Chapter 12 Cosmos (11) Who is he to her?
Beep-beep-beep-
"Hello, who is this?"
"Auntie, I'm Lin Xia. Is Ruirui home?"
"Xia Xia, Rui Rui is at home, wait for me to let her answer the phone."
After waiting for a moment, Zhang Ruinan's excited voice came from the other end of the receiver:
"Xia Xia, why did you call me just now?!"
Zhang Ruinan was Lin Xia's deskmate and her best friend throughout junior high school.
Lin Xia was infected by her voice and was also excited:
"I was worried that you didn't come home. Didn't you go out to play?"
"I came back early. I called your house but no one answered."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I came to live with my grandfather during the holidays."
When I was a student without mobile phones, I would lose contact with my friends as soon as I had a holiday, and whether I could find them depended entirely on fate.
"How's it going? Wanna go out and play? Jiang Yuhua, Wang Zhengyu and the others have urged me several times, and I told them I couldn't leave Xia Xia behind! I finally got in touch with you this time. Do you have time tomorrow?"
"OK!"
"Okay, see you at the entrance of Wangchun Park at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning!"
“See you there!”
After hanging up the phone, Lin Xia said to He Chuan happily, just like a child reporting to his parents:
"I'm going to the city to play with my classmates tomorrow!"
He Chuan nodded: "Okay, then I'll take you there tomorrow. I'll go and ask if the visa application has been completed."
Lin Xia was stunned: "Has it been a month?"
Applying for a visa to study in Hong Kong is very complicated. When He Chuan first received the notification letter, he calculated that it would take about a month to complete all the procedures. At that time, he thought everything was still very long and far away, but he didn't expect it to be here so soon.
Although Lin Xia's summer vacation has not ended yet, He Chuan's school start date is just around the corner.
"Last time I went there, they told me it would take about seven days. I think it will take about two days."
"But grandpa and the others haven't come back yet? How are you going to get to school then?"
"I can go by myself."
Lin Xia was worried: "But that's Hong Kong, it's very far away. Can you make it alone? Do I need to take a plane? Where can I buy a plane ticket?"
"I've never been on a plane either." He Chuan thought for a moment, "I'll ask Tan Zhizhou tomorrow. He's been on a long trip before."
"Then I'll ask my classmate for you tomorrow. She just went to Sanya." Lin Xia paused and said with some envy, "That's great. I also want to take a plane. I also want to go to Hong Kong. It would be great if I could take you to school."
He Chuan laughed: "Who will send whom off?"
"Too."
Lin Xia smiled sheepishly, then she said, "Then wait until I'm a little older. When I grow up, I must go to Hong Kong to play. Then you have to take me to fun places and eat lots of delicious food!"
"Okay," He Chuan agreed with her with a smile, "It's a deal."
.
Wangchun Mountain is a small hill with an altitude of only a few hundred meters in the center of Wangchun City. A park was built around this mountain, also called Wangchun Park. It is one of the few natural parks in the city. It has been renovated in recent years and some fitness equipment and public facilities have been built. Every day, a steady stream of people gather in the square in front of the mountain. The four words "Wangchun Park" on the square were written by Lin Haisheng.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, He Chuan sent Lin Xia to the park gate on time and told her:
"be safe."
Lin Xia jumped out of the car: "I understand. We don't have to play until that long. I will take the bus back by myself after we finish."
"It's okay. I'll go to Tan Zhizhou's house and meet you in front of the Xinhua Bookstore after 5 o'clock."
"All right."
Lin Xia nodded, and was about to leave when He Chuan stopped her.
"Wait, this is for you."
He took out fifty yuan from his pocket and handed it to her.
Lin Xia was a little surprised: "I have money here, enough to spend."
He Chuan smiled:
"Here, this is your money. Did you forget?"
The money she "deposited" with him was still his money!
Moreover, he had already spent a lot of money on her during this period. He was just a student. Even if He Ping left him some living expenses, how much would it be?
Lin Xia didn't want it, but He Chuan insisted. She had no choice but to accept it embarrassedly and whispered:
"Thanks."
