Chapter 4, First Encounter
In the late summer of 2014, Yu Bai met Jiang Jizhou for the first time.
At that time, the summer heat in the southern part of the city had not yet dissipated. The cicadas chirped incessantly, and the wind blew by, accompanied by the rustling of dark green sycamore leaves, playing a cheerful summer song.
As the sun sets, students from No. 1 Middle School swim through the school gate like fish, reaching their own waters amidst the crowded streets. The enticing aromas of snacks from street vendors attract students to pause briefly, much like shrimp.
Summer in the southern part of the city is lively.
The car kept stopping and starting during rush hour. Yu Bai sat by the window, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside. In such a noisy environment, her left ear, which was wearing a hearing aid, could only receive crackling electrical signals instead of clear human voices.
His right ear was focused on listening to his mother's rambling words.
"When you go to Uncle Jiang's house, be sure to be polite. Mom knows you're a good child. I'll come pick you up after the college entrance exam..."
Yu's mother was a successful businesswoman in foreign trade. After Yu's father passed away at a young age, she single-handedly raised Yu Bai while rising through the ranks to become the China representative of a foreign company.
She was sent to the United States for a year.
As a result, Yu Bai, who was in the crucial year of his senior year of high school, was forced to stay at the home of Uncle Jiang, a close friend of his mother, and transferred to Nancheng No. 1 High School, a key provincial high school in Nancheng.
"Okay, I understand." Yu Bai hugged the beige backpack in her arms and nodded obediently.
As they passed through the peak traffic area, the car sped up, and the wind outside the window ruffled Yu Bai's hair, which she then smoothed down.
Yu's mother glanced at it and said, "You should get your hair cut. It's inconvenient to keep it this long. Studying is the priority now. If you want to grow your hair long, wait until college."
Yu Bai lowered his head and did not answer.
Yu Bai's thick, black hair was inherited from her mother. It fell over her shoulders and just covered the hearing aid on her ears.
She didn't want to cut it.
Yu's mother didn't mind her silence, because they had already arrived at Uncle Jiang's house.
Looking at the magnificent villa, Yu Bai felt a little uneasy. Although her family was also well-off, she could sense that Uncle Jiang's family must be very wealthy.
After parking the car, Yu Bai got out and, led by his mother, walked to Uncle Jiang's villa.
Through the fence, Yu Bai could see a lawn with only a few rose bushes planted on it. Compared to the lush flowers in the yards of other villas, this place looked rather monotonous.
Perhaps it was because the Jiang family had no mistress of the house; Uncle Jiang's wife had died young, leaving him and a boy about the same age as Yu Bai. A home without a woman always lacks a romantic atmosphere, and Yu Bai felt that a woman was the perfect blend of romance and reality, reflected in many details of life.
Just then, Yu's mother rang the doorbell, and a middle-aged man in a suit pushed open the door and came out.
When he saw Yu's mother, a smile appeared on his stern face, which was not angry but dignified. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and between his brows gathered together, like the grooves of a walnut, bearing the marks of time.
Mother Yu, also beaming, called out to the man with emotion, "Old Jiang."
When the man saw his former classmate and lifelong friend, images of him, his deceased wife, and Yu's mother participating in math competitions together in college flashed through his mind.
He was filled with emotion. "Xiao Yu, come inside quickly."
As the group entered the villa, Yu's mother and Uncle Jiang, old friends, reunited and inevitably reminisced, momentarily ignoring Yu Bai standing to the side.
Yu Bai sat in a corner of the sofa, looking somewhat nervous and uneasy, his dark eyes secretly observing Uncle Jiang and the layout of the villa.
Chen Ma brought fruit to the group. Seeing Yu Bai's cautious manner, she gave her a banana, which Yu Bai quickly thanked her for and accepted.
After an unknown amount of time, Yu's mother's plane was about to arrive, and the two finally pulled themselves out of their reminiscences of their youth.
Mother Yu said, "Then I'll entrust Bai Bai to you, Old Jiang."
Uncle Jiang said solemnly, "Xiao Yu, don't worry, I will treat Bai Bai as my own daughter."
"Then I'm relieved." Yu's mother held Yu Bai's hand and gave him a final instruction, "Stay here and rest assured. Listen to your Uncle Jiang. By the way, your Uncle Jiang has a son who is a year older than you. He is very good at studying, and you should learn from your brother."
Before Yu Bai could speak, Uncle Jiang chimed in, "Yes, Jiang Jizhou is in the same grade as you. You can go to school together. If he dares to bully you, I'll break his legs."
"Old Jiang, what are you saying? Ji Zhou is such a sensible child," Yu's mother said with a smile.
Yu Bai pursed his lips and nodded slightly, looking rather reserved.
After Yu's mother left, Uncle Jiang and Aunt Chen took her to a room that had been specially prepared for her, on the second floor, opposite Jiang Jizhou's room.
Uncle Jiang originally wanted to stay and have dinner with Yu Bai, but a phone call called him away. He was the CEO of a listed company and was usually very busy. Today, he had postponed some of his work because of Yu Bai's arrival.
So, only Yu Bai and Chen Ma were in the villa.
Jiang Jizhou didn't go home after school. Chen's mother said he went to the pool hall to play pool and that he didn't need to wait for her to eat.
After dinner, Yu Bai slipped into his room and closed the door tightly.
Yu Bai had no desire to meet Jiang Jizhou, the son of Uncle Jiang, whom he had never met before, but he was certain he would meet him, and they would be living under the same roof for the next year.
Yu Bai was terrified, terrified of being mocked, disliked, or even disgusted by him...
