Chapter 37 Fate: You will marry a truly gentle woman and live a happy life...
Jiangcheng is located in the south, and the rainy season, which usually starts in October, has started as early as September this year.
The rain has continued for days, and the wind carries a chill, bringing a hint of autumn's approach.
Entering the senior year of high school, the pace of learning becomes faster and faster, the schedule is packed full, all students are required to participate in evening self-study, and sometimes there are extra classes on Saturdays.
"I feel like my brain doesn't belong to me anymore." During Friday evening self-study, Gao Hexin rested his forehead on his pen and nodded intermittently. "I was doing English reading until 3 a.m. last night, and this morning when Teacher Qin called on me to recite classical Chinese, I couldn't remember a single word."
“Then switch with me.” Li Mingyuan sighed, sprawling on his desk. “I just started taking combined science classes two weeks ago. Every Saturday, I have two hours of physics, two hours of chemistry, and one hour of biology. I can’t keep up with this kind of schedule even if I have 48 hours in a day.”
When he said this, his eyes were bruised as if he had been punched twice. Gao Hexin wanted to laugh at him for his panda eyes, but then she thought that she herself was not much better off.
"It seems that the invincible youth depicted in campus dramas is all a lie. Real students look like this, drained of all their energy." She took out a few cans of milk from her bag, took one for herself and put it on the table, and distributed the rest to those nearby. When she got to Duan Chu, she paused and said, "Duan Chu, do you want some? Banana flavor."
Duan Chu shook his head and gave her a faint smile: "I'm allergic to bananas."
"Oh, I see," Gao Hexin said awkwardly, withdrawing his hand. "I'm sorry."
"fine."
After the start of the semester, Lao Qin rearranged the seats again, and Duan Chu was assigned to Qi Ruiheng's seat, next to Li Mingyuan, Gao Hexin and Ning Jiu.
After spending these past few weeks together, the group had become much more familiar with Duan Chu. They kept quiet about what had happened during the holiday, but they still subconsciously took extra care of her.
It's already 9:35 PM, and there are only five minutes left before evening self-study ends. Many students in the classroom have already started packing their bags, and a restless atmosphere is quickly spreading in the bustling space.
Ning Jiu seemed to remember something, turned her head, and lowered her voice to ask Duan Chu, "Are you going back this weekend? Or are you staying in the dorm?"
“I’m not going back,” Duan Chu said, glancing at her worriedly. “Are you going back? It’s very windy tonight.”
Autumn in Jiangcheng is usually mild, but for some reason these past few days, the wind has suddenly picked up at night, fierce and with a biting chill.
Ning Jiu glanced at the dark, churning clouds outside the window.
"Yes, I'm going back tonight."
Duan Chu opened his mouth as if to say something, but then stopped himself and finally just nodded: "Be careful on the road. Anyway, I brought my phone into the dorm. Just text me if anything happens."
Ning Xuan recently selected a good new location to open a bar. It is currently in the final stage of decoration and promotion. In addition to taking care of the dessert shop every day, Yuan Liangjing also takes time to help him manage the bar's affairs. He is quite busy every day.
As Ning Jiu was about to leave, she happened to run into Chen Poyao, who had come back to get an umbrella, and only then did she notice that it had started to drizzle outside.
Chen Po greeted her, then looked past her and looked behind her, saying with some surprise.
"Joe Bolin, why haven't you gone back yet?"
Ning Jiu followed her gaze and saw Qiao Bolin sitting in Qi Ruiheng's seat, his long, clean fingers lightly turning the pages of an exercise book, the veins on the back of his hand faintly visible under the light.
Upon hearing Chen Poyao's question, he turned his head, his gaze subtly sweeping over Ning Jiu before returning to his own.
“Wait for Qi Ruiheng,” he said. “Old Qin asked him to go to the office to move his review materials, and I’ll help him fill out the organization form while I’m at it.”
“Okay,” Chen Poyao replied, taking an umbrella from her desk and reminding the two remaining students in the classroom, “It seems to be drizzling outside. If there are any umbrellas in the classroom, don’t forget to bring them.”
The last footsteps faded into the distance, and outside the window, the sound of fine rain mixed with gusts of wind filled the air, while inside, there was a complete silence.
Only the two of them remained in the classroom.
