Offside game

"Su Yi." A clear, crisp female voice interrupted Zhang Tao's long-winded speech. The two looked over and saw a pretty girl in a pink V-neck sweater and jeans. Many people recognized her; she was Guo Ruo, one of the more famous beauties at No. 3 Middle School. In school, beauties of this caliber were quite well-known, especially Guo Ruo. Besides her beauty, she was also a talented dancer, appearing in every performance, making her even more famous at school. Guo Ruo's family was very wealthy; the five-star Donghai Hotel, a landmark building in Dongdu, was her father's property. Therefore, she was treated like a princess at school.

Upon seeing Guo Ruo's appearance, Zhang Tao tactfully bid farewell to Su Yi, then smiled at the beautiful woman and walked away.

"You skipped class again today?" Su Yi raised his eyebrows as usual and said to the girl who walked slowly to his side.

“My dad arranged for me to go abroad a long time ago, so it doesn’t matter whether I go to class or not now,” Guo Ruo said to herself, the dimness in her eyes obscuring her bright and clear eyes.

"By the way, you told me, congratulations." Su Yi said calmly.

Guo Ruo gazed at the quiet boy before her, his expression hesitant, and finally said, "Su Yi, will you walk with me? I... I might not see these sights of Dongdu for a long time." Turning her head to look at the road in front of her, her gaze sweeping over the buildings ahead, she murmured, "Being here, I can't feel the changes. Next time I come back, it will probably be different again."

Su Yi also sighed softly, following Guo Ruo's gaze, and said with a touch of emotion, "Everywhere is changing, which is good. Going abroad, at least you can see more places and broaden your horizons. Besides, you can come back to visit during holidays."

"Su Yi, I..." Feeling Su Yi's gaze upon her, Guo Ruo felt a surge of panic, but she couldn't utter a single word.

"Come on, I'll treat you to dinner. I just made some money, let's go to Tianlong and eat their big bone soup." Su Yi said with a smile, in a rather relaxed tone. In the girl's eyes, this smile was warmer than the sunlight at that moment.

During the meal, Su Yi deliberately brought up lighthearted topics. Guo Ruo giggled occasionally in response, attracting the attention of many men. In fact, in a small place like Dongdu, Guo Ruo's attire was different from that of ordinary girls. Her appropriate and fashionable outfits gave her the feel of a big-city girl. Combined with her naturally beautiful face, these features made her stunningly beautiful, a rare sight even in many metropolises. In Dongdu, she seemed to radiate light from head to toe.

"Su Yi, do you remember how we met?" Guo Ruo suddenly asked this question softly.

Su Yi picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, pretending to recall something as he said, "That seems to be a pretty cliché hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scene."

"Hehe, when I first heard of you, you were always ranked first in the grade. Back then, when I thought of this Su Yi, I imagined him to be a bookworm with thick glasses. You know, at the New Year's Eve party in our first year of high school, you went on stage and sang 'Youth.' My classmates told me that was Su Yi, and I was really surprised. I didn't know there was such a super handsome guy in our grade! I've had my eye on him ever since." As she said this, Guo Ruo's face flushed, perhaps from the heat of eating. She quickly glanced at Su Yi out of the corner of her eye and saw that he still had that faint smile. She couldn't help but pout slightly, looking extremely cute. She continued, "At the time, I thought, 'He's just a bookworm who sings well, otherwise how could he be so good at exams?' But that time, when I saw you holding a brick and fiercely confronting those thugs, I was suddenly surprised. I didn't know this guy was such a man." As Guo Ruo spoke, she smiled, revealing a dimple on her right cheek, making her smile even sweeter.

"Now you can finally stop calling me a bookworm, right?" Su Yi said with a nostalgic smile as he recalled what had happened back then.

“Yes, now you…” Realizing she had misspoke, Guo Ruo immediately fell silent, looking at Su Yi with a quiet gaze, and said softly, “Su Yi, come abroad with me, okay? My father can…”

"Thank you, Guo Ruo." Su Yi interrupted Guo Ruo, looking at the teacup in front of him, and said calmly, "You don't need to trouble your father because of my matter. Besides, we are different."

We are different too.

