Chapter 161 Su Qin failed to pass the exam, but Xu Jun jumped to the Dragon Gate

"What?" Xu Sirui was stunned. His brain was rusty and he couldn't think for a long time. After a long while, he smiled and said softly, "Are you kidding?"

He is her nephew. How could Zhou Tianqing not side with him but instead side with an outsider like Zhang Jiacheng?

But Zhou Tianqing didn't say anything, just kept looking at him.

Under his aunt's silent gaze, he slowly grasped the cruelty of the truth. She wasn't joking; she was telling the truth. His heart, which had just returned to its original position, felt as if it had stepped on empty air, piercing through his pleura and plummeting into the abyss.

He heard his own voice, hoarse and dry, as if it had been scorched by the scorching summer sun outside: "...Why?"

Zhou Tianqing gently twirled the wine glass in front of her with her fingers, her eyes dropping. "Xiao Zhang has a similar background to hers, so he's more sympathetic to her feelings. He's a good student, a gentle person, and I heard he's very caring. I think he'd be a good choice for a relationship. Besides, Yingning has finished the college entrance exam now, so she's free from the academic pressures and is now in a very relaxed state. Why not give it a try..."

"Don't play tricks on me! You know that's not what I'm talking about!" He interrupted her angrily.

What he wanted to hear was not Zhang Jiacheng's merits, nor why Zhang Jiacheng was suitable for Zhu Yingning, but why he didn't stand on his side? Why didn't he speak for him?!

The two sentences he shouted were so loud that they attracted the attention of guests at other tables around him. The waiter who was about to serve them was also startled and the words to read out the dish were stuck on his lips. In the end, he chose to let it go quietly and slip away quietly to avoid being harmed by his anger.

Zhou Tianqing was half sobered up by Xu Sirui's yelling.

As a typical spoiled brat, Xu Sirui has been defiant since childhood, not only defying Xu Zhengkang but also yelling at his own mother, Zhou Tianlan, when his temper flared. Especially during his rebellious years, he relegated both parents to the realm of "generation gap and incompatibility," finding any additional words annoying.

The only person he would never quarrel with was Zhou Tianqing, because she was younger, closer to his age, could understand his feelings better, had traveled far and wide, was knowledgeable, and could often say some intimate words that made him feel that they were in the same camp.

But now this convention was broken, her image in his eyes plummeted, and she quickly split from being one of his own and ended up in the enemy camp.

Zhou Tianqing was a little surprised and hurt at first, but then he felt a kind of helpless amusement.

She asked, "What do you want me to say?"

She used chopsticks to pick at the peanuts on her plate, gently peeling off the red outer shell. "Yingning is a good child. I like her very much and think she deserves a wonderful love experience. As for you... Ruirui, have you really thought about what you want?"

After she said this, she finally turned her attention away from the peanuts and looked up at him.

"Dating her for a while, then breaking up, and becoming a relationship where even occasional dinners during holidays feel awkward?"

He frowned and subconsciously retorted: "How is that possible?"

He hadn't really thought about his own romantic outlook, and after hearing Zhou Tianqing's words, he realized that what he'd been hoping for was a traditional relationship, a long-lasting romance culminating in marriage. If he told anyone else about it, Sun Mingyuan would definitely laugh at him, saying, "What a waste of a jerk face you have!" and, in turn, remark, "In this day and age, only a fool would think they could have a happy marriage with their first love."

As if seeing through his thoughts, Zhou Tianqing asked again: "Then do you think that you and her can talk it out to the end now that you are together?"

Xu Sirui was silenced by her question, unable to utter a word, but he still insisted, "We can get along."

"Oh, grinding." She smiled and nodded, taking a sip of wine. "Is it grinding or torture?"

