Chapter 91 The Pinky Promise: "You still like him even though he's mute..."

When it came time to choose between science and humanities, Liu Xijun talked on and on for a long time on the podium. After all, this was no small matter; anything even remotely related to the college entrance examination was significant. He first talked about the advantages of science, then the advantages of humanities. He avoided making any claims that science students were inherently better than humanities students, refusing to engage in any form of discrimination and striving to treat everyone fairly.

After discussing it for a long time, Jiang Yueming checked the science section on his college application form. He hadn't really discussed it with Lin Cuiqin. He knew his aunt would support him no matter what he chose, and besides, his grades weren't good, so worrying about it didn't seem to make much sense.

"This is the last final exam, so everyone needs to focus. Don't think everything is fine just because summer vacation is here," Liu Xijun continued. "This exam is related to the class placement in September..."

Jiang Yueming propped his chin on his hand, not very interested. He hadn't been able to muster any enthusiasm for anything lately, and Cao Fan had noticed it too, saying every day that something had stolen his soul.

But during summer vacation, I can spend more time with Lele, right? Jiang Yueming scribbled on the draft paper with a pen.

"I hope we'll still be in the same class after we're reassigned," Cao Fan nudged Jiang Yueming with his elbow and whispered, "Otherwise, no one will be at the bottom with me."

Jiang Yueming glanced at him and said slowly, "You're useless. Don't you ever think about making progress? Your mother signed you up for so many tutoring classes; that money could have been thrown into the river and made a splash."

“You think I don’t want to crawl…” Cao Fan frowned, making a bitter face. “I’ve been crawling the whole time… No, can’t I just walk? Why do I have to crawl on the ground?”

He then realized what Jiang Yueming thought of him.

Jiang Yueming's phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at Liu Xijun on the stage and secretly took it out to check the message.

Han Jiang: Something's happened!

Han Jiang: !!!

Jiang Yueming's heart tightened. There weren't many people who could make Han Jiang this anxious, so he quickly typed: What's wrong? Who's in trouble? Li,

In his haste, he sent the message without even typing Li Leshan's full name.

Han Jiang: It's Xu Qing! It's the same thing about choosing between arts and sciences. She insisted on choosing science, I don't know what she was thinking, no one can persuade her otherwise.

Jiang Yueming frowned. He had a lot to say, but he felt that typing was too slow and the keystrokes were too loud. If he typed for a while longer, the whole class would be able to hear it.

He replied hastily: Let her come out after school.

The choice between arts and sciences is like the question of "choosing what you love or what you are good at." Choosing either one seems fine, and each has its own logic. However, this question doesn't apply to Xu Qing because she chose science not because she loves it, nor because she is good at it.

Although many years may pass, the world still seems to believe that mastering math, physics, and chemistry will make you invincible. However, when faced with a significant gap in ability, one should not let momentary impulses determine one's future.

That night, Han Jiang practically flew out. He ran straight to the gate and grabbed Jiang Yueming, refusing to let go. "Brother, can you persuade Xu Qing? She insists on choosing science, but she's really bad at it. She only got 60 points in physics and chemistry combined. What will she do if she chooses science?"

"Where is she?" Jiang Yueming asked without further ado.

“Back, behind,” Han Jiang pointed to the school gate, indicating that she was still behind, “She had a fight with me and doesn’t want to walk with me.”

Xu Qing then slowly emerged from the school gate. She glanced at Han Jiang, turned her face away, and snorted.

"You come here right now," Jiang Yueming said coldly.

“What are you trying to do?” Xu Qing glanced at him and warned Jiang Yueming, “Let me tell you, if you’re going to do this too, don’t come looking for me.”

Without wasting words, Jiang Yueming pulled her to a corner. Arguing at the main entrance was too conspicuous and a bit embarrassing; it wouldn't be good if someone heard it.

"Xu Qing, what are you thinking? Has no one tried to persuade you?" Jiang Yueming went straight to the point. He didn't believe that no one had tried to persuade Xu Qing. The teachers, Han Jiang, and he himself had all tried to persuade her.

“I wasn’t thinking anything,” Xu Qing looked at him, her eyes fixed on him, her tone filled with doubt. “Why do you all have to make decisions for me? I admit, I’m not very good at science right now, but I’m confident. I’ll work hard to learn, so why don’t you all believe me?”

“We didn’t mean that, it has nothing to do with whether you believe it or not,” Jiang Yueming explained to her. The question was “is it not good?” If it was “not good,” then Jiang Yueming wouldn’t say anything more. “Your gap between arts and sciences is too big… Choosing science will put you at a disadvantage, and that’s not just a few dozen points, do you know that?”

“I know!” Xu Qing exclaimed, her brows furrowing. She was still the same impulsive girl I remembered, always having her own choices and ideas. “But so what?”

"So what?" Jiang Yueming felt a fire ignite within her. "So what?"

He didn't want to see Xu Qing continue down the wrong path. He wanted to know why, he wanted to know why this girl in front of him was so stubborn.

"Is it because of Li Leshan?" Jiang Yueming asked through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly.

Xu Qing's eyes widened instantly. "What...do you mean?"

