Volunteering and the Future
Evening self-study at Nangang No.1 Middle School is usually quiet, with only the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional rustling of pages. But tonight is different—a bright red countdown sign above the blackboard reads "17," like a sword hanging over everyone's head.
Xu Ying rubbed her aching wrist, glancing at Zong Heng beside her as he twirled a pen, his draft paper densely covered with physics formulas. His profile was sharply defined under the lamplight, his brows furrowed, as if he had encountered a difficult problem.
"This problem..." she hesitated before speaking, lightly tapping the test paper with her fingertip, "can be solved using the law of conservation of energy."
Zong Heng paused, then suddenly turned to look at her. His eyes gleamed darkly under the light, and a roguish smile played on his lips: "Teacher Xu, would you like to teach me?"
Xu Ying's ears burned, and she was about to look down when she felt her hand suddenly being grasped under the table. Zong Heng's palm was burning hot, and his fingers forcefully squeezed between hers, their fingers interlocking.
"You..." She glanced at the podium in a panic; the homeroom teacher was grading homework.
"What are you afraid of?" Zong Heng lowered his voice, his thumb stroking the back of her hand suggestively. "Old Zhang is nearsighted, with a prescription of 800 degrees."
Li Ming, sitting in the front row, suddenly turned around and saw the two clasped hands. He exclaimed "Wow!" in an exaggerated manner. Zong Heng shot him a glare, and Li Ming immediately turned away, but instead sent a message in the class group chat:
[Heng Ge and the academic superstar are holding hands!!!]
Instantly, the entire classroom erupted in a chorus of coughs. Xu Ying was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl under the desk, but Zong Heng laughed arrogantly, even deliberately shaking their clasped hands: "What are you looking at? Write your papers."
The homeroom teacher looked up and adjusted her glasses: "Quiet!"
The bell rang, and the students filed out of the classroom. Xu Ying was packing her bag when Zong Heng suddenly grabbed her wrist: "Come with me."
"Where are you going? Curfew is almost up..."
"Climb over the wall," he said matter-of-factly, already pulling her towards the back playground.
A cool night breeze blew as Xu Ying followed Zong Heng to the lowest section of the school wall. Broken glass was stuck in the top of the wall, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
"Step on my hands." Zong Heng squatted down and placed his hands together as a foot pedal.
Xu Ying hesitated before stepping onto her canvas shoes, but the next second he steadily lifted her up. She frantically grabbed the top of the wall, while Zong Heng chuckled softly below, "Don't be afraid, I'll catch you."
She stumbled upon landing, bumping right into Zong Heng's arms. The boy smelled faintly of mint cigarettes mixed with the fresh scent of laundry detergent. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, his nose brushing against her earlobe: "So proactive?"
"Who, who took the initiative!" Xu Ying hurriedly pushed him away, but he grabbed her hand and ran forward.
The night wind howled past, casting long shadows of the two under the streetlights. Zong Heng ran ahead, his back straight as a pine tree, his school uniform jacket billowing in the wind. Xu Ying looked at their clasped hands and suddenly wished this road would never end.
The grass on the hillside was covered with night dew. Xu Ying stopped, panting, and asked, "What exactly do you want to see?"
Zong Heng took off his school uniform jacket and spread it on the ground, gesturing for her to sit down: "Look up."
The night sky was as dark as ink, adorned with countless twinkling stars. Xu Ying had just looked up when she saw a streak of silver light flash across the sky, followed by a second, then a third...
"Meteor shower!" she exclaimed.
Countless meteors, trailing long tails, plummeted like a silver rain. Xu Ying was mesmerized when she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder—Zong Heng leaned his head closer.
"Make a wish," he said.
Xu Ying closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. She could hear Zong Heng's steady breathing, and smell his scent. In her heart, she silently prayed: "I hope to be with Zong Heng forever."
"What was promised?" he asked.
"It won't work if you say it out loud."
Zong Heng chuckled, then suddenly grabbed her chin and turned her to face him. In the moonlight, his gaze was frighteningly intense: "Then I'll say it for you—"
His thumb traced her lips, his voice low and husky:
"Xu Ying, I'm going to marry you."
