Chapter 39
Just after they finished gathering, Jian Sheng was dragged by Qi Jing to the convenience store to buy water.
The two walked under the shade of a tree. There were many pedestrians coming and going. On the steps not far away, there were two boys in black clothes who were not wearing school uniforms. They seemed to be their companions at a small table on one side, which was full of the table.
Taking advantage of the noisy crowd and the swirling smoke and mist.
Just as Jian Sheng and his companion walked over, someone on the table whistled.
She looked up and the first thing she saw was the boy with a black earring, dressed all in black. He stood straight, his eyes were icy, and his arrogant demeanor always gave people the feeling of being superior to everyone else.
Then, the person whistling at the table spoke up: "That idiot Chen Zhoujing didn't come?"
As soon as the sound faded, someone scoffed.
Jian Sheng glanced at the person whistling, then pulled Qi Jing and prepared to walk into the convenience store.
Yu Chao raised his foot and blocked her way: "I'm asking you a question."
He had a cigarette in one hand and his school uniform jacket in the other.
Jian sighed, gritted her teeth, and tried to walk away, but he persisted: "I haven't settled the score with you for what happened last time."
"Not going to speak?" he said coldly. "Have you become mute?"
Knowing that he seemed to have provoked her because of Jian Qingyao, Jian Sheng frowned and nodded: "What does it matter?"
"What grudge do you hold against me?" she asked calmly. "Tell me what grudge you have, and if I think it's reasonable, we can settle things later."
Qi Jing tugged at her sleeve, and Jian Sheng waited for Yu Chao to speak, not intending to let the matter rest.
Yu Chao hadn't expected Jian Sheng to be so stubborn. He glanced around and said impatiently, "Who are you acting all high and mighty with?"
"You're just looking for trouble, and now you're trying to pin a crime on me. Isn't that ridiculous?" Jian Sheng retorted without holding back.
The students who were approaching automatically moved away, clearing out a small area.
Shen Xuzheng clicked his tongue, glanced at Qi Jing who was bowing her head and not speaking, and then at Jian Sheng who had a cold face. He raised his fist and punched Yu Chao on the shoulder: "That's enough for you."
"Shut up." Yu Chao tightened his grip on the school uniform and said to Jian Qingyao, "I don't know how Jian Qingyao puts up with you."
They brought up Jian Qingyao again, and Jian Sheng's anger flared up instantly: "What's it to you?"
Shen Xuzheng touched the lighter in his hand and sighed inwardly. Yu Chao had a fiery temper that was about to flare up. He reached out and grabbed Yu Chao's wrist: "I have Xia Yuan's class next period. I'm leaving now."
Yu Chao shook off his hand and turned around: "You're quite at ease occupying someone else's house?"
Several figures quickly approached from under the shade of the trees opposite. Before Jian Sheng could speak, someone stepped up from the side and blocked her way: "Are you trying to die?"
His tone was flat yet indifferent, momentarily silencing the few people who were egging him on from the side.
He turned to Qi Jing and said, "Are you taking her back?"
Qi Jing tugged at her: "Let's go, Jian Sheng, class is about to start."
Jian Sheng didn't move, staring into Yu Chao's eyes: "Say it again?"
"I've discovered that people just love to be shameless, they love to hear others expose their dirty secrets to their faces," Yu Chao chuckled.
He glanced at Chen Zhoujing's bulging veins and decided to call it a day: "Let's go."
Shen Xuzheng felt dizzy and stepped forward to pat Chen Zhoujing on the shoulder: "I'm sorry, he didn't mean it."
He then apologized to Jian Sheng, saying, "I apologize to you on his behalf. He was being immature. Go back to class."
"Can the trouble I caused others be ignored simply because I was ignorant?"
"Can you dismiss provocation as a joke just because someone says they're ignorant?"
Why should I accept your immaturity? Was it my fault?
“Your pain wasn’t caused by me. I just feel sorry for Jian Qingyao, having to deal with your shameless family.”
Yu Chao waved his hand, but he had already walked quite a distance.
There was a loud commotion behind them, and Chen Zhoujing had already taken a step forward when Shen Xuzheng grabbed him.
Jian Sheng chuckled, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice. She turned to look at Yu Chao, who was walking at the front with a relaxed gait, then slowly looked away and stepped forward to pull back the irritable Chen Zhoujing.
"Chen Zhoujing." She gently squeezed his clenched fist.
Soon, Chen Zhou froze, turned to look at her, his pupils still burning.
