Hopeless Romance (GL) - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The moment he saw Jiang Zhouchi, Pei Lang shared the news of successfully entering the next stage of training. To him, this wasn’t just a competition; it was part of who he was. An achiever like him couldn’t tolerate even a single slip-up; once he had tasted victory, he couldn’t accept anything less. Jiang Zhouchi wasn’t particularly fond of studying; she had made it into Yunchuan relying on a bit of childhood cleverness, but no talent withstands neglect. Just like her innate beauty, it required external adornment and the praise of others to be sustained. Consequently, she couldn’t fully resonate with Pei Lang’s academic joy. But it didn’t matter; as his girlfriend, she would naturally act happy for him.

For the past half-month, the two had eaten dinner together every day just like today. If there was still time before assembly, they would walk and catch the breeze in the streets near the school. Summer nights always arrived late; long stretches of time belonged to a sky caught between light and dark. The air smelled of fried skewers and watermelon juice, but also of green grass and rain. Most of the time, however, Pei Lang smelled the faint, milky fragrance on Jiang Zhouchi. He only smelled it clearly for the first time when they first embraced; even up close, the scent remained light and pleasant. The most intense it ever felt was when Jiang Zhouchi, sitting beside him, accidentally turned and brushed against his lips. As that familiar breath surged toward him, Pei Lang’s fingers—which had been twining through her shoulder-length hair—suddenly stopped. Perhaps the night was just right, or perhaps he was simply dazed by her scent; Pei Lang couldn’t hold back. His hands dropped from her hair to her waist. He closed his eyes, using his sense of smell to find that kiss. Before he lost himself completely, he asked hoarsely, “May I?”

Guided by a shiver overflowing from deep within her heart, Jiang Zhouchi’s slender waist moved slightly away from his hands. The “mm” she hummed from her nose fell entirely upon Pei Lang’s lips. The sensation was more direct than the sound; before he could even process the answer, he had already received it.

…

In the end, the driver who came to pick him up only took Pei Lang’s luggage back. Returning home didn’t mean Pei Lang would be any freer than before, and maintaining daily meetings would be difficult. Plus, he felt guilty for always making Jiang Zhouchi come to the school to see him. He planned to see her home so that he could find her if he had free time, or perhaps arrange a surprise.

Upon learning Pei Lang’s intention, Jiang Zhouchi momentarily couldn’t find a decent place to call “home.” Her real home was not something she could show him; it was just a room wrapped in coarse gray exterior walls. To get there, one had to cross several cluttered, narrow alleys. On rainy days, it was easy to step into puddles. One had to carefully dodge the laundry hanging overhead—someone’s clothes and underwear, some with holes, some fading, though still serving their purpose of covering shame. The hallway lights no longer worked; she had to feel her way around to find the keyhole. Over the years, she had gained enough experience not to be delayed by the darkness. Inside, a leather sofa sat to the right, its cracks like unhealable scars that made one’s eyes ache. Scattered newspapers on the coffee table carried news from years ago, sparking no desire to read. Opposite the door was a small bed where a woman lay, clutching a crumpled photograph, sleeping quietly. Beyond that, there were only dilapidated furniture and a dilapidated past. Jiang Zhouchi didn’t know how to tell this radiant boy the stories that truly belonged to her. No matter how hard she worked to mold a “new” self, she could not escape her origins.

When Jiang Zhouchi heard herself say, “We’re here,” she felt like a spectator. Her other self turned to look at the building behind her—brick-red and white walls surrounded by lush trees and flowers. It looked like the kind of place where anyone living inside would be happy; it looked like a real home. After saying goodbye, she walked toward the gates of that upscale community as if she lived there. Her effort seemed to work; she almost felt like she had a pair of parents in there, waiting for her in one of the rooms. She imagined the security guard at the gate was the smoke-covered old man from her own building. This fantasy allowed her to walk through the gate calmly. After a few steps, she stopped, turned, and waved to Pei Lang, who was still watching her, saying goodbye once more.

…

For the students of Class 10, the biggest news after the start of the term was undoubtedly the romance between Jiang Zhouchi and Pei Lang. Although no one had seen them acting like a couple yet, Pei Lang’s frequent visits to her classroom every few days made it impossible to ignore the rumors. In the gossip circles of Yunchuan Middle School, this was practically a typhoon. When Ye Du was called out by Pei Lang for the third time in a single day, she really wanted to slam her exercise book into his handsome face. But looking at that face, then at her half-finished homework, she realized such an action would be a loss for both parties and restrained herself.

“This morning you said it was about the math competition but had me deliver breakfast. Last period you said it was about Mr. Wang but had me deliver juice. What’s the excuse this time? Out with it.” Being repeatedly interrupted while solving problems was enough to drive Ye Du crazy, even if she got a share of the snacks.

“I’m just… embarrassed to say it directly,” Pei Lang admitted. He never imagined he would spend his precious ten-minute breaks running up and down two flights of stairs to do things he once looked down upon.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s already very obvious.” Ye Du planned to go home and look up how long the “honey-moon phase” typically lasts. She needed to prepare herself; if she didn’t die of exhaustion, she’d be annoyed to death by all the prying eyes.

“No, if I go to her directly, we’ll get caught. The school is already whispering.” Pei Lang didn’t care about himself—though Yunchuan was strict about “early love,” his grades were good, he won awards, and he already had a guaranteed spot for high school. But Jiang Zhouchi was different; she had no bargaining chips in a fight against the school authorities.

