Chapter 42 Falling I'm already tired of you. [Please see author's note]...

After that night, Ning Jiu's stay at Qiao Bolin's house for the past few days was essentially a wasted rest.

Ning Jiu never imagined that Qiao Bolin would be so unrestrained in doing this kind of thing. From the initial naive exploration to the fierce intensity after his reason was completely burned out, from the bed to the bathroom, he applied theory to practice almost everywhere.

Her legs were weak and her back ached; she felt weak all over. Her skin was already thin, and even on the third day, there were still red marks from when he had pinched her between her legs.

Before leaving, Qiao Bolin lingered and refused to let go. After finally returning to Yuan Liangjing's dessert shop and sitting down for a short while, he received voice calls from Gao Hexin and Li Mingyuan.

They've been in Shanghai for over two weeks and just got off the high-speed train. Judging from the white noise over there, they're probably still in Gao Hexin's dad's car.

Gao Hexin said he couldn't wait to open the website, but he couldn't get in after entering his admission ticket number several times. Every time he clicked in, the page would freeze and pop up.

Ning Jiu sensed her nervousness and quickly comforted her, "It's okay, if we can't get in now, we can wait a minute or two. It's not urgent."

Gao Hexin tried several times and finally wasn't stuck. The moment she saw the score, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and scream.

The voice of Gao Hexin's father came through the receiver.

"What score did you get, Chengcheng?"

"I've reached 600, aren't I awesome?"

"Wow, my daughter is the best!"

Gao Hexin was so excited he was practically jumping for joy, only to remember that Ning Jiu hadn't checked her score yet.

"Sweet wine, aren't you checking your score now?"

"Hmm, I'm checking."

It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous. When filling in my ID number, I kept checking to make sure it was correct. At first, I failed several times, but I finally got in on the fifth try.

At the same time, her phone rang. Ning Jiu found it and answered. The moment the ringing stopped, her gaze fell on the displayed grades section—

His pupils contracted slightly.

After talking with Shen Zhiying, Ning Jiu hung up the phone and waited quietly for a while. Yuan Liangjing, who was standing next to her, cautiously walked over, looked at her expression, and felt that something was wrong. He didn't want to pry, so he could only ask indirectly.

"Hey, everyone says you only get one college entrance exam in your life, but if you don't do well, you can always retake it. If you're not satisfied with your results, your uncle will support you to study again—"

No need to repeat a grade.

The girl's voice was calm, without sadness or joy, just a faint tone.

"I scored 712."

Yuan Liangjing was completely stunned.

"How...how much???!!!"

Main subject 421, combined science 291.

The total score was exactly the same as Qiao Bolin's prediction.

The rankings of the top few in the province are not yet available, but based on my conversation with Shen Zhiying, I can roughly guess that they are probably in the top ten in the province.

"This is great news!" After a few seconds, Yuan Liangjing finally reacted, his face beaming with excitement. "My niece scored 700 points on her exam! My niece, my own niece! Everything is free today!"

The customers in the dessert shop all turned to look at him. His face was full of wrinkles from smiling. He kept patting Ning Jiu's shoulder and then took off his apron to take pictures with his phone. The scene was completely out of control.

Ning Jiu sent a screenshot of her grades to Ning Xuan. Soon, a barrage of messages came from the other end of WeChat. With some emotions she couldn't quite explain, she opened the chat window, which was now just a voice call, and sent her grades to Yuan Shu.

Finally, my gaze settled on Qiao Bolin's line.

-

After the college entrance examination results are released, the next step is to apply to universities. Lao Qin has scheduled a classmate reunion dinner in early July.

On the last day of college application submissions, Jiangcheng was hit by a sudden downpour.

The last time such a phenomenal typhoon-level rainstorm occurred was two years ago. Jiangcheng TV broadcast a special report on it, and residents quickly closed their doors and windows to prevent flooding.

