Osmanthus Falls

Du Yunyan did not mention what her grandmother said in front of Lin Luo. Lin Luo continued to work in the factory with Tang Zhihua, but she found a part-time job tutoring high school students in mathematics.

"Have you really decided not to apply to Peking University? Isn't that your dream?" Tang Zhihua looked even more worried than her.

"Well, getting into Peking University is not my dream. As long as I have the determination, my dream can be realized even if it's not in Peking University." Lin Luo said slowly.

On the finally-earned day off, Lin Luo and Tang Zhihua stayed at home picking vegetables, Tang Muchen chased chickens in the yard, and grandma was lighting a fire in the kitchen.

Tang Zhihua could see her from that direction. "You stinky old woman, you actually want me to not go to college and work for others for the rest of my life."

"Don't say that." Lin Luo concentrated on his work. Tang Zhihua suddenly asked, "Have you told your friends about this?"

"Not yet." Lin Luo accidentally threw the cooked part of the dish into the trash can. She stopped and fell into deep thought.

She didn't know how to tell them that everyone in the class was happy for her when they knew she had scored such a high score. The school felt that they had found a dark horse, and that the number of students from No. 1 Middle School who would go on to Peking University this year would definitely be considerable.

Teacher Wu and Director Wang even sent her messages of congratulations and blessings, as if they were sure that she would definitely apply to Peking University.

But Lin Luo was going to disappoint them, especially Fu Xingchuan, she couldn't even speak.

On the day the admission results came out, the class organized a graduation party at 7pm, where we had dinner at Yuxi Mansion.

Lin Luo returned to Nan'an early that morning. She first went to the hospital and settled the medical expenses for that period, including those that should be reimbursed. She also asked doctor Tang Heng in detail about his recent chemotherapy. It was a lot of trouble.

At noon, Lin Luo bought lunch for Tang Heng and Du Yunyan. It was a rare opportunity for Lin Luo to eat with them. Tang Heng had severe mouth ulcers, a poor appetite, and had lost a lot of weight, looking emaciated. "Lin Luo, uncle is sorry for you."

"Why are you being so distant?" Lin Qi chewed her rice while crying. "I'm really sorry. You should eat more and take care of yourself."

Tang Heng nodded, picked up his chopsticks again, and put the rice into his mouth. Du Yunyan said to him, "If you can't eat it, forget it. Don't spit it all out later and suffer."

"Okay." He said this but didn't put down his chopsticks, probably because Lin Luo was watching.

Lin Qi had lost her appetite. She packed up her takeout box and said to them, "I'm full. I have to go to school, so I'll leave first."

"Okay, be careful on the road." Du Yunyan said to her.

"Um."

Lin Luo walked out of the ward and leaned against the door. After a while, she heard a few retching sounds coming from inside.

She held her breath until she entered the school and saw Teacher Wu.

They had arranged to meet at the table tennis court near the Grade 1 teaching building. Teacher Wu was playing with a junior student. When he saw Lin Luo, he missed the ball and waved at her, "Lin Luo, come on, play a game with me."

"Okay." Lin Luo picked up the small ball rolling on the ground with a smile, took the racket handed to her by her junior and served it.

Teacher Wu easily caught the ball and challenged her: "I won't let you win, so be prepared to lose!"

"It's still unclear who will win or lose!" Lin Luo said calmly, and caught the ball steadily. The two of them were evenly matched.

After playing round after round, Teacher Wu was satisfied, and Lin Xiao was about to start talking, "Let's stop playing, Teacher. Let's go to the side and rest for a while."

"Hey, I won." Teacher Wu wiped the sweat off his face with a tissue.

Walking over, Teacher Wu saw that Lin Luo had brought a bag filled with notebooks. She smiled and said, "You brought my school treasure! I thought you forgot it!"

"No, I did it very carefully." She worked during the day and prepared while tutoring at night.

"I can see that." Teacher Wu looked at her and said, "You have something to say to me."

"Teacher, please prepare yourself mentally. I didn't mean to hide it from you before." Lin Luo said nervously.

"It's okay, tell me!"

"I didn't apply to Peking University, but was accepted by Nanjing University."

Lin Qiao observed his expression, but he didn't seem surprised. "I already knew. I specifically asked Director Wang this morning, and he felt very sorry."

"Do you think so too?"

"I might have felt that way a year ago, but not now. Something must have happened in your family!"

Lin Xiao lowered her eyes and said, "Dad has leukemia."

"The father and daughter must have a very good relationship." Teacher Wu touched a special button on his T-shirt. "This is a Father's Day gift from my daughter who is in kindergarten. I was very touched when I received it. Your father must be very pleased too."

"Teacher, I'm sorry to disappoint you." Lin Luo said sincerely.

"It's okay." Teacher Wu sat next to Lin Luo. "I only found out later that Xia Ruichu's grandparents passed away within a year of each other. She once told me that the thing she regretted least in her life was not going to Peking University."

Lin Luo, unaware of these events, opened her eyes wide. Teacher Wu continued, "Peking University will always be there. It doesn't have legs. At worst, we can go back after we take the postgraduate entrance exam. Life is unpredictable. Right now, your loved ones are more important to you."

Lin Luo didn't expect that Teacher Wu would comfort her instead, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Teacher Wu said with a playful smile, "I have to carefully select the people to whom I can give this school treasure you wrote, otherwise I will have to wait a long time before I can train a student for Peking University!"

"Teacher, you have always had a keen eye and are particularly good at judging people." Lin Luo flattered.

"You're just trying to flatter yourself!" Teacher Wu adjusted his glasses. Lin Qi said seriously, "No, I'm sincere. When I first met you, my first impression was that you were serious and reserved, but my intuition tells me that you must be a good teacher."

