BSS - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
The note was handed in, tucked inside her homework booklet.
Deng Chuan's handwriting was free and unrestrained, not at all like her prim and proper appearance. The strokes were fluid and energetic, the tip of the pen soaring. One could almost sense her mood as she wrote.
Seeing it made Xu Wei's lips curl into a smile. It was very dashing handwriting.
What does being eighteen truly mean for a person? Back then, before Xu Wei had a chance to truly feel the change, the days had slipped by. It was like waking up in the morning to find that an autumn rain had silently soaked the dawn-a subtle, soundless moistening of all things-and just like that, she had grown into an adult.
That was why she could now understand how precious the age of eighteen was. It was an age that possessed both the courage to face the world and the privilege to scorn its rules.
Xu Wei didn't have a sweet tooth; she only had a few pieces when she was in a bad mood. When she couldn't lift her own spirits, she had to rely on an external force to remind herself that hope existed. No matter what happened, hope would always exist, just as candy would always be sweet. No one had told her this when she was a student. Now, she felt she was willing to be the one to tell Deng Chuan.
It wasn't Xu Wei's first time teaching students, but it was the first time she had cared so much about one. Deng Chuan possessed so many visible, beautiful qualities: restraint, kindness, clear-headedness, self-discipline. She would grow into a very good person. Xu Wei was about to witness it all, and she couldn't help but draw closer to her. To draw closer to this visible goodness. The conviction of being an educator was sometimes sustained by such beautiful thoughts.
She put the note away and, after a moment's thought, placed it in a folder. It contained many of her important paper documents, and now, it also held two soaring words from an eighteen-year-old Deng Chuan, along with a smiley face drawn with just a few strokes.
And just like that, Deng Chuan's eighteenth year arrived.
Life continued in its steady, orderly way. The gears of time turned to the end of December. After winter set in, the temperature dropped sharply. Everyone started wrapping themselves in thick coats over their school uniforms, looking like little penguins as they walked. The heaters were turned on in the classrooms, creating a very comfortable temperature. Every day, Wu Fuwu was afraid he would fall asleep and would frantically rub cooling balm on his temples.
This evening, just after class ended, students heading to the cafeteria surged out in a bustling crowd. Their colorful coats looked like a cluster of vibrant mushrooms from a distance. Deng Chuan stayed in the classroom, planning to go to the cafeteria after the peak dining hour. The classroom was quiet; everyone was studying, the only sound the rustling of pens on paper. Deng Chuan had just finished writing a full political essay question, savoring the satisfaction of slowly digesting knowledge, when she heard someone outside shout:
"It's snowing-"
Deng Chuan looked out the window. As if a god had waved a magic wand, countless snowflakes descended toward the ground like billions of parachutes, silent yet unstoppable. They were as light as goose down, drifting onto people's heads, landing on the ground, and clinging to the bare branches, forming small patches of white. The sky was also white. The sun was about to set, but there was no sign of a sunset.
Pedestrians on the road stopped one by one, holding out their hands to catch the light vapor. Outside on the corridor, the sound of many footsteps echoed, mixed with small, drawn-out gasps of surprise as everyone came out to see the first snow.
Deng Chuan didn't go out. She walked to the window and also reached out her hand to catch the fluttering snowflakes. A few drifted into her palm, melting on contact into a drop of icy water. As if awakened by the temperature to memories of winter, Deng Chuan gazed at the snow outside, belatedly feeling the season's arrival.
She suddenly had a strong urge to see Xu Wei.
Of course, she had already seen her today, and it was no different from usual. But right now, she had an extraordinary desire to see her.
With a heart full of softness and longing, Deng Chuan rushed out the door and walked downstairs without a destination in mind.
She walked down the long school path, snowflakes landing on the crown of her head like a god's blessing kiss.
She brushed past countless people, her eyes scanning so many unfamiliar, youthful faces.
As she neared the cafeteria, a wave of warmth and aroma washed over her. She walked in, then walked back out.
