I used to see videos of best friends falling out over a boy, and I couldn’t believe it. I never expected that this situation would actually happen to me.
I never understood why Xu Yuan disliked Xiao Shi so much. There's a saying, "Mend fences, don't break them", but with her, it was the opposite. Despite me trying to brainwash Xu Yuan every day, telling her how gentle and considerate Xiao Shi was, she remained unmoved. In the end, her dismissive attitude pissed me off, and after a huge fight , she walked away with just one sentence.
"Xu Ran, you'll regret this!"
A whole month of the cold war, the worst one in our seven years of friendship. I've known Xu Yuan for seven years - from high school to university. It was her dream to have her own art exhibition. She got her wish and entered the Academy of Fine Arts, while I studied law.
Until the day before our graduation photoshoot, I couldn't sit still anymore and sent her a message.
"We promised to take graduation photos together!"
"Hey, don't go back on your word!"
"Fine! If you don't want to take photos, don't. Don't regret it!"
Seeing that she still hadn't replied, I was furious!
Next day, I bought a bouquet of flowers and marched boldly to the Academy of Fine Arts building.
I spotted Xu Yuan in the crowd and immediately strode over. Those who didn't know better would think I was angrily confronting a boyfriend. Everyone made way for me, their gaze straight, but….
…their ears perked up, eager for the drama! After all, they say graduation season is breakup season.
When I stood in front of Xu Yuan, the crowd looked at me strangely. I ignored them, cleared my throat, and offered her the flowers in a conciliatory manner.
"Xu Yuan! Happy graduation!"
I kept smiling until my face ached, but Xu Yuan didn't even spare me a glance. More and more people stared at me - with doubt, surprise, and pity.
The smile on my face cracked bit by bit. Just as I was about to lose control, the girl standing next to Xu Yuan hesitantly took the flowers from me.
"Classmate, let me hold these for now."
I turned and gave her a small smile. There are still kind people in the world!
But the girl's face turned pale, and she lowered her eyes, not daring to look at me.
What’s going on? Am I really that fierce and menacing? Just as I was wondering, a voice called out from behind me.
"Xu Ran senior!”
I turned around and saw Su Momo running toward me. She’s Xiao Shi’s junior, and the two of them have been working on a new experiment recently, so they’ve gotten quite close.
"Su Momo, what are you doing here? Don’t you have class today?"
"Aren’t you taking your graduation photos today, senior? I thought I’d come and take one with you!"
Su Momo smiled brightly, and clung to my arm acting coquettish, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She seemed a little too enthusiastic towards me.
"Tsk, made a new friend?"
The sarcastic remark snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Xu Yuan tilting her head, her eyes filled with hostility as she glared at Su Momo. I stepped forward to block her view. Our eyes met, and the mockery in Xu Yuan's eyes was almost overflowing.
"Xu Ran, besides me, no one else wants to be friends with you!"
Her harsh words stabbed at my heart. I gritted my teeth and warned her, "Xu Yuan! There's a limit to how far you can go!"
"Senior, don't be angry!" Su Momo clung to my arm, looking anxious.
"Honestly, in this world, no one can stand you except me. Since your junior has come to find you, there's no need to cling to me like a leech, right?"
"Xu Yuan! How did we end up like this!"
"Go ask your good boyfriend. I’m saying this here today: it’s either me or him!"
"Xu Yuan, you haven’t even met him. Why do you hate him so much?"
Xu Yuan glanced at me indifferently and said nothing more. It was like punching cotton; I felt even more blocked up inside.
"The silent treatment, huh? Fine, be that way!"
Following Su Momo’s lead, I turned and walked away. Ever since Xu Yuan and I started arguing, she had been quietly and gently tugging at me, trying to pull me away.
As we argued, the crowd of onlookers dwindled… and those that remained, looked at us with strange expressions, keeping their distance.
"Senior, don't be angry. I think Xiao Shi (shi-ge) should be done with his experiment by now. Let’s go find him."
I stared at her for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"Alright, let's go find him."
I just wanted to ask what exactly happened between him and Xu Yuan that made her hate him so much?
As we reached the laboratory building, we saw Xiao Shi coming out. He was slightly startled when he first saw me, but then he smiled and waved.
"Why did you come to the laboratory building?"
While speaking, he glanced discreetly at Su Momo. Unfortunately, I caught that cautious glance.
"Momo said you should be done with your experiment by now, so I came to find you. Why aren't you happy to see me?"
"How is that possible? I'm overjoyed!"
"Senior, my advisor needs me for something. I'll go now. Bye-bye."
Su Momo sensed the awkward atmosphere and ran away.
"Let's go, get something to eat."
I noticed his hand reaching for mine, so I silently put my hands in my pockets.
Xiao Shi paused, but didn't say anything. The two of us just stood there without speaking.
I lowered my head and stared at my toes, my mind full of Xu Yuan.
"No one else can stand you but me."
"Watch out!"
I was pulled into his arms and a car sped past us. As I listened to his heartbeat, I blurted out, "What's going on between you and Xu Yuan?"
"What could possibly be going on? We haven't even met! It's her problem, clinging onto a friend like that."
His words sounded so sincere.
"Is that so? Alright."
I smiled faintly before continuing to walk forward with my head down, my smile fading. Ha! I almost fell for it.
"Ranran, next month is your birthday. What do you want for a present?"
The boy turned his head away, not daring to look at me. His ears turned a faint pink as he stammered.
"This is my first time…. I don't know what you like, so I just asked you directly… But! I'll prepare more carefully next time!"
When I was 16, I received my first gift, a white dress; when I was 18, I received my first bouquet of flowers... all from Xu Yuan.
"I'll remember your preferences in the future, Ranran. Ranran?"
"Ah, I'm listening. I'll like anything you give me."
"Ranran, what were you thinking about just now?"
"Sorry, I feel a little uncomfortable. I'll go back first..."
Just as Xiao Shi's hand was about to touch me, I fled in panic. When I finally returned to the dormitory, cold tears fell onto the floor, and my emotions overwhelmed me like a tidal wave. I asked myself repeatedly, why did I run away? He is your boyfriend, isn't he? When I felt like I couldn't breathe, the vibration of my phone woke me up.
Two chat boxes popped up - one from Xu Yuan, "Tomorrow, I'll give you an answer."
….and the other was from Su Momo: "Senior, do you have time tomorrow morning? Can you accompany me to go shopping? I need to buy some lab equipment."
"Okay."
I calmed myself down and replied to Su Momo.
The next day, I waited for her at the agreed place, staring at Xu Yuan's chat box, lost in thought. I didn't dare to know what the answer would be.
"Senior! Sorry for asking you out on your day off!"
Su Momo's voice brought me back to my senses, and I smiled subconsciously, "It's okay."
"Let's go then!"
With that, Su Momo pulled me towards the mall.
"Didn't you say you were going to buy lab equipment?"
"Ah, it's okay, senior, it's not too late for us to go shopping first.”
Su Momo pulled me and quickened her pace, looking around the mall as if she was afraid of missing something.
It wasn't until I saw two familiar figures that I realised why, of all the students in the psychology department, she had to drag me to buy equipment...
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