Chapter 40 The Ambiguous Period

After leaving the restaurant, Chen Jizhou went to a convenience store to buy some snacks for the kids, while Jiang Meng stood at the intersection for a while.

When he came out, he saw her staring intently at a tank.

The car isn't expensive; it's rumored to be a budget alternative to the G-Class. However, the color change was quite meticulous, featuring a pink and purple base color that was painted very finely. I guess the owner is a girl.

Chen Jizhou called her name, and Jiang Meng turned around and followed him back to the car.

When Chen Jizhou got into the car, he received a call from Wang Qi. He was about to hang up and ask what was wrong, but when he opened the call, he saw a string of voice messages that he hadn't listened to. He hadn't looked at his phone much since getting off the boat, and he hadn't looked at it while eating with Jiang Meng either. Only now did he realize that something was wrong, so he quickly answered the call.

I didn't bring my headphones, so I turned on the speakerphone.

Although the voices weren't loud, Jiang Meng, who was in the passenger seat, could still hear Chen Jizhou and his mother's conversation clearly.

Wang Qi's tone was sharp, just like always: "I've called you so many times and you haven't answered a single one. Where have you been? Have you been watching Yingying? You didn't even let me know. What am I supposed to tell your brother when he comes to ask me? And stop bullying your niece. Spend money where you need to. She's a little girl and easy to coax. If you make her cry, you'll be in big trouble!"

Chen Jizhou doesn't usually check messages much. He's in dozens of work groups alone, and he's so busy checking his phone all day that he can't keep up, let alone log on in time to reply to his mother's 60-second voice messages.

He said lazily, "She's gained three pounds in just a few days here. How could I possibly mistreat such a big woman? Do you even need to tell me?"

Wang Qi was about to speak up and continue to lecture him.

Chen Jizhou interrupted, "I risked my life today to do something righteous, and I'm very vulnerable right now. Can you please stop treating me like this?"

Wang Qi's bossy attitude did indeed subside somewhat, and his tone became cautious: "What did you do?"

"I rushed into the sea to save someone, and I'm still terrified."

"Really? You?"

Chen Jizhou smiled slightly: "Yes, no one has given me an award or a bonus, Ms. Wang."

No sooner said than done, he heard the transfer notification sound the next second.

When Chen Jizhou opened the notification bar, he saw that his mother had indeed transferred five thousand yuan to him.

He was so happy his eyes crinkled into crescents: "Received it, thank you Mom."

Wang Qi said seriously, "Don't take that risk next time."

"Yes, I definitely won't do it next time."

"Who else loves you this much besides me?"

Chen Jizhou was both amused and exasperated: "No one has ever treated me this well except you."

Jiang Meng listened for a long time, a slight smile always on her lips. She hadn't expected that even after becoming a boss, he would still be scolded by his mother. It seemed that everyone was the same; even at almost thirty, they still couldn't escape their parents' control. Finally, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Just as she was laughing, it was quiet both on and off the phone. Wang Qi heard it and asked, "Is someone in your car?"

Chen Jizhou's expression became more serious, and he whispered to her, "Jiang Meng."

Jiang Meng was about to say hello.

Wang Qi, unaware that the call was being broadcast, immediately said, "If you like her, just go for it! Aren't you the most manly one? You're not getting any younger, and I have to push you when it comes to relationships."

"..."

"..."

Jiang Meng cleared her throat: "Hello, Auntie."

Wang Qi's tone suddenly became incredibly gentle: "Mengmeng, it's been so long since I've seen you. Haven't you been back to Pingjiang for a while? Your mother said you're a teacher in Yunzhou?"

Jiang Meng smiled and greeted her, "Yes, I'm at work, extremely busy. I might go back home for a few days during summer vacation, and I'll come to see you then."

Wang Qi: "Don't just talk about it. You can't expect it to happen. I was chatting with his grandfather the other day and he was talking about you. He said that you guys have all grown up. You used to go to his place to play during summer vacation, but now you all run away. Also, you and Zhouzhou were the closest when you were little. You never held grudges overnight. If anything happens, don't take it to heart. I'm happy to see you guys still getting along well."

Chen Jizhou interrupted his mother's rambling in a low voice: "I'm driving, let me have some peace and quiet."

After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone.

The silence was filled with awkwardness.

"Do you like me?" she finally asked.

He said casually, "Pushing someone to get married is pretty much the same as yours. You like to matchmake people up whenever you see someone suitable."