The world seemed to stand still for a moment. Xu Ying could hear her own heart pounding and feel Zong Heng's breath getting closer and closer. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, a dog barked suddenly from afar.
The two separated as if waking from a dream. Xu Ying's face was flushed crimson, while Zong Heng laughed heartily, pulling her up: "Let's go, I'll take you home."
A light rain began to fall on the way back. Zong Heng held his coat over their heads, and Xu Ying clung tightly to him. As they passed a 24-hour convenience store, he suddenly stopped: "Wait."
A few minutes later, he came out with two cans of hot milk, opened them, and handed them to her: "Warm your hands."
Xu Ying sipped her drink, the sweet, milky aroma spreading across her tongue. Zong Heng suddenly leaned over and took a sip from her hand, his lips brushing against her fingertips.
"So sweet." He looked at her meaningfully.
The rain was getting heavier, so Zong Heng simply wrapped his entire coat around Xu Ying's body. By the time they reached her apartment building, they were both soaked to the bone.
"See you tomorrow." Xu Ying turned to leave, but Zong Heng pulled her back.
He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead: "Goodnight, girlfriend."
The name made Xu Ying's heart skip a beat. Watching Zong Heng run into the rain, she suddenly called out as if remembering something, "Zong Heng!"
The boy turned around, and raindrops dripped down his jawline.
"My wish is—" she took a deep breath, "to get into the same university as you!"
Zong Heng paused for a second, then smiled brightly. He ran backwards, cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting:
"It's a deal!"
Xu Ying stared at the computer screen, the cursor hovering over the "Submit" button for a long time. Outside the window, cicadas chirped incessantly, and the summer night was sultry, but her fingertips felt slightly cool.
S University, Department of Architecture.
This was her lifelong dream. But now, this choice suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
She bit her lower lip, Zong Heng's words echoing in her mind—
"Same as you."
"You're not in a better school."
She slammed her laptop shut, grabbed her phone, and dialed Zong Heng's number.
"Beep—beep—"
After a long wait, the phone was answered. The background noise was loud, and the faint sound of a lighter being turned on and off could be heard.
"Hello?" Zong Heng's voice was a little hoarse, as if he had just smoked a cigarette.
“Zong Heng,” Xu Ying took a deep breath, “you can’t apply to S University.”
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
"Reason?" His tone turned cold.
"Your scores are high enough for University A, even Tsinghua or Peking University!" Her voice rose involuntarily. "While S University's computer science department is good, it's simply not good enough for your grades—"
"Xu Ying," Zong Heng interrupted her, his voice low, "What are you afraid of?"
Her breath hitched.
"Did my dad contact you?" His tone suddenly turned sharp.
"No!" she denied immediately, but then deflated the next second. "I just felt that you shouldn't give up a better opportunity because of me."
A sneer came from the other end of the phone.
“Xu Ying, every decision I’ve made in my life has been my own choice.” His voice carried an undeniable forcefulness. “Including you.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
"But--"
"No buts." He interrupted her, his tone suddenly softening. "Yingying, trust me this once, okay?"
The sound of "Yingying" made her ears burn, and all her words of rebuttal got stuck in her throat.
At one o'clock in the morning, Xu Ying was still sitting at her desk, the lamplight casting a yellow glow on her application form.
She repeatedly checked the code and technical terms, her mouse hovering over the "submit" button.
If Zong Heng really did go to the same school as her...
The thought filled her with both sweetness and trepidation.
My phone suddenly vibrated and the screen lit up.
Zong Heng: [Image]
She clicked on it, and it was a screenshot.
First choice: Computer Science and Technology, S University
Second choice: None
Third choice: None
Her pupils dilated slightly.
He only filled out one application.
Immediately afterwards, another message popped up—
Zong Heng: Lao Tzu always kept his word.
Her fingers trembled, and her eyes suddenly felt hot.
Xu Ying: Are you crazy? What if the gear slips?
Zong Heng: Then let's repeat the year. Anyway, I'll be wherever you are.
She stared at the message for a long time, then suddenly smiled.
Xu Ying: Idiot.
Zong Heng: I'm only stupid with you.
She took a deep breath and finally clicked "Submit".
