Chapter 156: The Promise After Graduation

In Splendid Garden Residential Area, Wang Yuqing sat on a small stool on the balcony, engrossed in a book. At her feet, inside a delicate birdcage, a pair of lovebirds were affectionately preening each other's feathers, occasionally emitting crisp, cheerful chirps. It was noon, and the brilliant sunlight streamed through the balcony, casting a warm glow on Wang Yuqing's delicate face. Clusters of tender yellow winter jasmine swayed gently in the breeze, sending waves of subtle fragrance. The crisp birdsong, the refreshing floral scent, the exquisite young girl, and the murmur of reading combined to create an ethereal and picturesque scene. Yet, this cozy moment was abruptly shattered by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

Wang Yuqing furrowed her brow slightly, putting down the book in her hands, and rose to open the door. However, her aunt had already beaten her to it and swung the door open.

"Oh, isn't this Gao Zheng? Come in quickly! Old Xiao, Qingqing, Gao Zheng is here!" her aunt called out with a beaming smile.

"Gao Zheng is here? Haha, wonderful! Someone to play chess with me again," Wang Yuqing's uncle exclaimed, excitedly emerging from his room. Upon seeing Gao Zheng at the threshold, he burst into a hearty laugh and pulled Gao Zheng into the apartment by the arm.

Hearing her aunt's voice, Wang Yuqing instantly pouted and let out a soft huff under her breath. She then resumed her seat and continued reading, showing no intention of coming out to greet him.

"Auntie, this is a massage cushion. Didn't you mention having lower back pain? Using this should help relieve it," Gao Zheng said, handing a massage cushion to Wang Yuqing's aunt.

"You're always so polite. Next time you come over, you are forbidden to bring gifts, or Auntie will get angry," Wang Yuqing's aunt scolded playfully with a stern mock-expression.

"Hehe, I understand," Gao Zheng replied, smiling and nodding repeatedly. In truth, ever since the second time he had visited with a gift, Wang Yuqing's aunt had told him the exact same thing. Each time he agreed with a smile, yet he never once arrived empty-handed.

"Uncle, I also brought something good for you. I guarantee you'll love it, but you have to guess what it is first," Gao Zheng said with a mysterious grin.

"You rascal, what kind of good stuff could you possibly bring me? Did you get another fancy lighter this time?" Wang Yuqing's uncle teased with a laugh.

"Even the finest lighter can't compare to this. Didn't you say last time that you admire Senior Grandmaster Liu Wenhou? Well, this time I managed to get my hands on his personal chess strategies and techniques through a friend," Gao Zheng said, pulling out a small notebook and waving it before the uncle.

"Senior Grandmaster Liu Wenhou? Gao Zheng... are you serious?" Wang Yuqing's uncle swallowed hard, finding it hard to believe that Gao Zheng could actually procure such a treasure.

"Hehe, Uncle, would I lie to you? Here, see for yourself," Gao Zheng said, placing the small notebook into the uncle's hands.

Unable to contain his eagerness, the uncle flipped the notebook open. The moment his eyes caught the first page, his gaze became utterly glued to it.

"Well... Gao Zheng... make yourself at home for a moment... I need to go study this thoroughly, and I'll play a game with you later," the uncle announced hastily before scurrying off to his study, eager to immerse himself in the material.

Seeing Wang Yuqing's uncle retreat into the study, Gao Zheng let out a quiet sigh of relief. The reason he went to such lengths to secure the notebook was that he simply could no longer bear the atrocious level of the uncle's chess playing. He sincerely hoped that after studying this, the uncle's moves would become at least somewhat tolerable.

Gao Zheng looked around the room from left to right, but failed to spot Wang Yuqing. Puzzled, he asked, "Is Yuqing not home?"

"She's right out there, reading on the balcony. Go find her," Wang Yuqing's aunt replied, busy examining the massage cushion he had brought.

Gao Zheng nodded and walked toward the balcony.

Hearing the footsteps approaching from behind, Wang Yuqing muttered inwardly, *He's here again.*

"Yuqing, what are you reading?" Gao Zheng brought a small stool, seated himself beside Wang Yuqing, and asked with a gentle smile.

"Traditional Chinese classics," Wang Yuqing turned the cover of the book briefly for him to see.

At that moment, one of the lovebirds in the cage chirped, instantly capturing Gao Zheng's attention. Gazing at the adorable little birds inside, he felt an irresistible urge to reach out and tease them. But the moment his hand neared the cage, he was stopped by Wang Yuqing's sharp reprimand.

"Gao Zheng, what are you doing?"

Startled, he yanked his hand back immediately.

"Hehe, they... they're just so cute," Gao Zheng chuckled awkwardly, meeting her angry glare.

"Hmph," Wang Yuqing rolled her eyes at him, then gently slid the birdcage closer to her right foot so that Gao Zheng could no longer reach it. This pair of lovebirds was the apple of Wang Yuqing's eye; she wouldn't let anyone touch them—let alone Gao Zheng, even her own aunt and uncle were kept at a distance.

