Chapter 207 If-Two Little Guess 8
Even downstairs, He Wu could already smell the aroma of food wafting from her window. She curled her lips. Tong Yinxu's cooking skills had improved significantly over the years, becoming more and more like restaurant-style.
"I'm back." She opened the door, put on slippers, and went to the kitchen to wash her hands.
"What are we having for dinner today?" She leaned over to look at the stove.
"Sweet and sour pork tenderloin, fried vermicelli shrimp, both of which your son likes."
"Where's the soup?"
"Short ribs and winter melon soup."
He Wu helped carry all the side dishes to the dining room and put them away, shouting at the top of his voice.
"Tong Zhongyuan, eat."
After a two-second delay, Tong Zhongyuan's voice came from the room.
"I'm not hungry. I won't eat anymore."
Tong Yinxu also brought out the soup: "Yuanyuan, eat. Today we have all your favorite dishes. If you can't finish it, just eat less."
"You guys eat, I'm really not hungry."
He Wu frowned. Something was wrong. His voice sounded muffled. Could he be sick? She no longer cared about adolescent respect and knocked open his door.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Tong Zhongyuan was lying on the bed without changing his school uniform, with his back to the door.
"No, I'm a little tired. I want to lie down for a while."
He Wu walked to the bed and wanted to touch his forehead, but when he heard footsteps, he pulled the blanket over his head.
"Mom, can you please go out?"
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped back and closed the room.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked Tong Yinxu in a low voice.
"I don't know. He went into the room as soon as I got back today. I didn't see him."
"Was he criticized by the teacher? Or did he have a quarrel with his classmates? That shouldn't be the case. He's quite pretentious outside and wouldn't fall out with anyone."
"Let him do whatever he wants. He's a grown man, he won't starve to death if he skips a meal."
Tong Zhongyuan curled up with his head covered by a blanket. He could hear the clatter of his parents' dishes and their daily conversations. His stomach was making rumbling sounds after being empty, but he had no desire to eat or get up.
He held a small box in his hand, and the hard edges made his palms hurt.
That was his gift to her - a time-turner.
Not only did she return the money, she also returned the gift he'd given her in an envelope. Had he truly committed an unforgivable mistake? Her dismissive rejection, her cold eyes, her resolute figure played relentlessly in his mind, the boundless bitterness making every breath difficult. For the first time in his life, he truly tasted bitterness.
He raised his arms to press against his burning eyes.
A time-twister. If there really were a time-twister, what would he turn back to? To the moment he'd cleverly slipped money into her schoolbag; to the moment he'd taken the soy milk she'd drunk and brought it to his lips; to the moment he'd given her the necklace and she'd said, "It's so beautiful" in the sunset.
His nose was feeling sore again, and he huddled under the blanket, clutching the box tighter, using the pain to push back the tears of shame.
Qin Yunjie returned home, exhausted. He ate a few mouthfuls of food and washed up early. After waiting for his hair to dry, he asked as usual, "How are you doing lately?"
As soon as his daughter said "OK", he could go to bed. He couldn't sleep well in the hospital, and he could only truly relax at home.
"Okay." Qin Yizhang looked at his thin face and said calmly.
He nodded, put down the towel he was using to dry his hair, shuffled back to his room, and closed the door.
Qin Yizhang stood facing the closed door for a while.
Just yesterday morning, she'd planned to ask Qin Yunjie for money to buy a new uniform when he returned. But now, she didn't want to. Tong Zhongyuan's gift of money had stirred up an inexplicable rebelliousness. If she asked for the money now and bought a new uniform, it would prove that she was wearing an ill-fitting uniform because she couldn't afford a new one. She didn't want him to see her obediently changing into a new uniform because of his words.
She returned to her room. The desk was littered with carving knives and her newly bought stone. She hadn't put them away yesterday, thinking she'd carve again today. She opened her toolbox and put away all the knives, leaving only the stone.
She slowly sat down, holding her head. As she left, she caught a glimpse of him, his head lowered, his dark eyes beneath long lashes staring blankly at the ground, bewildered, like a child who didn't know where he'd gone wrong. Suddenly, she knew what that expression looked like—he was hurt. She had used her pride as a dagger, wounding him.
An inexplicable feeling of moisture welled up in her eyes, and she pressed her fingers against her eyes, waiting for the mist to pass.
The half-carved stone lay quietly. She sniffed, reached out, took it, and turned it over.
A simple and bright red word has been permanently engraved on this stone.
child
In late September, the weather is still hot.
