Hopeless Romance (GL) - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Here is the English translation of the text provided:

When Li Jiangang announced the New Year’s Day Gala before the lunch break, Gu Nancheng glanced in Ye Du’s direction. Hearing the news, Ye Du showed no expression; she simply looked up at Li Jiangang for a moment before looking back down at the letter paper in front of her.

It was unclear who had started the trend, but the girls loved leaving long, rambling messages for each other on their QQ Zones, and some even went as far as writing physical letters. Even though they were all in the same school and some even in the same class, the shortened distance did not diminish the sense of ritual. However, when Chen Pupu handed the letter to her, Ye Du’s heart grew nervous for no reason. It reminded her of an experience Pei Lang had described long ago about being confessed to; the scene he described bore a striking resemblance to the current situation. Thinking of that unbelievable possibility, Ye Du’s mind became a chaotic mess. After walking Chen Pupu back to her class in a daze, she headed back to her own, wondering all the way how she should reply if that were truly the case. Should she tell her that she had actually liked her for a long time? Or should she act more composed? Ye Du desperately wanted to run to a deserted place right then and there to tear open the letter so that everything could be settled.

Using an extremely fast and precise reading method, Ye Du scanned the letter several times but didn’t see “those” specific words. She folded the letter, currently lacking the mental energy to read it in detail, and simply leaned her hands on the railing of the empty corridor. In an instant, the young girl’s hidden thoughts were scattered in all directions by the autumn wind that arrived as promised.

Ye Du didn’t sleep at all during the lunch break. She never had the habit of napping, but Li Jiangang strictly required everyone to sleep to prevent anyone from using the time to study. Besides turning off the lights, Li Jiangang would pull the curtains shut tightly. It was only now that Ye Du noticed the school curtains had quite good light-blocking properties. With her eyes closed, the contents of that letter kept flashing through her mind. It was mostly about Chen Pupu’s daily life and rehearsals; many bits of gossip and interesting stories that Ye Du hadn’t had time to hear about were seriously written down for her by Chen Pupu. This reminded Ye Du of the days when they were sitting in front and behind each other in middle school, filling notebook after notebook with “little talks” during class, recording countless moments of joy and sadness.

As she thought about it, Ye Du realized that she and Chen Pupu had known each other for four years—one-fourth of her current life. Thinking of this girl, she suddenly hoped the denominator of this fraction would keep getting smaller and smaller.

Among the programs submitted by Class 12, except for Cui Tong’s stage play which was cut, everything else was selected. For this reason, Cui Tong spent several days cursing the teachers in charge of selection, saying they were biased and always chose singing, dancing, and musical instrument performances, which made the variety very poor. Several carefully prepared cross-talks, sketches, and plays failed to make it to the stage. However, despite the complaining, Cui Tong’s enthusiasm for the New Year’s Gala wasn’t diminished in the least. Setting aside the fact that it was a rare once-a-year occasion, just for Chen Pupu and Cao Yijing’s programs, Cui Tong had to be the number one cheerleader.

“Hey, Pupu, you’re a bel canto singer, so why are you performing a pop song on stage?” Cui Tong had been puzzled ever since she found out Chen Pupu had signed up with Shin’s “Wide Sea and High Sky” (Ha Kuo Tian Kong). She hadn’t found the time to ask, but now that her own program was off, she was idle.

“This song has a very important meaning to me, especially for the ‘me’ at Yun-Chuan Middle School. Besides, who wants to listen to bel canto?” After all, if it weren’t for competitions, Chen Pupu herself wouldn’t usually listen to bel canto songs.

“Haven’t you always been studying at Yun-Chuan? If this is a ‘token of love’ song, it feels a bit inappropriate, doesn’t it?” Hearing Chen Pupu only tell half the story, Cui Tong knew she wouldn’t get more out of her and simply started making things up herself.

“Why is your head so full of romance?” Actually, Chen Pupu felt there wasn’t much of a problem with Cui Tong saying that, since friendship is also a form of “love.”

“Love fills one with the desire to create.” The rhythmic tone Cui Tong used gave this nonsensical sentence the radiance of a famous quote, earning a roll of the eyes from Chen Pupu.

“Then you’d better hurry up and fall in love, so you can get on stage next year.”

