The Silent World And Him - Chapter 21

A pink and a light blue origami crane candy dissolved in Qin Yu’s glass of water, with the steam carrying a hint of sweetness.

Qin Yu asked Pu Chen, “Can you give me another one?”

Pu Chen paused as she was about to put the candy in her mouth. She only had three left, and after giving him two, there were no extras. Although the candy in her hand hadn’t reached her mouth, it had been close enough that she felt it would be awkward to give it to him now.

[I’ll buy some for you at the convenience store at noon.]

Qin Yu looked at her, “Don’t you have one more in your hand?”

Pu Chen: “…”

Qin Yu said, “Give it to me. From your expression, it doesn’t seem like you really want to eat it.”

Pu Chen: “…”

That’s not true at all. How did he even figure that out?

“If you’re going to the convenience store at noon, buy me some candy. I’ll consider this one a loan and return it to you at noon,” Qin Yu said. Without waiting for her to agree, he nonchalantly took the candy, wrapper and all, from between her fingers.

The light green candy was no bigger than a small pea. Qin Yu popped it directly into his mouth.

The candy wrapper crinkled in his fingers.

Pu Chen’s gaze wandered aimlessly, and she fidgeted with her phone. She couldn’t think of anything to say to him, so she asked, [Are we having lunch together, just the two of us?]

Qin Yu nodded, wondering what other arrangement there could be. He had worked hard to get first place in the grade just to help her with lunch.

Pu Chen was concerned: [It’s fine to eat together occasionally, but if we do it every day, people will start talking.]

If rumors of an early romance reached Teacher Lu, she wouldn’t be able to sit next to Qin Yu anymore. Losing the chance to be desk mates with him just to eat lunch together wasn’t worth it to her.

Qin Yu understood her concerns. “Then let’s eat with a few others.”

Just then, his phone lit up.

Peng Jingyang had messaged: [You scored eleven points higher than me in the monthly exam. I’m devastated. My heart aches so much I can’t even sit up straight. You owe me lunch.]

It was clearly a joke. Qin Yu was still using Peng Jingyang’s campus card, and even if Qin Yu treated him, it was Peng Jingyang who stood in line to get the food.

Qin Yu replied: [Sure, should we invite Zhao Shu? She got the last place in the exam, even worse than you. You can’t sit up straight from heartache, she might be lying on the ground unable to get up.]

Peng Jingyang wasn’t stupid. He knew Qin Yu really wanted to invite Pu Chen, so he happily played along: [Tell them both. I’ll get lunch for four.]

Qin Yu turned to Pu Chen, “Besides Peng Jingyang, let’s invite Zhao Shu. With four of us, no one will talk.”

Pu Chen felt grateful: [Thank you.]

Qin Yu smiled, “What are you thanking me for? Can you stop being so polite?”

He put down his phone and turned around.

Zhao Shu was lying on her desk, listlessly playing with a delicate makeup mirror. She didn’t care about her scores, but the fact that she had fallen back to last place from second to last was a huge blow.

Thinking of Qin Yu’s previously smug expression, she felt like strangling him.

“Zhao Shu.”

Qin Yu called out to her.

Zhao Shu barely lifted her eyelids, her face expressionless.

Ignoring her glare, Qin Yu continued, “We’re having lunch together. Let me know what you want to eat.”

As soon as he said that, the girls in the class exchanged knowing glances and gossip-filled looks, realizing that even the top student could be smitten by a beauty.

Zhao Shu wasn’t moved, rolling her eyes at him again.

Qin Yu didn’t have time to care about Zhao Shu’s attitude. He turned back to Pu Chen, “What about you? What do you want to eat today?”

Pu Chen: [Anything, I’m not picky.]

As long as he was treating, she didn’t mind what they ate.

Qin Yu pulled her draft notebook from under her arm.

Pu Chen didn’t know what he was up to and watched him curiously.

Qin Yu used a pencil to write down a few of her favorite dishes, “Mark the ones you want to eat today.” He handed her the pencil.