Hearing his words, Guo Ruo didn't offer her usual explanation, but instead felt a surge of bitterness. "Yi, I understand how you feel, really. Since my mother left, although my father has been very good to me, he's been busy with his own things. I can sense that loneliness, so I don't want you to be lonely like that, I don't want to see you constantly surrounded by that kind of loneliness. I want you to know that at least you still have me... your friend, and..."

Hearing Guo Ruo call him "Yi" for the first time, Su Yi's heart trembled, but the image of another girl appeared in his mind. "Guo Ruo, I have always considered you a friend."

"Just friends, right?" Guo Ruo stared directly at Su Yi, the intensity in her gaze making Su Yi suddenly unable to meet her eyes. He listened to her words: "But from beginning to end, I never intended for you to see me only as a friend, Yi, you know that. But she... I still can't compare to her position in your life. You still haven't called me Xiao Ruo. I dream of you calling me that. Sometimes, only in dreams can everything go as planned, but I..."

"I'm sorry, Xiaoruo."

Guo Ruo looked at Su Yi's sharply defined face, which had appeared so many times in her dreams, and tried her best to give him a smile. She spoke gently yet firmly, "At least you still call me that. I... I should be content. Actually, I'm easily satisfied. I promised you that from now on, I would always wear a smile. In truth, I only want to leave that smile for you." She stood up, her gaze fixed intently on Su Yi. Her lips slowly approached the image etched in her heart, finally touching it briefly before parting, almost preserving that image within her soul, before saying, "Actually, I came today to tell you that my father booked a flight for me tomorrow. I need to go there early to adapt to the language environment. Yi, you take care too."

Even after Guo Ruo left, Su Yi remained sitting there in a daze. He hadn't been able to react by looking away from her gaze, which was filled with boundless emotion. As the girl's figure disappeared into the distance, the warmth on his face seemed to linger, and Guo Ruo's last words kept echoing in his ears.

When did he first notice her unusual feelings for him? Su Yi couldn't remember. All he could do was clumsily avoid her, pretend to ignore her, and maintain a friendly relationship. Especially after what happened, he tightly closed off his emotions, keeping even that girl out. Towards Guo Ruo, he was purely a good friend. But today, the softest string in his heart was still plucked hard.

A faint singing voice drifted in from somewhere; it was Pu Shu's "Those Flowers".

Outside the window, some dark clouds were also obscuring the view.

After having lunch quietly at the cafeteria, I didn't go back to my dorm immediately, but just strolled around the campus. At this time of year, the sun was shining warmly, which felt very comfortable.

Her home wasn't far from the school, but it wasn't exactly close either. For over two years of high school, she was a day student. Only in the last six months, to save time, did she request a dormitory bed, just to rest at noon and go back to tidy up after class in the afternoon. Actually, she rarely went back to the dormitory; most of her time was spent in the classroom. At this time, every student had their schedule packed full, wishing they could live and eat in the classroom.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she had something on her mind. As the top student in her senior year since her junior year, and possessing the beauty of a school beauty, she was easily recognized from afar, her fame comparable to Guo Ruo's. Yet, she seemed oblivious to the many gazes directed at her. A touch of melancholy lingered on her delicate face, making her appear even more pitiful. Following the path, she unconsciously arrived at the entrance to the playground. Hearing faint calls from inside, she hesitated, then stepped inside.

A dozen or so boys were playing a small game on the playground; they looked like first and second-year high school students. After all, even the most carefree seniors wouldn't be this active at this age. Just as she was about to turn back, a figure suddenly appeared in her line of sight from the stands. Looking at that person, she felt a strange feeling welling up inside her.

She put her hands in her pockets, holding the paper package, and quietly walked to Su Yi's side.

After parting ways with Guo Ruo, Su Yi returned to school and went to the playground, but suddenly lost the will to play football. His mind seemed to still be facing Guo Ruo, and hearing her words echoed clearly in his heart.

To onlookers, he appeared to be sitting casually on the bleachers, his eyes looking ahead, yet seemingly unfocused, his gaze extending into the distance beyond the scenery in front of him.

The sudden change in the surrounding light made him notice the girl beside him. His gaze swept over An Jing, and he didn't know what kind of complicated feelings he was having, but he didn't show it on his face. He remained indifferent.