“Chen Pupu, since when did you become so mean? A genius like me doesn’t need those things. But as for you, why do I feel like your relationship with Ye Du from Class 1 is unusual?”

“Of course it is, we’ve known each other since middle school.” Chen Pupu was drawing a musical staff while having to distract herself to answer Cui Tong.

“Seriously, if I didn’t know you, I would think you and Ye Du were dating.” Cui Tong was someone who loved observing people; it helped her create characters. After all, most of the time, real life is more exciting than literary creation.

Cui Tong’s sentence startled Chen Pupu so much she drew a wrong note. Hurriedly looking for an eraser, she didn’t even dare to look Cui Tong in the eye. “What are you talking about? We’re both girls.”

“What’s wrong with being girls? The law doesn’t forbid girls from liking girls.” Cui Tong quickly caught the issue in Chen Pupu’s words. “So, what you mean is, if Ye Du weren’t a girl, you would be together?”

“Classmate Cui Tong, please stop your nonsense. Art comes from life, but it’s not about making things up, okay? Ye Du and I are just very good friends.” Even though Chen Pupu had dated Yu Xiao, she had never considered Ye Du in the role of a girlfriend.

“I know, I’m just saying it looks like it, I didn’t say you really are dating. Don’t be so worked up.” Cui Tong simply felt this was a very good story and was already pondering how to develop the subsequent plot.

“Why do you think that?” Chen Pupu pressed the tip of her pencil against her chin and turned her head to ask Cui Tong.

“Because Ye Du is too good to you. Look, she brings you clothes when it’s cold, always comes to find you for dinner, helps you carry things, and she used to tutor you all the time in middle school, right? She helps with your homework and accompanies you to vocal lessons. Seriously, even if you aren’t dating, you have to cherish such a good friend.”

Watching Cui Tong nonchalantly analyze whether she and Ye Du were dating made Chen Pupu want to punch her. But Ye Du wasn’t there, and no one could protect her. Thinking of this, Chen Pupu couldn’t help but wonder what Ye Du’s reaction would be if she heard Cui Tong say this. She would probably frown and widen her eyes in surprise, then smile awkwardly to ease the tension.

“I know. I’m very good to Ye Du too.” That song I’m singing is for her—Chen Pupu didn’t say this last part aloud; she didn’t want to deepen Cui Tong’s misunderstanding.

“Hey, will Ye Du’s class come to the grand auditorium to watch then?” Cui Tong had made dual preparations by signing up early; if she couldn’t perform, she couldn’t miss the chance to be an audience member.

“I don’t know, their class hasn’t been notified about this. I’ll ask next time.” In truth, Chen Pupu didn’t know how to ask. Regarding things she had mentioned to Ye Du once, as long as Ye Du could do it, she naturally would; if she didn’t say anything, it meant there was no problem. But Chen Pupu was worried she wouldn’t see Ye Du. The thought of potentially not seeing her made her feel a bit irritable, and she couldn’t even continue writing the assignment given by her piano teacher.

It was only when the New Year’s Gala was about to start that Ye Du found out that going to the auditorium to watch required signing up, and each class only had five student spots. Ye Du knew without thinking that Li Jiangang must have given them away; after all, he had only mentioned the gala briefly in class and hadn’t said a word about calling for people to sign up. Fortunately, it would be broadcast on TV, though the TV in the classroom looked quite old, and she didn’t know if it could last through a whole gala.

At the thought that she had confidently told Chen Pupu she would go to see her perform, Ye Du felt extremely annoyed, and the more she looked at Li Jiangang, the more unpleasant he seemed. She hated the act of breaking a promise—whether it was her doing it or someone else, whether she was the one failing or being failed. Moreover, this time it was related to Chen Pupu. But since things had come to this, Ye Du had to calm herself down first and see if there was a way she could reasonably leave the classroom and reasonably enter the auditorium.

“Why haven’t you gone to eat yet?” Xu Jian rarely saw Ye Du during mealtime; most of the time when she passed her seat, the chair was already pushed in.

Ye Du looked up at the sound. Her mind was still preoccupied with watching the performance, so she didn’t think much of Xu Jian’s question and just shook her head.