Since the results were announced and college applications began, Qiao Jialing and Wen Xi have stayed home with Qiao Bolin, which is quite unusual for them, instead of going on business trips.

This is a consensus between them and the school—the actions of the top provincial scorer are bound to attract attention, especially during the crucial application period, when the media can be seen loitering around their neighborhood from time to time.

This wasn't the first time Qiao Bolin had spent a long time with them, but for some reason, he felt particularly uneasy today.

The rain outside the window was dense and noisy, and he was unusually distracted, as if he had returned to the night he first spent with Ning Jiu.

He misses her.

I miss her so much.

I want to see her.

His fingers repeatedly caressed the water glass, his emotions surging like a tide. Just as he stood up, Wen Xi stood up at almost the same time.

Meeting Qiao Bolin's questioning gaze, she looked away somewhat awkwardly and tugged at Qiao Jialing's sleeve, whose expression became much more composed.

Where are you going?

"Pour water."

With that casual remark, Qiao Bolin took his water glass to the kitchen, his gaze inadvertently glancing at the clock on the living room wall. There were less than thirty minutes left until the deadline for submitting college applications.

After pouring the water, he walked faster than usual, heading straight up to the second floor. Wen Xi called out to him from behind.

"Berlin, it's almost time for dinner, don't come upstairs."

"I'm going to get my phone, I'll come downstairs when I'm done."

After closing the door, Qiao Bolin suppressed the inexplicable irritation in his heart, found his phone on the bedside table, and opened his chat history with Ning Jiu.

Their conversation remained at the point of their last meeting, where Ning Jiu told him about her college entrance exam results, congratulated him on becoming the top scorer in the province, and wished him all the best at Peking University.

He also wished her success in the provincial science exam and then sent a message asking if it was too early to wish her good luck now, since they had agreed to go to Peking University together. Ning Jiu simply sent a cute bear emoji that said "Leave me alone" and said that she was going abroad with her uncle to visit her mother next week and would contact him again next week.

Today marks exactly one week since their last conversation.

The unease and frustration in his heart, mixed with the sound of rain outside the window, grew stronger and stronger. Qiao Bolin pressed his fingertips to the screen and realized that his fingers had been trembling the whole time.

Has Qiao Bolin returned to Jiangcheng?

The message was sent, but no one responded.

Joel Berlin told himself that this was normal.

There's a time difference between Germany and Jiangcheng; maybe she hasn't returned yet.

My hands were shaking even more violently. Even though I had just drunk water, my throat was dry and hoarse, as if something was stuck in my throat.

His actions outpaced his rational thinking; by the time he realized what was happening, he had already dialed Ning Jiu's number.

Beep, beep, beep...

Joel Berlin had never felt time pass so slowly.

He lowered his head slightly only after the phone rang until it automatically disconnected. Strands of hair fell across his face, obscuring his expression. His fingers tightened slowly around the phone. He glanced at the time—

There were less than ten minutes left before the deadline for volunteering.

When he opened the webpage for filling out college applications, the system wouldn't load. Qiao Bolin forced himself to calm down and started checking his phone's performance, from memory usage to background applications. He discovered that the network signal was being blocked.

The rain was howling outside the window.

The raindrops almost pierced his heart.

The veins on his metacarpal bones bulged from the exertion, and he almost reflexively went to the door, trying to open it, only to find that Qiao Jialing had already quietly locked it from the inside.

"Let me out, Dad."

"Let me out..."

I said let me out!

At first, he managed to keep his composure, but later he completely lost control of his emotions. Qiao Jialing and Wen Xi stood outside the door, listening to the sound of Qiao Bolin banging on the door, each bang louder than the last, until it reached a heart-wrenching level.

"Please... let me out, I need to see her, I need to see her now..."

His usually calm and steady voice gradually turned from initial shock to pleading; even Wen Xi had never seen Qiao Bolin like this before.