Ye Du couldn’t help but roll her eyes. It was as if she, a whole human being standing right in front of him, didn’t need to be considered at all. Do people in love have no one else in their world? Before her patience ran out, Pei Lang shoved a box of chocolates into her hands. Looking at the large box, Ye Du wondered how many Jiang Zhouchi could actually eat. “Even if you have me deliver it, it’s still obvious. A bird leaves a trail where it flies, my friend.”

“Just give it to her first. She gets hungry easily. I’ll think of something else.” When they had gone out to eat before, Pei Lang noticed she got full quickly but felt hungry again soon after. He figured chocolate would be quite filling.

Following Pei Lang’s instructions, Ye Du couldn’t just hand the box to Jiang Zhouchi the moment she walked into the classroom; too many classmates were watching. She had to wait for a moment when there were fewer people. Unfortunately, the items were usually too bulky to hide, so Ye Du eventually gave up resisting. Besides that, the reactions of Jiang Xinwan and Wang Zhu were giving her a headache. She couldn’t understand how she—who only had a faint connection to Pei Lang—had become the biggest victim of his romance with Jiang Zhouchi. The training camp memories were still fresh, yet here she was in the eye of a new storm. She let out a long sigh.

From the moment Ye Du was called out by Pei Lang, Jiang Xinwan and Wang Zhu’s eyes hadn’t left them. In those few minutes, they had seemingly uncovered countless secrets. They were convinced it was a case of unrequited love on Pei Lang’s part. After all, Ye Du’s eyes were full of math problems. Even though she accepted his gifts, she never smiled, and she didn’t look back even once when she returned to the room. Conversely, Pei Lang kept watching her back until she disappeared into the classroom.

“Ye Du, I never expected it! You and Pei Lang, having a secret affair!” Jiang Xinwan cried out, her heart “aching.” She couldn’t yet distinguish if she was more upset about losing Pei Lang or losing Ye Du.

“Can you please not use such dramatic idioms incorrectly?” Ye Du wished the Chinese teacher, Zhang Jianwei, would give Jiang Xinwan another lesson.

“You didn’t even deny it! Wang Zhu, she didn’t deny it! Ah!” No one knew what went on in Jiang Xinwan’s head all day.

Before Wang Zhu could speak, Ye Du covered both their mouths at once. “Both of you, shut up. I will share a secret with you, okay?” To buy a moment of peace, Ye Du decided to play the “villain.”

“Why aren’t you curious?” Ye Du asked Chen Pupu, who was sitting quietly.

“I just never thought about it.” Even if someone told her Ye Du liked Pei Lang, Pupu wouldn’t believe it unless the words came from Ye Du’s own mouth. Besides, Pupu never imagined Ye Du liking anyone; in her mind, Ye Du only cared about her studies. To the other students in Class 10 who weren’t close to her, the fact that Pupu was this close to Ye Du was already a miracle.

Ye Du smiled and said nothing, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Pupu’s ear. As Pupu blinked, she felt her heart skip a beat. She didn’t know why, but even though Ye Du only touched her hair, her very fingertips felt a tingle.

“But… is what everyone is saying true?” Pupu remembered hearing the rumors about Jiang Zhouchi and Pei Lang in the restroom—she had heard quite a bit of gossip there. Girls always went to the bathroom in groups, so it was always lively, a place where social circles overlapped and news traveled fast.

Upon receiving Ye Du’s confirmation, Pupu didn’t have time to ask more before the bell rang. For the rest of the class, Pupu couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Zhouchi sitting ahead of her, thinking they truly were a well-matched, beautiful couple.

For once, Jiang Xinwan didn’t start eating immediately. She was obsessed with the secret Ye Du mentioned. She felt that when a person like Ye Du gossips, it must be “academic-style” gossip—integrating multiple sources and providing a logical analysis before reaching a conclusion. In short: if Ye Du said it, it must be true.

When Ye Du revealed that she had known about the couple since the first day of training camp, Jiang Xinwan and Wang Zhu felt a second wave of intense damage. Wang Zhu couldn’t believe her “prince” had found his “princess” right under her nose, someone she saw every single day. As for Jiang Xinwan, she was furious that Ye Du hadn’t found a payphone to tell her the news immediately. What kind of friend keeps such explosive news to themselves for so long!

“I didn’t want to say anything, but then Pei Lang started coming to me. He wanted me to provide cover for them, so they obviously don’t want to be found out. You two must not tell anyone,” Ye Du warned. Growing up, she often heard people say, “I’ll tell you a secret, but don’t tell anyone.” Usually, that secret would just be repeated to the next person. Though she knew the warning was likely useless, she said it anyway.

“We don’t even need to say anything; everyone is already whispering. It’s just that no one actually saw them like you did.” Wang Zhu had heard several versions of how they got together while she was at the water dispenser—some said Jiang Zhouchi confessed, others said Pei Lang pursued her, and some even claimed to have seen them kissing. It was all hearsay, of course, but people used it to pass the time.

“Ye Du, you’re too good at keeping things in.” Jiang Xinwan decided that if she ever had a life-or-death secret to entrust to someone, Ye Du would be her first choice.

“I have no choice; there’s too much homework.” Ye Du wished she had a second head just to solve problems; she truly had no time for these distractions.

At this, Jiang Xinwan and Wang Zhu fell silent. Only Chen Pupu laughed while she ate. “See? You two are just too idle. Maybe Ye Du should recommend some exercise books for you.”

Jiang Xinwan immediately crossed her arms in a “no,” and Wang Zhu mimed zipping her lips, then went back to her noodles.