Chapter 36 Fang Minzhou didn't know why...
Fang Minzhou didn't know why, but sometimes she felt that Ouyang Qian looked at her and Wang Kan like an adult watching children play house.
Fang Minzhou herself felt a little embarrassed, perhaps because, compared to others, her interactions with Wang Kan were indeed childish and petty.
She hadn't heard Ouyang Qian mention her aunt for a while; the last time she did was when she said she had gone to another city to do business.
The three of them going back together would not attract attention, but Fang Min and Zhou Tong went back first, and Wang Kan went back two minutes later.
Once everyone else's dishes were served, Wang Kan stopped cooking and instead helped Zheng Yanhang and Wu Cheng with the barbecue.
Zheng Yanhang was sweating profusely. He glanced at him and said that his reputation was very bad right now, and they should stay away from him to avoid being implicated. "Otherwise, we'll just roast you right now to appease public anger."
Wang Kan smiled.
"So you and..." Zheng Yanhang glanced at Fang Minzhou.
Wang Kan remained expressionless: "What?"
"Wow, still pretending?" Zheng Yanhang looked disgusted. "We all saw it. After you disappeared, Fang Minzhou disappeared too, and then you came back right after she came back."
Wu Cheng kindly added, "'We' refers to the two of us. We couldn't find you just now, but we don't know if the others have found you."
Wang Kan flipped the skewers over without saying a word.
Zheng Yanhang patted Wang Kan on the shoulder, "Do more work to make up for your mistakes."
He also wanted to comfort Wang Kan.
When other people pursue girls, they always offer help in times of need, act as heroes to save the damsel in distress, or make a grand entrance on a cloud of good fortune. But Wang Kan is so unlucky; he never seems to succeed in getting things done.
"What's the situation between you and Sister Fang now? Are you together?" Zheng Yanhang asked curiously.
"No," Wang Kan said. "We're still pursuing it."
"...I don't believe it." Zheng Yanhang said in a strange tone, "Then why did she bandage you up and go to find you?"
"If you cut your hand, she'll come and bandage it for you."
Zheng Yanhang: "..."
“I’m serious,” Wang Kan could swear.
Zheng Yanhang felt that Wang Kan was not a good friend at all.
While the girls were criticizing Wang Kan, some noticed something amiss and secretly came to ask him: "Does Wang Kan have feelings for Fang Minzhou?" He denied it for them, but Wang Kan didn't tell them anything; he wasn't a blabbermouth.
However, it's not impossible that Fang Minzhou really didn't agree.
To be honest, Zheng Yanhang thought Wang Kan was just good-looking. If someone like him could win over Fang Minzhou, then he…
"Are you done yet?"
"Huh? Okay, okay." Zheng Yanhang came to his senses and placed the grilled skewers on the iron plate in Ouyang Qian's hand.
Ouyang Qian returned to the table with a full plate of grilled skewers and handed two of them to Fang Minzhou. Fang Minzhou took them without understanding why, and only after eating them did she realize that they were grilled by Wang Kan.
...Ouyang Qian teased her again.
Later, she discovered that the sweet and sour pork ribs she made were facing Wang Kan. He picked up a piece, and his expression as he ate it was somewhat ferocious and puzzled.
Before he could look over, Fang Minzhou quickly lowered her head and started eating, almost bursting out laughing.
She was practically waited on hand and foot at home and rarely cooked. She only learned this dish from her mother on the spot, after her mother had suggested she make something simpler. Sure enough, the ribs burned like firewood, otherwise no one would have wanted them, except for him who ate several pieces even though he couldn't chew them.
In the afternoon, there was a high-altitude zipline project, which was ten times higher than the suspension bridge in the morning. However, the zipline speed was not fast, so overall it was a thrilling but safe experience.
Each time, two people would skate across together. Zheng Yanhang and Wang Kan would skate across together, and then Zheng Yanhang would see Wang Kan nervously staring at the other side. After Fang Minzhou skated over, he would walk away indifferently. As for Fang Minzhou, he seemed to be casually looking for Wang Kan in the crowd as well.
Were the two of them just playing the "we're not familiar with each other in public" act? Zheng Yanhang felt like he was starting to understand things. He wanted to talk to Wu Cheng, only to find out that the kid had already seen through him all along, but hadn't told him. So he was the only fool. Wang Kan really hadn't lied to him?
"Are you happy or sad?" Wu Cheng asked.
