Green Plum, Green Plum (18)
“Loving you to the ends of the earth, never to see each other again?”
Xu Jiao ultimately never figured out what question had left Shen Yelan in such a state.
Because she discovered…
Shen Yelan seemed to start keeping her distance from her.
Compared to before, when she would act flattered every time she took the initiative to greet her, Shen Yelan now still seemed hesitant to make eye contact with her. However, Xu Jiao could clearly sense the restraint in her every move.
Yes, restraint.
“Sister Jiaojiao, what’s going on with that person named Shen recently? Why does she seem so cold and indifferent, as if she looks down on us? It feels like I’m getting the cold shoulder whenever I try to talk to her.”
One morning,
Su Xi, for once, woke up a bit earlier and finally caught up with Xu Jiao to have breakfast together. She had made some progress in her recent quiz and got a score that she never dared to imagine before, so she had been in a good mood lately.
When she saw Shen Yelan just now, she cheerfully greeted her, “Good morning.”
But Shen Yelan just nodded without looking up and replied with a simple “Hmm.”
Afterward, while Su Xi was still eating her bread, Shen Yelan abruptly got up and went back to her room without saying a word or even glancing in their direction. Her demeanor was extremely cold.
This led to Su Xi’s complaint.
Xu Jiao, lost in thought, glanced in the direction where Shen Yelan had walked away. After a while, she calmly refocused her attention on the plate in front of her, cutting the luncheon meat inside. She replied to Su Xi’s words in a slow and indifferent manner:
“Don’t you always refer to her as ‘that Shen’? How come it’s only acceptable for you to be impolite, but not for her to have a cold personality?”
Su Xi stomped her foot and called out to her in a helpless tone, “Sister Jiaojiao, whose side are you on, anyway?”
Xu Jiao swallowed the food in her mouth, looked at her with a half-smile, and then took a tissue from the side to wipe the corners of her lips. Only then did she reply, “Well, I’m not on your side anyway — she has the same surname as Old Shen. You always call her ‘that Shen,’ so if they happen to meet outside one day and you shout ‘that Shen,’ who knows which one you’re referring to?”
Su Xi muttered in defense, “Old Shen is much more interesting than her. Shen Wenwen is so much fun, unlike this boring gourd.”
As she said this, Su Xi lifted her wrist to avoid letting the chain on her wrist fall into the warm soy milk, and she redirected the conversation:
“Hey, speaking of which, it’s fine if she ignores me—”
“Sis, haven’t you noticed that this little girl has been cold to you lately too? Let’s be clear, she’s a tenant and you’re the landlord, and she still owes you money. Are people who owe money acting so high and mighty these days?”
Xu Jiao walked to the edge of the kitchen with the used tissue in her hand and threw it into the wastebasket. As she came back, she heard Su Xi’s indignant remark and immediately took two steps forward, raising her hand to tap her chair. Although her tone was still gentle, there was an imposing force that compelled one to obey.
“Xiao Xi.”
“When you help someone, don’t expect anything in return. Seeking repayment will only annoy people—forget it, you wouldn’t understand this. In any case, this is between her and me. I know what I’m doing, and you are not allowed to mention it again.”
Su Xi stuck out her tongue at her, but seeing Xu Jiao’s serious expression, she had no choice but to respond, “Okay, okay, I got it.”
Xu Jiao curved her lips and gently adjusted the hairpin that was being blocked by her hair. When her eyes were cast down, she added:
“Moreover…”
“I don’t think she is being cold.”
Xu Jiao recalled Shen Yelan’s recent demeanor and felt that she seemed burdened with something, and her aloofness was not merely perfunctory. It was as if…
Like a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption, covered with silent volcanic ash accumulated over centuries, making it impossible to discern any clues.
Or perhaps, like a tranquil deep lake before a storm, appearing calm and serene with the autumn sky reflected in its waters, but in the next moment, it would unleash a massive tempest, engulfing all the small boats and banks.
Although she didn’t know how she arrived at this conclusion, Xu Jiao had a vague sense of it.
