The School Beauty from the Next Class Insisted I Confess - Chapter 47

“Yiqiu, I can’t quite remember when I accidentally passed out last night. Thank you for having Li Sao look after me.” Xu Qingfeng expressed her gratitude sincerely, without any hint of discomfort.

She noticed the smile on Xia Yiqiu’s face instantly vanished, the warmth gone, which left her a little bewildered.

Walking over to the dining table, she saw the weary-looking Li Tian. Knowing she was returning to A-Country today, she greeted her politely.

“Student Li, what time are you leaving today?”

“The five p.m. flight.” Li Tian was not in high spirits, and after answering, she remained silent.

Xu Qingfeng didn’t have the habit of disturbing others, so she quietly ate her breakfast.

Li Sao’s cooking was excellent; the fried egg was fragrant, with the perfect crispness that Xu Qingfeng liked. The Maillard reaction made one feel renewed anticipation for the new day.

Not everyone was happy, however.

Xu Qingfeng left Xia Yiqiu’s house. She was puzzled by Yiqiu’s strange attitude, such as when she’d just said while seeing her off, “The memory of our top liberal arts student is truly remarkable,” and then returned directly to the living room without waiting for a reply.

Xu Qingfeng saw that Xia Yiqiu was still wearing the bracelet she had given her.

It really suited her.

She curled the corner of her lips and walked towards where her bicycle was parked, thinking of going to the Wai Cheng Library later to read the book she’d been thinking about yesterday, when she saw a disheveled person crouching at the entrance.

“Gao Zhi, your hair looks like a messy bird’s nest. What are you doing here so early?”

Xu Qingfeng swore she wasn’t exaggerating; Gao Zhi looked haggard, with bloodshot, red eyes. She likely hadn’t slept well last night.

What exactly happened after she fell asleep yesterday? Could Gao Zhi have been standing here all night?

Xu Qingfeng also started to feel anxious, but not rushed; the important thing right now was Gao Zhi.

“Alright, if you don’t want to talk, don’t,” Xu Qingfeng said to Gao Zhi. Her childhood friend seemed to have suffered a great injustice, suddenly rushing into her arms, just sobbing without saying a word.

“There, there, Gao Zhi, my dear. How about I take you home?”

Xu Qingfeng knew Gao Zhi’s home wasn’t far. Recalling Li Tian’s behavior, Xu Qingfeng guessed that Gao Zhi’s state was likely related to Li Tian. It was better to get Gao Zhi to wash up first, as letting a grieving person sink deeper into sorrow can make things worse.

“Uh, no… don’t go,” Gao Zhi’s voice was muffled, and the sudden tears had already soaked the shoulder of Xu Qingfeng’s jacket.

Oh, Gao Zhi. Xu Qingfeng wanted to tell her childhood friend to let everything go. Her initial rational assessment of Gao Zhi’s relationship was: long-distance relationships are unreliable.

Now, she couldn’t bear to tell her friend that. Gao Zhi’s determination throughout the semester made her feel that perhaps she was wrong.

However, one-sided efforts could not reach the distant foreign land every day, and the young girl who had experienced much already dared not believe in the permanence of true love.

“I’m not leaving. Go to your house and clean up. You don’t want to see Li Tian looking like this, do you? Her flight is at five p.m., so there’s plenty of time. Once you’re cleaned up, I can help you analyze everything,” Xu Qingfeng patted Gao Zhi’s back, unsure how else to comfort her.

Gao Zhi followed Xu Qingfeng, pitifully clinging to her. Xu Qingfeng had to push her bike with one hand while the other was tightly held by Gao Zhi, whose head rested on her shoulder.

Alas, my dear Gao Zhi. I hope you won’t cry anymore in the future. Xu Qingfeng always felt a “mother hen” protectiveness towards Gao Zhi.

When Gao Zhi came out of the bathroom, Xu Qingfeng felt greatly relieved, seeing the person looking much cleaner. She was sitting on the beanbag chair in the room, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, looking casual, relaxed, and unperturbed. Gao Zhi felt she had found her backbone.

“Uh… snicker…” She started to cry again.

“Stop,” Xu Qingfeng said, waiting until Gao Zhi stopped.

Xu Qingfeng pointed to a bowl of noodles on the desk, saying, “Gao Zhi, eat.” The weather was quite cold now, and something hot would be comforting.

