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墨書 Inktalez
The dim yellow light spilled over the luxurious banquet hall, casting everything in a layer of ambiguous gold. This was one of the most upscale hotels in County F, and at this moment, it was hosting a lively high school reunion.
Ten years was enough to change many things. The once youthful boys and girls had mostly shed their innocence, their faces now bearing traces of worldly experience.
Lin Xu sat alone in a corner, completely out of place amidst the surrounding revelry. She wore a simple white dress, her bare face contrasting sharply with the meticulously dressed and heavily made-up female classmates around her. Holding a glass of juice, she gently swirled it, her gaze distant as if lost in thought.
"These days, anyone can show up at a reunion," a sharp voice suddenly pierced through Lin Xu's reverie from behind her.
Without turning around, Lin Xu knew it was her former "best friend," Li Weiwei.
"Vivi, how can you say that? Lin Xu is still one of our old classmates," another voice chimed in, seemingly defending Lin Xu but dripping with insincerity. It was Li Weiwei's sidekick, Wang Li.
Lin Xu scoffed inwardly but ignored them, continuing to fiddle with her glass.
"Oh come on, I'm just speaking the truth," Li Weiwei approached Lin Xu, sizing her up with disdain. "Look at what she's wearing! You'd think she picked it up from some street vendor. She's really embarrassing us from Class One!"
"Exactly," Wang Li echoed. "And just look at her face—bare and unmade up. How disrespectful to the occasion!"
"Enough already!" A deep male voice suddenly interrupted Li Weiwei and Wang Li's mockery.
Lin Xu looked up to see a tall boy approaching—it was their former class monitor, Zhang Qiang.
"What do you mean by that, Zhang Qiang?" Li Weiwei frowned and asked. "Am I wrong?"
"Lin Xu can wear whatever she wants and choose whether or not to wear makeup; what right do you have to criticize her?" Zhang Qiang said coldly. "Reunions are meant for reconnecting, not for comparing and showing off!"
"You..." Li Weiwei was left speechless by Zhang Qiang's retort. She shot a fierce glare at Lin Xu before dragging Wang Li away in defeat.
"Lin Xu, are you okay?" Zhang Qiang walked over to Lin Xu with concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine, thank you, Zhang Qiang," Lin Xu managed to force a smile as she replied.
"Sigh, just ignore them; that's just who they are," Zhang Qiang said with a sigh. "By the way, why are you sitting here alone? Why not go chat with everyone?"
"I..." Lin Xu hesitated before saying, "I don't really have anything to talk about with them."
"True," Zhang Qiang nodded. "It's been ten years; everyone has changed quite a bit."
The two of them fell silent for a moment, and then Zhang Qiang suddenly said, "By the way, Lin Xu, do you remember Ye Feng?"
"Ye Feng?" Lin Xu's body tensed slightly at the name, as if a long-sealed switch had suddenly opened the floodgates of her memory.
"Of course I remember," she replied softly, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor. "Did he... did he come today?"
"He did. He's the star of the show," Zhang Qiang said with a smile. "He'll be giving a speech later, so you should pay attention."
"A speech?" Lin Xu was somewhat surprised. "What is he going to talk about?"
"I think it's about study methods or something like that," Zhang Qiang replied. "He's become quite the expert in that area; I heard he's published several books."
"Is that so..." Lin Xu murmured to herself, a complex wave of emotions surging within her.
Just then, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight illuminated the stage.
A middle-aged man in a suit and glasses stepped onto the stage; he was the host for the evening.
"Good evening, everyone!" The host said enthusiastically. "Tonight, we are very honored to invite a special guest, our pride from High School No. 1, the renowned expert on study methods—Ye Feng!"
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Lin Xu's heart raced; she lifted her head and fixed her gaze on the stage.
Amidst the crowd's attention, a familiar figure walked onto the stage.
He wore a sharp suit and gold-rimmed glasses, his hair meticulously styled, and his face adorned with a confident smile.
It really is him!
Lin Xu's pupils constricted slightly as an indescribable shock surged within her.
After ten years apart, Ye Feng had changed so much; he had become more mature, more composed, and yet... more unfamiliar.
