OBS Chapter 158 Happiness and Unhappiness
Chapter 158 Happiness and Unhappiness
At night, the lights in the girls' dormitory were on, shining on the metal bunk beds.
Zhou Shan sat cross-legged on her lower bunk, holding a bag of potato chips and crunching them loudly.
The girl on the opposite bed was applying a face mask; her face was white, with only her eyes showing, and she was looking down at her phone.
Someone leaned down from the upper bunk, their hair hanging down, and spoke to the person below.
"My legs gave way halfway up that hill today."
"You climbed halfway up, but I came back after reaching the foot of the mountain."
"Those top ten runners are really fast, I didn't even see their shadows."
"They're athletes, what are you comparing yourself to them for?"
Zhou Shan handed over the bag of potato chips, and the person in the upper bunk reached in, grabbed a handful, stuffed it into their mouth, and chewed, saying, "What activity is it tomorrow?"
"We go beachcombing," Zhou Shan said. "In the morning, when the tide goes out, we go to the mudflats to collect seashells and catch crabs."
"What time is it?"
"5:30."
The person in the upper bunk let out a groan and shrank back inside.
Xiao Yunqing was lying on the lower bunk by the window.
The blanket was pulled up to my waist, my hands rested on it, and I looked out the window.
The curtains weren't fully drawn; there was a gap.
Looking out through that crack, the sky was black, the sea was black, and the boundary was indistinguishable.
The waves lapped against the shore one after another, making a muffled sound, like someone beating a drum in the distance.
It's 8 PM now.
Someone ran down the corridor, their footsteps thumping loudly. They shouted something, but it was drowned out by another voice, and we couldn't hear what they said.
Someone was washing clothes in the washroom; the tap was on, and water was gushing into the basin.
Zhou Shan walked over from the opposite side, a bag of potato chips tucked under her arm.
She sat down on the edge of Xiao Yunqing's bed, and the bed creaked.
"What's wrong?"
She tilted her head to look at her, "You've been gloomy all day. Is it Song Huan who's seasick or you? You seem to be feeling worse than him."
Xiao Yunqing shook her head.
"No," she said, "I just found today's activities really boring."
"Going to the beach for a barbecue is boring?" Zhou Shan blinked, pulled the bag of potato chips from under her arm, and shook it. "Although there are only ten spots available, and it's unlikely we'll get one, I saw that everyone who went for the barbecue seemed to be having a great time."
"It's boring."
Xiao Yunqing pulled the blanket up to her chin.
The sound came out muffledly from under the covers, short and abrupt, as if the speaker didn't want to continue.
"You guys chat, I'm going to sleep."
Zhou Shan was stunned for a moment.
"Going to bed so early? It's only eight o'clock."
"I'm a little tired."
Zhou Shan glanced at her for two seconds.
Without saying a word, he stood up and tucked the bag of potato chips back under his arm.
"Alright then," she said. "You get some rest."
She turned around and walked back to her bed, climbing up to the top bunk.
The metal frame wobbled, and she lay down, placing the bag of potato chips next to her pillow.
Xiao Yunqing pulled the blanket over her head and shrank into it.
It was dark inside the blanket; I could only see the outline of my own fingers.
For some reason, Song Huan was unhappy, and so was I.
The sound of waves came in through the window, one steady beat after another.
There was a knock on the door three times.
Zhou Shan peeked out from the top bunk, glanced at the doorway, and then at Xiao Yunqing's bed.
The blanket was bulging out and didn't move.
She climbed down, slipped on her slippers, walked over, and opened the door.
Song Huan stood at the door.
The corridor light shone from behind, casting a long shadow of him inside the doorway.
He was wearing a white shirt, and his hair was still a little wet, as if he had just taken a shower.
Zhou Shan's hand remained on the doorknob, not letting go.
"Song Huan?"
She glanced back at Xiao Yunqing's bed; the blanket shifted slightly.
Song Huan stood at the door and didn't go inside.
A girl walked by in the corridor, glanced at him, and then walked past.
Another girl walked by and I glanced at her a couple more times.
He coughed.
"I'm looking for Yun Qing."
Zhou Shan didn't move; she just stared at him.
"Why are you looking for her?"
Song Huan did not answer.
His gaze passed over Zhou Shan's shoulder and glanced into the dormitory.
The blanket was pulled back.
Xiao Yunqing sat up in bed, her hair a little messy, with a red mark pressed against her cheek.
She saw the person at the door, paused for a moment, and then ran over without even putting her shoes on properly.
I slipped my feet into my slippers, ran a couple of steps, and stood behind the door.