"Facts have proven that my intuition was correct. You are the benefactor of Senior Xia Ruichu and me at No. 1 Middle School."

Teacher Wu waved his hand and said, "I'm sorry, but we're both teachers and friends. If we meet on the street in the future, you have to say hello to me first!"

"Okay!" Lin Luo smiled.

Teacher Wu glanced at her watch. It was already half past six. As was customary at No. 1 Middle School, the senior class would have a party on the day the admissions results came out. "I have to go back and have dinner with my daughter. I won't keep you away. Have fun."

"Thank you, Mr. Wu," Lin Xiao said earnestly, staring at him. She was grateful for his generosity, for agreeing without hesitation to tutor her a year ago, and for the meticulous attention he had given her over the past year.

Thanks.

"No thanks, see you some other time." Teacher Wu didn't look back, picked up the school treasure and left straight away. He went towards the pool. Lin Luo sat there with her thoughts wandering. She imagined whether Teacher Wu would meet another student who was troubled by grades at the pool and lend a helping hand to him.

Maybe!

But it will definitely happen.

Lin Luo passed the camphor tree. The sun had already set, but the cicadas in the tree were still chirping tirelessly. She reached the lotus pond. The school hadn't turned on the lights for the summer vacation, so the pond was pitch black, and Lin Luo couldn't see the scenery. She sat in the lotus pavilion until eight o'clock, when the cicadas stopped chirping. Only then did she get up and leave the school.

She was too tired to take the bus back home, so she went back to Changlin Lane. On the way, her phone kept vibrating. It was Xu Yangyang asking her: "Xiaoxiao, why didn't you come?"

Xu Yangyang: [Did you know? Zhu Changyu was accepted into Guangli College. He didn't even tell me before applying. How disloyal! Just like Tong Yun.]

Xu Yangyang: [Speaking of Tong Yun, Zhu Changyu didn't apply to a university in Guangdong because he still likes her, right? Otherwise, why would he travel so far?]

Xu Yangyang: [You're such a weakling! Even after all this, you still don't dare to express your feelings to Tong Yun. Although the final result will definitely be rejection, at least you won't have any regrets!]

Xu Yangyang: [Like Qi Yao who directly rejected me, but I still went to the dessert shop with Zhong to watch his performance? Zhu Changyu is just too timid.]

Xu Yangyang: [Xiaoxiao, are you busy? I won't talk to you for now. Message me when you get there. Damn Tian Yajun, she got two more points than me and she's showing off. I'm going to get her drunk today.]

Traffic was extremely congested today, and there were many people on the bus. Lin Luo stood by the handrail of the back door, reading Xu Yangyang's messages one by one.

Tong Yun had already gone abroad, and she really didn't tell Lin Luo the time. It seemed that only Fu Xingchuan saw her off and left.

If Zhu Changyu is going to Guangdong again, then they will really be drifting further and further apart, going their separate ways, and it is unknown when they will be able to reunite.

The traffic was stuck in traffic for a full hour before Lin Luo returned to Changlin Lane from school. It was late at night and there were not many people in the lane.

Lin Luo's limbs seemed to be moving independently, as if her brain had no control over them. She held her phone, opened the chat with Fu Xingchuan, and thought about how to tell him.

But he probably wouldn't care too much. At most, he would feel like she had lost her friends. Lin Luo thought so, but she never pressed the send button. She deleted the sentence again and again.

Before she knew it, she was almost at the old villa. When she looked closely, she saw Fu Xingchuan sitting at the door with a few cans of beer beside him.

Lin Luo turned off her phone and walked quickly to him. A shadow covered him. Fu Xingchuan raised his head and his eyes seemed to light up when he saw that it was her.

Was it her illusion? Lin Luo was wondering when Fu Xingchuan stood up with the help of the wall. Lin Luo greeted him, "Long time no see..."

Before she could finish her words, Fu Xingchuan took a step forward, hugged her, and buried his head in the crook of her neck. Lin Luo could feel his breath, and her heart seemed about to jump out.

She pushed him gently, and Fu Xingchuan hugged her tighter, "Don't leave me."

The strong smell of alcohol filled her nostrils. Lin Luo blinked, "You've got the wrong person. I'm Lin Luo, not Tong Yun."

Fu Xingchuan seemed not to hear her words. Lin Luo felt uncomfortable being held by him as if he were Tong Yun. She pushed Fu Xingchuan away and said sternly, "Stand still, or I'll leave you here."

"No." He slowly let go of her. Lin Luo noticed that his eyes were red. This was the first time she saw him cry.

Fu Xingchuan struggled to stand up straight. Lin Luo pursed her lips and took the opportunity when he was unconscious to tell him.

"Fu Xingchuan, I'm sorry."

"I can't go to Jinghe with you... I've found my dream. I will definitely become an outstanding person in the future, outstanding enough to have the courage to confess my feelings to the person I like and tell him... I like him very, very much. Meeting him at the age of seventeen is the luckiest thing in my life."

Tears welled up in Fu Xingchuan's eyes, but Lin Luo knew it was because he was drunk.

Behind them were the sweet-scented osmanthus trees in the courtyard of the old villa. The flowers on the trees were in full bloom, and the fragrance masked the smell of alcohol on Fu Xingchuan. Lin Luo lied to herself, he was not drunk, so she should take this opportunity to say goodbye!

Her nose was sore. "We all have to realize our dreams and become better versions of ourselves."

"Fu Xingchuan, the mountains are high and the waters are long. I wish you smooth sailing and prosperity from now on."

A gust of wind happened to blow, sweeping away the small flowers on the tree and landing between them. Lin Luo said in a trembling voice, "Goodbye."

Maybe we are destined to be separated, because no one is always eighteen. I hope to see the boy I fell in love with at the age of seventeen again.