She stopped by the side of the road and looked up, her pupils reflecting the vast, white world and the people hurrying by.
The snow continued to fall. The sky darkened, bit by bit.
The streetlights suddenly flickered on, forming a chain, and in the distance, the city lights began to sparkle.
In the end, she still didn't see Xu Wei.
Standing in the middle of the crowd, Deng Chuan suddenly understood the essence of winter and snow.
Winter snow is a gentle longing.
As New Year's Day approached, the school held a New Year's Eve party. They went to the trouble of setting up a simple stage on the sports field, complete with a combination of lights, a screen, and speakers. Of course, only the first and second-year students could sign up and perform. Every evening after self-study, Deng Chuan would see them heading back from rehearsals. As for the third-years, they were only given one evening off to watch the show.
That was still pretty good. Everyone was excited to have a night to relax amidst their intense studies. When they gathered to go downstairs, very few people were clutching books, planning to put in extra hours on the sports field.
Deng Chuan sat down on the field. Fortunately, it had been mostly sunny recently, so the grass was dry, not damp. Su Mian scurried over to find her, sitting with her to study the program. The teachers were all seated at the front. The students sat in semi-freely formed groups, maintaining only a superficial sense of order.
Xu Wei did come by once. She saw Su Mian but didn't say anything. After standing for a moment and seeing that everyone was well-behaved, she left.
The acts for the New Year's Eve party had all been vetted by the school and were quite conventional. They weren't bad, but there were no surprises either.
After watching one or two performances seriously, Su Mian started chatting with her. She had gone out of school yesterday to visit Pei Qingyu and had heard a lot of gossip from her art studio, which she was now eager to share with Deng Chuan.
She started by saying that a girl in Pei Qingyu's art studio was a real weirdo.
Deng Chuan asked, "Why do you say she's a weirdo?"
"Because... ugh, just listen to me, she's just really weird." Su Mian waved her hand impatiently, then patted her. "Qingyu is her roommate. She lives on the bunk above Qingyu."
"Okay."
"And she has rhinitis. Having rhinitis is fine, but the problem is she tied a plastic bag to the head of her bed as a trash can and puts her used tissues in it. It's been there for ages! She never throws it out!" Su Mian said indignantly. "And the beds in their dorm are pretty low. Every time Qingyu stands up, she can touch that plastic bag. It's seriously so gross."
Deng Chuan took a deep breath in empathy.
"Qingyu has told her so many times, but she still won't throw it out."
"And every night after lights out, she's on the phone. She never paints all day, and when she does, she's always putting this person down and that person down. She's driving Qingyu crazy."
"Qingyu said she also likes to engage in petty theft, and she'll never admit it even when caught. No one wants to make a scene, so they can only be more careful and pretend they didn't see anything."
Deng Chuan frowned. "Hmm..."
"And then, this girl started dating their Senior Brother."
Pei Qingyu's art studio was founded by a graduate from the art academy. Their instructor was this Senior Brother. They were the first class the studio had taken on.
Deng Chuan asked with some curiosity, "Their Senior Brother is a teacher, right?"
Su Mian said, "Yep!"
"Qingyu said it's really awkward for her every day. The studio is so small, and a bunch of people are forced to eavesdrop on their romance."
Deng Chuan thought for a moment and asked, "Does their Senior Brother know what kind of person she is?"
Su Mian said, "He knows, but the Senior Brother thinks she's just psychologically fragile. He tells everyone to take care of her more."
She paused, hearing Deng Chuan laugh out loud. "Hahahahaha."
"Isn't it hilarious! Qingyu and the others were completely speechless. What the hell."
Deng Chuan asked, "So why does that Senior Brother like her?"
Su Mian said, "Maybe she's good at playing pitiful. She has her methods."
Deng Chuan nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
At that moment, the stage went quiet, and the lights went out. They were waiting for the next act to set up.
The two fell silent. Deng Chuan asked Su Mian, "What's the next performance?"
