Chapter 46
During the two days Jian Wenming was recovering in the hospital, Jian Wu became increasingly busy preparing for the middle school exams, so Professor Song, temporarily free from work, took on the role of full-time caregiver, visiting the animal hospital every day and recording videos for Jian Wu to report on the bird’s condition.
The bird’s recovery was faster than expected. In the latest video, it was already energetic enough to talk. Whether it was because of a concussion causing memory loss, or because it knew Song Shuci was its savior, this time, its first words were “Congratulations and be prosperous.”
Song Shuci showed off the video to him, making Jian Wu almost want to resign on the spot and reunite with the little bird. Seeing it becoming more and more lively, his mood also improved.
On Friday afternoon, after finishing a set of practice papers, Jian Wu put down his lesson plan, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, turned on his phone screen, and glanced at the time, “That’s all for today’s lesson, everyone go back and review carefully.”
The students below, unusually, all raised their hands in unison: “Teacher, did you forget something?”
Jian Wu, while checking the time, also glanced at the new message from Song Shuci, another one-minute video of the bird. Although he didn’t have time to open it, he still smiled.
He looked up from his phone and teased the students: “Forget what?”
The students of Class 3, who had just aced their exam and wanted to announce it to the world, shouted in unison: “Sing! A! Song!—”
Although Jian Wu had criticized them for getting the old exam questions wrong, he had promised to sing for them during class on Friday. They had been looking forward to it for days, and Friday had finally arrived.
Jian Wu took a sip of cola and picked up the guitar case leaning against the podium: “If I had forgotten, would I have brought my guitar?”
He took the instrument out of the case and glanced at the clock, “Five minutes until the end of class, have you decided what you want to hear?”
“We’ve decided!”
A note was passed from the literature representative in the back row to the front, until the student in the first row mysteriously handed the note with the song title to Jian Wu.
Seeing their theatrics, Jian Wu thought it would be something special, but when he opened the note, it read: “Tomorrow Will Be Better.”
These adolescent children were at the age of budding emotions. Usually, given such an opportunity, they would always ask him to sing love songs. This was the first time they had chosen such a serious song.
Summer was approaching, and the atmosphere of graduation was growing stronger.
Jian Wu thought, perhaps because many ninth-graders were taking graduation photos recently, these eighth-graders, seeing this, were also feeling sentimental, which was why they chose this graduation anthem for him to sing.
The affiliated schools of B Medical University only included preschool and compulsory education, namely kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school. After the high school entrance exam, they would have to part ways and go to different high schools to face greater challenges.
Since it was a university-affiliated school, most of these children had been playing together since kindergarten, spending over a decade together. Only now did they finally have a vague sense of the impending separation and their different paths ahead.
Seeing Jian Wu staring at the note in silence, someone boldly asked: “Teacher Jian, can you sing it?”
Jian Wu put down the note and said with a smile: “Sure.”
He brought a chair over, sat down, and held his guitar.
A student asked: “Teacher, aren’t you going to look for the lyrics?”
Jian Wu usually searched for lyrics or sheet music on the classroom computer before singing, but this time he shook his head: “No need, I’m too familiar with this song.”
He expertly tuned the guitar, strummed a few chords, and, after confirming the sound was okay, said: “Then I’ll start?”
Applause erupted from below.
Jian Wu smiled, played an eight-beat intro, then suddenly stopped, “By the way, let me tell you something. I had a friend before, he graduated from No. 6 Middle School, I also sang this song for him, and then he ranked second in the city in the college entrance exam.”
“Whoa—”
His words immediately elicited gasps of surprise and envy from the students.
No. 6 Middle School was the dream high school for almost all students in City B, let alone achieving such good results.
Jian Wu was very satisfied with the children’s reaction and added: “So listen carefully, after listening, you all better pass the middle school exam, no one can fail.”
The middle school exam in City B was a pass/fail exam, not very difficult, so the students weren’t too stressed after hearing this. Instead, they became even more excited, their cheers and desk-banging almost lifting the roof.
“Sing, Teacher Jian, we want to receive good luck!”
