Chapter 44 The Bitter Summer Heat Remains Only in the Wind
The school anniversary celebration in Suzhou ended at 5 p.m.
Luo Yiqiu happened to have no other classes today, so she left work early and suggested that she and the other two have a meal together.
Shen Qingli had already taken a whole day off, and since she figured she had nothing to do at home so early, she agreed.
The three of them found a specialty restaurant near the school and sat down at a window seat.
Looking at the menu in her hand, Luo Yiqiu asked them if they had any dietary restrictions.
“I don’t eat cilantro,” Shen Qingli said.
"I remember. There aren't any others, right?"
"Hmm, no, let's order. But how about we order some local dishes? Shen Qingli, you haven't been back to Suzhou for a long time, have you? Will you not be used to the food?" Chen Chaoxi nodded in agreement, glancing at the menu and casually asking Shen Qingli.
Hearing this, she looked up, smiled, and said, "It's not that I can't get used to the food. I've been back for quite a while now. You guys can decide what to eat; I can eat it all."
"good."
Soon, they each ordered the dishes they wanted, closed their menus, and chatted while waiting for their food.
"By the way, why did you suddenly go to university in Nanshi? I thought you would stay in Suzhou. How is Nanshi? Is it fun? Is the food there better than in Suzhou?"
"...I wanted to go out and see the world, so I didn't apply to a university in Suzhou." She glanced out the window, not wanting to dwell on her university application experience, so she simply changed the subject: "But Nanshi is alright too, though, but the food there actually tastes quite similar to Suzhou's."
"Really? I was planning to travel to Nanshi in a while, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to get used to the food there."
"Why are you suddenly going to Nanshi for a trip?" Luo Yiqiu picked up the water in front of her and took a sip, somewhat surprised. "I've never heard you mention this before."
"Isn't there a famous mountain in Nanshi? My colleagues all say it's very effective, and it makes me really want to go and pray for good fortune in my career. By the way, Shen Qingli, you live in Nanshi, so you must have been there before, right?"
Upon hearing the words "famous mountain in Nanshi," she paused, her hand resting beside the menu. For a moment, she was lost in thought, but she quickly realized her lapse and smiled somewhat awkwardly, "No, I haven't really paid attention to that. I've heard it's quite famous, but I've never actually been there."
Without realizing it, she had quietly told another lie.
It's not that I don't know, it's that I'm afraid to go.
Thinking of this, she unconsciously looked away, but fortunately Chen Chaoxi didn't notice anything. After hearing her answer, she said with some regret, "Oh, I was thinking that if you had been there, I could ask you. But... are you going back to Nanshi this time? If you are, I'll come to visit you another day, and we can go to that mountain in Nanshi together."
"Hey! I'm still here. Can you take me with you if you're going to Nanshi?" Luo Yiqiu glanced at the two of them speechlessly, feigning displeasure, and said, "Don't isolate me like this!"
"Teacher Luo, if you can get leave, then it's definitely no problem," Chen Chaoxi said, propping his head up with his hand and teasing her with a half-smile.
"Hey! Why do you always poke at people's sore spots!"
Seeing that the two of them were about to bicker like they did in high school, Shen Qingli felt it had been a long time since she had done that. She shook her head and laughed helplessly.
As for Chen Chaoxi's question, she didn't know how to answer it. Returning to work in Suzhou was a last resort, but she was lucky enough to find a good job. Whether or not to settle down in Suzhou would have to wait until her grandfather was discharged from the hospital.
However, if she were to resign and leave, she would likely face opposition from her parents again. In their eyes, her current job is very stable and makes them proud.
This is perhaps the only value Shen Qingli has for the couple.
Throughout her high school years, they forced her to comply with all their decisions, probably all for this moment.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but chuckle. Fortunately, everything was different from high school. She finally had the right to choose her own life and no longer had to worry about not having money or support, although it seemed like everything was a little too late.
But at least, she no longer has to be controlled or manipulated by anyone.
-
The food at this restaurant was served quickly. While waiting for the food, a large group of people arrived at the next table. Shen Qingli didn't have much of an impression of them, but Luo Yiqiu said that they were her classmates from high school.
Today is the anniversary of No. 1 High School, and it's probably a rare occasion for everyone to get together, so we've arranged to have a meal together.
The meal started off very pleasantly. The three of them rarely got together again, and they hadn't known each other's recent situations for many years. Now they had plenty to talk about.
Until almost the end of the meal.
Shen Qingli had just picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork with her chopsticks and was about to tell the two women that this place made it very authentically when several male voices suddenly rang out from next door at an inopportune moment.
Those people seemed to have drunk quite a bit, as they spoke exceptionally loudly, drawing the attention of other diners at the surrounding restaurants.
"Why didn't Lin Xiaqing come this time? I thought that kid would go on stage and speak too."
"How dare he show his face? Don't you know what's happened to his family?"
