It was the summer break after their high school entrance examinations. The results were out around end July. Out of the two high schools in their town, both Chen Xiaoxi and Jiang Chen got into the better one - Yi High. It sounds that it was nothing amazing when said in this manner. How about, both Chen Xiaoxi and Jiang Chen got into the town's best high school - Yi High! Yes, that's better. It's necessary to leave out some words some times.
Jiang Chen left for his grandmother's house for summer vacation the moment exams ended. His results weren't bad, and there's no need to check it up because news like 'town's mayor's son got first in the entire town' will travel as fast as 'Zhang San's son stole Li Si's bicycle' or 'Wang Wu's daughter got into a relationship and had to abort her baby'. This three news took the podium for the highest search ranking in the market. On the other hand, Chen Xiaoxi was worrying for half a month about not being able to go to the same school as Jiang Chen, she even slimmed down from worrying.
After knowing her results she led a carefree and worriless life. There was no holiday homework and she could go to the same school as Jiang Chen, how could life get any better?
Time flew past during holidays, although Chen Xiaoxi didn't see Jiang Chen for a month plus, she didn't exactly miss him either. Probably because the TV shows during holidays were too enticing, from Doraemon and Full House, Chen Xiaoxi was so busy.
One day while Chen Xiaoxi was watching Big G kick Nobi into a sewerage, her mum came to tell her that someone called and was looking for her, she even said that the person sounded like a teacher. She was grumbling about which teacher would call her, and she walked to pick up the call. (T/N: I've never watched doraemon in English dub in my life before, so I googled the characters' English names and I hope I got them right, basically she's referring to the fat bully and the main lead.)
"Hello."
Chen Xiaoxi said, "Who… uh who are you?"
"It's me." A hoarse voice came through.
Xiaoxi frowned, "Is it Teacher Li?"
Teacher Li is an arts teacher in school, his biggest achievement was that his art was once showcased in the town's hall, and he was a widely known smoker. His catchphrase is "You think I'm smoking? I'm actually not, I'm just admiring the smoke and fog dispersing into nothing in an artiste's life." Hence this teacher's nickname is 'artiste's life'. It seems like he took the chance to open an art tutorial class during the summer break, and called student's house to talk highly about art. As a third-year junior high graduate who had nothing to do, they were the prime targets to instill the culture of art.
There was silence on the phone, Chen Xiaoxi took opportunity from the silence to think of ways to reject artiste's life but at the same time not to harm artiste's life's artiste spirit.
Before Chen Xiaoxi could think of a tactful way to reject, the voice spoke again, "I am Jiang Chen."
"Ah?" Chen Xiaoxi was shocked, she subconsciously blabbered, "How can Jiang Chen's voice be so awful?"
Another silence, Chen Xiaoxi couldn't control but asked, "Just who are you? You can't possibly really be Jiang Chen?"
"I am."
Chen Xiaoxi frantically tried to mend the pen after losing the sheep*, "no, I didn't mean to say your voice is awful, I'm just saying it sound very mature, very unique." (T/N: it's a way to mean it's better late than never.)
"I know, you don't have to say anymore." Jiang Chen said.
Chen Xiaoxi was anxious, "No, my mum said that boys around this age will break their voice, your voice really isn't extremely awful, our fat class monitor's voice sounds like a ghost was strangling him, yours sounds most like a duck….."
Silence, followed by a sigh.
Chen Xiaoxi was dispirited to the maximum, "I don't know what I am saying, you should say what you called me for."
"I'm still at my grandma's house, tomorrow when you are going to school to collect transcript and graduation certificate please collect mine at the same time," said Jiang Chen.
Chen Xiaoxi scratched her head, "So we are supposed to collect our results tomorrow…"
"You don't remember?"
Chen Xiaoxi forced a laugh, "Now I remember."
"Okay, so remember to help me collect, I'm hanging up, bye."
"Wait!" Chen Xiaoxi exclaimed, "That…"
"What?"
Chen Xiaoxi took a deep breath and said, "I just want to say, even though your voice changed, but don't you worry, I will never forsake you!"
"I will!" Jiang Chen's strange duck hoarse voice had a tinge of happiness to it.
The line cut off, Chen Xiaoxi was staring at the telephone still immersed in her never leaving, never forsaking mighty love.
Jiang Chen couldn't help but kick the wall after he hung up. Whose voice sounds like a duck!? Who is forsaking who!?
Jiang Chen's grandma happened to deliver a plate of freshly cut fruits, the elderly stood at the door confused, why is her cultured and refined, first in the town grandson suddenly kicking the wall?
After half a month, Jiang Chen stood in the alley, his legs kicking the small pebbles on the ground. He was waiting for Chen Xiaoxi to pass his results slip to him. There was a slam from her apartment's building's anti-thief door, and he suddenly swallowed the entire throat lozenge that was in his mouth down his throat.
Chen Xiaoxi was all smiled when she passed his results slip to him, "Was grandma's house fun?"
"So-so," Jiang Chen looked down to open his certificate.
Chen Xiaoxi secretly tipped toe beside him to compare their height, during the short while they didn't see each other, he seemed to have grew taller again.
Jiang Chen's saw Chen Xiaoxi tipping her toes like a ballerina beside him through his peripheral vision, he gave her a look, "What are you doing?"
Chen Xiaoxi laughed foolishly, "You seemed to have grown taller again."
Jiang Chen closed his certificate book, "I'm going back."
Chen Xiaoxi nodded, "Bye bye, oh right, your voice seems to have recovered, although it still sounds a bit deeper than before, congratulations."
"A normal person would congratulate me for getting first and not congratulate me for getting my voice back," Jiang Chen couldn't help but say.
Chen Xiaoxi was indifferent to it, "You were going to top the cohort in the first place, for something's that bound to happen, what's there to congratulate for?" She paused for a while, then smiled joyfully, "You should congratulate me instead, I also got into Yi High, I might even be in the same class as you."
Jiang Chen actually knew from the start, he gave his form teacher a call when the results came out, and he used a very convenient tone to ask who else got into Yi High. When he heard Xiaoxi's name, he wasn't sure why he felt a sense of relieved. Jiang Chen didn't say congratulations, he said, "Seems that Yi High lowered their cut-off point this year."
Chen Xiaoxi was not affected at all, but there was fear on her face as she nodded, "Yes, yes, it was lower than last year by 5 marks, luckily it was lowered by 5 marks, if not I would be lacking a point to enter, I was so lucky."
To insult till the person couldn't understand, how lonely.
Chen Xiaoxi was still rambling on about how she changed to the wrong answers to the math multiple choice questions at the last minute before handling up the paper, 1 question is 5 marks, 2 questions is 10 marks…..
Jiang Chen felt that the lozenge he swallowed accidentally was cooling his chest, and he wanted to interrupt her and return home to drink water and push down the lozenge. But he had no idea why every time he was about to bring it up, he would see her talking so radiantly in delight, and he would stop himself. Forget it, just let her talk, he had seen an article before, which touches on how a pet would be extremely affectionate after not seeing its owner for a long time. Although she isn't a pet, but feelings, are all universal.
Chen Xiaoxi was getting tired from talking and swallowing her saliva, but when she found that Jiang Chen had no intention of stopping her, she could only take a deep breath and continue elated and excitedly, "This summer break I went to the beach, I picked up a lot of seashells, and I want to paste a canvas of seashells, when I'm done I will show you….."
Ah so tired, Jiang Chen why aren't you going home…..