“Shh—”
Jian Wu put his index finger to his lips, making a silencing gesture.
“If you attract the grade director, no one will get to hear it.”
With the exams approaching, the grade director was probably trying to meet his KPIs, patrolling the hallways every day. He was the ultimate weapon for scaring children, even more effective than the cry of “Wolf!” The class immediately quieted down, everyone staring at Jian Wu with bated breath.
With a few familiar strums, Jian Wu played a gentle intro.
“Gently awaken the sleeping heart, slowly open your eyes…”
The gentle male voice blended perfectly with the familiar guitar melody, creating a graduation atmosphere.
Some students wanted to clap along, but were afraid of attracting the grade director. They wanted to use their phone flashlights as glow sticks, but phones weren’t allowed in school, so in the end, they could only roll up their test papers and wave them around.
The students, in their neat uniforms, waving their “test paper glow sticks” in unison, created a strangely touching scene, perfectly in sync with the song.
Midway through the song, Jian Wu noticed someone seemed to be passing by outside the window.
But the school, to prevent people walking outside from distracting the students, had frosted film on the lower part of the windows, so he couldn’t see clearly who it was, only a shadow passing by.
But since no one came in, it definitely wasn’t the grade director, so Jian Wu relaxed and continued singing.
Outside the classroom.
A man in a suit sat at a small desk, looking slightly cramped.
The desk and chair by the classroom door were for teachers to tutor students. Sometimes, during self-study, if a student had a question, the teacher answering it in the classroom would disturb other students, so many schools had such a setup outside the classroom. It was also used by teachers to place graded assignments or by students to discuss problems with each other.
Song Shuci’s junior high and high schools also had this setup.
Because he was always a grade higher than Jian Wu, he always finished school later. Every time after school, Jian Wu would sit at the small desk and chair outside his classroom, doing his homework while waiting for him.
So, since they were young, his classmates and teachers all knew he had a younger brother.
Sometimes, when the teacher wanted to extend the class for a few minutes, they would think of the younger brother waiting outside, softening their hearts and controlling their urge to talk too much, trying to finish the lesson within the allotted time.
Song Shuci hadn’t expected to run into Jian Wu singing to his students, and it happened to be this song.
He remembered Jian Wu had also sung this song at the New Year’s Eve concert during his senior year.
No. 6 Middle School had a tradition of holding a New Year’s Eve concert. Teachers and administrators didn’t participate, and there were no judges, it was purely for relaxation and celebrating the new year. But this excitement only belonged to the first and second-year students. The third-year students, already in the intense preparation stage for the college entrance exam, were all ordered to stay in their classrooms and study.
When it was Jian Wu’s turn to perform, it happened to be during the break, so some senior students also sneaked out.
Those who didn’t mind the trouble went to the playground to join the fun, those who did just leaned against the hallway railing and listened.
Only the science-focused top class was still in session. The stern physics teacher was lecturing about planetary motion, seemingly oblivious to the music from the playground.
Until a student in the back row, unable to contain their festive spirit, secretly opened the back door a crack.
The music from the playground instantly drifted into the classroom through the gap.
At the same time, came the young man’s clear and vibrant voice, blending with the music: “With this song, I wish Song Shuci from Class 1, Grade 12… and all the senior students, good luck in the college entrance exam, and a bright future!”
Unexpectedly hearing their class’s top student being mentioned while secretly listening to the music, the students of Class 1, Grade 12, instantly erupted in excitement, all turning to look at Song Shuci.
Cheers and teasing filled the air. Some asked who the singer was, some guessed it was Song Shuci’s younger brother, who was a great singer, and some gossiped about how his younger brother hadn’t appeared at the small desk outside their classroom for a long time.
They chatted amongst themselves, completely ignoring the physics teacher, who was still lecturing.
The physics teacher stopped talking and looked at the stunned Song Shuci with a subtle expression.
At that time, they were in a cold war because of that abrupt first kiss. He had moved back to his own home because he felt he had offended Jian Wu, and since then, Jian Wu hadn’t appeared outside his classroom.
