Sino-US Notification
In the evening, when I was leaving school, I passed by Lu Xingye's house.
The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled in the yard. Aunt Chen was wrapped in a beige plaid blanket and sat in a rocking chair, her whole body immersed in the furry halo.
Her face was less sickly pale in the warm light, but still pale.
Since her last serious illness, Aunt Chen's health has obviously deteriorated. She still feels cold even after being discharged from the hospital for more than half a month.
But fortunately, there were no particularly serious sequelae. The doctor repeatedly reminded me to get enough rest and not to stay in the studio day and night like before.
"Hello, Aunt Chen!" I saw her from a distance and ran over to her to say hello.
"Hello, Aunt Chen." Jiang Yuanzhou followed behind me and greeted politely.
Aunt Chen raised her lips slightly when she saw us. "Is school over? Nian Nian's braids are really neat today."
I chuckled, "Thank you, Auntie Shen."
"Mom, it's a cool evening. Don't sit in the wind for too long."
Lu Xingye, who was following behind us, casually threw his schoolbag into the house, squatted down and carefully tucked in the corner of the blanket that had slipped a little.
His brows were slightly furrowed, but his movements were unnaturally gentle.
I stood aside and couldn't help but look at Lu Xingye twice more.
Who would have thought that this boy who is gentle and considerate now was the one who could cause chaos in the entire Han Normal University when he was a child.
Time and changes can really change a person completely.
"I'm fine, I just think the sun is good today and I want to stay a little longer." Aunt Chen seemed to be a little emotional as well, and raised her hand to touch Lu Xingye's hair.
Looking at this heartwarming scene, my heart warmed.
"Auntie Chen, Xingye is amazing!" I exclaimed excitedly, "He received an early admission letter from China Central Academy of Fine Arts the day before yesterday! That's from the Central Academy of Fine Arts!"
"Really?" Aunt Chen and Jiang Yuanzhou turned around and looked at Lu Xingye in surprise at the same time.
Jiang Yuanzhou patted Lu Xingye's shoulder and said, "Good boy, you've done a very good job of keeping this secret!"
Aunt Shen subconsciously wanted to reach out and grab Lu Xingye's arm to confirm, but because she moved too quickly, she started coughing violently.
Huh?
Looking at Aunt Shen’s reaction…Has Lu Xingye not told her the good news yet?
I was stunned for a moment after realizing it belatedly.
Lu Xingye quickly patted her on the back and glanced at me unhappily. "You're the one who talks too fast, aren't you?"
I touched my nose awkwardly, a little confused about the situation.
Isn’t this a great joy?
How did it become something that needs to be kept secret?
Getting admitted to the China-University Art Institute is the dream of many art students.
“Yeah…” Lu Xingye waited until Aunt Shen’s cough subsided before admitting in a low voice.
Aunt Shen's eyes immediately turned red, and she murmured, "It's so good... China and the United States..."
Her eyes were somewhat distant. "That was the school I wanted to go to the most when I was young..."
The yard suddenly became quiet.
I know that Aunt Chen also studied painting when she was young, but for various reasons, she was ultimately unable to reach a bigger stage. This is probably a regret that she has always had in her heart.
"Mom," Lu Xingye suddenly squatted down, looked up at Aunt Chen, and said seriously, "Go apply to your employer for sick leave."
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiang Yuanzhou and I exchanged glances, both a little surprised.
Aunt Shen was also stunned, looking at him with a bit of confusion and astonishment.
"I'm grown up now. I can take care of myself and I can take care of you."
Lu Xingye's voice was still a little tense. He lowered his eyelids and stared at the ground. "And I don't want to... call an ambulance in the middle of the night again..."
My heart suddenly tightened, and I subconsciously turned my face away, pretending to adjust the strap of my schoolbag.
The warmth of his silent tears as he leaned on my shoulder in the hospital last time seemed to still remain in the fibers of his clothes, carrying the unique coldness and despair of that night.
Aunt Shen didn't say anything, but held Lu Xingye's hand with her backhand, her knuckles turning white.
This topic seemed to be someone else's family affair, and I realized that it was a bit inappropriate for Jiang Yuanzhou and I to be here.
Jiang Yuanzhou must have realized it as well. He quietly touched my arm, indicating that it was time for us to leave.
I nodded, and we both tiptoed out of the yard.
Only after we walked away did I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Have you known for a long time that Xingye was admitted to Sino-US University?" Jiang Yuanzhou put his arm around my shoulders and asked with his head down.
"Just the day before yesterday, I failed math, and asked Xingye to imitate my mother's signature—don't glare at me, our homeroom teacher insisted on parents' signatures, and I really had no choice..."
I shrank my neck.
Jiang Yuanzhou shook his head helplessly, "How many times this month have you failed?"
I was a little embarrassed to speak, so I quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of the Sino-US affairs, he seems... not planning to make it public. Did I say something wrong just now? I think Aunt Chen seems unaware, and Xingye even glared at me."
"It's okay," Jiang Yuanzhou hugged my arm tightly, "You'll know sooner or later. This is a great joy. It's just..."
He paused, "This kid, without making any noise, actually got admitted to the school he wanted most."
I turned my head to look at him. The setting sun cast a soft outline on his face, but I could also see the fleeting trance in his eyes.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" I bumped him lightly with my shoulder.
Jiang Yuanzhou came back to his senses, smiled and shook his head at me.
He didn't say anything, but I just knew it.
We have indeed been indulging ourselves too much recently, going on dates, watching movies, and ice skating, and have completely forgotten about our studies.
It seems like it has been a long time since Jiang Yuanzhou took out the Olympiad exercise books in his schoolbag.
Jiang Yuanzhou, who once competed fiercely with Lulu in the physics competition and was determined to win the admission quota, seemed to have gradually become blurred.
"Jiang Yuanzhou," I looked up at him, "Have we been too decadent lately?"
He suddenly stopped and turned to face me.
"Nian Nian," he said with an extremely serious look, "After the college entrance examination, let's apply to the same university."
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