Skip to main content

The Secret That Cannot Be Told

     Chapter 0


    This story must be told quietly in the still of the night, because even now, it remains a secret.


    Chapter 1


    The story begins with something incredibly simple: A-Ju likes Qin Yu.


    Only A-Ju knows this; he hasn't even told his best friend, Lin Hai. He never even considered telling Qin Yu; he wanted this secret to remain quietly buried in his heart, never to sprout.


    But suddenly one day, things became incredibly complicated.


    During a Chinese class, Lin Hai inexplicably leaned close to A-Ju's ear and said, "I'll tell you a secret, but you absolutely mustn't tell anyone."


    A-Ju held up his textbook to block the teacher's view and nodded. Lin Hai also held up his textbook and lowered his voice, saying, "I like Qin Yu."


    A-Ju was stunned, unsure how to respond. Lin Hai then said, "I'd like to ask you to help me deliver a love letter to her."


    "Uh..." A-Ju had intended to refuse decisively, but for some reason, he said, "Sure..."


    "Good brother," Lin Hai patted A-Ju's shoulder, "Then I'll entrust this important task of writing a love letter to you, the talented scholar from Jiangnan."


    To hide his unease, A-Ju had no choice but to agree. "Write it tonight, and show it to me tomorrow." Lin Hai didn't forget to remind him, "Don't tell anyone until it's done."


    A-Ju nodded, his expression feigning naturalness, but his mind was blank, unsure what to do. Should he tell Lin Hai that he also liked Qin Yu? Absolutely not. Deliver the love letter for Lin Hai? Foolish! What if Qin Yu really accepted Lin Hai...? Torn between these thoughts until late at night, A-Ju finally had to take out paper and pen to complete the task Lin Hai had given him. He should just finish writing the love letter first. Aju carefully tore off a piece of paper, sat alone in his bedroom for a long time, and finally wrote on the first line: "Qin Yu, classmate..."


    This was Aju's first time writing a love letter, but it was something he had never done so seriously before. While writing the love letter, Qin Yu's voice and smile seemed to be right in front of him. Aju wrote with great concentration, and he almost wrote his own name as the signature.


    Chapter 2


    After reading the love letter, Lin Hai exclaimed in admiration: "You truly are a talented man, writing with such deep affection and naturalness." He folded the paper again: "Then I'll leave the rest to you."


    Aju glanced at Lin Hai with feigned displeasure, and Lin Hai immediately said with a grin: "This month's breakfasts are on me!" Aju smiled faintly: "It's nothing, don't worry about it." Lin Hai patted him on the shoulder again: "Good brother."


    This pat made Aju feel guilty.


    After evening self-study, Aju called Qin Yu out of the classroom as planned, but before he spoke, Aju became very nervous. Only then did he realize that he had hardly ever spoken a word to Qin Yu.


    "What do you need?" Qin Yu's eyes were bright as she spoke, her long hair always so clean and beautiful.


    "If..." A-Ju wanted to ask Qin Yu what she would do if Lin Hai said he liked her. But if Qin Yu didn't like Lin Hai, he would be breaking another agreement—not to tell anyone before things were settled. He had to change the subject, saying, "Uh, what was the English homework again tonight?" A-Ju tried to make his tone sound calm.


    "The topic essay for lesson three," Qin Yu said.


    A-Ju nodded, "Oh, is that so? Thank you."


    Qin Yu was silent for a moment, then said, "Nothing else... I'm going back."


    "Okay, bye-bye." A-Ju watched Qin Yu turn and leave, letting out a sigh of relief, but his heart was filled with unease. After tossing and turning all night, he still chose this course of action.


    He couldn't give Lin Hai's love letter to Qin Yu.


    The biggest drawback of lying is that one lie requires more lies to cover it up.


    Back in the classroom, Lin Hai eagerly asked A-Ju, "Did you give it to her? Did she say anything?"


    A-Ju stuck out her tongue, "She hasn't even read it yet."


    "True..." Lin Hai lowered his head and started packing to go home.


    "Lin Hai," A-Ju suddenly asked Lin Hai a question, "Do you think Qin Yu likes you?"


    Lin Hai thought for a moment and said, "If I were sure, I wouldn't have asked you to deliver the love letter."


    "So you don't like her?"


    Lin Hai punched A-Ju on the shoulder, "Don't talk nonsense."


