novelraw Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 You’re Still Young“A Farewell Party?”
Qin Qing, sitting on her bed, looked a bit puzzled. “Isn’t that unnecessary? I’m not that close with my classmates…”
“Even if you’re not that close, you’ve still been in the same class for three years,” Lin Manxue’s voice came from the other end of the phone.
“I’ve already promised the class monitor you’d attend—he’s gone to the trouble of organizing it, so it wouldn’t be right to disappoint him, right? Besides, with the final exams coming up, this could be a good excuse for everyone to relax a bit!”
Qin Qing couldn’t help but laugh at the last part. “Is that your real motive?”
“Hehe…” Lin Manxue made exaggerated kissing noises into the phone. “Xiaoqing, you’re the best, you’ll definitely say yes, right?”
Qin Qing hesitated for a moment.
But with Lin Manxue whining and pleading relentlessly on the other end, Qin Qing finally gave in with a sigh.
“Okay, but you know my family has strict curfews. I’ll still have to get my mom’s permission first.”
“Hahaha, I knew you’d agree—I’ll go tell the class monitor I’ve succeeded!”
Before Qin Qing could ask about the time and place, the call was abruptly hung up.
Qin Qing put down her phone and tapped the screen in exasperation.
Then she opened her bedroom door and headed to the master bedroom next door.
“Mom, my classmates are throwing me a farewell party this afternoon. I’d like to go with them, is that okay?”
Li Jinghe, who was packing her suitcase, straightened up and turned around when she heard this. She tucked her shoulder-length, chestnut-colored curls behind her ear and frowned slightly. “This afternoon?”
Standing at the door, Qin Qing tried to keep her emotions in check and nodded gently.
“If you want to go, then you can.”
Li Jinghe looked at her quiet and obedient daughter, and the frown on her face softened. “But you can’t come home too late. You must be back by seven.”
“…”
Qin Qing’s eyes sparkled with joy, but she quickly suppressed it, giving a soft response before turning back to her room.
Once she was out of Li Jinghe’s sight, Qin Qing’s steps became lighter.
She returned to her room, closed the door, and immediately picked up her phone to send a text to Lin Manxue.
“Manxue, my mom agreed. Send me the details of the time and place.”
A few seconds later.
Lin Manxue, seeing the new message on her phone, lit up with excitement. She canceled the text she was composing and decided to call instead.
“Hey, Fu Monitor? I’ve got Xiaoqing to agree to come out, and everyone else is on board. Whether your confession succeeds now is up to you.”
…………
At 2:30 PM, a taxi pulled up in front of Fenghua Entertainment Center, the largest complex in Qingcheng. The door opened, and Qin Qing stepped out of the car.
This was the address Lin Manxue had given her, but looking at the flashy and bold decor, Qin Qing couldn’t help but wonder if she had come to the wrong place.
It didn’t seem like the kind of venue middle school students would choose for a farewell party.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to call Lin Manxue.
The phone connected.
“Manxue,” Qin Qing looked up at the gold-embossed logo of the entertainment center, “Are you sure it’s ‘Fenghua Entertainment Center’?”
“Yes, are you already there? I’ll come down to get you!”
Lin Manxue’s excited voice, mixed with some background music, came through the receiver.
Qin Qing thought for a few seconds, then nodded, “Okay, just be careful.”
“Hahaha, ‘be careful’… Xiaoqing, you’ve been so strictly raised by your mom—you’re like something out of a different century.”
“…I’ll be waiting for you outside.”
Qin Qing blushed and hung up, slightly annoyed.
She looked up once more at the massive logo, feeling a mix of curiosity and nervousness.
Because of her strict upbringing, she had never been to a place like this before. The novelty of it brought a hint of excitement, but also a trace of anxiety.
It wasn’t long before Lin Manxue came out of the revolving door. She waved to Qin Qing but then froze in her tracks.
The girl standing across from her was bathed in the soft early summer sunlight. Her naturally wavy, chestnut-colored hair fell over her shoulders, with a small hair clip adorning one side.