Since he had also asked Zhao Shu to send him her favorite dishes, and he was serious about food, Pu Chen didn’t hesitate and marked the two dishes she wanted the most.

Qin Yu sent the list to Peng Jingyang.

Pu Chen spent the entire morning in anticipation.

When the school bell rang, the classroom emptied quickly.

Qin Yu walked slowly to the door, then turned back to find Pu Chen still dawdling at her desk.

She would definitely hesitate to walk to the cafeteria with him alone, afraid of what others might say about her.

Qin Yu urged Zhao Shu, “Zhao Shu, can you hurry up?”

Zhao Shu felt like a withered eggplant, and just thinking about how she had previously lectured Qin Yu so brazenly made her too embarrassed to go to the cafeteria. She had thought she and Qin Yu were both struggling academically, with her second to last and him last. But now, it turned out she couldn’t even come close to him.

She ignored his urging.

Qin Yu had to personally queue up in the cafeteria to get lunch for Pu Chen, so he didn’t have time to chat with them. He said to Pu Chen, “You comfort her a bit, I’ll wait for you in the cafeteria.”

Pu Chen nodded.

Half the students in the classroom hadn’t left yet. Some girls secretly envied Pu Chen for being a third wheel; they wished they had the same luck.

Pu Chen and Zhao Shu took the west staircase, which wasn’t crowded.

Zhao Shu gritted her teeth and said, “Peng Jingyang is really awful. He knew Qin Yu was a top student, much better than him, but he kept it from us on purpose to see us make fools of ourselves. If I don’t get back at him, I won’t consider myself his elder.”

Pu Chen laughed.

Zhao Shu sighed, full of regret, “My dad prepared a big red envelope for me, thinking I could maintain my second-to-last position this time.”

Pu Chen couldn’t help but laugh. No wonder Zhao Shu had such a lively personality; it was inherited.

It took them five or six minutes to walk leisurely from the teaching building to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was crowded and bustling, as busy as a morning market.

Pu Chen stood at the entrance, looking around for Qin Yu.

“Pu Chen.”

Following the voice, she saw Qin Yu standing by a table near the window, waving at her. Being found by him first always made her happy.

Pu Chen smiled faintly and pulled Zhao Shu over.

Zhao Shu wore a stern expression, with eyes like knives aimed at Peng Jingyang.

Peng Jingyang came over from the food counter with two trays.

Pu Chen didn’t dare sit directly opposite Qin Yu, fearing her little secret would be discovered. She instinctively moved towards the seat opposite Peng Jingyang, but before she could sit down, Zhao Shu pulled her over, “Chen Chen, let’s switch seats. I’m afraid my chopsticks might accidentally poke someone.”

Pu Chen: “…”

She could tell Zhao Shu had a major grudge against Qin Yu.

Zhao Shu sat down, full of anger, and resentfully put a piece of meat in her mouth.

Peng Jingyang brought over a clean pair of chopsticks and picked a few pieces of meat from his tray for Zhao Shu. He admitted his fault, “I didn’t mean to hide it from you to make you look bad.”

Zhao Shu snorted, holding him accountable, “You didn’t mean to? During the winter break, you had plenty of chances to tell me. That time we went to the library, I was lecturing Qin Yu in the group chat. If you had stopped me in time, I wouldn’t be so…” She felt a pain in her chest from anger and quickly clutched her heart.

Qin Yu explained for Peng Jingyang, “Even if he told you I was a top student, you wouldn’t have believed it.”

Zhao Shu squinted her eyes and accused, “Don’t try to excuse Peng Jingyang. Who says I wouldn’t believe it? If you had told me, I definitely would have.”

Qin Yu didn’t want to argue, “I told Pu Chen. Ask her if she believed it.”

Zhao Shu looked skeptically at Pu Chen, “Chen Chen, is that true?”

Pu Chen awkwardly typed: “Yes, he said he was a top student. I thought he was joking and even made a bet with him. If he got first place in the grade, I’d bring him breakfast every day.”

Zhao Shu nodded thoughtfully, then realized if Qin Yu suddenly claimed he was better than Peng Jingyang, she would think Qin Yu was crazy and try to get him some medication.