Su Xi waved her hand lazily, slouching on the table with her face turned to the side as she sipped her soy milk through a straw. She drank it without sitting properly, taking a big gulp before saying, “Alright, alright, Sister Jiaojiao, you’re always so easygoing. But I can’t do anything about her anymore. My mom has been urging me to go back home every day.”
“When I leave, be careful not to be bullied by that person named Shen.”
Before Xu Jiao could reply, Su Xi smacked her lips and added absentmindedly, “Forget it, I must be overthinking. Considering Sister Jiaojiao’s record of one against ten, that person named Shen will end up with missing teeth all over the floor.”
Xu Jiao was heading towards the sofa, preparing to read the newly bought books from the bookstore, 《The Three-Body Problem》. Upon hearing Su Xi’s words, she only slightly curved her lips and didn’t comment on Su Xi’s description of her own combat skills. She simply expressed concern, saying:
“Uncle and Auntie must miss you a lot. When you go back, remember to pamper them and don’t make them angry.”
“I know, I know. You’re becoming as naggy as my mom,” Su Xi reluctantly responded, brushing her off.
……
What Xu Jiao didn’t expect was that—
Just a few days after Su Xi left her house, Shen Yelan also bid her farewell.
“I recently asked a friend to help me find a cheap rental house that is also close to school. It’s not good for me to keep staying here. Thank you for accommodating me during this time. Please give me your account details, and I will make fixed monthly payments with interest based on the bank’s rates. Is that okay?”
Shen Yelan packed up her belongings, with a large snake-skin bag she bought from the market by her feet. She stood at the door of Xu Jiao’s room, her shoe tips aligned perfectly with the ceramic tile line in front of the door, not a millimeter out of place.
Even her words were polite and courteous, without the cautiousness and stuttering she had when talking to Xu Jiao before.
She lowered her eyes, making it difficult to discern her emotions, but her words were undeniably impeccable.
To the point that Xu Jiao had a moment of realization. Even though she saw Shen Yelan every day at school, at this moment, the protagonist in front of her seemed so unfamiliar that she couldn’t quite understand her.
It seemed as though something unseen was happening inside this person, undergoing a transformation that she couldn’t see.
And this change was enough to completely transform her.
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Xu Jiao stood up from her desk, and the little yellow dog affectionately rubbed against her toes. As she moved, the dog followed her to the door, but upon seeing Shen Yelan, it let out a whimper and hid behind Xu Jiao’s pant leg.
Xu Jiao looked down in confusion and smiled at Shen Yelan, saying, “It’s a bit timid.”
Shen Yelan tugged at the corner of her lip and gently shook her head, indicating that she didn’t mind.
Xu Jiao pondered for a moment, thinking about what she had just said and recalling the recent inexplicable increase in Shen Yelan’s “blackening value” at the slightest provocation. She couldn’t help but ask, “Has something happened?”
Shen Yelan’s gaze flickered, and she simply replied, “Nothing.”
Seeing that Shen Yelan was intent on hiding something, Xu Jiao didn’t continue probing and instead changed the subject, saying, “Is the new place you found safe? After all, you’re still a female student, so whether you’re renting by yourself or sharing with others, you should be careful.”
Although she knew that Xu Jiao’s concern was merely a courtesy, Shen Yelan still felt that her words were like genuine care…
And for a moment, she regretted her initial reaction.
Greedy for more, she wanted to hear a little more.
“It’s strange. If you want to stay so much, why do you still want to leave? That annoying and obnoxious Su Xi is already gone. There are only the two of you in this room now. Besides, you’re quite capable now, and when the lights go out… well, well.”
Another figure identical to the person in front of her appeared mysteriously, taking advantage of the fact that only Shen Yelan could see her. “Xu Jiao” deliberately approached and, seeing that Shen Yelan was unfazed, blinked her eyes and swiftly walked over to the real Xu Jiao.
Then, she quietly squatted down and pointed at the pants on Xu Jiao’s right ankle, winking suggestively at Shen Yelan with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
In Shen Yelan’s eyes, there were two identical Xu Jiaos—one stood there coldly, while the other used all her tricks, even her hair exuding a seductive aura, and her eyes filled with cunning.