She covered her mouth in surprise, wanting to open the door, but was stopped by Qiao Jialing.

The man's tone remained calm and composed: "You're in Beijing, she's in Shanghai, you're not from different countries, you'll still be able to meet after graduation."

"Dad, you wouldn't understand. Because we live in different cities, she doesn't want me anymore..."

He knows a lot about Ningjiu.

Such a decisive and rational person, if they are separated by distance, whether for the sake of their future or their inner balance, she will ruthlessly end the relationship as soon as possible.

Joel Berlin used almost all his strength, banging his arm against the door until it went numb, then he switched to his leg and continued.

She pounded on the door repeatedly, making it shake violently. Just when it looked like it was about to give way, Qiao Jialing's expression became more serious.

"Joe Berlin".

Calling him by his full name was always a sign that Qiao Jialing was about to get angry.

"When did you become so spineless?"

Qiao Jialing always believed that his son was mature and independent and did not need him and Wen Xi to worry too much. He could accept Qiao Bolin's free love and was willing to give him the freedom to choose within his means, but he could not accept that his son would be so humble for a girl.

The college application system was already closed. Qiao Jialing unlocked the door and watched Qiao Bolin stagger away, delivering the final blow.

"She didn't want you anymore when she made that decision."

As a father, he always manages to pinpoint his son's most vulnerable points.

Qiao Bolin remained silent. His right hand was bruised and purple, and his left leg was also strained when he kicked the door. He dragged his feet down the stairs with great difficulty.

Xiao Bai heard the noise in the living room and let out a worried sob. Wen Xi wanted to call out to him, but Qiao Jialing held her hand.

He shook his head at her.

The younger generation's affairs should be handled by themselves.

-

The rain showed no signs of letting up, pelting the ground in dense, relentless downpours, as if it were about to engulf the entire city.

Ning Jiu sat in the bedroom, looking out the window at the floodwaters that had reached over the car wheels. Some low-slung vehicles had only half their windows visible above the water. She looked dazed and confused.

She knew he had probably guessed it already. Back when the application process had just begun, Shen Zhiying had reached an agreement with her: with her current grades, she could be directly admitted to the Department of Psychology at Shanghai University with a full scholarship, and in her final year, she would have the opportunity to study as an exchange student at Stanford University in the United States.

Perhaps Ke Shini is right about one thing: choosing a university is never a one-person decision. Family, distance, and reality are all factors she has to consider, and she doesn't want Qiao Bolin to include her in those factors that must be weighed.

As the rain washed over the street corner, Ning Jiu thought she was seeing things when she saw that tall figure at the corner.

It's so late, he must be crazy to come without an umbrella.

She grabbed an umbrella from the doorway almost immediately and went downstairs. No matter how Yuan Liangjing called her, she wouldn't listen. The torrential rain fell along the edge of the umbrella and splashed water onto the girl's smooth, white thighs. She ran over and pulled Qiao Bolin under the umbrella, immediately noticing his injury.

"How did you get that injury on your arm...?"

Ning Jiu stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Qiao Bolin dodged her hand and stood alone in the rain.

There was no questioning or argument as I had imagined. The rain soaked the boy's white T-shirt, making it wrinkled. The bruises on his forearm from a hard fall were even more noticeable in the rain. Water from his hair slid down his high nose bridge to his chin and then down his neck. He looked more disheveled than ever before.

silence.

silence.

Endless silence continued.

Ning Jiu was the first to withdraw from this silent standoff, wiping the rain from her face and turning to leave.

Suddenly, a burning hot hand gripped her wrist, the knuckles digging deep into her skin with terrifying force.

"Tell me this is all fake."

The rain blurred his voice and the boundaries of his emotions, but the deep-seated despair pierced Ning Jiu's heart like a needle.

Tell me, have you thought about our future, even if only for a moment?

