Chapter 34
The starry sky, like overturned diamonds, shimmered against the inky black canvas. Outside the window, the lights of countless homes wove a warm yellow river of light, yet they couldn't penetrate the stagnant, cold silence inside.
Xiao Mingzhu's confession was like an unexpected pebble, crashing into Jiang Wanwan's heart.
Her pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints, and she forgot to catch her breath, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes.
She never imagined that this usually calm and reserved "big shot" would reveal his feelings in such a straightforward way, so frankly that she had no way to dodge.
But how can you force someone to fall in love?
Looking into those sincere eyes, Jiang Wanwan felt as if her throat was blocked with cotton, unable to even utter a tactful refusal.
Her silence was like a thin layer of ice, which Xiao Mingzhu quickly saw through.
A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed the man's eyes, and his lips twitched slightly, but he still kept his back straight, his voice carrying a cautious insistence: "Don't be nervous, I'm not trying to force you to respond immediately, I just want a chance to pursue you, okay?"
The door clicked shut, and the motion-activated lights in the hallway were jolted on, leaving only Jiang Wanwan's frozen figure in the warm light.
Xiao Mingzhu left, taking with him the toiletries and changes of clothes she had bought for him.
He never wanted to leave.
But the aloofness in Jiang Wanwan's eyes was too obvious, like an invisible boundary, making him dare not hope to stay any longer. He could only take a step back, at least to retain a sliver of possibility of getting closer.
Downstairs, Xiao Mingzhu looked up at the lit window. In the night, his eyes were as deep as a pool, filled with an unyielding longing that lingered for a long time.
Jiang Wanwan took a while to calm down before turning around and starting to pack her luggage.
Tomorrow I'm taking the students on a study tour to Wujing Town. This trip is just in time. Perhaps after some time apart, Xiao Mingzhu will see clearly that she's just an ordinary woman, and that his previous infatuation was just a passing fancy.
The high-speed train sped along the tracks, and the trees and fields outside the window rushed past, like worries being thrown away.
A few hours later, when Jiang Wanwan arrived at the hotel in Wujing Town with her students, it was already dark.
For safety reasons, the school temporarily canceled the outdoor activities that evening, telling everyone to get some rest and that they could climb Mount Van, the most famous mountain in the area, together the next day when they were refreshed. Mount Van is also one of the five famous mountains in the area.
The next morning, the foot of Mount Fan was shrouded in mist.
After repeatedly reminding the students of safety precautions, Jiang Wanwan let them climb the mountain freely, agreeing to meet at the foot of the mountain in the evening.
As soon as the words were spoken, the children, like frolicking sparrows, chirped and ran towards the mountain trail, their energy almost overflowing.
"It's so good to be young," Tie Shengnan said with a sigh as she walked over and watched the children's backs. She had just settled her students and was planning to go hiking with Jiang Wanwan.
Jiang Wanwan handed over a brand-new hiking pole and nodded in agreement: "That's right, I really can't compare to their energy."
With a hint of self-deprecation in her voice, she hadn't climbed for long before her legs started to feel heavy, probably because she was really getting old.
The two chatted as they walked uphill, the trees along the mountain path growing denser and the air filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
As she walked, Jiang Wanwan noticed some figures coming and going on the mountain path; they were sedan chair carriers, a unique sight in Fanshan.
They usually work in pairs, carrying simple bamboo chairs one in front and one behind. Whenever tourists get tired, they can pay to ride in a "sedan chair" up the mountain.
These sedan chair bearers were clearly used to manual labor; their skin was tanned dark and their faces were etched with the marks of time, but the muscles in their arms were taut and they walked with great steadiness.
"It's really not easy," Tie Shengnan said in a low voice, her eyes full of sympathy, as she couldn't help but murmur to Jiang Wanwan.
Jiang Wanwan bit her lower lip, sighed softly, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Who doesn't grit their teeth and persevere just to make a living?
When they were more than halfway up the mountain, the outline of the summit could be vaguely seen. At that moment, a little boy caught up from behind. Jiang Wanwan recognized him as a student from her school by the school badge on his uniform, but she didn't know which class he was in.
The little boy ran up to one of the sedan chair carriers, looked up at him, and asked, "Grandpa, how much does it cost to ride this up the mountain?"
The sedan bearer wiped the sweat from his brow and held up a sign with his rough hand: "One hundred yuan."
The little boy's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned around to wave to his friends behind him, his voice full of excitement: "I can't walk anymore, I want to ride in the sedan chair!"
The other children gathered around, their eyes filled with envy. They were also exhausted and their legs were weak, but the pocket money in their pockets was not enough to ride in the sedan chair, so they could only watch longingly.
Just as the little boy was excitedly about to get into the sedan chair, a sharp voice suddenly came from the side: "Hey, what's wrong with you, child? You're so strong and healthy, why are you being carried by such an old man? Don't you feel ashamed?"