This was made by Liu Sao, Gao Zhi’s family’s nanny, whom Xu Qingfeng had just called. Gao Zhi’s father and mother had a gathering and had left early this morning, conveniently saving them the need to explain Gao Zhi’s appearance.

Now that her mind was calm, Gao Zhi, with her red, swollen eyes, sat down on the chair at the desk and began to eat.

“It’s really delicious.” After all, it was early winter, and after crouching outside for so long, everything tasted good now.

Xu Qingfeng had guessed correctly. Gao Zhi had stayed in the backyard for half an hour last night, then left, intending to go home. But then she thought, what if Li Tian left early this morning? What should she do? She had to ask clearly why, as Li Tian hadn’t been like this before. She had just been so overcome by grief that she didn’t ask the reason and just waited at the entrance of Xia Yiqiu’s house.

“Gao Zhi, you didn’t go home last night. Didn’t your father and mother ask about you?” Xu Qingfeng thought of this, then felt it was unlikely, otherwise they would have been looking for Gao Zhi already, but the words were already out.

“Oh, I told Auntie Yan that we were all staying at President Xia’s house last night.”

“Later, I didn’t want to go home, so I just told my parents the same thing,” Gao Zhi answered while slurping her noodles, not thinking the situation was absurd.

Actually, given the distance between Gao Zhi’s and Xia Yiqiu’s houses, it wouldn’t have been too late to set an early alarm and come back in the morning. Besides, Gao Zhi could have gone straight in. Why wait until the person was about to leave to ask?

“So what exactly happened last night?” Xu Qingfeng meant to ask about Gao Zhi and Li Tian’s situation, but Gao Zhi started recounting what happened before Xu Qingfeng passed out.

“Oh, at that time, you were quite far apart just a moment before, but everyone was drawn by Han Feng. When I turned back, you were very close to each other, and then you passed out in President Xia’s arms. I helped you to the room, and everyone left, and then…”

Very close? Many images suddenly flashed through Xu Qingfeng’s mind.

When she collapsed, she seemed to have bumped into something, something soft.

What exactly did she do?

She still couldn’t figure it out, and her brows furrowed as she listened to Gao Zhi speak.

Gao Zhi’s consideration was good. Her and Li Tian’s issues weren’t just about worry for the future; there might be an emotional knot as well.

Before the two could continue their discussion, Xia Yiqiu sent her a document.

Xia Yiqiu: “With Gao Zhi’s impulsive nature, you should read it first, and then tell her. The choice is hers.”

Xu Qingfeng did not tell Gao Zhi about this. Looking at Gao Zhi, who was shedding tears again after finishing her story, she decided to let her finish the noodles first.

She opened the file. It contained information about Li Tian’s family, which Xia Yiqiu had commissioned her company’s usual private detective to investigate last night. Xia Yiqiu felt her best friend was too good at keeping secrets, not saying a word about such a major event.

Li Tian’s parents had started a business together in the early days. They originally came from ordinary families, but they were also top students at Hua University along with Xia Yiqiu’s parents, and they were all good friends. At the time, Xia Yiqiu’s parents, though from a privileged background, chose not to rely on their family but instead rented an apartment in an ordinary residential area with Li Tian’s parents to start their business.

Later, Xia Yiqiu’s and Li Tian’s parents’ business failed due to incompatible development philosophies. Both couples chose an amicable separation. Li Tian’s parents went abroad to expand their business, while Xia Yiqiu’s parents returned home to inherit the family business.

Now, the relationship between the two families’ adults was lukewarm, but the deep childhood friendship between Xia Yiqiu and Li Tian could not be broken, and the adults did not oppose their continued contact.

At the Xia house, Li Tian sat on the bed, her luggage still unpacked. She looked at the swing bench downstairs and was lost in thought.

Li Tian’s parents were often separated due to business. Things had been relatively calm until two months ago when Li Tian discovered her father had been having an affair and had a ten-year-old son.

In that moment, she felt that her once-loving parents and her beautiful childhood were like a fragile illusion that would shatter at a touch.

Her parents had once been the perfect example of a campus romance that led to a beautiful marriage. Since she was little, everyone told her how much her parents loved each other, and she had believed it wholeheartedly. Even after coming to A-Country, although family time was reduced, she still thought nothing of it.