Qin Qing was wearing a black dress with a subtle rose pattern that accentuated her figure, revealing graceful collarbones and slender legs.
Her feet were in black sandals with delicate straps, which elevated her overall aura.
It wasn’t until Qin Qing walked up to Lin Manxue and gave her a puzzled wave with her fair arm that Lin Manxue snapped back to reality.
She exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, Xiaoqing—why did you ever wear white dresses before? You were born to wear black dresses!”
Startled by Lin Manxue’s loud tone, Qin Qing hesitated, then shyly looked down at her dress.
“Because you said the party would be outdoors, so I didn’t wear white. I didn’t want it to get dirty.”
“…”
Lin Manxue was momentarily speechless at this practical reason, unable to find a reply.
After a few seconds, she let out a long sigh, “All right, I give up. Let’s go inside… and give someone a surprise.”
She muttered the last part quietly, so Qin Qing didn’t hear it. Nodding, she followed Lin Manxue through the revolving door.
At the same time, across from Fenghua, in an internet café, Li Xiang chased after a boy ahead of him, calling out—
“Yu-ge, don’t back out now! I worked hard to get Ling, the school beauty, to agree to come out! The other guys are already waiting inside Fenghua.”
Li Xiang whined as he gave Zhao Zirui a meaningful look, signaling him to help.
Zhao Zirui rolled his eyes and motioned toward where Wen Yufeng was standing.
Li Xiang looked over and noticed that Wen Yufeng had been staring thoughtfully at Fenghua’s entrance ever since they walked out.
Li Xiang’s exaggerated expression froze, and he curiously moved closer.
“Yu-ge, what are you looking at?”
By then, the black dress had disappeared from sight, and Wen Yufeng frowned slightly, snapping out of his thoughts.
He reached up to loosen the tie around his neck and casually pushed Li Xiang’s head away.
“Let’s go.”
Li Xiang was dazed for a few seconds, “Go where?”
Behind him, Zhao Zirui didn’t hesitate to kick him in the butt, “You’re such an idiot.”
Then he followed Wen Yufeng.
Realizing what had happened, Li Xiang cursed Zhao Zirui and then, unable to contain his excitement, hurried after them, throwing an arm around Zhao Zirui’s shoulder. “Hey, why is Yu-ge so easygoing today? I thought for sure he wouldn’t go…”
The three of them entered Fenghua through the revolving door, heading straight to the private room they had reserved. A group of people greeted them as they arrived.
“Yu-ge,” one of them called out with a grin, then turned to Li Xiang and Zhao Zirui, “Zirui, hey, and Dumb Li is here too.”
“Who are you calling Dumb Li?!”
Li Xiang’s smile froze, and he immediately grabbed the person by the neck, “I’ll give you one more chance—how should you address your dad?”
“…All right.”
“Farewell Party?”
As the two were about to roughhouse right in front of him, Wen Yufeng lazily raised his hand and gave Li Xiang a light smack on the forehead. “Don’t block the door. Get in.”
Li Xiang reluctantly stopped.
Meanwhile, on the innermost sofa, a girl who had been sitting upright with her gaze fixed straight ahead finally couldn’t resist glancing over when she heard that deep male voice.
The girl beside her leaned in closer. “Ling, is that Wen Yufeng? He’s really handsome. They say he’s your boyfriend, is that true?”
Ling Yu seemed a bit uneasy as she smoothed her hair and averted her gaze.
“…Who said that? There’s nothing official yet, just rumors going around.”
Her tone, tinged with a hint of coyness, made the girl beside her smile suggestively before turning around to call out—
“Li Xiang, there’s room over here! Come sit with us!”
Li Xiang squinted in the direction of the voice and immediately spotted Ling Yu.
His eyes lit up instantly.
“Yu-ge, let’s sit over there.”
Wen Yufeng casually glanced over, then walked in that direction.
When they reached Ling Yu and the girl beside her, they saw that there was still plenty of room on the sofa to the right of Ling Yu—enough for three people to sit comfortably.
Wen Yufeng, leading the way, turned around and casually sat down at the outermost spot on the sofa.