“…”

"When two people with stable cores try to find a way to get along, it's called adjustment. When someone with an unstable core pesters someone with a stable core and demands emotional value, it's called a burden. When two unstable cores quarrel and waste time together, it's called torture." She said, "Ruirui, Yingning isn't as strong as you think she is, and she can't constantly provide you with the emotions you need—no one can. If you're together, it will quickly go from being a burden to tormenting each other."

"We had a great time in our senior year..." he added weakly.

"That's because senior year of high school doesn't require you to worry about anything other than studying. It's a single-threaded life. And she's been accommodating and tolerating you. Once you go to college, with clubs, social activities, studies, competitions, internships, work... you'll soon be forced to face a multi-threaded life. She'll meet more new people, and there will undoubtedly be many excellent suitors among them. Are you prepared to deal with all that? Even if there are no suitors, if she ignores you for studies, internships, or work, can you remain calm and composed? If you end up in different places in the future, do you have the courage to face the hardships of being apart?"

The questions came one after another like a machine gun. Xu Sirui wanted to say "I have it" and "I can do it", but he knew that he actually couldn't do it at all.

"Many people think love is about two broken people healing each other." Zhou Tianqing shook his head. "I can tell you from my experience, it's not."

"A good relationship can only be forged between two healthy people. I'm not saying only perfect people are worthy of a relationship, but only those who can communicate correctly and give effective feedback can have a good relationship. If you use love to heal yourself, then even the best love won't be able to grasp it. Ruirui, enriching yourself is the foundation of loving others. Yingning needs this, and you need it even more."

"I do encourage her to meet new people, but that's not because I don't love you. Of course I love you, so I would advise you the same way. It's precisely because I love you that I want you to experience life to the fullest."

"'Loving yourself' doesn't mean you resolve to be a self-loving person today and wake up tomorrow loving yourself. Self-love is built on a sense of accomplishment, even if it's as small as deciding to grow flowers and then buying a bunch of flowers and carefully tending to them. You need to experience and do, not just think about it - to find and realize your dreams, to solve problems, to try things that interest you, to make friends with all kinds of people, and to improve yourself through experience again and again."

“Don’t be afraid of separation. Love will not disappear because of a short separation, but will only be slowly consumed in trivial matters.”

She spoke earnestly, her mouth dry and her lips almost peeling. But when she finished, Xu Sirui only asked one question: "Did she agree to Zhang Jiacheng?"

“…”

Well, it's all in vain.

Zhou Tianqing was both angry and amused. He held the wine glass for a long time before answering, "I don't know."

She thought about it and decided not to continue to trick him. "After Xiao Zhang confessed, Yingning said she needed to think carefully before giving a reply. They agreed on a time for a reply. Let me think... Yeah, yes, it seems to be today."

"?"

His expression changed drastically, "Damn it! Then why did you invite me here to have a leisurely meal?!"

Zhou Tianqing calmly took another sip of wine.

"Where are they meeting?"

"I don't know about that." She shrugged innocently.

If it weren't for the fact that she was his aunt, Xu Sirui really wanted to call the police and have her arrested. He stood up quickly, put his phone in his pocket, and ran out.

After running two or three steps, he turned back, grabbed the bottle of wine that Zhou Tianqing had placed aside and poured it into his mouth.

"Hey!" She was shocked and quickly raised her hand to stop him.

Just kidding, even though she only drank a thin layer of the 50-60 degree liquor, it's not the right way to gulp it down.

But her action to stop him was still a step too slow. Xu Sirui had already blown the remaining layer of wine into the bottle, wiped his mouth, slammed the empty bottle on the table, turned around and ran away, so fast that not even a trace of his afterimage could be seen.

She stayed where she was, still raising her hand to stop him. Her entire body seemed petrified. After a long moment, she gave a helpless laugh, shook her head, and muttered, "...Alcohol gives cowards courage."

After saying that, he fought with the remaining two peanuts while laughing.

Yes, what’s the point of saying so many well-reasoned principles?

If youth could be tamed so easily, it would not be called youth.

No matter how powerful the truth in the world is, it cannot stop a young and passionate heart.

