Chapter 58
"Tell me, which one do you want? I'll call it for you."
At the night market stall, Jiang Jiawei, carrying a toy gun, stood with her hands on her hips, looking every bit the boss.
Mu Zhengxi put his hands in his pockets and pointed with his chin to the bubble machine hanging on the wall. "I want that one."
"A bubble machine?"
"uh-huh."
"No problem~"
Jiang Jiawei turned to the shop owner and asked, "Uncle, how many bubbles should this bubble machine hit?"
"Seven out of ten shots."
Jiang Jiawei slightly turned her body, raised her gun, her eyebrows and eyes calm as still water, the wind blowing her hair and tangling it, she pulled the trigger, and fired a series of crisp and clean shots like a dragonfly skimming the water, the balloons bursting with a bang, ten shots, ten hits.
It typed out the letter Z.
Mu Zhengxi clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips, his surprised pupils sparkling in the light. He exclaimed "Wow!" with genuine emotion and clapped his hands.
Jiang Jiawei put down her gun and smiled at him.
The shopkeeper said that if you hit ten, you can choose a small teddy bear. Jiang Jiawei said, "No, I'll take the bubble machine."
"OK."
"Give."
Jiang Jiawei handed the bubble machine to Mu Zhengxi.
"I didn't expect you to have this skill, Jiang Jiawei."
"No problem at all~" The person with her hands behind her back walked briskly, her ponytail swaying with her steps.
After taking a few steps, he stopped, beckoned with his finger, and said, "I'll tell you a secret."
Mu Zhengxi lowered his head obediently. "What?"
“My mother used to run a stall like this.”
Oh, so it's from childhood training~
The Blue Dolphin's bubble machine plays "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" when you pull the trigger; the bullets that fly out are actually colorful bubbles that burst at the slightest touch.
"Hey, it's all stuck to my hair!"
Jiang Jiawei waved her hand to block the bubbles flying towards her.
"That's because you're short."
Jiang Jiawei pulled her school uniform jacket over her head and ran away unexpectedly.
"Hey Jiang Jiawei!"
"Jiang Jiawei!"
After chasing and running out of the bustling night market, Jiang Jiawei slowed down, panting, and pleaded, "I can't run anymore, I can't go on." Just as she was about to sit down casually in the flower bed next to her, Mu Zhengxi pulled her up.
"Ugh, so dirty."
"Then why didn't you say it was dirty when you blew bubbles at me just now?"
"Well, you'll still have to take a shower when you get home anyway."
"That's the same."
"That's different, bubbles won't get your clothes dirty."
"whispering sound……"
There's a convenience store across the street.
Jiang Jiawei: "Let's go buy some water."
"I bet you won't buy water later."
After whispering those words in her ear, Mu Zhengxi walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, carrying a dolphin that had already died in his other hand. The combination of his cold, black back view and his actions was both incongruous and somewhat comical.
"What are you doing, Jiang Jiawei?"
He glanced back at the person standing there.
Under the streetlights, the lines of her smiling face were gentle.
Jiang Jiawei: "Here we are."
You guessed wrong.
Jiang Jiawei shook the bottled water in her hand.
Mu Zhengxi turned his gaze to the ice cream in her other hand, asking with his eyes what it was.
Jiang Jiawei said, "Eating ice cream doesn't affect my ability to drink water."
Mu Zhengxi chuckled twice, too lazy to expose her, and kindly took the bottled water from her hand to help her unpack it.
Autumn is actually the best season for eating ice cream.
A breeze blows, and taking a bite of the icy ice cream sends a shiver down your spine, bringing a sense of complete comfort and making every pore on your body feel open.
Apart from the night market and a few scattered shops, most stores were already closed at this time, and there weren't many vehicles on the streets.
You can hear the faint sound of your feet stepping on the fallen leaves.
Mu Zhengxi looked down and saw that the shadows that were also moving side by side on the cement ground had taken a slight step back, enough to cover the entire Jiang Jiawei.
The black Mercedes-Benz followed the two people on the side of the road at a slow, steady speed. Zeng Yuan, sitting in the back seat, stared at the all-too-familiar back view, her face showing no emotional fluctuation.
Zeng Yuan looked away and rolled up the car window when she saw Mu Zhengxi open his arms and give a light hug to his shadow on the ground.
After finishing the last bite of the crispy cone, Jiang Jiawei threw the trash in her hand into the trash can.
When he turned around, Mu Zhengxi, who had reverted to his arrogant self, had resumed his hand-in-pockets posture, with a white transparent bag hanging on his right wrist. He stood still and looked at Jiang Jiawei, who had suddenly stopped moving.
"What's wrong?"
Mu Zhengxi looked back in confusion, but there was nothing there.
Then he heard Jiang Jiawei say.
"Want another hug?"
The person standing in front of me opened their arms generously and openly.
Blood rushed to his brain, and the unbalanced and disordered factors rampaged through his body, making it difficult for Mu Zhengxi to think about the literal meaning of the sentence.