    After returning home, A-Ju took out the love letter folded into a heart shape from her pocket, read it several times, folded it again, hid it at the bottom of her drawer, and locked it.


    Chapter 3


    Three days passed, and Qin Yu still hadn't responded. Lin Hai panicked and asked Aju, "What do you think Qin Yu's attitude is? Did she reject me... or is she just too embarrassed to refuse? No, I have to ask her."


    "Don't ask!" Aju hurriedly advised him, "...You don't even have the patience to wait. This might make her think you don't like her enough."


    "Then... okay," Lin Hai said, "I'll wait a few more days."


    Aju was at a loss again; he hadn't figured out what to do next. What if Lin Hai couldn't wait and asked Qin Yu? He would be exposed.


    Aju thought it over and over and felt that there was only one way now: to write a reply to Lin Hai on Qin Yu's behalf.


    Although it would be difficult to imitate Qin Yu's handwriting, the carefree Lin Hai shouldn't notice any flaws in the handwriting.


    Three days later, Aju handed "Qin Yu's reply" to Lin Hai: "As expected, it's a top student's answer."


    It read: "I'm sorry, I just want to study hard." The signature was too difficult to imitate, so Aju omitted it.


    Lin Hai didn't read the ten-word reply a second time. He was just very disappointed: "She really doesn't like me."


    A-Ju patted Lin Hai's shoulder and comforted him, "Don't be sad, breakfast next month is on me."


    Lin Hai forced a smile: "It's nothing, don't worry about it."


    A-Ju was inwardly tormented. He had actually lied to his best friend like this... Lin Hai's disappointed expression always made A-Ju feel a huge sense of guilt. But for the sake of their friendship, A-Ju had to continue keeping this secret. It was like a bomb in A-Ju's heart, and the fuse was in the hands of Lin Hai and Qin Yu.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

There's a kind of meeting that feels like a long-awaited encounter.

     When     I first arrived in this city, the weather was a hazy, grayish white. It was already the height of summer, and there was a humid, stifling heat.     At the subway exit, I saw Mo Xiaobei struggling to find me in the crowd. She took my suitcase, then pretended to be incredibly strong, smiling happily at me and revealing her cute little tiger teeth. I followed Mo Xiaobei through several subway stops until we finally arrived at her rented room. The moment I opened the door, it felt like I had entered a disaster zone. Just as I had imagined, her room was a mess. Several pairs of shoes were scattered haphazardly on the floor, and bottles and jars were strewn about on the table, along with leftover food that had been moldy for days. I turned to look at Mo Xiaobei, who scratched her head sheepishly. "I haven't cleaned the house these past few days. Since you're here, could you help me tidy up?" I knew she was always like this, so I shook my head h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Five-degree slanted characters (Part 2)

  　　Chi Zhoumu played three games of League of Legends in a row. Whenever he encountered a problem he couldn't figure out, he had to shift his focus to prevent himself from being trapped by his chaotic thoughts. After the three games, Chi Zhoumu stared at the computer for a long time, lost in thought. "No, I have to go out for a walk and relax," Chi Zhoumu thought to himself. 　　 　　When Chi Zhoumu went out, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening. The streetlights emitted a quiet, dim yellow light, and only a few people were running on the playground. The moonlight was faint, casting overlapping shadows, and the road was deserted. He went to the pavilion, sat down on a bench, and lazily admired the reflection of the library lights on the lake. Two or three couples were scattered on the small island in the lake. "It's hard to find such peace and harmony in the bustling city," he thought. 　　 　　After sitting for about twenty minutes, just as he was ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Looking up at the starry sky

     The night is deep, and I can't fall asleep alone. I open the window and see the twinkling stars, but are you the brightest one?     I remember the first time I saw you was in my final year of junior high. I stood nervously behind you, watching my classmates register one by one, and my name was left unassigned. Yes. I was timid and cowardly, and because I didn't have the money for tuition, I didn't dare to speak to you. I just stood there, standing there.     Later, you noticed me, smiled slightly, and asked, "Have you registered?" I shook my head. You asked again, "Are you having trouble?" I nodded. "Come with me!" When I took out my blankets from a corner of the school, I saw tears in your eyes; and I couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears. You took the blankets, took my hand, and walked towards the dormitory building.     I've always thought of myself as a stubborn child, someone no one could melt the thick ice in my hea...
Post a Comment
Read more