Chapter 229 Evil Spirit 25
The collapse of Tanhua No. 1 Middle School received little attention. The school's former principal was supposed to be transferred, but rumors of his insanity have surfaced in recent days, and his promotion and salary increase have fallen through. Jiang Chunmian paid no attention to the gossip; she has been completely absorbed in her studies.
The school couldn't be completed quickly, so the students from Tanhua No. 1 Middle School were dispersed and assigned to nearby middle schools. Zhang Yanhui's name wasn't originally on the list, but he reported it directly to the teacher in charge, and he was successfully assigned to the same school as Jiang Chunmian.
The two of them arrived at school early every day, so naturally, they weren't so lucky to have seats next to each other. During morning self-study, Zhang Yanhui moved his stool to sit next to Jiang Chunmian. The new school didn't have the strict management of the key high schools, and besides, Tanhua Town had changed. Everyone there was more or less affected by resentment, preoccupied with their own affairs, and had no time to care about the affairs of others.
Jiang Chunmian has great self-control. On the eve of the college entrance examination last year, he was distracted the whole day due to the influence of his parents' marriage. Now he has regrouped and is full of energy. He is determined to achieve excellent results. This is not only an explanation for his hard work for more than ten years, but also a subtle resentment hidden in his heart. He wants to make his parents regret that they had chosen him wrongly!
She buried herself in her studies, but Zhang Yanhui felt ignored, his grievances swallowed deep inside. During a break, he came to Jiang Chunmian's desk and saw that her cup of water was empty, and she couldn't even find time to pour it.
He sat there for a long while, but Jiang Chunmian didn't even glance at him. He sighed in his heart, picked up the cup and filled it with warm water. A few seconds before the bell rang, Zhang Yanhui held Jiang Chunmian's hand.
"Drink water."
Jiang Chunmian's lips were dry. She sipped them, then naturally took the cup of water and gulped down a few mouthfuls to relieve her thirst caused by lack of water. She curled her eyes to express her gratitude. Zhang Yanhui moved closer, about half a fist away from her.
He wiped the sweat from her forehead, oblivious to the others, and placed his palm against her cheek, the cool warmth instantly extinguishing the oppressive heat of midsummer. As June approached, the temperature climbed, and having a natural cooling device nearby was no fool. Arms touching, they sat at the desk, the coolness spreading across their skin, more effective than a fan or air conditioner.
"Do your eyes hurt from staring at books all the time? You need to balance work and rest. Next break, take a walk in the corridor with me."
Jiang Chunmian's grades were good enough. Although she worked hard on weekdays, she didn't have the same urge to stick to her textbooks as she did at this moment. As the date approached, a string tightened, and the shadow of failing the exam in previous years loomed over her. Even though Zhang Yanhui reasoned with her and presented facts, telling her how stable her grades were, and still praising her for being smart, she relaxed for a moment, but was then covered by inexplicable anxiety again.
Jiang Chunmian was afraid of affecting Zhang Yanhui's mood, so he held it in. Later, when he was asked, he had no choice but to tell the truth: "I'm not as smart as you say. This is my second year of the college entrance examination. Even if my grades are good, what does it matter? Even the teacher has said many times that the college entrance examination is all about mentality. My mentality is not good. It was not good last year. This year, I'm afraid it will not be good when I get to the exam."
As she spoke, her eyes were slightly red, a thin film of water covering them. Seeing her like this, Zhang Yanhui felt as if a sharp needle had pierced his chest, sending a soreness throughout his body. He couldn't help but hold her wrist. They were at home at the time. He pulled her in front of him, face to face, and sighed softly, "You're just too nervous."
The next morning, Zhang Yanhui drove Jiang Chunmian to a nearby hilltop. The path was rugged and overgrown with weeds. After reaching their destination, he parked his bicycle nearby and walked to the edge, holding Jiang Chunmian's hand.