Zhou Shan took half a step back, clearing the doorway.
"Why are you here?" Xiao Yunqing's voice was both surprised and anxious. "This is the girls' dormitory."
Song Huan leaned against the door frame, her hands in her pockets.
"There's not even a dorm supervisor downstairs," he said. "I can just come in whenever I want."
Xiao Yunqing glared at him, her lips curling up slightly before she suppressed it again.
"You're really shameless," she said.
"It's alright."
She didn't reply, but looked him up and down.
Song Huan looked much better than during the day, and her lips had regained some color.
"Are you still feeling dizzy?" she asked.
Song Huan shook her head.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then why did you come to see me?"
Song Huan did not answer.
He took half a step forward, getting a little closer, and lowered his voice.
"Want to go out and have some fun?"
Xiao Yunqing was stunned for a moment, then turned around and glanced back at the dormitory.
Zhou Shan had already retreated and was standing by her bed, holding a bag of potato chips, looking this way.
The others also stopped what they were doing and their eyes drifted towards the door.
She turned back.
"There are no activities tonight," she said in a low voice. "The teacher said we can't go out freely."
"I'm just asking you if you want to go."
Song Huan looked at her.
The corridor lights shone from the side, making his eyes very bright.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes didn't look like he was joking.
Xiao Yunqing looked at him for two seconds.
Then he nodded.
She turned and walked back to the bedside, reached under the pillow and pulled out a thin school uniform jacket, which she clutched in her hand.
On my way back, I passed by Zhou Shan and stopped for a moment.
Zhou Shan leaned against the bed frame, holding a bag of potato chips in her hand, and looked at her.
"Are you going out?" Zhou Shan asked.
Xiao Yunqing leaned over, took her hand, and shook it.
"I'll leave it to you." She smiled and lowered her voice. "If the teacher asks later, just say I went to the bathroom."
Zhou Shan stared at her face for two seconds.
"Didn't you just say you were tired?"
Xiao Yunqing didn't reply, but shook her hand again.
Zhou Shan sighed and put the bag of potato chips on the bed.
Come back soon.
"understood."
Xiao Yunqing let go of his hand and turned to run towards the door.
Her coat was draped over her arm, and her short hair fluttered in the wind.
Song Huan had already turned around and was walking ahead.
She followed, the two of them one after the other, their footsteps echoing in the corridor before turning into the stairwell.
Zhou Shan stood at the door, looked at the empty corridor, and closed the door.
A girl asked, "Where did Yun Qing go?"
"I need to use the restroom," Zhou Shan said, climbing back onto her bed.
I picked up the bag of potato chips and squeezed it.
Half of the lights in the corridor were off.
Song Huan walked ahead, her pace slow.
When he got to the first floor, he didn't go to the main entrance, but turned into the stairwell next door.
There was a small door, half-open, leading to a meadow.
He pushed open the door and went out.
Xiao Yunqing followed behind, her shoes slipping on the grass.
She grabbed the back of his coat and tugged at it.
How did you know this road?
"I scouted the location this afternoon."
She didn't ask any more questions.
Follow him across the meadow to a small dirt path.
The road was narrow, and grass grew on both sides, some of which had been trampled down.
The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, illuminating the road in a greyish-white light.
The dirt road ends at the highway.
The asphalt road surface, illuminated by the moon, gleamed with a grayish-white light.
There were no houses on either side, only low shrubs and the dark, murky sea in the distance.
An electric scooter was parked on the side of the road.
It was silver, with mud spots on the body, and a bulging plastic bag was placed near the footrest.
Song Huan walked over, stepped onto the back seat, and patted it.
"Get in the car."
Xiao Yunqing stood by the roadside, looking at the car.
"Where did you get this?"
"You might not believe it," Song Huan said, holding the handlebars and looking back at her. "The villagers here gave me the bike because they thought I was handsome."
Xiao Yunqing looked at him.
The moonlight shone on his face, and his expression was serious, as if he were talking about something very real.
"It's a lie," she said.
"I'd be a fool to believe you." She walked over, sat in the back seat of the car, put her hands on her lap, and didn't touch him.
Song Huan twisted the accelerator, the car shook, and lurched forward half a meter.
She swayed slightly and quickly grabbed the hem of his clothes.
The car drove onto the highway, and the wind blew in from the front.
Her hair was blown up and flowed backward.
There weren't many streetlights; they were spaced far apart, their dim yellow light sweeping across overhead, one after another, like turning the pages of a book.
The roadside bushes receded into the distance, and the sea in the distance was dark and gloomy, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
The moon hangs in the sky, and clouds drift past it, sometimes obscuring it, sometimes shining through.