"Hello everyone, I am Ye Feng." His voice resonated through the banquet hall via the microphone—deep and magnetic.
"I am honored to attend this reunion and grateful for this opportunity to share some of my experiences and insights with you all."
Ye Feng's gaze swept across the audience before finally landing on Lin Xu.
Their eyes met in midair, as if an electric current passed between them.
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat; she hurriedly lowered her head, unable to bear looking into Ye Feng's eyes any longer.
"Actually, I'm not here to talk about study methods today," Ye Feng continued. "Because I believe that study methods vary from person to person; there is no one-size-fits-all approach."
"What I truly want to share with you today is a story—a story about dreams and perseverance."
"The protagonist of this story is none other than my high school deskmate—Lin Xu."
As soon as Ye Feng finished speaking, an uproar erupted throughout the hall.
All eyes turned to Lin Xu, making her the center of attention in an instant.
Lin Xu's head buzzed; she never expected Ye Feng to mention her at that moment. She looked up at Ye Feng on the stage, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.
"I know everyone is probably curious as to why I brought up Lin Xu," Ye Feng said with a slight smile, "because in my eyes, she is someone who truly has dreams and is willing to do anything for them."
"When she was in her senior year, her health was poor; she often fell ill and even took a break from school for a while. Yet, she never gave up on her studies or her dreams."
"She insisted on studying late into the night every day, even when she was sick. She once said something that I still remember vividly: 'To win the world, I have to work harder than anyone else.'"
Ye Feng's voice was strong and resonant, each word like a stone thrown into Lin Xu's calm heart, creating ripples of emotion. Memories flooded back—those past hardships, pain, confusion, struggles, and the deep-seated feelings she had for Ye Feng.
"Lin Xu, do you remember? In your senior year, you only slept four hours a night to catch up on your studies, and one day you fainted in class," Ye Feng continued with a hint of concern in his voice. "I was really worried about you. I advised you not to push yourself so hard and to take care of your health, but you said you couldn't give up; you had to get into Peking University."
"I truly admired your perseverance and determination. It deeply inspired me. It was then that I began to seriously reflect on my own life. I realized that living means having dreams and fighting for them."
Lin Xu's eyes grew moist; she never expected Ye Feng would remember those moments.
"Later on, you really got into Peking University while I didn't make it," Ye Feng said with a bitter smile. "To be honest, I felt very disappointed and envious of you. I even doubted myself—wondering if I was truly foolish and if I'd ever catch up to you."
"But your words, 'To win the world,' always motivated me. I told myself I couldn't give up; I had to fight for my dreams just like you did."
"So, I chose to repeat my senior year. I started studying harder than ever before, trying various learning methods and thinking about how to study more effectively."
"In the end, I got into my ideal university. During my time there, I began summarizing and organizing my learning experiences and methods until I formed a complete system."
"That's why I'm standing here today—to tell everyone that everyone has their own dreams and can achieve them through hard work. As long as you don't give up and keep persevering, you will surely succeed."
Ye Feng's speech concluded with thunderous applause echoing throughout the venue.
Lin Xu sat there dazed, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She never imagined that Ye Feng would see her as his motivation for success. She was even more surprised that her past words had such a profound impact on him.
"Lin Xu, are you doing well now?" A familiar voice broke through her thoughts.
Lin Xu looked up to find Ye Feng standing beside her without her noticing.
"I... I'm fine. How about you?" Lin Xu replied somewhat flustered.
"I'm doing well too," Ye Feng smiled gently. "I didn't expect that after ten years apart, you'd still be just the same—unchanged at all."
"You've changed a lot," Lin Xu said as she looked at Ye Feng. "You've become... more confident."
"Is that so?" Ye Feng smiled and said, "Maybe it's because I've finally realized my dream."
The two fell silent for a moment, and then Ye Feng suddenly spoke up, "Lin Xu, can I talk to you alone for a bit?"
"Huh?" Lin Xu was taken aback for a moment before nodding, "Sure."
They moved to a balcony outside the banquet hall, where it was quiet and offered a view of the city's nightscape.
"Lin Xu, the truth is, I came to this reunion mainly to see you," Ye Feng said, looking at Lin Xu with a gaze filled with complex emotions.
"See me?" Lin Xu was somewhat surprised. "Why?"