His eyes, which used to be full of sparkling light, are now dull and almost lifeless. Qiao Bolin's eyes are dark and heavy, and his whole body is like an empty shell drowning, trapped at the bottom of the water, about to suffocate.

“Tell me this, Ning Jiu, it doesn’t matter if you lie to me,” he said in a very low voice, his posture so humble it was like he was begging, “even if you only lie until tonight, it’s fine.”

Ning Jiu almost thought she was hallucinating.

How could George Polin speak in such a tone?

"Do you know what you're saying?" She shook off his hand, wanting him to come to his senses. "Now that it's all over, I have no reason to lie to you."

“I’ve said it before, our futures are different and will never be the same,” Ning Jiu said, emphasizing each word. “Don’t think too highly of me, Qiao Bolin. I’ve played you. You should be the one cursing me.”

He should give her a severe scolding.

"I'm not as important as you think. You won't lose anything by leaving me—"

"I can't live without you."

Ning choked on his wine.

He can't listen to her at all right now.

His forearm was badly injured, with small cracks covering the skin that was a mix of blue and purple. After the rain soaked in, blood trickled down his arm, making it look particularly shocking.

Ning Jiu couldn't utter the harsh words she was about to say. Her hand trembled as she tried to touch his wound, but Qiao Bolin seemed to have confirmed something and suddenly grabbed her hand.

"You still care about me, don't you?" A glimmer of light suddenly ignited in the deadness in his eyes, so bright it was almost impossible to ignore. "Let's not break up, I don't want to break up with you. Tomorrow, we'll be the same as before. I'll go to Shanghai with you..."

I really shouldn't be soft-hearted towards him.

“Do you remember what you said?” She pulled her hand back, forcing herself to harden her heart, her expression and tone cold, “If I lied to you, you would never forgive me for the rest of your life.”

She used his own words to criticize him condescendingly, personally tearing open his bleeding wounds.

"Is this how you refuse to forgive me?" Ning Jiu scoffed, feeling a sting in her eyes. "Is this how you refuse to forgive me, so pathetically and painfully?"

"Joe Bolin, you're nothing special."

Rain slid into my eyes, stinging and painful; I couldn't tell if it was rain or tears.

The boy's once proud back bent little by little under her words, with only a few protruding knuckles supporting his crumbling, ridiculous dignity.

She knew him well, so she knew what to say to hurt him the most and completely dispel his idea of ​​accompanying her to Shanghai.

"Also, you said you didn't want to break up."

Ning Jiu smiled softly, a chill spreading from her fingertips to her entire body, as if all sensation had been drained from her, yet her lips still moved mechanically.

"Excuse me--"

Were we ever together?

-

With the college entrance examination results finalized, Qiao Bolin stood out as the top science student in the province. Countless media outlets wanted to interview him, but in the end, only one mainstream media outlet got the opportunity to conduct a live interview.

The reporter and photographer set up their equipment in advance and looked at the cool and clean-cut boy in the lens.

He had a straight back and striking features, so much so that even the light shining on him seemed brighter than on others. However, his gaze seemed somewhat unfocused, like a human puppet devoid of emotion.

The reporter assumed that Qiao Bolin was a little nervous during his first interview and secretly seized this opportunity for an exclusive interview, wanting to get closer to Qiao Bolin. However, he found that apart from the necessary interview questions, Qiao Bolin avoided talking about anything else as if he hadn't heard anything.

Well, maybe the top scorer just has a bit of a temper.

With that in mind, the reporter put aside his own thoughts and asked the next question according to procedure.

"So, Mr. Qiao Bolin, during your three years of high school, is there anyone or anything that you find most unforgettable?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the room fell silent.

She initially thought Qiao Bolin was thinking about the answer, and wondered if the answer was difficult. Did a top scorer who got a perfect score on the college entrance exam need to think for so long? But she soon realized something was wrong.

Such a handsome and dazzling boy, on the most joyous day, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes and streaming down his face in front of the whole country.

