Close Enough To Pluck the Stars” (GL) - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Liang Ke was, well, Liang Ke. Every end-of-term flag-raising ceremony, the principal would give a summary speech, followed by awards, awards, and more awards. They went from collective prizes to individual ones, from lower grades to higher grades. On average, Liang Ke had to go up on stage seven or eight times. Clutching a thick stack of certificates, several fountain pens, and notebooks personally inscribed by the principal, she was a legendary figure at school. Some students were jealous, some were just used to it, and many more looked at her with stars in their eyes. At one point, even the specific brand of snacks Liang Ke liked became a minor craze inside and outside her classroom.

So, when Liang Ke personally helped a dull, chubby girl at the bottom of the class clean up, and even mobilized her best guy friend to help, the message was clear: this relationship was anything but ordinary.

The curious little heads of the onlookers gathered and then scattered as the news spread rapidly. Consequently, Xiao Xiaoxiao’s situation in class underwent a massive transformation. She finally had a peaceful environment to study in, and her grades improved significantly—she even began to excel in certain subjects.

Every weekend or on major holidays, she would go to the playground after school to watch Zhao Pu and the other boys play soccer. It wasn’t because she liked sports; it was because if Liang Ke walked out of the teaching building, this boy would be the first to notice, grab his backpack, and run to walk home with her. Xiaoxiao wanted to use these opportunities to thank Liang Ke and chat for a bit.

This didn’t lead to any misunderstandings, because those boys and girls only had eyes for Liang Ke anyway. Xiao Xiaoxiao had long since grown accustomed to being a dispensable presence.

“That’s good, you’ve made great progress.” Little student Liang Ke, hearing Xiao Xiaoxiao’s account, encouraged her like an adult: “Bullying people at random is wrong. You have to face them and argue your point reasonably.”

The lighthearted Zhao Pu kicked his soccer ball ahead, impatiently urging them to hurry several times. Liang Ke was naturally even more carefree than him. So, when Xiao Xiaoxiao mentioned it was her birthday and that she didn’t have many friends at school—asking if Liang Ke would come to her house for a birthday party—Liang Ke agreed without hesitation. She dug out a globe-shaped music box (gifted to her by who-knows-who) from her backpack to use as a birthday present and forcibly dragged Zhao Pu along.

When Zhao Pu saw her casually give away the music box he had given her to someone else, he kicked his ball and ran off alone in a fit of rage. Xiao Xiaoxiao was surprised, but Liang Ke didn’t think much of it, saying, “Ignore him, he’ll be fine in a bit,” before walking home hand-in-hand with Xiao Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Iron-Tower was quite surprised his daughter had brought a friend home. He had invited many business partners that day; though he called it his daughter’s birthday party, it was really just a networking event to expand his social circle.

However, since a guest had arrived, she had to be entertained. The two children had their own table. Xiao Iron-Tower instructed the chef to prepare a special kid’s meal and drinks. Liang Ke borrowed Xiao Xiaoxiao’s “Little Smart” phone to check in with her grandmother, then rolled up her sleeves to dive into the seafood and desserts. She chatted with Xiaoxiao about popular games, compared high scores, and swapped secrets about hidden Easter eggs, showing zero stage fright among the crowd of adults in suits and ties.

After eating, Liang Ke drooled over Xiaoxiao’s manga and game rooms before her energy finally gave out, and she fell asleep clutching a game controller.

Though Xiao Xiaoxiao found out later that Liang Ke only agreed so readily because her grandmother had a performance that day—meaning Liang Ke didn’t have to go home to cook and was too lazy to start the stove herself—and that the music box was a complete accident (there was even a little note stuck to the bottom showing it was a gift to Liang Ke), she remained grateful. She remembered that day for years.

Immediately after graduation, she “mooched” a spot in Liang Ke’s small study. Although Liang Ke was suspicious of why a girl with a wealthy father wanted to squeeze into her house, she was happy for the company and generously agreed. She even enthusiastically hosted a small housewarming party, inviting a few close friends—including Zhao Pu.

Zhao Pu didn’t remember Xiao Xiaoxiao, but seeing that music box broke his heart all over again. He didn’t enjoy the card games much. Out of everyone there, including Liang Ke, Xiao Xiaoxiao’s strategy was the most brilliant. After several rounds, she had humbled several self-important PhDs from prestigious universities. Amidst his heartbreak, Zhao Pu noticed that Xiao Xiaoxiao was intentionally going easy on Liang Ke; several times when she could have won decisively, she gave her a pass. Zhao Pu eventually shouted that it was unfair and demanded they play something else.

The children had all grown up, but Liang Ke remained as carefree as ever, wondering why the atmosphere kept fluctuating between hot and cold. Zhao Pu left indignantly, leaving behind some fruit, and the others gradually took their leave.

Liang Ke had always been a pro at housework at her grandmother’s place. She briskly tidied up the mess and went to help Xiao Xiaoxiao make the bed. She put all her strength into snapping the sheet open; Xiao Xiaoxiao caught the other end, but instead of helping, she held on and then let go, making a mess and refusing to cooperate.

After a few repeats, the obsessive-compulsive, slightly dense “Calico Cat” had had enough. She forced Xiao Xiaoxiao to stand aside and used all her strength to flick the sheet upward.

This time, Xiao Xiaoxiao didn’t grab the sheet. Instead, she opened her arms and “descended from the heavens.” Before Liang Ke knew what was happening, her vision went dark as she was wrapped in the sheet, and Xiaoxiao embraced her through the cotton fabric.

“Meow! What are you doing? What are you doing?” The Calico let out a startled cry.

Through the fabric, Xiao Xiaoxiao pressed her forehead against the Calico’s. After taking a few deep breaths, she finally let go with determination. With a huff and a mutter of “totally oblivious,” she turned and walked away.

Although Liang Ke was angry at Xiaoxiao’s nonsensical behavior, she had that aforementioned obsessive-compulsive streak. Every arrangement in this house had to be convenient, practical, proper, and to her satisfaction. So, she swallowed her pride and went back to organizing the bedding.

Fortunately, her confusion was washed away after a few days by the busyness of research life. There was no awkwardness or rift between her and Xiaoxiao; they continued to play and bicker as mindlessly as ever.

That is, until recently, when Xiao Iron-Tower—for whatever reason—began repeatedly urging Xiao Xiaoxiao to move out of Liang Ke’s home.

Xiao Xiaoxiao’s note read: I have to move. My dad won’t do anything to me, but he’ll definitely do something to you. For the physical safety of my best friend, I must make a sacrifice.

Liang Ke put down the sticky note, picked up the music box and the sheet, and walked into the living room. The string of dead memories coming back to life made her sigh with emotion.

Seeing her looking down, Shu Qingchen comforted her: “People come and go, the moon waxes and wanes. Don’t be too sad.”

Liang Ke nodded, sitting dejectedly on the sofa, still listless. This made Shu Qingchen feel a few more sparks of sympathy. She asked Liang Ke, “You’ve been friends for many years? How did you meet?”

“Slight campus bullying. Fortunately, the others were just elementary students in the same grade. I held her hand and taught a few of them a lesson, and after that, no one dared,” Liang Ke said absentmindedly.

Hearing this, the warmth in Shu Qingchen’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a stern, business-like authority.