Window words bloom
bedroom.
Lingchuan snuggled up in the bathroom with Jinbao, and Jinbao happily wagged its tail as the warm water flowed down.
Ling Chuan, soaking wet, smiled and stroked its head, saying, "Jinbao is great."
Qiao Yu still took Ling Chuan in; she couldn't bear to.
After that, Lingchuan would get up early every day to go to the market to buy vegetables, cook, tidy up the yard, and plant vegetables.
In the small, square vegetable garden, seedlings and saplings broke through the soil and sprouted, their tender green shoots swaying in the breeze.
Ling Chuan also smugly tried to take credit in front of Qiao Yu.
Qiao Yu smiled and turned her head away from looking.
Early that morning, after breakfast, Qiao Yu packed up the many stationery and books she had prepared two days earlier, filling two large bags.
Ling Chuan also put these things in the car and asked her where she was going.
Qiao Yu sent him a location: Yunquan Town Primary School, 28 kilometers away.
Ling Chuan gripped the steering wheel slightly harder, driving cautiously and slowly along the winding mountain road, the engine humming softly.
He had never driven on such a winding mountain road before. On one side were towering mountains reaching into the clouds, and on the other side were bottomless, steep cliffs.
Here, even 40 km/h feels fast to him.
It took almost an hour to drive the 28-kilometer distance.
Yunquan Town Primary School is located beside a river bend. The brick and tile walls are painted with white lime, and the corners of the walls are covered with dusty morning glories.
The playground was made of cement, and at both ends of the less-than-standard basketball court, the basketball hoops were rusted and the paint was peeling off.
The flagpole stands in the center of the playground, the edges of the national flag are worn and frayed, but it still flutters straight in the wind.
The wrought iron classroom window still had a faint trace of red paint, and the glass was polished to a shine.
Ling Chuan frowned slightly as he watched all this.
In the two-story teaching building, some classrooms were filled with the sound of students reading aloud, while others were completely silent.
A shrill bell rang, and several children appeared in the hallway.
They were dressed in worn but clean clothes. When they saw the two of them standing in the middle of the playground, they were stunned for a moment, then their eyes lit up with bright smiles, and they ran towards Qiao Yu.
Several boys and girls surrounded Qiao Yu, looking up at her. When she smiled, the dimples at the corners of her mouth seemed to gleam with sunlight, revealing a few teeth that had not yet fully grown in.
Until they raised their hands and gestured to Qiao Yu.
Ling Chuan suddenly realized that they were all...
Qiao Yu greeted them with a smile and gestures.
A woman walked up behind me. She was wearing a pure white dress, had her hair tied in a low ponytail, wore black-rimmed glasses, and was carrying a stack of homework books.
Ling Chuan glanced at him casually and noticed that he looked somewhat familiar.
The woman smiled and nodded politely at him.
When Qiao Yu turned around, she saw the person there. Her eyes crinkled as she strode over, and the two embraced as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time, their lips curving into a smile.
Ling Chuan then remembered who this person was. Qiao Yu had introduced her to him; she was his childhood playmate, Li Li.
They met that summer when they graduated from high school.
The two people who had been embracing laughed as they let go of each other.
Li Li glanced at the man not far away, and gestured with a smile.
"He came with you again. It's been six years, and it's still him..."
Qiao Yu's cheeks suddenly flushed red, and she hurriedly raised her hand and waved wildly to make Li Li stop.
Normally you can whisper in someone's ear, but now everyone can understand you.
The little ones behind her looked at Qiao Yu and then at Ling Chuanye, and covered their mouths to laugh.
Ling Chuan could understand as well, and gave Qiao Yu a look that said, "We all know what's going on."
Qiao Yu glared at him, annoyed.
Pulling Li Li towards the classroom on the first floor, the children followed behind, waving their arms and legs excitedly.
In the classroom, Ling Chuan expected to see worn-out desks, but to his surprise, the desks, chairs, and blackboards were all new, clearly replaced within the last two years.
The children gathered around Qiao Yu as she distributed the stationery and books she had prepared to each child.
They were very polite, and each of them thanked Qiao Yu. Some even went so far as to put their arms around her waist.
She gently stroked the children, her smile never fading, and gestured to them with her hands.
[Study hard, and if you need anything, just tell your sister, and I'll bring it to you again next time.]
[Keep up the good work, and one day you will all be able to leave this place and see the world.]
I look forward to that day...
......
Ling Chuan suddenly understood why she had returned here after losing her hearing; this was the true home for Qiao Yu.
Here, she has nothing to worry about; here, she can be herself without having to speak, and no one will gossip about her.
Here, she is free.
Li Li watched quietly from the side. She knew Ling Chuanye; Qiao Yu would mention him every time they chatted.
She was gratified to have someone by her side who had never abandoned her. Although they had missed five years, they had finally returned to where they started.
"Teacher Ling, you must be surprised, right? Qiaoqiao is very popular here."
Upon hearing this, Ling Chuan smiled and said, "Yes."
Li Li pointed to the desks, chairs, blackboard, and computer projector on the podium, "These were all bought by Qiao Qiao. She hopes that these children will not be bound by themselves and that one day they can step out of here and see another world."
"These children are all...?"
"Yes, most children are."
"How can there be so many..."
Li Li smiled helplessly: "Rural medical care is underdeveloped. Many young people get married and have children, leaving them with elderly people living alone. It's inevitable that they won't be able to take good care of them, and if they get sick, they won't receive timely treatment. Before long, they..."
