Chapter 12: Nowhere to Hide from the Tracking
After the snowy night, all the noise subsided and the day was sunny again. The snow that had accumulated last night had almost melted away.
Today is Friday of the week. The morning was as peaceful as usual, with nothing happening.
It's noon today. Xu Yongqing, who hasn't been staying at school for the past few days, was once again "reprimanded" by her parents this morning to "properly" pack up her things in the dormitory and go home to completely end her commute. This is the final deadline.
Therefore, when Ning Yanzhao and Jing Yiran came to the classroom for their afternoon classes after having lunch in the cafeteria, they saw Xu Yongqing organizing a pile of luggage outside the classroom. Because of the blankets, the luggage looked larger than yesterday's.
Tomorrow is the weekend, and it seems that Xu Yongqing has already packed everything up in the dormitory and completed the check-out procedures today, so she doesn't plan to go back.
Although Xu Yongqing's luggage wasn't much compared to the usual amount of luggage others had, it still stood out conspicuously outside the classroom. After all, it wasn't a long holiday like winter or summer vacation when everyone would be packing their bags to go home. Instead, it was the intensive review period with final exams just around the corner, so a small weekend like this definitely made a big splash.
The students in the next class had also heard about Xu Yongqing's situation these past two days. After all, the commotion caused by Xu Yongqing's father that day was quite significant. However, everyone was very perceptive and only gave their companions meaningful glances when passing by Class 2, without expressing their own thoughts.
The other students who were also caught by the dormitory supervisor that day for bringing cell phones into the dormitory have been severely scolded by their parents and teachers in the past few days. They thought they were already miserable enough, but they didn't expect that there were others who were even more miserable than them. They are still feeling lingering fear when they think about what happened a couple of days ago, and they are determined never to do it again.
"Yan Zhao, sigh."
Jing Yiran also felt deep sympathy for Xu Yongqing when she saw her. She remembered how hard Xu Yongqing studied in the classroom and cafeteria. With such strong self-discipline, she was clearly not someone who wanted to have fun. Even if she occasionally wanted to relax and looked at her phone in the dormitory, it wouldn't be a big deal. Xu Yongqing's academic performance was already so excellent, yet her parents were still so strict with her. It was simply outrageous.
Knowing some of the inside story, Ning Yanzhao was helpless. Everyone was a minor without independent financial means, and at this stage, they could only follow their parents' arrangements. It was something she could not do. She could only shake her head and say to Jing Yiran, "Let's go in, class is about to start."
Now that things have escalated to this point, Xu Yongqing's "running away from home" has indeed come ahead of schedule.
Although Ning Yanzhao couldn't remember whether she had packed her bags nine years ago, the only thing she was clear about was that many things had indeed changed slightly this time compared to that time.
Before taking her last step into the classroom, Ning Yanzhao looked up at the sky, hoping that this sunny day would last forever.
After two English classes and one history class on Friday afternoon, it was time for the grade's self-study period. Ning Yanzhao and her group were also preparing to move to another classroom for their composition tutoring class.
On her way to the classroom for her composition tutoring class, just like the other students carrying their weekend belongings, Xu Yongqing also placed her packed dormitory luggage outside the classroom. It was convenient to go downstairs later. Just as she finished unpacking, the Chinese teacher walked over from the other side of the corridor, and class was about to begin.
In those few short minutes, Ning Yanzhao didn't get a chance to speak to Xu Yongqing, so she had to go into the classroom first.
When Ning Yanzhao arrived at the classroom, she saw An Nianyu and his good friend Ye Fanghuai already sitting in their usual seats, preparing for the next composition class. The two were chatting, and when she came in, An Nianyu also looked up at her.
Since that night when Ning Yanzhao unexpectedly ran into An Nianyu at the school gate, who only occasionally came to evening self-study, today is the first time she has seen him again after a day or two.
Ning Yanzhao recalled that hazy, snowy winter night, and her heart suddenly raced. A warm feeling welled up inside her, regardless of whether An Nianyu knew or not. This was a memory unique to Ning Yanzhao, and no one knew Ning Yanzhao's secret.
What happened after that snowy winter night?
After Ning Yanzhao finished her call that day, she didn't answer An Nianyu's earlier question about what kind of help was needed, whether it was about the zipper or the phone call that had been impossible to get through at the beginning.
The two of them stood there quietly, waiting for the bus to arrive.
After returning home, Ning Yanzhao checked all the call logs. She had made countless calls over a total period of about ten minutes.
Ten minutes is usually just a blink of an eye, sometimes not even enough to finish a small problem, but that ten minutes felt incredibly long to Ning Yanzhao because she was thinking about something.
At that time, besides the relief she felt after receiving calls from her parents, what touched Ning Yanzhao the most was probably An Nianyu's silent companionship for more than ten minutes.
Ning Yanzhao saw that the bus An Nianyu usually took was almost past the bus stop in front of the school, but he was not in a hurry at all. In the end, he did not get on the bus, but continued to stand next to her and keep her company.
