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The sky was dark and the air was cold. The road, where the floodwaters had receded, was covered with withered yellow leaves and pebbles, resembling a world swept by a flood.
The wind blew across the water and onto them, carrying a slight stench.
Jiang Zhiming suddenly spoke up: "Ye Wenyu, you get very nervous when you see me. What are you nervous about? Are you nervous about her or him?"
What? Ye Wenyu looked up, wondering what Jiang Zhiming meant by his words. Who were the two "he" and "she" he was referring to?
Ye Wenyu had no choice but to say, "I'm afraid Lin Tingyue will see it. There's nothing between us, but you're doing this behind my back. She cares about you so much. If she sees it, or if someone tells her about it, she'll definitely be heartbroken."
Jiang Zhiming sneered for a moment before saying, "Then you're worrying unnecessarily. Tingyue has gone to America for vacation and won't be back for at least half a month." His tone was somewhat cold.
Ye Wenyu gave a bitter smile, realizing that the rich and beautiful woman and her life were completely different worlds. She had been judging her life by her own worldview, which was truly ignorant and laughable.
Jiang Zhiming then said to her, "Besides, Tingyue is very confident and generous. She simply doesn't believe that there could be any other woman in the world more attractive than her. She trusts me completely." He thought to himself, Lin Tingyue is beautiful and generous, but her mind is empty, devoid of thought. Being with her, apart from eating, drinking, and having fun, we have nothing in common. He felt as lonely as if he were living on a deserted planet. He had sold his soul for money.
Ye Wenyu laughed. Lin Tingyue was indeed a proud little princess, and she believed that Jiang Zhiming was telling the truth.
Seeing that Ye Wenyu seemed to relax a bit, Jiang Zhiming turned around and asked her, "Actually, you're afraid Professor Cai will see this, aren't you?"
“Him?” Ye Wenyu immediately shook her head and said sadly, “He’s not in the country either. Last time, because I was stripped of my status as a student from a poor family, he went to argue with the principal to keep my spot. As a result, he offended the principal and was sent by the school to Germany to study for a year as a postdoctoral fellow. I haven’t seen him for several months.”
Jiang Zhiming laughed when he heard this, and he laughed for a long time, almost as if he were possessed. For some reason, Ye Wenyu felt that there was a mocking tone in his laughter, and she asked in an annoyed tone, "What are you laughing at?"
By this time, they had arrived at the school hospital. Jiang Zhiming carried Ye Wenyu through the hospital gate, then carried her to register and wait. He placed her on a chair so she could sit comfortably, and then sat down in an empty seat next to her. Only then did he slowly say, "I laughed at Professor Cai." He laughed to himself for a long time, then softly uttered two words, "Childish!"
Ye Wenyu blushed and gritted her teeth, saying, "Jiang Zhiming, although you have found a rich girlfriend now, you are still a college student, and Cai Wenchuan was once your teacher. A teacher for a day is a father for life. You should never forget the kindness of your teacher. How dare you laugh at him? Is this still the same Jiang Zhiming?"
Jiang Zhiming's eyes were like ice. He said coldly, "You guessed it. I'm not the same Jiang Zhiming I used to be. Ever since my mother got cancer and was hospitalized, the old Jiang Zhiming is dead." As he said this, a look of pain flashed across his eyes.
Ye Wenyu was stunned. Jiang Zhiming looked much better now, with a healthy complexion and a plumper figure. He was also dressed in designer brands. He was clearly living a much better life than before, but he seemed unhappy. Thinking of Jiang Zhiming in the previous life, who eventually saw through the illusions of the world and chose to leave home and become a Buddhist monk, Ye Wenyu couldn't help but worry.
In this life, will he ultimately walk the same path? Money is certainly necessary, but excessive wealth, like acid, can easily corrode a person, making them feel empty and bored, losing the motivation to strive, and also losing their dreams.
For this reason, in her previous life, Jiang Zhiming became a monk, and she committed suicide out of despair. In this life, she was reborn and made completely different choices than in her previous life.
Jiang Zhiming suddenly smiled smugly again. Ye Wenyu shook her head when she saw his proud and victorious look. She thought that her worries about him were unnecessary. Compared to the past, he now had a much stronger sense of presence and superiority.
Jiang Zhiming used to be like a desperate teenager who didn't know how to get along peacefully with others and the world. Now, Jiang Zhiming is just like a successful person who is adept at navigating society.
Jiang Zhiming said slowly, “I respect Cai Wenchuan’s scholarship and admire his dedication. I learned a lot from him, but I still laugh at him. I laugh at his naivety and immaturity! Not only do I laugh at him, but I was also shocked when I heard from you that he went to argue with the principal to keep your spot! It felt like when I was in elementary school, I thought teachers were gods who never went to the toilet. But one day, when you find your beloved teacher squatting next to you in the toilet, the shock is indescribable. Haha, it turns out that Professor Cai is a giant in knowledge, but a dwarf in emotional intelligence.”
Hearing Jiang Zhiming's utter insults towards Cai Wenchuan, Ye Wenyu became angry. Her face darkened, and she said angrily, "You are not allowed to talk about him like that! Jiang Zhiming, thank you for bringing me to the hospital, but there's nothing more for you here. You can leave now."
At this moment, the doctor called Ye Wenyu's number. Jiang Zhiming stood up and smiled at her, "Alright, I won't mention your beloved Professor Cai anymore. Come on, let's go see the doctor about your injury." He remained squatting in front of her, hoping to carry her to the examination room.
Ye Wenyu, however, held her injured foot high on her hind leg and hopped forward like a kangaroo, relying on her other healthy leg. Jiang Zhiming helplessly followed behind her. Ye Wenyu repeatedly told him to go back, her face stern, and later even told him to get lost immediately. But as soon as she finished speaking, the hospital floor was too slippery, and her feet were covered in mud and water. After hopping a couple of times, there was a "thump," and she fell to the ground, face first, rolling forward twice. Jiang Zhiming didn't roll away; she rolled away first.
The fall was so painful that her face was contorted in agony. The fall was so dramatic that it drew laughter from several children who were there for a medical checkup. Ye Wenyu felt both pain and humiliation, and with her injured leg unable to support her weight, she lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.
Jiang Zhiming immediately stepped forward, simply lifting her up in a princess carry and striding towards the examination room. Ye Wenyu, nestled in his arms, blushed deeply. Jiang Zhiming glanced down at her; his heart, which had been as hard as ice, melted away with warmth in his arms, flowing like a river of spring water.
In this world, she was the first girl he met, the girl he most wanted to protect. He cherished her as if she were his own past suffering. Thinking of her filled him with tenderness.
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