Chapter 112 I Can't Believe It

Lu Ze's hometown is a bit far away, and Qi Nian and his friends took the high-speed rail for several hours to reach the local county seat.

Because we set out late, it was already dark when we arrived. Fortunately, there were many taxis at the station entrance.

Lu Ze's home is more than ten kilometers away. When the taxi driver heard where he was, he took a puff of cigarette, blew out a stinging smoke ring, and said, "It's so late. It will cost more to go to your place."

Under normal circumstances, Lu Ze would never raise the price like this, but today he was in a hurry, so he just frowned and asked, "How much?"

The driver smiled with his big yellow teeth, stretched out his fingers and made a number, then glanced at Qi Nian beside him. Although he didn't recognize the brand on the other person, he could tell that he was definitely a big fat sheep. He made up his mind and said directly, "One hundred."

The price for picking up two people is the same as the price for picking up one person. Under normal circumstances, it would be around 20 or 30 yuan. However, the driver saw that they had money and were in a hurry late at night, so he tripled or quadrupled the price.

Lu Ze saw what he was thinking, but he didn't want to say more to him. He opened the car door and said, "Let's go."

Qi Nian was watching from the side. He was not stupid, so he knew that the taxi driver was trying to rip them off. However, since he had something urgent to do today, he was too lazy to think about it.

The driver saw that they didn't mention the price and thought that the money was nothing to them. He couldn't help but regret that he should have asked for a little more.

But one hundred is not bad, enough for him to carry several people.

He threw away the cigarette butt, got in the car immediately, and boasted to them: "Don't worry, my driving skills are well-known in the area, and I will definitely take you there safely."

Qi Nian sat in the back seat and glanced at Lu Ze. This driver probably didn't take care of the car very well on weekdays. There was a sense of distress inside, so he had to open the window to let in some fresh air.

The nights in the small county town were already a bit chilly, and the coolness became even more pronounced when the windows were opened wide.

The driver in front of me might have felt cold, so he complained, "Why do you guys always like to open the windows when you're in the car?"

Qi Nian thought: If it didn't smell so bad, I wouldn't open the window.

But he was too embarrassed to say it, so he could only vaguely say, "I'm carsick."

The driver thought about the money he had just ripped off from them, so he didn't say anything else.

The driver's driving skills were really bad. The car was shaking and Qi Nian was feeling drowsy.

The phone in his hand vibrated. He lowered his eyes and opened it. It was Chu Rongshi asking him where he was.

[Qinian]: Still on the road, riding a rocking car QwQ

【Chu Rongshi】：[Share Music]

[Chu Rongshi]: Add some music to your rocking car.

Qi Nian laughed. His brother was quite humorous sometimes. He took out a Bluetooth headset from his bag, put it on, and clicked to play music.

This is a song with a somewhat dull tune. The singer's voice is hoarse, as if whispering to a lover, complaining about the rainy weather and asking his lover if it is the same there.

Qi Nian thought it was very nice, but at the same time he was a little surprised. Would Chu Rongshi actually listen to such a song?

He lowered his eyes and typed, asking the question in his heart.

His phone vibrated and he saw Chu Rongshi's reply.

【Chu Rongshi】: I often listened to this song when I had a crush on you.

Qi Nian subconsciously squeezed the phone with his fingers and pressed the text on the screen at the same time. His heartbeat suddenly quickened and he felt a palpitation, but it was not uncomfortable, but rather addictive.

Secret love...secret love.

Qi Nian suddenly laughed. The originally dull song now sounded cheerful.

[Qinian]: Isn’t it very sad?

He felt a little sorry for Chu Rongshi, but he was probably still a mortal, and at the same time he felt an inexplicable joy.

He felt that he shouldn't be like this, but he couldn't help feeling happy because Chu Rongshi liked him.

Even the wobbly car seemed to have turned into a cheerful rocking car.

[Chu Rongshi]: Just like now, I really want to hug you.

[Qinian]: Oh, I’ll give you a hug when we get back!

After sending this message, his face turned red. Fortunately, the streets at night were full of lights of various colors, especially red lights, so he could hardly see anything when the light fell on his face.

