Chapter 267

Yan's casual remark had been etched in Hua Xin's memory ever since, prompting her to diligently complete her notes both during and after class, adding as much information as possible. Lost in thought, she slowly opened the notebook on her desk. Surprisingly, the handwriting wasn't the usual crooked mess; it was exceptionally neat. She didn't want Xia Yan to criticize her handwriting again, saying it was too ugly to read and demanding more calligraphy practice books for elementary school students. Come on, what's wrong with a college student's handwriting being a little messy? Exams aren't about neatness anymore; Xia Yan only knows how to make fun of things like that. So this time... Hua Xin paused slightly, her pen falling from her hand onto the notebook. Just then, it was exactly eight o'clock, and the familiar bald male teacher, like a recurring NPC, walked into the classroom, books tucked under his arm. The classroom was already quiet, with only a few girls talking, but they all lowered their heads or lay on their desks. Only a few people in the front row seemed to be paying attention. Everything seemed like the most ordinary part of her daily life, something she didn't need to hide from or avoid. But something was still off. Because... Hua Xin looked to her side, and the gaze hidden under the hood froze. The image reflected in her pupils wasn't of the strong, tall Xia Yan, diligently taking notes and listening attentively, but rather a patch of air, the chair pushed under the desk, revealing only the smooth floor tiles. Xia Yan wasn't there. A thought seemed to create a barrier, isolating Hua Xin from everything around her. She couldn't hear what the teacher was saying, or any other sounds around her; it was as if she were the only person in the world, like the last person abandoned. Time froze. She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know the meaning of her existence. But this state seemed to last only a very short time, almost an instant before disappearing, like intermittent heart palpitations—it only existed for a short period, but that period was incredibly painful and agonizing. The girl suddenly woke up, then leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, her hands tightly gripping her clothes at her chest. But the expression on her pretty face, hidden behind her mask, didn't seem surprised by the strange state she had just experienced; instead, it was calm. She had experienced this many times before. Hua Xin slowly straightened her clothes, and the teacher's voice, like a lullaby, and the sounds of classmates turning pages and sleeping filled her ears again. The world returned to normal once more. But the girl's heart was not so calm. Lately, whenever she was in class, or passed by scenes with Xia Yan, or even sometimes after work, like at the entrance of the cat café, this uncomfortable feeling would not last long, but even a brief moment would be incredibly torturous. She didn't know when it started, from the day Xia Yan left. Hua Xin put down her pen, then unlocked her phone in the drawer of her desk and brought up her chat history with Xia Yan. Compared to Hua Xin slightly perfunctory and secretive conversations with Gu Xin Hua, it seemed there was nothing to hide from "her." Instead, she said many things that left Hua Xin feeling helpless, yet she also felt anxious along with him. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, but the broken screen and the lack of vibration meant she kept making mistakes in the pinyin. Finally, Hua Xin deleted all the remaining words in the chat box, her eyelids drooping as she rested her head on the desk. Xia Yan's grandfather was in bad shape, although he was now at a large hospital in Beijing. Hua Xin understood his sadness; the occasional heart palpitations seemed like a chain connecting Xia Yan, transmitting his pain to her. Xia Yan had been trying to help her. But she couldn't do anything to help. Hua Xin buried her face deeply in her arms. In Xia Yan's pain. 205. Only she could be by his side! Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the entire morning had passed swiftly. The classroom, which had been packed with people, was now empty except for Hua Xin, quiet and still. It was noon, and there were no afternoon classes. Apart from Mu Feng and Xiang Guan, who greeted her briefly, everyone else treated her like she was invisible. "Time to go to work," Hua Xin sighed softly in the empty classroom. She turned off her phone, which had been scrolling through her chat history with Xia Yan without her knowing what to say. She tossed the numerous notes on her desk into her bag, got up, and decided to go home to change clothes before heading to the cat cafe for work and lunch. The teaching building was practically deserted. During the lunch rush, most people would go to the cafeteria; those still "studying" in the classroom were as rare as glaciers in Africa. So, at this time, she wasn't worried about crowds. She gently opened the classroom door; the quiet corridor was empty. After finishing her classes in the morning, she had to work at the cat cafe in the afternoon, and when she got home in the evening, there was no one to play games with, and even her computer was gone... Without Xia Yan, life truly lacked a lot of fun and joy. She wondered when he would be able to come back. "Let's chat." Suddenly, a slightly cold and tired voice came from beside her ear, causing the girl, who was walking normally, to stop in her tracks. Her heart skipped a beat, as if someone had pinched the skin next to her waist. A feeling of discomfort spread through her body, giving her goosebumps. This voice, you could say it was familiar, but you couldn't say it was unfamiliar either, since they hadn't spoken many times. But this was undoubtedly one of the voices that Hua Xin absolutely did not want to hear. "Oh." The girl nodded gently, neither refusing nor making any other strange moves. Instead, she calmly and obediently stopped and waited for Lin Qingyu to lead the way. Anyway, she already knew what Lin Qingyu meant without her saying anything. Xia Yan's absence for so long has made not only Hua Xin herself uneasy, but Lin Qingyu, who was already on the verge of becoming a "loser"... no, she had already stepped into that category, so she must be even more afraid. After the trip, Hua Xin no longer harbored the inferiority complex and resentment she had before. As for Lin Qingyu's continued entanglement with Xia Yan... she would definitely not back down again. Lin Qingyu walked ahead silently, while Hua Xin, walking behind, had a very calm look in her eyes, without the worry and panic she had shown before. Instead, she exuded a kind of resoluteness and determination she had never seen before. ———————————————— The familiar silence and somewhat chilly café. But not the one she had gone to before. The same two cups of coffee and two pieces of cake. The same two people sitting opposite each other. The same silent sitting there. Similarly... "What exactly is Xia Yan's situation now?" Lin Qingyu finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke to the girl first, her usually calm face now showing a hint of something more.