"......sorry."

The boy, whose eyes were red at the corners, did not appear to lose his composure. Instead, he seemed to have turned on the emotional switch of a human puppet, revealing a vulnerable feeling that made people feel sorry for him. The reporter was stunned at first, and only after being reminded by his assistant did he hurriedly turn off the live broadcast.

Wen Xi, who was accompanying him, noticed that Qiao Bolin was losing control of his emotions. When he got up and was about to walk towards the door, she immediately stepped forward to stop him and nodded slightly to the reporter.

"Sorry, that's all for the live stream. Thank you for your hard work."

The only live interview with this top science student after the college entrance examination came to an abrupt end.

-

In early July, the class reunion dinner arrived as scheduled. This time, the science experimental class of Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School achieved remarkable results. The provincial top scorer, the fifth-highest scorer in the province, and the top scorer in the science comprehensive test were all in the same class. Even Jiangcheng TV station celebrated for them.

When Gao Hexin took Ning Jiu's hand and went to meet Li Mingyuan, the latter was chatting enthusiastically with Lao Qin.

"Didn't you always say I was a slacker? Well, I still got accepted! And the first place I listed on my college application was your alma mater, so maybe we can become alumni in the future!"

Gao Hexin naturally joined in and began to skillfully undermine Li Mingyuan. As they chatted, she suddenly felt her arm loosen. The girl frowned slightly, her face still paler than before she entered.

"What's wrong?" She immediately turned her head and asked with concern.

Ning Jiu simply shook her head: "I'm going to the restroom."

I just caught a glimpse of his figure in the distance, but the conversation during that rainstorm that night and the image of him I saw in the live stream came flooding back, making my chest feel heavy.

She shouldn't have done that.

A trickle of water flowed through her fingers, and she patted the coolness onto her face, finally clearing her drowsy mind.

After calming down, Ning Jiu came out of the restroom and ran into Qi Ruiheng. They chatted for a few words, but he hesitated and ultimately said nothing.

The path from the restroom to the private room was quite a distance. As soon as she turned the corner, a scorching force suddenly clamped down on her body, pressing her shoulder blades hard against the cold, hard tile wall, leaving her almost unable to move.

Before she could react, Qiao Bolin's hot lips and tongue rudely probed in, and the sound of wetness filled the air between them. He licked away the saliva that flowed from their lips and teeth. Ning Jiu was so dizzy from the kiss that her spine went numb, and her resistance felt more like flirting.

Her legs went weak and she couldn't support her body. Then he grabbed her waist and sucked on her earlobe intermittently.

Ning Jiu regained some of her composure, looked up, and met the boy's dark eyes.

Her once gentle and calm eyes were now filled with weariness, with faint dark circles under them. Only her lips retained their glossy, lustrous color, and the small mole on her neck swayed slightly with the movement of her Adam's apple.

"I was wrong."

Ning Jiu had imagined countless things he might say, but she never expected it to be this.

The once gentle young man's eyes were now red at the corners, and his fingertips slowly traced her snow-white skin, causing a faint blush to appear everywhere.

"You know what? Xiao Bai has been missing you a lot these past few days. It keeps staring at the toy you gave it."

He wanted to seize every opportunity to keep her.

"We're not together..." She'd actually backed down to this extent. "But didn't you say you were going to play me?"

Qiao Bolin's tone was low and hoarse.

"Play with me a little longer?"

He no longer asked for her love; he only begged not to be separated from her.

Suddenly, dazzling fireworks lit up the night outside the window, gradually illuminating the darkness and bursting into brilliant yet gentle light in the silent air.

This was a surprise that Lao Qin and the principal planned for the students.

The whole city was celebrating for them, while they were breaking up.

Illuminated by the colorful fireworks, his prominent eyebrows and eyes became even clearer, and Ning Jiu felt a sharp pain in her heart and her eyes sting.