"Huh?" Zheng Yanhang was taken aback. Was he happy? Well, he was a little gloating, because he also wanted to be in a relationship! He was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment towards Wang Kan.
"Then you should go and talk to them too."
"Who should I talk to?" Zheng Yanhang sighed. Nobody liked him, and he... didn't like anyone either.
Speaking of this, Zheng Yanhang couldn't help but admire Wang Kan again, because in his impression, Fang Minzhou should have disliked Wang Kan quite a bit at first, including the two of them, Wang Kan's friends. Didn't the two of them even have a fight?
At that time, although he could tell that Wang Kan had ulterior motives, he didn't take it seriously. If it were him, and the girl he was interested in disliked him, and the hope was slim, he would probably just give up. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea.
So... Wang Kan really likes Fang Minzhou? I wonder what Fang Minzhou thinks, but is it a good thing that Wang Kan likes her? Zheng Yanhang doesn't think so.
I can't quite explain why, maybe it's because I feel that if two people are arguing all the time before they've even started dating, it's suspicious, or maybe this is what dating is all about?
However, on the bus back, seeing Wang Kan sitting next to him not playing games but instead sending messages with a silly grin, Zheng Yanhang sighed inwardly but still sincerely wished him well.
Back at school, it was time for final exam review.
This year there has been an unusually heavy rainfall, and Fang Minzhou barely rode her bicycle throughout June. After evening self-study, she extended her study time a little, and Wang Kan accompanied her until only a handful of people remained in the classroom before they left one after the other. Each holding an umbrella, they maintained a natural and appropriate social distance as they walked towards the bus stop.
Along the way, Fang Minzhou would randomly ask Wang Kan some questions, but sometimes the rain was too heavy, and they would remain silent amidst the noisy rain, slowly walking the not-too-long but not-too-short distance.
In the final exams, Sun Tong was still in Class 1, Lin Sinian was in Class 2, Fang Minzhou was in Class 3, and Duan Shiqi was in Class 3.
But seeing the rankings reminded Fang Minzhou of the sour things Wang Kan had said, which were really harmful, making her feel a little embarrassed whenever she saw Lin Sinian.
When the results came out, Wang Kan kept nagging in her ear that if he hadn't lost any points in physics, he would have scored higher than Lin Sinian in that subject. He also said that if she had scored a few more points in a certain subject, she would have been number one in the class. Fang Minzhou wanted to cover his mouth when she heard this.
However, Wang Kan has indeed made great progress this time. Not only did he break through the 80th mark in the section, but he also scored 69th in the section. Although there is still a gap between him and Jiangda University, this score should be enough for other universities in Jiangcheng.
Throughout her junior year of high school, Wang Kan was one of the students who made the most significant progress in her class. If she maintains this momentum, she might be able to do even better in her senior year.
Rumors still circulated in the class that he considered Fang Minzhou a rival.
In fact, Wang Kan felt that anyone who would say such things was actually treating him as a competitor, but he was still very unserious on the surface. He said he didn't have any ambitions; he wanted to be the top-ranked man in the division. Fang Minzhou was very tactful, but what she meant was that Wang Kan's ranking was still far behind hers and they were not comparable.
When her words reached Wang Kan's ears, even though he knew she was deliberately trying to distance herself, his confidence that he would definitely be in the top fifty in the next exam instantly collapsed by half.
It's still hard not to take it seriously.
He wasn't very satisfied with this result to begin with.
He later reflected carefully and realized that his jealousy was, to put it bluntly, a form of inferiority complex, because academic performance occupied a very important place in Fang Minzhou's values, and he had never passed.
She said that from the very beginning.
After thinking it over carefully, Wang Kan changed her approach and pestered Fang Minzhou, asking if she thought he was stupid or if she was disappointed in him. She just wanted to hear a word of affirmation from her. However, she didn't pay attention and habitually dragged others down with her, like Jin Baihao who did poorly on the test this time. As a result, Fang Minzhou frowned and asked, "Why do you always have to compare yourself to others?"
Wang Kan felt that it wasn't that he was overthinking things, but that Fang Minzhou was genuinely protecting Jin Baihao, "...Exams are all about comparing yourself to others."
He was right, but Fang Minzhou felt uncomfortable listening to him. "Put yourself in his shoes. If you did poorly on a test and someone said that to you, would you be happy? Besides, everyone does poorly on tests sometimes. I've done poorly on tests before too."
You've also failed exams before. Fang Minzhou didn't say this aloud.