Once she figured it out, her face went from stormy to sunny, and she smiled, “I’ll let it go. But you still owe an apology.”

Qin Yu promised, “This semester, I’ll take care of lunch for you and Pu Chen. If I can’t get to the cafeteria in time, Peng Jingyang will handle it.”

Zhao Shu didn’t lack food, but she did need someone to get her lunch every day.

Since Qin Yu volunteered, she took the opportunity, “You have some decency. If I didn’t accept, it would seem like I’m being difficult. Let’s do as you said.”

Peng Jingyang almost choked on his food, thinking about having to face Zhao Shu every day for the next semester made him feel hopeless.

Pu Chen ate quietly, feeling the opposite of Peng Jingyang; she looked forward to every day from now on.

“Hey, you’re so good at studying and not bad-looking. I wonder how many people are chasing after you. Didn’t you have a girlfriend when you were studying in Beijing? It’s hard to believe.” Zhao Shu asked Qin Yu nosily.

Pu Chen didn’t look up at Qin Yu, but her chewing slowed down. She also wanted to know if he liked anyone.

Qin Yu glanced at Pu Chen and said, “I liked someone, but she didn’t like me back.”

Pu Chen thought, that’s great.

Zhao Shu exclaimed, “I knew it. Either you had a girlfriend or liked someone in Beijing.”

“And you?” She kicked Peng Jingyang under the table and said angrily, “Do you still not have a girlfriend? Are you secretly in love with some top student in your class?”

Peng Jingyang replied, “My competition is my girlfriend.”

Zhao Shu chuckled, feeling more at ease with her friends, she asked Pu Chen, “Chen Chen, what about you? Do you like any boys?”

Pu Chen was sipping soup delicately when suddenly she choked nervously. She turned her face away, covering it with her hand, unable to stop coughing several times, looking extremely embarrassed.

“You silly girl, I was just asking casually,” Zhao Shu patted her back lightly, comforting Pu Chen. “I also have a crush, it’s normal for adults like us.”

Qin Yu handed a tissue to Pu Chen and said gently, “What are you nervous about?”

Afraid her thoughts might be exposed, Pu Chen accepted the tissue he handed over but dared not meet his gaze. “Thank you,” she said.

Peng Jingyang knew Pu Chen was sensitive, and not every joke could be taken lightly. Now that Pu Chen was willing to hang out and eat with them, it was a big step psychologically, which was not easy.

He lightened the slightly awkward atmosphere and deflected for Pu Chen. “Who do you have a crush on?” he asked Zhao Shu.

Zhao Shu smiled playfully, “I have a crush on you.”

Peng Jingyang found it amusing, thinking she was genuinely interested. “Forget it if you’re not going to tell me,” he replied.

Zhao Shu retorted, “Didn’t I just say it? Blame your faulty ears.”

Peng Jingyang found it boring and didn’t bother to engage with her.

The conversation about who Pu Chen liked was thus sidetracked, and no one brought it up again.

—

That evening, when Pu Chen returned home from school, she immediately told her father that she lost a bet with Qin Yu.

Peng Wanli chuckled and asked her, “What did you bet on?”

Pu Chen detailed everything to her father and sighed, “How could I have known he’s a top student, even better than Peng Jingyang? Dad, I’m so embarrassed. Every time he talks about wanting to be first in the grade, I laugh at him.”

Peng Wanli hadn’t expected Qin Yu to be the top student this time. He agreed to her request amidst his surprise and reassured her not to feel burdened: “Just making an extra breakfast won’t tire me out. Since you don’t eat much usually, making a little extra in the morning might even be troublesome. As long as Qin Yu doesn’t mind, Dad can make breakfast for him all three years of high school.”

Pu Chen rubbed her chin against her father’s arm. “Thank you, Dad.”

Peng Wanli said, “You should thank Teacher Lu. He must know about Qin Yu’s grades; otherwise, he wouldn’t easily move you from the front row to the fifth row. Be sure to get along well with these kids in the future.”

Pu Chen nodded.