"Because... there are some things I want to say to you face to face." Ye Feng took a deep breath and continued, "Lin Xu, I know that after graduating from high school, you never contacted me again. Are you... still angry with me?"
"Angry?" Lin Xu asked in confusion. "Why would I be angry with you?"
"Because... because I didn't confess my feelings back then," Ye Feng's voice trembled slightly. "I knew you liked me, but I never responded. I thought that as long as I studied hard and got into the same university as you, we could be together. But I didn't expect that by the time I finally got into college, you were already... with someone else."
Lin Xu's body trembled slightly; she hadn't expected Ye Feng to say such things.
"Ye Feng, you..." Lin Xu opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
"Lin Xu, I know it's too late to say all this now," Ye Feng said with a bitter smile. "I just wanted to tell you that I've never forgotten you. You have always been the most special person in my heart."
"Ye Feng, actually..." Lin Xu hesitated for a moment but decided to tell him the truth. "Actually, during college, I wasn't with anyone else."
"What?" Ye Feng looked at Lin Xu in shock. "But I heard..."
"Those were just rumors," Lin Xu interrupted him. "During college, I was too busy studying and had no time for relationships."
"Then why... why didn't you contact me?" Ye Feng asked.
"I..." Lin Xu lowered her head and said softly, "I thought you had started a new life, and I didn't want to disturb you."
"Silly," Ye Feng sighed gently. "How could you disturb me? I've been waiting for you to contact me all along."
The two fell silent again, only the night breeze gently tousling their hair.
Just then, Lin Xu's phone suddenly rang.
She picked it up and saw it was Ji Jiumei calling.
"Hello, Jiumei, what's up?" Lin Xu answered the call.
"Lin Xu, where are you? I didn't see you in the banquet hall," Ji Jiumei's voice came through the phone.
"I'm on the balcony; it was a bit stuffy inside, so I stepped out for some fresh air," Lin Xu replied.
"Oh, I see," Ji Jiumei said. "By the way, I just heard that Ye Feng is getting married soon!"
"What?" Lin Xu's body stiffened as she instinctively looked at Ye Feng, noticing that his expression also seemed somewhat unnatural.
"Yes, I heard he's with a rich beauty. They met through a blind date and are already engaged. Their wedding is next month," Ji Jiumei continued.
"Oh, really..." Lin Xu's voice trembled slightly. "That's... that's great."
"Great? What’s so great about it!" Ji Jiumei said, frustrated. "Lin Xu, are you silly? Do you still have feelings for Ye Feng? Let me tell you, he’s getting married! Don’t be foolish anymore!"
"I don't..." Lin Xu quickly denied it. "I just... I’m just a bit surprised."
"Surprised about what? You should have moved on by now!" Ji Jiumei insisted. "Lin Xu, listen to me, Ye Feng is in the past. You can’t keep living there. You need to look forward and find your own happiness."
"I understand, Jiumei, please stop," Lin Xu interrupted her. "I'm really fine; I've let go a long time ago."
"Really let go?" Ji Jiumei still seemed unconvinced.
"Really," Lin Xu took a deep breath and said, "Jiumei, I wish Ye Feng happiness."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Xu turned to Ye Feng and forced a smile. "Congratulations, Ye Feng. I heard you're getting married."
Ye Feng's face was pale as he looked at Lin Xu, opening his mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent.
"Thank you," he said softly. "I... I hope you find happiness too."
"I will," Lin Xu nodded and then turned to leave the balcony.
She didn’t look back and didn’t see the pain and regret in Ye Feng's eyes behind her.
Walking home alone, the night wind tousled her hair and dried the tears at the corners of her eyes.
She knew that her relationship with Ye Feng was truly over.
Ten years—neither long nor short—was enough for a person to grow and for a relationship to fade away.
She once thought she would never forget Ye Feng, but now it seemed she was wrong.
Time is indeed a good medicine; it can heal all wounds and dilute all feelings.
Lin Xu looked up at the night sky where stars twinkled like their once-shared dreams.
"To win the world," Lin Xu murmured to herself, a hint of relief spreading across her face.
She knew she had won her own world.
And Ye Feng would eventually find his own happiness too.
That was enough.
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