“Have you studied yourself into a stupor?” Seeing Ye Du’s dazed look, Xu Jian blurted out those words. She flipped through the math exercise book on the desk and found that the newly assigned homework had already been completed by Ye Du, which further confirmed her judgment.

“It’s only the first year of high school, don’t push yourself so hard, or what will you do in the third year?” Xu Jian didn’t like squeezing through the crowds to eat, and she wasn’t picky about food, so she always waited ten minutes before heading out.

“No, I thought the class was going to see the gala later, so I wanted to finish this first.” Ye Du was not someone who brought homework home, but watching the gala would take up the afternoon self-study period. To avoid a fight with Ye Sangshu, she had to frantically finish her homework during class time.

“Gala? What gala?” Xu Jian couldn’t imagine that Class 1 would have the privilege of watching a gala.

“The New Year’s Gala Li Jiangang mentioned that day.”

“How come I don’t remember?” Xu Jian searched her memory and found no trace of it.

“He mentioned it during the lunch break last Thursday.” Ye Du couldn’t think of a good excuse, but her stomach felt hungry first, so she prepared to go down and buy something to eat.

Xu Jian suddenly understood why she had no impression of it—because she had skipped that lunch break again. “Oh, I skipped class that lunch break, I didn’t hear it. But since you said you thought you were going, does that mean you can’t go?”

“You skipped?” Ye Du suddenly felt she could sit a bit longer.

“Yeah, I don’t take naps.”

“Then, are you good at skipping self-study periods?”

Xu Jian reviewed her history of skipping classes and felt that while “talented” might be a stretch, she had never been caught, so she nodded with a smile.

“Then let’s skip this afternoon’s self-study period.” After saying it, Ye Du realized she had made a declarative statement.

Xu Jian didn’t think Ye Du was the type to skip class, but hearing the words come out of Ye Du’s mouth, Xu Jian didn’t feel it was out of place. “Then, lunch?”

“It’s on me.” Ye Du patted her school uniform pocket, feeling like the scene was strangely familiar.

When Ye Du and Xu Jian walked out of the classroom, Ye Du began to doubt her decision. She had thought Xu Jian would have some unknown skipping methods or techniques, but to her surprise, Xu Jian simply walked out of the classroom door with great confidence right after Li Jiangang stepped out, giving Ye Du the illusion that class was over.

“Is this… how you usually skip class?”

“No, sometimes I just don’t enter the classroom at all.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being caught by the teacher?”

“Most of the time I am caught, but my grades are good, so I don’t get scolded much.” Xu Jian’s candidness made Ye Du roll her eyes even more thoroughly.

“Seriously, if your grades weren’t also good, I wouldn’t have agreed to skip class with you today,” Xu Jian added solemnly.

“Thank you for recognizing my academic performance.” Since it was her first time skipping class, Ye Du was still a bit nervous, but since things had reached this point, she could only take things as they came.

“But, how do we get in?” Campus traffic during class time was very smooth, and the two quickly reached the auditorium.

Ye Du glanced at Xu Jian and said, “Just like how we came out—walk in confidently.” The experience of that day had taught Ye Du a lesson: if you want to fool others, you must first fool yourself.

As soon as they reached the entrance, their confidence was met with an obstacle from the security guard uncle at the door.

“Which class are you two from? Didn’t I say no leaving halfway through?” Seeing them arrive, the guard quickly tucked away his game console. Only after realizing they were students did he put on his authoritative air again.

Ye Du and Xu Jian exchanged a glance and said in unison, “Class 2, Grade 1.”

“We came out to use the restroom, we definitely won’t come out again,” Xu Jian explained.

“I told you to use the side door for the restroom, why are you two going through the front?” The guard was preoccupied with his unfinished game but didn’t dare to be too negligent.

“We forgot how to walk back and only remembered this door. Sorry to trouble you, we’ll definitely sit quietly once we’re inside.” After hearing Xu Jian’s answer, Ye Du felt that while she might not be talented at skipping class, she was truly talented at lying through her teeth.

“Fine, keep your heads down when you walk in, don’t block others.”

Xu Jian nodded frantically, pulled Ye Du, and hurried inside. They didn’t have seats, so they headed straight for the very last row and sat at the tail end of the stairs—the kind of position furthest from the stage in a concert venue.