A notification pops up on the screen—
[Application submitted successfully!]
Three days after submitting our applications, the class held a meeting with the theme "Our Future".
The homeroom teacher asked everyone to write down their visions for ten years from now, seal them in a time capsule, and open them at the class reunion.
Xu Ying bit the pen cap and caught a glimpse of Zong Heng's note with a line of words written in a flamboyant style. He then folded it into a small piece and stuffed it into a capsule.
"What did you write?" she asked softly.
Zong Heng raised an eyebrow: "Guess."
"Childish." She pouted and wrote carefully on her note:
"I hope to become an excellent designer and design spaces that bring happiness to people."
After a pause, she secretly added:
"Be with the person you like."
Zong Heng suddenly leaned over, and she hurriedly covered the note, but he snatched it away.
"Hey!" she cried out as she tried to grab it, but he grabbed her wrist with one hand.
He glanced at it quickly, a sly smile playing on his lips: "'Being with someone you like'?"
Xu Ying's ears turned bright red, and she reached out to snatch it back: "Give it back to me!"
Zong Heng held the note up high, and suddenly pulled something out of his pocket with his other hand and stuffed it into her palm.
She looked down and saw a silver keychain with a small metal house hanging on it, the roof of which was engraved with "XY&ZH".
"A graduation gift," he said in a low voice, "My future home is missing a mistress."
Her heart felt like it had been violently struck.
The class monitor's voice suddenly came from the podium: "Zong Heng! Stop bullying Xu Ying, come up and speak!"
The whole class burst into laughter.
Zong Heng lazily got up and walked to the podium. The homeroom teacher asked, "Zong Heng, what are your plans for the future?"
He put one hand in his pocket and looked directly at Xu Ying.
"Marry her."
The classroom erupted in chaos.
The homeroom teacher slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Be serious!"
Zong Heng shrugged, but his tone was unusually serious: "Start a company, do something I like, and pick my wife up from get off work every day."
Xu Ying buried her face in her hands, her ear tips turning bright red.
After the class meeting, Xu Ying was kept behind for a private talk by the homeroom teacher.
"Xu Ying, you and Zong Heng..." The homeroom teacher hesitated, "I'm not against early relationships, but you both have to be responsible for your own future."
She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the keychain.
“I know, teacher.”
“Zong Heng is a bright child, but his family situation is special.” The homeroom teacher sighed. “His father called yesterday and said he has already arranged for him to attend a university abroad…”
Xu Ying suddenly looked up.
The homeroom teacher handed her an envelope: "This is what his father left for you."
She tore it open with trembling hands; inside was a check and a line of cold, printed text:
Leave my son behind, and fill in the numbers you want.
Her hands and feet were ice cold when she left the office.
Zong Heng was waiting for her at the end of the corridor. Seeing that her expression was not right, he immediately strode over and asked, "What did the old man say to you?"
Xu Ying stuffed the envelope into her pocket and forced a smile: "It's nothing, just that I need to urge you to study."
He squinted, clearly disbelieving, but didn't press the matter further.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them. Zong Heng suddenly stopped and turned her shoulder.
"Xu Ying, no matter what happens, remember one thing—"
His eyes were fervent and resolute.
"You're the only one I'll ever acknowledge in this lifetime."
In the distance, the countdown clock for the college entrance examination swayed in the wind—
[15 days]
When Xu Ying returned home clutching the check, it had already started raining outside. The raindrops pounded on the glass, like some kind of ominous premonition.
She sat at her desk, staring at the glaring number on the check, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edges of her keychain. The metal frame was somewhat sharp, leaving a faint red mark on her fingertip.
My phone suddenly vibrated; it was a message from Zong Heng:
"Don't wait for me during morning self-study tomorrow. The old man sent someone to the school to find me."
Her heart sank.
"What is he going to do?"
"Who knows, it's never going to be good."
As the rain intensified, Xu Ying stared at the chat box, her fingers hovering over the keyboard for a long time before finally replying with just a "Hmm".
She opened the drawer, stuffed the check into the bottom drawer, and placed it together with the unopened copy of the S University admission letter—which her homeroom teacher had secretly given her last week, stamped with a red seal that read "proposed admission."