On snowy winter nights, shops near the school close early and go home. After the bus leaves, the area returns to tranquility.
The conversation between the two resumed when An Nianyu asked her where she was going.
Ning Yanzhao said she was going to the bus stop to take a bus home, and An Nianyu still held the umbrella and escorted her to the bus stop.
Ning Yanzhao once saw a sentence on an online platform: "Today is so lucky. On a snowy day when I happened to meet you, I held up an umbrella for you. Even the size of the umbrella was just right, including the angle at which it was tilted towards you and the distance between our shoulders. It was all perfectly clever."
Ning Yanzhao now felt that this statement was really quite true. She used her down jacket, pulled up high, to make sure that An Nianyu couldn't see her, and couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth. She really wouldn't have such a lucky day again.
Therefore, Ning Yanzhao did not notice An Nianyu, who was also smiling, watching her at that time.
Perhaps they both tacitly sensed something brewing in the air, and they walked silently to the bus stop.
Then, after arriving at the bus stop, Ning Yanzhao, as she had done many times before, could only manage a few polite words and some random ramblings about things related to her essay, unable to come up with anything else of value.
Finally, when Ning Yanzhao saw the bus arrive, she grasped at it like a lifeline and said to An Nianyu, "The bus I need to take home has arrived, so I'm leaving now. See you in composition class tomorrow," before fleeing away.
Goodbye, evening.
Goodnight to you too!
It wasn't until Ning Yanzhao got on the bus and realized that An Nianyu could no longer see her clearly that she dared to look boldly at An Nianyu's face, which was constantly disappearing backward.
Ning Yanzhao thought about An Nianyu's goodnight to her earlier, and she couldn't help but smile again. Finally, she drew a smiley face on the bus window covered with a thin layer of mist, as if it were a gift for An Nianyu. Only then did she turn her head with satisfaction and touch her face, which was already burning red. Fortunately, she had the down jacket that her father had brought in the morning to cover it up, otherwise she would have been completely exposed.
No matter how old she is mentally, Ning Yanzhao is still the same "coward" she always was.
An unrequited love is always hard to hide from, and Ning Yanzhao felt that she had lost all face in her life in front of An Nianyu.
Now, just like many times recently, the two of them briefly exchange glances before returning to where they should be.
In the few seconds that they looked at each other, each was lost in their own thoughts.
Ning Yanzhao felt that her life was always full of regrets. What did she need to improve?
However, time did not give Ning Yanzhao a chance to struggle with her thoughts, and soon a signal interrupted her thinking.
As the school bell rang, the Chinese teacher, who had been talking with the homeroom teacher of another class in the corridor, entered the classroom, and the composition tutoring class officially began.
"The central theme of this essay competition is 'science fiction.' As long as it fits the theme, there are no restrictions on the subject matter. Everyone is free to unleash their creativity..."
The school encourages everyone to participate in this essay competition because winning an award automatically earns the title of "Provincial Outstanding Student," and it also gives points when applying to specific schools. Every extra point in the college entrance examination is hard-earned, so students with writing talent are very enthusiastic about this essay competition.
Everyone listened attentively in the composition class. Today, in addition to reading and appreciating past award-winning compositions, there was also an in-class writing test, unlike the previous class.
As mentioned before, fortunately, Ning Yanzhao has several years of writing-related work experience. As long as she doesn't have to aim for a big award, completing a simple test is still easy for her. She wrote a long paragraph in no time, but she probably still can't compare to Xu Yongqing, who has a solid literary foundation. After all, she already knows about Ning Yanzhao's abilities.
Midway through the lesson, the Chinese teacher would periodically ask a student to read aloud a short essay they had just written on a whim.
When it was Xu Yongqing's turn, Ning Yanzhao was immediately impressed by Xu Yongqing's writing. She used her years of experience in the literary industry as a guarantee that it was really well written. It would be a loss for the examiners if she didn't participate in the competition and win an award.
People who are truly gifted at writing will show it clearly at a young age. Xu Yongqing is one such person, while Ning Yanzhao has only reached her current level after a lot of training, which can be considered as "stealing" from her future self.
As everyone listened and wrote repeatedly, the time for the composition tutoring class quickly slipped away. Ning Yanzhao also thought about today's plan while completing her tasks.
Although things changed ahead of schedule this week, fortunately Ning Yanzhao wasn't entirely unprepared.
After Xu Yongqing left, Ning Yanzhao checked which stops the bus would pass by. Although she took the bus at least once a week, she was not very familiar with the stops because she always got off at the next stop.
Xu Yongqing's home is located at a bus stop called "Mingfeng Road," while Ning Yanzhao's home is located at a bus stop called "Qingfeng Road." Based on her previous research, she knew that there were a few stops left before the final stop on this bus, including "Lucky Park," "Prosperity Shopping Mall," and "Xinshu Primary School."