"He's just trying to provoke you. Let's not fall for his tricks, okay?" Jian Sheng comforted him, while also comforting herself.
Chen Zhou nodded in surprise, and his fist loosened.
Seeing that he had finally regained his composure, Shen Xuzheng said, "You're so damn strong."
"You know he's just foul-mouthed? Okay, that's enough talking, let's not fight anymore. If you hit him again, you'll end up like him, on probation!"
Chen Zhou's eyes darkened, and he abruptly shook off his hand: "Tell him to wait."
Shen Xuzheng gritted his teeth. Yu Chao was going to get a beating anyway. He waved to the onlookers and said, "Let's go."
After the group left, many onlookers dispersed, and Jian Sheng felt a surge of anger subside, but he still felt incredibly stifled.
Yu Chao is right. His family has indeed caused Uncle Jian a lot of trouble, as well as Ye Hua a lot of trouble.
His words extinguished the anger that had been rising within Jian Sheng, an anger she would never have been able to muster before.
Unexpectedly, when she arrived in Jiangzhou, she felt she had to post it, even if it seemed pretentious.
She stood there, head bowed, for a long time.
"Are you alright?" Chen Zhou asked in surprise.
"It's okay, I'm all calm now." Jian Sheng let out a breath and smiled at him. "Let's go back to class first?"
She took two steps back and grabbed Qi Jing's hand: "Were you scared?"
Qi Jing kept her head down, her emotions unclear. Jian Sheng noticed something was wrong and patted her on the back.
"It's alright, it's alright. Luckily, a fight didn't break out. I'm sorry about just now. I should have listened to you and gone back." She nodded. "Let's go, let's go to class first."
She walked a few steps alone, her voice trembling with confusion. She looked up at Chen Zhoujing, who was staring at her with a complicated expression. Just as she was about to speak, Chen Zhoujing asked first, "Are you really alright?"
Being too nonchalant will only pierce his heart like a thorn.
He didn't know much about Jian Sheng's family, but some subtle clues suggested that she seemed to be having a hard time.
Jian Sheng gave him a reassuring look: "I'm really fine."
"I just vented my anger, and I feel really relieved. Can I leave now?"
"But I feel really frustrated..." Chen Zhou frowned, then asked worriedly, "Is Jian Qingyao your cousin?"
Jian Sheng hummed in agreement. She saw that Qi Jing had already walked quite a distance: "Let's go first, the bell will ring soon. We can talk as we walk, okay?"
Chen Zhou lowered his eyes in surprise: "Mm."
He looked at Jian Sheng's back, a nameless frustration swirling in his chest.
He wanted to know this person excessively, even down to every little detail, even though he knew there might be no response.
Chen Zhoujing lifted his foot and followed her: "Don't go up yet, let her catch her breath."
Jian Sheng turned her head and asked, "Did Yu Chao bully her too?"
Chen Zhoujing remained noncommittal: "It wasn't him, but it's hard to say."
"Oh." Jian Sheng didn't ask any more questions.
"Does he bully everyone?" Jian Sheng didn't understand, and didn't know why Jian Qingyao would associate with him.
However, He Shang, who followed behind, gave her the answer.
“He treats Jian Qingyao like a buddy.” He Shang took two bottles of water from the bag and handed them to Chen Zhoujing. “In the Yanjiang area, almost everyone who knows Yu Chao knows Jian Qingyao, but not many people really know him. Jian Qingyao seems to be quite mysterious. Yu Chao used to attend Experimental Middle School, and Jian Qingyao happened to be a year ahead of him. Because Yu Chao was a troublemaker who didn’t study and loved to fight and just coasted through life, it’s said that Jian Qingyao helped him with something, so Yu Chao started hanging out with him all the time and treated him like a brother.”
Jian Sheng was surprised: "There's this connection."
She took the water Chen Zhoujing handed her. He Shang had already gone up to hand water to Qi Jing. Jian Sheng looked away and heard someone speak from the side.
“Hmm.” Chen Zhoujing continued, “He has a sharp tongue and is unforgiving when he’s right, but he’s also a very loyal person. If Jian Qingyao helps him with anything, he will definitely support him for life.”
Yu Chao's current situation is largely due to his connection with Jian Qingyao.
In the Yanjiang area, there are several notorious troublesome middle schools. Back in 2013 and 2014, several junior high schools held group assemblies one after another. Every time school ended, groups of students would speed past the gates of the various middle schools.
This trend continued for two or three years until it began to be routinely rectified in 1415.