He caught Ling Yu’s expression freeze slightly from the corner of his eye.
Then she lifted her gaze and shot a look at Li Xiang.
Li Xiang, seeing the signal from the school belle, felt a mix of bitterness and sweetness. He knew very well for whom the famously proud Ling Yu had come today.
But since the goddess had already given him the signal, Li Xiang couldn’t pretend he didn’t see it. He quickly grabbed Zhao Zirui, who was about to sit next to Wen Yufeng, and turned to Ling Yu.
“School Belle Ling, I’d like to sit next to Li Ling. Could you move over a bit?”
Ling Yu’s expression softened, but she still playfully scolded, “You’re so troublesome. Did you ask Li Ling if she’s okay with that?”
Li Ling, the girl sitting next to Ling Yu, quickly waved Li Xiang over, “Come on, Li Xiang!”
“…”
Feeling aggrieved but unable to say anything, Li Xiang forced a smile and sat down in the spot Ling Yu vacated. He then pulled Zhao Zirui to sit next to him.
As a result, the only remaining seat on the long sofa was next to Wen Yufeng.
Ling Yu stood there, seemingly hesitating for a moment, before she lowered her eyes slightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Can I sit here?”
“…”
The boy on the sofa lazily lifted his eyelids, his sharp, handsome features showing a faint, indifferent expression. Only the slight curve of his lips added a touch of roguishness to his gaze and tone.
“Whatever.”
After tossing out that line, Wen Yufeng lowered his gaze again before Ling Yu could say anything else.
The thanks Ling Yu had prepared got stuck in her throat. She glanced at Wen Yufeng with a bit of annoyance, then swept her gaze around the room.
The onlookers who had been quietly watching the scene quickly averted their eyes, chuckling awkwardly.
Sensing the awkwardness, Li Xiang quickly tried to smooth things over. “Hey, why don’t we take this opportunity to hear our School Belle Ling sing for us? I’ve heard she has an amazing voice—come on, let’s give her a round of applause!”
Li Xiang enthusiastically started clapping, and the others joined in with whistles and cheers. Ling Yu tried to decline a few times, but when she couldn’t, she finally agreed.
Li Ling eagerly volunteered to pick a song and immediately selected the first track.
The familiar intro began to play—
Little Happiness.
After two seconds of silence in the room, the teasing and whistling began.
In the midst of the noise, Ling Yu’s face gradually turned red, and she sneaked a glance at Wen Yufeng.
Before she could see his reaction, Li Ling handed her the microphone, quickly winking at her.
Ling Yu took a deep breath, accepted the microphone, and began to sing along with the music—
“I heard the raindrops falling on the green grass…
I heard the school bell ringing in the distance…
But I didn’t hear your voice…
Calling my name seriously…”
Ling Yu’s voice was pure, and she sang the song Little Happiness with a delicate and beautiful tone.
When the music stopped, someone in the corner of the room started chanting, “Together! Together!” The whole room soon erupted with the chant.
Ling Yu tightly gripped the microphone, her eyes filled with hope as she looked over at Wen Yufeng.
Everyone’s attention turned to him as well.
Finally, the boy in the center of attention lifted his gaze, his dark eyes carrying a hint of coldness as they met everyone’s stares.
It was as if an invisible explosion had gone off in the middle of the room.
When the imaginary “smoke” cleared, it also silenced everyone’s noisy chatter.
—Although Wen Yufeng still had a faint smile on his face, it was clear he was on the verge of being annoyed. No one dared to provoke him further.
Seeing that the room had quieted down, Wen Yufeng lowered his gaze, stood up, and walked over to Li Xiang. He flicked him hard on the forehead.
Li Xiang yelped in pain and looked up at him with an innocent expression.
Standing tall and looking down at him, Wen Yufeng wore a lazy, mocking smile.
“…Cigarette.”
That single word carried an inexplicable chill that made Li Xiang shiver.
Li Xiang stiffened, then quickly fished out a cigarette and handed it over.
Wen Yufeng shot him a warning glance before turning and leaving the room.
