Chapter 41 Decline

When school was over, Xiao Yao finally made up his mind to call Ouyang Qianqian.

Ouyang Qianqian had many pigtails on her head today, wore a shortened school skirt, knee-length white stockings and white shoes.

"Today? I'm not free." Ouyang Qianqian answered while pressing the phone: "Maybe tomorrow... I'll see..."

"It's okay, let's talk about it later." Xiao Yao rolled his ankles carelessly.

"Okay." Ouyang Qianqian left the classroom without much sloppiness.

When passing by the playground, Xiao Yao saw Zhang Jialong and Hairtail's gang playing basketball while shouting.

"Brother Yao!" Hairtail yelled from a long distance away.

"Brother Long, Brother Hairtail." Xiao Yao nodded cautiously.

"Brother Yao!" Zhang Jialong deliberately shouted loudly: "You want to call me Love Sage!"

"Love Saint!" several people shouted together.

"Uh..." Xiao Yao didn't want to get too close to these hooligans, so he slipped out of the side door of the school before they could stop him from gossiping.

The weather is very good today. The sunshine at four or five o'clock in the afternoon makes the streets shine with a golden light.

He's not very hungry yet, and Shen Tianyun probably hasn't arrived home yet, so Xiao Yao is in no hurry to go back.

When I first came to Shanghai in the first year of high school, the most I could wait for at home was a simple dinner left by my grandma, let alone a beautiful and energetic girl.

.Besides, the high school in Shanghai ends earlier than his junior high school. Therefore, every day after school, he either hangs out in the school or in the green space around the school. Sometimes he even goes to the Bund to take a ferry.

For only 5 cents, you can travel back and forth to both sides of the Yellow River multiple times. Listen to the whistle in the center of the river, look out at the steel forests full of desires on both sides of the river, and marvel at the vastness of the world and the insignificance of human beings.

Many of his poems were written on the ferry boat.

However, today's Xiao Yao does not have this elegance.

He wandered carelessly and came to the green space opposite the junior high school.

The so-called green space is actually a small park without walls and boundaries. Because it is located between many junior high schools, high schools and vocational schools, it will become a paradise for students at this time.

I still remember when I came to this green space accidentally for the first time last year, Xiao Yao was so excited about the teams... ah, sorry, one by one, with red scarves hanging around their necks (Author's note: with Huaxia Unlike other areas, junior high school students in the Magic City also wear red scarves), wearing school uniforms, holding hands, and walking around were shocked.

After all, in my junior high school abroad, although there were people who secretly fell in love, they were rare, let alone so arrogant.

Now, after living in the magical city for a year, Xiao Yao has become accustomed to the civilized atmosphere of this international metropolis - although he still does not have a girlfriend.

Ignoring the chatter around him, Xiao Yao sat down next to the small fountain in the center of the green space.

In this hot season, listening to the sound of the fountain, feeling the coolness on your back, and occasionally a few drops of water splashing on your body is really refreshing.

If Yu Luying were asked to come here for a walk, would she refuse now? Xiao Yao leaned forward and put a hand into the water, thinking about it while he was playing with it.

The spring water was so clear that it bottomed out, and a cold feeling ran down his fingertips toward the Tianling Cap, making Xiao Yao want to take a big sip.

Then, he felt a slap on the back of his hand. He quickly picked it up again, shook the water, and wiped it twice on his school uniform.

Then, Xiao Yao took out his cell phone and dialed the number.

Du-du-du--

The wait was so long. When Xiao Yao was about to call again, the other party finally picked up.

"Hello?" came a cold girl's voice from the phone.

"Hello? Are you busy?"

"Busy."

Xiao Yao took a deep breath and did not ask her what she was busy with: "Shen Jie, I want to see you."

"..." His answer was only silence.

Xiao Yao looked around: "I'm in the green space next to our school now. The scenery here is quite good, and it's very suitable for walking..."

"I'm almost home. I'll have private lessons later." Shen Jie cleared her throat and said slowly.

"Oh... I asked you why you haven't replied to my messages from morning until now." Xiao Yao said pretending to be nonchalant.

"..." There was another annoying silence.

"Ah, by the way, have you read all the messages I sent?" Xiao Yao really had no choice but to raise this question.

"See." Shen Jie replied clearly.

