Chapter 36
In June, the sun is scorching and the cicadas are chirping.
The college entrance examination every year is always the most eye-catching. The moment the bell for the last English test rings, the crowd outside the campus, which was originally in a dull atmosphere, suddenly becomes noisy.
The streets were filled with laughter and the campus was filled with screams. Their twelve years of hard study came to an end at this moment. Waiting for them was a future full of unknowns and hope. At this moment, they did not care about the results in a few days because they were now free without any constraints.
Although there was an examination center at No. 3 Middle School, the candidates were distributed very mixedly. Jiang Xu took the college entrance examination in another high school in L City, which was far away from No. 3 Middle School. When she walked out of the examination room, the phone rang. She didn't have time to hesitate and immediately booked the next flight to S City.
Jiang Yuanshan was taken to the emergency room again. Yu Jin fainted due to the shock. Everything seemed to have returned to that bitterly cold winter.
Three hours later, the plane landed. Wu Jing had already arranged for someone to wait for her outside, and Jiang Xu rushed to the hospital without delay.
However, when Wu Jing saw her, the tension he had just shown on the phone was gone, and a reassuring smile appeared on his face. "Miss, Mr. Jiang's operation was very successful, but we don't know if he will wake up yet. His wife is too tired and hasn't woken up yet. You must be exhausted after rushing here after the exam. You should rest first. I'll have someone bring you some delicious food later to replenish your energy."
Jiang Xu finally felt relieved and said slowly, "Thank you, Uncle Wu. I'll just go eat something by myself later. No need to bother. You can go home and be safe."
Wu Jing didn't say much, just nodded and left.
Jiang Yuanshan did not wake up this year, and Yu Jin's physical condition was not much better. In order not to let her and Jiang You worry, she forced a smile in front of them, but stayed by Jiang Yuanshan in the middle of the night, crying all night long.
Sometimes Jiang Xu didn't even know whether to be glad or sad. She was glad that her father never gave up, but sad about his torment. Yu Jin's sleepless nights touched the hearts of all of them.
Jiang Xu stood in front of the window at the end of the corridor. She didn't know when the burnt cigarette was caught between her fingertips, burning her finger and leaving a red mark.
She put out the cigarette in the trash can beside her, withdrew her hand, pinched the red mark caused by the burn with her other finger, and felt that it didn't hurt at all. She took out another cigarette from her pocket, put it in her mouth, and lit it.
She doesn't have a serious addiction, she just smokes occasionally when she's upset, but she doesn't smoke too hard and it never gets into her lungs. Most of the time she lights it up and lets it burn out on its own. Even if she doesn't smoke normally, she still carries it with her.
The first time she bought cigarettes was late at night. At that time, she had just started to deal with various affairs in the company. Financial books were obscure and difficult to understand. At first, she could not concentrate on reading. Her heart was blocked by something and she had no place to vent.
When she walked to the convenience store downstairs, she saw a counter full of cigarettes when she was checking out. She took a look and paused when she saw the thin Huanghelou cigarettes in the bottom row. She remembered that this was one of the few times He Jin smoked in front of her.
When she took the first puff of cigarette, it was very pungent but surprisingly not repulsive. The taste was familiar to her. At that moment, all her anxiety turned into peace of mind, giving her the confidence to move forward.
The light smoke was blown away by the wind outside the window. She stared at the window in a daze. The sky in the summer evening was beautiful. The sky and clouds were dark. They were not there to set off the scorching sun, but to be warm together with it.
It seemed as if the voice came from another dimension: "Jiang Xu."
The man's voice came to her ears like smoke blown away by the wind. It was clearly a gentle cry, but it hit her heart heavily, overlapping with the voice that had replayed countless times in her mind.
She was stunned for a moment, subconsciously took the cigarette out of her mouth, turned around suddenly, and met a pair of deep eyes.
The warm light of dusk enveloped the space behind the window. He Jin walked towards her in the light with big steps. In an instant, a familiar smell surrounded her.
Jiang Xu stood frozen in place, still in shock. She didn't move when someone embraced her. She only felt the person in front of her holding her very tightly, with such force that it seemed as if he was going to melt her into his bones and blood.
"He Jin, why... are you here?" After a long time, Jiang Xu finally found his voice, but his voice was still a little hoarse.
Hearing this, He Jin tightened his arm around the girl's waist, "If you don't come to me, I'll come to you."
"I didn't, I..." Jiang Xu wanted to refute, but didn't know how to start.
"Yeah, I know." He Jin interrupted her and pinched the girl's slender waist, his emotion undetectable: "You've lost weight."
As he spoke, his warm breath sprayed on her neck, which made her feel a little itchy. It had been so long since they had such an intimate gesture. Jiang Xu kept shrinking her shoulders, and the tips of her ears had turned red without her knowing when.
Her ears were always the first to reveal her emotions.
He Jin stopped teasing her, exhaled, and rested his chin on her shoulder, as if he had relaxed completely. His voice was lazy: "Let me hold you for a while."
