"So Yuanyuan, have you forgiven me a little bit?"
The bunch of roses was bright - colored and strongly scented. In the bleak winter with bare trees, it was a unique sight.
The delicate fragrance lingered around her nose. Jiang Yuan took a deep breath, her eyes curving into a smile. She deliberately kept the nervous - looking boy in front of her in suspense.
"Actually, I don't like apples that much."
As she said this, she noticed Chi Xu's smile stiffen slightly. The playfulness on her lips deepened.
Suddenly, she changed the subject: "But I'm really touched. Thank you, Chi Xu."
Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
"I'm in a really good mood, so I'll forgive you a little more. There's still four - fifths left, though."
Chi Xu finally relaxed his somewhat rigid body. He held out the bouquet of roses, tilted his head, and said with a smile, "These roses are for you. Merry Christmas Eve, Yuanyuan."
He spoke softly, his voice a bit hoarse, sounding gentle and smiling.
Jiang Yuan's cheeks flushed slightly. She took the flowers gracefully and thanked him.
"Tomorrow is Christmas. Do you have any plans, Yuanyuan?" Chi Xu's eyes casually landed on the apple cake. His eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, and a sense of discomfort welled up in his heart.
It was Lu Zhen again. He always seemed to come between them.
Jiang Yuan held the bouquet and tilted her head slightly. Her lips curved into a smile. The cold wind blew at her clothes, but it couldn't compare to the warmth of her words landing on his heart: "It depends on your performance."
It seemed that there was a chance. For the time being, no one else had asked her out.
A faint smile appeared in Chi Xu's eyes, but he celebrated too soon.
Jiang Yuan took a step forward. Her fair and slender finger gently touched his chest and gave it a little poke. She smiled playfully: "Number one suitor, come on!"
Immediately after, Jiang Yuan withdrew her hand and stepped back to her original position.
Chi Xu was stunned. The joy that had just welled up in his heart was suddenly doused by a bucket of ice - cold water. His mood was like a roller - coaster, going up and down.
Jiang Yuan smiled brightly. She waved goodbye to Chi Xu and walked towards the dormitory building with Lin Suye.
"Yuanyuan, remember to check your memo!" Chi Xu, who had been standing there in a daze, suddenly remembered something very important he hadn't said. He cupped his hands into a megaphone shape and shouted.
Downstairs of the dormitory building, Jiang Yuan had her back to him. She waved casually and gradually disappeared from his sight with Lin Suye.
When Jiang Yuan returned to the dormitory, she didn't rush to check the memo. Maybe she had stayed downstairs for too long. The other two roommates just came back. They said they had seen Chi Xu giving her the flowers. Yu Huan held up her phone and showed it to her with a smile.
"Yuanyuan, I took a photo. Isn't it nice?"
In the photo, she and Chi Xu were standing face - to - face. Chi Xu was holding a bunch of brightly - colored roses, which brightened up the grayish picture.
The moment was frozen when she reached out to take the flowers. She was slightly bowing her head, her eyes gentle, and her lips curving involuntarily.
"Thanks. Send it to me." Jiang Yuan smiled slightly. She leaned the roses on the table and counted. There were 52 roses, the same number as the 52 Christmas apples.
She was undoubtedly happy. It was as if she was in a dream, floating with an unrealistic sense of illusion.
Jiang Yuan stared at the photo Yu Huan sent. She pursed her lips and smiled to herself for a while before she remembered that Chi Xu had told her to check the memo.
She usually didn't look at her phone messages after school as she was busy walking, let alone the memo.
She opened the memo, and the latest message was a website address.
Jiang Yuan clicked on it directly.
The phone screen jumped and suddenly went completely black. She wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently.
The light from the phone reflected in her pupils.
At first, a light - pink "love you" appeared, then two, three, four, and even more. They were in different shades of pink, all based on the pink tone.
The "love you"s that appeared didn't disappear. They moved randomly around the small screen.
Then, a huge heart appeared in the middle of the screen, pulsating like a beating heart, growing bigger and smaller.
A line of words appeared in the heart.
"Yuanyuan, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"
Tomorrow was Christmas, such a wonderful day.
Jiang Yuan felt as if a huge tree of happiness had been planted in her heart. Sometimes it was showered with fresh and cool raindrops, and sometimes it blossomed with one happy flower after another, decorating her heart lake.
She pursed her lips and tried to hold back her smile, but looking at the romance on the phone screen, the smile on her lips couldn't be suppressed. It spread all the way to the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.
Happiness sometimes came so unexpectedly.
Just when it seemed hopeless, there was a turn for the better.
Jiang Yuan exited the website and wrote in the memo.
[Alright, I agree to the date with you tomorrow.]
Maybe the other person had been waiting for a response. As soon as she finished typing, a new message appeared in the memo.
[Yuanyuan, so what's the progress of your forgiveness now?]
[There's still three - fifths left.]
Jiang Yuan raised her eyebrows. Afraid that he would be too proud, she specifically reminded him.
[But if you do something that doesn't meet my expectations, the three - fifths might turn back into four - fifths.]
Humph, a simple code was a piece of cake for engineering students.
Although Jiang Yuan was also an engineering student, the teacher hadn't delved deep into code yet. Instead, more emphasis was placed on aesthetic training.
Maybe the teachers would go into more detail next semester.
[Yes, ma'am. I guarantee you'll be satisfied, Yuanyuan.]
Jiang Yuan glanced at the memo, then exited and opened WeChat. Lu Zhen's message was sitting there alone.
[Prayer Will Come True: Thank you, Lu Zhen. I also wish you a merry Christmas Eve and all the best.]
[Lu Zhen the Unconventional: Jiang Yuan, are you free tomorrow on Christmas? I found a really delicious restaurant. How about we go there together?]
He was asking her out for Christmas.
Maybe because of the conflict between her and Chi Xu last time, and Lu Zhen knew the whole story, he thought he had a chance. He also said that he didn't like her anymore.
Jiang Yuan sighed and typed word by word.
[Prayer Will Come True: Sorry, I've already made an appointment with Chi Xu tomorrow.]
She told him cruelly and straightforwardly.
Jiang Yuan comforted herself in her heart. This was for Lu Zhen's own good. It would let him let go of any illusions earlier and extinguish all his expectations.
Lu Zhen didn't reply for a long time. Just when Jiang Yuan thought he wouldn't reply, he said.
[Lu Zhen the Unconventional: You and Chi Xu... are you back together?]
[Prayer Will Come True: Almost. It's coming soon.]
[Lu Zhen the Unconventional: Jiang Yuan, then I'll wish you eternal happiness in advance.]
It was "eternal happiness", not just "happiness".
The former implied a sense of time, representing a long - lasting happiness.
[Prayer Will Come True: Thank you. I also wish you'll find your own happiness soon.]