"Yuqing, what kind of birds are these? I've never seen them before." Gao Zheng thought they looked somewhat like titmice, yet they differed from any ordinary species. Judging by how fiercely protective Wang Yuqing was of them, he guessed they must be a rare breed.

"They're called lovebirds. You wouldn't understand," Wang Yuqing replied casually, casting a doting look at the birds in the cage.

"Lovebirds?" The name left Gao Zheng bewildered. Were there really birds called by such a name?

Shaking his head, Gao Zheng quickly dismissed the thought. He hadn't come today to ponder ornithology; he had a serious purpose.

"Yuqing, there's something I want to tell you," Gao Zheng cleared his throat and looked at her with utmost sincerity.

"What is it? Go ahead," Wang Yuqing turned her face toward him, only to find his eyes fixed unblinkingly upon her. Such intense gaze caused her cheeks to flush involuntarily. She lifted a strand of bangs from her forehead to block his line of sight.

"Yuqing, I like you."

"Ah? What?" Wang Yuqing started in shock.

With a soft smile, Gao Zheng gently brushed her hand aside, leaned closer to her face, and enunciated clearly, syllable by syllable, "Yuqing, I said... I... like... you."

Staring at the face inches from her own, a rush of masculine scent washed over her senses, turning her cheeks the color of ripe tomatoes. Gao Zheng's scent was different from Xiao Lin's; Xiao Lin always carried a faint aroma of peppermint, clean and refreshing, whereas Gao Zheng smelled faintly of sandalwood—an intoxicating fragrance that made one slightly dizzy upon the first breath.

"You... what kind of joke is this? Gao Zheng... if you... keep talking like this... I'm going to get angry," Wang Yuqing stammered, flusteredly pushing him away.

"Yuqing, I'm not joking. You should know how I feel about you. To be honest, I was first captivated by your voice; that poetry recitation you did was truly mesmerizing. I just never expected that you yourself would be even more breathtaking than your voice," Gao Zheng said, lifting his chin as he recalled the poem *You Are the Human World's April* that Wang Yuqing had once recited.

"Yuqing, last semester both Xiao Lin and I expressed our feelings to you. Although you ultimately chose Xiao Lin, my feelings for you have never changed. Now that Xiao Lin has left you, can you give me a chance to take care of you?" Gao Zheng's voice was laden with sincerity; he truly loved this kindhearted girl. His confession was sudden, devoid of romantic props like flowers or candlelight, because he believed Wang Yuqing was different from other girls. What she valued was genuine sincerity, so he had brought nothing save for a sincere heart.

Hearing his confession, instead of feeling happy, Wang Yuqing felt a wave of profound melancholy wash over her at his mention of Xiao Lin's departure. *Yes, he has left. He has left...* The sentence echoed relentlessly in her mind.

"Yuqing, Yuqing, does this mean you've agreed?" Seeing her fall silent, Gao Zheng's heart leaped with joy, mistaking her silence for consent. He reached out and grasped her delicate hand, speaking with deep affection, "Yuqing, don't worry, I will take good care of you."

It wasn't until her hand was enveloped by his that Wang Yuqing snapped back to reality. She hurriedly jerked her hand away from his grasp.

"Gao Zheng... No... I can't," Wang Yuqing shook her head in refusal.

"Why? Am I not good to you?" Gao Zheng pressed on.

"No... I know you're very good to me, but... but... well, we're about to take the college entrance examinations, and I want to focus on finishing my studies properly," Wang Yuqing fabricated an excuse on the spot. She had her reasons; she was kind-hearted and feared that a blunt "I'm sorry, I don't feel that way about you" would hurt him. Gao Zheng was a good person and treated her well, so she wished to spare his feelings. Little did she know that such hesitation would ultimately inflict deeper pain by giving him false hope.

"So you mean... as soon as the college entrance exams are over, you'll agree to be with me?" Gao Zheng, initially crestfallen by her refusal, instantly brightened. It seemed every cloud had a silver lining after all.

"Ah? I... No. Oh my... um..." Flustered by his optimistic interpretation, Wang Yuqing scrambled for words to clarify, but found herself tongue-tied, ultimately mumbling incoherently.

Beaming with joy, Gao Zheng raised his hand and gave a jubilant clap against his own palm. "It's a deal then! Haha! They say couples break up after graduation, but for us, we'll get together after graduation. Don't worry, Yuqing, I'll make sure we end up at the same university."

"Gao Zheng, actually I didn't mean..." Wang Yuqing looked at his radiant, ecstatic expression, bit her lower lip, and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

"Yuqing, I guess I'm your quasi-boyfriend now!" Gao Zheng hopped around the balcony like an excited child, startling the lovebirds in the cage into frantically flapping their wings.

"Gao Zheng, you're scaring them," Wang Yuqing complained softly.

"Hehe, I got a bit carried away, carried away! Uncle, let's play a game!" Gao Zheng chuckled awkwardly before shouting out and bolting from the balcony to challenge Wang Yuqing's uncle to a match.

Wang Yuqing picked up the birdcage from the floor and pulled it close to her chest.

"Tell me, what should I do?" she whispered lost in a daze to the birds in the cage, but the only response she received was a few crisp, clear chirps.