Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.
You’re My Belated Happiness
Chapter 71 Side Story 4 Part 3
Xu Huaishi didn’t go visit Zhao Yi’s family during the break. But on the fifth day of the New Year, she went with Zhao Yi to the city library to study and went over several math practice sheets with him.
They were back at school right after the Lantern Festival. Two weeks later, it was the hundred day rally.[1]
After the rally, a countdown plaque was hung on the black board in the classroom. Pasted on the wall next to it were handwritten cards from every student in the classroom. On the front of the cards was a motto that the student had chosen and on the back, it was the ideal college that the student wished to get into.
Xu Huaishi wrote “I want to get into Hang University.” After pasting it on the wall, she asked Zhao Yi which college he put down.
Zhao Yi indifferently said: “Curious? Then you peel down mine to take a look.”
Xu Huaishi: “Geez. I’m not curious, not interested.” When the evening study time was over and all the students had left the classroom, Xu Huaishi sneaked to the wall and found Zhao Yi’s card.
Zhao Yi’s motto was: “Work hard. Because if I’m not good at my studies, I have to go back home to inherit the family business.”
“......” She was annoyed and almost wanted to walk away without reading the other side. But on second thought, she stopped, turned around, and carefully peeled off the card.
The handwriting on the back side was obviously much more neat and cautious. She could tell that he was very serious when writing those words.
He wrote: “I want to get into the college that Xu Huaishi wants to get into.”
She quietly held the card in her hand. After a while, she pasted it back to the wall. She was touched but still cursed: “Dumbass.”
Suddenly she heard a male voice coming from outside the window: “Who are you calling a dumbass?”
Xu Huaishi screamed and turned her head to see Zhao Yi leaning on the window looking quite displeased.
Xu Huaishi patted her chest, not having recovered from the shock yet: “You scared the soul out of me!”
“He who never wrongs others does not fear the ghost knocking on the door. You’re the one sneaking around first, now you blame me?”
Xu Huaishi turned off the lights and closed the windows and door of the classroom. She went outside and sneered at him: “That’s right, I sneakily looked at the card.” She turned to go down the stairs.
The corner of Zhao Yi’s mouth twitched and he followed her down: “Where are you going?”
The staircase was dark. Xu Huaishi was night blind and couldn’t see very clearly. She walked while replying: “I’m going back to the dorm, of course……” She missed a step halfway through her sentence.
Zhao Yi caught her arm: “Be careful.”
“You’ll catch me, won’t you?” She looked at him. It looked like she really didn’t get scared by the misstep. Then she continued to walk down the stairs.
Zhao Yi kept quiet behind her for a moment, then caught up to her and said: “But if I can’t get into the same college as you, who would catch you at a time like this?”
Xu Huaishi smiled while giving him a glance: “Hrm, don’t go and make yourself too important. If you can’t get in, there will be someone else to catch me. I’m rather good looking and there must be quite a few boys who’ll be chasing after me in college.”
Zhao Yi didn’t know what to say and was about to snap, but he stopped himself from saying anything. He casted his eyes down and said: “Hrm, that’s true.”
Xu Huaishi paused a little.
The joke that she had unintentionally blurted out suddenly created an awkward vibe between them.
Xu Hauishi opened her mouth to explain, but didn’t know what to say. She kept her silence and walked down the stairs. In front of them was a road leading to two opposite directions.
To the left, it was the road to the boys’ dorm. To the right, the girls’ dorm.
They had walked down this road many times during the three years of high school. It was a simple road, but under the current circumstances, it seemed to carry a different meaning. The two of them stopped at the same time and stood there.
They kept standing there, neither of them wanted to be the first one to go their separate ways.
A minute later, Zhao Yi said: “Hurry back. The dorms are going to lock down soon.”
Xu Huaishi suddenly said: “I want to walk around the sports field.”
Zhao Yi turned his head sideways to look at her. He didn’t say “alright” nor “no.” Seeing her turn and walk away, he followed.
[1]: 百日誓师 (bǎi rì shìshī), literally “Hundred Days Pledge/Rally”. It's the 100th day before the college entrance exams occur.
Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.