Jiang Meng expressed her understanding.

In the eyes of adults, there is no grudge between children that cannot be resolved. They speak without any regard for the children's feelings. After all, what grudge can children hold overnight? They can force the two of them to make up even if they have to be forced to.

Wang Qi had asked Chen Jizhou before, but he was too lazy to tell his mother. However, she kept asking, asking where Mengmeng was, whether he should take her out to play during the holidays, and why she stayed at home all day. Eventually, he got annoyed by the questions and said, "Her boyfriend has already come knocking on my door. I should at least have some self-awareness."

Once he said that, she understood and really stopped asking.

When the car pulled up to Jiang Meng's apartment building, she politely asked if she wanted to come up for a bit.

Chen Jizhou said, "I'm not going. I'm going back to take care of the kids."

He didn't get out of the car; he spoke to her through the car window. Jiang Meng stood outside the car, a smile on her face, the hem of her pretty skirt swaying in the wind. "The way you said that sounds just like a stay-at-home dad."

After she finished speaking, she moved closer, holding onto the passenger side window that wasn't closed. Her body was warmed by the summer night breeze, and her bright eyes were captivated by the coolness of the car. Jiang Meng stared at him for a while, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. She pursed her lips, making a conflicted expression as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Chen Jizhou asked, "What?"

She said softly, "I'm not dating anyone right now, so you can come visit me without worry."

Chen Jizhou looked at her, blinked, and didn't respond.

Jiang Meng added, "I've already apologized for what happened back then. You can do whatever you want with me, but please don't be angry with me anymore, okay?"

He ignored her, and she was sure she would overthink it. Her long-held guilt lingered until today, and she still thought he was bothered by that little setback.

He said, "I won't be angry with you."

When Chen Jizhou returned home, Wang Runying had already woken up. Hearing the door open, the very wary little girl peeked out from her bedroom. Only after confirming that it was her uncle returning did she walk out openly. Then, looking behind Chen Jizhou, she asked him with her short, messy hair from sleeping, "Where is my pretty auntie?"

Chen Jizhou ignored him and walked inside, saying, "Is this never going to end?"

"I thought you were going to sleep together."

He paused for a moment, flicked her forehead, and said with a laugh, "Who taught you to have such impure thoughts?"

Chen Jizhou walked to the sofa and sat down, and Wang Runying followed him. Her legs were short, and it took her a while to climb up: "So, do you two sleep together?"

"Go to hell," Chen Jizhou said, holding the back of his head and leaning back. He opened his phone but didn't even bother to look at her. "Don't bother looking for your aunt. Where's your Nana?"

Wang Runying looked down at the place where her shoulder bag was and realized that her small bag was gone.

She was getting a little anxious, pacing around the room while muttering, "Where's my Nana? Where's my Nana? Where's my Nana..."

Chen Jizhou opened Weibo.

Jiang Meng had a Weibo account, which she registered when she was in junior high school, back when Weibo was just becoming popular. She and Chen Jizhou also registered one, and even followed each other. When she was younger, she liked to share artsy and whimsical content, like those beautiful sentences about gazing at the sky at a 45-degree angle, and she would flood his profile with them every day. Since he didn't use it much, he only followed her. Later, after they went to university, Chen Jizhou noticed she started sharing her daily life on the platform.

Chen Jizhou opened the search box and slowly and heavily typed in two words: first love.

A message popped up.

She posted it last year.

During that time, Jiang Meng was probably traveling in Yunnan and posted a lot of photos. One of his text posts left a deep impression on him.

"Today I ate a very magical fruit called olive. When you bite into it, it's so sour and a little astringent, but the more you taste it, the sweeter it gets, with a long-lasting aftertaste. It's a lot like love, like first love."

Some friends I know commented below.

After the rain_aaa: What are you doing philosophical stuff in the middle of the night? Thinking about your white moonlight again?

Jiang Meng: I sometimes think about it, wondering how he is now.

After the rain comes sunshine_aaa: Let's continue our love story!

Jiang Meng replied: That's impossible. Can a broken mirror really be mended?

After the rain comes sunshine_aaa: How will you know if you don't try?

Her first love was Fang Yuze.

There's no need to specifically inquire; he knows all about her situation.

First love is always unforgettable.

The term "white moonlight" is a very high compliment. Chen Jizhou understands better than anyone what it feels like to have a "white moonlight" in your heart.

Chen Jizhou didn't want to think about it anymore.

