Chapter 67 On a rainy day, I want to see him.
Since we met that day.
Because he didn't know the situation in the hospital, and didn't want to disturb Lu Chen and Grandma Cen in the slightest because of himself, Yan Ning stopped using the chat software to send messages to Lu Chen.
But, every morning when Yan Ning went to school, after coming out of the house, he walked to the corridor and passed by the closed door of room 302 opposite.
She would stop, hold her breath, and concentrate—
Listen carefully to see if there is any slight noise from inside the door.
That is, whether anyone comes back.
It’s a pity that it has always been extremely quiet there.
Every night when he gets home from school, before going to bed, Yan Ning takes out his cell phone, which has been moved from its storage location on the bedside table, and turns it on.
She would directly open the chat software and find L's dialog box. Although there were always no new messages, she would click in, and then click on L's avatar to enter his dynamic homepage.
After confirming that there is still no new developments here.
Sometimes, Yan Ning would stare at the screen for a while, and sometimes, she would watch Lu Chen's few updates about basketball, street dance, and occasional scenery photos taken on the roadside from beginning to end.
Just like that, she gets through the last bit of time in the day, and then she turns off her phone, turns off the lights and goes to sleep.
All of the above have almost become an instinctive habit for Yan Ning.
However, the cycle of going from expectation to disappointment became her daily routine.
At school.
When Yan Ning is occasionally free, he will still go to Wen1 to find Xin Jing.
Whenever Yan Ning passed the back door of Class 1, he would involuntarily and subconsciously cast his eyes towards the still empty seat by the window.
Past memories surface.
Yan Ning always couldn't help but think of the moments when her eyes met with the boy by the window again and again.
Those dark eyes always smiled lightly, pretending to be a casual glance, but it was also a tacit greeting between the two of them.
So, suddenly, one day.
Yan Ning realized it belatedly and was thinking——
perhaps.
His seemingly joking request to sit alone by the window might also have a one in ten million connection with her and those moments of eye contact.
But, with this association.
Look at the empty seat by the window again.
Her heart seemed to hurt a thousand times more...
Time passed day by day until the final exams of the first semester were over and summer vacation began. No one came back to 302 across the street.
Lu Chen never showed up in school again.
All kinds of rumors are spreading.
Perhaps because it was a holiday, many people were too idle, and in the No. 1 Middle School forum, the discussion about the reason for Lu Chen's disappearance quickly built up a lot of buzz in just one or two days.
Some people said with certainty that Lu Shen, a top student with the potential to be the top scorer, must have been poached by other schools at a huge price.
In previous years, this kind of thing happened every year, where other schools, even schools in other cities, would compete to snatch outstanding students' resources in order to make their admissions reports stand out.
No. 1 Middle School has always been open and honest in this regard. It will not snatch students away, but it will not let its own students be cheated away by those who are eager for quick success and instant benefits.
Therefore, over the years, there has been almost no case of a high school student being poached by another school.
The replies below the post are also mixed.
[5th floor [What to eat today]:
Being poached is unlikely, right? Lu Shen isn't short of money. When he took the top spot in the high school entrance exam, many tutoring institutions offered him money, asking him to help advertise. Many top scorers in previous years accepted these offers, but why didn't Lu Shen? Furthermore, after school started, Lu Shen donated the scholarship awarded by the school. It doesn't look like he would leave for money, does it?
[OP [呵nm] replied to [What's for takeout today]:
Did you see it with your own eyes? You crazy fangirl, stop spreading rumors and misleading people, okay? And you're saying your boyfriend isn't short of money? If he's really not short of money, why is he afraid to go back to school? (Picking nose emoji)]
[[What's for takeout today] Reply to the original poster [Hehe nm]:
First, I saw it with my own eyes. Lu Shen donated scholarships. He put the money into the donation box for children in mountainous areas at the entrance of the auditorium. I happened to pass by and watched the whole process.
I also saw what happened with the tutoring classes. After the high school entrance exam, there was no place in Wancheng where there were any institutions that hung up photos of the God of Roads and recruited students under the name of the God of Roads. Doesn't this directly prove that the God of Roads didn't take the money?
