Chapter 21 I have an all-powerful friend...

After Chen Jizhou finished speaking, he made room for her.

Jiang Meng stood facing the tree hole for a long time. She leaned against the tree and felt the withered leaves falling from the crown and brushing against her back.

What are you saying?

When she tried to speak, she realized her throat was heavy, as if something was pressing down on it, causing all her countless thoughts to fall silent. No matter what troubles she was facing—whether it was grades, further education, life's direction, or love and being loved—they all became insignificant.

She turned and looked at Chen Jizhou.

He was waiting for her five meters away. The night wind swept in from behind, outlining the boy's shoulders and back, making him look thin and tall. He stood at the entrance to the adult world, a place as dark as the night sky and as bright as a lamp.

Shoulders strong enough to bear many responsibilities, holding the stars of a summer night, already beginning to take on the form of a man.

In fact, fireflies are not that important; the truly precious people and feelings far outweigh all of that.

Jiang Meng thought, "I wish Chen Jizhou were a girl. I really want to hug him."

This place is perfect for hugs.

But she can't.

Jiang Meng pressed her fingerprints onto the rough bark, and slowly, her eyes reddened once more.

"I have a friend who can do everything."

She lowered her head, and a single, clear, and perfectly shaped tear fell into the dark tree hollow, shattering there.

I want him to stay by my side.

Jiang Meng only said this one sentence, but her nose felt sore for a long time. She remained motionless, enduring the wave of sorrow.

Tears and secrets are buried in the tree hollow.

Jiang Meng gently traced the curve of his eyelid with her fingertip, wiping away a thin layer of moisture. She readjusted her breathing, then gave him a bright and optimistic smile and patted his shoulder from behind: "I said it's done."

He turned around.

Jiang Meng's beautiful smile was reflected in his eyes. She looked up at him and said, "Chen Jizhou, do you indulge me no matter what I do?"

Chen Jizhou corrected her wording: "You should say, 'Whatever you do, I will be there for you.'"

Jiang Meng pointed to the opposite bank of the stream in the distance: "Then you come with me and run from this side to the other side."

He said, "A competition, or..."

"Race! One, two, three, go!"

After Jiang Meng finished speaking, she took off running.

The lights here are dim, and it looks desolate, but there are actually quite a few people around. Although the peak season is over, the weather has been nice these past two days, and many people are taking pictures of the fireflies, while some local residents are taking walks and enjoying the scenery.

She ran through the crowds of couples, thoroughly enjoying herself. However, after running quite a distance, she realized that someone hadn't overtaken her yet. Jiang Meng turned around curiously and saw Chen Jizhou walking slowly behind her, at least ten meters away. She tilted her head and mocked, "Hey, having such long legs doesn't really help."

He looked at her from afar, slightly raising his face, his features still handsome even in the dim night: "I won't compete anymore, I'm still used to being behind you."

I took the ferry back.

Jiang Meng bought a seated ticket. Some people were standing and some were sitting on the ferry, but the management and scale were not strict, and it was chaotic inside.

She found her seat with her ticket and was about to sit down when a man rushed out from behind her, shoved her aside, and plopped down in Jiang Meng's seat as if he were trying to take her place.

She stood there, stunned.

Soon, a strong hand reached out from behind, and Chen Jizhou lifted the short, middle-aged man, who looked to be around fifty years old, up. He frowned coldly and looked at him: "Do you have any manners?"

"..."

"If this is your seat, then sit down."

Jiang Meng quickly tugged at Chen Jizhou's sleeve, hoping he wouldn't get into a fight here, but Chen Jizhou was incredibly strong and pulled the man up in one go. The man struggled but couldn't break free, and smacked his lips in annoyance.

Jiang Meng was quite frightened and whispered behind him, "It's okay, it's okay. Don't fight."

Someone nearby noticed them.

The man who grabbed the seat glanced at the boy in front of him, probably realizing that he was too big for the boy and couldn't beat him in a fight, so he picked up his bag from the seat and slunk away.

Chen Jizhou tilted his chin slightly, gesturing to Jiang Meng, and said in a cool tone, "Sit."

Chen Jizhou didn't do anything, but Jiang Meng broke out in a cold sweat. Although he had a good temper and was usually very adept at dealing with people, Chen Jizhou was never a pushover. He wasn't afraid of clashing with others, but Jiang Meng was different.

Holding her schoolbag, she said with lingering fear, "That scared me to death."

This is the first row, there are no seats in front of it. Chen Jizhou has already leisurely put his legs up, and said in a nonchalant tone: "You're scared already? I haven't even thrown him into the river yet."

"..." Jiang Meng looked back at the man who had walked away and said with lingering fear, "I was afraid you would really beat him up here, there's only one seat."

