CH 3

Coincidence.

Are there so many coincidences in this world?

Chen Qi sat at her desk with her chin on her hand, thinking.

Strangely, Chen Qi passed Cornfield Road around 6:30 a.m. every day, and sometimes when she slept in, she crossed that road at 6:45 a.m.

Since the first day of school, she had passed Cornfield Road at 6:30 a.m. every day for three consecutive months, except on weekends, she could see him every day.

But maybe this was only a coincidence. Perhaps that person also had a habit of going to school at this time?

Hence, in the third month, Chen Qi intentionally went to school later than usual and passed Cornfield Road at 6:45 a.m.

However… 

She still met that male student.

Well, maybe this was just a coincidence again, Chen Qi thought.

The next day, she still crossed Cornfield Road at 6:45 a.m.

Chen Qi, “?”

Strangely, she ran into that guy again.

… 

On the third day.

Contrary to two days ago, Chen Qi went out early this time and walked to Cornfield Road at 6:30 a.m.

…Chen Qi saw that familiar figure again.

Chen Qi, “…” 

Does this road have any magic power or something??

Chen Qi wore a pair of headphones while listening to a song by her favourite singer – A Si, and the song was called ‘Until You Come’.

When she encountered that male student, the song happened to play the part at 56 seconds.

“I have never believed so, so sure, who will be my destiny

Until your light falls into my dark night.”

Beneath the canopies, the sun shined brightly, a warm breeze blew, and the girl’s heart was like a turbulent sea.

No one knew that the waves in her heart were rolling uncontrollably.

The young girl’s feelings were revealed under the sun as her heart fluttered.

Chen Qi stared blankly at the guy in front of her.

She would never admit that she was so happy that she almost fainted.

…

Chen Qi’s Secret Garden [Diary]

—Friday, August 16th

Today, I met a male student who helped me a lot.

He was very handsome, and his eyes seemed to have some kind of magic power that make people fall in love with him. He also gave me his new coat. I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.

But how am I supposed to return his coat to him?

…

Monday, August 19th

I took the subway again, but I didn’t see him today.

Feeling like the weather today.

…

Sunday, September 1st

School is about to start, and I’m a little nervous.

I don’t know how to get along with my new classmates. Fortunately, Xiao Tong is with me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do without her.

…

Monday, September 2nd

I don’t know what else to say except for this only one sentence.

I met that guy today, and I’m feeling extremely happy.

My words can’t express it all, but I was very happy, even happier than when passing the entrance exam of Su Cheng High School.

He seemed very tired though. I hope he can sleep well tonight.                         

Good night, stranger.

…

Tuesday, September 3rd

I saw him again.

I accidentally made eye contact with him, and my heart was beating so fast.

Do I have some kind of heart disease or something? He’s the trigger point for this disease then.

…

Wednesday, September 4th

It seemed that he didn’t remember me.

…

Saturday, September 14th

There are so much unfinished classwork and words to memorize.

Today is the weekend, so I can’t see him.

I don’t know why, but I suddenly wanna see him.

I wanna go to school.

…

Monday, September 23rd

Didn’t get to see him today.

Whatever, it’s okay if I don’t see him.

Just strangers, right?

But it doesn’t seem to be…

…

Tuesday, September 24th

Didn’t see him again today.

…

Wednesday, September 25th

Today, I thought I wouldn’t see him, but in the next second, he appeared.

What a coincidence.

I don’t know if it was an illusion, but I felt like he was looking at me.

…

Monday, November 25th

Winter is coming, and the leaves of the plane trees on Cornfield Road gradually turned yellow.

I’ve run into him for three consecutive months already.

…

Monday, December 2nd

Why?

I’ve seen him every day. Is this really just a coincidence?

…

Tuesday, December 3rd

I decided to make a bet.

…

Friday, December 6th

I found that no matter what time I went to school, I would always see him.

I don’t care, this is fate.

I’ve never believed in fate, nor did I believe in the so-called fate, until the day he came.

There are many people that I often meet, but he’s the only one I can see every day.

The only stranger I can remember well is him.—

…

The winter here was incredibly cold. It was just December, yet the chilly wind swept everywhere. 

Every morning, Chen Qi always woke up with a cold.

“Qi Qi, come out for breakfast,” Mother Chen held a bowl of floating rice balls while standing in front of Chen Qi’s room, not forgetting to remind her, “Remember to wear warm pants. It’s cold outside.”

“I got it.” Chen Qi wrapped herself under the blanket, turned off the heater in the room, and slowly put on a thick layer of clothing.

Chen Qi wore three layers of thermal clothing, two thick coats and a white scarf.

“Wearing this much should be warm enough.” Chen Qi looked at herself in the mirror and straightened a few strands of hair down from her ears.

Chen Qi walked out of the room. Then, her eyes swept over to the plate of hot dumplings, delicate floating rice balls, and flower cakes on the table.

She could not help but exclaim, “What day is today? How special, there are even flower cakes!”

With delicious food in front of her eyes, Chen Qi did not care how cold her hands were, stretched out her hand to pick up a flower cake and put it in her mouth.

Sweet, soft, and tasty.

Chen Qi ate another one.

Mother Chen gently flicked her forehead, “Silly girl, today is the winter solstice, so we have to eat glutinous floating rice balls and flower cakes.”