Second, I am a man with normal intelligence.
Third, why didn’t Lu Shen come to school? Everyone was discussing this matter. How could you make a conclusion without any evidence?
After picking your nose, please wash your hands, otherwise you will type something that looks like shit. (vomit emoji)
[7th Floor: I agree with the takeaway guy above.]
[9th Floor: I give in... Any name will be stigmatized...
There are a lot of girls who like Lu Shen, but they all start with his looks and are attracted by his character and talent. Aside from some extreme individuals, no one is crazy, and everyone is very rational, OK?]
[OP [Hehe nm] replied to 9th floor:
This is admitting to being mentally retarded (picking nose emoji) (picking nose emoji) (picking nose emoji)]
[10th floor: I really envy the poster. His cerebral cortex is smooth and wrinkle-free, which is why he can speak so logically.]
[OP [Hehe nm] replied to 10th floor:
(Holding fist emoji)(Holding fist emoji)(Holding fist emoji)]
[11th floor: The poster's reaction is truly worthy of the praise from above~~~]
[13th Floor: But Lu Chen's sudden disappearance is a fact. If someone really wants to poach the pillar of his family, the conditions they offer are definitely not bad, even offering a suite is not impossible. People's choices are different when faced with more or less money.]
[OP [Hehe nm] replied to 13th floor:
Road·Greed·Poverty God Hammer (picking nose emoji) (picking nose emoji) (picking nose emoji)]
[14th floor: Replying to the above, the wretched man broke through the defense and threw dirty water on the campus male god.]
[17th Floor: Where's the "campus male god"? God, where has he gone?]
[20th Floor: If this person really transferred schools, wouldn't that be considered a betrayal of his alma mater? Besides, the Gaokao is still a year away. If he doesn't get the top spot, wouldn't that be a huge disgrace?]
[OP [Hehe nm] replied to 20F:
Road stagnation, pretending to be cool and ready to roll over (picking nose emoji) (picking nose emoji) (picking nose emoji)]
[22nd floor: After reading all this, I find that this OP not only types like shit, but also has a really foul mouth. I've reported him. Goodbye.]
…
Some people also speculated that major universities have launched many pre-exam selection programs in recent years. Perhaps Lu Shen was selected in advance by some confidential project.
Some people even said that they had once encountered a scout who handed Lu Shen a business card and followed him down the street, so Lu Shen might have changed his path and given up studying to pursue an art career.
There were a lot of random speculation posts on the forum, and the evaluation of Lu Chen was mixed. Yan Ning had never searched or read it, but Xin Jing would sometimes take screenshots and send some to him.
The matter of Grandma Cen's illness was Lu Chen's private family matter, and Yan Ning didn't tell anyone, not even his good friend Xin Jing.
But for Xin Jing.
At least Lu Chen was a classmate who had been in the same class and had talked to him. When facing someone he knew, he was definitely not a person with the character described by those foul-mouthed people on the forum. Xin Jing could not tolerate being slandered by the black fans for no reason.
So what often happens is that Xin Jing first takes screenshots of the evidence, then starts cursing, and then forwards the pictures and the reporting link to Yan Ning.
Whenever this happened, Yan Ning would first glance at the screenshot, silently click "report", and then calmly turn to talk to Xin Jing about other things.
She is too calm.
It was so calm that even Xin Jing, who was separated by an Internet cable, noticed something was wrong.
One day, Xin Jing called and couldn't help but ask politely, "Ningning, have you been under too much pressure recently?"
Yan Ning thought about it carefully and replied:
"No, I only took three tutoring classes during the holidays: physics, chemistry, and English. My normal time is enough to complete my summer homework and the study plan I made."
But what Yan Ning didn't elaborate on was that this so-called "sufficiency" meant -
Now, every day, from the moment she opens her eyes in the morning to the moment she lies down in bed at night, all her time, except for meeting basic physiological needs, is spent on studying.
The study materials that Lu Chen brought, together with her own study plan, filled her up and occupied all her time.
Even on the way to cram school, she would keep playing English listening materials in her headphones.