The next morning, Xu Ying found Zong Heng on the rooftop of the teaching building.
He was leaning against the railing, smoking, his school uniform jacket half-soaked by the rain, his bangs falling down to cover his eyes. Hearing footsteps, he said without turning around, "Didn't I tell you not to come?"
"Is your dad going to send you abroad?" she asked directly.
Zong Heng paused for a moment, and ash fell from his cigarette.
Who told you that?
"That's not important." Xu Ying walked up to him, raindrops dripping from her ponytail onto the concrete. "What's important is that you should go."
Zong Heng finally turned to look at her, his eyes filled with malice: "How much money did you take?"
These words pierced her heart like a knife. Xu Ying's face turned deathly pale, but she stubbornly raised her head: "Yes, I'll take it. So you'd better behave and not let me take this money for nothing."
She hadn't expected to be able to lie so fluently.
Zong Heng stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. He stubbed out his cigarette and grabbed her wrist: "Xu Ying, do you know that your left eyebrow twitches when you lie?"
Her facade crumbled instantly.
The rain is getting heavier again.
Zong Heng pulled her into the stairwell, their soaked school uniforms clinging to each other. His voice was hoarse: "Did the old man threaten you?"
Xu Ying shook her head, tears mingling with the rain as they streamed down her face: "No...it was my own thinking. A University's Computer Science department is so much better than S University's, you shouldn't—"
"Bullshit!" Zong Heng suddenly roared in fury, slamming his fist against the wall near her ear. "I didn't come here to hear this shit!"
His breathing was heavy, and his eyes were red-rimmed: "Xu Ying, listen to me carefully. Either we go together, or neither of us goes. There is no third option."
She sobbed, trembling, "But your father..."
"I'll handle it." He cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "Just trust me, okay?"
The sound of the school bell could be heard in the distance, but it was muffled and indistinct amidst the sound of rain.
Looking into the boy's stubborn eyes, Xu Ying suddenly remembered what he had said under the meteor shower that day.
"Xu Ying, I'm going to marry you."
She nodded slowly.
Zong Heng breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into his arms, the rain soaking through the front of her school uniform. He whispered menacingly in her ear, "If you dare say 'break up' again, I'll..."
"So what?"
"I'll lock you in the house and won't let you go anywhere."
Xu Ying stopped crying and started laughing.
The days that followed felt like they were on fast-forward.
Zong Heng began skipping classes frequently, sometimes disappearing for an entire day. Xu Ying could only find notes he left in her desk drawer:
"Breakfast is in a thermos."
"I got a question wrong on page 32 of my math notes."
"miss you."
During the last evening study session before the college entrance exam, he finally appeared, his eyes covered in dark circles. Xu Ying quietly took his hand under the table and discovered that his palm was covered in tiny cuts.
"How did you do that?" she asked in a low voice.
"Fighting," he answered casually, but gave in to her worried gaze, "Fixing the car."
It turns out that he had been working at a car repair shop these past few days, saving up money to buy two train tickets to the south.
"After the college entrance exams are over," he whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her earlobe, "we'll elope."
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat.
On the podium, the homeroom teacher was emphasizing exam discipline. Outside the window, cicadas chirped incessantly, and the bright red countdown clock above the blackboard was glaringly obvious.
[7 days]
Three days before the college entrance examination, an unexpected event occurred.
Xu Ying was stopped by a black sedan at the school gate. The window rolled down, revealing her father's cold profile: "Get in, let's talk."
The air conditioning in the carriage was blasting. Zong's father handed her a document, an acceptance letter from Stanford University, signed by Zong Heng.
"He thinks he can defy me by changing his college application?" the man sneered. "Miss Xu, you should understand what it means to do what's best for him."
Xu Ying gripped her backpack strap tightly: "He won't go."
"He has no choice." The grandfather took out his checkbook. "Name your price."
The rain started again, pattering against the car roof with a dull thud. Xu Ying looked at the blurry scenery outside the window and suddenly laughed: "Your son is right, our family members are indeed all sick."
She pushed open the car door, and the torrential rain instantly soaked her to the bone: "But our illness is called 'Unyielding to the Death'."
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