"Only one seat? That's your right, don't you understand?"

Seeing her troubled expression, Chen Jizhou smiled slightly. He had no intention of beating the man up at all; he just wanted him to stay out of the way. So he couldn't help but tease him: "With this little bit of courage, you still dare to venture out into the world? That's how society is; there are all kinds of scoundrels. Some people don't need to be reasoned with. If I could just use my fists, I wouldn't bother with words."

Jiang Meng didn't respond for a moment. She looked down at her toes, which were lightly touching the ground, as if she was thinking about something far-reaching, not just the man in front of her who had been chased away, but also many more times when she felt helpless and hesitant: "Don't you think that I sometimes appear too weak because I'm afraid of getting into arguments with people?"

The person next to her remained silent for a long time, so long that she thought he would no longer respond to the question.

But a moment later, Chen Jizhou's breathy, amused voice floated in her ear: "Idiot."

He looked down at her and said, "You just care too much about people who are unimportant."

Jiang Meng listened to his analysis: "To be honest, it's not really about being considerate. You're just afraid of offending people, afraid that they won't like you, right?"

Hearing him say this, she couldn't help but feel a piece of her heart go missing, held in his hand and being peeled away bit by bit by him.

Chen Jizhou said, "Although I'm always making friends and hoping everyone in the class will like me, I actually prefer to be alone, whether it's listening to music or reading. If someone shows any signs of dissatisfaction with me, I'll immediately reflect on myself and wonder if I did something to offend them. Most of the time I don't really want to laugh, but I still betray my own feelings and do these things."

"You're afraid that one day, no one will think you're important, no one will care about you. That's why you never dare to argue, never dare to expose your true emotions and feelings."

Jiang Meng blushed and paled in turns, and said awkwardly, "Don't pretend you know me so well, okay?"

Chen Jizhou's gaze was intense, almost scalding her. Although he was calm and composed, it forced her to look away: "I understand you, do I need to pretend?"

Jiang Meng withdrew her embarrassed and flustered gaze.

Chen Jizhou set aside his overly direct and sharp analysis and told her, "But it's okay, you're beautiful even when you're not smiling."

"..."

He peeled open her heart, dug out the lesions, and then pieced her back together perfectly. Jiang Meng could almost hear the sound of wounds healing and her self being repaired deep within her body.

Chen Jizhou said, "Human beings are all kinds of strange and wonderful. If you try to conform to everyone's strange and wonderful expectations, how can you still see yourself?"

"So, it doesn't matter what you do, it doesn't matter who you offend, even your parents. You can go anywhere in the future, as long as it's where you truly want to go. No matter what, the earth won't explode, the world won't end, and you still have me."

Chen Jizhou spoke gently, his palm lightly resting on the top of her head, stroking it twice.

This is a very touching "confession".

Of course, it's a confession between friends.

Just like when people are vulnerable, they find the most trusted chat box and send a message saying "I miss you." Without any ambiguity, beyond romantic love, there's genuine companionship.

Jiang Meng lowered her head and remained silent for a long time before tapping her toes on the ground again: "But you have to go to school."

Without a second thought, Chen Jizhou replied, "I'll be back anytime."

"You also don't come to see me first when I'm sad and ask me if I'm unhappy."

"I can."

"..."

Jiang Meng's voice was weak, still disbelieving: "You're just kidding me, Chen Jizhou."

But Chen Jizhou looked at her and said firmly, "I'm not just trying to coax you, I really will."

He popped her bubble, walked up to her, and said, "It's okay. No matter how bad the world gets, I'll be with you."

He said, "If I encounter a bastard who bullies me, I'll fly back and throw him into the river."

Jiang Meng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Regardless of whether it's a lie or the truth, a promise is something to be happy about. She was genuinely happy and touched today.

Chen Jizhou smiled and said, "Let me tell you a little secret: 100 years from now, everyone on this planet will be dead."

Jiang Meng nodded, then calmly thought about it again: "Not necessarily, there are quite a few centenarians too."

In the gentle night breeze, Chen Jizhou's face was soft. Seeing her hair being blown loose, he unconsciously reached out and brushed it aside, and then, with a selfish urge, gently pinched the tip of her ear: "So, don't always torture yourself."

"You're only seventeen, Jiang Meng."

She looked up and met a pair of sincere and beautiful eyes, and couldn't help but be moved.

Jiang Meng asked softly, "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"What."

"What you're saying is the real me."

He said, "I'll only say these things to you here. Because this is our place, our secret."

"No, that's not it. It's my secret. What did you say?"

Chen Jizhou said with a smile, "My secret is that I hope you will be happy forever, happy until you are a hundred years old, and become a centenarian who is still alive a hundred years from now."

Jiang Meng couldn't help but smile.

