Chapter Fourteen
You Congxi felt his arm go numb instantly after being touched by him.
Her eardrums seemed to be throbbing again, her mind went blank, and the sound of cicadas played around her like an air raid siren.
She instinctively took a few steps back.
Shen Yue's face was half-hidden in the shadows of the trees, making it impossible to see his expression.
The skin on my arm that he had lightly stroked continued to feel hot and throbbed.
She had never seen Shen Yue like this before; he was completely different from everything he had ever shown, yet somehow there seemed to be a pattern to it.
You Congxi quickly glanced at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye so that he could leave as soon as possible.
Soon, Shen Yue's pathetic, defeated demeanor vanished, replaced by the shameless face she knew best.
"Anyway, if you're dating too early, I'll report you to Tang Miaosong, and begging me won't help."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Yue's series of words and actions had left her confused and even somewhat frightened.
Fortunately, he remains as foolish as ever.
You Congxi curled the corners of her lips and put the foxtail grass back on his head: "You should worry about yourself first, He Qizheng's devoted boyfriend."
Shen Yue: "......"
Shen Yue plucked the foxtail grass off his head, folded it in his hand, and followed You Congxi, muttering to himself the whole way.
"I already told you I was lying, why won't you believe me?"
"Visit Congxi, visit Congxi, visit Congxi—"
"You Congxi, did you have a puppy love or not? Are you feeling guilty because you won't tell me? With that pretty boy Zheng Yu? Let me tell you, I'm good at judging people. He's definitely a black-hearted guy. You'll see."
"Are we good friends? You Congxi? Can we be good friends?"
"Why are you ignoring me, You—"
Shen Yue was startled when the girl in front of him suddenly stopped halfway through calling out his name.
Unable to bear it any longer, You Congxi turned around and covered his mouth: "Shut up."
"......"
Shen Yue blinked and watched as You Congxi awkwardly withdrew her hand, her lips still seeming soft and warm.
You Congxi was having trouble breathing. She shook her hand, averted her gaze, and felt as if a ghost had possessed her again.
She feigned impatience, coldly warning, "Stop talking nonsense, and stop following me."
Shen Yue didn't say anything, but moved the hand hanging at his side.
You Congxi was like a frightened bird: "What are you doing...?"
Shen Yue scratched the mosquito bites on his arm.
He looked at You Congxi innocently and said, "What's wrong? I got bitten by a mosquito and it's so itchy."
You Congxi: "..."
"Oh." You Congxi changed direction and started to walk.
Suddenly, something furry was stuffed into my palm.
"?" You Congxi looked down and opened his hand, revealing a foxtail grass corpse that looked like a rabbit.
"What is this?"
"Little bunny. I just folded it on the spot, you're welcome."
You Congxi: "...Who cares?"
She disdainfully pinched the fluffy rabbit between two fingers, as if to throw it away.
Shen Yue lowered his voice: "Go ahead and throw them away. They're worthless anyway, just two tattered blades of grass. It's pathetic, I know."
You Congxi: "
A mosquito buzzed closer, and he reached out to shoo it away for You Congxi. As he did so, his hair fell to his eyelashes, making him look even more forlorn.
"I'm sorry for bothering you and Zheng Yu today. It's understandable that you dislike me. I know you don't want to be friends with me."
You Congxi: "..."
"You rolled your eyes at me in the cafeteria when school started, you warned me not to touch your books when I helped you move them, you turned and walked away when you saw me outside, you didn't want to be the class representative for Chinese with me, you refused to add me on WeChat... I know you hate me."
You Congxi: "...You know that's good."
You Congxi rudely stuffed the rabbit into his pocket, pursed his lips, and walked forward in a muffled voice.
It's as if I'm the one bullying people.
Why don't you tell them everything that has happened since they met?
To embellish or exaggerate.
A vengeful person.
After walking a distance, You Congxi felt something was wrong.
She turned around.
"...Are you leaving this far away because you're afraid I'll rear-end you while backing up?"