Once the door closed behind him, the invisible tension finally eased. Zhao Zirui slapped the back of Li Xiang’s head—
“You really are an idiot.”
“…Li Xiang!”
A female voice suddenly erupted from the middle of the room.
Li Xiang looked up to see Ling Yu standing in front of him, her eyes red with anger. “Didn’t you say he was interested in me?! Is this your idea of interest?!”
Li Xiang protested, “But Yu-ge really did say something.”
“What did he say?!”
“Just yesterday, after you asked me, I tested him. I asked him what he thought about fair-skinned, pretty, petite, long-haired girls…” Li Xiang explained. “Yu-ge never usually responds to questions like that, but he answered me yesterday.”
“What did he say?”
“He said, ‘She’s kinda cute.’”
“…”
After leaving the room, Wen Yufeng was about to head straight home.
But he hadn’t gone far when he heard footsteps following him.
Wen Yufeng turned slightly and saw Zhao Zirui with his conspicuous yellow hair catching up to him.
“Yu-ge, you’re not mad, are you?” Zhao Zirui asked as he caught up. Seeing that Wen Yufeng’s expression hadn’t changed, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Li Xiang’s an idiot. As soon as Ling Yu sweet-talked him, he lost all sense of direction—don’t take it out on him.”
“It’s nothing. No big deal.”
Wen Yufeng’s lips curved slightly as he continued walking.
Just as they were about to reach the end of the long corridor, Wen Yufeng suddenly stopped and extended an arm to halt Zhao Zirui as well.
Zhao Zirui looked up in confusion and saw two unfamiliar people walking across the corridor ahead of them.
Leading the way was a boy who looked like a middle schooler.
Following behind him was a petite girl wearing a pretty black dress.
…Her profile looked vaguely familiar.
Before Zhao Zirui could figure out where he had seen that girl before, he heard Wen Yufeng suddenly let out a low chuckle.
“So it really is her.”
Wen Yufeng’s tone was uncharacteristically filled with barely contained pleasure, leaving Zhao Zirui bewildered as he looked over at him.
But Wen Yufeng had already casually walked over to the corner and stopped.
The two people who had just passed by were now standing at the far right end of the corridor ahead.
With Wen Yufeng standing there, their conversation became crystal clear—
“Fu Monitor, what do you need me for?”
Having been inexplicably called out in the middle of the farewell party, Qin Qing had followed him around for quite a while. Now, she was utterly confused as she looked at the boy in front of her.
“Qin Qing, I’ve been keeping something to myself for a long time. If I don’t tell you now, I’m afraid I won’t get another chance.”
The boy standing in front of Qin Qing’s eyes flashed with emotion.
“…”
Qin Qing’s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling about where this conversation was headed.
Unfortunately, before she could say anything, the boy in front of her, Fu Hanlin, spoke—
“I like you, Qin Qing.”
“…”
She hadn’t been quick enough to stop it… Qin Qing frowned in frustration.
How could she reject him without embarrassing him too much?
After confessing, Fu Hanlin waited for a response.
The girl remained silent for a while, then suddenly seemed to think of something. Her eyes brightened as she lifted her head.
“No, Monitor.”
Fu Hanlin was stunned and instinctively asked, “Why not?”
Qin Qing pursed her lips and frowned slightly, her tone serious and sincere, “Because you’re still young.”
Fu Hanlin: “…”
“I’m…”
Before Fu Hanlin could recover from this unexpected response, a chuckle echoed from the corner behind Qin Qing.
“Who’s there?!”
Fu Hanlin frowned and looked over.
Qin Qing turned around as well.
—This voice sounds familiar somehow?
Under their gaze, a boy with a lazy smile stepped out of the shadowy corner.
He lifted his head and raised his gaze to meet theirs.
Their eyes met.
His sharp brows and cold eyes were like the edge of a sword.
Author’s Note:
Wen Yufeng: …So, someone was interested in her before I was?
—
Age and Psychological Setting of the Main Characters:
Qin Qing, 15: Strict upbringing, very pure personality.
Wen Yufeng, 18: Tough upbringing, mature beyond his years compared to his peers.