Chapter 84 (Combined)

Luo Yan's statement that she wanted to go home was not a made-up excuse.

Whenever she encountered a problem, her first thought was always of her family. However, after riding along the road for a while, her mind cleared up considerably, and she thought: I'm an adult now, and I need to sort things out myself first.

Since she wasn't going home, she found a nearby park, bought an ice pop at the entrance, and sat on a bench by the lake, lost in thought, going over and over the whole thing, but couldn't find any fault with herself.

She was right; the one who was wrong was someone else. Having figured this out, Luo Yan's next question became: Should she forgive Zhou Xiuhe?

A young girl's first stirrings of love always make it harder for others to make a decision.

Luo Yan is usually a very opinionated person, but right now it felt like there were two little people fighting in her head. One was saying, "He's not a bad person," and the other was saying, "I'm never going to be friends with him again." They were locked in a fierce battle.

Her head was buzzing. Suddenly, she sighed at the lake, her eyes following the ducks swimming around, thinking how free and happy they were.

But she wasn't alone, and suddenly stood up and decided to go find her brother.

On Sunday, when teachers and students had the day off, Luo Hong was leisurely reading a novel on a recliner when his younger sister came in and he habitually said, "Here you are again."

Thinking about it carefully, something seemed off. He turned the book face down on the table and slowly sat up straight: "Didn't you go to the library with Xiao Zhou?"

When her brother asked, Luo Yan's eyes welled up with tears.

She'd been a crybaby since she was little, and once she started wailing, it would go on and on. Now, she pulled up a chair and sat next to him, sniffling, "Let me tell you..."

After only a few words, Luo Hong frowned, and like he was buying chickens and ducks at the market, he grabbed his sister's thin arm and shook it a couple of times: "You weren't beaten, were you?"

Luo Yan said no, and then continued her story.

Luo Hong's brows weren't furrowed as much this time. Instead, he clenched his fist and pounded his thigh intermittently, his expression unreadable.

Luo Yan finished speaking in one breath, looking at her brother with her watery eyes: "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

This girl has been a crybaby since she was little, and she can't stand the slightest grievance. As a result, she has tears and snot flowing together eight out of ten days.

When Luo Hong was a child, he was sometimes annoyed by her. He always felt that it would be much better if she were a younger brother, since he wasn't born to be an older brother.

Looking back now, it's because his parents took good care of him, and he learned to take care of his younger sister like an adult.

Therefore, for a long time, he felt that if he had children in the future, it would be difficult for him to devote the same patience and energy.

What's the point of judging right and wrong in this situation? This isn't a police station for mediating disputes. Just eliminate all the factors that upset your sister; there are plenty of people eager to help.

He said, "Of course that's right, I don't support you two seeing each other again."

Generally, Luo Yan rarely asks about decisions her brother has made. However, feelings are often beyond one's control, and biting her lip, she raised a hypothetical possibility: "What if I still continue to see him?"

Luo Hong hadn't expected his sister to ask this question, but the answer had already been etched in his mind a thousand times. He sighed deeply and said, "If you insist, I really can't help you."

Luo Yan suddenly had a whimsical idea: "You can hit me, scold me, tie me up at home, or kick me out of the house."

There are also several couples in the alley whose families don't accept them, and they all go through a similar process.

Luo Hong was both amused and exasperated: "You're even giving yourself advice? Which of those suggestions do I think I could do?"

Her brother couldn't do it, and her parents couldn't either, because they didn't want their sister/daughter to suffer any harm. Luo Yan felt she had made up her mind, biting her lip: "I'll talk to him about it tomorrow."

Where is tomorrow?

Zhou Xiuhe was restless when he returned to his dormitory from the city library in the afternoon. Since several of his roommates were there, he decided to ask them for advice.

Roommate A: "Even if you don't join in the arguing, you should at least shield her from some of the arguments." Zhou Xiuhe also felt that this was the crux of the problem, and said: "I've reflected on it, and I'll definitely protect her next time, but I'm afraid I won't be able to appease her this time."

Everyone offered him advice, chattering away, and in the end, even someone came forward to apologize with a bundle of thorns on their back. Zhou Xiuhe said irritably, "I don't think you can be relied on either. I'll figure out a way myself."