Because she needed it so badly, all this time was filled up so that she wouldn't have to think about it. Before the holiday, when Lin Xinci talked about the physics cram school, a look of hesitation flashed across her face...
Don't count.
How many days have passed since I last met Lu Chen?
Don't think about describing it.
Those floating illusions, good or bad, all kinds of possibilities...
Yan Ning lived like this, seemingly calmly and unchanged, day after day.
Mid-July.
A quiet night with a bright moon and few stars.
Yan Ning finished a full day of study as usual, and after lying on the bed and checking the L account which still had not been online, it was time for her usual rest.
Yan Ning turned off his cell phone, lay on his back, and tried to fall asleep.
A few minutes later.
In the past, Yan Ning would have basically fallen asleep at this time.
But today, Yan Ning suddenly opened her eyes again, staring at the dark ceiling for a moment without any expression. Then she sat up, turned on the night light, opened the drawer, and took out the mobile phone that had been put away.
Then, Yan Ning directly clicked on the No. 1 Middle School Forum, which she had never actively visited in recent days.
On the homepage, [Hehe nm], who has been reported many times in the past few days, has become more and more arrogant. He came out to spread rumors and slander Lu Chen in the middle of the night when there are many people and the review is delayed.
Yan Ning pursed his lips, holding back his anger. He used the account he had registered just to report the person and clicked on this person's post...
Early morning.
After some back and forth, Yan Ning finally succeeded in getting [呵nm] to delete all the rumor-mongering posts and also issued a statement of apology to Lu Chen.
The chain reaction brought about by this was that all the scandalous posts about Lu Chen disappeared from the forum.
It took two or three hours.
Yan Ning turned off his phone once again, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes. A slight, tingling sensation came from his temples, caused by staying up late.
She pulled up the summer quilt, closed her eyes tightly, and curled up in the quilt.
It's late at night and everyone is asleep.
She prayed earnestly for a miracle for countless times.
Still nervous.
Still uneasy.
I still don't know when that door will open.
But apart from waiting and clearing the weeds outside the house, that was the only thing she could do now...
A few days later, it was the end of July.
That night, before going to bed, Yan Ning checked the chat interface with L and the dynamic interface as usual.
When the latest update suddenly pops up.
For a moment, Yan Ning was in disbelief and even suspected that he was dreaming again.
But when she pinched her cheek, it hurt.
The cool air from the air conditioner feels cool on my arms.
There is no sense of touch in dreams.
So, on the screen, more than two hours ago, L wrote -
L:-[Grandma has woken up and is in good condition now.]
It’s true…
It’s true!!!!
Yan Ning's mind went blank for a moment, and then she was overwhelmed by great joy. She rolled around on the bed happily, and even had the urge to rush to the roof and shout a few times in the night breeze.
But now, what she wants most is——
Contact Lu Chen.
Haven't seen you for a month or two.
She was so eager to talk to Lu Chen and hear his voice right now.
But after a moment, after calming down a little, Yan Ning looked at the time and suppressed the idea, deciding to talk about it tomorrow.
After all, it was too late, and she was worried that it might disturb Lu Chen and Grandma Cen's time together, or affect his hard-earned rest time.
However, she was too excited and had to find a way to release it.
Yan Ning thought about it.
Finally, a post was made, visible only to Lu Chen:
Little Sea Salt: - [Great!]
In the friend dynamics interface, there was exactly no post from anyone else within these two hours.
So, the two messages from 'L' and 'Xiao Haiyan' were placed next to each other, forming a question and answer.
After posting her own message, Yan Ning was still not sleepy at all. She went back and forth, reading L's new updates several times, with the corners of her lips raised the whole time.
The phone suddenly vibrated.
A new message reminder pops up at the top of the screen.
L:-[Still asleep?]
Yan Ning sat up from the bed, his heart pounding. He held the phone tightly, clicked on it, and started typing.
Little Sea Salt: -[No no!]
Xiao Haiyan: -[How about you? Why are you still awake so late? Are you not sleepy, or do you have insomnia? How is Grandma Cen doing now? Have you guys talked? Also, the last time I saw you, I felt that you had lost a lot of weight. While you are taking care of Grandma Cen, you must also take care of yourself!]