Shen Yelan held her breath, trying to avoid showing any signs of distress. She closed her eyes and repeated, “No need.”
No need to stay, and she couldn’t stay.
Her current situation was too terrible. Seeing Xu Jiao every day was both a blessing and a torment for her. But this terrifying illusion was like a timed bomb buried within her, ready to explode at any moment.
Even if there was only a slight possibility, she didn’t want to cause any harm to Xu Jiao.
Xu Jiao: “Hmm?”
She looked at Shen Yelan with a hint of surprise, suspecting that Shen Yelan hadn’t heard her question clearly. She had just asked about the safety of the newly rented place, but it seemed like this person was still stuck on the previous question?
Shen Yelan opened her eyes again and noticed Xu Jiao’s astonishment. She paused for a moment, feeling a pang in her heart. Fortunately, her memory was good, and she quickly added, “I mean, don’t worry, I know my limits.”
Xu Jiao made a sound of agreement, realizing that there was no reason to keep her around. Without much thought, she agreed, “Okay, but just repay the previous amount without any interest. We’re friends after all.”
“Friends?” Shen Yelan looked at her blankly, involuntarily repeating these two words.
Xu Jiao looked at Shen Yelan’s expression and blinked slowly. In her mind, she asked the system, “Was my previous coldness towards her so obvious? This girl now looks like I’m talking nonsense.”
The system responded scientifically, “Based on the protagonist’s growth experience, it is highly likely that she belongs to the type that is very sensitive to environmental changes. So, it’s not surprising that she noticed your intentions.”
Xu Jiao praised, “Hmm, this is why I admire you artificial intelligence. Even if you don’t understand emotions, you can still make the most accurate statistical analysis based on big data. It sounds impressive.”
Having chatted with the system for a couple of sentences, Xu Jiao temporarily forgot to respond to Shen Yelan’s statement. Fortunately, Shen Yelan saved face and continued:
“Well, we are friends.”
“I will always be there for you whenever you need me.”
She said with utmost seriousness.
Her words were so solemn that Xu Jiao could feel the hidden weight between the lines, as if it suddenly pressed heavily on her heart, even through those ordinary words.
After a while, Xu Jiao smiled and said, “I’ll return the words you just said to me. Don’t worry about me. Alright, let me walk you downstairs.”
Shen Yelan shook her head, declining her kind offer. She lowered her head, grabbed the heavy bag, and walked towards the door. But when her hand touched the handrail, suddenly, Shen Yelan stopped in her tracks and turned around to take one last look.
Xu Jiao was squatting at the doorway, teasing the dog she had picked up with bone-shaped teething biscuits. She gently coaxed, “Xiao Huang, look here.”
The sunlight streaming in through the balcony formed a rectangular shape, and the golden edges created by the window frame fell perfectly at Xu Jiao’s feet. It was as if an angel held a sword of judgment, bowing its proud head to its most devout master.
Even the sunlight dared not be impudent, obediently stopping only within the inch of skin it was about to touch. It seemed that the entire world should submit itself to her feet in this manner.
And this world’s deity, the deity in Shen Yelan’s heart, relaxedly squatted there, casually showing her affection. Between her slender white fingers, there were dark-colored pet biscuits. She watched as Xiao Huang, the little yellow dog, nibbled on them a few times without biting through, her eyes filled with indulgence. She allowed the little creature to lick her fingertips, pleasing and adorable.
This scene, through Shen Yelan’s eyes, deeply imprinted itself on her heart.
It made her remember for a very long time.
……
Shen Yelan was very thorough in her actions.
Since she had already decided to disappear from Xu Jiao’s world, she vanished completely. In the final exams of her sophomore year, she ranked 41st in her grade.
In the class placement for the new semester, this grade was not enough to enter Class 1. Instead, she became the top student in Class 3.
Class 1 students thought that she had once again made a careless mistake, until they discovered that she consistently ranked outside the top 40 in every subsequent exam. She always lingered in Class 3 and never entered the Class 1 classroom again before the college entrance examination.
