had grown dazzled from picking, and in the end, really not knowing what could satisfy her, he had no choice but to pick an expensive one.
A price hovering at the limit of his wallet, a bookstore she liked going to, plus a clover style she liked—he thought left and right, these three combined, even if the eldest young lady were pickier, should be invincible everywhere.
Yet right now, he had genuinely suffered a setback.
"How do I remember that limited editions require a special membership card to buy?" Gu Qiumian wondered. "Do you still have that shop's membership card?"
"No..."
"Hmm?"
"I mean, actually a friend helped bring it over for me..."
"Friend?"
"Just the friend I told you about that day..."
"Then how come Zhiruo told me you call her 'senior sister'?"
Alarm bells rang loudly in Zhang Shutong's heart as he finally realized where the problem lay. Even he couldn't help grinding his teeth, thinking to himself, underclassman oh underclassman, if you don't坑 your senior to death, does your heart feel bad?
"She indeed is one grade higher than me..."
"So you asked someone else to help buy the present, huh?" She still liked using some tone particles, a smile on her face, yet every spot oozing a dangerous aura.
"She happened to come to the island that day," Zhang Shutong subconsciously defended.
"By the way, what did you ask me just now?"
"Unwrap it to look first..."
"The first question after meeting."
"Oh, are you free tonight?"
"Not free."
She lowered her arms crisply and cleanly.
A gust of fragrant wind brushed past his shoulders; Gu Qiumian had already departed straight away.
Snapping back to reality, Zhang Shutong hurriedly shouted, Are you really not going to dinner tonight? Gu Qiumian replied with Already have plans, her figure vanishing from the doorway in a split second.
Zhang Shutong was dazed for two seconds, standing inside the empty classroom. The sunlight was very piercing; he raised his hand to shade his eyes, feeling he had successfully messed up another matter.
He could never figure out Gu Qiumian's mind.
Ruoping called, saying they had already ordered the food and telling him to hurry over. He let out a sigh and walked briskly out of the classroom. When reaching the stair corner, Zhang Shutong slapped his forehead, returning to the classroom to put on his coat.
By the time he trotted to the restaurant, everyone was already seated around the table. Ruoping was talking softly with Lu Qinglian; Qingyi was muttering to himself, pondering the drama lines; Du Kang ran in like a gust of wind from outside the door, holding two large bottles of drinks in his hands.
"Today is a holiday, let's drink some white," Ruoping said heroically.
Sprite was poured into everyone's glasses, and soon the dishes were served. This restaurant was recommended by Ruoping long ago, but Zhang Shutong felt the taste of the dishes was average.
They clinked glasses, and when sitting down, Ruoping rested her chin in her hands and asked:
"Are you guys free tonight?"
Zhang Shutong subconsciously wanted to decline, yet remembered that he was actually free again tonight. Originally, it should have been arranged very full; he had even thought that after eating, Gu Qiumian would definitely drag him to wander around the mall—that was the liveliest place, holding all kinds of events. While playing, he'd have to help carry her bag, estimated to be exhausted to death after a whole night. Zhang Shutong had long accumulated energy and made full preparations, yet now it had suddenly cleared out.
He originally wanted to ask if the few of them wanted to stroll around the mall together, but Du Kang was the first to raise his hand:
"Let's agree first, I can't do it! There are many people today, so I have to stay at the restaurant to help out tonight."
"I can't either," Qingyi shook his head. "Family relatives gathering for dinner. My parents said tonight alone we can't run around."
"Actually I'm not free either," Ruoping only said at this time. "Made an appointment with a few friends to go shopping, so I told you guys in advance just now."
Lu Qinglian's side went without saying even more.
Turns out everyone had arrangements tonight.
So they ate this meal with soaring joy, not for a brief gathering before parting, but to celebrate a even busier evening.
Soon the afternoon passed, and the school dismissal bell finally rang. The surrounding students scattered into a mess like a swarm of bees. Zhang Shutong stretched his back, just preparing to get up, when a clear, cold voice sounded beside his ear:
"Classmate Zhang Shutong, do a favor."
"What's wrong?"
"Come with me to the office to carry back the monthly test papers."
Zhang Shutong nodded, exiting the classroom with Lu Qinglian.
The results of the monthly test were already marked. Zhang Shutong had actually gotten a grammar question wrong, one ranking lower than Lu Qinglian—truly a low-level error that shouldn't have been made.
In the hallway with coming and going foot traffic, everyone had an expression full of high interest on their faces; even those on duty were playing around with brooms and blackboard erasers—except for two people.
Lu Qinglian said faintly:
"Looks like you aren't very lucky today."
Zhang Shutong looked at the ceiling, hearing the underlying meaning, yet had no mood to say much, merely giving a response.
They carried the homework back onto the podium. The chocolates on top had already been taken clean.
Zhang Shutong's movements today were a bit slower, unlike in the past when he would pack everything properly before school dismissal.
Therefore, when Lu Qinglian exited the classroom along with the crowd, he returned to his desk again, continuing to pack his backpack.
Only he was left inside the classroom again. Since there were no arrangements for this Christmas Eve, Zhang Shutong suddenly thought that going home to write homework wasn't bad either.
He pulled out the exercise book, and a bar of chocolate fell onto the ground at the sound.
Zhang Shutong bent down to pick it up. A slip of paper was stuck to the chocolate. Zhang Shutong originally thought it was some phrase of confession, yet taking a glance, his movement paused.
"Merry Christmas. Please come to the warehouse once after school. Have something very important to tell you. Absolutely."
He was somewhat puzzled in his heart. Leaving aside what business there was in looking for him, when did this bar of chocolate appear? It couldn't be a fish that slipped through the net from the morning, because he had cleaned out his desk drawer during morning reading. So, when was it placed, and by whom?
Zhang Shutong raised his head. The surroundings were completely empty. The sky had darkened; through the window, one could see students chasing each other on the campus below.
Please, he thought idling as he picked up his backpack, what era is it to still do this trick? Can't you speak directly...
Zhang Shutong turned off the lights. In the complete darkness, he soon exited the teaching building, walking toward the direction of the warehouse.
For the sake of the chocolate, and for the sake of having nothing going on tonight, he'd drop by to take a look on the way, considering it basic politeness as a person.
Zhang Shutong walked to the front of the warehouse. There was no one around. He held his backpack slung across his shoulder with one hand, picked up his phone with the other, took a look, then stuffed it back into his pocket.
If it was a confession, he'd just refuse cleanly and decisively.
He only prepared to wait for three minutes. After three minutes, if the person still hadn't arrived, no matter who it was, he would leave without looking back.
Time slipped away drop by drop in the night sky. Zhang Shutong suddenly knitted his brows—not because the person he was waiting for was long in coming.
Rather, it was because when he unintentionally lowered his head just now and stared at the tips of his feet, he discovered another slip of paper in front of the warehouse door.