The speaker was a middle-aged man, well-dressed, whose contempt was undisguised, and whose voice was so loud that everyone around him turned to look.
He seemed to be deliberately trying to let everyone know how "righteous" he was.
All eyes immediately turned to the little boy; some were curious, some were disdainful, and some were simply watching the spectacle.
The little boy's smile froze instantly, his face turned ashen, his head was bowed low, his little hands were tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, and even his ears turned red. He was clearly stunned and flustered by what he had been told.
Jiang Wanwan saw everything clearly from the side, and her brows instantly furrowed into a knot.
Whether it was her protective instincts or her utter inability to tolerate the man's "moral blackmail," she stepped up two steps and stood in front of him, her voice as cold as ice: "Sir, what business is it of yours whether the child rides in a sedan chair or not? He paid a lot of money, and besides, this sedan chair is a service provided to tourists, it's legal and compliant, who are you to tell me what to do?"
She inherited her father's chivalrous spirit and couldn't stand anyone bullying children, let alone those who flaunted their superiority under the guise of "justice".
Moreover, the sedan chair bearers rely on this job to make a living. If no one rides in the sedan chair, how will they earn money to support their families?
Moreover, children are lighter, making it much easier for sedan chair bearers to carry them than for adults.
This is clearly a win-win situation, so how did it become "bullying the elderly" in this man's mouth?
The middle-aged man was stunned by the retort, his face instantly turning a deep purplish-red. He retorted defiantly, "I'm a professor at the Academy of Sciences! I can't stand people like you who exploit ordinary people!"
“Exploitation?” Jiang Wanwan sneered, her voice even colder. “You sit in an air-conditioned office, earning a high salary, of course you don’t have to do physical labor for a living. But have you ever thought that for them, this sedan chair isn’t ‘exploitation,’ it’s their livelihood? Your light-hearted accusation makes you seem noble, but have you ever thought about what’s best for them?”
"You...you're just being a woman!" Unable to win the argument, the middle-aged man resorted to personal attacks.
The people around had long since stopped listening and began whispering among themselves: "The girl is right, there's nothing shameful about earning money through physical labor," "Exactly, that professor is just talking without any real understanding of the situation," "The child didn't do anything wrong, don't scare the child"...
Even the sedan chair bearers looked up, their eyes filled with emotion, their gazes towards Jiang Wanwan filled with gratitude.
Seeing everyone pointing and whispering, the middle-aged man lost face, stomped his foot angrily, and slunk away quickly.
Seeing this, the little boy finally raised his head, a smile returned to his face, and he timidly said to Jiang Wanwan, "Thank you, teacher."
Tie Shengnan leaned closer, her eyes full of admiration: "Wanwan, you're amazing! That professor's face was as green as moss on a mountain just now!"
Jiang Wanwan touched her head, a little embarrassed: "Actually, it's nothing. I just couldn't stand him bullying children and pretending to be so noble." She was just doing what she was supposed to do.
Mount Van was indeed high; it took them a whole day to climb before they leisurely made their way back to the hotel.
By then, it was already dark, and the setting sun had dyed the distant mountains orange-red, and the clouds looked as if they were edged with gold, making it as beautiful as a moving landscape painting.
Jiang Wanwan couldn't resist taking out her phone to take a picture and casually posting it on her WeChat Moments.
Less than five minutes later, the phone beeped; it was a message from Kuang Ye.
[ET. Kuang Ye]: Sister! What a coincidence! I'm also in Wujing Town! Let's meet up~
Jiang Wanwan was taken aback for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. What a coincidence! The image of Kuang Ye's always smiling eyes and his lighthearted tone of voice involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
She replied, "I'm sorry, I still have to keep an eye on the students." She was really worried about those few mischievous little ones in the class.
Kuang Ye clearly had no intention of giving up, and soon sent another message: "Sister, are you still going to watch them at nine o'clock tonight? Give the kids some space~"
It was followed by a pitiful-looking kitten emoji, as if it was "standing up for" the students.
Jiang Wanwan couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw the meme.
She rubbed her forehead and thought about it carefully. At nine o'clock in the evening, most of the students would be resting in their rooms, and there were other teachers in the hotel, so there shouldn't be any problem.
So she replied, "Okay then, where shall we meet?"
The other end replied almost instantly, sending an address along with a poster—it was a livehouse in Wujing Town, where there was a performance that evening.
[ET. Kuang Ye]: Sister, I have a performance tonight! You absolutely have to come!
Jiang Wanwan then realized that Kuang Ye was in Wujing Town for a performance tour.
She remembered Kuang Ye saying that his dream was to become a rapper. Although he wasn't famous yet, he would seize any performance opportunity he had.
Looking at Kuang Ye's flamboyant smile on the poster, he was wearing a loose hoodie, holding a microphone, and his eyes were full of light.
Jiang Wanwan's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and the corners of her mouth turned up without her even realizing it. There was a hint of anticipation in that smile.
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