Chapter 45
When Mu Zhengxi returned to his home in Hanyang around 6 p.m., Lin Ge told him that Zeng Yuan was having dinner at the restaurant.
He paused, tapped his feet a few times in place, and then turned and walked towards the restaurant.
The person drinking soup asked without looking up, "Where did you go?" The weariness was palpable in both their expression and voice.
Mu Zhengxi lowered his eyes and said somewhat awkwardly, "I went to Xu Zizhao's house." He spoke in a calm and casual tone, like a child chatting with his mother.
The servant set out the table for him.
"Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"Of course I remember, how could I not? I remember it perfectly clearly. When you were born, Mr. Zeng was in labor for two whole days. At the time, we suggested she have a C-section, but she felt that natural childbirth was better for the baby and insisted on having a natural birth."
Mu Zhengxi placed the bag he was carrying on the dining table, the word "Mom" stuck in his throat. He tugged at his collar, "This is—"
"Mu Zhengxi." Zeng Yuan put down her soup spoon.
"Um."
His back straightened involuntarily, his hands, which were resting on the dining table, were clasped tightly together, and he swallowed hard.
Instead of the expected look, I was met with a document that seemed to contain a stain on my life, something shameful. "You don't mean to ask me to get you into university in some other way, do you?"
“Your brother has never experienced something like this, so it’s best if you don’t either.” Zeng Yuan took a tissue, wiped her mouth, and stood up.
Mu Zhengxi followed her movements with his gaze, his lips moved slightly, his eyes were blank, he could neither explain nor retaliate as quickly as usual.
"Madam, shall we go to the hospital now?"
Mu Zhengxi noticed the food the housekeeper was carrying and stood up as well, looking nervously at his mother, "The hospital? What happened? Who's sick?"
The housekeeper comforted him, saying, "It's your brother. He had hives, but he's fine now. Don't worry."
Zeng Yuan: "Let's go."
Mu Zhengxi watched Zeng Yuan's departing figure until the car engine in the yard stopped running. He then looked back at the empty dining table, the chandelier overhead casting an unreal glow.
"The soup is cold, let's reheat it."
Lin finally couldn't help but step forward and speak.
Mu Zhengxi blinked and came back to his senses. "No need, I won't eat. I ate something on the way back."
"How about I cook you a bowl of wontons?"
Mu Zhengxi did not respond.
"I didn't take the bag."
The person who stopped turned their head after a while, and tugged at the corner of their mouth, "I'll give you some food, Brother Lin."
Then he said something sarcastic.
"Hives, they won't kill you, will they?"
The second shelf of the transparent bookcase was neatly arranged with books marked only by the year and without names. When I took them out and opened them, I found that they were actually photo albums.
The number of childhood photos is counted in albums, and each photo is carefully labeled with the time and place by hand.
Photography was Jiang Wenqing's only hobby outside of work, and her only hobby was portraiture of Mu Zhengxi, which she started when she was five years old and continued until her hands could no longer hold a camera.
Having not looked back in a long time, Mu Zhengxi looked at the various funny expressions and poses of himself in the photo album and doubted himself with a hint of disgust. Is this really him? He glanced back at the person lying on the bed. Jiang Wenqing in 1997 was also very different from the person he was now.
Time is a cruel mistress.
Mu Zhengxi pursed his lips and said, "Wenqing, you've aged too much."
Minxia, who brought in a basin of warm water, said with a smile, "How can you not get old? Look how tall you've grown."
Why did you suddenly decide to look through childhood photos?
Minxia wrung out a towel and wiped Jiang Wenqing's face.
Mu Zhengxi sighed, "Let's reminisce about the past."
"Why are you sighing at such a young age? You're just wasting your luck." Minxia told him to stop, and then said, "You were so cute when you were little. You were so cooperative when we took pictures of you. You loved it when we took you out to play and take pictures. Now that you're all grown up, you don't like taking pictures anymore."
Mu Zhengxi smiled faintly.
The turning point was in 2003, when the growing pains started and my height increased, while the number of photos in the album decreased, until it was completely blank by the end of 2004.
He put the photo album back on the bookcase and closed the door.
The photo on the desk is of Lake Baikal in winter. Jiang Wenqing once went to the Russian State University for an exchange program and spent two days there to take him to see it. This was the only trip they ever took together.
Mu Zhengxi looked at the person on the bed. After all this time, did Jiang Wenqing still remember how to say it in Russian? In the time and space where she was trapped, was there a Lake Baikal?
football field.
Xu Zizhao tossed the water to the two of them and then sat down cross-legged.
With Mu Zhengxi's palm facing up, Xu Zizhao took out two lollipops from his two pockets and placed them in his hands.
Xu Zizhao said, "By the way, my mom received a package yesterday, and we're taking it to his wife that day—"
Mu Zhengxi glanced at the person sideways and said, "Shout properly."
"……sister in law?"
"She doesn't have a name?"
"Jiang Jiawei! Jiang Jiawei, that's enough."