During breaks, some Class 1 students would talk about Shen Yelan with a sigh.
“I heard she was the top student when she first entered our school, right? But now, she can only hover around the 40th place in every exam. It’s really unfortunate.”
“Well, it’s normal actually. Haven’t you noticed that many students who performed well in their first year somehow disappear in their second and third year? Some people just can’t handle the pressure.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
The topic quickly passed, and at first, some people would observe Shen Yelan during every exam to see if she would come back. But as time went on, Class 1 seemed to have forgotten about her completely, with everyone focusing only on the questions in front of them.
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The college entrance examination was like a single-player game on a narrow bridge. Apart from their own efforts, no one could help.
Even the usually lazy geniuses became anxious as the countdown approached. They started practicing more sets of questions, while others busily prepared materials for self-enrollment and participated in competitions.
Everyone was striving for their future, and the air was filled with a sense of prosperity.
Sometimes, when Xu Jiao immersed herself in this atmosphere, she couldn’t distinguish one day from another. It felt like she had truly become part of this group of senior sisters and brothers, working hard to cultivate her own rewards.
During a break, she laughed at herself in her heart, “It seems like I’m getting a little too into this—”
“System, when can I leave this world?”
The system checked the progress and replied, “You can leave after the female protagonist, Shen Yelan, happily lives with the destined CEO.”
Xu Jiao roughly calculated and realized that she would have to wait at least another ten years for that to happen.
She sighed and thought, since she’s already here, she might as well take the college entrance exam and then leave. It would be a new achievement for her that she couldn’t accomplish in the real world.
However…
“I didn’t expect that Shen Yelan’s favorability level towards me, which is at 90, doesn’t seem to have any abnormality. It seems like your favorability level testing isn’t very accurate. Maybe her favorability towards me is because I saved her life, so she regards me as her closest friend,” Xu Jiao complained as she felt dizzy from studying too much. She decided to chat with the system for a bit.
System: “…”
It expressionlessly said, “I’m sorry to inform you that our favorability level testing has different thresholds. A level below 50 indicates friendship, while a level above 50 often leads to a romantic relationship.”
Xu Jiao asked, “Is it like the more you love someone, the further apart you are?”
Xu Jiao said, “Loving you to the ends of the earth, never to see each other again?”
Xu Jiao remarked, “Is this the rhythm of becoming enemies before even starting a relationship?”
The system remained silent and responded in a neutral tone, “Perhaps Shen Yelan has had unique life experiences, which may have slightly skewed the values.”
Satisfied with this response, Xu Jiao said, “That makes sense.”
However, she didn’t try to get closer to Shen Yelan anymore. After all, Shen Yelan would only meet the male lead in college. Until then, Xu Jiao wasn’t interested in getting involved in matters. As long as Shen Yelan’s blackening value didn’t affect the plot, she would let things be.
……
It’s the season of the college entrance examination once again.
No. 18 High School is particularly proud this time.
The top two students in the liberal arts category in the province both come from their school.
Before the results were released, Xu Jiao received a phone call at home and heard her Class 1 teacher happily congratulating her on the other end, “Xu Jiao, have you checked your results? We have received advance notice here, you are the second in the whole province! Congratulations from the teacher!”
The once renowned bully of No. 18 High School has transformed herself since the second year of high school, and in the end, she achieved the second highest score in the province in the liberal arts category. Even the teaching director, who has never seen eye to eye with Xu Jiao, discussed with the principal whether to share this extremely meaningful educational story with the media, such as the Commercial News.
The education at No. 18 High School is truly successful!
Through the teachers’ dedicated efforts and careful nurturing, they have brought a child who was almost led astray back on the right track and paved the way for a bright future!
Xu Jiao paused for a moment and asked with a smile over the phone, “Teacher, who is the first?”
The teacher’s smile grew even stronger, “The first is also from our school! You may remember, it’s the one who dropped to Class 7 because of a missed exam and has been in Class 3 ever since… Shen Yelan!”