Suddenly, Chen Zhou was startled to recall the despicable and evil deeds of those people.
Abusive people will never admit to the verbal aggression they used when provoking others. If they have done a lot of bad things and used harsh methods, once they repent and start anew, they will be surrounded by very nice praise, and they may even forget their past misdeeds.
Chen Zhou frowned and said, "I don't know what kind of person Jian Qingyao is, but I know Yu Chao. He doesn't cause trouble, but he's not afraid of trouble either. Apart from me, everyone else is eager to cause him trouble. The fact that he's coming to find you now might be because of me..."
"You..." He was annoyed...
“It’s not you.” Jian Sheng was clear-headed.
She knew how much Jian Qingyao hated Jian Zihua. He hated her because he thought she was Jian Zihua's daughter, and that she was just like Jian Zihua.
Chen Zhoujing didn't speak, but quietly squeezed the water in her hand: "It really wasn't you, our family situation is quite complicated..."
He didn't think there was no connection, but he didn't continue the topic. Chen Zhou suddenly thought of Jian Qingyao: "Did he start bullying you as soon as he came back?"
Jian Sheng suddenly recalled: "He hasn't been back for a long time, but he came back for many days last month."
I almost forgot about him. I haven't seen Jian Qingyao much since I got my hair cut last time.
Chen Zhou scratched his eyebrows. He Shang seemed to have said that he was arrested for fighting and dating, but he didn't say it out loud.
He asked, "He didn't hit you, did he?"
When she asked that question, her tone was soft and gentle, with a subtle hint of caution.
Jian Sheng raised his hand and waved it: "He wouldn't dare."
Ye Hua didn't allow him to stay at home for long during the school year, nor did she allow him to spend too much time in the same space with her. Moreover, they barely spoke a few words to each other. Jian Qingyao would get angry and go out to play.
Chen Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were filled with worry.
He never imagined that one day he would worry about this and that because of one person.
He never imagined that he would lose control of his impulse because of someone.
That fight with Zhao Chengyang was the last time he had done something so outrageous in a long time.
Seeing that he suddenly fell silent, Jian thought of what he had said and looked up: "You won't hit him, will you?"
He looked over and explained briefly, "It's not because I care about him, it's because of you."
Fighting is bad for you...
"If things aren't resolved and left unresolved for too long, they'll eventually pile up and cause big trouble."
She couldn't argue with him, but she didn't bring it up again.
In mid-December, on a Friday after school, snow began to fall outside.
Jian Sheng, carrying her bag, followed Lin You and the others out of the school gate. After they parted ways, it was already dark on her way back, and she walked alone on the dimly lit road.
She hadn't walked far when she felt a figure behind her, so she quickened her pace, and the feeling grew stronger and stronger.
"Why are you running so fast?" Jian Sheng breathed a sigh of relief only when the familiar voice rang out.
"It's you?" A black umbrella covered her head as she looked up at Chen Zhou's smiling face.
"Hmm...it's me." He looked at her pale face, and casually reached out to touch the hair on her forehead. Jian Sheng was about to step back when Chen Zhoujing said in a deep voice, "There's snow."
Jian Sheng didn't move, letting his hand wander through her hair. Only after he finished did her tense body relax slightly.
"Didn't you ask for leave because of something?" The two walked side by side under the umbrella.
Chen Zhoujing squeezed his red and cold palms: "I... forgot something, I'll go back and get it."
"Then, it wasn't found; it must have been lost."
Jian Sheng exclaimed, "What is that? Is it alright?"
"It's nothing," he said in a low voice.
Jian Sheng didn't say anything more; Chen Zhoujing was acting strangely tonight.
He took two days off, and before taking the leave he specifically told her that he was going back to see his grandmother. I didn't expect him to come back so soon.
"Are you in a bad mood?" She turned her head and looked at his lowered eyelids. When she looked away, she brushed against his red hand.
He was wearing a long black down jacket, but his palms were red from the cold.
Jian Sheng thought of something, took out a few unopened hand warmers from his pocket, and handed them to him: "Here, take these."
Chen Zhou was slightly taken aback.
"Grandma gave them to me, and there are still many in the room." After saying that, she stuffed them directly into his pocket, said nothing, and continued walking forward.
Chen Zhou's throat was still hoarse from the shock, but when his gaze fell on her hair again, it softened inexplicably.
After dropping her off downstairs, he leisurely left the residential complex.
His gaze met that of a few people on the tree-lined path to the side; his eyes were cold as he slowly walked over.
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