He Chuan didn't say anything else, just left a sentence "Don't play too late", and rode away on his bike.
The other students had already arrived and were waiting for Lin Xia at the door. Naturally, they all saw this scene. So when Lin Xia saw He Chuan off and walked over, many people asked curiously:
"Lin Xia, who is that boy?"
"Hey, it's only been a month since we last met, how come you've found a partner?" someone joked.
Her deskmate Wang Zhengyu even defended her: "Don't talk nonsense."
Zhang Ruinan put his arm around Lin Xia's neck, threatening her:
"Xia Xia, tell me the truth, who is that handsome guy?"
Yes, who is he to her? How should we define the relationship between them?
As soon as they step into the outside world and meet a third person, they will have to explain this problem.
It was very troublesome and annoying. Lin Xia didn't want to explain.
Why is it necessary to define their relationship?
It would be nice if they could stay in the small forest farm forever, not be disturbed by outsiders, and live their lives just the two of them.
Facing Zhang Ruinan's question at this time, Lin Xia could only give a vague answer:
"It's a relative of the family."
Zhang Ruinan suddenly realized: "Oh, it's your cousin, right? I remember you have a cousin who is in college."
"Yeah, don't talk about me, Ruirui, why are you so tanned?"
Zhang Ruinan screamed, "Don't call me dark! You're the hundredth person to say that to me! Besides, what's wrong with being dark? That's a healthy skin color!"
Jiang Yuhua, who was sitting behind her, joked, "Other people with tanned skin are healthy, but you're all tanned black, Zhang Qingtian!"
Zhang Ruinan was furious: "You know I'm a great judge, yet you dare to laugh at me? Where are the left and right protectors? I want to bring you to court!"
The topic was just passed over with laughter.
There are always one or two people in every small group who love to be late. Lin Xia was not the last one to arrive, so she waited for a while. After everyone arrived, everyone started climbing the mountain.
This group of about eight or nine people sat next to each other in their usual classroom seats, and they were close friends. Zhang Ruinan and Lin Xia sat at desks opposite each other. Lin Xia was short, a bit carefree and tomboyish, but with a cheerful and outgoing personality, she was the core of the group. Lin Xia, an art student who often missed classes, was neither good nor bad at school, and wasn't particularly sociable. If it weren't for Zhang Ruinan dragging her along, she wouldn't have hung out with so many people.
It's a cloudy day today, but the weather is nice, so we can hike outdoors without getting too much sun.
Wangchun Mountain is relatively low, and the park is relatively small. The children of Wangchun City have come here countless times since they were little, so there's not much to do here. It's just a strange kind of ritual. They quickly climbed up and down the mountain, walked around the winding path, and then moved on.
At the beginning of the year, the city's first comprehensive modern shopping mall opened, quickly becoming a popular destination for young people. It housed a cinema, chain clothing brands, a food court, a large supermarket, and even a genuine KFC. It was called a genuine KFC because, after several imitation fast-food chains that had opened in the small town before, this was finally the real deal.
Lin Xia hadn't been there, but she'd heard from Zhang Ruinan, who had been, that the food there was incredibly expensive. A small hamburger cost over ten yuan, making it nowhere near as affordable as the little place across from the school. That being said, who wouldn't be curious about all the dazzling fried chicken and fries in those brochures? After so many years of eating knockoffs, it was time to try the real thing!
This time, taking advantage of the large crowd, everyone chipped in, and a group of people bravely entered the store.
Many years later, with rising prices and inflation, a meal costing just over ten yuan was considered incredibly cheap. Lin Xia traveled from north to south, visiting the most developed and prosperous cities in China. When KFC and McDonald's became just a perfunctory work meal, she often recalled the first time she and her classmates walked into a KFC. She couldn't quite recall the burgers they ordered or the flavor of the fries. She only remembered the windows of the fast food restaurant, which were exceptionally bright, the familiar pop music playing, and the tables covered with bags of ketchup they had shamelessly requested. Teenagers, at their most outspoken and boisterous, had no concept of poverty and isolation, nor any worries or anxieties about their futures. They laughed and played, living a carefree youth.