The boy followed five steps away from her with his eyes downcast. Upon hearing her words, he appeared very understanding, showing none of his usual arrogance: "I know you want me to stay away from you."
You Congxi turned his head back in a flash.
Take it or leave it.
"......"
They walked along a small path, where the trees on both sides were said to be old tree spirits that had grown there before the school was even built. The trees had thick trunks and lush foliage, and sunlight filtered through the green leaves, casting dappled patterns of light.
Shen Yue followed slowly behind, casually counting the number of light and shadow on You Congxi's clothes, maintaining a distance of five steps, until the girl in front slowed down her pace and the light and shadow became fewer and fewer.
Shen Yue raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
The girl didn't turn around, so only a few soft words drifted intermittently past Chen Yue's ears on the gentle breeze.
"...We didn't talk about it."
"...I didn't dislike it either."
"—Hurry up and catch up."
-
It was already dark when we got home from the swim in Congxi.
The voice announcement from the combination lock was particularly jarring in the quiet hallway. The motion-activated light came on, and You Congxi pushed open the door. After seeing the scene inside, his body froze instantly.
The light is on?
Did the cook forget to turn off the lights when she left?
She turned her hands behind her back and gently closed the door, then cautiously scanned the small house, her mind racing.
wrong.
Her gaze swept over a pair of shoes that looked like they had been carelessly kicked off someone's feet, and her brows furrowed.
Are thieves this polite now? They even know to change their shoes before entering.
Clang.
The sound of something falling to the ground.
You Congxi looked in the direction of the sound and realized it was coming from his own room.
Ignoring the goosebumps that suddenly stood on end, she grabbed a shoehorn from the corner by the door and tiptoed over.
The door to the room was half-open, obscuring the view inside, but You Congxi was certain that she had closed the door before leaving.
The cook wouldn't have opened her door without permission, so the only thing making noise in her room right now could be—
thief!
You Congxi's hand, which was waving a shoehorn, froze in mid-air.
"Ahhh!"
"......mom?"
Jing Ling screamed, clutching her chest and staring in horror at the shoehorn in You Congxi's hand: "Are you trying to murder your own mother?!"
"You're the one who scared your own daughter to death!" You Congxi put down the shoehorn, her heart still pounding. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? There might not have been any food for you at home."
Jing Ling turned off the light in You Congxi's room and half-pushed her out, saying, "The housekeeper I paid doesn't cook for me. It's definitely worth the money."
You Congxi was led a few steps outside. He glanced at the closed door behind him and his brow twitched.
After being sent to the restroom to wash her hands, You Congxi pulled out a chair and sat opposite Jing Ling. She glanced at the rice already served in front of her, paused for a moment, and then picked up her chopsticks to pick up some food.
Jingling placed a piece of deboned fish on her plate and asked with concern, "Is everything alright at school? Is the workload heavy? How are you getting along with your teachers and classmates?"
You Congxi put the fish in his mouth and chewed it slowly. After a while, he said, "It's all good."
She glanced at Jing Ling's newly cut short hair: "Is this the kind of micro-business hairstyle that's popular in America now?"
“Watch your words,” Jing Ling straightened her back and smiled. “You’re decisive and efficient; you’re clearly a capable and independent woman.”
"oh."
"Why are you back now? Weren't you on vacation with the boss?"
Jing Ling was speechless: "What boss? I've told you so many times, his name is David."
"Why are you back now? Weren't you on vacation with David?"
Jing Ling: "......"
Jing Ling pointed at her with the tip of his chopsticks: "Your mouth."
You Congxi served himself a bowl of soup.
Jing Ling sighed, his eyes revealing an unconcealable weariness: "The company has some domestic business to attend to, and since you've been in your second year of high school for a week, I came back to see you."
You Congxi placed the soup bowl in front of her.
"If you're tired, take a few days off. Don't ruin your health."
Jing Ling responded, hesitated for a moment while holding the soup bowl, and slowly took a sip. The soup bowl covered most of her face, only revealing her eyes.