"You can see the sunrise from here." Zhang Yanhui held her hand tightly. Half a step ahead was a cliff. The gravel rolled down, and the sound of the rocks falling to the ground could not be heard for a long time. He said, "I used to come here often."
Jiang Chunmian looked ahead. The mountain was covered in hazy mist and golden light faintly covered the top. A cool breeze blew from the mountains in the early morning, but she did not feel the chill because Zhang Yanhui was wearing a spring coat, standing behind her and hugging her gently.
"Are you still cold?" Zhang Yanhui used his body as a barrier to block the cool wind.
Jiang Chunmian shook his head.
She had long been accustomed to this intimate action. Zhang Yanhui's intentions were too obvious, leaving her no chance to guess. Whether at school or at home, as long as she looked up, she could always feel his burning gaze. He was obviously dead and his body was cold, but when she thought of him, it was as if a ball of fire had descended and burned violently around her.
As he was speaking, a golden light suddenly shone brightly in front of him, the azure sky was illuminated white, and a fiery red round sun jumped out.
Zhang Yanhui replied, "Making a wish here is very effective."
Jiang Chunmian immediately perked up and stared at Zhang Yanhui: "Is it now?"
Zhang Yan replied: "Yes."
Jiang Chunmian really wanted to kneel on the ground and tell the gods from all walks of life to fulfill her wish in the most traditional way, but her emotions were not there. She hugged Zhang Yanhui's waist in the back seat and slept all the way. She stood on the top of the mountain before dawn, her mind a little confused.
She opened her eyes wide and began to look around for the best spot that would best demonstrate her sincerity.
Zhang Yanhui's arms felt empty, and he subconsciously chased after her. He no longer hugged her, but put his arm against hers, and the back of his hand accidentally touched the back of her hand, and the empty feeling was relieved.
"I've never made any wishes before, so I give you all my wishes." His fingers moved, gently hooking Jiang Chunmian's fingers, entwining them for a moment, then releasing them. Then, he shouted loudly towards the rising sun, "Jiang Chunmian!"
"May all your wishes come true!"
A familiar cry came from the distant horizon.
Jiang Chunmian's ears echoed with a deafening sound. Before she could recover from the shock and excitement, Zhang Yanhui leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Even if... I'll stay with you."
The echo slowly faded. Jiang Chunmian thought about the meaning behind Zhang Yan's reply and frowned. He meant that if he failed the exam again, he would stay with her. Jiang Chunmian's nervousness was completely shaken by his words. He quickly covered his mouth and spat three times on the ground.
"Take it back! Don't talk nonsense!"
Zhang Yan replied: "Then tell me."
"say what?"
"Tell me your wish, shout it out and it will come true."
Zhang Yanhui demonstrated to Jiang Chunmian again. Jiang Chunmian imitated him and stood at the edge, with Zhang Yanhui holding her arm. She shouted, "I don't ask for more. Please bless me to perform normally!"
Zhang Yanhui shouted from the side: "Everything Jiang Chunmian said can be realized!"
Jiang Chunmian paused and glanced at Zhang Yanhui.
The young man bathed in the golden light in the early morning had fair and translucent skin, and his eyes contained a gentleness and purity that was different from that of an evil spirit. His dark eyes were focused on her, more dazzling than the gradually brightening sunlight in front of him.
She looked away and then shouted, "I want braised chicken wings for lunch!"
Echoes echoed from all directions in the sky: "Good!"
"I want to see a movie! I haven't seen one in half a year!"
"We'll go see it tonight!"
Jiang Chunmian tilted his head: "In a few days..."
Zhang Yanhui smiled and said, "Movies are also good sources of inspiration. Watching movies before the exam can not only relax us, but also help us accumulate writing material. Watching English movies can also help us learn more vocabulary."
Jiang Chunmian nodded: "That makes sense."
The college entrance exam went smoothly. Jiang Chunmian wasn't without her nervousness; her hands were shaking. But before she could think about anything else, someone walked into the strictly controlled classroom. This person, without shying away from the invigilator, walked straight up to her.
