Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 3

“Have you ever been followed by paparazzi?”

Han Jun, who was about to open his lunch box, was momentarily stunned. “Why are you suddenly asking that?”

I crossed my fingers and said, in a much more serious tone than usual, “No reason… but if you really become an idol singer, shouldn’t we keep a little distance? After all… if fans know you have a girlfriend, they might feel completely disillusioned! And then your popularity will suffer.”

“Let’s talk about it when I’m that popular, okay?” Han Jun shrugged nonchalantly. “As for the question you just asked…” He crossed his arms. “Haven’t enjoyed that kind of treatment yet! By the way… why are you suddenly asking about paparazzi?”

The image of that girl standing at the main gate taking pictures of the iron gate instantly flashed through my mind.

That girl… although she was holding a professional-grade camera comparable to a paparazzo’s, her demeanor didn’t seem like someone who would secretly take pictures, and she was carrying a large backpack… inexplicably giving off the vibe of a backpacker.

But why would a backpacker come to photograph our apartment’s main entrance? If she were photographing the school, that would make sense; our school has beautiful scenery, and we often see alumni return here to take wedding photos.

“Uh… just asking casually!”

Han Jun frowned, “Really? Did you encounter someone strange?”

“I don’t think so?” That person seemed very upright.

“Honestly,” he took a bite of rice. “Although your place is close to school, which is convenient, I’m still a little worried, especially on weekends; you don’t have the habit of going home on weekends, and staying alone in a studio apartment feels a little dangerous.”

“Don’t I have an iron gate?” I pouted. “And I’ve lived there for almost three years, and the rent is cheap… Ah!” I poked him, my eyes curving as I hatched a naughty plan. “Are you worried about me, huh? Then… you can spend more time with me on weekends! We can be together and you can also ensure my safety, right? You can protect me!”

“Yu Xiaoxiao! Aren’t you thinking too beautifully?” He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Hmph! Shattering my beautiful dream so quickly! “You’re not willing? I was really looking forward to it…”

“It’s not that, it’s just recently… Senior Jack has been requiring us to practice at fixed times, and there’s gradually less practice space at Plato’s, so the practice schedule is becoming less fixed. Senior Sister Saya is even suggesting whether we should look for a new partner…”

I suddenly recalled the scene where the boss specifically pulled him aside to talk. “Huh! Leaving Plato’s? Really? But didn’t the boss talk to you about…” I pointed at him.

Han Jun’s expression suddenly became a little awkward, and he quickly explained. “Hmm, the boss has been cultivating us for a long time, so it’s not like we can just leave… He talked to me about something else, not directly related to the band. Don’t let your imagination run wild!”

I blinked, accepting his light reprimand. “Oh… I didn’t know, you’re a little harsh.”

He stopped eating and paused for a few seconds before saying, “I’m sorry. Anyway… what the boss told me, I need to figure out how to explain it to the seniors, and then I’ll tell you; remember! Don’t tell anyone.”

I’m ranked after the seniors, huh? Knowing this made me a little upset… But at most, I’m just a loyal fan of “Man Mian Yu” (Human-Faced Fish, likely the band’s name) and his girlfriend. If they’re discussing something related to the band, I don’t really have a right to interfere.

“Okay…”

“Good girl!” He regained his smile and picked up a piece of Peking spare ribs for me. “Your favorite!”

Honestly, he always uses these small favors to bribe me!

But I’m always quickly won over by his gentleness.

Thinking about it, maybe I’m a bit spineless?

“Student Yu, good morning!”

Without turning around, I knew who had entered the classroom.

“Tao Yi’an, you don’t have to be so formal, you can just call me Yu Xiaoning.” When he came next to me, I smelled crepes. “Eating crepes for breakfast?”

“Yeah, just something quick.” No way! It looked quite substantial. “But my family taught me that calling someone by their full name is impolite. What do you think is the best way for me to address you?”

I opened my mouth wide, “Is it really impolite?”

He smiled. “Only for me, I don’t mind others calling me that… Hi! Good morning.” He casually greeted a passing classmate. His expression was the cheerfulness I hadn’t seen a while ago.

“You’re becoming more popular!” I teased, tapping his wheelchair with my pen.

“Thanks to your guidance… I actually don’t get along with people easily.”

“I can tell!”

Yi Ting didn’t take this class, so we were each preparing our textbooks and notes. Suddenly, I heard him ask again, “Then what should I call you?”

“You can call me Yu Xiaoxiao or Xiaoxiao!” I grinned, directly using the nickname “Man Mian Yu” and the others use for me. “Otherwise, just call me by my name!”