It has been so long since I hugged her so closely. I miss her so much.
So, Jiang Xu stopped moving and stayed obediently in the man's arms. Her hands finally seemed to react and grabbed the clothes behind him.
They hugged for a long, long time, as if they wanted to make up for the hugs they had in their spare time. It was not until Jiang Xu's legs felt sore from standing that He Jin let her go. Instead, he took her hand and looked down at her, "Let's go eat?"
"Okay." Jiang Xu thought about it and realized that Yu Jin had her aunt taking care of her here, and Jiang You would be picked up later, so she agreed.
The two went to eat hotpot and ordered a shuangyuan hotpot. When the waiter brought it, the red soup was in front of He Jin. He looked at it for a few seconds, then raised his hand and turned the pot in front of him, transferring the red soup to Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu naturally noticed He Jin's actions. She pursed her lips and said nothing, but there was some inquiry in her eyes.
The atmosphere was a little silent, not because Jiang Xu didn't want to talk, but because the plate in front of her was never empty. Although she had learned to eat spicy food, she was still speechless because of the spiciness, and her stomach was half filled with ice drink.
Most of the dishes for two people went into her stomach. She didn't think she could eat so much before, but the food He Jin put on her plate tasted just right and was not overcooked, so she finished it all.
When He Jin came back after paying the bill, he found the girl still leaning back in her seat. Perhaps paralyzed would be a more accurate description, with her hands on her stomach. He chuckled, walked over and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms and putting his hands on her stomach. It was bulging, and she was really bloated.
“Brother Jin… why are you feeding so much…?” Jiang Xu complained in a low voice.
"Not much." He Jin chuckled, rubbed his stomach, and slowly lifted him up: "Haven't you finished eating? Let's go for a walk?"
"Go!" Jiang Xu agreed without a doubt, because she was really full. What's the point of feeding her so much? It's impossible to grow all the weight back in one meal.
The river is just ahead of the hotpot restaurant. When night falls, the riverside becomes very lively.
There are two roads along the river. One is connected to the square above, where people dance in the square and there are vendors selling small items. It is very lively. The other is a single road with one side against the wall and the other side facing the river. It is relatively quiet and suitable for night running and relaxation.
The two of them held hands in a very ordinary manner and walked slowly along a relatively quiet path below.
The street lights were not very bright, and people were coming and going, some were jogging at night, some were taking a walk, but everyone only paid attention to the people around them. The atmosphere was just right, but at this moment Jiang Xu had so much to say that she didn't know where to start.
She wanted to ask He Jin how he was doing recently, but she didn't know how to start, fearing that the result would be unsatisfactory.
Before they knew it, they had reached a corner. The streetlight there had broken down at some point, and it was very dark. However, Jiang Xu was still racking her brains over how to start the conversation, and she didn't pay attention to her surroundings. Because she was being led by He Jin and walking on the inside, she just followed his footsteps.
"He Jin, you..." Jiang Xu naturally didn't notice He Jin's actions just now. She was about to open her mouth when she was suddenly pushed to the corner by the person next to her. A big hand protected the back of her head so it didn't hit the wall, but she still screamed.
However, He Jin's movements were so fast that before she could even finish her scream, her lips and teeth were pried open, and something warm and soft entered her mouth. Her eyes suddenly widened, but the man in front of her had his eyes closed. Looking closely, her eyelashes were still trembling.
"Baby, I want to kiss you. Let's talk about it later, okay?" While Jiang Xu was taking a breath, he put his forehead against hers, gently held her face with both hands, and said in a hoarse voice.
The breath in front of her was so hot that she couldn't refuse, and the thin lips kissed her again.
Fortunately, there are not many people here and it is very dark, so I shouldn’t be discovered, Jiang Xu thought randomly.
Realizing that the person in front of him was distracted, He Jin kissed her even deeper, carefully tracing her lip lines and then licking them delicately inch by inch.
Jiang Xu didn't look up because he was bent over.
There were no street lights, and in the darkness, the ambiguous sound of water was infinitely amplified. She couldn't tell whose heartbeat was so chaotic that she couldn't find the rhythm. The occasional conversations of people passing by were so distant and near that she couldn't hear them clearly.
It was unknown how long it had been, but Jiang Xu's legs were so weak from the kisses that she could hardly stand. She supported her body with the strength behind her waist, but she still opened her mouth to cater to the man's eagerness, feeling the emotions in the other person, which was forbearance, joy, or a mixture of the two.
It was clear that nothing was being said, yet it seemed as if everything was already understood.
There was no need to ask about each other's recent situation, nor about all the unpleasantness and obstacles they had experienced in the past year, because the fact that they were all standing here said it all, and whatever it was was in the past.
They just need to know that nothing has changed, there is no uneasiness between them because of meeting again after a long separation, nor is there any awkwardness because of not seeing each other for a long time, they are still each other, and that is enough.
Maybe I was wrong again. They never met again, but met again and again.
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