Chapter 25: Post-Kenichi Matsuyama Era
if his steps were staggering, making Su Cun both laugh and cry, it seemed that his opinion now would greatly affect their future.This made Su Cun feel more at ease. At least from this point on, one c...Chapter 25: Post-Kazuya Kumatani Era
When Su Cen arrived at the school newspaper editing department, Mr. Lin Guangdong, the teacher guiding Chao Huashe (a student organization), was analyzing layout issues with a few male and female students. The planning room's mouth had been lit up by a tungsten lamp. Mr. Lin was explaining layout designs on a small blackboard to several club officials. When Su Cen appeared, everyone turned their heads to stare at him. Among the girls were two quiet beauties who glanced at Su Cen and then looked away again; even though they knew he was currently a focal point, this didn't arouse any discussion among Chao Huashe's members.
Mr. Lin let everyone discuss further while he walked out and pushed his glasses up. "You are..."
Upon hearing Su Cen’s purpose for coming, Mr. Lin smiled and invited him to his office. As the teacher guiding Chao Huashe, Mr. Lin mainly managed magazine planning; he didn't take much interest in articles submitted by students. He would occasionally read student works, thinking that revisiting these youthful writings as a thirty-something-year-old man was quite refreshing.
Since Li Qiyang recommended him for an article and it was about to be printed, Mr. Lin took charge immediately since Li wasn’t around.
Mr. Lin accepted Su Cen’s manuscript, pointed at the desk opposite his office chair, and said, "Sit down." He then crossed one leg over the other and, under the light, began to read it carefully. Since ‘Yao Tai’ represented Chao Huashe's highest standard for submissions, he had become intrigued.
Upon seeing the title, 'Forest of Memories,' his interest was piqued.
He glanced through the content initially but became solemn after a few lines and started reading word by word. He seemed completely immersed in it.
Eventually, he forgot that Su Cen was still there, reached into his right pocket to find it empty, then dug into his left pocket, pulling out a crushed packet of cigarettes. He took one out and lit it before setting the manuscript on his thigh while reading; he seemed absorbed in this straightforward yet heart-wrenching narrative.
The article was simple: an account of a middle-aged man returning to his hometown, walking down familiar streets with occasional glimpses into his past, expressing a deep yearning for time reversal and the return of yesteryears. In Mr. Lin’s eyes, this stirred an indescribable excitement; it lacked youthful students’ ornate language but had a crystalline clarity honed by experience.
Mr. Lin came from a family known for calligraphy history scholars; if not for the slightly immature penmanship, he would hardly believe that such an article could be written by a mere second-year high school student. The maturity of thought and understanding of life, as well as cherishing the past, all deeply resonated with Mr. Lin.
The final stanza of poetry stirred his heart; it was hard for him to fathom how this high-schooler's piece could evoke such a long-forgotten sense of nostalgia. Recalling his own first love, seeing Mina recently at a class reunion as now an attractive woman married to a transportation department official but seemingly unhappy in her marriage, Mr. Lin felt a lingering pain in his heart over past affections and written poems, yet knew he could offer little then or now.
Su Cen’s article stirred up regrets within him, leading him to sigh.
Coming back to himself, Mr. Lin waved the cigarette box at Su Cen, "Smoke"
Su Cen shook his head; it struck him how he had asked a student if he smoked like an old buddy would. Clearly, he couldn’t treat someone capable of writing such an article as just another ordinary student anymore.
"Is this really your work"
"One hundred percent assured." Su Cen smiled and added, "Do you have any questions If not, I’ll take my leave. My manuscript is handed in; it’s up to you whether to publish or not."
Mr. Lin stood up, about to exclaim why wouldn’t he publish it! but thought better of it for his teacher's dignity and instead said, "I guarantee this issue of Chao Huashe Yao Tai will surpass previous ones in terms of innovation."
Su Cen smiled at Mr. Lin: "Mr. Lin, I hope we can have further collaboration in the future."
Watching Su Cen’s back, Mr. Lin was puzzled by his last remark; it seemed to imply a deeper meaning. Then he laughed at himself for speculating on a high school student's words. He looked back at Su Cen's manuscript and softly recited the final stanza: "That sunlight shattered in familiar scenes, so tranquil..."
Considering the above, it's hard to let go.
...