Jiang Chunmian was about to speak when Zhang Yanhui raised his finger to his lips and said, "They can't find me."
He half-knelt beside Jiang Chunmian's desk, holding her hands with both of his, squeezing them tightly, as if crushing bones with a special force. Jiang Chunmian was frightened out of her wits by his sudden action. She looked to the side, and seeing that no one noticed her unusual behavior, she felt a little relieved and asked with her mouth: "What are you doing here? Go back to your exam room!"
Zhang Yanhui smiled and whispered softly, "Since we can't go home at noon, I want to ask what you want to eat. I see there are all kinds of snacks nearby. It's best not to eat spicy food, drink some soup, and eat some light dishes. Is that okay?"
Jiang Chunmian stared at him, as if to say: Just for this? Is this worth coming here to ask her? The test papers will be handed out in a few minutes!
She mouthed: "It's all right! Go back to the exam room quickly and concentrate when you get there. Don't think about anything else!"
Jiang Chunmian, dressed in her school uniform, sat upright, glaring at Zhang Yanhui with dissatisfaction in her eyes. If she could move around freely in the exam room like he did, she would definitely stand up and push him out! How could he do that? He was still running around a few minutes before the exam. She reached out and touched the top of her head, which he had just touched, and stared straight at Zhang Yanhui's back.
He walked to the door, paused, turned around, and smiled at her.
Judging from the lip movements, it says: Come on.
After coming out of the examination room, Jiang Chunmian felt that the questions were very simple. She checked the paper several times, and the anxiety in her heart gradually subsided. She left the examination room and saw Zhang Yanhui waiting outside. She waved to Zhang Yanhui and ran closer, with sweat on her forehead.
Jiang Chunmian has a physique that is prone to heatiness. She prepared tissues during the exam and her palms were full of sweat due to nervousness. She ran to Zhang Yanhui, who picked up his backpack, opened his umbrella, and covered Jiang Chunmian with it.
"Is it hot?"
"Yeah." Jiang Chunmian wiped the sweat off his face with a tissue. There was no place to throw it, so Zhang Yanhui took it and threw it into the trash can next to him.
Zhang Yan replied: "If it's hot, come closer to me."
Jiang Chunmian had the same intention, but the two of them just walked close to each other and did not move any closer.
After lunch, Jiang Chunmian had a habit of taking a nap. The two of them had already booked a room at a nearby hotel. Accustomed to sleeping in one room at home, Zhang Yanhui would sometimes sleep on Jiang Chunmian's bed, sometimes on the floor. They had booked a twin room, but during their nap, Jiang Chunmian was overwhelmed by the heat. The air conditioning in the small hotel outside the exam hall didn't work, blasting out hot air no matter how hard he tried to adjust it. The same was true in the other rooms.
Jiang Chunmian turned over. Behind her, Zhang Yanhui turned sideways to face her with a scorching gaze. Jiang Chunmian said, "Come to my bed."
Before she could finish her words, Zhang Yanhui came to her bedside. The hot air in the room dissipated with his arrival. Jiang Chunmian was a little reserved at first, but then Zhang Yanhui said that it was getting late and the exams had to go on. If she didn't sleep, she would feel tired in the afternoon. So she naturally hugged his waist and curled up in his arms, as if she was curled up in an ice bed made of ice.
Perhaps it was the right temperature, as the rising heat subsided, Jiang Chunmian took a comfortable nap. When she woke up, her eyes were still half open and her consciousness was hazy, she felt a pressure on the top of her head. With her eyes half open and half closed, she felt Zhang Yanhui's lips.
She froze, not daring to move. She curled up in his arms, her body stiff, and the heavy kiss on her head lingered for a long time. Zhang Yanhui glanced at Jiang Chunmian and saw her eyelashes fluttering rapidly, knowing that she was awake. His face flushed and he pretended to be calm as he left her hair.
