The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful (translated)

chapter 20

7 more days till graduation exams.

During Physical Education class, nobody remained in the classroom to revise; instead, the entire class flocked down to the fields to exercise in an attempt to relax. The form teacher constantly reminded the class to stay away from sports like tennis and basketball, as they could very well injure their hands in so playing. Thus, the entire class was restricted to jump rope and jogging.

Zeng Hao dragged Li Xiang, Xiao Mi and Chen Nian over to play badminton. After some time, Chen Nian grew tired of playing badminton, and left the group to jog around the field. Before she realised it, she had already arrived at the isolated corner where the special youth had once leapt over the school gates to stand in front of her.

As she neared the corner, her sharp eyes discerned the sleeve of a white t-shirt peeking out from beyond the gates. Surprised and elated, she ran to the gates and grab hold of the metal railings, "Why are you here?"

Bei Ye stretched out his index finger, and ran his fingers over hers before replying, "I know that you're having Physical Education lessons now."

"There's still 7 days to graduation exams."

"I know."

"If we factor in the days where graduation exams are taking place, which are a grand total of two days, we could stay by each other's side after ten days!"

Bei Ye gave a quiet chortle, "Right now, we're already staying by each other's side every single day."

"......Oh." Chen Nian nodded her head.

The warm afternoon glow filtered down through the leaves of the trees. Bei Ye tore his gentle gaze away from Chen Nian's face, and finally settled on a figure that had appeared behind her, cool frostiness beginning to form in his eyes. Lowering his voice, he murmured, "Someone's looking for you." Before Chen Nian could react to the sentence, he had already disappeared beyond the gates.

Chen Nian turned her head behind, only to see Zheng Yi strolling over from a distance away. Chen Nian perfectly understood that if Zheng Yi resorted to looking for her at this hour of the day, it must be concerning something way more serious than simply warning her about the rapist at large. Shaking off the dust on her clothes, Chen Nian began to walk towards Zheng Yi.

There were a couple of exercise contraptions located in a corner of the field. Chen Nian headed straight for elliptical machine, and hopped onto it. Meanwhile, Zheng Yi sat on the sit-up bench next to her, silently watching her exercise on the elliptical machine for a period of time before finally speaking up, "Chen Nian?"

"Yes?" She answered in a casual tone.

"Do you remember me telling you previously, that you should come looking for me the minute you encountered any trouble?"

"I remember." Chen Nian lowered her head, her legs pumping rhythmically on the elliptical machine, as though they were a pendulum clock.

"But you never once came to look for me." Zheng Yi let out a short, bitter laugh.

"I......" Chen Nian shook her head, "I didn't encounter any ...... difficulty."

"No difficulties? Wei Cai and her group of friends were constantly bullying you – why didn't you tell me that?" Zheng Yi had finally discovered the connection between Wei Cai and her.

Chen Nian paused momentarily, before resuming her rhythmic motion on the elliptical machine. "Even if I chose to confide in you ...... how would that have helped the situation?" She returned the question to Zheng Yi.

"I could ......" Zheng Yi couldn't bring himself to continue his sentence. The very reason why Chen Nian was relentlessly tormented and bullied was because she had told him the truth about Hu Xiao Die's death. And because of numerous other reasons, he was unable to protect her and to guard her from harm. At this very moment, Zheng Yi was seized by memories of sending Chen Nian to and fro from school – her thankful and expectant gaze whenever she ran to him from the alley near her house, the look of trust and reliance every single time she gave him every single time before she stepped into the school compound – all these no longer existed in the present day and age.