Qin Yizhang was hoping the weather would cool down soon. Ever since he'd reminded her, she'd developed a mental block towards wearing the tight-fitting uniform and wouldn't dare do any big exercises during gym class. She just had to wait until the weather cooled off so she could change into a long-sleeved sweatshirt. Even if it was too tight, at least it wouldn't be as noticeable as a T-shirt.
During this time, she didn't know if Tong Zhongyuan was avoiding her or if she was subconsciously avoiding him, but she rarely saw him. The few times they met, it was in the crowd and at a distance, but even so, he was still so conspicuous. His figure always rushed into her eyes first, giving her enough time to look away.
Zhang Li warned her: "Look, your childhood friend is coming over here. Hey, he's turned a corner."
"Let's go."
She took Zhang Li's arm and walked in the opposite direction.
"I'm done eating." Tong Zhongyuan put down his bowl and chopsticks, swept the shrimp shells on the table into the empty bowl, pushed the chair away and went into the room.
He Wu's eyes followed him until he closed the door.
It must be more than an illusion; Tong Zhongyuan was indeed worried. She had asked him several times indirectly, but he remained tight-lipped, not revealing a single flaw. She had asked Tong Yinxu to care for his adolescent son as a father, but he was even more useless than her, revealing nothing.
This made her even more worried. She had been busy with his study abroad arrangements recently, and after such a long delay, there was finally some progress. Logically, she should have a calm talk with Tong Zhongyuan, but given his current state, she knew what his attitude was. She could only push this matter forward and tell him after the results came out. Sometimes she also reflected on her own education, wondering if she had given Tong Zhongyuan too much freedom, causing him to be so ignorant of the world that he didn't care about his parents' words at all. Alas, the best time for education had been missed. He had been very depressed recently, and she didn't know when this wave would pass.
It wasn't until 8 o'clock that he finished all the exercises. He was used to finishing important homework in advance during classes he was confident in. Although the academic pressure had indeed increased significantly in his second year of high school, it was still within a manageable range.
He packed his school bag and the uniform he would wear for tomorrow, took a shower, and then had free time.
But at this moment, freedom showed its disadvantages. This kind of free time would inevitably make him think of Qin Yizhang. After that incident, they had no intersection. In fact, she never looked at him again. It was in the second week that he calmed down completely. He reviewed the matter rationally. His motives were not wrong. His fault was that he was inexperienced and did not consider her self-esteem. Objectively speaking, it was not an unforgivable mistake. If Qin Yizhang needed him to apologize, he would agree. But she threw the money and gifts back to him, and then turned a blind eye to him, which far exceeded the extent of his mistakes. So this matter has evolved into a situation where both parties are at fault. This is not something that can be solved by him bowing his head alone, and she obviously has no intention of reconciliation.
He'd recently read a few books, trying to find answers in philosophy. This approach was clearly futile, but he realized that his pursuit of childhood intimacy was ultimately a waste of time, because they were no longer just two children. She was a young woman now, with her own friends and life, no longer at his beck and call. One day, she'd find someone closer and more important than him, and drifting apart was the inevitable fate of childhood friends.
Coming to this conclusion, he felt an uneasy sense of relief. He had found the truth, even if it wasn't what he'd hoped for. He tossed and turned that night, but he knew he'd accept it. With time, he'd adjust to this change in their relationship. The discomfort, even the pain, he felt now was just part of growing up.
Three weeks had passed, but the growing pains remained. When the anger and grievances had settled, the only emotion left was resentment. He refused to accept that he and Qin Yizhang had been separated over such a trivial matter. One thought hadn't faded with time, but instead had grown clearer. He wanted to be back together.
He turned on his computer, created a small account, logged into Tianya Forum and posted a question for advice.
I offended a female classmate over a small matter. How can I get her to forgive me?
In the description of the problem, he avoided the main point and said that in order to help a female classmate, he may have hurt her self-esteem, which has led to a very strained relationship. How should he ease the relationship between classmates?
As he typed this, there was a light sweat on his back and his face was a little hot, as if he was doing something stupid that should not be seen in public.
After posting, he immediately shut down his computer. There was no point in waiting there. Even if someone replied, it would probably be hours later. By then, he would already be asleep.
He picked up a book and read it before bed. After reading for ten minutes, he found that he could see every word, but he had no idea what the book was about.
He sat up from the bed involuntarily, turned on the computer, opened the web page, and went to Tianya.
"It's very simple. Just give her a bottle of drink or a piece of chocolate, and she'll understand your apology. We're all classmates, there's nothing to worry about."