However, Qi Nian still turned his head to look at Lu Ze with a guilty conscience.

Lu Ze seemed to notice his gaze and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"

Qi Nian shook his head quickly: "Nothing."

He felt that this was not right. His good friend was obviously still worried about family matters, but he secretly coaxed Chu Rongshi and said sweet words to him.

【Qinian】: I can’t tell you anymore.

【Chu Rongshi】：Are we there yet?

[Qinian]: It’s almost there, but if I continue talking to you, I will keep laughing.

After finishing the chat with Chu Rongshi, the music in the earphones started playing again. Qi Nian closed his eyes, but he could not taste the singer's sadness at all.

He wanted to tell the singer, I'm sorry, but I really can't share the same feeling with you right now.

I don't know what happened tonight, but the road leaving the station was a bit congested, which is a rare sight for a small county town where traffic is usually not heavy.

However, this wonder did not bring any benefits, it just made the journey back slower.

The driver, who had been chattering about how good his driving skills were, stopped talking and looked irritably at the car, which he opened the window from time to time and stuck his head out to look at the traffic in the distance, cursing in a dialect that Qi Nian could not understand.

Finally, after passing this congested section of road, the traffic became smooth.

The driver didn't know whether he wanted to prove his words or was anxious to get the next customer, so he started to speed up.

Occasionally, when I encounter a slow driver in front of me, I have to mutter a few curse words in dialect.

As for why Qi Nian was sure that the other party was swearing, it was hard not to guess from the driver's angry face and spitting.

Qi Nian couldn't help but touch his seat belt. He seriously suspected that the driver had road rage.

Fortunately, we arrived at the destination safely. It was a small country village. It was night time and only a few dim solar street lights occasionally lit up on the roadside. The whole village seemed exceptionally quiet.

Qi Nian then realized that this was not the village where Lu Ze's family lived, and the other party came directly to his aunt's house.

The two came to a house and knocked.

Qi Nian saw that the house was quiet and it didn't seem like anyone was making trouble. He guessed that for some unknown reason, they were forced to end this farce.

Lu Ze knocked twice, but no one opened the door. He knocked a few more times, and some sawdust fell off the shabby wooden door.

This time there was finally some movement inside, and a man's alert voice came: "Who is it?"

Lu Ze raised his voice and said in dialect: "It's me! Xiao Ze."

"Oh, it's Ozawa, not those people." The man should be talking to his family.

The woman's voice came again: "Xiao Ze, are you sure? How come he came back all right? Isn't he in school?"

Man: "Oh, how would I know that? Open the door first."

Woman: "Yes, open the door first."

After a while, the shabby wooden door was opened from the inside, and Qi Nian saw two people talking. They were a middle-aged man and woman, probably Lu Ze's aunt and uncle.

Lu Ze didn't bother to exchange pleasantries with them and simply asked about the current situation in a few words.

At first, when Lu Ze's aunt saw the unfamiliar face of Qi Nian, she hesitated and was reluctant to say it. Only after Lu Ze explained and reassured her did she say it.

"We did as you said and called the police. After the police arrived, they said a few words to them. Your sister...that group of people got scared when they saw the police, and then they left." said Lu Ze's aunt.

But the woman was not optimistic: "Calling the police is useless. The guy will definitely come back to ask for the child later. We can't call the police every day."

In fact, they didn't want to call the police at first, because they felt that the matter of cousin Lu Ze was too embarrassing, and the villagers could drown their entire family with just a spit.

It was Lu Ze's father who spoke up next: "Now that everyone in the village knows about this, there is nothing to be afraid of. Xiaoxiang is trying her best to keep the child. If we fail to stop her, it will be bad for Xiaoxiang."

Although Lu Ze's aunt and uncle adopted a laissez-faire approach to their child's upbringing, she was their daughter after all, and they couldn't bear to see her being bullied, so they finally gritted their teeth and called the police.

But now the couple still has many complaints about Xiaoxiang, muttering things like "hanging out with others" and "shameful".

In their opinion, Xiaoxiang's behavior had nothing to do with them and was all Xiaoxiang's own fault.

