Chapter 2: Chapter 2: A Confession He Absolutely Couldn't Accept
The farewell dinner was lively.
Over forty students and six teachers gathered in a large private room, filling three round tables. One table was all boys, one all girls, and the last one was for teachers, class leaders, and some students who liked to be active around the teachers.
The usually stern teachers were relaxed, and the students had put down their burdens too. Although the final admission results hadn't come out, everyone was at least more at ease.
But for Wang Heng, the real test had just begun.
Although he was usually a good student but quiet, he sat quietly at the boys' table, next to his close friend Xiao Jian. Xiao Jian had distinctive features, especially his thick and dense eyebrows that reminded people of a character from Natuto. But his often wandering gaze and the way he raised his eyebrows sometimes made him look a bit sleazy, more like an adult version of Shin-chan than a passionate youth.
Seeing Wang Heng quieter than usual, Xiao Jian picked up some food and asked, "Xiao Heng, what's on your mind?"
"Nothing."
"I feel like you're a bit off today..."
"How so?"
Xiao Jian stroked his chin, saying seriously, "You used to call me 'jerk,' but today you're just using my name."
Wang Heng: "...Alright, Jerk. By the way, which university did you apply to?"
Xiao Jian laughed, "Finally asking about me, huh? I can't be sure, though. My first choice is in Huadu, second in Modu, and third in the provincial capital. Where I'll end up, who knows. Speaking of applications, the cut-off score for the University of Electronic Science and Technology is usually not low. Are you sure you can get in?"
"Sure," Wang Heng said confidently, "I accepted the adjustment, and this year's cut-off score there won't be too high."
"How can you be so confident..." Xiao Jian was about to continue when he suddenly noticed something, "Hey, who is that staring at you?"
"You mean Han Yi Xuan?"
"Yeah, look back—"
Before Xiao Jian could finish, Wang Heng interrupted him firmly, "No, let's eat."
"Huh?"
Avoiding the firewood knife starts with avoiding eye contact with girls. Wang Heng was well aware that Han Yi Xuan was sitting at the next table, just a few steps away from him. But he deliberately didn't turn back, pretending he hadn't noticed her at all.
The dishes on the table were quite plentiful, but there were few endlessly talkative students. Xiao Jian found that while he chatted a bit and looked around, the plate of iron steak that had just been served was gone. Especially when it was turned to his side, the last two pieces were taken away by Wang Heng with his chopsticks.
"Can't you leave some for me?" Xiao Jian said with a face full of sorrow and frustration.
Wang Heng, chewing, replied, "Sorry, I can't."
Just then, a soft voice of a girl came from behind: "Wang Heng, can you come out for a moment?"
Suddenly, the room quieted down, and this unusual atmosphere spread, silencing the entire private room.
The students nearby turned their gaze towards Wang Heng and Han Yi Xuan. Even those who hadn't heard the exchange were looking at them, driven by curiosity.
Xiao Jian was the first to react with a meaningful "Oh," breaking the silence.
Wang Heng sighed and put down his chopsticks. Now, he couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to.
A few of the boys started to tease:
"What do you need him for, Han Yi Xuan?"
"What secret can't you say in front of everyone?"
"Don't worry, you guys can talk, we won't eavesdrop..."
The students got excited at the prospect of gossip. Both boys and girls were egging them on. Han Yi Xuan's face turned red, but she kept her gaze fixed on the boy in front of her.
Wang Heng stood up, also looking directly at the girl, and replied, "Okay, let's talk outside."
The two left the private room amid the teasing of their classmates.
Wang Heng walked ahead with Han Yi Xuan following him, her face down. They continued until they were on the corridor outside the restaurant, which was much quieter than inside.
Wang Heng looked at the girl in front of him. She was looking down, so he couldn't see her expression, but even her earlobes were red, probably her face was even redder.
He sighed and said, "I think I can guess what you want to say. If it's not just my overconfidence... is it a confession?"
Han Yi Xuan's voice was very soft: "You're right."
"Understood," Wang Heng swallowed, "but I'm really sorry."
The girl lifted her face, her eyes wide with shock: "Do you... dislike me?"
"I don't dislike you. To be precise, I actually quite like you." He knew she must have seen many signs of a secret crush from him over the last two years, so he needed a reasonable excuse.
"Then why are you apologizing?"
"Because I don't plan to be in a relationship."
Han Yi Xuan paused, then asked with reluctance: "The college entrance exams are over, why wouldn't you want to?"
Wang Heng gave the reason he had thought up earlier, the most suitable excuse: "Because after the summer vacation, we'll start our separate ways. I don't like that. And about dating, I'm just not ready for it yet..."
"What does a guy need to prepare for!" Han Yi Xuan clenched her fists, "And so what if we part ways for school, it's a different time now, what's the big deal with a long-distance relationship!"
She was more persistent than he had anticipated, so Wang Heng had to think of another excuse on the spot. Suddenly, he had an idea.
"I want to ask you a question," said Wang Heng, "Why do you like me?"
Han Yi Xuan hesitated for less than a second before countering, "Does liking someone need a reason?"
Wang Heng tapped his temple with a finger: "Every emotion has a reason. Generally, teenage crushes are superficial, mostly because of good looks. And for people in their twenties and even forties, the reasons for liking someone are usually just as shallow. So-called love at first sight is just attraction at a glance; and the so-called love that develops over time is nothing more than weighing pros and cons, which is even more pragmatic..."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What I mean is, the core of love is simply the instinct to reproduce, on top of a fear of loneliness, then wrapped in a cultural veneer. It's just that, the so-called love is a ridiculous thing, a beautiful illusion created by people's fantasies. Being in a relationship means basing your life and emotions on an illusion, like building a skyscraper on a swamp, it's unstable. So, even if we weren't parting ways in two months, I'm sure we wouldn't work out."
Looking at the girl's stunned expression, Wang Heng thought his impromptu speech had probably worked... maybe?
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