**

"Now, here's the weather forecast from the Meteorological Bureau: From noon to dusk today, under the influence of tropical marine air masses, there will be localized thunderstorms in Beijing, with southeasterly winds of force 5 to 6, a high of 34°C, a low of 25°C, fair air quality, and a strong UV index. Residents are advised to take precautions in advance and bring rain gear when going out. Beware of any inconveniences thunderstorms may cause to your travel, daily life, and health..."

The radio in the taxi kept blaring out the afternoon weather forecast. While waiting at a traffic light, the driver tried to turn the volume down, but accidentally turned it up instead. A huge "inconvenience" floated out the window, and a man from Northeast China in the next lane enthusiastically chimed in: "Oh, then I have to hurry and put away my clothes when I get home."

The driver smiled and replied, “That’s right.”

Xu Sirui, who was sitting in the back seat, had no time to join in the idle chatter of passers-by. He rubbed his forehead, which was gradually swollen and dizzy due to the effect of alcohol, with one hand, and quickly dialed the phone with the other hand. He held it to his ear and listened for more than ten seconds before hanging up and redialing, looking anxious.

After five or six calls, the call was finally picked up.

"Hello?" Affected by the impending wind and rain, Zhu Yingning's voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little distorted.

Xu Sirui didn't give her a chance to ask questions and asked straight to the point: "Where are you now?"

"Me? I'm at home."

He felt relieved for a moment, but before he could rest for a few seconds, he thought of another possibility: "Are you back home after going out?"

She was surprised that he knew her whereabouts so well: "Yes, how did you know? I just got home."

Xu Sirui was stunned for a moment before he spoke again: "...You stay home now and don't go anywhere. I'll come back to find you."

"Huh?" She was confused by him and became nervous. "What happened? What happened? Tell me on the phone first, so I can be mentally prepared. Otherwise, it will be scary."

However, Xu Sirui did not give her any psychological preparation. He said "Let's talk about it in person" and hung up the phone. Zhu Yingning was left holding the phone, feeling more and more confused.

She put down her cell phone and smelled a faint fishy smell in the air, as if it was about to rain. She simply went to the balcony to take in the clothes hanging outside, even though the sky was still clear.

When he turned on the TV, the first thing that popped up was the weather forecast. Zhu Yingning was watching it and sighed at his own wisdom and bravery. After a while of self-affirmation, he suddenly remembered that the hourly maid had hung the bed covers on the rooftop yesterday. He was startled and quickly changed his shoes and ran to the top floor to rescue the bed covers.

It feels a bit like harvesting wheat before a flood.

After she had harvested her own wheat, she discovered that other households' quilts and clothes were also drying on the rooftop, so she kindly moved all the clothes and clothes drying racks to the corridor where they would not be exposed to the rain.

After finishing all this, the sky was already dark.

A massive dark cloud stretched from east to west, domineeringly occupying the entire sky, dissipating the scorching afternoon sun behind layers of barriers. Whenever this happened, Zhu Yingning would always think of the poem she learned in Chinese class: "Dark clouds press down on the city, threatening to collapse it."

Since the top floor, the 20th floor, was not far from the 16th floor where they lived, she simply went downstairs holding the quilt. When she arrived at the door, she saw that it was open. She was wondering if she had forgotten to close the door when she saw Xu Sirui rushing out. It was obvious that he couldn't find her at home and was about to go out to look for her.

She was surprised: "Xu Sirui? How did you get here so quickly?"

It seems that there is something extremely urgent.

However, no matter how urgent it was, he had to wait until she put down the quilt in her arms. She walked into the room and looked for a place to temporarily put the quilt. Xu Sirui reached out to take it, casually crumpled the quilt and threw it on the sofa.

"Hello……!"

Half of the quilt cover was hanging on the sofa, and the other half was hanging on the ground. Zhu Yingning was going crazy. She looked up and was about to scold him, but she saw him take a step forward and almost pushed her into the corner.