“Both of you have really done an excellent job. I estimate that not long after this phone call, those universities will also be calling you. Now you can discuss with your family what school and major you want to apply for and start preparing in advance.”
“The school will also help you apply for awards in the city and district. Recently, there may be reporters from newspapers and media requesting interviews with you. Be prepared for that. If you have any questions or don’t understand anything, feel free to ask me. The teachers will provide you with reference and advice…”
From the tone of the voice, Xu Jiao sensed the joy and her own emotions were slightly infected. She replied with a smile:
“Okay, thank you, teacher.”
Sure enough…
Afterwards, she received various phone calls at home, one after another. Even though she was patient, towards the end, she had to drink three glasses of water and felt physically and mentally exhausted. She wished she could hire someone specifically to answer the calls on her behalf.
Even her “adoptive parents”, who were overseas in the laboratory, called. Their words expressed a great sense of pride for Xu Jiao. They carefully asked about her current mood, her state during the exams, and her intentions for future applications.
By the time Xu Jiao finished dealing with them, she didn’t even have the energy to eat.
But the sound of her phone ringing tirelessly resounded once again.
Her joy had long been diluted. Without even glancing at the phone screen, she ruthlessly switched the phone to silent mode, and then lazily glanced at the caller ID.
Su Xi.
Xu Jiao mechanically took a few bites of her meal and then picked up a piece of braised fish with her chopsticks. After her stomach warmed up with the food, she felt like she had come back to life. When Su Xi called for the first time and persistently called again, Xu Jiao slid to answer:
“Sis, you’re amazing! I just heard people at school saying that you ranked second in the province in the exams. You’re so awesome! I’ve decided, I’m going to throw a celebration party. I’ll invite all of our friends, and we’ll celebrate for you! From now on, you can choose any school in the country!”
While Su Xi chattered away on the other end, Xu Jiao didn’t say a word. Instead, she calmly finished half a bowl of rice, enjoying the energetic voice of the little girl.
Su Xi finally finished expressing her excitement and asked, “Sis, where do you think we should have the celebration?”
Xu Jiao replied concisely, “Anywhere.”
Su Xi: “Sis, you’re so cold-hearted. It’s… it’s just too… too what, modest? I can’t sense any joy in your words about your good grades.”
Xu Jiao chuckled, “Try being like a customer service representative and maintain your joy after answering dozens of calls. Show me.”
Su Xi: “…That sounds really tough.”
But Su Xi quickly shifted her focus back and enthusiastically discussed the details of the celebration with Xu Jiao, “I want to invite everyone who knows you, and we’ll celebrate together. Let the whole world know that my sister achieved an amazing, amazing, amazing result!”
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Xu Jiao sighed softly, “You can make the arrangements. I can only guarantee that I’ll be there. I don’t want to handle anything else. My ears are hurting now, so I’m going to rest for a bit.”
“Alright, sis, wait for my message!”
……
Awakening from a nap.
Xu Jiao received the address sent by Su Xi.
It was at the most luxurious club in the city. She doesn’t know how she managed to arrange it, but somehow she made it possible for a group of underage people to be allowed in.
She shook her head, not thinking too much about it. She got up from the bed and stretched, opening the wardrobe. She picked out a black hip-hop style top with silver edges and decorative long straps, along with a pair of light-colored ripped jeans.
Before leaving, Xu Jiao casually grabbed two hair clips and crossed them over her hair by her ear.
The sky outside had darkened, and a fine rain as thin as cow’s hair started to fall. Xu Jiao glanced out of the window before leaving, grabbed a transparent umbrella, and headed out.
As she walked with the umbrella, occasionally passing under the eaves, there were one or two heavy drip-drops that fell on the umbrella’s surface.
Drip.
Drip.
She walked from under clusters of dim yellow lights to the magnificent building.
The umbrella tilted slightly, and Xu Jiao raised her gaze to look at the sign to see if she had gone the wrong way. As a result, her eyes lifted and met a pair of unusually calm eyes at the entrance, as if the night of the entire city had merged into them.
Ink-black pupils.
It was Shen Yelan.
In that instant, Xu Jiao belatedly realized that they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.