It's like diving; the deeper you dive, the greater the pressure in your lungs becomes. If the pressure gets too high, your lungs will burst.

It is very harmful to health.

He doesn't like to reminisce about the past; one could say he doesn't dwell on it.

People should always look forward, and Chen Jizhou put this into practice. Who would dwell on the past and wallow in self-pity? He certainly wasn't one of them.

But having dinner with Jiang Meng today brought back uncontrollable memories of my youth. Every little detail, as precious as a cherished memory, even though it happened so long ago.

He stared at those words, his gaze unfocused, for quite a while.

Wang Runying had searched everywhere and was almost in tears. She came up to him, ready to punch him: "You big bad guy, where's my Nana?!"

Chen Jizhou took out her Lingna Belle backpack from behind the sofa and threw it into her arms, pretending to be impatient, saying, "Even the big bad guy is annoyed by you. I'll send him away tomorrow."

Wang Runying hugged her Nana, revealing a "You really are a big bad guy!" expression. Just as she reached out to hit her, her favorite shrimp chips suddenly fell out of her backpack.

The child's expression immediately brightened, and he happily ate a few shrimp crackers.

-

Jiang Meng closed the apartment door and turned on the light.

As she sat in front of the vanity, preparing to grab the makeup remover, the dim light from the mirror illuminated the playing cards beside her.

It was the card Chen Jizhou gave her.

When she brought it back, she casually found a place to embed it. Only when she looked at it again did Jiang Meng realize that the place where it was embedded was the seam of a paper airplane.

The paper has turned a bit yellow.

Eight years have passed since she received the letter.

Jiang Meng graduated from high school eight years ago.

She folded the paper back into the shape of an airplane, keeping the creases, because she was afraid that with each passing day, the creases would fade and take away the time she had been loved, a time that would never return.

Jiang Meng reopened the paper.

I will always love you.

——Friend A"

She didn't know if love would disappear, but those words were forever frozen at the age of eighteen.

Adults are always selective in their love lives, but the unrequited love of student days is still the most touching. Since then, she has never experienced such genuine affection again. Later encounters with love, whether direct or suggestive, never again stirred her heart.

Following this handwriting, Jiang Meng could have found some clues back then if she had searched carefully. However, it would have been a huge undertaking; she would have needed to find the handwriting of students in the same grade and compare them one by one.

First of all, the letter A is written in a continuous stroke, and there is a hook on the right.

It's clearly written by a boy. Although the strokes are simple, there are some subtle personal characteristics, such as heavy brushstrokes at the beginning and end of each stroke. The characters are free-flowing and unrestrained, lacking stability. It looks like he practiced calligraphy but didn't do it well, becoming a half-baked amateur. He probably learned from an elder in his family, but gave up after a couple of days. He seems to have a very individualistic personality.

Jiang Meng has practically become a profiler because of this; she's gone to such lengths to research it.

However, she's no longer fixated on it.

Jiang Meng has a private photo album. When she changed phones, she couldn't bear to part with her chat history with friend A, so she took screenshots of all of them and put them in that album.

Jiang Meng hadn't looked through it in a long time. Today, she met Chen Jizhou, which stirred up some of her old memories. While looking through old high school photos, she passed by this album.

She named it: First Love.

She randomly clicked on one of them.

Jiang Meng: "Do you have many fans?"

A: "Just like that."

Jiang Meng: "Sometimes I feel like there might be people around me who dislike me, but I'm not sure. I always feel nervous when I'm around people."

A: "Whatever, there are plenty of people who dislike me anyway."

Jiang Meng: "Really?"

A: "For every person who likes you, there's someone who dislikes you. You have people you like, and people you hate."

A: "It's only human nature; there's no such thing as true or false."

He is very open-minded and insightful.

The second one.

Jiang Meng: "I've noticed that you sometimes resemble my childhood friend quite a bit."

A: "That childhood friend you have a crush on, tell me, how do you resemble him?"

Jiang Meng: "………………"

Jiang Meng: "For example, the smug tone you're using now is very similar."

A: "Impossible! Is there anyone more deserving of a beating than me? You have terrible taste!"

Jiang Meng: "I already told you, I don't have a crush on him!!!"

He's a jerk, he deserves a beating.

She can now simply laugh off the three angry exclamation marks she once saw.

The last picture is his long confession.

That day, she learned her father's secret and cried helplessly in the car.

He said, "You've always been in my heart."

He is very gentle and sincere.