Only then did she smell the strong smell of alcohol on him.

"Have you been drinking?"

"Did you promise him?"

They spoke at the same time.

**

Before arriving home, Xu Sirui had thought of many versions of the story in the car. He planned it perfectly. After returning home, he would first use other topics to pave the way for her to create a relaxed atmosphere, and then casually ask her what she had done when she went out just now. No matter how she answered, he would remain calm and not let her see any clues.

But when he really stood in front of her, he forgot all about his relaxation and carelessness.

The first thing he said was: "Did you promise him?"

There is no room for relaxation.

She said "Ah?" and then "Ah." again. The former was stunned by the sudden question, while the latter seemed to be suddenly enlightened.

Of course, there's another interpretation—some people are used to expressing affirmation with a soft "ah." But Xu Sirui automatically dismissed this interpretation and stubbornly repeated, "You promised him?"

This time the voice was lower and deeper.

There were lightning and thunder outside the window. With a loud bang, the thunder split the dark sky and the strong wind blew away the curtains.

The wind blew from south to north, running through the entire living room, seeping through his clothes and ruffling her hair.

Between her jet-black hair were her even darker eyes.

Her eyes were like anchors in the wind and waves, firmly hooked onto his light and transparent body that was about to be blown away by the wind.

She is all the kindness in the world, but also cruelty in kindness.

She spoke gently amidst the whistling wind, "Xu Sirui, no matter what, you and I will always be friends. I will not ignore you."

The final word.

Great love has no boundaries and is also merciless.

The hands hanging at his sides clenched and unclenched, and along with them, his tears flowed. Salty tears surged, blurring his vision in an instant.

In the haze, only her eyes remained vivid and colorful, imprinted on his retina, indelible, black as the universe, bright as stars.

He never seemed to have said that he liked her eyes, or that he thought they were beautiful.

She had always been beautiful in his eyes.

But he never even said a word of love to her.

Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the sky. He opened his mouth, and the four words "I like you" were drowned out by the rolling thunder.

"What?" She didn't hear clearly and asked in a daze and confusion.

He opened his mouth again, begging her not to be with Zhang Jiacheng, but it seemed as if God was against him. Outside, the wind and rain were raging, and the sound of the rain carried away his humble prayers with tears streaming down his face.

Maybe it wasn't God who was against her, but she just didn't want to listen.

If she wanted to listen, wind, rain, thunder and lightning could not block his voice. If she didn't want to listen, even a drop of rain could become an insurmountable obstacle between them.

In fact, the truth is not that complicated, she just doesn't want him anymore.

He remembered the divination he'd drawn that day at Tanzhe Temple. The question he'd asked was whether he and she would be together forever. The divination was from Guanyin, and the one he'd drawn was "Su Qin Bu Di"—a bad sign. The poem goes, "The whale remains unchanged, guarding the rivers; unable to soar, it seeks higher. One day, its majestic form will transform, and you will leap over the Dragon Gate." The meaning of the poem is, "This hexagram represents the whale remaining unchanged; everything is about enduring and waiting for the right time." The interpretation is, "Be patient and tolerant, be patient and tolerant. Wait until the right time arrives, and fame and success will remain."

The interpreter said to him in simple terms: "The more you want what you desire now, the less you will have. The solution is to enrich yourself, and there will be a long way to go."

At that time, he felt that what this person said was nonsense. It was all general clichés that could be applied to anyone.

Now he has to believe in fate.

He wanted to speak again but he no longer had the strength.

His mouth was covered with heavy steam and bitter salty tears. He thought that he had brought this upon himself and could not blame anyone else. He took a few steps back and stepped on the quilt that had fallen to the ground. He bent down to pick it up when he heard her say -

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The author has something to say: I decided to end the second volume here viciously [glasses]

I might take a day off tomorrow to refine the outline of Volume 3, and start writing Volume 3 the day after tomorrow.