Thump, thump, thump!
“The Love Poetry Competition is about to begin. All contestants, please gather in the auditorium according to the assigned four groups. Latecomers will not be admitted.”
At nine o’clock on Monday morning, Haicheng University’s auditorium opened its annual Love Poetry Competition.
Yun Hui stood in the crowd, squinting and drowsy.
Last night, she had tossed and turned in bed, racking her brains—she had thought all night but still couldn’t come up with any ideas. She was even considering voluntarily withdrawing from this competition, but after thinking about it, the rewards were quite good, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and go for it.
Even a consolation prize would be fine! She could show off to Han Su later!
Hmph, hmph, hmph~
“Yun Hui!” Meng Yao spotted Yun Hui from afar and waved at her.
In an instant, the gazes of everyone in line focused on Yun Hui, whose eyes were barely open.
“Classmate, your friend is calling you,” the boy behind her patted her shoulder.
Yun Hui, who had been pretending to sleep, jolted awake: “Don’t… don’t touch me!”
She really disliked any kind of physical contact!
No touching allowed!
She glared fiercely at the person behind her, suddenly wide awake.
The boy behind her looked completely embarrassed: “Your friend is calling you.”
He pointed in Meng Yao’s direction.
Yun Hui squinted and looked in the direction he pointed.
Everyone’s eyes were now fixed on her!
So awkward!
She timidly lowered her head, her face flushing red again. So many people were staring at her—it felt like ants were crawling all over her body, and they were biting too! It was really uncomfortable!
She gritted her teeth and opened the chat window.
Dormitory Chat Group.
【Yun Da Hui: Meng Yao! Don’t call out to me in the middle of a crowd! I’m really angry!】
【Spicy Meng Yao Sauce: Sorry, sorry, I admit I was wrong, sis.】
【Yun Da Hui: Don’t do that again next time!】
【Spicy Meng Yao Sauce: Definitely, definitely.】
【Suspected Frost on the Ground: What’s going on? Are you two arguing?】
【Yun Da Hui: It’s nothing.】
【Spicy Meng Yao Sauce: Sorry, Yun Hui sis, I’ll treat you to something later.】
【Yun Da Hui: I’ll reluctantly forgive you.】
“Students in the first group, please enter first. Students in the second, third, and fourth groups, please wait fifteen minutes,” the volunteer organizing the event waved a flag to direct the crowd.
People around them chattered and discussed.
“Hey Anya, are you confident about this year’s competition?”
“Definitely, I placed in last year’s competition!”
“Speaking of that, those couples from last year might not be able to compete together sweetly this year. Things don’t always go as planned.”
On the other side.
“Zhang Yifeng, you don’t even have a partner, yet you still have the nerve to compete?”
“Get lost, get lost. Even if I haven’t eaten pork, I’ve seen pigs run. Writing a few flowery lines of poetry is a piece of cake for me.”
In the crowd, only Yun Hui stood out like an oddity, standing alone with no one to talk to.
Her eyes darted around, trying to ease the awkwardness from earlier.
Just as she was about to look away, two figures caught her gaze and held it firmly.
In the crowd, two girls wearing hoodies stood side by side, holding hands. Their posture was natural and graceful, as if they had already pledged their lives to each other.
Their fingers were intertwined, and they stood boldly in the crowd, unaffected by the disdainful glances of others. Even amidst the noisy crowd, they remained quiet, as if the clamor around them was completely separate from their tranquility.
Even Yun Hui, who was usually quite oblivious, could tell at a glance—they were also lesbians.
Hua Xunyan looked gently at the girl beside her: “A Liu.”
Chu Wenliu met her gaze. “I’m here, Ah Yan.”
“Aren’t you afraid of other people’s stares?”
“No.”
Chu Wenliu tightened her grip on Hua Xunyan’s hand. “Ah Yan, wait for me. I’ll bring you back a ring.”
Hua Xunyan smiled gently, and even the passing breeze seemed to tremble.
“I’ll be waiting for good news.”
The two gazed at each other for a long time until they felt a gaze—burning yet timid—sweeping over them. They turned around and saw a blushing girl staring at them.
Yun Hui immediately averted her eyes. It felt like being caught peeking at something she shouldn’t have seen, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
They… look so sweet together…
Fifteen minutes wasn’t long, but it felt like an eternity for Yun Hui.
Finally.
The first group concluded.
“Students in the second group, please line up! The ‘Joyful’ group on the right, the ‘Regret’ group on the left! Line up properly! Hey! You there, stop jumping around like a monkey!”
