Chapter 027: The Person He Said He Cared About Was Her (That Damned Man)

The exam schedule was released.

Midterms followed by the regional proficiency exams—a brutal, seamless transition more heartless than a deadbeat boyfriend. The midterms were held at our own school, which was convenient enough. The proficiency exams, however, were scattered; Zhou Ya was assigned to the Seventh Municipal High School, and Lin Shu to the Experimental High School.

In my previous life, it had rained incessantly during this period. Halfway through the exams, Lin Shu caught a cold from someone in the testing hall. She had to take the rest of her tests while hooked up to an IV, and her hand swelled up afterward, aching for a long time. Talk about bad luck coming in waves.

I couldn’t remember the test questions anymore. All I recalled was that the school’s midterm papers were impossibly difficult, while the proficiency exam papers were laughably easy.

"Never mind the exams for now. I just need to make sure I don't catch a cold this time. I need to go buy a box of masks."

After finalizing the seating charts for her class and taking photos of the exam schedule and the instructions the teacher had scribbled on the blackboard, Lin Shu shouldered her backpack and left. Zhou Ya had been summoned by the Student Union for some unknown task; poor Ya, she was so reliable that she was constantly being drafted for grunt work.

As Lin Shu passed the playground, she ran into their homeroom teacher, Mr. Gang. Gangzi looked at her, then hesitated, as if he had something to say. Lin Shu thought, *Oh no, he’s going to draft me for something*, and quickened her pace. Luckily, Gangzi bumped into another teacher and started chatting, sparing her from being called over.

Terrifying. The "rule of horror" for Key Class (1) was that if you made eye contact with Gangzi, you were doomed to be conscripted.

***

After leaving the school gates, Lin Shu went to buy a document folder and pens for filling in answer sheets. She had no idea where the ones she bought previously had gone. The stationery store was crowded with students doing the same.

She grabbed what she needed and stood in line to pay. As the queue moved forward, she caught a glimpse of half of Xie Buchan through the narrow door frame and half-drawn beaded curtain. Even just seeing his back, Lin Shu could recognize him instantly. *We’ve gotten that familiar, have we…*

Xie Buchan was standing face-to-face with a girl. The sky was overcast, the wind not quite cold but carrying a faint chill. A few fallen leaves lay on the ground. The girl had dark, lustrous hair, her school uniform fit perfectly, and her backpack was stylish. Just seeing her profile, one could tell she was a pretty girl—slightly familiar, though Lin Shu couldn’t recall her name.

*Tsk.*

The "delinquent" wasn't popular with most girls, but as a handsome guy, it was impossible for him to be completely ignored. Lin Shu understood that much. There would always be someone who liked him.

Lin Shu lowered her gaze and walked forward, checking out smoothly. She swung her document folder back and forth—a fidgety habit she didn't usually have, but it was there now, her heart hammering right at the base of her throat.

As she passed Xie Buchan, Lin Shu glanced over as if nothing were wrong. The long-haired girl was clutching the corner of Xie Buchan’s uniform, her fingers pale, her nails a soft pink. For some reason, Lin Shu found the gesture beautiful—innocent and restrained, yet hiding a burning intensity that only comes with youth.

This girl definitely loved Xie Buchan.

Lin Shu’s heart, which had been racing, suddenly felt cold. She didn't know why. Maybe the weather was just a bit chilly.

***

Lin Shu walked past, feeling chilled to the bone. Suddenly, she was "bitten" by the dog on the side of the road—Xie Buchan had spotted her, reached out a large hand, clamped it onto her shoulder, and hauled her back like a criminal being apprehended.

Lin Shu blinked. "What?"

Xie Buchan didn't even bother looking at her, turning instead to the girl still clutching his clothes. "Xinyi, I heard everything you said. I don't think we need to wait for a later response; it’s better to be clear now."

*Of course…*

People were supposed to be studying hard for exams, yet there was always someone who chose this exact time to confess. If they succeeded, they’d be too distracted to study; if they failed, they’d be even worse off. She couldn't tell if this was a way to relieve exam stress or just a pure craving for double the intensity.

Jiang Xinyi shot a cold glare at Lin Shu. Lin Shu took the opportunity to size her up. She was very pretty. She was the type of beauty defined by her temperament; unlike Lin Shu, who was voted the "first love face" by the boys, Jiang Xinyi’s look was more popular with girls—like a model on the cover of a teen magazine, stylish and sharp. She and Xie Buchan… they looked like a perfect match.

A bitterness bubbled up, entirely without basis. Lin Shu lowered her head and shifted her shoulder, trying to shake off Xie Buchan’s hand. However, he didn't budge.