He wandered around the dormitory building for a while, then came up with an idea: to write an apology letter. After finishing it, he went to Luo Hong's shop, intending to ask him to help deliver it.

Luo Hong gestured for him to look behind him: "No need, you can give it to her yourself."

Luo Yan had just returned from getting her food, carrying a lunchbox. Zhou Xiuhe tried to curry favor with her, but she dodged him.

Luo Yan put the lunchbox on the table: "Brother, I'm going out for a bit."

Where else can we go? There's nowhere good to talk, and besides, it's almost dark.

Luo Hong has always been inclined to assume the worst about any man who gets close to his sister, and said, "I'll make room for you."

He closed half of the wooden door, moved a stool to sit at the doorway to eat, and even prepared an excuse to say he was fumigating mosquitoes if anyone asked, so that he could appear at any time without invading people's privacy.

The indoor light dimmed, and Luo Yan turned on the light, clutching the hem of her trousers with both hands.

Zhou Xiuhe seemed to have anticipated what she was about to say and preemptively said, "Yanyan, I really know I was wrong. I shouldn't have left you to face this situation alone today."

Luo Yan shook her head slightly: "Actually, you're not wrong. Everyone has things they're not good at."

She herself is struggling, so how can she expect everyone else to be doing just as well?

The calmer she was, the more Zhou Xiuhe's heart sank: "I will try my best to excel in what I'm good at in the future."

That's too difficult. Everyone's personality is like a lock, and there are bound to be doors that can't be opened.

Luo Yan shook her head again: "It's okay, you don't need to make things difficult for yourself. Let's not see each other again."

She was actually feeling bad when she said those words, and for some reason, she couldn't look people in the eye.

Zhou Xiuhe's emotions were ignited: "Luo Yan, I only did one wrong thing, you can't just sentence me to death like this. I don't feel embarrassed, I've done things for you that were even more difficult."

Luo Yan didn't quite understand what he meant: "What do you mean by 'even more difficult things'?"

People's understanding is completely different. Zhou Xiu felt that he was making a sacrifice, saying, "You want us to pretend we don't know each other at school, and I have always done a good job of it, but I am unwilling in my heart."

I don't want to. Why don't I want to?

Luo Yan: "This is a crucial and very important matter for us all."

There was even a hint of smugness in Zhou Xiuhe's tone: "It's not that important to me."

Luo Yan wasn't naive; he quickly realized that his parents both worked for the railway, holding some rank, so even if he had a disciplinary record, it wouldn't have a significant impact on his job assignment after graduation.

She said, "Have you ever thought about me?"

Zhou Xiuhe: "Of course there are. We can distribute them together in the future. It's not a big problem."

Luo Yan suddenly felt terrified of him and took a step back: "The premise is that we've always been friends. I'm really glad that no one knows we know each other."

Her attitude made Zhou Xiuhe feel like he was some kind of bad person, and he said, "Luo Yan, I also have self-respect."

In terms of looks, family background, and education, he had never suffered any hardship growing up and believed he had already accommodated her in everything. He said, "Are you sure we won't contact each other anymore?"

Luo Yan was even more certain now than when he first arrived: "Yes."

"Fine," Zhou Xiuhe tore up the letter, threw it in the trash can, and turned to leave.

He squeezed out through the crack in the door, his face showing more anger than sadness.

Luo Hong was startled and squeezed through the crack in the door. Seeing that his sister didn't seem to be injured, he said, "Let's eat."

Luo Yan was still standing there, stunned.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, and after a while, she probably felt that she still had to cry out loud, so tears fell like they were free.

Luo Hong had never seen such a scene since returning to the city, so he gave her a large stack of papers.

Luo Yan sobbed, "I want the white one."

There are several types of toilet paper on the market now. The cheapest pink one used in Luo Hong's store feels rough to the touch.

He said, "Let's just make do with this for today."

Luo Yan has fallen into her old habit of being particular again.

She simply washed her face with water, sat down with her swollen eyes, and said, "The food is all cold."

Ancestors, truly ancestors.

Luo Hong: "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it for you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone said, "Radish, what are you doing? You're doing business and you're not even opening the door."

