Tangerine Pith

[Publication updates on Weibo: @Cen Jiang Bu Chi Jiang]

Back in school, Song Yiniao had a quiet crush on someone.

His name was Liang Song.

Liang Song was handsome, came from a good family, got excellent grades, and was gentle and polite.

Many people liked him, not just Song Yiniao.

The closest they ever got was being in the same study group. Many of Liang Song's admirers asked Song Yiniao to pass their love letters to him.

Song Yiniao really wanted to ask Liang Song: Did you read those letters?

If I wrote you a confession, would you like me a little more?

But she kept her distance as a good classmate. Song Yiniao didn't dare ask, and she didn't dare send that confession.

After graduation, like so many ordinary classmates, they lost touch completely.

/

Many years later, during the New Year, their high school class held a reunion.

Liang Song was there.

After a few rounds of drinks, a classmate, already tipsy, brought up an old story.

In their second year of high school, Liang Song had taken some time off after beating a male classmate so badly he cracked his skull.

He'd done it because that classmate had been gossiping about Song Yiniao behind her back.

Song Yiniao had never heard the story. She suddenly looked up at Liang Song.

After the reunion, the two of them were the only ones walking home through the snow, just like so many nights back in school.

As they were about to part, Liang Song almost clumsily grabbed her wrist.

"Song Yiniao," he said, his voice low and husky, like a lover whispering in her ear. "There's something else I want to tell you."

"After all these years, I still like you very much."

1v1 / bad ending / short

-Song Yiniao often thought later that it would have been better if the story had ended right then.

Theme: First, have the courage to grow up