Chapter 144 Do You Want to Know Who He Is?
He couldn't hold back his concern for her.
"What?" Jessica looked up, puzzled by Gabriel's sudden question, and stared at him in confusion.
"You've mentioned that the best and happiest years were spent here, right? Was it because of him? That first boyfriend who has lingered in your heart for a decade?" No longer suppressing himself, he mustered the courage and asked.
Realizing the situation, Jessica turned around, her bright eyes blinking gently. She looked at Gabriel and asked softly, "Do you truly wish to hear the truth?"
"Yes, the truth." Gabriel nodded.
Jessica also nodded. "Well, you're right, it's him.
"It's because of him. What other reason could there possibly be?" Jessica withheld the rest of her words.
'You fool, the person is right in front of me, it's you,' she kept thinking.
Although Gabriel had anticipated this response for a while, hearing her confess it in person still caused a sharp pang in his heart.
It was like something was choking his throat, making it almost hard to breathe.
"Can you tell me about him?" Holding back the strong bitterness, Gabriel asked softly.
Jessica looked up, her eyes exceptionally clear as she gazed at him. "Do you want to hear?"
"Yes, I do."
Seemingly hesitating for a moment, she brushed away the hair blown by the wind and started walking forward.
Gabriel followed her.
Finally, Jessica stopped at a certain place, looked around, and said, "Okay, I'll tell you.
"The first time I met him was on this campus, on this field. So many years have passed, and almost everything in this school has changed, but this field is still exactly the same.
"That year, freshman year. We were just starting our high school training. I remember standing right here. The sun was particularly strong that day, the weather was very hot, and I wasn't feeling well. I suddenly fainted while standing at attention.
"Then, he rushed over. On the way to the school clinic, in a daze, I could feel I was being held by someone. He held me, running desperately, without stopping.
"The distance from the field to the clinic was actually quite far, but he carried me all the way without resting, just like that, he carried me to the clinic. Although it was very hot that day, his embrace felt very cool and calming," Jessica stated.
"When I woke up in the clinic, I saw the seat next to me was already empty, he had left. How can I put it? I felt a bit lost at that time. I felt that bad that I didn't even catch a glimpse of the one who saved me.
"Just when I thought he had left, suddenly, he came in holding a hot water bottle and a thermos. He handed them to me and told me to rest well. At that moment, my face turned red because I was on my period, and later I learned from the doctor that I had fainted due to the intense training during my period.
"I thanked him, he responded and left. I didn't even manage to ask his name," she added.
Jessica finished speaking, her heart filled with melancholy.
When she reflected on the events of that day, she felt that everything was arranged by fate.
During the training, the school usually had a logistics support team in place. However, due to the high number of student accidents that day, the entire logistics team was stretched thin and unable to cope with the demand..
Later, she heard from classmates that he was passing by the road outside the field, heard the cries for help and the commotion, and rushed over voluntarily, saying he safely sent her to the clinic.
If the timing had been slightly off, she might never have crossed paths with him.
She wouldn't have fallen in love at first sight, stubbornly and persistently loving him.
Sometimes, when God arranged something, there was really no way to avoid it.
Jessica's encounter with that man wasn't particularly dramatic or unforgettable, but it lingered in her memory for a decade, occupying her thoughts for just as long.
So, how deeply did she love that person?!
Gabriel felt a vine tightly wrapping around his chest, making it both painful and tight.
He wanted to struggle, but the more he struggled, the more it hurt.
"And then? Did you find out his name?" he inquired, concealing his heartache.
Jessica nodded, smiling. "Yes, I did! During a speech by outstanding students in junior year, he took the stage. In that moment, I instantly recognized him. It was then that I discovered his name and realized he was a junior student.
"I also learned that he was so excellent, not only good at studying but also very popular, especially with girls," she continued.
"You know? He was like a brilliant star, accidentally falling into my heart, shining brightly, dazzling, but..." Jessica's voice lowered. "At that time, he didn't remember me at all.
"After knowing his excellent academic performance, I studied even harder. I studied desperately, crazily, just thinking that one day I could be as excellent as him, go to the same school, so I could see him again, and continue thinking about him.
"Even if he didn't remember me, I found immense joy in just being near him. My desires were modest; all I wanted was to catch a glimpse of him, and that was enough to satisfy me," Jessica said, a gentle smile spreading on her lips in the soft night breeze.
Since then, ten years had passed, and they ended up with a "divorce".
Recalling those past events, especially those youthful days when she loved him recklessly, she still felt full of happiness.
Not all secret loves were bitter. At least in that high school year, this secret love had brought her a lot of sweetness.
When studying became tough and exhausting, a single glance at him was all it took to rejuvenate her instantly.
Sometimes, even just a distant glance at him could make her happy for a long, long time.
When that happiness faded, she would sneakily go to see him again.
"During that period, I was deeply engrossed in my studies, burning the midnight oil almost every day. However, there was one exception - every lunchtime, the moment the teacher dismissed the class, I would dash out. Do you know why?"
Gabriel shook his head, his heart already bitter as hell, "No, I don't."
Jessica replied with a smile, "Because at that time, the junior year students had lunch first. His classroom was on the second floor, while mine was on the fourth. By hurrying out early and if their class ran a bit late, I could catch a glimpse of him from a distance in the stairwell.
"At that time, when we were queuing, I always lined up in the line next to him, because that way, I could see him from a close distance.
"However, these moments were rare and depended on luck, as the dismissal times for freshman and junior year students were only a few minutes apart. Often, by the time we left our classroom, they had already finished eating. In a month, I could only catch a glimpse of him two or three times at most.
"But I was already very happy."
After Jessica finished speaking, she found that Gabriel had already turned around and was walking forward alone.
He really couldn't force himself to listen to these sweet, happy memories.
He straightened his body, walking forward alone, proud and lonely.
For some reason, in that moment, Jessica felt like she could see the loneliness and sadness in his posture from behind.
She looked at his back, suddenly mustered all her courage, and shouted, "Gabriel, do you want to know who he is?"