"It's no big deal. Just sit over there during lunch and chat and laugh like normal. If she's still angry, just say sorry. If she doesn't forgive, she's being petty."
"She's a female classmate, not a girlfriend. There's no point in forgiving her or not. We'll all graduate in a few years, so the worst that can happen is we can just stop communicating."
"Are you pretty? If you are, then apologize. Maybe you'll have a chance to become a regular employee in the future. If you're not, just ignore what I said."
There were only four or five messages, none of them helpful. He thought about it and rejected them all. Giving chocolates and lunch—how could he not have thought of something so simple? He asked because… because the situation was far more serious than he had imagined. He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes. He wanted a 100% effective solution. He wanted not just a reconciliation, but a reconciliation that lasted as long as it had.
He kept his computer running, refreshing it periodically, but no better suggestions appeared. Two hours later, his post disappeared. The story of a student seeking help because a female classmate was unhappy with him was so unremarkable, so bland that it didn't even make anyone want to reply.
It was 11:30, well past his usual bedtime. He refreshed the webpage one last time and logged off.
He turned off the light and closed his eyes, fighting against the chaos in his mind, but failed. He turned on the light, turned on the computer, and edited the question.
I offended my girlfriend over a small matter. How can I get her to forgive me?
On Monday morning, He Wu tiptoed into the kitchen, heated milk, and baked bread. Tong Zhongyuan had been having a poor appetite lately, and she was worried he wasn't getting enough nutrition. Furthermore, his whereabouts were suspicious. Yesterday, Sunday, he'd left the house carrying a massive travel backpack. When asked why, he said he'd made plans to play basketball with a classmate. But when he returned home that evening, the backpack was noticeably bulging. What had he packed?
When the milk was placed on the table, Tong Zhongyuan got up on time and washed up. He drank the milk in one gulp, picked up the bread and prepared to go out.
"How do you carry this bag?"
He Wu noticed his shoulder bag, which was the same one he brought back yesterday. It was bulging and obviously still contained the things he brought back yesterday.
"My classmate left something with me yesterday, and I'm returning it to him today." He answered fluently.
"What is it?" He Wu couldn't help but ask.
"clothing."
He didn't give her time to ask any more questions after he finished speaking, as he closed the door and went to school.
He Wu stood there, wondering what kind of clothes were being placed here? A stinky sweatshirt from playing basketball? How many classmates had put stinky clothes in his bag to make it so bulging? Her mysophobic son, would use his own bag to store other people's clothes?
She missed him as a child. If only he were still eight, she could open his mysterious bag without restraint and see what was inside. Adolescence is a disaster for parents.
In the quiet classroom, the teacher's monotonous writing on the blackboard echoed intermittently, like a series of difficult telegraph codes. When the bell rang, the students, relieved, collapsed on their desks.
"Why put math class in the morning? My blood tank is empty so early in the morning."
"If I leave it in the afternoon, I'll probably fall asleep."
Qin Yizhang put away his math book and took out his English book for the next class. During the break in his freshman year, some people would go out to get some fresh air and relax. But in his sophomore year, the only people who stayed during break were to go to the bathroom or lie down on their desks. Not many people even wentssiped or chatted, especially since they had just started math class.
That's exactly what happened. When Tong Zhongyuan walked in, almost the entire class was there, except for a few people who were using the restroom. He didn't speak loudly, but the classroom was quiet enough that his words sounded like a broadcast to everyone.
"Qin Yizhang, I'll wait for you in the playground after school. I have something to tell you."
After he said this, the classroom grew even quieter, and even those crouching down raised their heads. Tong Zhongyuan stood beside her desk, facing dozens of gazes, and added calmly, "I'll wait until you get here."
A male classmate who had just returned from the restroom walked to the door and was stunned by the classroom's almost solemn silence. For a moment, he didn't know if he could step in. Tong Zhongyuan withdrew his gaze and turned to walk out of the classroom.
Until his figure completely disappeared, the students in the classroom woke up as if from a dream and looked at Qin Yizhang in unison.
I don’t know which female classmate’s voice came out of nowhere.
"Will you go, Qin Yizhang?"
Qin Yizhang's heart pounded like a drum as she was surrounded by gazes. The class bell rang out like a fire alarm. She sat up straight, with a standard expression as if class was about to start, and did not respond.
The buzz of discussion gradually grew louder, regardless of the presence of the parties involved. The student who had returned from the restroom finally returned to his seat with a sense of relief.
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