Su Mian looked at the program in the dim light of the sports field. "It's 'Zhaojun Departs the Frontier.' A dance."
On stage, the lights came on, a single spotlight.
A princess in Han-style clothing walked along the road to leave the frontier, followed by a long train of attendants carrying box after box. They were too far away to see the princess's face clearly, but they could tell her posture was graceful. Judging by the enthusiastic reaction from the people in front, she must be a very beautiful junior student.
The two of them watched the dance on stage, somewhat mesmerized.
It was at this moment that Xu Wei walked up to them.
Su Mian had snuck out of her class's section, deliberately choosing a spot near the back of the formation so she could slip away easily.
She hadn't expected to attract Xu Wei.
She looked down at the two of them and said, "You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"
Su Mian said, "Not at all! Please, Teacher Xu, have a seat."
Xu Wei was still looking into Deng Chuan's eyes. Deng Chuan showed a small smile and shook her head.
Xu Wei smiled too. She walked over to them and sat down beside Deng Chuan, looking somewhat relaxed.
Deng Chuan asked her, "What brings you over here?"
Her tone was so familiar and casual that Su Mian glanced at her in surprise, but Xu Wei answered naturally, "It's too bright at the front, it hurts my eyes. So, I came to sit in the back."
Deng Chuan said, "Oh," and said no more.
With Xu Wei there, Su Mian didn't dare to gossip anymore. The three of them began to watch the show in silence.
The performance on stage was billed as a dance, but it was more like a dance drama. It had a very strong plot, and the dancers' movements were full of dramatic tension.
The plot had progressed to Zhaojun's affectionate married life with the Chanyu after leaving the frontier. The girl in nomadic attire had a slender figure and a slim waist. Long tassels hung from the hat on her head. She twirled on stage to the beat of the drums, her skirt flying. The drumbeat quickened, and the Chanyu finally made a handsome appearance. They looked very well-matched, and the students cheered in time with the dance's emotional progression.
As the princess on stage threw herself into the Chanyu's arms, Xu Wei spoke, asking Deng Chuan, "Was my candy good?"
Her voice was soft, as if it would dissipate in the night wind the moment it left her lips, but Deng Chuan heard every word clearly.
In truth, Deng Chuan hadn't eaten it yet. She couldn't bear to.
-but she said, "It was good."
Xu Wei let out a soft laugh. In the light from the stage, Deng Chuan saw the hint of her white, even teeth when she smiled, and she secretly smiled too.
All around them was quiet. The noise of the crowd and the sounds from the stage seemed very far away. The night wind slipped into her collar, a little cold.
Deng Chuan watched the stage, happy in her own world, like a child who had really eaten candy. Xu Wei gazed quietly ahead, the flickering stage lights reflected in her eyes. Su Mian watched the show, desperate to talk. But with Xu Wei present, she could only sit there obediently, glancing at the two beside her from time to time.
Even with a teacher here, we don't have to be this silent, do we? she thought. The atmosphere is so weird. I really want to go back!
The music on stage gradually faded. The performers were taking their final bows. Su Mian was a person of action. Seizing the opportunity as the performance ended, she stood up and said to Deng Chuan amidst the thunderous applause, "I think I'll head back! I'm afraid my teacher will come down and catch me." As she spoke, she made a gesture as if about to bolt.
Deng Chuan looked at her, a strange emotion in her eyes, as if a mix of relief and something else awkward. Su Mian couldn't decipher it and only heard her say, "Okay, you go ahead."
Su Mian bolted.
Xu Wei couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The atmosphere finally relaxed. Deng Chuan quietly scooted over to where Su Mian had been sitting, wanting to make more room for Xu Wei.
Xu Wei noticed, grabbed her wrist, and said, "Don't." Then she added, "It's a bit cold. You should sit closer."
Her scent was suddenly very close, and Deng Chuan could almost smell the freshly washed fragrance of shampoo in her hair.
It was faint, like the moonlight hidden in the clouds on the horizon.
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