She remembered the fireworks from her eighteenth birthday night, which are still vivid in her memory.

She never told him that she actually didn't sleep that night.

The boy's profound and vibrant love was as dazzling as fireworks exploding in the night sky. Just as he said, they should have been colorful, instead of being entangled like this.

This shouldn't be the case, George Bolin.

She was so exhausted from his kisses that she could see Li Mingyuan walking towards her from the other side of the corridor.

Ning Jiu blinked her long, fine eyelashes and met the boy's eyes, which were brightened by the fireworks, once again. She made up her mind.

It really is time to end this.

You mean that one?

A cold smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she softly patted Qiao Bolin's head twice.

"I'm already tired of you."

Each word was spoken slowly and deliberately, my heart aching as if it were being torn apart.

"I was just bored in high school and wanted to kill time by playing with the puppy, and you just happened to show up. Now that high school is over, I have nothing to say to you anymore."

Ning Jiu watched as the last glimmer of light in Qiao Bolin's eyes was completely extinguished as the fireworks faded away.

His eyes were now filled with an endless, deathly blackness.

“You have no idea what this means to me,” a tear fell from the corner of his bloodshot eye, landing on her sleeve and leaving a small, hot, dark stain. “You will never understand.”

His love and his dignity were shattered by her at this moment.

Ning Jiu was stung by the crimson at the corner of his eye and struggled to leave, but he held her even tighter.

"Even if I'm a dog, what did I do wrong?" He didn't care how she trampled on his dignity; he only hoped she wouldn't abandon him. "How could you treat me like this..."

"You mean," he asked her, emphasizing each word, his voice hoarse, "that you've never liked me at all?"

Ning Jiu stared at his reddened eyes and, in a daze, saw her own unshed tears reflected in them.

“I thought you already knew,” she said. “Did I have to say those words myself?”

The idea of ​​a shared future is a lie.

The promise of being together forever is a lie.

I'm tired of you already, it's true.

My wrists were already red and swollen from being gripped so tightly, and a pain that went straight to my bones spread outwards, but the dull pain from my heart was far more real than the pain in my flesh.

Blood began to seep from her wrist, but she held back her cries. Li Mingyuan, who was passing by, saw what the two were doing. At first, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but in the end, he cursed and rushed over to try to pull Qiao Bolin away. Not only did he fail to move him, but he also almost tripped and fell.

"Berlin...Joe Berlin, do you know what you're doing?!"

"You're hurting her, let go!"

Qi Ruiheng happened to come out of the restroom and, seeing this, immediately rushed forward and together they held onto Qiao Bolin tightly. It took the two of them working together to pull Qiao Bolin away.

Another group of people was coming, and Li Mingyuan gave him a wink. The two of them quickly took turns leading him downstairs.

Until the very last second he disappeared into the elevator, Qiao Bolin's gaze never left Ning Jiu.

He was staring at a certain point, but his eyes were as empty as still water, as if he would fall at any moment.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The next chapter will be set in the urban area. There will be no update tomorrow; there will be two updates on Thursday at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Actually, there's still a prison line; Jobel won't let go so easily, haha.

But striking the right balance in the imprisonment line is a bit difficult; it will become even more pronounced after the main storyline is finished [shy emoji].

-

Please note, everyone, the update schedule has changed starting this week:

Jinjiang's new rule states that if a story is locked five times a week, it won't appear on the charts. Urban stories are definitely more explicit than campus stories, and there are quite a few restricted ones. To prevent the situation of being locked five times a week, and also because the stockpile of manuscripts is about to run out, the update frequency has been changed to five updates a week. There will be no updates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and updates will be posted every night from Thursday to Monday at 9:00 PM. However, the word count of each chapter will increase. Several chapters of the urban story that have been stockpiled are already 6,000+ words.

Thank you everyone! I've been busy lately, but I'll try my best to keep writing! Thanks again for your support of Jinbo!