Starting the next day, Pu Chen brought breakfast for Qin Yu.

Qin Yu waited in the lobby of the apartment building, and when he saw Pu Chen’s figure at the school gate, he jogged to catch up with her, pretending it was a chance encounter.

Pu Chen handed him breakfast in a thermos bag, still warm. They walked together from the school gate to the teaching building.

Basically, nine out of ten days, he “bumped into” her. On the other day, he walked not far behind her and deliberately didn’t call out to her.

—

Time flew to mid-April.

These days, the temperature fluctuated randomly between summer and winter, and some girls who weren’t afraid of the cold had already changed into summer uniforms.

After much internal struggle one night, Pu Chen decided whether to wear a skirt the next day. In the end, reason won, and she wore trousers to school.

It had been over two weeks since the monthly exams, yet the hype around Qin Yu, who topped the grade, remained unabated. It became the most discussed gossip among girls during breaks and after school, with their main interest being who Qin Yu liked.

Some said he had a girlfriend in Beijing, while others spread rumors that he liked Zhao Shu.

Regardless of which version, they were all spread with vivid details.

At noon that day, the four of them finished lunch and walked out of the cafeteria. Pu Chen accompanied Zhao Shu to the convenience store, while Qin Yu and Peng Jingyang returned to the teaching building.

Qin Yu took a few steps but then turned back to call out to Pu Chen, asking her to buy him a thick-tipped marker.

Pu Chen responded with an ‘OK’ gesture.

Zhao Shu linked arms with Pu Chen. “Qin Yu is so popular now, you have no idea how many girls are chasing after him. Several of my middle school classmates, who are now in other classes, messaged me today during class break asking about Qin Yu and if he has a girlfriend. Handsome guys with good math skills are so likable.”

Pu Chen’s focus was: “Your friends want to chase after Qin Yu?”

Zhao Shu replied, “To admire from afar. With someone like him, who dares to pursue?”

Pu Chen nodded in agreement.

Now Qin Yu seemed even more unattainable to her. With his grades, as long as he maintained them, applying to the university he favored would be effortless. Then, there would be an entire Pacific Ocean between them.

As they chatted, they headed to the convenience store.

Pu Chen bought some candy and a marker, then returned to the classroom where Qin Yu was doing exercises.

She had never dared to look closely at what exercises Qin Yu was doing before, and she had once thought he was just pretending because he worked so slowly. Sometimes, she didn’t see him solve a single problem all morning, leading her to naturally believe he was just killing time.

She placed the marker on his desk and curiously asked, “What exercises are you doing?”

Qin Yu placed a competition problem in front of her.

Pu Chen looked at it seriously and said, “I don’t understand.”

It was normal not to understand; she hadn’t learned the concepts. Qin Yu asked, “Do you want me to explain it to you? It’s not that difficult.”

While it might not be difficult in his eyes, to her, it was like listening to a foreign language. Pu Chen replied, “Even if I listen, I won’t understand. I’m not participating in the competition, so learning it would be useless and a waste of your time.”

Qin Yu didn’t insist and instead asked her, “Do you have a blank piece of paper to give me?”

Pu Chen found a piece of A4 paper in her bag, with one corner folded. She flattened it out with her hand.

“It’s okay, I’ll just write a few words.” Qin Yu took it.

“Tap, tap, tap,” urgent tapping on the window.

Outside the window stood Zhao Shu, who was drinking a beverage.

Qin Yu opened the window and asked, “What’s up?”

Zhao Shu lowered her voice. “Many people are saying you like me and that you treat me to meals every day to pursue me. I…”

Qin Yu interrupted her, “Do you think it’s possible?”

Zhao Shu was so angry that she hiccupped, glaring at Qin Yu, “Can you let me finish my sentence?”

Qin Yu gestured for her to speak, making a listening posture.

Zhao Shu held her breath and waited until she stopped hiccupping before speaking, “I don’t care what others say. I’m worried that after hearing all that nonsense, you won’t help me and Chenchen with cooking, then we’ll be in big trouble.”

