The glimmer under the cracks
The snow fell for three days straight, the sky and earth covered in a vast expanse of white, even the air seemed frozen. Chen Yu huddled in the classroom, rarely leaving his seat except for necessary walks. He buried himself in his books, trying to fill every gap with formulas and theorems, but his eyes would always drift to the desk behind him—which remained empty, like a wound that would never heal.
That afternoon, the head teacher suddenly called Shen Yu to the office.
"Chen Yu," the homeroom teacher pushed up his glasses, his tone a little measured, "There's a math competition in the city next month. I saw your mock test scores, and you have a good chance of winning. This will be of great help to your future studies. Would you consider it?"
Chen Yu was stunned. A math competition? He had never thought about such things before. After his parents passed away, his only plan for the future was to "stay alive." Those distant honors and prospects seemed like things from another world.
"I..." He wanted to say "I won't participate", but when the words came to his lips, he remembered his parents' expectations. They always said that Chen Yu was smart and would definitely get into a good university in the future and make a name for himself.
"I'll participate." Shen Yu heard himself say this.
As he left the office, a thin layer of ice formed on the windows in the hallway, blurring his reflection. He raised his hand and touched the icy surface, the cool touch bringing him back to his senses. Perhaps he should do something, not just for himself, but also for his parents' unfulfilled wish.
After school, the snow had subsided. Chen Yu was walking home with the documents in his arms. When he passed by the familiar convenience store, he walked in for some unknown reason.
"Welcome." The proprietress greeted warmly.
Chen Yu's eyes fell on the freezer, where Jiang Yizhou's favorite orange-flavored soda was placed. He hesitated for a moment, then took a bottle and paid for it.
After leaving the convenience store, he unscrewed the cap of the soda bottle, and the cold liquid slid down his throat, bringing with it the familiar sweet and bitter taste. But this time, he didn't taste any sweetness at all, only bitterness in his mouth.
Just then, my phone rang. It was a text message from an unfamiliar number: [Want to know the truth? See you at the usual place.]
Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. The old place? He almost immediately thought of the abandoned railway crossing.
He gripped the phone tightly, his fingertips turning white from the pressure. Was it Jiang Yizhou? Or...
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately turned around and headed towards the railway crossing. Regardless of who the other person was, he wanted to know the so-called "truth." The depression and confusion of these days had left him desperately in need of answers.
The railway crossing was still desolate, snow covering the tracks, and a cold wind whipped the snowflakes past. In the distance, a train whistle blew, long and mournful.
Shen Yu walked to the familiar traffic light and waited for about ten minutes. A beam of car light pierced the darkness and came closer and closer.
It's the black motorcycle.
Jiang Yizhou stopped the car and took off his helmet, revealing a tired but still handsome face. He looked at Chen Yu, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it over.
"See for yourself." His voice was very hoarse.
Shen Yu took the envelope, his fingers trembling slightly. He opened the envelope, and inside were several photos and a note.
The photo showed Huang Mao and several strange men, with his old house in the background. The note was written in crooked handwriting, with threatening words, saying that if Jiang Yizhou didn't leave Chen Yu, they would smash the old house and make him lose even the last thoughts of his parents.
Chen Yu's hands began to tremble violently, and the photo almost slipped from his hands. So... that's how it is.
He raised his head and looked at Jiang Yizhou, his eyes red and his voice choked with sobs: "Why didn't you tell me?"
Jiang Yizhou turned his head away, looking at the railway tracks in the distance, and said in a low voice: "What's the harm in telling you? You cherish that house so much... I can't let them destroy it."
"So that's how you pushed me away?" Chen Yu couldn't hold back her tears and finally fell. "Do you know how painful it was for me? I thought... I thought you really didn't want me anymore."
He spoke the last few words softly and with aggrieved tone, like a child who had been wronged.
Jiang Yizhou turned around abruptly, looking at Chen Yu's tearful face, and felt incredibly distressed. He took a step forward, wanting to hug him, but restrained himself and stopped. His voice was filled with deep regret: "I'm sorry, Chen Yu, I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have made you feel so bad."
The cold wind blew up snowflakes, which fell on the two of them. Chen Yu looked at the red bloodshot eyes and the fatigue that could not be concealed in Jiang Yizhou's eyes, and the resentment in his heart suddenly dissipated, leaving only a full heartache.
He sniffed, stuffed the photo and note back into the envelope, and clenched it tightly in his hand: "Those people..."
"It's been resolved." Jiang Yizhou interrupted him with a hint of ruthlessness in his tone, "No one will harass you anymore."
Chen Yu knew that his so-called "solution" was probably not that simple. He looked at the scar on the corner of Jiang Yizhou's mouth that had not yet completely healed, and his heart seemed to be blocked by something, and he felt indescribably uncomfortable.
"Jiang Yizhou," Chen Yu raised her head and looked at him seriously, "No matter what happens in the future, we will face it together, okay? Don't carry it alone anymore."
Jiang Yizhou looked at his red eyes, his heart warmed, and he nodded solemnly: "Okay."
The train whistle sounded again, and this time, it seemed like a prelude to a reunion.
The snow was still falling, but Chen Yu felt that a warm current seemed to be flowing on the frozen land in his heart, and a faint light gradually appeared under the cracks.
His spring has returned.
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