CH 25

Chapter 25 Sway or Rock

Jian Chi absently stared at the document on the screen. Half an hour ago, he wrote three lines, and half an hour later, he finally came to the fifth line.

Zhang Yang, who was sitting on the side reviewing literature, raised his head from the thick stack of books. He yawned listlessly, and lowered his voice considering that he was still in the library. 

“Jian Chi, have you heard about the library?” Zhang Yang couldn’t continue his studies, and in the spirit that he couldn’t be the only one slacking, he came over and asked in a low voice. 

Jian Chi pulled back to his senses and forced the image about Shao Hang to the back of his head, “What?” 

“It seems that the library is going to be renovated and expanded and I will have to study in my room for the next few weeks.” Zhang Yang curled his lips, showing some disgust, “YC’s study room can be described as billowing smoke (foul atmosphere). If I study there, I won’t be surnamed Zhang.” 

“Expansion?” Jian Chi couldn’t help but remember seeing a few men in suits in front of the library that day, “The library is already so big, why should it be expanded?” 

“Who knows?” 

Zhang Yang laid on the table and said weakly: “They can always find various reasons. All in all, I don’t want to go to the study room at all. I haven’t seen it for so long, I hope it won’t be changed into a recreation room by some people.” 

Saintston had strictly divided study rooms, but they had always been false names. 

Special enrollment often chose the more convenient library, while other students disliked the their self-study room being too rigid and lacking private space. Some may even buy an entire classroom and convert it into a private study room. These were all heard by Jian Chi from Zhang Yang, and some were seen on HS. Few people go to study rooms to actually study. 

Jian Chi’s already heavy heart sank again after hearing the news. He hoped that the special enrollment study room will not be as bad as Zhang Yang said. 

But reality will never be as good as the imagination.

The library will be temporarily closed after three days, and the study room for special enrollment was even smaller than the first floor of the library. Jian Chi originally wanted to occupy a corner, but the students came to fill up the entire study room one after another. Even if most of them kept their voices low, at a very close distance, their ears were still full of small page turnings, voices, and typing. 

Jian Chi was used to sitting in a quiet corner, but even if he wore a headphone, he could still feel the crowded figures and unfamiliar atmosphere around him. The incompatibility of the encroachment of his private sphere made Jian Chi have to divert some of his attention. 

If that’s the case, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to bear it for three weeks. However, a few boys with two brooches came to the study room on the second day. The volume in Jian Chi’s earphones were almost turned up to the maximum, but it still could not cover up the occasional laughter. Some people looked over with resentful eyes, but no one came to stop it. 

Jian Chi left the lounge early. There was an important economic exam next week. He couldn’t look on in such an environment. It may be better to go back to face Wei An than to feel the suffocation in the study room. 

When passing by the student union, Jian Chi couldn’t help but think of the book that was taken away by Shao Hang. During this time, Ji Huaisi occasionally sent him messages, keeping the frequency of once every two days. At first, he did not dare to reply too much due to his concerns, but Ji Huaisi seemed to not care about his perfunctory. Slowly, Jian Chi also let go of the initial awkwardness. 

Once Ji Huaisi asked about the book, Jian Chi thought for a long time before deceiving him and passing over that. After chatting, he found that his hands were sweating.

At first, there was some friction between Shao Hang and Bai Xiyu outside the cafeteria and the atmosphere was tense. Although Ji Huaisi came to relieve the siege and said a few words to Shao Hang, it was enough to make people see that the relationship between them was not the same, there was even a faint smell of gunpowder. 

If Ji Huaisi knew about this matter, he might not blame him, but he would definitely be disappointed in his heart. Jian Chi just changed his position to think about it, and his mood became a little depressed. 

The phone in his trouser pocket vibrated. He didn’t know if it was a coincidence. Ji Huaisi’s message came at this time and Jian Chi opened the screen. It was two very common concerns: How are you feeling in the study room? Are you not used to it? 

Jian Chi replied without blushing: I am not used to it, it is better than I expected. 

Ji Huaisi: Really? 

Jian Chi didn’t understand why he asked such a question, his doubts flashed past, and he replied, “Yes, what’s wrong?” 

The other end was silent for a while: raise your head. 

His heart seemed to be hit by something, and after the silence, he couldn’t help but have it beat a few more beats. Jian Chi looked up. The window on the third floor of the Student Union was half open and the wind blew the scattered hair on Ji Huaisi’s forehead slightly, there was a faint smile on his lips, mixed with some helplessness. Looking downstairs with his mobile phone, there was still no response. 

“Want to come and sit?” 

Under such eyes and inquiries, Jian Chi seemed to have no reason to refuse at all.

