Chen Si · Chat

The noise of the break filled the classroom. Pens were set aside on desks, and many students took advantage of the short break to gather together, laughing and chatting, with fragmented voices rising and falling. Chen Si leaned against the back of his chair, his posture lazy, one hand resting casually on the edge of the desk, black in-ear headphones plugged into his ears. To others, it seemed he was immersed in music, isolated from the surrounding noise, but in reality, the headphones were empty, with no melody playing at all; every word of the surrounding gossip drifted clearly into his ears. A few students at a neighboring desk were huddled together, lowering their voices to discuss the latest gossip. Student A, looking full of interest, spoke first: "Hey, have you heard? Someone in our class, XXX, is in a relationship." These words immediately piqued the curiosity of those nearby. Student B leaned in right away, his tone full of surprise: "Really? Is the person they're dating from our class?" "Of course it's true," Student C nodded repeatedly, his tone very certain. "I saw it with my own eyes after school yesterday. They were walking home hand-in-hand. I saw it clearly, no mistake about it." The group continued to discuss the matter, one sentence after another, with the sounds of laughter and teasing ongoing. Chen Si, who had remained silent throughout, kept his eyes downcast, his long lashes hiding the surging emotions beneath. The air around him grew a few degrees colder unconsciously. He gently rubbed the headphone cord with his fingertips, still wearing that careless expression on the surface, but a plan had already formed in his mind. He secretly made up his mind: after school today, he would wait on the path you always take home. He had to stop you in person and get to the bottom of this.