Seeing that the two were about to get heated, Yan Yuheng steered the conversation back on track, "What's wrong with the things you brought to Jiang Jiawei?"
"The ginseng and other things were all sent back, and they also gave us honey and various local specialties in return."
Mu Zhengxi propped his chin up, unsurprised, and continued watching the training of the first-year high school reserve team on the field.
Yan Yuheng glanced at him, and realized he was right.
"Her father won't accept it."
Xu Zizhao said, "I was wondering why her father asked me where we lived that day. I didn't expect it was because he was sending it back to me."
Mu Zhengxi: "Did your mother beat you to death?"
Yan Yuheng looked at Mu Zhengxi with an expression that said, "What are you talking about in your sleep?" "When did his mother ever hit him?"
Xu Zizhao put his arm around Yan Yuheng's shoulder and said confidently, "That's right, my mom is a first-class outstanding model mom. She gave this to me as a gift."
Click.
Mu Zhengxi bit the lollipop off his cheek. Indeed, as the youngest son with two older sisters and one older brother, Xu Zizhao was someone whose family would give him the moon if he asked for the stars in the sky.
With his hands supporting him behind him, Mu Zhengxi said, "My mom doesn't hit me either."
I just ignored him.
Xu Zizhao and Yan Yuheng looked at each other and both gasped reflexively.
A person like Ms. Zeng doesn't need to lift a finger; a single glance from her is enough to exert nuclear power.
Evergreen's winter ended after a winter rain.
With the spring equinox over, temperatures have risen sharply, and heavy sweaters and scarves have suddenly come to an end this year.
Physical education class, same as always.
Jiang Jiawei and Chen Jingyu sat on the edge of the stage, each holding a row of Wahaha drinks.
Looking at the basketball court, Chen Jingyu thought, "Zhang Chao has actually started studying seriously." She still found it a bit unbelievable.
The monthly exams had just ended, and Zhang Chao's leap from the bottom of the class to the top 30 was truly a shock to everyone.
“He even borrowed books from me to look at his notes when school started.” Jiang Jiawei didn’t find anything strange about it. “He also applied for evening study sessions this semester, and I’ve seen him come on time.”
The person who put down their drink exclaimed excitedly, "But he broke up with Xu Yue!"
This is what Chen Jingyu doesn't understand.
Jiang Jiawei glanced at her and said, "Does that mean he's not going to study anymore after the breakup?" She disagreed with her connection between the two.
Chen Jingyu certainly knew this principle, but, "Zhang Chao only managed to study because Xu Yue supervised him."
Jiang Jiawei shrugged. "Maybe he's had an epiphany and figured things out."
Chen Jingyu leaned closer to Jiang Jiawei and asked gossipily, "Hey, do you think they'll get back together?"
"Who knows?"
Zhang Chao and Xu Yue's relationship was marked by breakups as frequently as drinking water.
Chen Jingyu analyzed logically, "If Zhang Chao were still the same as before, I think they would definitely break up even after graduation. But things are different now. Zhang Chao has started to study seriously. If he works hard, he can probably manage to attend university in the same city."
There are also standards for judging relationships during student days. To determine if a relationship is a good match, one should look at the couple's academic performance. Whether a relationship can last depends on whether they attend the same school.
Jiang Jiawei thought for a moment, "Is it not okay if we're not in the same city?"
"We're so far apart, what's there to talk about? Besides, who knows what kind of people we'll meet in college?" Chen Jingyu said, gazing at the sky with a hint of longing. "Maybe we'll meet someone even better!"
Jiang Jiawei lowered her head and bit the straw again.
Is that so?
"But seriously, have you thought about which university to apply to?"
Jiang Jiawei followed her gaze and looked towards the senior high school building.
There are only about two months left before they become senior high school students.
"Do you still want to apply to Nanshan University?"
Chen Jingyu looked at Jiang Jiawei.
This was written by Jiang Jiawei, who suddenly became very motivated after her class teacher anonymously collected everyone's target universities during a class meeting in the second semester of her first year of high school.
Jiang Jiawei stared straight ahead, the sun so bright it made her squint, and shook her head.
"I don't want to think about it anymore."
"What else?"
"What kind of prestigious university are you trying to get into? Why aren't you home yet?"
Mu Zhengxi stood outside the classroom corridor for a while, hesitating between whether or not to play a prank on the other person, and finally chose the latter.
Jiang Jiawei turned to look at the window, her expression blank.
Mu Zhengxi entered the classroom and sat down at the desk in front of her. He saw her ponytail, which was now hanging down in a messy way, and sighed softly.
Jiang Jiawei was so shocked that she stammered, pointing at the person who had suddenly appeared in front of her, "Today, isn't today Friday?"
"I didn't go on the spring outing," Mu Zhengxi explained succinctly, then added in a lecturing tone, "Jiang Jiawei, do you even know what time it is?"
Jiang Jiawei glanced at the time on the wall; it was exactly 10:30.