You Congxi picked up a piece of egg and chewed it slowly. After a moment, she lowered her eyes and said to Jing Ling, "It's okay, just say it."
Jing Ling's lips moved slightly, her index finger tapped the edge of her thumb, and finally she smiled: "What could possibly be wrong with me? I just want you to take good care of yourself. If you need money, just tell Mom. That's all."
You Congxi nodded, took a tissue to wipe his mouth, wiped the grease off the table, and threw it into the trash can: "I'm full, you can eat slowly, I'll clean up in a bit."
Jing Ling was about to say something when You Congxi's phone, which was on the table, vibrated. She didn't look at it, picked up the phone, and was about to go back to her room.
"Xiaoxi—" Jing Ling couldn't help but call out to her.
Turning around at the stream.
"You..." Jing Ling stammered, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, her gaze fixed on You Congxi's nose. "David said he wanted a child of his own, and we had a fight."
As he spoke, Jing Ling quickly added, "I didn't agree."
This time, she finally dared to look up and meet You Congxi's calm, unwavering eyes.
"The stream..."
“What’s there to argue about?” You Congxi shrugged and smiled as she looked at Jing Ling’s anxious expression. “It’s fine, we’re having a child.”
“You are now considered an older mother, and if you want to have a child, you should do it sooner rather than later. You don’t need to consider me; I have no objection.”
Jing Ling seemed surprised by her reaction and paused for a moment before replying, "No..."
"Really." You Congxi pushed the grapes that the aunt had washed on the table towards her. "I'll be an adult next year, so you don't need to worry about me, Mom."
Jingling's eyes welled up with tears. She felt a mix of joy and sadness. Remembering the children's drawing she'd seen in her daughter's drawer, a surge of emotion welled up within her: "Xiaoxi, I've always felt guilty for not being able to give you a complete family. I know you don't want to go to America with me, but if you're willing, I'll talk to your father. Your Aunt Yu isn't a bad person either, you two..."
"Mom," You Congxi interrupted her, "I've already said I'm an adult soon, I have my own family, please stop making decisions for me."
After saying that, she turned and left, her fist hidden under her sleeve loosening, revealing several deep white marks on her palm. These marks quickly turned purplish-red upon contact with air, swollen and sore.
......
You Congxi locked the door from the inside. Her temples throbbed with pain, and her chest felt like it was stuffed with a wad of water-soaked cotton, making it hard for her to breathe.
She closed her eyes and rested for a while, then let out a long breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something unusual about the desk, and her hand, which was hanging by her side, twitched slightly.
I slowly walked to the desk, and noticed that the notebook in the upper right corner had changed position. I opened the drawer, and the pile of junk inside had become neatly arranged.
You Congxi reached a conclusion almost immediately.
Jing Ling touched her things.
The house wasn't very soundproof, and the faint sound of Jingling talking on the phone with David outside could be heard by You Congxi.
She threw the drawing that You Youyi had given her into the trash can, turned her head, and stared blankly at the note someone had written for her on the table.
The phone next to him rang again. You Congxi put the grape-flavored lollipop in his mouth, then slowly picked up his phone and opened WeChat.
Philosophy group chat.
[Dai Y: This weekend's Chinese homework includes an essay.]
[Drink Jia Duo Bao if you have a sore throat: Ang]
[Dai Y: The price for the former top student is very expensive, but the former top student said]
[Rat Poison Cookies: What?]
[Dai Y: If you're his good friend @IamAFish, you can enjoy free service.]
[. : [Thumbs up.jpg]]
You Congxi wanted to type, but belatedly realized that his palms swelled and hurt when he exerted even a little force, so he simply sent a voice message.
[I am a fish: No, thank you.]
The taste of grapes gradually spread in her mouth. You Congxi swallowed and wanted to turn off her phone.
The next second, several private chat messages popped up at the top of the screen.
[Dai: What's wrong?]
[Dai Y: The tone is off]
[DaiY: What happened?]
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