Yun Hui followed the crowd to the left side. Once in place, she timidly lowered her head, wanting to chat with someone to ease the awkwardness, only to realize there was no one in her contacts she could talk to.
If only Han Sou… Yun Hui, stop thinking about it! Focus on the competition!
She silently encouraged herself, then glanced up slightly—it was those two girls. They were standing three people ahead in the line.
Why are they in the ‘Regret’ group? They look so sweet together… What are they doing in this group?
“Alright, students, your seat numbers are on your registration forms. Make sure to sit according to your assigned seats. Time is limited, so hurry up,” the event organizer waved a flag.
Yun Hui didn’t dare think too much, simply following the person in front of her as she walked in.
I can do this! I can do this!
The lead organizer guided the two groups into Haicheng University’s grand auditorium.
“Hey! Yun Hui!” As soon as she entered, she bumped into Meng Yao again, who was leading her partner inside. “Do your best! Good luck!”
Yun Hui didn’t dare stop, afraid of annoying the people behind her. She kept moving forward while looking back. “Meng Yao… good luck to you too.”
The grand auditorium was funded by Yin Han Sou and was exceptionally spacious.
The interior was divided into three levels, structured like an opera house, with a semi-enclosed, tiered layout.
It was typically used for university meetings, but the venue had been temporarily allocated for this event.
Yun Hui found her seat and sat down.
“Alright, students, the topics for the ‘Joyful’ and ‘Regret’ groups are different. Please double-check that you have the correct one. The competition begins now.”
The curtain rose, and the fifteen-minute countdown began.
Yun Hui opened the test paper, her face twisting into a bitter expression.
【Life is full of regrets, but regrets often hide between the lines, unnoticed. Please write a “metaphorical poem” on the theme of “regret,” with six lines, each containing no more than 20 characters. If time permits, you may write an explanation of the poem on the back to assist the judges’ appreciation.】
This… why does it feel so much like a college entrance exam question?
Isn’t this supposed to be a love poem…? It feels like an exam.
She was terrible at writing subtle, metaphorical poems like this—every word had to be carefully considered, and it required too much brainpower!
Lost in thought, she wrote two words on the poetry sheet.
Painting.
And then… nothing else.
Five minutes passed, and Yun Hui was still sitting in her seat, clutching her pants and struggling to find the right words. She glanced up and saw the couple walking calmly past her, leaving behind a faint, distinctive fragrance.
Looking at the two of them, what welled up in her eyes was more envy and sorrow.
When she was young, she earnestly pursued such intimate feelings. She once boldly told her parents that she liked girls and wanted to be with a girl forever.
What she received in return was endless coldness, and even her other same-sex friends distanced themselves from her.
Deep in her heart, there was a question: Was she truly an unacceptable anomaly?
She was like a black cat hiding in the night, only able to move forward under the cover of darkness. During the day, people would see her as if she were a harbinger of misfortune, all rushing to drive her away. Some would even kick and punch this “black cat.”
The once whole black cat, having survived until now, had long lost its limbs. It could only wait for nightfall to rummage through the trash bins for the scraps left behind by those who despised it.
Humble beyond humility…
Connecting to the unbearable past, her thoughts were pulled down by low spirits.
Following her heart, she completed this poem.
I am accustomed to painting in the dead of night,
For in daylight, her dark eyes will not meet mine.
I ask, how long is forever?
So long that even the twilight of old age cannot glimpse its shadow.
I painted a basin of water,
Her name is called, tears.
Once the brushstroke is set, not a word can be changed.
With six minutes left after finishing, she hurriedly added the final explanation on the back.
“I am afraid to move in the daylight, for the gazes of others are always piercingly bright. Only when no one can see me do I dare to take my steps, humbly enjoying everything in this dusty world.
I ask myself, how long a road must one walk to find eternal love? So long that even at dusk, we cannot see our end.
So, in the bustling crowd of love and affection, I painted a drop of water—that is my tears, wandering through countless deep nights.”
After writing these words, with thirty seconds left, she placed the poem on the table and left, utterly dispirited.
This poem was no longer a love poem; it was more of a lament for her own sorrowful experiences.
She did have someone on her mind now, but the wounds of the past loomed larger than the surging tide of love. Everyone only saw her obedient side, unaware that this was her stubborn self compromising with life—a state humble beyond humility.
Yin Han Sou, when will you come to see me?
I kind of want to rest in your arms for a while. I’m so tired…