Chapter 41: The Sun Never Warmed the Sunflower

  When Su Yixin asked this, Shen Beiqiu's face turned white in an instant, looking at him helplessly, wanting him to change the question, but Su Yixin pretended not to understand the meaning in Shen Beiqiu's eyes and urged him to answer quickly.

  Su Yisou expressed his interest in the answer to this question as well. What kind of girl would be in the heart of such a refined and elegant young man?

  Under the gaze of everyone's expectation, Shen Beiqiu hesitated for a moment, knowing that he had to answer, took a few deep breaths, seemingly to calm himself down, and said: "It was... a girl in my class. You wouldn't know her even if I told you, so I won't say it."

  "Hey! How can this be?! At least describe what she's like!" Jiang Xiao and Lin Lu were relentless.

  Su Yi Xing heard this answer and let out a cold hum in his mouth without any expression, turning his head to show that he was not interested.

  "She... sometimes lively, sometimes quiet, with a hint of innate faint sadness in her eyes, but always wearing a thick smile on her face. She's a bit silly, yet very delicate, persistent and good at understanding people."

  Lin Wan looked at Jiang Zuo and said, "Why do I always feel like this person is very familiar?"

  Jiang Xiao shook his head, "You're just hallucinating."

  Su Yi Xin silently snorted, thinking to herself: That's clearly an exaggerated version of Su Yi Su! But she didn't say anything out loud, nor did she expose Shen Bei Qiu's lie. She just coldly stared at Su Yi Su, who was excited, and couldn't help but feel a wave of disdain in her heart: You deserve to be confused!

  In the midst of the two people's unspoken understanding and the three people's confusion, this small episode did not affect the subsequent game. Happy times are always short-lived, and a few hours passed quietly in laughter.

  Five people came out of the wine house door, Shen Beiqiu glanced at the other four and thought for a moment before saying: "Then I'll go back first."

  Su Yisu was somewhat uneasy, "Can one person be enough?"

  Shen Beiqiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm a big man, what's there to be afraid of?"

  Since things had been said to this extent, Su Yisuo could only silently nod in agreement.

  Su Yixin looked at him with profound meaning, still saying nothing.

  At this time, a familiar figure walked out of the hotel. She saw Shen Beiqiu standing at the door and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Shen Beiqiu, what a coincidence! You're here too?"

  Shen Beiqiu turned his head upon hearing the voice, and saw Lin Xue Xiao's gentle smile. He also felt surprised, and replied: "Yes, I'm meeting a friend, how did you end up here too?"

  As they spoke, Lin Xue Xiao had already walked up to them, her eyes scanning the crowd with a faint smile, nodding lightly before responding: "My sister from high school invited me over for a gathering. s173 romance bar"

  Shen Beiqiu looked back and saw that no one was following her, so he asked in confusion: "Are you alone?"

  "No, it's just that I remembered there was something else at school, so I'll go first."

  Su Yi's gaze remained on the woman, and that subtle yet elusive quality completely captivated her. How could there be such a beautiful girl in this world? Gentle and elegant, every frown and smile exuded refinement, with a hint of coldness amidst the warmth, giving people a feeling of wanting to get close but not daring to profane lightly. Was this the legendary beauty of Jiangnan?

  Lin Xue Xiao noticed Su Yi Su's inquiring gaze and couldn't help but smile faintly, saying calmly: "Hello, my name is Lin Xue Xiao, I'm a classmate of Shen Bei Chuan."

  Upon hearing this, Su Yisuo's heart wailed again: even the name is so rhythmic...

  Jiang Zuo looked at Su Yisou's face and saw that she was completely unguarded in her thoughts, so he couldn't help but gently push her and say: "Shameless!"

  Su Yisu glared at her and said, "Don't I have permission to appreciate it?"

  Jiang Zuo quietly walked to Lin Wan's side and stood still, pretending that he and Su Yi Su were just coincidentally bumping into each other as passersby - how embarrassing!

  Shen Beiqiu gazed at Su Yisou, a faint smile appearing in the depths of his eyes, and said: "In that case, we'll head back first. Lin Xiaoxue, let's go together."

  Lin Xue Xiao seemed to have sensed something, but ultimately said nothing, only smiling faintly and replied: "Alright."

  After the two of them walked far away, Su Yisu said to the other three people: "You guys think, does Shen Beiqiu like her or not?"

  Lin Xiao responded matter-of-factly, "No way, their auras don't match at all."

  Su Yixin snorted again and said, "What business is it of yours who I like? Let's go, don't forget you still have a test tomorrow, hurry back and pray for good luck."

  "Ah-ha!" Su Yisu suddenly slapped her forehead, "You didn't say it, I almost forgot! Hurry up, hurry up!"

  Shen Beiqiu and Lin Xue Xiao walked back in silence.

  Lin Xue looked at him with a seemingly worried face and asked softly: "What are you thinking about?"

  "Oh..." Shen Beiqiu came back to his senses, smiled apologetically and said: "Nothing." Then he fell silent again.