"woke up?"
"...Yeah." He rubbed his eyes as if he had just woken up.
Zhang Yan replied: "The alarm didn't ring. Do you want to sleep a little longer?"
Jiang Chunmian shook his head: "I can't sleep anymore, let's pack up and go."
"good."
The last exam was over, and the burden on her body was lifted. When Jiang Chunmian left the examination room, she saw Zhang Yanhui staring at her intently. There were people coming and going at the entrance, but she ignored the crowd and ran to him.
"The exam is over!" Jiang Chunmian estimated her approximate results. Last year, she was absent-minded in the exam room, but this year was completely different. She was very satisfied with her state in the exam room, so at the last moment when she put pen to paper, the joy in her heart almost burst out.
She didn't stop at Zhang Yanhui's presence; her legs seemed to be out of control as she bounded into his arms, hugging his neck and laughing and shouting. How could Zhang Yanhui not be thrilled? He had longed for the Gaokao, only to have his hopes dashed. Then, by some strange twist of fate, he took the exam with his life on the line.
Zhang Yanhui raised the corner of his lips: "So happy."
Jiang Chunmian: "Tomorrow I will sleep until noon!"
Outside the examination room, a huge crowd of people gathered, including parents who had come to pick up their children. The two of them were so affectionate that they attracted onlookers. Zhang Yanhui saw that Jiang Chunmian hadn't noticed, so he became even more open-minded, wishing everyone could see that Jiang Chunmian was his! Thinking of this, Zhang Yanhui retracted her arm around her waist and tightened it. "Let's not talk about tomorrow, but did you hear what I said that night?"
Jiang Chunmian was stunned.
Zhang Yanhui wiped the sweat off her forehead with his palm, smoothed her hair, and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter if you didn't hear it! I'm telling you now, the college entrance examination is over."
Jiang Chunmian knew exactly which day he was referring to. Ever since Zhang Yanhui's identity was exposed, no matter how much she prepared herself mentally, she couldn't help but feel a sense of fear. But ever since that day when Zhang Yanhui held her hand, felt every inch of his wounds, and tasted all his grievances and suffering, that fear had vanished.
It was that night that Zhang Yanhui took the opportunity to coax her to sleep and whispered in her ear. He said: There are still two months.
During these two months, the two tacitly got along as usual, but both knew in their hearts that something had changed.
Zhang Yanhui whispered something in her ear again. Jiang Chunmian blushed and turned her head away, humming a sound. She looked up at him and met Zhang Yanhui's eyes, which were filled with expectation and grievance. She pursed her lips and whispered in his ear at the same volume, "Me too!"
Zhang Yanhui, however, didn't feel satisfied. Jiang Chunmian had whetted his appetite. His current situation was infinitely better than before. If he could go back to a few months ago, any kind glance from Jiang Chunmian would make him reminisce all day long. But during the two or three months of preparation for the exam, they ate and lived together. Although they hadn't said it explicitly, from that day when he held Jiang Chunmian's hand and rubbed his body, he felt that they had a tacit understanding, and all they needed was the final step of the college entrance examination.
He didn't say anything more. The two of them went to the supermarket to buy some snacks and returned home. It was not convenient to stay out for long at night. Even if Zhang Yanhui was a ghost, they had to avoid being noticed. Jiang Chunmian felt relieved after taking off the burden. When he turned around, he saw Zhang Yanhui was worried.
Her head buzzed: Could it be that he didn't perform well in the exam?
She was anxious before the exam, but after Zhang Yanhui comforted her, she felt much more relaxed. Thinking carefully about Zhang Yanhui's behavior, it seemed that something was wrong. He kept wandering around her exam room before the exam! If it was really because of her poor performance, then it was a sin.
Jiang Chunmian frowned and tried hard to say something comforting: "It's no big deal..."