Since that less-than-pleasant parting, her relationship with George Berlin has remained in an ambiguous state.
Ning Jiu still can't figure it out. It's just a matter of saying a few words. Looking into his eyes, saying something like "Let's get back on track" and "The game is over" is not difficult at all.
But when she actually met his gaze and saw the subtle emotional turmoil in his eyes, the words she was about to say stopped in her tracks.
That conversation ultimately came to nothing.
After a two-second silence, Ning Jiu turned and left first. Qiao Bolin immediately stood up, took a few steps forward, and blocked her way with his body.
She tried to avoid his approach, but as soon as she moved to the left, he braced his hand on the door frame, and the same thing happened when she moved to the right. In the end, the entire door frame was braced by his hand, and she felt as if she was being held in his arms, with no room to move away.
Ning Jiu bit her lip: "Move aside."
"It's raining, do you want to use an umbrella?"
His voice is very gentle, and he probably knows it himself.
The lingering, soft tone enveloped her eardrums, and Ning Jiu felt as if her earlobe had been gently touched, making it slightly hot.
Before she could say anything, Qi Ruiheng had already come out of Lao Qin's office. It was probably because the documents were too heavy for one person to carry. Before he had taken two steps, the top few exercise books scattered all over the floor with a clatter.
Drawed into Qiao Bolin's attention, Ning Jiu took the opportunity to bend down and slip under his arm, quickly walking towards the stairwell before he could catch up.
A light rain was indeed falling outside, its gentle drizzle dampening her spirits. She had almost finished her homework during evening self-study, so she simply carried her thin backpack on her head as she walked out of the school building. When she reached the school gate, she turned on her phone and discovered that Yuan Liangjing had sent her a message.
[Yuan Liangjing] Sweet wine, your dad doesn't have much to do today, so I came over first. I'll pick you up at the usual place.
The "old place" Yuan Liangjing mentioned refers to Tongqi Street, which is near the back gate of Jianglan Experimental School. Compared to the frequent traffic jams at the main gate, the streets near the back gate are mostly old residential areas that are being demolished. The pedestrian flow is much less than that of the school and commercial area at the main gate. In the past, when Yuan Liangjing couldn't find a parking space, he would park in front of a convenience store on Tongqi Street and wait for her.
Walking along Tongqi Street from the school gate, the street was initially quite lively, with parents picking up and dropping off their children coming and going. But as you walked, the number of people gradually thinned out, and the street corner became unusually deserted.
Ning Jiu suddenly realized that it was probably because it had rained today that most of the stalls near the school had closed up early.
Yuan Liangjing probably hadn't expected this, and was still waiting at the usual spot.
She walked to a row of slightly old cement buildings and was about to stop at the street corner to cross the road when she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, and she stopped without making a sound.
Something's not right.
The usually noisy street corner was now deserted and quiet, with only the sound of water droplets falling from the eaves.
Ning Jiu took out her phone, turned on the selfie camera to fix her hair, and glanced at the edge of the camera to see a man in a gray raincoat stopped a few meters away from her, seemingly also waiting for the traffic light.
He seemed to be holding something in his hand, something slender and gleaming coldly under the streetlight.
Seemingly sensing something, his previously wandering gaze immediately turned towards her—
With a snap.
Ningjiu turned off the camera.
With fifteen seconds left on the red light, she quickly assessed her current location: should she turn around and run back to school, or continue running towards Yuan Liangjing, deciding which path would give her more control?
Ning Jiu pretended to answer a phone call, holding the phone to her ear. Before the red light turned, she quickly walked to the intersection. However, as soon as she quickened her pace, the man behind her seemed to sense something and suddenly approached.
The reaction was faster than she had expected.
Without hesitation, she ran across the street towards a more crowded area, calling the police as she turned and threw her backpack behind her. The man in the raincoat was indeed knocked back a few steps, and the previously aggressive distance between them was widened.
She noticed a woman waiting for her child standing under a streetlamp not far away. The woman seemed to have noticed something and wanted to come over to check. Ning Jiu immediately ran over to her for help.
"Auntie, please help me," she said, pointing to the man chasing after her, "that man has a knife..."
The woman looked to be only in her early thirties, but upon closer inspection, she noticed a few gray hairs at her temples. After understanding the situation, she immediately shielded Ning Jiu in front of her, watching the raincoat-clad man approaching her warily.