“Xiaoning.” He repeated my name in a gentle voice, combined with that focused gaze… Why did I suddenly feel a strange jolt? “I’ll call you Xiaoning. Speaking of which… why do some people call you ‘Xiaoxiao’? Usually, nicknames are based on the last character of the name.”

I bet he misunderstood the ‘Xiao’ character! “It’s because I’m short, so some friends call me Xiaoxiao.”

He maintained his usual earnest attitude and stroked his chin. “I don’t think that name suits you, because you’re taller than me when you stand up!”

“That’s because you’re injured…” I covered my mouth, bursting into laughter! Our eyes met for a moment, and I stopped laughing. “Tao Yi’an, why are you in a wheelchair?” I bit my lip, asking cautiously.

He raised an eyebrow, “It’s actually due to an illness… A blood clot compressed my spine, and my lower body became paralyzed the year I started university. I had a serious illness that delayed my enrollment by a year; since then, I’ve been using an electric wheelchair for mobility.”

He spoke lightly, but his expression still revealed a hint of melancholy. “I see… that must have been very difficult.”

“It took quite some time to adapt.”

The professor walked in at that moment, and we focused on the lecture; he was very attentive in class, and his notes were very neat. Since getting to know him, I don’t have to worry even if I forget to take notes!

After comparing notes, I handed the notebook back to him. “By the way, do you like music?”

“I practiced the piano for a while when I was little… Do you play the guitar?”

“Why do you ask?” He pointed a finger at my neck. I looked down and grabbed the guitar necklace. “Oh! No, someone gave this to me!”

He pushed up his glasses, “It looks like it was given by someone important.”

Taking a leap of faith, I suddenly felt the urge to tease him. “Guess who that person is?”

“Boyfriend, right?”

My heart gave a hard thump. “How did you know?”

“I guessed you don’t actually play the guitar because you don’t have calluses on your fingers from pressing the strings; and when you said ‘someone important’… your expression already gave you away!”

I didn’t realize he was so sharp.

He twirled his pen and spoke softly, as if chatting casually, “It’s probably because I’m sitting here that I spend a lot of time observing others. With you, I can talk directly, so I can somewhat confirm my guesses, but for those I can’t confirm, they just become pure speculation, so I have tons of stories in my head!”

“Is your desire to pursue the fine arts also related to observation?”

“Probably? Anyway, I have no connection with sports.”

He was still smiling, but the disappointment in his smile was so obvious that one couldn’t help but sympathize with his experience.

“Oh, right!” I pulled out my phone and quickly found Chu’s page. “Look! This is a travel writer I’m really obsessed with… He’s very unique, his camera lens rarely photographs people or buildings. Instead, he takes beautiful natural landscapes, and the text accompanying the photos is also excellent. He might not be as famous as other writers, but I think he’s very special!”

He took it and swiped through a few photos. “Feels quite unique… Chu?”

I didn’t notice his strange expression when he pronounced “Chu.” I nodded vigorously. “He seemed to be called ‘A-Jiu’ at first, but soon changed it to the pinyin ‘Chu.’ I don’t know if his surname is ‘Zhu’… Anyway, following his footsteps allows you to see many different beautiful scenes; he seems to have recently been contacted by a publishing house to discuss a collaboration, but he’s still updating normally…”

“You seem to really like him.” Tao Yi’an tensed his face and silently pushed the phone back to me. I took it, staring at his tight jaw, completely puzzled.

“I really like him… What’s wrong, Tao Yi’an?”

He took a deep breath. “This person is not worth admiring. At best, he’s just a coward who ran away, neglecting his family responsibilities! Selfish and self-righteous…”

I was stunned. I never expected him to get so angry at a complete stranger, an online backpacker. “Are you angry? At Chu…” Wait! “Do you know Chu?” I grabbed his sleeve, which drew a fierce glare from him.

Tao Yi’an’s eyes widened. I fearfully withdrew my hand, and the atmosphere instantly became tense…

“I’m sorry…”

My apology was interrupted and cut short by him. “I’m sorry… You must have really wanted to recommend his articles to me, right? Thank you for your kind intention.” He avoided eye contact and said in a suppressed voice, “This Chu… I know him. The photos are beautiful, but… after learning about his actual actions, it’s hard for me to admire him. I apologize.”

Actual actions? Neglecting responsibilities, selfish and self-righteous coward? Was he talking about Chu? I looked at the photos on my phone and realized he had just seen the ‘Blue Tears’ I had previously admired.

He still seemed very angry, but I also sensed many more indescribable complex emotions… Did Tao Yi’an really know Chu? And it felt like he didn’t just know of this person; it seemed like they had known each other for a long time, and something unpleasant might have happened between them.

However, I dared not bring up Chu in front of Tao Yi’an casually.

The rest of the class ended, and we went our separate ways without talking much more.