Ye Du calculated the time. Chen Pupu’s program was toward the end; self-study was the third period, so she shouldn’t have missed it yet.

“The next program is a Chinese dance solo.” Xu Jian glimpsed the program list in the hands of a student nearby and asked a few questions.

“How do you know?”

“Your mouth is right under your nose.” Xu Jian pointed to her own mouth.

Ye Du remembered that Chen Pupu’s friend could also dance and wondered if it was that girl. She also remembered how Chen Pupu had told her about the big argument she had with Cui Tong to persuade Cao Yijing to choose Chinese dance. Thinking of this, Ye Du couldn’t help but watch intently. Although she couldn’t see the facial expressions clearly, the movements were distinct. Cao Yijing had long limbs, and her movements were very graceful and fluid, making one feel refreshed. She was flexible yet powerful; her sleeves fluttered like clouds, but her momentum was like a swift wind.

“A beauty dances like a lotus spinning; the people of the world have eyes but have likely never seen it,” Xu Jian murmured.

“The high hall is covered with red carpets; one dance, and none in the world can compare,” Ye Du listened and naturally provided the next line. The dance ended, and the voice fell silent.

Although they didn’t have a program list, Ye Du had Xu Jian acting as an announcer, so she was very clear about the progress of the show. When Xu Jian said the next one was the solo “Wide Sea and High Sky,” Ye Du’s mind wavered for a moment, as if pulled back to the spring not long ago by this song. It was probably because they had too much free time during the period of the direct promotion; Ye Du had borrowed an MP3 from Jiang Xinwan and secretly listened to music under the covers every night. After listening to it many times, she learned the song. She still remembered how nervous she was the first time she sang it for Chen Pupu, feeling like she was “showing off her meager skills before an expert.” Looking at the slowly opening curtain, Ye Du was suddenly curious if the current Chen Pupu would feel the same emotions as her when hearing this song again.

“Hello everyone, I am Chen Pupu from Class 12, Grade 1. Today, I want to dedicate this song to a very important friend in my life.” For a moment, Ye Du couldn’t tell if she was more surprised that Chen Pupu chose to sing this song, or that she was dedicating it to someone.

“Wow, that friend must be very happy.” Xu Jian really loved to comment; she had to say something about every program.

There were more people who knew this song than Ye Du had imagined. Many people sang along with Chen Pupu. Ye Du herself couldn’t help but hum along slowly. Since she had “boarded the train without a ticket,” she felt a bit like a thief and didn’t dare to sing too loudly. What made her even more self-conscious was that she couldn’t help but wonder if that friend was herself, and she even wanted to push her luck and wonder if this could count as a response.

When Chen Pupu spoke those words on stage, she was actually a bit disappointed, because right up until she went on stage, she hadn’t been able to find Ye Du. But she also felt that Ye Du must be here. Besides, she didn’t have time to think further—the accompaniment had already begun.

“Xu Jian, I’m going to the restroom, I’ll come back to find you later.” Before Xu Jian could say anything, Ye Du stood up and walked lightly down one side along the wall, then circled around to the backstage through the side door. Chen Pupu had just come down from the stage, still holding the microphone. As she turned a corner, she saw Ye Du pushing the door open and entering. Both of them stopped in their tracks at the same time, staring at each other and smiling dazed smiles.

“Did it sound good?” Chen Pupu asked Ye Du like she was seeking credit. The gloom that had been pressed into her heart earlier dispersed instantly, making her current happiness feel even more intense.

“It sounded very good.” Ye Du emphasized those four words heavily; only then was it enough to express her feelings.

“Did you hear what I said?” Chen Pupu was afraid Ye Du had arrived late and hadn’t heard.

“What?”

“Before I started singing, I said this song was for you.” Every time Chen Pupu said thank you, Ye Du would give a bitter smile and say there shouldn’t be a next time. So, Chen Pupu didn’t say it this time. Ye Du really wanted to say thank you to Chen Pupu, but she could imagine that Chen Pupu would definitely follow her example and forbid her from saying it. No one stipulated that love given must be responded to, which is why being cherished feels so precious.

“Yeah, well, I’ve heard it now,” Ye Du said after a moment’s thought, with mock seriousness.