As she walked along, Jiang Yuan received Red Delicious apples one after another.
When she reached Duxing Building, Jiang Yuan roughly counted. There were already fifteen apples stuffed in her schoolbag. Together with her textbooks, it wasn't too heavy.
There was no need for further speculation. This must have been Chi Xu's doing.
Jiang Yuan continued to glance down at her memo. There was still no new message. Carrying this schoolbag full of apples, she walked to the classroom door.
Another girl stopped her, holding out a Red Delicious apple in her palm.
"Classmate Jiang Yuan, may you have a safe night not only on Christmas Eve but every night, and may all your wishes come true."
"Thank you." Jiang Yuan smiled faintly and took the Red Delicious apple with a familiar motion. Then she followed her roommates into the classroom.
She plopped down into her seat. One by one, several classmates in the class came over and gave her a few more apples.
For a moment, many people were envious.
"You must have more than twenty apples by now," Yu Huan asked curiously. "Fortunately, these apples are small. If they were as big as the ones we usually eat, your schoolbag would be so heavy."
"Moreover, it's a waste. Yuan Yuan can't eat them all by herself. I've got a lot of apples myself and I'm counting on you guys to help me finish them," Lin Suye chimed in, propping her chin on one hand and shaking her head.
"Who is it? Yuan Yuan, do you know who sent them? Is it one of your suitors?" Su Kexin smelled the gossip and excitedly asked, "One apple, one blessing. It's so thoughtful. He must have found so many people. I'm so touched, sniff sniff."
Jiang Yuan had a hunch about who it was. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. She didn't answer her roommates' curious questions for the time being. Instead, she opened her memo and typed a message.
[Did you ask your classmates to give me the Christmas apples?]
After sending the message, she blinked lightly and said, "You'll know later."
After school, Jiang Yuan's phone rang. It was the delivery guy saying that her takeout was placed on the counter at the school gate.
But Jiang Yuan hadn't ordered any takeout.
Yu Huan guessed excitedly, "It must be that guy who sent you the apples. Come on, let's go together and see what takeout he ordered for you."
So Jiang Yuan was surrounded by her three roommates as they walked towards the school gate to pick up the takeout.
Jiang Yuan: "..."
When they arrived at the takeout counter, they saw an apple cake placed on the top.
Lin Suye shrieked, "This must be yours, definitely yours..."
Jiang Yuan quickly covered her mouth and whispered threateningly, "Lin Suye, keep your voice down. What if it's not mine? I'll never forgive you if we make a fool of ourselves."
She checked the number and it was indeed hers.
The apple cake was ingeniously made in the shape of a round apple. The frosting on the surface simulated the smooth texture of an apple's peel, with a bright and even color.
On top of the cake, there was a delicate green leaf and a small brown stem, making it look extremely realistic.
Jiang Yuan didn't plan to go to the cafeteria for dinner that night. She carried the cake back to the dormitory. Lin Suye said she would just eat apples that night and wouldn't go to the cafeteria either. The other two roommates decided to go to the cafeteria first and then head back.
Her schoolbag was so heavy. As she walked back, one after another, people came to give her apples.
Jiang Yuan was numb. From the initial joy and excitement to the current mechanical stiffness, she adjusted her schoolbag. It was already stuffed to the brim.
Some apples couldn't fit in the schoolbag. A kind classmate who was giving her an apple also gave them a bag. Lin Suye helped carry it.
"Yuan Yuan, we've received almost twenty apples just now," Lin Suye said in just a dozen minutes.
Almost twenty apples, which meant about one apple per minute.
Jiang Yuan responded feebly.
She wondered if she could bear this heavy affection.
It was really heavy.
The air was cold. The sky was covered with a thick layer of haze. The lead - gray clouds hung low and unevenly.
After walking for a while, Jiang Yuan tugged at her collar to catch her breath. The cold wind blew away some of the heat.
When they reached the dormitory building, there was a boy standing downstairs. He was holding a bouquet of flowers. He had a tall and slender figure and was lazily leaning against a tree. The dim shadow obscured his emotions.
People came and went here, and everyone who passed by couldn't help but look up at him a few times.
"It's Chi Xu," Lin Suye said. "These apples must be from him, and so is this cake."
Jiang Yuan responded indifferently.
As if they were in sync, the boy in the shadow suddenly looked up. His beautiful black eyes locked onto her. Then his smile gradually widened, spreading from the corners of his eyes and brows. He smiled brightly.
He called out piously, "Yuan Yuan."
Jiang Yuan's heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the bag with the cake, and walked up to him calmly, then stopped.
"The apples and the cake, they're from you, right?"
Lin Suye smartly stepped aside and lowered her head to play with her phone, not wanting to interrupt.
"Yes, 52 apples," Chi Xu's gaze fell on the cake in her hand. He paused for a moment and asked, "Who sent you this cake?"
Huh? Now Jiang Yuan was confused. "Wasn't the cake sent by you?"
"No," Chi Xu squinted slightly. A fleeting look of in - depth speculation flashed across his eyes. "Didn't the person who sent it message you?"
Jiang Yuan remembered that she hadn't checked her WeChat messages after school. She opened her phone and scrolled down. She stopped when her eyes fell on the message from Lu Zhen.
[Lu Zhen: It's Christmas Eve today. I thought you liked desserts more, so I bought an apple cake for you. Merry Christmas Eve, Jiang Yuan.]
"Oh, he sent me a message. I just didn't see it," Jiang Yuan calmly put away her phone and put it in her pocket in front of Chi Xu.
Seeing Jiang Yuan's reaction, after a moment of hesitation, Chi Xu already guessed who it was. His eyes dimmed slightly.
But soon, he put on another smile. His eyes curved into crescent moons. Against the backdrop of the flowers, he was more charming than the flowers, and his smile was as clear as a river.
"Yuan Yuan, today is Christmas Eve. May you have a safe Christmas Eve every year and be safe all the time."
"I couldn't have forgotten such an important day."
Suddenly, memories of spending Christmas Eve with Chi Xu in previous years flashed through her mind. She immediately understood the hidden meaning behind Chi Xu's words.
He was saying that he had always remembered her.
He had never forgotten.
"52 apples. Where did you find so many people to give me apples?"
Jiang Yuan deliberately asked this question to break the atmosphere. She was being a bit naughty and wanted to see how he would answer next.
Chi Xu's eyes flickered. The fragrance of roses lingered around his nose, rich and alluring.
"I asked my friends or my friends' friends. I told them that I had done something wrong and lost someone. She still won't forgive me. I asked them if they were willing to help me send 52 apples on Christmas Eve to beg for a little bit of her forgiveness."
Jiang Yuan's teasing look gradually turned serious as she continued to listen to him. Her heart softened little by little.