She asked, "Did you call the police?"
"The police are on their way."
Ning Jiu nodded. Passersby had already approached after hearing the noise. The man seemed somewhat wary. She gripped the woman's hand tightly: "We still need to go to the convenience store to call someone."
After saying that, he walked toward the convenience store behind him, only to find that his arm had been restrained by someone.
"That won't work."
With a bang.
Ning Jiu's phone, which she had placed to her ear, was knocked away by a light force. Realizing something, she abruptly looked up—
It fell into the woman's kind eyes.
"Because he is my husband."
As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled a small, gleaming knife from the shopping bag slung over her elbow and stabbed it straight into Ning Jiu's abdomen.
At the critical moment, a figure rushed in from the side like a gust of wind. The woman groaned as she was hit. The blade changed direction the instant it grazed her shoulder, and a dull thud followed, which was particularly clear in the quiet rainy night.
"Why do you all have to meddle in other people's business? My husband was detained for two weeks and even lost his job!"
The woman missed her target and completely lost control, screaming hysterically in the street.
“My husband is so outstanding. He used to work for a big company. It’s all your fault that he’s like this…” Her eyes were red. “Besides, he didn’t really do anything! He just went to buy some photos. It’s not like he was asked to sell them! It’s not like he didn’t pay me!”
Several police officers quickly arrived, grabbed her wrists, and pinned her to the ground. The woman continued to shout, crying and cursing, and cursing while crying.
"What will happen to the three kids if he goes back in again... You bunch of brats, you bastards! You'll get your comeuppance!"
Her last words lingered like a faint echo in the damp air of the rainy night, before being swallowed up by the sound of sirens.
Ning Jiu couldn't hear what she was cursing at the end; all she could see was a sea of red.
As far as the eye could see, a glaring stain of blood was spreading from Qiao Bolin's right hand, dripping from his fingertips onto the soaked ground.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
It was impossible to tell whether the sound was rain or blood.
The ambulance arrived quickly, and Ning Jiu went to the hospital with it. The doctor quickly gave the initial treatment to the injury. The wound did not damage the tendons, but it was in a bad location and the wound was long and thin, making it difficult to stop the bleeding for a while.
"The wound is deep, but fortunately it did not damage any major nerves. However, because the area is quite sensitive, the recovery period will be very long. In the early stages, you should try to use your hands as little as possible, otherwise it is easy for the wound to reopen and leave a scar."
Ning Jiu stood outside the ward, watching Qiao Jialing and Wen Xi rush over like an observer. The two surrounded Qiao Bolin and talked to each other. Qiao Bolin quickly smiled and comforted Wen Xi. Wen Xi was almost in tears, but she couldn't help but raise her hand and gently tap her son's head.
It turns out they are such a warm and harmonious family.
The tension that had gripped her all night finally eased after confirming that Qiao Bolin was alright. Ning Jiu relaxed completely, only to realize belatedly that her head was buzzing and she couldn't muster any strength. She glanced back at Yuan Liangjing, who had just arrived, and was about to leave the hospital together when she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind.
"Ning wine".
Qiao Jialing and Wen Xi both turned to look at her. She turned her head in disbelief. The boy was still looking at her gently and calmly, with bright red bloodstains faintly visible through the gauze on his right hand.
"Dad, Mom," he glanced at the nurses' station outside the ward and said gently, "haven't my admission procedures been completed yet? The doctor just mentioned that I might need to sign another consent form."
Wen Xi was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Qiao Jialing.
“I just asked the nurses’ station, and they are indeed missing a document.” Qiao Jialing put his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Let’s go take a look.”
Yuan Liangjing's eyes darted between Qiao Bolin and Qiao Jialing, his expression complex. In the end, he sighed softly as if in resignation and said to Ning Jiu in a low voice.
"Sweet wine, your uncle is waiting for you outside the ward."
The quiet ward was empty except for the two of them. Noticing that he was looking at her, Ning Jiu lowered her eyes slightly, her fine eyelashes concealing the emotions in her light pupils, and gently tugged at his wrist.
"You're still injured, let's talk by your bedside."
Her voice was already sweet, but now it was excessively soft, like soft, sticky sugar threads gently wrapping around her ear.