Chen Jizhou had secretly bought her a dreamcatcher earlier, and now he took it out of his bag: "Here, hang this by your bed tonight and see if it works."

Jiang Meng asked in surprise, "When did you buy it?"

"I bought the boat tickets at the gift shop next door when I asked you to buy them earlier."

He shoved the dreamcatcher into her hand and said, “This world is dangerous, full of fighting and killing. It’s not good to always be wandering. Go back and have more good dreams. Finding happiness is more important than running away.”

Jiang Meng took a look at him.

Chen Jizhou reminded her, "Did you hear that, benefactor?"

He said, "Rather than wandering with me, I'd rather you live a good life, be yourself, and be someone who doesn't need to please anyone."

He thought that a righteous hero wouldn't want a girl to suffer with him; he would only want her to be safe and sound wherever she went.

Jiang Meng stared intently at him, blinking her eyes: "Are you a tapeworm in my stomach? How do you know everything?"

The boy smiled at her in the night, his smile sincere and gentle: "You're my leading lady, Jiang Meng."

Jiang Meng accepted his gift.

A crescent-shaped lamp, adorned with dense, pale purple feathers, swayed gently on the boat as she lifted the dreamcatcher.

She looked at the gift.

He looked at her.

Speaking of dreams—

Jiang Meng suddenly remembered something.

The ship parted the water and was about to reach the shore. She could keep her last secret in her heart, take it out of this peaceful sandbar, and return to that mundane world, a chaotic and messy place where she could no longer confide her feelings.

So, at this most intimate moment, one more thing wouldn't make a difference. Jiang Meng chose to be honest with her best friend: "I have something else to tell you."

She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I think I've recently fallen for someone."

Chen Jizhou, who had been resting with his eyes closed, lifted his eyelashes upon hearing this. It took him five seconds to process the words, "You have someone you like."

This statement sounds like a rhetorical question, yet also like a calm reiteration. It reflects contemplation and surprise.

Jiang Meng: "I don't know if it counts, but I think it's pretty strange. Anyway, I often think about him."

Chen Jizhou remained silent for a while, his eyes lowered, his face expressionless. The moonlight outside the window shone on the water and also on his thin eyelids.

"Then what?"

Jiang Meng told him, "On the way here today, I had a dream. I dreamt that after evening self-study, I was walking hand in hand with him on the playground, and we even... kissed."

Although she couldn't see A's face, the kiss was very light, so light that she barely had time to feel it properly.

But beauty is a feeling.

As she spoke of this, a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

It's quite embarrassing to talk about "kissing" in front of male friends, even though she's never even held a boy's hand.

Chen Jizhou asked, "From our school?"

"Yes." Jiang Meng nodded. "He likes me in my dreams too. In short, thinking about him makes me very happy."

She asked him earnestly, "Do you think this counts as liking someone?"

The night breeze felt like soft needles, seeping into my lungs with every breath.

With these feelings in mind, Chen Jizhou managed to utter a few words with difficulty: "I guess so."

After a moment of silence, he asked her again, "Who kissed whom first?"

She said, "It was my initiative."

So, she would actually kiss someone she likes.

He laughed and said, "So this is how you date."

Jiang Meng held his dreamcatcher in her hand, her head bowed as she absentmindedly stroked the feathers, caressing them in her palm, her face showing the shyness of a young girl in love.

"I'm definitely braver in my dreams, but I don't know about in real life. But if I meet someone I like, I'll definitely try my best to take the initiative. It's hard to find someone you like, right? How can there be a story if you don't take the initiative?"

Her voice was clear and bright, filled with daydreams, as if she were looking forward to some event. She looked up at him, hoping to get a positive answer from him.

Chen Jizhou remained silent under her expectant gaze, enduring the time in silence and torment. He stared at her, then asked in a low voice, "Will you dream of me?"

Jiang Meng recalled carefully.

"Yes, when we were little, we were practicing the ballroom dance in elementary school. You would always step on my shoes, and I would often dream that you would step on my shoes because you were taking the wrong dance step. It was quite a nightmare."

As Jiang Meng spoke, she raised her clenched fist and taunted with a smile: "Then I'll pin you to the ground and beat you up. In my dreams, you're completely powerless!"

Chen Jizhou listened to her talk but didn't react with any expression in response to her joke.

He had lost his ability to speak fluently, causing their conversation to frequently fall into blank spaces, but the topic never ended, and he would occasionally blurt out a sentence that could be followed up: "So what now?"

Jiang Meng pondered for a moment, then shook her head slightly. "To be honest, I don't think so—but who knows, maybe I'll dream about it today."

That was a fairly polite answer.

Chen Jizhou smiled, his gaze following the nod, and then lowered: "Mm."