"What? What? Stop keeping me in suspense, tell me already!"
Upon hearing this, the people at the table seemed to have caught wind of some earth-shattering gossip, and they clamored for the person to tell them quickly.
"You guys don't know? My dad told me that Lin Xiaqing's dad's family business was investigated and went bankrupt a few years ago! His dad is probably still in jail now. Tsk tsk tsk, it's really unbelievable. This young master Lin was so famous among us back then. Now he's probably fallen on hard times and too ashamed to show his face."
"Really? I can't believe he's fallen so low. It's hilarious. If I were him, I definitely wouldn't dare come either. It's too embarrassing..."
“I thought he was really pretentious back then, and now I think he deserves it. I also heard someone say that his biological mother is not his father's wife, and that she has been in the hospital with poor health. Maybe she is not some young master Lin, but an illegitimate child?”
"So he really is an illegitimate child? Does that mean his mother is his mistress?"
...
At the next table, the conversation about Lin Xiaqing grew louder and louder as they discussed everything about him.
Shen Qingli sat to the side, her hand gripping the chopsticks stiffening. The vulgar words fell into her ears one by one, and she gritted her teeth, trying her best to endure something.
Back then, when Lin Xiaqing's family was at its peak, these people fawned over her like lapdogs. Now, they've turned against her as if they think no one else remembers.
She looked up at the two people opposite her. Their expressions were also different. Hearing such harsh words, none of them looked good.
After glancing at them, Shen Qingli silently looked away.
She lowered her eyes, her gaze lingering on the glass of cola she had just filled.
She didn't know his current situation, but she couldn't stand anyone talking about Lin Xiaqing and Xia Lin like that.
Immediately, her eyes darkened, and without hesitation, she stood up with her cup, tossing them a sentence: "I'll go to the front desk to get some more drinks."
"Huh?" Chen Chaoxi was still staring at the Coke bottle in his hand when he saw Shen Qingli walk towards the next table.
Watching her feign nonchalance, she cleverly "accidentally" tripped herself, and then her hand slipped, spilling the half-full cup of cola all over the man sitting on the far side.
The man was talking enthusiastically about Lin Xiaqing's family when he was suddenly splashed with a sticky drink in his face. He immediately stood up in a rage and yelled at Shen Qingli, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Sorry, it slipped." Staring at the man in front of her, who wasn't much taller than her, she flicked the sticky drink off her fingers, apologizing but showing no sign of panic.
Because of the man's voice, the area was instantly surrounded by a crowd. Seeing the stares of those around him, the man roughly wiped his face, feeling humiliated, and his tone hardened: "What kind of attitude is that? Do you fucking want to die?"
Seeing that a commotion was about to break out behind them, Luo Yiqiu and Chen Chaoxi exchanged a surprised glance. They hadn't even realized what was happening, but worried about Shen Qingli, they hurriedly went to her side. Then they heard her say in her still cold voice, "I've already apologized. I'll pay for the dry cleaning of your clothes. By the way..."
She looked up, grabbed a tissue from the table next to her and wiped her hands, saying dismissively, "I think you could go wash your mouth too."
The restaurant fell silent for a moment after he said that.
Luo Yiqiu and Luo Yiqiu had never seen Shen Qingli curse like that before, and they were both stunned.
Just as the foul-mouthed man realized what was happening and was about to explode in anger, Luo Yiqiu noticed his movement and stepped aside to block Shen Qingli. After the man saw her clearly, he immediately changed his tune: "Oh, isn't this our class monitor Luo? Oh no, no, now I should call you Teacher Luo."
The three stood opposite each other, completely bewildered by the sudden change in attitude of the fat, big-eared man.
Seeing the other person's fawning manner, Luo Yiqiu finally remembered who the other person was.
"Oh, it's you..." After remembering who he was, she raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a deliberately teasing tone, "What, did you get your cousin's enrollment settled? Now you still have the leisure to spread rumors here."
"No, no! Look at what you're saying. My cousin will need your help in the future!" The man naturally sensed the barb in her words, but since he needed her help, he didn't dare show his displeasure, no matter how unhappy he was.
"I wouldn't dare accept that. I think it's better to stay away from people like you, lest I become the subject of your rumors next time."
"How could this be! Today's incident was a misunderstanding. If I had known she was your friend, none of this would have happened." The man tried to brush it off, hurriedly turning around to apologize to Shen Qingli, "I'm so sorry, it was my fault for being rude earlier. You don't need to pay for the dry cleaning, I'll pay, it's all my fault..."
"..."
Shen Qingli didn't respond. The receptionist came over to smooth things over and they returned to their seats. Luo Yiqiu looked down and noticed that the hand holding the cup, hanging by her clothes, was trembling uncontrollably.
Perhaps even Shen Qingli herself didn't realize that at times when she was saying she couldn't tell whether she liked Xia Qing or Lin Xiaqing, she had never truly distinguished between them.