Luo Hong glanced at the crack in the door: "You really know how to pick your time."

Why does that sound so sarcastic? From Zhou Weifang's perspective, he could only see Luo Yan's back. He realized what was going on and said, "You two siblings have something to say? Then I'll come back tomorrow."

It sounded more like he had something to do. Perhaps because she had cried too much in front of him since she was a child, Luo Yan was a little ashamed and said, "No, come in."

Zhou Weifang sensed something was wrong with her voice, and upon closer inspection, his own voice trembled as he asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Luo Yan rubbed her hands together and pressed them against her eyes: "It's nothing."

How could nothing be wrong? Zhou Weifang turned his gaze to his childhood friend.

Luo Hong sighed inexplicably: "It's really nothing."

What's the point of saying such things while sighing? Zhou Weifang wanted to ask again, but Luo Hong dragged him away, saying, "Let's talk outside."

When they came out of the store, they opened the door as well, and the space, which was neither too big nor too small, was immediately filled with light.

Luo Yan squinted uncomfortably as she picked up the crumbs of the letter Zhou Xiuhe had just thrown away from the ground, then stared blankly into space.

Something was definitely wrong. Zhou Weifang panicked and grabbed his childhood friend by the collar: "What happened?"

Should he say it or not? Luo Hong felt he should respect his sister's opinion and called out, "Yanyan."

Luo Yan understood what her brother meant. She thought that since they had broken up, she should let those in the know know as well, so as to avoid saying anything embarrassing in the future.

After saying "okay," she fell into a daze again. Luo Hong looked at her with worry and said, "She broke off her friendship with Xiao Zhou."

There were only seven words in total, but Zhou Weifang felt he couldn't quite understand them: "What do you mean by breaking off relations?"

Pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth, you're probably secretly delighted. Luo Hong: "What do you think?"

Zhou Weifang asked menacingly, "What did he do?"

Luo Hong deliberately asked him, "He broke up with Yan Yan, aren't you happy?"

Zhou Weifang: "I'm happy my ass! Didn't you see how much she cried!"

Does he think he's the only one with eyes? Luo Hong felt sorry for his sister, but he didn't necessarily think it was a bad thing.

He said, "If there were something else, do you think I'd still be standing here now?"

Zhou Weifang felt like he'd been doused with cold water, finally remembering that he was still holding onto the other person's collar. He politely smoothed out the wrinkles and said, "That's good."

Now you've realized you need to appease me? Luo Hong: "What exactly did you come here for?"

Zhou Weifang remembered the important matter: "Didn't you want the 453? I just got one back, but I don't think the bearings are any good. You can take it apart and use it as scrap metal."

453 is the model number of the bicycle. For some reason, the teachers at Jiaotong University all prefer this model. The more they ride it, the more it breaks down, and there are even some spare parts that are in short supply.

Luo Hong said, "Thanks, but I really can't keep you here today."

Zhou Weifang didn't want to leave, but he felt that Luo Yan might not want him to see her like this, so he nodded with some unease.

He left, turning back every few steps. Luo Hong muttered irritably, "That's my own sister, why are you worrying about her?"

Then she called out loudly, "I'll go buy you something delicious."

Luo Yan said blankly, "Never mind, just in case someone comes later."

Making money also depends on the time of day, Luo Hong said: "There aren't many people here at this time."

As soon as he left, someone came to get his car repaired.

Luo Yan looked at the person with red eyes and said, "Excuse me, my brother just went out. Would you like to wait a while?"

The other party: "How long will it take? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

Luo Yan wasn't sure either. Just as she was about to look around to see if her brother was nearby, she spotted Zhou Weifang at the bus stop and quickly waved.

Zhou Weifang arrived by bicycle, so leaving the bicycle behind meant he would have to hitch a ride back.

His eyes hadn't left the shop entrance, so he immediately noticed and ran over to ask, "What's wrong?"

Luo Yan: "This gentleman needs his car repaired."

Zhou Weifang called out, "Brother, what's wrong?"

The older brother pointed it out to him: "My rear wheel hub is making a rattling noise."

Zhou Weifang squatted down to take a look, tapped it twice with a wrench, and said, "Try it again."