All these traits combined are so different from Li Shuheng's. How could she have associated the two of them back then? Being in the thick of it all is like looking at flowers through a fog; you can't see people clearly.

He doesn't resemble Li Shuheng at all; instead, he resembles...

Jiang Meng suddenly stopped laughing, straightened up, and thought about it seriously.

A and Chen Jizhou do have some similarities, which often makes her make unrelated associations.

Could her first love be Chen Jizhou?

But, but, he really hadn't played that game!

Jiang Meng leaned back against the wall, feeling dejected.

Forget it, it's been so many years, why bother thinking about these things?

She folded the paper airplane and put it back, but the Ace of Hearts was still stuck in the groove.

Jiang Meng checked her phone again and found that her mother had sent her another message about a "high-quality man".

Ye Zhaoxu sent a photo of a man and said, "This guy works for a state-owned enterprise, he's two years older than you, and he earns a higher salary. He looks quite honest."

Jiang Meng didn't even want to open the larger image: "I'm most afraid of honest people, pass pass."

As she removed her eye makeup, feeling she couldn't tolerate this any longer, she said to Ye Zhaoxu, "Mom, can you please stop being so fickle? Didn't you already decide Chen Jizhou was a perfect husband? Why are you introducing me to other men?"

Ye Zhaoxu: "Ah, I wasn't sure, but if you are, I have no objection. Chen Jizhou is quite good too, bring him back for the New Year."

Ye Zhaoxu: "Are you still as handsome as before?"

Jiang Meng: "So handsome, so incredibly handsome, he's a heartthrob! If I really wanted him, I'd have to wait in line."

Ye Zhaoxu: "Then why don't you exercise your privileges? Even old acquaintances don't have the right to cut in line?"

Jiang Meng smiled: "Okay, I'll ask next time."

Ye Zhaoxu: "Don't wait until next time, hurry up, I've already decided how many tables to book for the wedding."

Jiang Meng sent her mother ten sweating emojis.

After dinner that day, Chen Jizhou didn't contact Jiang Meng again.

She hasn't been playing ball lately; graduation season and exam week have kept her too busy.

Jiang Meng didn't know if he was busy or not, but she had a feeling that when he said he would play ball with her last time, it was probably just a polite remark. She had brought it up to her face, so he had to give her a way out and not make the situation too awkward.

She was caught in a little dilemma again.

That day in the office, Yan Yuqing suddenly asked her, "How are things between you and your ex-husband?"

Jiang Meng replied casually, "I had a meal."

Yan Yuqing suddenly remembered something. Jiang Meng had told her before that she had a first love during her school days. "Hey, was he your white moonlight?"

Jiang Meng: "Of course not."

"Oh, so you had a meal, and then what?"

That's all.

It quieted down.

Although Jiang Meng looked dejected and answered absentmindedly, she was clearly still concerned about the matter. She earnestly told her, "That day, we went out and bumped into each other. He treated me to dinner and took me home, that was the routine. Actually, after thinking about it carefully, if we hadn't bumped into each other, he definitely wouldn't have asked me to dinner. At the time, I thought our relationship had improved, but it hasn't. He's just a respectable person. Is it possible that he didn't?"

Yan Yuqing touched her chin, pondered for a moment, and then hissed.

"Don't spit it out, quickly put yourself in the shoes of your old friend and give me some advice."

Yan Yuqing made the final decision: "Then it's faded."

Jiang Meng sighed and lay down.

Yan Yuqing then asked, "Do you want to get back together with him?"

Jiang Meng lay listlessly on the table, poked at the hourglass in front of her, and after a while, nodded and said, "I really want to."

My phone vibrated just as I finished speaking.

Speak of the devil and he appears; Jiang Meng put down the hourglass and immediately opened Chen Jizhou's message.

He sent me five words: "Are you free today?"

Jiang Meng beamed with joy and quickly typed, "Yes, do you want to ask me out?"

Chen Jizhou: "Yes"

Jiang Meng replied, "I have time. I'll be off work soon, but I have to go back."

Girls should dress up nicely before going out.

Jiang Meng asked, "Where are we going?"

Chen Jizhou: "It's a bit far. Shall I come pick you up? Is that convenient?"

Jiang Meng nodded: "That's convenient, you can arrive in an hour."

Chen Jizhou: "Okay."

As she left work on time, she confidently patted Yan Yuqing on the shoulder, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and her clear, spirited voice said, "Almost there, almost there, we're in the ambiguous stage now."

Yan Yuqing was completely confused: Huh?