Because no matter who speaks ill of Xia Qing or Lin Xia Qing, she will still stand up for him.
-
Because of this incident, the group at the next table finally settled down to eat quietly. After a while, they finished eating and slunk away.
Chen Chaoxi looked at the empty table next to her, breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked, "Who was that guy?"
“He used to be in Class 5. His cousin is about to transfer to No. 1 Middle School, but the paperwork is not going through. He wanted to find a way through me, but I refused.”
"No wonder, look at how his face changed just now, tsk tsk tsk, he probably wanted to ask you for help, even Peking Opera face-changing isn't as fast as him." Chen Chaoxi had always disliked guys who used connections, and rolled his eyes speechlessly.
After listening to their words, Shen Qingli sat back down and didn't say another word.
They stayed there until they paid the bill and left the restaurant.
It was completely dark when they walked along the road to the bus stop. Luo Yiqiu and Chen Chaoxi looked at each other and hesitated for a moment before Luo Yiqiu finally spoke first, "Qingli, are you alright?"
"Me? I'm fine." She pointed to herself, forced a smile, and reassured them, "I'm so sorry to have worried you all."
"Why did you react so strongly just now? You scared us. I've never seen you like this before. What happened?" Chen Chaoxi observed her expression and was relieved to see that she didn't seem to be lying.
But she still felt a lingering fear when she thought about it. She really didn't expect Shen Qingli to rush out in anger. Although the people at the next table were saying some very unpleasant things, she never thought that Shen Qingli would be the first to lose her composure.
"No...it's nothing. I just can't stand these people who spread rumors." She bit her lip, lowered her head and spoke, not daring to look at the two of them. She had realized her loss of composure just now. In everyone's eyes, Shen Qingli, who had absolutely no connection with Lin Xiaqing, shouldn't have acted so impulsively.
She knew she had given herself away, so she could only try to make her words as understated as possible to convince people.
Fortunately, Chen Chaoxi knew nothing about her relationship with Lin Xiaqing, so he easily believed her story.
"Oh, is that so? Then don't be so impulsive next time. If you're going to rush up there, call me and Yiqiu together. I also dislike those people. You did a great job!" She nodded without thinking much, and even gave Shen Qingli a thumbs up, but there was also a hint of admiration in her voice, "But I really didn't expect you to be so brave and righteous."
Hearing this, and seeing that she didn't suspect her, Shen Qingli secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She laughed a few times and said something casually to cover it up.
-
Luo Yiqiu, who was standing next to them, unusually did not join in the conversation.
She looked at Shen Qingli several times, somewhat puzzled, and at the corner ahead, taking advantage of Chen Chaoxi's pause while he said he was going to buy milk tea, she pulled Shen Qingli aside.
"What's wrong?" Suddenly pulled by her, Shen Qingli turned her head in confusion.
"Qingli...you reacted so strongly just now, was it because of...Lin Xiaqing?" She stared at her suspiciously, asked hesitantly, and then didn't want to miss any change in the expression on the person in front of her.
Her intuition told her that Shen Qingli hadn't told the truth, but she couldn't think of any other reason, because in her impression, the other person wasn't really a busybody.
In the years I've known her, she's never had any major emotional ups and downs, and she seems indifferent to everything. It's really strange that she's like this today.
At this moment, Shen Qingli, who was forced to turn around by her, trembled slightly with her eyelashes when she heard Lin Xiaqing's name, but she remained calm on the surface, even as she received a somewhat suspicious look from the other party.
She twitched the corner of her mouth, feigning confusion, and asked, "Didn't you ask this before? I remember answering you, why are you asking it again?"
The question was returned to Luo Yiqiu, catching her somewhat off guard.
Seeing that Shen Qingli didn't seem to be acting strangely, she blinked awkwardly.
Since she had already said that, she couldn't continue asking questions, so she could only try to fill in the gaps, "Oh right, I almost forgot, you said you didn't know each other."
"Yes, that's right. I don't know him." She nodded and spoke calmly, echoing the other person's words.
This summer in Suzhou is exceptionally hot. At this moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the summer night, ruffling the stray hairs by her ears.
If it's a classmate from the same school who was once punished to sweep the playground together, or a friend of Luo Yiqiu who was helped out in the past, then they probably don't know each other.
She opened her mouth, but it seemed she had already said everything, leaving only a bitter taste that no one knew, blown away by the wind.
-----------------------
Author's note: I'm late!
After looking at everyone's guesses about the plot, I realized they were all wrong, hahaha.
Why would anyone think Qingli and Xia Qing are not a good match? They are definitely the two people who understand each other the most.
What truly saddened them the most was their inability to control their own lives, their lives being manipulated by others, and their missed opportunities due to time differences. If it had been at a different time... the outcome would not have been like this.
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