Not only Zhao Shu, but Pu Chen also couldn’t help but worry that they wouldn’t be able to eat with Qin Yu in the future.

Qin Yu reassured Zhao Shu, “I’m not that bored, nor do I have time to listen to gossip.”

Zhao Shu: “That’s good then.”

Qin Yu’s phone screen lit up, his father was calling.

Afraid of disturbing other students’ nap time, he took his phone and went to the stairwell to answer the call.

Qin Yu and his father hadn’t been in contact since the Lunar New Year. They didn’t have much common ground. During the few days his father spent in Sucheng for the New Year, they basically stayed in their respective rooms. When it was time to eat, he would call the hotel to have the meal delivered, and they would exchange a few words while eating.

But their relationship had somewhat improved.

He Junshuo got straight to the point: “Are you coming back to Beijing for May Day?”

Qin Yu asked back, “Do you have something going on?”

He Junshuo didn’t have anything urgent, just wanted to confirm: “If you’re coming back, I’ll book your flight now, and I’ll make time to pick you up.”

He couldn’t spare a lot of time to accompany his son, but half a day should be doable.

It was rare for his father to be so considerate, after considering for a moment, Qin Yu decided not to dampen the mood: “Sure, I’ll come back.”

Before hanging up, he gave his father a preemptive warning: “If you’re coming to pick me up, besides you and the driver, I don’t want to see a third person in the car.”

Don’t bring his girlfriend along later, saying it’s just to meet her.

He Junshuo suppressed his anger, “Qin Yu, can’t you think of something else? Can’t you think more about my good points?”

Qin Yu didn’t retort as before, “Wait until next time I call, then you’ll have some good points for me to think about, like you taking the initiative to ask me if I’m coming back to Beijing for May Day.”

“Isn’t transferring money to you when there’s nothing wrong a good point?” He Junshuo hung up the phone.

Qin Yu thought about it, that seemed like a good point too.

Back in the classroom, the marker pen Pu Chen bought for him lay quietly next to the book. He uncapped it and wrote a line on the A4 paper, signing his full name in the bottom right corner.

“Could you lend me the tape?” he reached out with his left hand.

Pu Chen found it and handed it to him.

While Qin Yu was looking at the words on the blank paper, he didn’t notice Pu Chen’s hand hadn’t withdrawn yet. He closed his hand, gripping the tape and her finger together.

In that instant, it felt like static electricity, her fingers tingled, and Pu Chen quickly pulled her hand back.

Qin Yu remained calm. He glanced back at the classroom; the boarding students had gone back to their dormitories for a nap, and the others were either napping or doing exercises, no one was paying attention to this side.

He apologized to Pu Chen, “Sorry, I didn’t see your hand just now.”

Pu Chen: [It’s okay.]

Qin Yu reached out his hand to her, “To be fair, you can grab again, or grab twice, just treat me as Zhao Shu.”

Pu Chen: “…”

She couldn’t help but laugh. The previous awkwardness vanished in an instant.

Qin Yu cut a piece of tape and stuck the A4 paper on the window.

Pu Chen couldn’t see clearly what was written on the paper and reminded him: [Don’t stick things on the glass.]

Qin Yu handed the tape back to her, “I’ll only stick it during break time, I’ll take it down during class.”

Pu Chen asked, [What did you write?]

Qin Yu peeled it off and showed her. The paper read: [I don’t have a WeChat account], followed by his signature.

Pu Chen: “…”

Qin Yu casually stuck the paper back on the glass, saying, “They ask for my WeChat every day, this saves me from explaining it over and over again.”

He glanced at her and reminded her, “Except for Zhao Shu and Peng Jingyang, only you have my WeChat. Don’t tell anyone else.”

Pu Chen assured him: [Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.]

Qin Yu: “Whether they tell others or not, I don’t care. If you tell anyone, I’ll hold you accountable.”

Pu Chen didn’t understand: [Why would you only hold me accountable?]

Qin Yu: “Because you’re different from them in my eyes.”

After a pause, he added, “We’re desk mates, you have to listen to me, and I’ll also listen to you, that’s what Teacher Lu said.”