The dialect spoken by Mr. Lu Ze was not difficult to understand. Qi Nian occasionally understood a few sentences, but his brows couldn't help but frown.

If he remembered correctly, Xiaoxiang was only 18 years old. At 18, she was still a child. What could she understand?

Not only did these two people not feel sorry for their daughter being deceived, but they thought it was their daughter's fault. They are simply reckless parents.

Lu Ze interrupted them and said, "Xiaoxiang has been missing for so long, have you looked for her?"

The couple heard the accusatory tone in Lu Ze's words and explained in a panic: "She has been like this since she was a child. She would be away for more than ten or twenty days at a time. Who knew that this time..."

"It was the first time she left home for such a long time, and you didn't care. If you had, this wouldn't have happened later." Lu Ze frowned and interrupted them.

Seeing that the two looked unhappy, he softened his tone again: "I don't mean to blame you. I am busy at home and I can understand that I can't take care of her sometimes. But you can't blame Xiaoxiang either. She is in a fragile mood right now and needs the comfort of her family."

In fact, if Lu Ze were to say, the biggest problem is his aunt and uncle. However, this is their family affair after all, and it would be too ugly if he spoke too harshly.

After hearing what Lu Ze said, the couple relaxed their expressions and nodded quickly: "Yes, you are right."

Lu Ze asked again: "Where is Xiaoxiang?"

My uncle said, "The guy just left and went back to his room. I guess he's asleep."

Lu Ze nodded and said, "Okay, don't tell them that I came back for this. Just say that the school is on holiday and I came back to take a look. I just caught up."

The couple agreed readily.

Lu Ze: "Then I'll go back to my home first, and we'll talk about other things tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, my uncle quickly said, "Oh, it's so late at night, why are you leaving? Just stay here with us and let your aunt clean up the room."

Lu Ze still refused. After all, he had finally made the trip home, so he naturally had to go to his own home. Moreover, because he was in a hurry to come back, he did not bring any spare clothes, so it would be more convenient for him to go back to his own home.

Besides, his house is not far away.

Seeing that Lu Ze insisted on going back, the couple had no choice but to stop him. However, the woman still asked them to wait and said that she would let Lu Ze's uncle drive them back.

After a while, Uncle Lu Ze drove out the electric tricycle from the backyard. Besides this one, there was only one electric car in the house, but the electric car could not carry anyone.

Xiaoxiang's mother brought two stools and asked them to sit on them. She looked at Qi Nian embarrassedly and said, "This child is wearing such nice clothes, please don't get them dirty."

Qi Nian used to go sell vegetables with the director of an orphanage and rode an electric tricycle. At that time, there was not even a stool to sit on because the vegetables had to be loaded into the tricycle and a stool would take up too much space.

He had no problem with it, so he smiled at Xiaoxiang's mother and climbed into the car.

The car happened to be under the street light, and Xiaoxiang's mother could only see Qi Nian's face clearly at this moment. His already delicate appearance now revealed a shy smile, which was not even comparable to the most handsome boy in the village.

Xiaoxiang's mother was old, so she had nothing to be ashamed of. She kept saying, "Oh, I just saw it now. This child is so handsome!"

Qi Nian didn't know how to respond, so he just pretended not to hear it.

Lu Ze also got in the car. Xiaoxiang's father in the front confirmed that they were all in the car and slowly started the car.

The car left and the rural courtyard fell silent. No one knew that in the dim room, Xiaoxiang covered her mouth and cried silently.

After all, she was only eighteen years old, an age when she knew nothing. She was deceived by her boyfriend and believed everything, and followed him to his house.

When Xiaoxiang found out she was pregnant, she was extremely scared. She subconsciously felt that this was not a good thing and wanted to abort the child.

But her boyfriend told her to give birth to the baby and that he would marry her. Xiaoxiang was already at a loss, and she didn't dare to tell her parents, so she had no choice but to believe her boyfriend.

During the few months she stayed at her boyfriend's house, she stayed in her room and rarely saw anyone. She also gave birth to her children at home.

Unexpectedly, not long after she gave birth, her boyfriend's family turned against her and refused to marry her no matter what.