The new issue of the Zhao Hua magazine featured an article titled "Forest of Memories" by transfer student Su Cian in its Yao Tai column. Regardless of whether readers were skeptical, curious, hostile, or indifferent, after reading the entire piece with a sense of extreme shock and wonder, they would recite the concluding sentence of the article in a whispering tone reminiscent of primary school students reciting their lessons, as if to emphasize the pivotal point that brought the whole piece together.
"That sunlight shattered on familiar scenes, very quietly.
How much past can one person carry It's really not light.
Your laughter, your warm palms, I'm captivated by them.
The scars seem to have become part of the past.
The final act: seeing an empty auditorium, lights on.
This story is like a real yet dreamlike scene.
True pain comes so lightly, without sound.
You and I still have places we haven't visited together.
Why leave me sitting here absurdly alone
To start over, is it possible
If given another chance, I wouldn't end up like this.
Who would put me back
I'd give everything to have a time machine...
Sorry, my regrets float in the air, unheard.
Once again, it's loneliness till dawn.
Even if not all of the article is read, this final verse would still resonate with readers. This resonance differs from the melancholic sentimentality typical of teenage magazines but remains within the realm of youth, striking a chord precisely at the emotional level of students in the entire school.
A secretly proud student who excels in essay writing pulled out their notebook and transcribed the article, copying it into their collection book while holding the five copies of the magazine circulating in one class for only a brief moment.
Someone nearby, driven by some inexplicable competitive spirit, said, "Wait a moment! I'll get my notebook and copy it as well!"
Thus, one could often see several people climbing onto a desk, frantically writing down whatever was being copied. At first glance, it seemed like they were copying the reference answers to a crucial question…
A few of the teachers who had grown old in their offices watched on, but their focus wasn't solely on the final poem; rather, it was on the entire piece. The idea that an article, one that could even potentially打動高考作文閱卷老師的麻木心靈，竟然出自一個高二學生之手，實在是令人難以置信。
The highest praise they gave was to describe it as 'interesting.' Of course, to maintain their dignity as teachers, if they had been overly enthusiastic about the article, that might have made them seem a bit out of touch.
At this moment, Class 3 where Su Cen was enrolled seemed like boiling water, with excitement rising. If he had previously attracted criticism or admiration from those who were different in his weekly exposure, then after the publication of this article on Yaotai, it immediately sparked a wave of attention, quite different from past articles.
Xiao Yunyun sat next to Su Cen during class and asked with a pout, "Where's Tang Wu Doesn't she come looking for you"
Su Cen smiled and replied, "She said she needed to organize her notes and wouldn't be coming."
"Looks like your relationship is really good," Xiao Yunyun teased. However, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. If Su Cen had simply said something dismissive or evasive like "What do you want" or "No", it would have been more reassuring than the implication that he and Tang Wu were so close they even discussed whether to spend break times together.
But Xiao Yunyun felt a sense of novelty. Just one week ago, when Su Cen was still an unknown figure, sitting next to him wouldn't draw any special attention from classmates; many in the class couldn't even remember her full name, let alone those who looked down on her.
Now, however, more than 70% of the students' gazes were directed at their table.
Females have vanity, and Xiao Yunyun was no exception. Especially when girls from wealthy families in Chengdu, who used to look down upon her, now looked at her sitting across from Su Cen with a mixture of suspicion and awe.
She deliberately laughed softly about some embarrassing stories involving Su Cen and his classmates, and on the other side of smiling Su Cen, she put on an expression of sweet lady. This directly made several female students widen their eyes in disbelief, muttering unpleasant remarks behind her back, revealing a deep-seated envy.
She felt very content with this arrangement.
...
After school, the slanting sunlight illuminated the surroundings as Su Cen descended happily. During class, he had half-listened to lectures and half-thought about how to proceed with developing the campus consumption magazine. His desire to see Tang Wu was also quite obvious.
In Rongcheng, unlike in Xiahai, Tang Wu lived alone. If his guess was correct, her family would be a harmonious trio, where her strong-willed mother and broad-minded father enjoyed each other's company daily. Right now, if he wanted to intrude into their private life, he might likely be chased away with brooms.
Therefore, the good times in Xiahai when he spent time alone with Tang Wu were temporarily over.