Qiao Bolin felt the smooth touch of the girl's palm, his eyes softened, and he sat on the hospital bed following her movements.
Ning Jiu lifted his hand and looked at his fine, bluish-purple finger bones. The bloodstains that had been exposed had dried a bit, but were still dark brown and glaringly obvious.
"Does it hurt?" Her voice was very low, as soft as a breeze.
Qiao Bolin smiled and said softly, "You only feel a little bit because you ran into it."
fraud.
Even with the best recovery, such a severe injury will most likely leave a scar.
His skin is very fair, so even a thin scar is easily noticeable. Such a thick scar shouldn't have ended up on his hands.
Ningjiu fell into unprecedented self-doubt.
Was she indecisive? If she had been more resolute, Qiao Bolin wouldn't have followed her, and she wouldn't have gotten into trouble because of her.
Is it possible that she truly doesn't know how to protect herself or others? If she hadn't acted so impulsively, and the man's anger hadn't been directed at her, all of this could have been avoided.
Is it true that they are not a good match?
I really dislike my current state.
The gauze was soaked with moisture, and drops accumulated one by one. Qiao Bolin raised his head and hurriedly wiped away the tears from Ning Jiu's eyes with his other hand.
"I'm really fine," she said, her face expressionless as she received the stitches, but now her brows furrowed as she cried. "The doctor said the stitches will be removed soon, and I'll be fine quickly."
His uninjured hand was slightly warm. His fingertips gently brushed against the dampness on the side of her face, the fine lines on his palm leaving a faint, tangible sensation on her skin. She looked up at him, and he gave a slight smile, indicating that he was alright.
Ning Jiu originally thought that the real end would involve a big fight, just like in a TV drama.
But I never expected that the moment I actually made the decision would be so calm.
It was only at this moment that she realized how important he was to her.
Therefore, it's crucial to cut losses promptly, both for him and for yourself.
Ning Jiu blinked, wiped away the tears that had accumulated in her eyes, grabbed that hand, and rubbed it against her face. Qiao Bolin's eyes gradually brightened as he felt her delicate fingers wrap around his palm, slowly tightening and then loosening.
“Have I told you this before?” she said, “I can actually read palms.”
Her tone was even gentler than usual, but a strong sense of unease suddenly rose in Qiao Bolin's heart. This was not the first time he had felt this way, but it was stronger than ever before.
He stared into her eyes, trying to find the slightest emotion there, but Ning Jiu lowered her eyes slightly, avoiding his gaze.
The corners of her eyes still held the redness of tears, and the tip of her nose was faintly red. She gently removed the hand that was still stroking her face, and her slender fingertips landed on his palm, brushing against it as lightly as feathers.
“That day at Xuanyin Temple, Gao Hexin and I met an old man who said he could read palms for ten yuan a time.” Ning Jiu recounted the experience that day. “He said that the lines on my palm were like this and that, but most of them were wrong. After I exposed him, he turned around and ran away without taking any money.”
She smiled helplessly.
“He could have just asked me for money directly. The first few sentences sounded reasonable and convincing. If he had said a few more, I might have actually believed him.”
Qiao Bolin stared intently at her expression, swallowed hard, wanting to say something, but found himself unable to utter a word.
He tried to hold her tighter, but Ning Jiu opened her hands again.
“Don’t rush,” she said, “it will be over soon.”
"Your life line is long, your career line is straight, and neither line is shallow," warm, delicate fingertips traced the two lines on your palm, your beautiful eyes curved slightly, and your eye bags became prominent, "This indicates that you will live to be a hundred years old and achieve great success in your career."
Her expression remained unchanged. She lowered her head again, pressed her index finger against the line on his palm closest to his little finger, and gently swept it before Qiao Bolin could grasp her fingertip.
As for your marriage destiny...
The two had returned to their usual distance without anyone noticing. Ning Jiu tried to pull her hand away, but Qiao Bolin realized something and tightened his grip. She just smiled, not even having the strength to break free.
The damp smell from outside the window, like a snake's tongue, meandered between the two of them.
Ning Jiu's voice was very soft.
"Your marriage line indicates that you will marry a truly gentle woman and live happily ever after."
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The author's note: One thought they would get back together, while the other decided to break up.
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