Hey, it really isn't making a sound anymore.

Brother: "How much?"

Zhou Weifang: "I don't charge for this, it's just something I do on the spur of the moment."

Things that don't cost money are always good things, and the older brother praised him as a "kind person" before leaving.

Luo Yan kept staring at the situation, then asked, "Didn't you come by bike?"

She had been so distraught just now that Zhou Weifang was speaking to his childhood friend in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft.

He offered a simple explanation, finding justification within himself: "I'll wait for your brother to come back before I leave."

That's good, Luo Yan was also worried that more guests would come later.

She awkwardly touched her eyes, then suddenly wanted to start a conversation: "Have you eaten?"

Zhou Weifang: "I ate it."

Oh… Luo Yan: “Have you been reading lately?”

Zhou Weifang thought that talking about something related to studying would distract her, so he said, "I looked at it, but there are two parts I don't quite understand..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan indeed perked up considerably, and didn't even notice her brother returning.

Luo Hong had only gone to buy a braised pork knuckle when he returned to find his childhood friend there. He kicked him and said, "Didn't you leave?"

Zhou Weifang explained, "Business comes as soon as you're not around. I come to lend a hand even before I get on the bus."

Alright, it wouldn't be right to kick him out now. Luo Hong handed him a pair of chopsticks: "Want some?"

Zhou Weifang naturally had dinner there.

After finishing his meal, seeing that it was already time for his apprentices to leave and hand over their duties, he said, "I have to go."

Luo Hong waved his hand, urging him to hurry up. Seeing his sister touching her eyes again, he asked, "Should we tell Mom and Dad when we get back?"

Of course I have to say it, Luo Yan said: "I even let you talk about Zhou Weifang."

The character "Lian" appeared before his childhood friend's name, which made Luo Hong feel a little emotional. He thought to himself that it was a good thing his friend hadn't heard him, and said, "Okay, I'll pack up too and leave work early today."

He put all the bicycles into the shop, and then went to the guard room next door to offer cigarettes and give a brief explanation—a large part of the reason he chose this shop was because it was next to the security guard room of Jiaotong University, so that someone would keep watch over the place even in the middle of the night.

Luo Hong was quite adept at building relationships with people. After finishing all that, he locked the door and tossed the key into his bag.

The brother and sister each rode their bicycles. When they reached the entrance of the alley, Luo Yan stopped and asked, "Are my eyes still very red?"

It was pitch black, so Luo Hong couldn't see much, but he knew she didn't want her parents to worry too much, so he said, "I'm not famous."

Luo Yan believed it to be true, but when she entered the room, she subconsciously lowered her head, thus missing her brother and parents frantically waving and shaking their heads behind her.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Liu Yinfeng naturally had many questions to ask, but she held them back and said in a normal tone, "You're back."

Luo Yan nodded and pulled up a chair to sit opposite her parents: "Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."

If it weren't for their son giving them meaningful glances, that opening line alone would have been enough to scare the parents to death.

Liu Yinfeng couldn't help but urge, "What is it? Tell me quickly."

Luo Yan: "I've broken up with Zhou Xiuhe."

Her few seconds of hesitation were reserved for her emotions; after all, she felt a little uncomfortable if she opened her mouth.

But Liu Yinfeng had a second half of the sentence that was a thousand times worse than this flash through her mind, and she breathed a sigh of relief: "It's broken."

He then asked, "Can you tell Mom why?"

Luo Yan seemed a little tired when she spoke.

Liu Yinfeng felt sorry for him and said, "I won't ask you anything. You go wash up and go to bed."

Luo Yan had too many emotions that day, and called out "Brother" for help.

Luo Hong: "Alright, go take a shower, I'll talk."

As the bathhouse was about to close, Luo Yan grabbed a washbasin and ran.

As soon as the figure could still be seen, Luo Xinmin asked, "What happened?"

Luo Hong explained again, and finally said, "It's a small matter, but it's clear that Xiao Zhou is not suitable for your sister."

Women are indeed more detail-oriented. Liu Yinfeng said, "What are the big things in life? I'm telling you, you'll understand when you get married. Everyday life is all about these trivial things."