She sighed: "Some people only lose their hearing at first, but over time, they naturally become unwilling to speak anymore."
Ling Chuan was also taken aback and frowned.
Li Li continued, "Qiao Qiao can't hear right now, please ask her to speak..."
Ling Chuan nodded heavily as well.
......
On the way back, the sun was still hanging low in the sky.
A black G-Class was driving on a winding mountain road.
The car was completely silent.
Qiao Yu stared blankly out the window, her heart churning. Every time she went there, she encouraged the children and looked forward to their future.
But how much better am I now? I'm still hiding here. Have I lived up to my own expectations?
She even had to keep Ling Chuan here. He didn't say anything, but she knew he had canceled all his engagements to stay by her side.
......
The car slowly stopped in front of the courtyard. Qiao Yu pushed the door open to get out, but the door was locked. She tried to open it twice but couldn't.
She turned her head in confusion, and Ling Chuan stared intently at her.
With just a light touch, Qiao Yu immediately looked away.
The warm fingertips touched her chin, and Qiao Yu was startled, raising her hand to slap them away.
But Ling Chuan pulled her into his arms as well.
Enveloped in warm arms, Qiao Yu struggled to get away, but he held her even tighter.
His Adam's apple rested against her shoulder, bobbing slightly.
Seeing that she couldn't break free, Qiao Yu gave up. After a long while, Ling Chuan slowly released her.
He slightly raised his eyelids, and Qiao Yu could clearly see the redness in the corners of his eyes, causing her heart to surge with emotion once again.
They looked at each other, and a smile spread across his reddened eyes, while Qiao Yu's brows furrowed slightly.
Ling Chuan also raised his hand to touch her forehead, his lips parting slightly: "Don't frown."
Qiao Yu understood what he was saying, and a sudden wave of soreness welled up in her nose. She took a deep breath, trying not to let the tears fall.
But this amused Ling Chuan so much that his chest heaved up and down.
A warm, large hand covered the back of my head, and my vision went black for a moment.
The warmth lingered on the edge of her lips for a fleeting moment.
Qiao Yu was stunned.
Ling Chuan simply smiled and gently stroked her nose with his hand, gesturing for her to get out of the car.
He then pushed open the car door, got out, and walked around the front of the car in a few steps.
Seeing that Qiao Yu was still sitting motionless in the car, Ling Chuan walked over and opened the car door.
Back in the courtyard, Jinbao, whom they hadn't seen all day, frolicked around the two of them, lifting his front paws and tugging at Lingchuan's trouser leg.
After dinner, Qiao Yu took the initiative to clean up the dishes, since Ling Chuan had been doing the work these past few days, and she couldn't just sit idly by.
Ling Chuan also helped put the bowls and chopsticks into the sink, and Qiao Yu put on gloves and started to tidy them up.
Jinbao has recently gained weight thanks to Lingchuan's feeding. After meals, he calls Jinbao to go for a walk in the yard.
Qiao Yu was immersed in the world of washing dishes, unable to hear the crisp sound of setting the dishes down or the sizzling sound of scrubbing the pots.
Suddenly, a man's hands wrapped around her waist, and a familiar scent enveloped her from behind.
Qiao Yu paused in her movements, raised her elbow to deflect Ling Chuan.
They remained unmoved and became even more reckless.
He gently kissed the top of her head from behind, his warm breath seeping into her scalp in a tingling, numbing sensation.
Qiao Yu didn't know if it was because she was feeling hot or because Ling Chuan's actions had made her feel hot all over.
She put down her chopsticks and bowl and tried to turn around to push him away, but he held her tightly around the waist and didn't want her to turn around at all.
His warm breath sprayed freely, and Qiao Yu's face flushed red. In her haste, she opened and closed her lips: "Ling Chuanye, get away from me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chuan stopped what he was doing and slowly released her.
Qiao Yu realized she had spoken, turned her head and glared fiercely at Ling Chuanye.
The man glanced at her with a half-smile in his eyes, raised his hand and pinched her chubby cheek, his thin lips parting and closing: "That's more like it."
Qiao frowned angrily and kicked.
Ling Chuan quickly dodged, raised an eyebrow resentfully, and left with a smile playing on his lips.
After Qiao Yu finished cleaning up the kitchen, she and her dog sat down in the gazebo.
Ling Chuan sat casually in the center of the double hanging chair, his hands on the back of the chair, his head leaning back comfortably.
In the dim light, his nose was high and straight, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, giving him an inexplicable allure.
Jinbao stretched lazily, then slumped over to the side with his head down.
As Qiao Yu approached, Ling Chuan consciously made way for her.
She had no intention of sitting down and was about to sit on a nearby bench when Ling Chuan pulled her over.
The hanging chair swayed gently.
Qiao Yu gave him a disappointed look, very dissatisfied with his behavior today.
Ling Chuan didn't seem to care and continued to lean back, relaxed and carefree, his long legs swaying gently, causing the entire hanging chair to sway.
The two sat side by side, the hanging chairs damp with night dew, feeling cool and refreshing.
The night sky was as if splashed with ink, with stars scattered sparsely and the crescent moon shrouded in mist.
Suddenly, she felt a warm touch in her palm. Qiao Yu lowered her eyes and saw that Ling Chuan was also carefully holding her hand.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com