Xiao Yunqing sat behind him, clutching the hem of his clothes.
The wind whistled past my ears.
She looked at the back of his head; his hair was blowing in the wind, revealing a section of his nape.
My heart is beating a little fast.
It wasn't because the car was driving fast, it was something else, I can't quite put my finger on it.
Xiao Yunqing, who never skipped school or classes and was rarely late.
Now I'm sitting on an electric scooter at night on an unfamiliar island, the wind blowing into my collar, feeling chilly.
She clenched her fist a little tighter.
The car turned off the highway and onto a narrower road.
The road was uneven, and she bumped forward, her forehead hitting his back before bouncing back.
She didn't lean closer, but she didn't let go of his hand.
The car stopped, and Song Huan kicked down the kickstand. The car tilted slightly, but then stabilized.
"arrive."
Xiao Yunqing got out of the car and stepped onto the sand.
Her shoe sank in a little, she looked down at it, then looked up again.
There is a beach and the sea in front of us.
It was pitch black, and you couldn't see the edge.
The waves pushed in from afar, breaking into white foam on the shore.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
The moon shone on the sea, casting a silvery-white light that stretched from the shore into the distance, fragmented and dazzling.
Song Huan parked the car, picked up the plastic bag from the footrest, and hung it on her wrist.
"Walk."
He walked towards the beach.
Xiao Yunqing followed behind, stepping in his footprints.
The sand was soft, and she sank a little with every step, getting sand into her shoes, but she didn't care.
After walking for a while, Song Huan stopped.
He put the plastic bag on the ground and squatted down.
"Close your eyes."
Xiao Yunqing stood behind him, tilting her head to look at him.
"What are you up to?"
"Close your eyes."
She pouted, but then closed her mouth.
It got dark, and all I could feel was the wind blowing from the sea—salty and damp.
I heard his footsteps as he walked away.
The sound of plastic bags rustling.
Then came a very soft metallic clinking sound—a lighter.
The firelight flickered briefly.
You can see a hint of orange-red through your eyelids.
Then there was a muffled thud, and the fire shot up.
"alright."
Xiao Yunqing opened her eyes.
The campfire is already lit.
The fire wasn't big, but it burned brightly; the orange-red flames danced in the wind, illuminating the surrounding sand.
Several pieces of wood were piled together, already charred black. Sparks flew up from the fire, drifted into the air, and went out.
Song Huan squatted beside the fire, holding a lighter in her hand.
He looked up at her.
The firelight illuminated his face, turning half of it orange-red while the other half remained in darkness.
"Come and sit down."
Xiao Yunqing walked over and sat down next to him. The sand was warm from the fire, not cold.
She looked at the fire without saying a word.
The flames leaped, and the wood crackled and popped.
"When did you prepare?" she asked.
Song Huan stuffed the lighter into his pocket and added a few pieces of wood from the side.
The fire was suppressed for a moment, then leaped up again, even higher.
"afternoon."
"Weren't you seasick this afternoon?"
"I've recovered."
She didn't say anything.
Looking at the fire, the fire reflected in her eyes, two small bright spots, flickering.
The sea breeze blew the flames askew, then straightened them, then askedew again.
Song Huan sat beside him, his hands resting on his knees. The firelight illuminated his profile, casting a small shadow on his nose.
"How did you know I wanted to come out?" she asked.
"You're not happy."
"I didn't."
"You always stop talking when you're unhappy." He paused for a moment. "This afternoon in the cafeteria, you only said three sentences to me."
Xiao Yunqing was stunned for a moment.
Three sentences.
She couldn't remember what she said, but he did, even the number of sentences.
She turned her face back and stared at the fire.
The flame core is blue, wrapped in a layer of orange-red, and the outermost layer is almost transparent, trembling in the air.
"Aren't you unhappy too?" she said, her voice a little softer.
"Um."
"Why are you unhappy?"
"Because I failed to make you happy."
She froze, then turned to look at him.
He was still looking at the fire, not at her.
"You're lying again," she whispered.
Song Huan didn't reply, but said, "The convenience stores around here don't have much, except for sausages and cotton candy, which are quite tasty."
As he spoke, he took out two sausages from the plastic bag, skewered on bamboo sticks, and handed one to her.
She took it and held it over the fire to roast.
The fire licked the sausage skin, making a sizzling sound, and oil oozed out, dripping into the fire, causing the fire to flicker.
After baking for a while, she picked it up and glanced at it. One side was burnt, with a blackened patch.
She flipped it over and continued baking.
Song Huan's piece was roasted much better; it changed color evenly as it was rotated.