It had been almost a year since his first confession. Jian Wu’s repeated rejections and his strong resistance to that kiss made him feel discouraged, even giving him the thought of giving up.
He hadn’t expected Jian Wu to mention his name on stage at this time.
The boy, who had been completely focused on his problems, rushed out of the classroom. It wasn’t until he reached the door that he remembered the physics teacher was still on the podium.
“Teacher, I—”
He looked back at the female teacher on the podium, his mind racing, trying to come up with an excuse.
But the usually stern teacher smiled at him, showing a rare kindness and gentleness: “Go ahead.”
As Song Shuci left, the other students’ minds clearly wandered as well.
Although the physics teacher liked to extend her classes, she didn’t understand why the school insisted on keeping these senior students cooped up. It was just one night, it wasn’t like they could change their fate. Besides, the classroom’s soundproofing wasn’t good, with the lively singing downstairs, how could they focus on studying?
She simply put the test paper she was going over on the podium and said, as if granting amnesty: “Go downstairs and have fun. Enjoy tonight, because after tonight, you all have to focus next year!”
So the students, having their last chance to celebrate New Year’s Eve on campus, finally put aside their books and flocked to their final revelry of their youth.
“The spring breeze, not understanding romance, stirs the hearts of young people—”
The performers sang on stage, the audience watched below.
Jian Wu, looking at the thirty-some students below, suddenly felt a sense of time passing.
They were performing a medley that night, so by the time Song Shuci rushed down, he had already finished his part.
He handed the microphone to the next performer and turned to walk backstage, just in time to bump into Song Shuci.
The boy had clearly run down and was still slightly out of breath, but he insisted on stopping a few meters away, putting one hand in his pocket.
He only asked after approaching him: “Are you still mad at me?”
Jian Wu also put his hand in his pocket: “I wasn’t mad in the first place.”
“Will we still be friends?”
“Yes.”
Song Shuci asked again: “Will we still be brothers?”
“Yes.”
“Then… will you be my boyfriend?”
The wind ruffled Song Shuci’s slightly messy hair. The teenager stood under the lights, looking up at him on the stage.
It was winter, but the short run had made him slightly sweaty.
“Sing your passion, extend your hands, let me embrace your dreams—” The person who took over from Jian Wu was still singing passionately. Song Shuci extended his arms, gesturing for a hug.
Jian Wu hesitated for a moment, then jumped down from the makeshift stage, and Song Shuci immediately embraced him.
Their two thick jackets overlapped, but he could still feel the warmth from the other person.
Behind them was the stage, but because they were in a blind spot, hidden in the shadows, no one noticed the subtle undercurrent between them.
Song Shuci softly sang in his ear: “Let me have your true face…”
Jian Wu turned his head away and commented: “You’re off-key.”
Song Shuci said shamelessly: “It’s okay.”
Jian Wu tried to reason with him: “You’re about to take the college entrance exam, can you think about something else?”
The top student just shook his head.
“No.”
…
He still didn’t agree to be Song Shuci’s boyfriend that day, but after their reconciliation, something seemed to have changed between them.
Jian Wu pulled himself back from his memories and sang the last line as a closing.
The last note faded, coinciding with the bell. Jian Wu held his guitar and said to the students: “I wish you all the best in the middle school exams, and a bright future. Class dismissed.” Applause erupted from below. Jian Wu smiled, stood up, and put away his guitar.
The student sitting closest to the door suddenly called out: “Teacher Jian, someone’s looking for you!”
“Who is it?” Jian Wu quickened his movements.
“I don’t know!”
“Coming, coming.”
Jian Wu slung his guitar case over his shoulder, grabbed his lesson plan and thermos, and walked out, his gaze unexpectedly falling on Song Shuci, who was sitting at the small desk by the classroom door, waiting for him.
“You—” he opened his mouth, looking at the man who shouldn’t be here at this time, “What are you doing here?”
Song Shuci, tone-deaf, slowly stood up and took the guitar from him, just like he had done many times before, and slung it over his own shoulder.
Then he stole his old line: “Waiting for you to finish class.”