Wang Kan paused for a moment, then said, "...So do you think I can get into Jiangda University just like you?"
This isn't something that can be decided by personal will, especially since the college entrance exam is full of unknowns. "If I say you can't, will you just stop studying?"
Wang Kan looked at her with a hint of hurt.
Fang Minzhou also realized that her attitude had been too cold, so she softened her tone, "...That's not what I meant."
She just felt that... caring too much about others would only drain one's energy. She had experienced this herself, and wasn't Wang Kan a very confident person?
"I know," Wang Kan said softly. "Don't be angry."
"...I'm not angry."
Fang Minzhou felt that they hadn't explained things clearly, but she didn't know how else to talk to Wang Kan. If she continued, it seemed like they would start arguing again, so she decided to leave it at that for the time being.
As for Wang Kan, he didn't want to think about it anymore. Every time Jin Baihao was mentioned, they would argue, so he would stop mentioning him. Besides, he really had no right to mention him. Although Jin Baihao did poorly on the exam, his ranking was still a few places higher than his.
Then came a bolt from the blue: his parents would be staying in Nancheng for the next two or three months, worried about Wang Kan being home alone.
Wang Kan refused, saying, "What's there to worry about? I used to be home alone during summer vacations all the time."
“There’s no such thing as a summer vacation; it’s only two or three days at most,” Chen Hongshan said.
Wang Kan didn't want to argue with his mother. He discovered that adults had very poor memories. They either didn't remember some things or remembered them wrong. Even though he had been home alone since elementary school, cooking for himself, or eating fast food when he was too lazy to cook, he eventually got sick of eating hamburgers.
“When you were little, you always insisted on coming with us.”
“You want tutoring? Aren’t there any teachers in Nancheng? Anyway, it’s all the same set of test papers.” Chen Hongshan’s attitude was very firm. She didn’t tell Wang Kan that she had met with friends a couple of days ago and learned that a friend’s child had recently drowned while swimming. The boy was two years younger than Wang Kan and had just finished his middle school entrance exam.
She and her husband were busy working hard when they were young, and now that they are middle-aged, they feel a little scared and regretful. In particular, seeing Wang Kan's hard work and progress in the past year since entering the second year of high school makes her feel even more emotional.
Wang Kan still didn't want to go. Wang Kuntao got annoyed and felt that Wang Kan's behavior was strange. He insisted on staying in Zhangcheng, which must be because he wanted to go out and have fun with his friends. So he simply cut off his allowance and said, "Let's see where he goes to have fun!"
The father and son had a fight, and then the grandmother called. The grandmother didn't know that her son-in-law and grandson had argued; she just asked Wang Kan if he wanted to come to Nancheng for summer vacation. Wang Kan had no choice but to compromise.
Frustrated, he sent a message to Fang Minzhou.
"I'm going to Nancheng this summer vacation / I'm sad"
Delete it.
What are your plans for summer vacation? /Picking nose
Delete it.
She wanted to say she was sad because she was going to Nancheng and couldn't meet him, but she also wanted to test Fang Minzhou's reaction first. In the end, she sent: I'm going to Nancheng with my parents the day after tomorrow and won't be back until close to the start of the semester.
Fang Minzhou was online on her phone. Wang Kan only received her reply, an "ok" emoji, after he had finished two games.
That's it?
Then: See you when school starts.
Wang Kan gritted her teeth and typed: Are you free tomorrow? I'd like to invite you to a movie.
Fang Minzhou: I've been at my maternal grandparents' house for the past few days.
Wang Kan: ...
Well, what else could he say?
The sky was blue-pink that evening. My parents told me that June and July used to be the busiest time for farm work. They had to pull peanuts, plant rice seedlings, and take care of the chickens and sheep they raised. No matter how tired they were, they still had to cook for themselves. But now it's different. They just grow their own vegetables to eat.
After Fang Minzhou helped her grandfather fetch water from the well and splash it in the yard to cool off from the summer heat, she picked up her phone and saw the new message Wang Kan had sent her.
Wang Kan: I feel like I'll miss you a lot.
Wang Kan: Will you miss me?
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Author's Note: Well, after all my efforts over the weekend, I still have 0 usable drafts left. [Good luck!]
For now, I'm still aiming for a daily update by 9:30 PM, mainly to motivate myself to increase my writing speed. [glasses]
If we are unable to update on time, we will issue an announcement in advance. We should be able to guarantee an update before midnight (in a weak voice).
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