Before she finished speaking, she looked up at Zhang Yanhui, shocked by his sudden dissatisfaction. She opened her mouth in bewilderment and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
He looked like a puppy whose food had been snatched away, full of grievances but unable to voice them out, staring intently with his dark, dark eyes. It didn't look like he'd done well on the exam, and Jiang Chunmian couldn't figure out why. Then he heard Zhang Yan reply, "I'm always uneasy until you say that yourself."
He felt a little embarrassed, his face flushed, but he still pretended to be calm and whispered, "You know I'm not a 'normal' person. I'm always worried that you'll be perfunctory when you're with me, and that one day you'll run away out of fear..."
Jiang Chunmian finally understood. Despite all her high-sounding words, she still felt insecure. But she was a serious and obedient student. Although her experiences in Epiphyllum Town were somewhat bizarre, love and affection were not something that could be expressed simply by speaking. However, the man in front of her looked truly aggrieved. She swallowed and cleared her throat.
"Zhang Yan replied, if you understand, I'll say it this time." Her eyes sparkled as she said, "I like you, I really like you!"
I thought that after hearing the sincere confession, the young man in front of me would definitely smile brightly, but in reality, what appeared before my eyes was blood flowing out from somewhere, covering Zhang Yanhui's face.
Even though his face was delicate and beautiful, it couldn't withstand the smear of blood, revealing a slight sense of horror. Fortunately, the look he gave Jiang Chunmian was as gentle and clear as ever. Jiang Chunmian thought to himself: It seems that he doesn't know what he looks like at this moment.
She skillfully pulled out a piece of paper and pressed it against the bleeding area: "Wipe it yourself."
Zhang Yanhui looked apologetic: "I didn't know... I didn't scare you, did I?"
Jiang Chunmian's expression remained normal: "Not bad."
Zhang Yanhui casually pressed the tissue, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he was thinking about Jiang Chunmian's words in his heart. He felt his chest gradually getting warmer, and he could even smell the faint breath of a living person. The flesh and blood wrapped in his chest was slowly trembling, and it seemed that the whole room was filled with the sound of his excited heartbeat.
He grinned and said, "I like you better!"
At the same time, blood flowed out from the back and formed a small puddle on the ground. Jiang Chunmian noticed it and understood what was going on. He had said before that when emotions were excited, one would not be able to control the changes in the body. She sighed secretly.
What if he was like this in public? Just a few words of confession had him so agitated...
Zhang Yanhui was obviously aware of his own change, but he had been with Jiang Chunmian for many days and had already figured out her temper. If she was afraid, she would definitely be strong and calm. She turned her eyes away and dared not look at him, but she deliberately pretended to be brave and stared at him. At this moment, she just looked at his bleeding wound with a little annoyance, not knowing what she was thinking.
Zhang Yan replied: "When I'm emotionally agitated, I have trouble controlling my appearance. If I practice more and get used to it, I'll be able to stand out in a crowd."
"How do I practice?" Jiang Chunmian asked humbly. She naturally hoped that Zhang Yanhui could live a smooth life.
Zhang Yanhui pursed her lips, a deep blush appearing on her pale cheeks: "Say it again."
"Uh-huh?"
"If you say it a few more times, I'll hear it more often and it won't happen again."
Jiang Chunmian reacted, took out two tissues and pressed them against his eyes, and said angrily: "I haven't eaten yet, I'm too hungry to have the energy!"
Zhang Yan had no time to think about romance, and hurriedly wiped the blood off his body and went into the kitchen.
Jiang Chunmian was helping on the side. The frying pan made a sizzling sound. He asked Jiang Chunmian to stay away. He glanced at her casually and seemed to be back in the classroom that brought him endless pain. She rushed in with her schoolbag on her back. In a trance, she bent down and approached quietly. Her big eyes were bright. She pressed the toilet paper against his forehead and accused him of not thinking too much while cooking, otherwise the blood would drip into the pan and taste bad.
Zhang Yanhui quickly collected his thoughts and worked hard as a cook at home during the summer vacation.
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