She even pointed at her and scolded her for having a child out of wedlock and being immoral. She still remembers the scary look on her boyfriend's mother's face. She pointed at her and said, "You are such a person, and you still want to marry into our Zhu family. Bah! I tell you, as long as I am here, you will never step into our Zhu family!"

The curses from the other party later were even more unpleasant. Xiaoxiang had almost never heard such unbearable words since she was a child.

She subconsciously retorted, but her boyfriend's mother jumped up and hit her like an enraged hen.

The other party was a very thin woman, but she had been doing farm work for many years and was extremely strong. Xiaoxiang was beaten by her and had no power to fight back.

She cried and begged her boyfriend to help her, but he didn't help her. He even smiled nonchalantly and said, "Who told you to talk back to my mom? You have no rules. You deserve to be beaten!"

Mother Zhu smiled and said, "Son, if you don't beat this woman, she will be unruly. Don't worry, I will help you deal with her!"

Xiaoxiang looked at the mother and son in disbelief, and she couldn't believe that this was her boyfriend who had treated her so gently before.

Now she finally realized that she had been cheated, but she didn't dare to go home.

It was not until some time later that Xiaoxiang overheard the mother and son preparing to give her child away. Looking at the ignorant child in her arms, she somehow mustered the courage and secretly ran back home in the middle of the night when the mother and son were not paying attention.

Xiaoxiang behaved very well the whole time, and they never expected that she would run away, so she ran smoothly.

But after returning home, the parents were shocked to see Xiaoxiang bringing a child home. They didn't show any concern or pity for their daughter, but rather felt that she was embarrassed.

She also said that if the man's family wanted a child, she would give it to them, as if Xiaoxiang had never given birth to this child.

Xiaoxiang couldn't accept it. Who knew where they would send the child? She couldn't accept the thought that she would never see her child again in her life, and that the child might even suffer in a place she couldn't see.

Her life was already ruined, and she couldn't let her children be like her.

Finally, despite Xiaoxiang's crying, her parents still couldn't bear to let her send the child away.

Until the next day, there was a commotion at the man's house. They were probably convinced that in such matters, the woman would always be the one to suffer and be scolded, so they were not afraid of a big commotion at all.

Xiaoxiang was terrified when she heard the noise outside, because she heard many people in the village say that she was a disgrace and advised her parents to give the child to the boy.

She didn't care about being scolded. She believed what the man said and deserved to be scolded. But she was afraid that her daughter, who was not even a month old, would really be sent away, and her parents would be convinced by them.

After hearing the news, relatives from the family also came. They sighed and groaned, which made Xiaoxiang feel that she had done a huge mistake.

Fortunately, the Zhu family failed to take the child away in the end. Xiaoxiang secretly heard her aunt calling her cousin, and her cousin asked them to call the police.

That family, who were fearless, became so terrified when they saw the police.

Xiaoxiang let out a breath, her whole body went limp, and she felt like she had escaped a disaster.

Her family brought her dinner. She had no appetite but ate it anyway because she had to breastfeed her baby.

Not long after, she heard a knock on the door while she was half asleep and half awake. She thought it was someone from the Zhu family again and woke up immediately. Fortunately, she heard a familiar voice, it was her cousin.

Her cousin came over and asked about her situation. Xiaoxiang listened to the other party's voice and felt an indescribable embarrassment from the bottom of her heart.

She had always heard from her parents how outstanding her cousin was, how he had been admitted to a prestigious university, and how he was the most promising person in the family.

She was a little afraid that she would hear the same words from him as others, and her cousin would probably find her embarrassing.

She also felt ashamed and she was really regretful.

But she didn't expect that her cousin didn't say anything to her, but instead asked his parents to pay attention to her mood.

At this moment, Xiaoxiang finally couldn't control herself and started crying while hugging her sleeping child.

——

Qi Nian and Lu Ze didn't know Xiaoxiang's mood. Qi Nian realized that he had really blamed the taxi driver wrongly before.

The little shake before was nothing. Now sitting on the back of the tricycle, Qi Nian was almost vomiting.