"Is it or not!" Jiang Yueming shouted. He felt Han Jiang pull him back from behind, but at that moment he really didn't care about anything else. "Tell me, is it or not!"

"Yes!" Xu Qing admitted frankly, "So what if it's because of Li Leshan? Are you satisfied now! I want to study science, I want to have some common topics with him, I want to be on the same floor as him, I want to see him more often every day! Is that not allowed!"

"Can't you think about yourself? Think about your future!" Jiang Yueming couldn't understand why she was so insistent. It was her own future; why could she choose to ignore it? "Aren't you going to take the college entrance exam?"

"I don't want to!" Xu Qing's eyes reddened, and her voice became much sharper. "I can't think that far ahead! All I know is that if I don't choose science, I'll have nothing to do with Li Leshan anymore!"

Jiang Yueming felt his heart pounding. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Han Jiang's trembling hand and asked in a trembling voice, "You... like Li Leshan?"

“Yes,” Xu Qing took a deep breath and looked directly at Jiang Yueming, “I’ve liked him since I was little, didn’t you all know that? Can’t you all see it!”

For some unknown reason, Jiang Yueming's right eyelid twitched inexplicably. He turned around and glanced at his brother of more than ten years, Han Jiang, who was standing there in a daze, looking shocked and incredulous.

"You still like him even though he's mute?" Jiang Yueming's voice trembled slightly. His mind was a little blank as to what he was saying. The scene had shocked him too much. The moment Xu Qing blurted out that she liked him, the relationship that the three of them had maintained for more than ten years seemed to shatter a little. "Then how are you going to live with him? Find someone to be your translator!"

Xu Qing was stunned. She couldn't believe what she had just heard, and she couldn't believe that these words had come from Jiang Yueming's mouth.

"I like him!" Xu Qing's tone was tinged with anger; she couldn't recall ever being this angry before. "Even if he's lame, deaf, or blind, I still like him! Jiang Yueming, how could you say that?! Do you know what you're saying? It's one thing for others to say it, but even you say it?"

"No!" Jiang Yueming's mind went blank.

"What's wrong?!" Xu Qing asked.

"You like him? No way!" Jiang Yueming had barely finished speaking when a hand grabbed her wrist tightly.

Han Jiang's hands were especially cold. He lowered his head, his voice still a little hoarse, "Please, don't say anymore, please, don't say any more..."

Xu Qing took two steps back, belatedly realizing that her words had revealed her long-standing unrequited love. For a moment, she didn't know what to do, so she quickly turned around and ran away.

Jiang Yueming stood there stunned, until he finally realized what he had just said.

He's really gone mad.

How could he say such a thing?

How could he say something so hurtful to Li Leshan? That was Li Leshan's scar, a pain he would carry for life. He just ripped open Li Leshan's wound like that. How is he any different from those who bullied and hurt Li Leshan?!

"I'm sorry..." Jiang Yueming looked at Han Jiang, his eyes reddening, "I...I didn't mean it...I didn't know..."

He was incoherent, he hadn't intended to say it so thoroughly. He never imagined that ending Han Jiang's ten-year unrequited love would be in this way, with such a complete, profound, and painful feeling, which he brought to everyone.

Han Jiang wiped his eyes, leaned weakly against the wall, and then slid down to sit on the ground.

After a while, Jiang Yueming heard crying.

He knew Han Jiang always cried; he was incredibly sentimental, like a little girl. He cried when he had to wear a dress on stage in kindergarten, he cried when he was punished for failing grades in elementary school, and he cried when his hair was ruined in middle school. But this was the first time Jiang Yueming had ever seen him cry so heartbrokenly, even to the point of despair.

The suppressed, muffled sobbing reached Jiang Yueming's ears, causing a pang of sorrow in his heart.

"I know..." Han Jiang choked up, his words broken and fragmented, "I've always known, but I just didn't want to admit it. I kept telling myself that I wasn't good enough to Xu Qing, that I didn't do enough, that it was me..."

Jiang Yueming sat down next to him, and he put his arm around Han Jiang's shoulder, feeling particularly uncomfortable.

"You know what, Yueming..." Han Jiang covered his face, his voice muffled, "Sometimes I think Li Leshan is really lucky, he's so fortunate, really. My best friend became his best friend, the person I like likes him, and the thing is, even so, I don't dislike him, I think he's a really good person..."

Jiang Yueming's eyes stung with tears. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on Han Jiang's shoulder. On this night when they were sixteen, the two boys leaning against the wall and crying were exactly the same as the boy who had made a mistake ten years ago and was too afraid to go home, sitting on the side of the road and crying his heart out.

"Han Jiang..." Jiang Yueming's voice was very soft, but he spoke with particular seriousness, "You will always be my best buddy, really."

When he was six years old, Jiang Yueming made a pinky promise under the old slide in the old People's Park: "We'll be best buddies for life." Ten years later, he has never forgotten it.

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Author's Note: This is how I'll be: Don't rush, don't rush, I'll torture you first, then I'll torture you later.

Yueming has a short temper; he speaks impulsively without thinking. He didn't mean it. [Poor thing]