According to Ning Yanzhao's memory, the location where Xu Yongqing had the car accident was between Fanrong Shopping Mall and Xinshu Elementary School. So, one thing that still needs to be clarified is whether Xu Yongqing's choice to go to this area on the weekend was her own choice or just a random thought. But based on Ning Yanzhao's intuition, this choice must be inseparable from Xu Yongqing's parents.
If Hsu Yung-ching is carrying that pile of luggage today but doesn't get off at her home stop, then she must be heading to some destination.
"Alright, that concludes our composition class for today. I just assigned a short essay to you all to try writing. If you have time, try to write it this weekend. If you really don't have time, I won't rush you. Just make sure you finish it by next Friday when we have class again."
The Chinese teacher knows that learning nine subjects simultaneously in the first year of high school is a heavy burden for most students, and most students are obviously overwhelmed. Therefore, the teacher does not force students to submit any assignments at a certain time, including the Chinese homework that everyone in the class has to complete.
Sometimes, when you assign less homework, students will think about prioritizing completing the seemingly smaller assignment.
Ning Yanzhao remembers one time when all the teachers assigned a lot of homework, but the Chinese teacher's test paper was only one page long. So everyone unanimously chose to do the Chinese homework first, and the Chinese homework was also the homework with the highest submission rate that evening.
Furthermore, the Chinese teacher also understands a very simple principle: students who love learning will take the initiative to make time to complete their learning tasks without being reminded. They will also consciously and proactively find suitable learning materials to study when the teacher has not assigned any tasks.
Students who don't like to study won't want to do their homework even if they are under the watchful eyes of teachers and parents every day. Forcing them is useless because learning depends entirely on one's own self-discipline; knowledge doesn't go into someone else's brain.
"Thank you, teacher. Have a nice weekend."
"Yes, everyone, have a great weekend too."
At this moment, Xu Yongqing packed her essay materials and prepared to leave the school with her luggage. In order to carry out her plan without arousing Xu Yongqing's suspicion, Ning Yanzhao made another bold decision, going all out like never before.
"An Nianyu, I want to ask you a math question. Can you tell me? I wanted to ask the math teacher earlier, but she had already left school. If I don't figure out how to solve this problem, I won't have a peaceful weekend." After the composition class ended, taking advantage of the fact that the Chinese teacher had already gone far away, Ning Yanzhao deliberately spoke loudly so that everyone could hear, saying a series of things to An Nianyu, and it sounded like she was making a lot of sense. If An Nianyu refuted her, it would be wrong of him not to help his classmate.
Even though Ning Yanzhao had rehearsed it in her mind before get out of class ended, she still felt embarrassed saying it out loud.
An Nianyu: "..." He didn't know what Ning Yanzhao was up to this time. Last time, she said she wanted to go to the barbecue restaurant together after school on Friday, then she said she had something to do and couldn't go. In the end, she leisurely led the barbecue restaurant to her own door. Not only that, he also felt that her personality changed very quickly. One moment she was silent and the next she was unusually cheerful. He didn't know which one was the real her.
While An Nianyu was puzzled, Ye Fanghuai, on the other hand, seemed to have suddenly understood, and smiled knowingly, patting An Nianyu on the shoulder: "Oh, since someone is looking for you, I'll be going now. You guys keep up the good work."
The people around were also watching the drama unfold, but they couldn't show it too obviously.
Everyone knows that the two are not in the same class, are not familiar with each other, and do not seem to have any "personal relationship". No one knows how they got in touch.
So after thinking about it, everyone could only admire Ning Yanzhao's studious spirit and couldn't think of anything else.
So eager to learn! How can someone not be able to solve math problems and have a restless weekend? It seems my own learning level is really far from enough. I need to work harder next time!
As the onlookers continued to watch, they eventually all dispersed.
"What exactly do you want? If you really want to ask math questions, then just show me the math problems, so you won't have a hard time this weekend." An Nianyu actually felt that Ning Yanzhao didn't look like she wanted to ask math questions, but since she had already said that, he had no choice but to say it with a hint of helplessness.
Ning Yanzhao was surprised that An Nianyu would use his own words to address her. She felt a little embarrassed. Although she genuinely wanted to ask about math problems, she really didn't have time now, as Xu Yongqing was about to leave. So she could only say, "I'm sorry, I... I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. Can I ask you about math problems on QQ tonight? Please, please."
An Nianyu: "..."
Another minute passed, and Ning Yanzhao could already see Xu Yongqing about to leave the school gate. She was getting even more anxious. "That's all for now. I'm leaving. Bye-bye."
“You…” An Nianyu watched Ning Yanzhao walk away like a gust of wind, and finally could only shake his head helplessly again before going downstairs.
Meanwhile, when Ning Yanzhao rushed to the bus stop at the school gate, she saw Xu Yongqing still sitting in the bus waiting area. Fortunately, she managed to catch the bus.
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