Jiang Jiawei stepped forward and directly hugged the puppet that had been silent for a long time.
"If... you don't feel very good, that's okay, and you don't have to pretend you're all better."
With a thud, the bottle of water that Jiang Jiawei hadn't drunk from rolled to the ground along with Mu Zhengxi's, and her left shoulder blade was pressed tightly by a large hand.
Jiang Jiawei had also experienced this process. Even though she was still there, even though she was still breathing, the truth was that every heartbeat was a countdown to separation.
The first lessons in life about love and death both come from the same person; there could be no crueler arrangement.
Zeng Yuan carefully recalled any possible connections between Mu Zhengxi and the county town of Changqing, but couldn't come up with anything. However, what alarmed her even more was the long list of round-trip records the airline had sent her. She knew Mu Zhengxi had been to Changqing, but she hadn't expected it to be so frequent.
Whether at school or in her daily interactions with friends, Zeng Yuan had never seen or even heard of Mu Zhengxi being close to any women his age. It seemed that her son had little interest in anything other than football.
The next morning.
It wasn't room service that rang Mu Zhengxi's door, but rather a face that should have been far away in Hanyang—Zeng Yuan's assistant.
He reacted quickly in just a few seconds, unsure whether he should thank his mother for at least letting him get a good night's sleep.
Mu Zhengxi was not surprised at all. Suspicion and vigilance were compulsory courses for their family of four. The sword of Damocles that had been hanging over their heads had finally fallen.
The timing was exactly as he had guessed; all the application materials for university had already been submitted, and settling scores later was a common tactic of theirs.
I opened the window, and sure enough, the pattering sound confirmed it was raining.
Jiang Jiawei was zipping up her school uniform, and the more she rushed, the more she did the wrong thing. The zipper got stuck, and it took her a while to finally pull it up. Just as she was about to run downstairs with her schoolbag on the chair, Jiang Jia shouted from the dining table, "Sister, get the umbrella!"
I almost forgot.
They turned back.
He casually grabbed a bottle of milk and an egg from the table and threw them into his schoolbag.
"I'm leaving."
"Um."
"Dad, I'm going to school."
"Okay, go slowly."
Stepping out of the breakfast shop, the autumn wind that greeted her made her shiver, and Jiang Jiawei walked into the rain.
"Jiang Jiawei!"
Mu Zhengxi, who called out to her at the school gate, did not have an umbrella. The slanting raindrops wet his hair and soaked his gray hoodie.
She turned around and walked quickly over. "What's wrong? Why didn't you bring an umbrella?"
"I'm going back to Hanyang."
Now?
Yes, now.
Whether it was the urgent preparatory bell, the increasing rain, or the tense time after sleeping in late, my nervous system felt like a jigsaw puzzle in disarray. My sixth sense clearly perceived what I should say, what I should say quickly, hurry up!
"Actually, I, Jiang Jiawei, actually I—"
The bell rang for the start of class.
Jiang Jiawei grabbed Mu Zhengxi by the collar and pulled him inside the umbrella, then stuffed the umbrella handle into his hand.
She said.
"You should use an umbrella on rainy days, you idiot."
"I was late for class."
Tears fell into the rain.
"Jung-hee".
The assistant, holding an umbrella, spoke from behind.
Mu Zhengxi's fingertips, gripping the umbrella handle, turned white. He lowered his eyelids, licked his lips with his tongue, tasting the salty, damp flavor, and pressed his cheek against one side, taking a few breaths to adjust.
The car wheels rolled over puddles on the roadside, and the atmosphere inside the enclosed car, like the low-hanging dark clouds outside the window, was shrouded in damp, cold air. The assistant handed over an unwrapped towel, which Zeng Yuan took and tossed to the person next to her.
The towel hit the side of his face and fell off.
Mu Zhengxi did not pick it up.
Zeng Yuan glanced at the towel that had fallen at his feet. In fact, before this morning, she had originally planned not to hold Mu Zhengxi accountable for everything he had done in Changqing, as long as he obediently returned to Hanyang with her. She would just treat it as a relaxing trip for him. But obviously, her son did not appreciate it.
Is this why you didn't do well on your exams in May?
It's been a long time since I've heard a question posed with such a mocking tone.
"The reason?" Mu Zhengxi chuckled, leaned back, and looked at Zeng Yuan with a nonchalant, "The reason is simply that this is all the ability I have. What can I do?"
"Don't you have any shame, Mu Zhengxi?"
“I’ve never had this, haven’t you always known that?” A person with an innocent smile called out flippantly, “Mom, Mom.”
How did you meet?
Mu Zhengxi's face turned cold. "This is beyond the scope of your concern for me, Mom."
Zeng Yuan took out the printed flight log sheets for each trip from her bag and this time she really threw them in his face.
"So, what category does this bill fall under?"