"Well, I know you're busy, but when you have free time, why don't you go back to me? What do you think?" Xiao Yao felt that his tone sounded like the old Yao who was good at teaching.

"I'll try my best," the girl said stiffly.

"Hiss..." Xiao Yao was determined to pop the bubble today and asked clearly: "Speaking of which, I always feel that you... feel different since you returned from the KTV that day. Did something happen?"

"Is there any?" The girl's tone became warmer, as if she was laughing softly: "No..."

"If anything happens, tell me."

"It's okay, it's really okay."

"Do your friends dislike me? Did I spoil your fun that day and make you lose face?"

"What are you thinking about?" Shen Jie said, "It's nothing."

"So, is it because of Yu Luying's incident?" Xiao Yao continued to ask.

"Huh? What does it have to do with her..." On the other end of the phone, Shen Jie seemed to have a different ear: "I'm going downstairs. I'll go up first. I'll talk to you later."

"Don't hang up yet!" Xiao Yao spoke very quickly, fearing that the other party would hang up again if he spoke too slowly: "When will we go out to play next time?"

"Well..." the girl seemed to be thinking: "Let's talk about it after the final exam, right?"

"Okay, let's both work hard." Xiao Yao decided to accept this empty promise.

"Hmm. Then, hang up?"

Xiao Yao knew that he should just go down the slope, but for some reason, he added another sentence in a strange way: "How about the beach? Or are you interested in the Tropical Storm Water Park?"

"...Oops." Shen Jie suddenly exclaimed in an irritable tone.

"What's wrong?!"

"It's okay. There are a lot of mosquitoes downstairs. I'm going around the wall to feed them."

"...Haha," Xiao Yao laughed twice: "Then go up quickly and send a text message."

Shen Jie did not hang up the phone or speak.

Just as Xiao Yao was about to hang up the phone, the girl called softly: "Xiao Yao."

"Well, what's wrong?" Xiao Yao was shocked.

"I'm going to take an IELTS class during the summer vacation, so I'll be very busy." Shen Jie considered her words.

"Well... everyone is working hard." Wait, the guy walking in front is... Ouyang Qianqian?

"I will be in my senior year of high school when school starts. Although I won't take the college entrance examination, I will still be very busy because I have to prepare for studying abroad."

"I know." With her knee-length white stockings, white shoes, those pigtails on her head, and her "healthy" complexion, who else could it be but Ouyang Qianqian?

"I will try my best to reply to your message when I have time to read it. I will also find time to come to your home to see Tianyun."

"Okay." Xiao Yao agreed while looking at the boy Ouyang Qianqian was holding... Well, he really has the flavor of a South Korean Oppa.

"But if we go out to play together, we may not really have the time." Shen Jie finally expressed the key point of her expression.

"..." Ouyang Qianqian saw Xiao Yao and waved to him, but the latter lowered his head.

"Hello?" Shen Jie's voice returned to its usual clearness.

"No, I'm here." Xiao Yao touched the upper part of his face with his palm tiredly: "I just don't know what to say."

"It's okay, I'll have a chance to go out again in the future." Shen Jie said in a pretending to be relaxed tone: "As friends, get together when you have time, and let nature take its course when you're busy..."

"Friend." Xiao Yao repeated the two words.

"Otherwise?" Shen Jie asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I thought you were my future wife——"

"Maybe." The girl's emphasis fell on "maybe": "But even if it is, it is still a matter of the future. We will talk about the future. Since you believe in the established destiny, then let nature take its course."

"I don't understand." There was a hint of anger in Xiao Yao's tone.

"What don't you understand?"

"Ever since junior high school, I have often wondered who my future wife is and where is she now." Xiao Yao stood up and walked to the lawn: "I would imagine whether she had long hair or short hair. Whether she is tall or short, where is she at this moment, whether she is sitting, standing, or lying down."

Xiao Yao glanced at the two people lying on the grass with their heads next to each other: "Maybe she is thousands of miles away, making love with another boy, maybe ten minutes later..."

He glanced at the girl squatting down to tie her shoelaces again: "I will meet her at the next corner, squatting on the ground to tie her shoelaces...and then pass her by."

The sky became dark, and it seemed that only a few stars could be seen.

"You are really a poet." Shen Jie said.

"Are you mocking me?"
To be continued...