Logically speaking, there is an asphalt road in Lu Ze's hometown, so it wouldn't be so bumpy. However, in order to get home faster, his uncle took a shortcut.

The bumpy dirt roads that crisscrossed the countryside were filled with crackling sounds. The noise from the car was so loud that one couldn't hear anyone talking without raising their voices. Qi Nian seriously suspected that if this continued, the car would fall apart.

Fortunately, they were not far away. The car slowly stopped in front of Lu Ze's house. Qi Nian exhaled, and he felt that what he exhaled was not air, but his own soul.

After Lu Ze got out of the car, Lu Ze's parents heard the noise and hurried out to open the door. When they saw that it was Lu Ze, they couldn't believe their eyes: "Oh, how come you really came back? You've been late for study."

Lu Ze knew that he hadn't explained it clearly to his parents, so he comforted them and told them not to delay and that he could make up for it later.

Qi Nian felt that with Lu Ze's intelligence, he might not need to be supplemented, but he himself was the one who needed to be supplemented. However, with Lu Ze around, there was nothing to worry about.

"Oh mom, what is this...?" Father Lu was only looking at his son and only noticed Qinian at this moment.

Qi Nian smiled shyly and said hello: "Hello, uncle and auntie, I am Lu Ze's classmate."

Lu Ze's parents didn't know why their son brought his classmate back, but they thought he must have his reasons, so they didn't ask any more questions and quickly took the classmate back.

Mother Lu went to Lu Ze's room to tidy up a bit, and then prepared to tidy up Qi Nian's room.

There are many rooms in the self-built houses in the countryside. However, except for Lu Ze's room which is cleaned frequently, the other rooms are not so well kept and are very troublesome to clean.

It was getting late, so Lu Ze said, "Mom, don't clean up. I'll just stay with him for one night."

Qi Nian nodded. It was late at night, so they couldn't talk too much. Besides, they were both men, so it was nothing.

Upon hearing this, Mother Lu nodded. She was mainly afraid that other children would mind. If they didn't mind, then it would be no big deal.

Father Lu said, "It's so late. Let's talk about everything tomorrow. Go and get some rest."

Qi Nian and Lu Ze came back covered in dust and dirt. They washed up together and went to rest.

Lu Ze’s bed is quite big, more than enough for two people to sleep on.

Qi Nian might not be able to adapt well and was not sleepy at all. He turned on his phone and lowered the brightness before going to check.

He didn't pay attention just now, but now he realized that Chu Rongshi had sent him a message again, asking him if he had settled down.

More than an hour had passed. Qi Nian was not sure whether Chu Rongshi had slept or not, but was afraid that he would worry, so he typed a reply anyway.

【Qinian】：It’s settled.

[Chu Rongshi]: Well, go to sleep quickly.

Almost as soon as he sent the message, the other party replied. Qi Nian blinked his eyes. Is Chu Rongshi still awake?

【Qinian】: Why haven’t you slept yet?

[Chu Rongshi]: I can’t sleep because I’m worried about you.

Although he knew that the other party would be worried about him, when the other party said it bluntly, Qi Nian couldn't help but smile.

[Qinian]: I've already arrived at Lu Ze's house. Lu Ze has fallen asleep. He falls asleep so quickly.

[Chu Rongshi]: You sleep in his room?

[Qinian]: Yes, it is too troublesome to clean other rooms late at night.

【Chu Rongshi】：Yeah.

[Qinian]: I just came here and was riding on that tricycle, and my butt was broken in two!

[Chu Rongshi]: Really? Let me see.

Qi Nian took a moment to react before he came to his senses. He looked at him a few more times in disbelief.

He even suspected that he had seen it wrong and did not believe that Chu Rongshi would say such nonsense!

【Joint Thoughts】：……

[Qinian]: I think you are very sleepy, go to sleep quickly.

【Chu Rongshi】: I’m not sleepy.

【Qinian】: I’m sleepy.

[Chu Rongshi]: Okay, good night then.

【Qinian】: Good night!

He decisively turned off his phone and quietly exposed his face outside the quilt, hoping that the cold air outside would lower the temperature of his face.

Ah! Chu Rongshi really is!