There were so many things she wanted to say and ask that Yan Ning accidentally ended up typing away half the screen. She had originally intended to cut back a bit, but her fingers trembled and she hit the send button.
As soon as the message was sent.
At the top of the interface, it will immediately display "The other party is typing."
Yan Ning simply stopped thinking about it and held the phone, waiting for Lu Chen's news with anticipation.
Just like last time, Lu Chen responded to these questions one by one.
L:-[I feel a little sleepy, but I want to wait and see if I can get your message.]
L: -[Grandma woke up in the evening. She's not talking yet, but she's very conscious. When I went to see her, she was in good condition. The doctor said she could be transferred to a regular ward after a period of observation.]
L:-[Okay, I remember. I will eat well and grow some weight back.]
Messages popped up one after another.
Although he was in an air-conditioned room, Yan Ning couldn't help but feel as if he was soaking in a hot spring pool. He felt warm from his soul to his whole body, from inside to outside.
The phone vibrated again.
L:-[I have one more thing I want to say to you right now.]
The next thing that appears is a voice bar with a small red dot in the upper right corner.
Yan Ning's heart suddenly beat faster.
She hurriedly took out her headphones and connected them to her phone. Then, feeling inexplicably more nervous, she pressed the play button.
The summer night is quiet.
The sound that came through the radio waves was like a whisper right next to my ear.
"You're right, wishes come true and miracles happen."
The boy's voice was a little hoarse, but full of piety.
The scene of their parting the last time they met suddenly emerged in his mind.
Even standing at this point in time, looking back.
Yan Ning still couldn't help feeling a sore nose, but this time, it was because of a mixture of joy and heartache.
Grandma Cen's health improved day by day.
Regarding contact, Yan Ning and Lu Chen also formed a tacit understanding. Basically, Lu Chen would post an update, Yan Ning would see it, and then contact him for a private message.
Although they don't contact each other every day, they always update each other on their latest news every now and then.
Therefore, Yan Ning adjusted the time and frequency of checking his mobile phone every day accordingly. It became that during breaks in study, he would check to see if there was any new updates on "L".
In those dynamics.
Yan Ning witnessed the days when Grandma Cen was transferred from the ICU to the general ward. Grandma Cen was gradually able to speak, get out of bed, and eat on her own. Grandma Cen also raised flowers and plants in the ward, and would go downstairs to bask in the sun on sunny mornings.
There was even one day when, during the conversation with Lu Chen, after Yan Ning asked Lu Chen to help her take care of the baby, Yan Ning received a voice reply from Grandma Cen.
It was still Grandma Cen's familiar and loving voice. She said she was fine and wanted to thank Yan Ning for his concern.
Also, when chatting with Lu Chen recently, he would always send her photos of his recent meals.
Yan Ning knew that he was fulfilling the promise he made to her that he would "eat well and grow weight back."
everything.
Everything is slowly getting better.
-
Since August, Wancheng has been sunny and everything is hot under the sun.
By mid-month, the weather changed suddenly.
During the day yesterday, dark rain clouds gathered in the sky, and the sudden downpour finally came in the evening.
Early in the morning.
The sky is still gloomy.
After breakfast, Lin Xinci collected the dishes and instructed, "Remember to take your umbrella. I'll drive you to cram school later. The rain might continue."
Yan Ning nodded, "Okay."
I went downstairs and arrived at the entrance of the community.
There were some puddles of water on the ground that had not yet dried up.
Lin Xinci came around first and reminded Yan Ning to pay attention to her feet. Yan Ning lowered his head and did as he was told.
Just then.
A black car stopped outside the gate of the community.
I don’t know why.
Yan Ning had clearly bypassed the pothole on the road and stepped onto the sidewalk, but he subconsciously turned back and took a look at the person who got out of the car.
Just one glance.
Yan Ning was stunned.
Then, she was at a loss, and raised her hands in panic. She finally grabbed Lin Xinci's sleeve three or four times, and used all her strength to whisper softly, "Mom..."