Luo Hong: "That's even better. Yan Yan found out before they got married. Fortunately, they hadn't known each other for long and their feelings weren't that deep yet."

He doesn't know what he'll do if this continues for another year.

That's what she said, Liu Yinfeng asked, "Did you cry a lot at your place?"

"Whether it's impressive or not, you can tell at a glance." Luo Hong: "Anyway, just pretend you didn't see it."

As parents, sometimes you can't be a good father-in-law if you're not deaf and dumb. Luo Xinmin said, "Keep an eye on her. If there's anything, you have to tell her."

Luo Hong nodded in agreement, and the three of them tried their best to act as if nothing was wrong when facing his sister/daughter.

This deliberate downplaying made Luo Yan feel much better, but when she returned to her room and saw the iron box on the table, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat again.

It was filled with letters Zhou Xiuhe had written to her; there were a total of seventy-six letters from the few months the two had known each other.

Luo Yan counted them again, but couldn't bring herself to tear them up, so she simply stuffed the box under the bed, shook out the blanket, and crawled inside.

On the other side, Zhou Xiuhe was also reading the letter.

He went out and came back with a gloomy face. His roommates looked at each other and no one dared to ask. Finally, one of his closer friends spoke up and asked, "Didn't you make up?"

Zhou Xiuhe tightened his grip on the letter: "It's completely over."

Not wanting to appear too embarrassed in front of everyone, he forced a smile and said, "It's okay, let's turn off the lights."

Everyone could tell that it wasn't entirely the truth, but they still turned off the lights.

Zhou Xiuhe was plunged into complete darkness, but he couldn't fall asleep and stayed awake until dawn.

--

The next day, when Luo Yan got up, she first looked in the mirror, pinched her eyelids and looked left and right, and left the room with some dissatisfaction, but still smiled when she saw her mother.

Poor Liu Yinfeng: "I bought a lot of food this morning."

Luo Yan knew this was her mother's way of comforting her. After washing up, she sat down and happily ate. Halfway through the meal, she remembered something and called out, "Brother, get up!"

Liu Yinfeng: "Your father and brother are both gone, and Grandpa Wu is gone."

Luo Yan sometimes describes the hutong as a small village, where everyone has to get involved in any weddings or funerals.

She said, "Midnight? I didn't hear anything."

Liu Yinfeng: "Around dawn."

Luo Yan, guessing she had just fallen asleep, said, "Should I wait for him to leave together?"

Liu Yinfeng: "I'll definitely be back later. Your class doesn't start until nine o'clock."

She was the one in the family who knew her daughter's class schedule best.

Luo Yan especially didn't want to arrive at school early today, saying, "Then I'll catch up on my homework."

She really wasn't in the mood to write last night.

Liu Yinfeng brushed two stray strands of hair back for her daughter and suddenly said, "Mom thinks you did the right thing. Some people are like shoes that don't fit. You can force them in, but there's no need to."

Because she received such support from her family, Luo Yan felt even more that she shouldn't suppress her discomfort for Zhou Xiuhe.

She said, "Mom, I think you're really good at using metaphors. If I study hard, I might become a literary giant."

Who talked to this child about studying?

Liu Yinfeng patted her on the shoulder and said, "Go and study hard on your own."

Luo Yan thought back to Zhou Xiuhe's words from yesterday, and her melancholy subsided. She didn't know if it was because she was sad about the breakup, or because she felt she hadn't truly understood his thoughts.

Or perhaps, a combination of both.

But in any case, what's past is past, and Luo Yan will not regret her decision.

However, the experience remains a significant chapter in her life, and she will likely continue to lament and toss and turn over in her sleep for some time to come. She even needs to rehearse what expression to make when she meets Zhou Xiuhe at school.

Luo Honglai called his younger sister to go to school and saw her looking in the mirror, not knowing what she was doing. He said, "I know you're pretty, if you keep looking in the mirror you'll be late."

The word "late" snapped Luo Yan back to reality. She hurriedly packed her schoolbag, put on her shoes in a rush, and pushed her brother out the door.

Looking at it this way, it seems rather ordinary.

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The author says: I finished writing it this afternoon, but something felt off, so I revised it again.

Good night~