Is he reliable?
Anyone who asks a question like that is unreliable in everything they do.
In just this brief exchange, the other three from Class 302 realized that Blue Hair Sister only looked a bit mean; her thought process had nothing to do with being mean.
She had actually come to No.1 High School because of Jiang Chuhuai.
So it was a secret crush?
Looking like that, dressing like that, and secretly liking someone? Following him from middle school all the way to high school? Truly, appearances can be deceiving.
But is it really a good idea to reveal this so early? Wouldn’t that make them seem insincere?
Su Liujun sincerely offered advice: “How about we think this through carefully? My middle school deskmate is in Class 1. They were just talking in the dorm about adding Jiang Chuhuai on q-q in the class group chat. He hasn’t replied to anyone yet, so he’s a bit hard to deal with.”
Qiu Xuan asked, “What’s his q-q number?”
“Didn’t you get it back in middle school? Let me ask!”
Su Liujun hurried to inquire, and in the meantime added Qiu Xuan on q-q. Class 302 formed a small group chat.
Qiu Xuan just wanted to confirm whether he had changed his number or was deliberately ignoring her messages.
Back when they played games, if there was an internet dispute, she would change her account but always notify him promptly.
He, however, never took the initiative to tell her to add his new account. Once in elementary school, she only realized when she noticed the gray avatar never showed any activity.
When she confronted him, he acted reluctant, like it wasn’t necessary since he didn’t log in much or look at messages.
It was as if she was blackmailing him.
But from childhood till now, he hardly ever took the initiative; it was always her who pushed.
He fed her, went to school with her, taught her basketball, accompanied her feeding the cats— all because of Auntie Chu’s instructions.
Except for one day— her twelfth birthday.
Whenever Qiu Xuan thought about that day, she felt as if she had hallucinated after reading Dream Girl Manga.
She wanted to ask him in person why he comforted her that day.
But that summer vacation, Jiang Uncle finished his work at South Li Nian, and their whole family moved away.
Those few days, Qiu Xuan was taken by her father to visit the Sheng Family elders, and when she came back, the Jiang family was already gone.
That afternoon, she went to feed the cats; the kitten was barely eating and kept rolling on the ground.
The gatekeeper saw her feeding the cat alone and laughed, “Your kitten doesn’t want you feeding it, it wants Jiang Chuhuai to feed it.”
Qiu Xuan asked her mother when she got home.
Wang Lianhua was very surprised: “They’re not originally from South Li Nian, they moved away. Didn’t Chuhuai tell you?”
Her mother knew, the gatekeeper knew, even the stray cats knew— but she didn’t.
Qiu Xuan asked, “They’re not coming back?”
Her mother answered casually but definitely, “No, they’re not.”
“Sent it in the group chat. Qiu Xuan, even though the opponent is tough, I wish you success!” Su Liujun sent Jiang Chuhuai’s q-q.
Qiu Xuan grabbed her phone.
The dormitory was dark after lights out; the only brightness came from the faces lit by their phones.
Everyone was excited, but Qiu Xuan’s expression grew darker and darker.
This was clear: he hadn’t changed his number— he was just ignoring her.
The students in Class 16 were all curious about how Qiu Xuan conquered Class 302 overnight.
She had been very unfamiliar the day before; the next day, they stuck together like glue.
Every break, Su Liujun and Chen Zhi would “travel a thousand miles” from other groups to the table with Qiu Xuan and Lin Xiqiao, chatting nonstop, laughing and joking, or they’d walk shoulder to shoulder to the water fountain.
The four of them lined up in a row, taking up the entire corridor, yet no one dared cut in or break their formation, so the whole first floor knew Class 16 had four girls who especially drew attention.
Mainly because among them was one who looked really tough to mess with.
It’s said to be No.1 High School, but after half a month, Qiu Xuan still hadn’t met Jiang Chuhuai.
Class 1 and Class 16 were too far apart—one on the fifth floor, the other on the first floor.
She couldn’t just walk over flaunting her beautiful hair; she knew she’d attract too much attention.
She had to come up with another plan.
“Have you added him?” one night before bed, Su Liujun asked.
Qiu Xuan: “Added.”
“Did he reply?”
“No.”
“Ah? He really is hard to deal with. How about we all try? He’s not responding to anyone anyway.”
“Interesting.”
Chen Zhi flipped through previous chat logs: “Didn’t expect it— his ID is pretty funny.”
Lin Xiqiao read aloud, “Yes, zz, seems not very serious.”
Su Liujun: “Means going to sleep? Or just random letters?”
Suddenly, Qiu Xuan thought of a plan and calmly said, “His nickname is Zhanzhan.”
“Ah? Which ‘zhan’?”
“‘Zhàn’ as in ‘deep blue’— because he lacks water in his fate.”
Su Liujun was shocked: “You know all this? As expected of you.”
Chen Zhi sighed sympathetically: “Looks like secret crushes are really tough. I know everything about you, but it has nothing to do with me!”
Lin Xiqiao said, “Hey, Qiu Xuan, then why do you go by Peipei? Do you lack water too?”
Actually, that name change happened on her twelfth birthday.
Whether fate or misfortune, that night at her Birthday Banquet, her sister gave her many books as gifts, including the Language Arts Handbook.
That night, she casually flipped through it and saw a poem from Chuci containing the line: “Flowing Waters of Wanghuai, Vanishing Along the Shore”
She didn’t understand it and specifically asked her sister. Her sister said it was beyond their grade level and they didn’t need to force understanding.
Alright, she wasn’t too eager to understand, just confirmed one thing: this poem was extremely obscure.
From that day on, all her social platforms used the name “Peipei,” carrying the meaning she gave it, hiding a small secret she kept until now.
While everyone else was trying to add Jiang Chuhuai as a friend, Qiu Xuan blocked zz, put down her phone, lay back, and answered her roommate’s question: “Maybe.”
–
Boys’ dormitory, Room 206.
Jiang Chuhuai frowned as he looked at the list of strange IDs requesting to add him: Jingjing, Jingjing, jj, Jingjing…
He had poked the Jingjing hornet’s nest.
“Chuhuai, your nickname is Zhanzhan?” a roommate suddenly asked.
Jiang Chuhuai frowned even more: “Who told you that?”
“Our class girls.”
“Hey, none of us knew. Who did you tell your nickname to?”
“Zhanzhan? Sounds sweet.”
Jiang Chuhuai’s frown eased, but his expressionless face only made him seem more distant and cold.
–
After Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, Jiang Chuhuai appeared at the back gate of Class 16.
Without saying a word, he already drew all eyes.
People had only heard that Jiang Chuhuai from Class 1 was handsome, rich, and smart.
Now standing before them, he had a small head, fair skin, and an aura like a character ripped from a manga—completely different from the noisy boys walking by in the corridor.
“Hello, can you help me find Qiu Xuan?” he said, his voice matching his appearance.
He was looking for Qiu Xuan, not Wu Qiu Xuan.
Chen Zhi and Su Liujun, who were cleaning at the back door, realized: so the one who wasn’t sincere was someone else entirely.