“Why?”

“Symbolizes family union.”

“Oh,” Chen Qi thought for a moment, then asked, “Does everyone have to eat?”

“Not necessarily, but most families do.”

Mother Chen looked at her discontentedly, but her tone was very gentle, “You don’t even know this, didn’t the school teach you?”

Chen Qi ate the floating cakes and wiped her mouth, “Schools don’t teach these things.”

“Okay, eat quickly. Your dad will drive you to school.”

“Dad is coming back today? Isn’t he still on a business trip?” Chen Qi was a bit perplexed.

Mother Chen said, “Your dad will come back later to get documents and then rush to the airport, but it’s too cold today, so I’ll let him drive you to school. No need to be in such a hurry, just eat slowly.”

Going to school by car? Then how am I supposed to see him?

Chen Qi blurted out, “It’s okay, no need.”

“Why?”

“Ah, because walking after breakfast is considered a weight loss.” Chen Qi awkwardly said.

Mother Chen hesitated for a moment, “Okay then, let me tell your dad.”

…

It was frightfully cold outside. When Chen Qi went downstairs, she instantly felt the freezing wind all over her body.

Everyone walking on the street dressed thickly like penguins.

The tip of Chen Qi’s nose and ears were frozen and slightly red from the cold, and she desperately discovered that she was not dressed warm enough.

When winter came, everything withered, even the leaves of the plane trees on Cornfield Road were also inevitable.

Chen Qi raised her eyes.

The gusty frigid wind blew, and the yellowed cornfield leaves were blown away by the wind, but some leaves were still stubbornly clinging to the branches.

Winter solstice had come.

Cornfield Road.

Chen Qi slowly raised her footsteps, and at a glance, she was intrigued by the eye-catching male student’s appearance.

He looked like he could not feel the cold. He was only wearing a thin coat over his uniform, with the zipper up the top, over his chin. His hands stuffed inside his pockets, and he seemed lonely like the cold winter.

When they got closer, Chen Qi noticed that the tip of his nose was slightly red.

Turns out he’s not afraid of the cold, Chen Qi thought.

She wondered if he had also eaten dumplings, floating rice cakes, and flower cakes today…

Chen Qi turned back to look behind him.

He walked away so fast that she barely saw him.

Today, she got a lot of homework like usual, and her teacher was still going back and forth with those few old sentences, “Don’t think that you’re only in grade 10 and that you have a long time to reach grade 12, as a teacher who had experienced it, I’ll tell you that grade 12 will come in a blink of an eye! You guys must know how important the university entrance exam is.” The homeroom teacher banged the table a few times, enthusiastically giving advice.

Below, a student protested, “Teacher, it’s the same sentence every year. Can’t you change the line?”

“That’s right! We all already heard it countless times, and it’s currently Gym period. Our Gym time is running out.”

As soon as the student said that, many people immediately opened their mouths to protest. There were a bunch of noises.

Chen Qi had just changed her seat a few days ago, and her current position was by the window. She did not bother to join the class protest.

She was not stupid. Now they were saying whatever they wanted without considering the result, and when the teacher got angry, they were the fastest to escape.

Yu Xiao Tong took advantage of the chaos to sit next to Chen Qi and began to talk non-stop.

“Qi Qi, we have a day off school tomorrow. Wanna come over to my house to hang out? I just bought a new PS4.”

“Wow, didn’t you say you didn’t have any money the other day? How did you buy a PS4 in a blink of an eye?” Chen Qi asked with a smile.

“I’ve been begging my dad for a long time!”

Chen Qi’s seatmate was a girl named Lin Shu. Whenever she smiled, her eyes would curve up, very flattering.

Seeing the two of them chatting happily, Lin Shu also approached, feeling a bit shy.

She asked, “Hey, Chen Qi, do you pass Nan Li High School on your way home?”

Hearing these two words, Chen Qi narrowed her eyes and replied, “Yeah, what’s wrong?”

“Well…” Lin Shu paused for a moment, and a faint blush appeared on her face, “A few days ago, on my way home from school, I met a male student from Nan Li High School.”

The smile on Chen Qi’s face froze abruptly.

Why did she suddenly have an ominous premonition…

Lin Shu continued, “Um… I just wanted to ask if you have any friends from Nan Li High School, can you help me find his contact information?”

“What’s that guy’s name? It’s hard to find without a name.” Yu Xiao Tong did not notice anything unusual and blurted out.

Lin Shu touched her neck and shyly said, “I don’t know his name either, but I remember well what he looks like.”

“Alright,” Yu Xiao Tong continued, “So how would you describe him?”

Lin Shu thought for a moment, “He’s very tall, maybe a little over 1.8 meters tall, he’s especially good-looking, and he must be in grade 11.”

Yu Xiao Tong asked suspiciously, “You can tell he’s in grade 11 just by looking at him?”

“The textbook in his hand was an 11th-grade book.”

Yu Xiao Tong wanted to ask more details, and just when she was about to open her mouth, she suddenly heard Chen Qi sitting next to her asking with a calm tone, “Does he wear a slightly thin black coat, zippered to the top, and white sneakers with a black Nike logo on it?”

Hearing this, Lin Shu excitedly nodded, “Yes, that’s right! Chen Qi, have you seen him?”