However, it was still pleasant to walk home under the setting sun alongside a beautiful girl. This kind of carefree and joyful day was something Su Cen cherished greatly.
Seeing Tang Wu standing next to Sun Man as well as several girls who started whispering when they saw him approach (at least one among them, Zhang Ke, had an unmasked disdain in her eyes), Su Cen scratched his head. "I know you and Tang Wu have plans," Sun Man said confidently, without hesitation, pulling Tang Wu closer with a line that was both casual yet not at all unwelcoming.
The girls started議論again, wondering how Tang Wu could actually know him. Zhang Ke looked at Su Chan with a strange expression.
Tang Wu smiled at Su Chan, seemingly finding it somewhat無奈to have such a group of girls following her around.
At this moment, Li Yinghe walked over here, smiling and greeting everyone.
Zhang Ke looked崇敬and grinned, "Editor-in-Chief Li, the content for this issue of Yao Tai is quite interesting! You have great taste!"
Li Yinghe's expression did not show any displeasure. He shook hands with Su Chan and said, "It was a pleasure working with you; your writing is indeed excellent." In fact, he had been heavily impacted by the unexpected turn of events, as his carefully planned scheme to embarrass Su Chan backfired, turning into an opportunity for Su Chan to shine instead. Seeing Tang Wu looking at Su Chan with a gentle expression, Li Yinghe couldn't shake off the feeling of something stuck in his throat.
Su Chan smiled at him and said, "Who was it that said Yao Tai's standards are high I don’t see them as such."
The smile on Li Yinghe’s face froze when he heard this. The tension between them spread, and Li Yinghe couldn't understand how the person standing calmly beside Tang Wu could suddenly become so aggressive.
Li Yinghe pulled back his hand, maintaining a defensive smile, "What do you mean"
The girls around him were already不滿,"Who do you think you are Are you just showing off"
Zhang Ke, who had been harboring resentment against Su Chan, burst out, "You've gone too far! What right do you have to say this You used to be arrogant in your previous school and now that you're here at No. 27 High, you don't know the rules"
His words were harsh. Zhang Ke knew there was an even more sharp-tongued Sun Man behind him who could cut people down without a second thought. Su Chan dared to challenge No. 27 High's "Takashi Kanō," yet he sought out such an unattainable opponent.
Su Chan paid no heed to the girls' outburst and continued addressing Li Yinghe, who had folded his arms, "If 'Cherry Blossoms' continues with its previous standards in the next five issues, I suggest it be canceled. A literary critique platform monopolized by a few people is bound to suffocate most minds; instead, let’s bring about a grand liberation that frees everyone from this stagnation."
Tang Wu roughly understood why Su Chan suddenly attacked and stood firmly on his side, her beautiful smile adding sharpness to Su Chan's words, slicing through Li Yinghe.
The defensive smile on Li Yinghe’s face faltered when he heard Su Chan’s words. When he saw Tang Wu nodding in agreement with a full-of-approval smile, the restrained anger in his heart suddenly erupted, filling him with rage to the point where he couldn't think straight anymore.
"Don’t you dare think that by writing an excellent piece, you can sit high up on your pedestal and consider yourself a literary youth. Don’t you dare assume you’ll have plenty of women flocking to you or trying to establish your authority over me with shameless acts... You’re still too green!"
This sudden outburst from Li Yinghe shocked everyone.
The girls were all astonished.
Even Zhang Ke, who had been supporting Li Yinghe in his efforts to undermine Su Chan, was left speechless, staring at Li Yinghe in disbelief as he revealed such an ugly side of himself that went against his usual refined demeanor.
Takashi Kanō fell.
The sunshiny, smiling Takashi Kanō disappeared.後的反應和態度。雖然說蘇燦願意低調地享受平靜的生活，但他畢竟一手改變了那麼多東西，總會有些成就感，而這種成就感滋生出虛榮心也是人之常情。人類本身就是矛盾的生物。但奇怪的是最近冇有聽到更多來自唐嫵家的訊息。麵對唐嫵時，他總不太好意思當麵問她“你們家人對此的看法是什麼？”以唐嫵的聰慧，蘇燦恐怕開口這麼一說就會泄露了他詢問這些話的目的和暗中的小虛榮。而她一眼看穿這一切也並非難事。蘇燦多少需要在唐嫵麵前保...