But the boy was ten years old, born in the second year after they came to A-Country. Were all her father’s actions throughout these years a lie?

Could time and distance really break the promises they once made?

Li Tian panicked. When Gao Zhi was promising her one thing but secretly playing games, she was terrified—terrified that time would change Gao Zhi, terrified that Gao Zhi would lie to her. She set the goal for Gao Zhi to rank in the top 20, wanting more time to think or to give them both a test.

Gao Zhi achieved it. She was happy and wondered if they were different.

With this in mind, she returned to Wai Cheng. Seeing Kong Qiaofeng, she realized her love for Gao Zhi was beyond her imagination. She became even more afraid of losing Gao Zhi, so she had to reconsider what to do and decided she couldn’t see Gao Zhi.

Until Feng Qing Mountain, when she looked at the still-gleefully childlike Gao Zhi, and then at Xu Qingfeng, who was constantly focused on Xia Yiqiu, she realized Gao Zhi would give her what she considered to be the very best.

But had Gao Zhi truly thought about their future?

Such a matter was too heavy. She didn’t want to press the other person at this age, making her utter empty promises of a lifetime together. If it all turned out to be nothing in the end, then let their youthful love stop at its most beautiful moment!

She got up to pack. She had just lied to Xu Qingfeng; it wasn’t the five p.m. flight. She had booked the ten a.m. flight, which was taking off in two and a half hours.

The reason for not telling the correct time was to leave no possibility for change. What had to be broken should be broken. Next, she had to help her mother reclaim what was theirs.

After reading the contents of the file, Xu Qingfeng generally understood Li Tian’s concerns.

Sure enough, her earlier thought was correct: Gao Zhi needed to let the other person understand her resolve and action regarding the future. It wasn’t just about saying it; it had to be proven with concrete action and communicated constantly.

The most common issue with long-distance relationships is the feeling of uncertainty, that lack of assurance about the future. Not to mention they were underage, involved in a cross-country relationship; everything seemed so unreliable and unlikely to last.

Gao Zhi finished her noodles and saw Xu Qingfeng staring at her phone, which seemed odd.

“Hey, you listened to my story and didn’t even comfort me, and now you’re distracted by your phone? Dummy Xu, weren’t you going to help me figure this out?” Gao Zhi felt indignant; she had been depressed since yesterday.

“In that case, let me tell you about the current situation. Yiqiu just sent me a file, and the content is related to Li Tian.” Xu Qingfeng rested her face on her left hand, covering the phone and placing it on the side table, thinking about how to narrate the information.

“Then hurry up and tell me!” Gao Zhi urged.

Xu Qingfeng’s fingers moved and then stopped.

“Here’s the situation: Li Tian’s father was caught cheating two months ago, and before that, her parents had been long-term… I suspect the reason Li Tian is so insistent on breaking up is the influence of this event. Why is she afraid? She might be scared of repeating her parents’ mistakes, and you, normally… your behavior… So, what are your thoughts now?”

Xu Qingfeng briefly introduced the situation and offered her opinion.

“I need to go find Tian Tian. I won’t be like that. I can wait for her. We can get into the same university. She can decide then; it won’t be too late.” Gao Zhi’s mind was now clear. As long as Li Tian didn’t vanish from her life forever, she could wait until Li Tian was ready to believe in her.

Xu Qingfeng nodded. A teachable student indeed.

“I’m not talking anymore, Dummy Xu, I’m going to find Tian Tian now.” Gao Zhi couldn’t wait to tell Li Tian how she felt.

She didn’t forget to compliment Xu Qingfeng.

“I knew it, you are smart after all.” This studious best friend had given her direction in the past, and unexpectedly, Xu Qingfeng’s analysis was thorough this time as well. She should have listened to her from the beginning; she had indeed been too fond of playing around before.

Gao Zhi rushed toward Xia Yiqiu’s house at the fastest speed. As she went downstairs, she picked up her phone, which had a message from Xia Yiqiu sent five minutes earlier.

Xia Yiqiu: “Quickly, tell Gao Zhi to come down. Tian Tian is leaving.”

In fact, Xia Yiqiu had also called, but Xu Qingfeng, who was often in the library, always kept her phone on silent, so she regrettably missed the call. At this moment, looking down from Gao Zhi’s room…

Gao Zhi was running on the road.

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