*People really shouldn't do bad things,* she thought. *Look how quickly karma comes back around.*

Xie Buchan said, "Xinyi, this is Lin Shu. Lin Shu, this is Jiang Xinyi from our class."

Lin Shu nodded slightly. "Hello." *Why is this man introducing us right now?*

Jiang Xinyi didn't respond to Lin Shu, her gaze piercing like an awl before she turned her defiant eyes back to Xie Buchan.

Xie Buchan continued, "I cannot say yes to you, because the person I care about is…"

Xie Buchan looked at Lin Shu with a gaze full of affection. Lin Shu’s mind went blank. He hadn't said it explicitly, but the meaning was clear.

Jiang Xinyi froze. The hand that had been tightly clutching Xie Buchan’s uniform loosened and slipped away. A lock of hair fell over her temple, which she tucked back slowly. Her eyes turned red, but she didn't look pathetic.

Jiang Xinyi looked up, a stubborn, unyielding fire in her eyes. "Xie Buchan, I was the one who stood by you during your most difficult times. Is this how you treat me?"

Xie Buchan replied, "I only ever saw you as a friend."

"You guys…" Jiang Xinyi crossed her arms, turning her face away, her jaw tight. "You’re really fucking something else."

***

Lin Shu remained in a state of mental blankness. Xie Buchan’s comment about the "person he cares about" was too significant to ignore!

As Jiang Xinyi turned to leave, the doll hanging from her backpack zipper swung, accidentally hitting Lin Shu. Lin Shu stepped back to dodge, and Xie Buchan reached out to steady her from behind, pulling his hand away without a trace once he was sure she was okay.

"You okay?"

Lin Shu brushed off her sleeve. Even though it hadn't actually hit her, she complained, "…How could she hit me with her doll? And how could you have a crush on me?"

Xie Buchan really wanted to cover Lin Shu’s mouth. People were walking everywhere, and after finally managing to gloss over the situation, she was here narrating the plot for everyone to hear.

"Did you finish buying your things? Let’s go first."

Xie Buchan walked ahead, keeping an arm’s length between them. Lin Shu let go of her breath, tightened her grip on the document folder, and followed.

Once they reached a place where there were no students from the First High School, he explained the situation. Two weeks ago, Jiang Xinyi had come to his cousin’s coffee shop for her birthday. When she made her wish, she had confessed to him indirectly. There were too many people, and it was her birthday, so he played dumb and didn't respond, intending to wait until she calmed down to talk to her. But before he could, she had come to confess again.

He had been agonizing over it, and then Lin Shu had appeared like a godsend. She had done the exact same thing to him before, so now he was just paying her back in kind—they were even.

Lin Shu let out an "oh." After walking for about two hundred meters, she said, "But you called her Xinyi~"

Did that count as innocent?

Xie Buchan replied, "We’ve known each other since elementary school."

Lin Shu quieted down, feeling dejected. She possessed a world-weary temperament for someone so young. A silence stretched between them.

As they walked, Lin Shu suddenly blurted out, "We knew each other in our past life, can I call you A-Chen?"

Xie Buchan stopped and looked at her.

Lin Shu shivered, hugged her shoulders, and grimaced. "Ew, that’s so sappy."

"You know it is." Xie Buchan started walking again.

Lin Shu mentioned that she had gone to look for him in General Class (2) several times, but he never came out, even though she had specifically bought the beef jerky he liked.

Xie Buchan said, "I changed my seat, and I was sleeping during every break."

"Oh."

*Who believes that?* Lin Shu wore a cold little face.

Xie Buchan asked, "What beef jerky?"

"This." She still had some left from sharing with Zhou Ya. Lin Shu pulled it out of her backpack and dangled it in front of Xie Buchan.

He had one hand in his pocket, his head slightly bowed. He looked at the bouncy, oblivious Lin Shu with a gaze that was regretful yet gentle, filled with pity (?), and his voice was hesitant but soft. "Is it good?"

Lin Shu nodded. "It’s good. Do you want some? This is all that’s left."

Xie Buchan asked, "Did you see that on my QQ space?"

"Yeah, why? Not allowed to look at your space?" She couldn't see his WeChat moments, and now he was being fussy about his QQ space too? Just how many shameful secrets did he have?

Xie Buchan said, "Did you see the words 'dog snacks' on the package?"

***

*Oh.* No wonder there was a dog printed on the package.

But it didn't say only dogs could eat it.

Lin Shu clutched the remaining beef jerky, pursed her lips, and looked up at the sky. Don't ask why she was looking up. If you asked, it was because her neck hurt.