Chapter 12: As Expected

Later, Wu Fei called, and Lin Jie could sense from his tone that his uncle seemed quite satisfied with the girl.

"Lin Jie, why did you delete her? She messaged me to complain," Wu Fei laughed heartily as he asked.

"Uh..." Lin Jie mumbled, at a loss for words.

"Feeling embarrassed, are you?" Wu Fei teased.

"No, it's not that," Lin Jie instinctively retorted. After a pause, he added, "She invited me out, and I felt a bit... you know."

Wu Fei sounded surprised, "A girl invites you out, and your response is to delete her?"

Lin Jie was speechless. If he had heard of someone else doing this, he too would have thought there was something wrong with the guy.

"You're already eighteen, an adult now. If you want to go out, just go. If you're short on money, I'll give you some. Besides, haven't you saved up quite a bit from your allowances?" Wu Fei said.

"Don't be shy. Listen to Xiao Ye. You should go out with her tonight. Honestly, what's the point of staying cooped up at home after the exams?"

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Jie nodded. But something about Wu Fei's words began to feel off.

"Uncle, is this really my mom's idea?"

"It's not just your parents, it's mine too," Wu Fei replied seriously. "Other kids are off traveling after the exams, but you're just staying home. Besides, your mom told me that the girl next door invited you on a trip, and you turned her down?"

Lin Jie chuckled lightly. There was often a communication gap between children of migrant workers and their parents, but no matter how little time they spent together, it didn't diminish their concern and care.

"I'm learning to drive..."

"You can learn to drive anytime," Wu Fei interrupted. "Your mom respects your choices and says you can travel later, but you can't stay at home for a whole month, can you? Get out there and enjoy yourself."

Lin Jie felt somewhat exasperated. They were being overly concerned... After all, he was only learning to drive for a month. There were still two months left for traveling, weren't there?

"Alright, alright, I'll go out," Lin Jie nodded repeatedly, conceding.

Only then was Wu Fei satisfied. He chatted with Lin Jie for a bit longer about mundane things before hanging up.

Lin Jie sat on the couch, thinking that going out might not be such a bad idea. He could go for walks or stroll around in the cool evening breeze.

Just as he was about to message Zhao Yan, a new friend request pulled him back to the present.

He clicked to see who it was and discovered it was none other than Ye Mo, the girl he had deleted not long ago.

He accepted the request and hesitated about what to say.

Lin Jie cleared his throat awkwardly. What should he send?

"Sorry, got hacked earlier"?

Fortunately, Ye Mo spared him the awkwardness. She sent a bunch of cute, pouty emojis, followed by a cheerful message: "So, are you coming out with me tonight?"

Her voice was clear and melodious, with a faint, alluring coolness to it.

"Sure, where should we meet?"

Lin Jie adjusted his gloomy mood from the past few days. He wanted to feel lighter, to shake off the chains that had been weighing him down, to allow himself to breathe easier.

Since that night, his mood hadn't improved.

On the surface, he seemed no different than usual, but inside, he was utterly despondent. That glimmer of light had vanished that night, and from then on, it was as if Lin Jie had nothing left to look forward to.

He had stopped his daily workouts, no longer cared about his diet, and slumped on the couch, letting everything go.

Seeing Lin Jie's reply, the girl quickly began typing again. But after waiting for a while, he still hadn't received a message, so he tapped on her profile to check her posts.

Ye Mo's profile wasn't locked, nor was it restricted to three days, so Lin Jie easily browsed through her updates and photos...

Her captions were simple, but the photos were anything but.

With just a glance, Lin Jie was taken aback by how stunning she looked. During driving practice, he had thought she was attractive, but he hadn't expected her to be this beautiful.

Her profile wasn't just a social feed; it was like a mesmerizing, fantastical film.

Before he had the chance to examine it further, Ye Mo's next voice message arrived.

She opened with her usual playful laughter and said, "Send me your address, and I'll come pick you up."

Lin Jie replied, "Alright."

He sent her his location.

Ye Mo: "I'll pick you up at 7 pm?"

Lin Jie: "Sure."

Ye Mo sent a pouty emoji, followed by: "You're so distant."

Lin Jie let out a self-deprecating laugh. Distant?

He was just insecure, unsure of himself, unsure of what to say.

He wasn't like Zhao Yan, who could effortlessly make any girl smile, who could chat with anyone. Lin Jie wasn't carefree at all.

Feeling frustrated, Lin Jie got up and kicked the couch. Then he grabbed a soda from the fridge and went to the balcony, leaning on the railing, lost in thought.

If he were truly carefree, he wouldn't have been in such a rut for so long.

He wouldn't have kept dwelling on those miserable memories.

Sipping his ice-cold soda, Lin Jie whistled softly. Though the weather was still warm, he didn't mind. The cool drink made him feel comfortable.

He stared at the soda can, recalling the days when he was strict about dieting and fitness. Suddenly, he chuckled, "A calorie bomb."

As he glanced sideways, he happened to see the balcony not far from his own.

It was Su Jiamu's balcony.

Her room was nearby.

Lin Jie remembered an anime where the male and female leads used walkie-talkies to chat every night from their balconies.

He knew such a scene would never happen between him and Su Jiamu. He had never expected it.

Yet Lin Jie had grown accustomed to standing on his balcony after school, after finishing his homework, hoping that perhaps Su Jiamu might also step outside.

But Su Jiamu rarely came to the balcony. And even when she did, she wouldn't chat with him. No matter how many hints Lin Jie dropped about his evening routine, Su Jiamu never came out for him.

"As expected," Lin Jie thought as he turned his gaze back to the bustling streets below, taking another sip of his cold soda.