Ji Huaisi was alone in the huge office. He poured a cup of tea and put it in front of Jian Chi, who was a little helpless, and sat on the sofa: “If you are used to the environment in the study room, why did you leave early?” 

His voice was soft and slow, but when it landed in his ear, it expanded like a ripple. 

Jian Chi found that Ji Huaisi could always see through the facts easily. Looking at the blurred reflection in the water glass, he couldn’t think of a better answer for a while. 

After the silence passed, Ji Huaisi’s voice created a slight opening. 

“How do you like this place?” 

A question mark popped up in Jian Chi’s blank mind. 

As if not aware of his confusion, Ji Huaisi continued to speak slowly: “It will take three weeks for the library to reopen, I know you have an important economic exam next week. This office is quieter and more spacious than the study room, if you don’t mind, you can study in this room.”

The amount of information in these words was intertwined, blocking his brain. Jian Chi didn’t know what to say for the first time when he looked into the eyes of Ji Huaisi’s not joking eyes: “… Won’t it be troublesome you? I remember that you can’t go in and out of the student union.” 

“Jian Chi,” Ji Huaisi called out his name, his eyes flashing with irresistible seriousness, “The most common thing you and I have said is ‘troublesome’. If I really think so, I will definitely not come to look for you to say these words. Don’t worry, I didn’t force it and I wouldn’t feel it is troublesome. If you think it’s troublesome, I might be a little too weak.” 

After finishing speaking, Ji Huaisi showed a helpless smile, mixed with something not so obvious, “I understand your concerns, but I also have my own selfishness. You keep pushing me away, and sometimes I also reflect on what I did. If you’ll tell me, I’m willing to make appropriate adjustments, but I don’t want you to always refuse so quickly, okay?” 

Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, the turbulence persisted for a long time. Jian Chi pursed his lips and seemed to hear the sound of something shattering in a corner, “It’s not that you didn’t do something well enough, but…” 

Ji Huaisi asked, “But what?”

Instead, he had to stay awake, not to forget everyone’s identities, and not to compromise with this world with too many secrets. 

Jian Chi lowered his eyes and avoided Ji Huaisi’s gaze, “It’s nothing.” 

“Every time I see you, you seem to be hiding a lot of things on your mind.” Ji Huaisi sighed and didn’t ask any more questions. His hand on his knee gently pressed Jian Chi’s eyebrows, his warm fingertips stretched out to both sides, and said slowly, “You look really good when you smile, don’t always wrinkle your forehead and frown. You see, this is much better.” 

The touch between his eyebrows was different from Shao Hang’s forceful contact. The place where Ji Huaisi’s fingertips touched seemed to have a small cluster of electricity running under his skin, making it numb and itchy. Jian Chi wanted to ignore the strangeness. He kept his eyes closed and said in a low voice, “…Before the exam, can I study here temporarily?”

Ji Huaisi smiled, “Of course you can.” 

It’s fine. 

It was getting harder and harder for Jian Chi to say no to Ji Huaisi. He couldn’t help asking himself, if he didn’t have that dream, that book, would he really reject all of Ji Huaisi’s kindness like he was now? The answer was no. 

He might have become friends with Ji Huaisi, instead of having to think twice about what to say like now. That dream made him foresee the future, but he would rather have never known that he was living in a false world. 

Jian Chi chose to stay and took out his notebook and textbook to continue the unfinished review. Next to him, Ji Huaisi was working quietly. The room for two people was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers, and no one spoke, only the tapping of the keyboard and the rustling of the pen falling on the paper, harmonious and comfortable, just right. 

At the end of the review, Jian Chi couldn’t help rubbing his sore neck. Ji Huaisi was still immersed in the work at hand and didn’t look up. Jian Chi felt inexplicably at ease, and his eyes stayed on Ji Huaisi’s focused profile. 

Ji Huaisi was always used to smiling when facing others. In fact, he looked good even when he was not smiling. He had a calm and reliable aura all over his body, which was different from the maturity and stability of those of his age. After a while, Jian Chi retracted his gaze, covered his lips and yawned. 

Originally, he just wanted to lie down on the table and rest for a while, but when Jian Chi opened his eyes again, the sky outside the window had been completely replaced by black, reflecting the pale starlight. 

Jian Chi straightened his stiff back, only to realize that he was wearing a coat at some point, and a purple gemstone brooch was pinned to his chest. 

“You’re awake.” 

Ji Huaisi, who was sitting behind the table, raised his head and smiled, wearing only a shirt. He didn’t know if it was because he hadn’t woken up yet, but when Jian Chi saw the concern in Ji Huaisi’s eyes, there was an unspeakable heaviness in his heart for no reason. 

At the end of the story, everyone had a happy ending, why did Ji Huaisi receive a tragedy? 

Ji Huaisi’s life should not be completely ruined by the car accident written down.