It had been a long time since Yan Ning called her mother in such a helpless and bewildered tone.
Lin Xinci was also stunned.
Turning around again, I saw——
By the side of the car, the boy's figure has begun to take shape. He is wearing a black suit, with his slender hands supporting the bottom, and holding a black wooden photo frame in his arms with great care.
There, there is a person smiling gently.
It was Grandma Cen.
The young man with a lonely look nodded slightly towards this side, then, holding the photo, walked towards home step by step.
Following behind.
It was a middle-aged man with the same heavy steps, supporting Grandpa Zhao, who was staggering and wiping away tears with a tissue. Although only a month or two had passed, Grandpa Zhao seemed to have aged by ten years.
Miracle.
It only appeared briefly.
In that instant, facing life and death, Yan Ning felt a huge sense of bewilderment, pain, and helplessness, even mixed with the fear that surged from the bottom of his heart. His body trembled, and he could only mechanically repeat as he burst into tears:
"Mother……"
I couldn't say anything else.
She cried until she was out of breath and couldn't figure it out.
Why?
Didn’t they say that Grandma Cen has gotten better?
Aren’t you able to get out of bed, go to the park downstairs and bask in the sun?
Why, so suddenly, did a living person leave this world?
At the thought of it.
From then on, Grandma Cen was no longer in this world.
Yan Ning's heart ached so much that it was hard to breathe...
She is already so sad.
Then, what about Grandpa Zhao, and what about Grandma Cen's other family members and friends...
besides.
Where is Lu Chen?
…
Seeing this, Lin Xinci's heart was suddenly in a knot. She held back her tears and hugged her daughter in her arms, patting her back gently. Just like when they were little, she kept comforting her:
"It's okay, Mom's here."
After a while, Yan Ning finally calmed down a little with the comfort of her mother.
Lin Xinci wiped her daughter's tears and tidied her hair, which was messed up in her arms. Then she said softly and lovingly:
"Let's go say goodbye to Grandma Cen."
Yan Ning's eyes were red, and he sobbed and nodded.
The mother and daughter returned to 301 first.
Yan Ning washed her face and came out of the bathroom. Lin Xinci was on the balcony. She hung up the phone, made a cup of honey water in the kitchen, and brought it to Yan Ning.
"Mom has asked for leave for you at the cram school. Dad will be here soon. Let's go across together."
Yan Ning took the water and said "OK" softly.
Yan Xiangrong arrived soon. The family of three changed into black clothes and went to Room 302.
The mourning hall was simply decorated.
Grandma Cen's portrait was placed on the table, with an incense burner and several plates of offerings in front of it. Only the white chrysanthemums around it were particularly numerous, probably because Grandma Cen loved flowers and plants during her lifetime.
At this moment, there are not too many people coming to pay their respects.
After the gray-haired elderly couple in front had offered incense, the three members of the Yan family walked to the deceased's family area next to the altar.
Yan Xiangrong said solemnly: "Please accept my condolences and take care of yourself."
Lin Xinci wiped the tears from her eyes and asked, "Auntie, why did she leave so suddenly?"
Grandpa Zhao also shed tears again, trying his best to suppress his grief. He tried to speak several times, but still couldn't say a word.
Zhao Ruifeng took over:
"My mother passed away peacefully in her sleep."
The adults are expressing their condolences.
And Yan Ning. The person standing opposite her happened to be Lu Chen.
But she.
But it seems.
For a moment, I lost the ability to speak and couldn't say anything.
Even her sight was focused on the pockets on the boy's black suit. Tears soon blurred everything, and she couldn't even raise her head to look at him.
Perhaps seeing her red and swollen eyes, the boy sighed softly, turned around, and went to get some tissues.
A slender, familiar hand appeared in the field of vision.
Yan Ning held back her tears, raised her hand and took the tissue handed to her by Lu Chen.
The moment the items are handed over.
The fingertips of the boy and girl lightly touched one place.
They became each other's only source of warmth at this moment, in this damp, cold and rainy day.
When burning incense.
