Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
A bird flew across the lake, causing ripples on its surface, and then landed gracefully on the other side.
Sitting on a stone bench, Ye Jian watched this picturesque landscape. Leisurely, she lifted her head, enjoying the breezes by the Swan Lake, covering her face with a book to block the sun rays scattering through the willow leaves. There was nothing but tranquility in her mind.
“Ye Jian?”
A voice broke the silence. Ye Jian did not respond. She closed her eyes, refusing to be disturbed.
Gao Yiyang used to be a student of the Provincial No.1 Middle School. This time, he came back here to keep Ye Ying company.
While they were walking alongside the lake bank, they saw someone sitting leisurely under the willows. That slender figure had also become a scenery within the picturesque landscape.
Biting her lower lip quietly, Ye Ying didn’t say a word. She was waiting for the reaction of Gao Yiyang.
“We are going to the cafeteria. Care to join us?” Perhaps Gao Yiyang had become accustomed to the Ye Jian’s nonchalance. A trace of discouragement flashed across his eyes. Again, he spoke up plainly, “The cafeteria is a bit far. Let’s go there together.”
It would be rude if she didn’t respond, though she didn’t mind being a bit rude in front of him.
Taking off the sun-blocking thick and heavy English classic, she opened her pitch-black eyes, which contained a faint indifferent look. “Oh, I know how to go there.” She patted the hardcover of the book. “You guys go first. I need to read for a while.”
“Read?” Ye Ying giggled as if she had heard some kind of a joke. Looking at that English classic, she said, “I wonder if you can understand it.”
Gao Yiyang glanced at the book. It was A Farewell to Arms. Hailed as a classic of modern literature, it was a representative work of the early career of Ernest Hemingway, the renowned American novelist.
Based on Hemingway’s experience in the army, this book described a beautiful tragedy which was mainly about war and love.
“There are a lot of high-quality collections in the library of Provincial No.1 Middle School. And you are reading the original edition of A Farewell to Arms. The more you read, the more you can improve your English.” Gao Yiyang, who could speak standard American English, did not doubt whether Ye Jian could understand the book. He had witnessed her level of English skill at the English exam last time.
Ye Ying intended to embarrass Ye Jian. Instead, Gao Yiyang gave her practical advice. Uncomfortable, Ye Ying smiled and said, “Then you should join us. If you have any questions, you can consult Gao Yiyang, right?”
“Ye Jian, we are from the same school. Is it so difficult for you to have dinner with us at the cafeteria and discuss the exam tomorrow?”
“It’s not hard. I just don’t want to join you.” They were not her friends. What else did they expect her to say? Smiling at Ye Ying, whose words were sarcastic, Ye Jian said slowly, “Besides, we all know that we have nothing to talk about. Why do we have to pretend?”
“Sorry for being so blunt. Unlike Ye Ying who likes to pretend that everything is going well, I speak my mind honestly.” How she wished she could label “hypocrite” on Ye Ying’s forehead.
Alas, if she were to have meals at the cafeteria with the two people who she hated, she would vomit her food while eating it.
“Ye Jian!” Infuriated, Ye Ying yelled at Ye Jian in a low voice for mocking her of being a hypocrite. Flustered, she tilted her head to look at the boy beside her.
When she saw that Gao Yiyang was also unhappy, she suppressed her panic. Smiling, she said, “Then we can’t be on friendly terms anymore. Remember, Ye Jian, it is you who have turned down our friendship. Next time, you’d better explain this to others!”
Till this day, whenever she recalled what Principal Chen had said about her, she would get furious!