Yu Bai suffered moderate damage to her left ear and needed to wear a hearing aid for many years. She was already introverted, and the bullying she suffered at school because of her ear made her even more introverted and timid. She was afraid to face Jiang Jizhou, who was the same age as her.
Tomorrow, I'm going to the new school with Jiang Jizhou.
The thought of it made Yu Bai feel like the end of the world was coming; she wished the earth would explode tomorrow and everyone would disappear. But in an instant, she felt that this thought was too extreme; the others were innocent... it was just that she was an outcast, incompatible with normal people.
With this thought in mind, Yu Bai didn't sleep well all night.
At seven o'clock in the morning, she slowly woke up from her dream, and the sun was shining brightly outside the window.
After getting dressed, Yu Bai pushed open the bedroom door and bumped into Jiang Jizhou.
The boy was wearing gray silk pajamas. He was tall and had delicate yet sharp handsome features. He was sleepy-eyed and exuded a lazy and carefree vibe.
When Jiang Jizhou saw Yu Bai, his beautiful peach blossom eyes turned cold and indifferent.
Yu Bai opened her round almond-shaped eyes and met his gaze.
This sudden eye contact startled Yu Bai, and his ears turned bright red.
“Hello, I am…” Yu Bai mustered up his courage to greet him.
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Jizhou left, leaving Yu Bai standing there dumbfounded.
Was she being disliked? Yu Bai bit her lower lip, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Fortunately, Aunt Chen appeared and helped Yu Bai out of the predicament. During breakfast, she introduced Yu Bai to Jiang Jizhou as the daughter of Uncle Jiang's friend, who had been staying at their home for a year. Uncle Jiang had already arranged for her to enroll in school and be in the same class as Jiang Jizhou. She asked Jiang Jizhou to take Yu Bai to the new school.
Finally, Chen Ma said to Jiang Jizhou, "Jizhou, you are a year older than Yu Bai, so you are the older brother. Yu Bai is the younger sister. You should look after each other at school."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Jizhou remained calm, glanced at Yu Bai, and a playful smile appeared on his lips. "My little sister?"
Yu Bai was startled and lowered her head without speaking. Jiang Jizhou didn't seem to accept her presence very much.
That's true. Putting yourself in her shoes, if a complete stranger suddenly appeared in your home and you had to live with him for a year, you certainly wouldn't be able to accept it right away.
Yu Bai felt a little better.
Jiang Jizhou finished eating earlier than Yu Bai and sat there waiting for her, glancing at her intermittently.
Yu Bai felt flustered under his gaze and ate faster, but ended up choking on the congee with preserved egg and lean pork. She couldn't stop coughing and tears welled up in her eyes.
Jiang Jizhou handed her a glass of water. The blue veins on her slender, fair hands were clearly visible. She said slowly, "Slow down, little sister."
The way he called her "sister" was somewhat meaningful.
Yu Bai bit her lip and thanked him, took the water glass, and gulped down a large mouthful before she felt better.
"You can just call me Yu Bai," Yu Bai said softly after finishing his water.
Jiang Jizhou smiled slightly but did not answer.
Yu Bai felt a chill run down his spine from his laughter.
On the way to school, the driver took them, and Jiang Jizhou and Yu Bai sat in the back seat.
Yu Bai wondered to herself why Jiang Jizhou didn't sit in the front seat and instead squeezed into the back with her. To put it another way, if he didn't sit, Yu Bai would sit in the front, since she gets carsick.
Yu Bai huddled in a corner, trying to minimize his presence.
Upon arriving at the school, Jiang Jizhou and Yu Bai got out of the car.
As Yu Bai walked to school at a distance that was neither too close nor too far from Jiang Jizhou, she felt a faint gaze upon her. As someone who was barely noticed and only felt present when bullied, this gaze made Yu Bai feel as if she were facing a formidable enemy.
Soon, Yu Bai realized that it was Jiang Jizhou's fault.
He should be very popular at Nancheng No.1 Middle School.
Yu Bai consciously distanced himself, pretending not to know him.
A slender and beautiful girl suddenly passed by Yu Bai, ran to Jiang Jizhou's side, and called out to him.
Yu Bai blinked. Even top students fall in love early.
But the girl took out a light pink envelope from her bag.
Oh wow, not lovers, but admirers.
Jiang Jizhou is indeed very popular; even such a beautiful and lovely girl likes him.
The girl blushed slightly, held the envelope in her hands, and handed it to Jiang Jizhou, saying shyly, "Jiang Jizhou, I like you."
A crowd of onlookers had gathered around. Yu Bai wanted to leave, but being new to the place and without Jiang Jizhou, she didn't know how to get to the classroom. She could only stand there like a wooden stake.
Jiang Jizhou maintained his nonchalant expression, but as the onlookers jeered, a hint of anger appeared in his handsome eyes.
"You like me?" Jiang Jizhou smiled casually.
The girl blushed deeply and nodded vigorously, "Yes, I've liked you for three years. We used to be in the same class."
“Unfortunately,” Jiang Jizhou paused, his tone indifferent, “I don’t know you.”
After saying that, ignoring the girl's expectant expression, Jiang Jizhou did not accept the love letter and walked away through the crowd.
How heartless. Looking at the heartbroken girl, Yu Bai thought to himself, "I should just find someone else to like. Jiang Jizhou seems like the kind of playboy who can flit from flower to flower without ever getting attached."
Jiang Jizhou, who was ahead, took two steps, then stopped, remembering Yu Bai, the little tail.
He turned around, the sunlight shining on his handsome and tall figure, casting a long shadow on the ground. He looked around, his gaze landing on Yu Bai, who was squeezed into a corner of the crowd, and a hint of impatience rose on his angular face.
"Yu Bai, keep up."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes fell on Yu Bai.
A note from the author:
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