After dinner, we went to a cold drink shop to have some cold drinks, and then went to KTV to sing. These are the only entertainment activities suitable for students in this small town.
It was summer vacation now, and the KTVs near the pedestrian street were offering discounts, with private rooms being especially cheap during the day. They sang for the entire afternoon, howling and wailing, until the last minute was up. They were urged by the waiter to leave, and only then did they reluctantly leave.
At the KTV entrance, Zhang Ruinan, still in high spirits, urged everyone to go get some barbecue, his voice hoarse. After the high school entrance exam, some of them got into the experimental school, some into the Yifu School, some into regular high schools, and one was going to school in the next city. Although they were all close enough to see each other anytime, getting together again was probably impossible.
Lin Xia looked at her watch and saw that it was already 5 o'clock. Although she also wanted to go with them, she couldn't let He Chuan wait any longer, so she told Zhang Ruinan that her parents didn't allow her to play too late and she had to go home.
The world is big, but parents are the most important. Although Zhang Ruinan was reluctant to leave, he could only say goodbye to her.
Wang Zhengyu suddenly said, "I have to go back too. Lin Xia, I'm going with you."
Zhang Ruinan feigned anger: "Wang Zhengyu, why did you run away too?"
Someone pulled her and said with a smile: "Rui Nan, then let him and Lin Xia go..."
Then the two heads came together and whispered something, and everyone showed a meaningful smile, as if they had some tacit understanding.
Lin Xia was very confused until Wang Zhengyu, who had an unnatural expression, greeted her. Then she said goodbye to everyone and left.
Lin Xia was going to the Xinhua Bookstore, and Wang Zhengyu's home was nearby. The destination was not far from the KTV, so the two of them walked there together.
One in front, one behind, one on the left, one on the right, with half a step between them, a distance that was neither unfamiliar nor familiar. They chatted casually about teachers, classmates, and the party just now, without being awkward, nor too intimate.
Although the two were deskmates, they had only sat together for a year, and in the beginning, their relationship was quite bad. Wang Zhengyu always opposed Lin Xia for some reason, drawing parallels, calling her nicknames, pulling her braids and tying her shoelaces, which were all commonplace. Lin Xia looked well-behaved, but she couldn't stand being wronged, and she would fight back every time and would directly start fighting. The two often quarreled in class and were both punished by standing.
Zhang Ruinan and Wang Zhengyu were elementary school classmates and had a good relationship. She mediated between them and tried to reconcile them. Later, no one could remember who gave in first, but the two of them inexplicably shook hands and made peace. Then they slowly started chatting, copied each other's homework, and started going out to play with Zhang Ruinan during the holidays. It can be said that there was no friendship without fighting.
They soon arrived at the Xinhua Bookstore, but He Chuan had not arrived yet, so Lin Xia planned to stand at the door and wait. Wang Zhengyu said he wanted to accompany her for a while and stood with her.
"Lin Xia, have you participated in the experiment?" Wang Zhengyu asked.
"Yeah, I just said that. Did you go to Shaw?"
"Yeah, my house is close to Shaw University, and my parents want me to go to Shaw University. Actually, I also want to go to Experimental School."
Lin Xia was a little confused: "Is there any difference?"
Both of these are key high schools in the city, and their teaching quality is similar.
"Because most of the students in our class are taking the experiment, you are taking the experiment too."
"That's true."
Lin Xia nodded. Seeing Wang Zhengyu scratching his head and looking at a loss, she couldn't help but ask:
"Do you have something to tell me?"
"Yes, there is something..."
Wang Zhengyu didn't know why his face flushed red. He looked up at the sky and down at the ground but didn't dare look at her. After hesitating for a long time, he finally made up his mind and said with gritted teeth, as if he was going to burn his boats:
"Lin Xia, actually, I like you!"
Lin Xia didn't react to what he was saying for a moment. When she finally realized what he was saying, she was shocked. She opened her mouth and only uttered a simple syllable:
"......ah?"
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