  Lin Xue Xiao helplessly turned her face to the side, and tentatively asked: "You guys must have a good relationship, right?" Her words were ambiguous, not specifying who she was referring to, but she knew that Shen Bei Chuan would automatically filter out anyone unrelated.

  At these words, Shen Beiqiu's mouth inadvertently revealed a warm smile, and his eyes were filled with tender affection, as he replied: "We've been together since we were kids."

  Lin Xue Xiao's mind once again conjured up the image of Su Yi Su, she knew that Shen Bei Qiu was definitely talking about her, that somewhat eccentric girl. Thinking about it, her heart couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow: Shen Bei Qiu, this time we part ways, we will never see each other again. With just one turn of the body, it would be eternal farewell.

  The two ultimately didn't speak again, and silently returned to school. Shen Beiqiu escorted Lin Xue Xiao all the way back to her dormitory building. Lin Xue Xiao stopped and turned around to look at Shen Beiqiu, suddenly feeling a bit sentimental, lowered her head and said: "Shen Beiqiu, I'm here, you can go back now. Goodbye."

  Shen Beiqiu didn't notice anything unusual about Lin Xue Xiao and nodded lightly, "See you later."

  The next evening, various venues were bustling with excitement as the graduation celebration parties for graduates began one after another. Many classes of students had chosen tonight.

  The KTV room was in an uproar, the dim colored lights shining on everyone's face made them look like they were blooming with colorful flowers. A few people grabbed the microphone and shouted wildly, not caring if they were off-key or not, just hoping to scream away all the sadness of parting.

  There weren't many people in the art class, Shen Beiqiu sat in the corner, slowly looking at each of the faces he had lived with for three years, a hint of melancholy flashed through his heart, and he silently sighed.

  When he saw Chen Yuxiang and other girls chatting, Shen Beiqiu couldn't help but feel a little strange. He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before finally remembering that Lin Xue Xiao wasn't there. His gaze quickly swept through the crowd, so many familiar faces, yet Lin Xue Xiao was nowhere to be seen. It's weird, why didn't she come?

  Chen Yuxiang's gaze inadvertently fell on Shen Beiqiu, looking at the confusion written on his face, and roughly guessed something in her heart. She said a word to the classmate beside her, then walked up to Shen Beiqiu, handed him an envelope, and said: "Xue Xiao has returned home, this is the letter she gave you. You can read it when you get back, remember, read it when you get back. The farewell and all that, making your mood bad is my fault."

  Shen Beiqiu took over the envelope in confusion and asked: "Lin Xue Xiao's letter to me? What happened to her?"

  Chen Yuxiang hummed discontentedly and said, "You'll know when you turn back."

  Shen Beiqiu had no choice but to put away the envelope.

  After the party was over, Shen Beiqiu returned to his dormitory, took out the letter, tore open the envelope and opened it. The elegant stationery emitted a faint fragrance, just like Lin Xue Xiao's gentle elegance.

  Shenbei Qiu:

  Farewell. This time we part, it may be a permanent farewell. I probably won't set foot on this city's land again, forgive my sudden departure, perhaps you wouldn't have noticed anyway.

  Shenbei Qiu, have you heard the story of sunflowers? It is said that Clytie was a water nymph. One day, she met Apollo, the sun god, who was hunting in the forest. She was deeply fascinated by this handsome god and fell in love with him crazily. However, Apollo didn't even give her a glance and left. Clytie longed for the day when Apollo would talk to her, but she never saw him again. So she could only gaze at the sky every day, watching Apollo drive his golden chariot across the sky. She stared at Apollo's journey until he went down the mountain. Every day, she sat like this, with disheveled hair and a haggard face. At sunrise, she would look towards the sun. Later, the gods took pity on her and turned her into a large sunflower. Her face became the flower head, forever facing the sun, following him every day - Apollo, telling him of her eternal love and admiration.

  The plant culture added to sunflowers by later generations is - silent love.

  Shenbei Qiu, I don't know if you feel that unrequited love is a long and sad self-torture. I have the natural reserve of girls, dare not tell you my thoughts, can only watch your figure every day, leaving the classroom, and then returning to class. Watching you take notes seriously, watching you frown and refute, watching you lower your head in thought... Sometimes I feel like that sunflower, always revolving around you, but never getting a glance from you. Following you every day, yet not getting any warmth.

  I know that in your heart, there has always been a mysterious and extraordinary woman. I just don't know if it's that kind of person you like, or as long as it's her, no matter what she's like, nothing can replace her, not even someone similar or opposite.

  Shenbei Qiu, it seems like we both missed out on something because of our own silence. But I guess that doesn't matter anymore, since I'm already powerless.

  I spent three years gazing at you, following you, being in the same classroom as you, doing the same actions as you, and traveling with you... This will be my most treasured memory of youth. Wishing you happiness."

  Shen Beiqiu heavily put down those few letters that still lingered with a faint fragrance, his gaze drifting into the distance.

  Lin Xue Xiao, I'm sorry. Maybe we're both weak people, it's just that your weakness is due to your pride, while my weakness... is simply because of my weakness, without any reason at all.