Yan Ning followed his parents' example and placed the lit incense into the incense burner. Then, he stepped back, put his hands together, and bowed three times to Grandma Cen's portrait.
When she stood up, a little smoke rose up and swirled in front of Grandma Cen in the photo.
people.
When facing life and death.
Can do.
It's really too limited.
But she remembered the last voice message Grandma Cen sent her not long ago.
Grandma Cen said:
"Ningning, dear, thank you for caring about grandma these days. Thank you also for always being with Xiaochen."
Yan Ning looked at Grandma Cen in the photo and silently made a promise in his heart.
-Grandma, don't worry.
-I will definitely stay with Lu Chen and take good care of him.
Before leaving from 302.
Yan Ning turned around again and took a deep, deep look at the handsome young man whose clothes were getting loose again, which made her feel extremely distressed.
After the condolences ended, Yan Xiangrong did not return to the Materials Institute.
Lin Xinci touched Yan Ning's head and said, "Your father is on holiday, let's go to grandma's house and stay for a while."
Although, birth, aging, sickness and death have always been the norm in the world.
However, this was the first time for Yan Ning to face the sudden death of a close elder since he was a child, and it really took some time for him to adjust his mentality.
These days in the countryside.
Yan Ning's heart slowly calmed down.
However, the person she was more and more concerned about was Lu Chen.
Yan Ning left Huize in a hurry, and the only two things she brought with her were the bag of packed, heavy notes and papers that Lu Chen had sent her earlier, and the teddy bear stuffed animal that was placed on her bookshelf.
She placed the teddy bear on the bedside.
The notes are on the table and I look at them every day.
And these two things, everything she saw every day, reminded her to think about -
have no idea.
How is Lu Chen now?
However, she also knew that once Grandma Cen left, there would be many things to deal with, and she didn't want to, nor was it convenient to, disturb Lu Chen.
So, she set all the messages and updates about "L" as special reminders, and carried her phone with her 24 hours a day, waiting for the ringtone to ring.
However, Lu Chen never updated his status again.
The most recent one stayed on the day when Grandma Cen came out of the ward, went downstairs, and went to the park to bask in the sun.
I only rested for two days at my grandmother's house.
Yan Ning then turned all his energy into studying the notes that Lu Chen had sent him.
Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry and biology, all six subjects are included. She has already learned part of them, and there is still a large part that she has not looked at. However, she has long discovered that many of the key points happen to be her weak points.
Yan Ning no longer had time to think about how much time and energy Lu Chen had put into preparing all this. Every day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she would continue to study the knowledge points in her notes, record them, do exercises, and then find related expansion questions to further consolidate her knowledge.
Yan Ning stayed at her grandmother's house until the day before school started.
It happened to be on this day that Yan Ning finished studying all the notes given by Lu Chen, and also finished writing a corresponding thick study notebook.
Perhaps it was because Yan Ning was trembling all over and unable to speak before, which scared his parents.
The two of them stayed with her, living in the countryside, and never mentioned returning to the city.
On the day of return.
Regarding life and death, my parents and Yan Ning talked for a long time like friends.
Yan Xiangrong finally said, "After death, people will turn into stars. You are older now, and Dad knows you may not believe this. But you must remember that as long as you cherish every day, live in the present, and have no regrets, there will be nothing to fear when death comes."
Yan Ning nodded seriously and wrote these words in his heart.
Lin Xinci gently stroked Yan Ning's hair. "If you don't want to go back to Huize, Mom and Dad have found another house in the nearby Haihu Beiyuan community. It's not far from No. 1 Middle School. If you're short on time for school, Mom can pick you up."
Yan Ning immediately shook his head firmly and refused:
"I'm fine, let's go back to Hui Ze!"
Maybe it's to see her.
It really behaves no different from usual.
Yan Xiangrong and Lin Xinci finally decided to take Yan Ning back to Huize.
But what only Yan Ning knew was——
She cannot be picked up.
She has her own plans.
Because in just over ten days, she was so devoted to the person in her heart.
A long time ago.
The longing grows wildly.
Nothing could resist the thought in her heart that had grown into a towering tree—
I.
Want to see him.
I want to see Lu Chen.
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