Zeng Yuan tried hard to suppress her burning anger. She recalled the scene from last night, and how she was soaked to the bone this morning at the school gate, clutching the tattered umbrella with its wet clothes, her nose and eyes still red. All of this intensified the weight of the contempt in her eyes.
"You're quite capable, Mu Zhengxi, you've gotten this far in your relationship."
"That still can't compare to the abilities of my dad and Mu Zhengting from all over the world."
They responded with a mocking tone, their voices dripping with sarcasm.
A crisp slap rang out, the force enough to make the flesh on the cheek tingle slightly.
Two pairs of identical eyes reflected faces that were eight parts alike.
A streak of fire fell into the still lake; the fire went out, the water evaporated, and no one benefited.
We've arrived at the airport.
Jiang Jiawei's deskmate nudged her with his elbow and whispered, "The teacher is watching you."
Those who came to their senses began copying the notes on the blackboard.
The footsteps stopped beside the table.
The geography teacher bent down and asked gently, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Jiang Jiawei quickly shook her head, "No."
Reaching out to touch it, I found that her school uniform jacket was wet, but because it was white, I couldn't tell.
Why are your clothes all wet?
Jiang Jiawei said apologetically, "I forgot to bring my umbrella this morning."
The geography teacher was somewhat exasperated by the children's impulsiveness these days. She patted her hair and said, "Go back and change your clothes. I remember your house is very close, right across from the school gate, right?"
"No need, teacher, I—"
"Go quickly, don't catch a cold. You can borrow your notes from a classmate later. The next class is math, and you won't be able to concentrate if your clothes are wet."
Her deskmate nodded to her and reminded her, "My umbrella is the green one hanging behind me."
"Okay, thank you, teacher."
On Saturday morning, there were two intensive training classes being held at the school, and only the sound of my own footsteps echoed in the stairwell.
The store was packed at this time of day, with many people coming to take shelter from the rain and have a meal.
"dad."
"Eh."
Jiang Weichao, who was making soy milk, responded reflexively to the sound, thinking he was hallucinating from being too busy. But when he turned around, it was indeed his daughter.
"Jiajia, why are you back?"
"I'm coming back to change my clothes."
Jiang Weichao didn't say anything, assuming it was just the girl's period.
"Boss, another bowl of soy milk, please."
"Okay, coming right away."
He pressed his back against the door as it closed, then slowly slid down and squatted.
It takes her seven minutes to get home from the classroom. There are still five minutes until the end of get out of class. In addition, there is a ten-minute break between classes. She needs to change her clothes and get back to the classroom in fifteen minutes, so she can spend five minutes calming down.
Mu Zhengxi, with his hoodie hooded up to cover half his face and his eyes closed, remained unusually well-behaved until he got off the plane. Even after his phone and ID were confiscated, he remained silent.
Zeng Yuan looked up and saw a faint red mark on his left cheek, and clenched her fists tightly as she held her bag.
"you-"
The person who walked indifferently past her got into the car.
The doorbell rang.
After Wang Ruping put her sleeping son on the bed, she went to open the door. The somewhat surprised visitor asked, "Jiawei?"
The person with a smile on their face said apologetically, "Teacher Wang, I'm sorry to bother you."
Wang Ruping smiled and then called out, "Come in, come in quickly, is it raining so hard outside?"
"No need, Teacher Wang. I came to talk to you about the competition you mentioned last time. I want to participate."
"Um?"
"That English speech contest you mentioned," Jiang Jiawei looked at her, asking with unease and uncertainty, "I remember the registration deadline was at the end of the month, right?"
"yes."
After receiving a positive answer, Jiang Jiawei breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you sure you can do it?" Wang Ruping reassured her, "If you feel pressured, it's okay if you don't want to participate. I know you have a lot of homework in the Strong Foundation Class."
For this 21st Century Cup speech competition, the school asked her to arrange for two students from the second and third years of high school to participate. Wang Ruping first approached a few students who had previously participated in the English Proficiency Competition, but all three third-year students declined, as they were all from the Elite Foundation Program and did not have time to participate.
“It’s okay, I can arrange it.” Jiang Jiawei raised her head and said firmly to her, “Teacher Wang, I want to participate.”
"Okay, I'll prepare the materials tonight, and you can come to my house tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay, thank you."
"Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
"No need, I'm going home now."
"Drive carefully."
"Okay, goodbye teacher."
"Okay, goodbye."
Mu Zhengxi closed the door, leaned against it, and took out another cell phone from his pocket.
The phone screen on the table lit up.
Jiang Jiawei put down her pen in a second and immediately pressed the button to open it.
Just got home
The aunt who takes care of my grandma called this morning, but she's fine now, so don't worry.
Did I scare you?
I'm sorry, Jiang Jiawei, please forgive me this time too.
Holding her phone to her forehead with both hands, Jiang Jiawei lowered her eyes, and the word "解" (jie, meaning solution) written in black pen on the white homework paper condensed into a drop of transparent water.
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