She stared at her own thing, a little anxious, and moved it closer to the fire, burning another piece.
"I'll do it." Song Huan took her sausage, put the two together, and slowly turned them.
She sat beside him, her hands resting on the sand, watching him grill.
The firelight reflected on his fingers, which were long and had distinct knuckles.
The sausage spun steadily in his hands, its color changing from white to yellow, then from yellow to brown, until it became shiny with oil.
Once it was baked, he handed it to her.
She took it and took a bite.
It was hot; she pursed her lips and chewed twice.
The outer skin is crispy, the inside is tender, salty, and has a slightly burnt flavor.
"It's delicious," she said.
Song Huan also took a bite of her own.
The two sat by the campfire, eating grilled sausages and watching the fire.
The waves pushed in from afar and broke apart on the shore.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
The flame flickered, a few sparks flew up, floated into the air, and then went dark.
Xiao Yunqing stuck the bamboo sticks into the sand and clapped his hands.
She stared at the fire for a while.
"Song Huan".
"Um."
"How do you know everything?"
Song Huan stuffed the last piece of sausage into his mouth, threw the bamboo skewer into the fire, and it caught fire after being licked by the flame.
"Know what?"
"She knows I'm unhappy, she knows I want to get out, she knows I..." She paused, not finishing her sentence.
The sea breeze blew in from the side, blowing her short hair across her face.
She didn't dial, she just sat there.
Song Huan didn't say anything.
I took a small bag out of the plastic bag, opened it, and inside were cotton candies, white and pink, small and soft.
He took one and placed it near the fire to roast. The marshmallow turned yellow and puffed up, like an inflated balloon.
It's done baking, I handed it to her.
Xiao Yunqing took it and put it in her mouth.
Crispy on the outside, melted on the inside, sweet, and sticky on the tip of the tongue.
She chewed twice and swallowed.
"You haven't answered me yet."
Song Huan took another one and roasted it over the fire. The fire licked at the marshmallow, and its surface began to change color.
"Because you know nothing," he said.
Xiao Yunqing was stunned for a moment.
The marshmallow puffed up, and he picked it up and handed it to her.
She didn't answer, but looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Song Huan took the cotton candy back and ate it herself. She chewed it twice and swallowed it.
"What I mean is," he paused, "if you want to go out and have fun, I'll take you out. If you're unhappy, I'll find a way to make you happy; I don't need any reason."
He put down the bag of marshmallows and patted the sugar powder off his hands.
"Whatever makes you happy."
The wind blew from the sea, causing the flame to tilt slightly.
A spark flew up, drifted between the two people, lit up briefly, and then went out.
Xiao Yunqing sat there, her hands resting on the sand, her fingers sinking into it.
She looked at the fire, and the fire reflected in her eyes, shining brightly.
"Song Huan".
"Um."
"From now on..." She paused, not finishing her sentence.
Song Huan turned to look at her.
She didn't look at him; she stared at the fire.
The expression on his face was reflected in the firelight, making it hard to describe; it wasn't a smile, nor was it a frown.
"It's nothing," she said.
He pulled his hand out of the sand and patted it off.
I stood up and walked a few steps towards the sea.
A wave crashed over her shoes. She took half a step back, then stopped.
Song Huan also stood up and walked to her side.
The two people stood side by side, looking at the sea.
The sea was dark and gloomy, while the moon laid out a silvery-white path that stretched from beneath our feet into the distance, fragmented and dazzling.
Xiao Yunqing looked down at the moonlight. After a while, she suddenly smiled.
"Why is the moon so bright?"
"have no idea."
"You know nothing." She mimicked his tone, though not quite right, but she got the gist.
Song Huan didn't say anything.
The wave surged up again, this time a little further away.
She took a step back, stepping on his shadow.
In the distance, there were small ship lights, blinking like stars fallen into the sea.
She stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder. She didn't say anything, just stood there.
A breeze swept by, gently brushing her short hair against her cheek.
Song Huan neither raised her hand to push it away nor dodged it.
"Song Huan".
"Um?"
"Song Huan!"
"What's up?"
"I just wanted to call your name."
"oh."
Xiao Yunqing smiled faintly.
The smile was faint, indistinct in the moonlight, yet he could clearly sense it.
The waves crashed against the shore again and again, the campfire was still burning, and sparks flew up from the fire, rose into the air, and went out silently.
"Song Huan!"
Xiao Yunqing suddenly shouted towards the vast sea.
The next instant, a voice that shook Song Huan's heart clearly entered his ears.
From now on, you're only allowed to be good to me, and you're not allowed to like any other girl!