Mu Zhengxi threatened, "This is such a big teaching building, aren't you afraid of ghosts coming to get you if you stay here by yourself?"
Jiang Jiawei laughed when she heard this, and pointed to the other side of the wall, "It's not just me, there are classmates in the next classroom, and there are also many senior high school students studying on the other side."
Mu Zhengxi said irritably, "Are you a senior in high school? Staying up so late."
Jiang Jiawei tilted her head and carefully looked at the person who seemed a little different today.
Mu Zhengxi felt a tickle in his throat from being stared at, and preemptively asked, "What? Don't you recognize me after just a few days?"
Jiang Jiawei asked in confusion, "Why are you wearing glasses?"
The person licked their lips and looked down. "I'm nearsighted."
Jiang Jiawei frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Well... I discovered I've become a little nearsighted the day before yesterday." Mu Zhengxi sniffed, his face completely calm. "Is there anything strange about that? Isn't nearsightedness quite normal?"
Jiang Jiawei remained silent, but simply reached out and beckoned with her finger.
"do what?"
Mu Zhengxi asked this question, but still leaned closer with an honest expression. He even turned his head slightly, as if he wanted to whisper something. The next second, his glasses were taken off his nose.
"Hello!"
Jiang Jiawei took it in her hand, looked at it through the lens, and said, "What nonsense are you talking about, saying you're nearsighted?"
Mu Zhengxi snatched it back and put it on, saying, "Mind your own business. It's fashionable, and I like wearing it."
"...What kind of fashion is this?"
"The fashion of cultured people."
"..."
Mu Zhengxi pulled the bag that was on the table over.
Jiang Jiawei craned her neck and took a look. "What is this?"
"Cake, pineapple cake." The person opening the bag revealed their first smile of the day, a bright and proud one, with a hint of boasting. "I brought it for you from Hanyang."
The cake box was printed with the words "Sunshine Bakery," and the sweet and sour aroma of pineapple wafted out as the box was opened.
It's palm-sized, perfectly preserved, and still emitting a chill when you touch it, just like it came out of the refrigerator.
Mu Zhengxi asked, "Is it delicious?"
Jiang Jiawei smiled and nodded vigorously, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Mu Zhengxi took out another bottle of juice from the bag, inserted a straw, and handed it to her.
"You eat it."
"It's really delicious, don't you want some?"
"I've already had enough to eat in Hanyang."
"whispering sound……"
"What can I do? It's located near my house."
Jiang Jiawei then pulled the cake closer to herself, saying, "Then I'll eat it, you don't need to."
"It was originally meant for you." Mu Zhengxi swung his legs and picked up the exercise book on the table.
"Is this the exercise you discussed tonight?"
"Hmm, but how did you know I was in this classroom?"
"Just ask the security guard."
"Did the security guard let you in?"
"Hmm." Mu Zhengxi put down the exercise sheet. "He let me in when I told him I was looking for my sister."
"Why are you still bothered by this?"
"Yes, I am a very petty person."
Jiang Jiawei smiled and put the last bite of cake into her mouth.
"Finished eating?"
"Isn't it quite small?"
"Well, thank goodness I bought four."
"Four???" Jiang Jiawei paused in surprise as she drank her juice. "I can't possibly eat that much..."
"Who knows?" Mu Zhengxi teased her on purpose.
"I-"
"Jiawei."
Someone knocked on the window.
This drew the attention of both of them.
Liu Xinze asked her, "Shall we go?"
"I'll wait a moment, you go first."
Just as Liu Xinze was about to say something, he caught a glimpse of a face sitting opposite Jiang Jiawei, expressionless, with his arm propped up on the table in a very thuggish posture. Today, he was wearing glasses, which made him the perfect embodiment of the adjective "refined scoundrel." However, out of respect for the other person's status, Liu Xinze still greeted him indifferently.
"Your cousin is here."
Mu Zhengxi rolled his eyes in response.
"He is not my cousin."
Jiang Jiawei said.
Mu Zhengxi's hand, which was hanging by the table, twitched slightly.
"He is my friend."
The chair, which had been propped up by two legs, suddenly lost its support and crashed down with a loud thud. Mu Zhengxi was thrown forward by inertia, turning his head and cursing under his breath.
Jiang Jiawei glanced at him, then said to Liu Xinze, "It's a misunderstanding, and it's a bit complicated to explain, but he's definitely not my cousin, he's my friend."
Liu Xinze took a few seconds to process the information, then said "oh" and made a vague statement.
"He doesn't look like your cousin either."
Jiang Jiawei: "Hmm?"
"It's nothing, I'll be going now."
"good."
Mu Zhengxi, who was still lying on the table, didn't get up, and his exposed ears were a little red.
Jiang Jiawei looked at him worriedly, "You weren't really hurt, were you?"
The person who raised their head stiffly uttered a single word: "No."
"Let's go too."
Mu Zhengxi tugged at his ear in frustration, utterly exasperated.
After leaving the teaching building, I belatedly realized that something was wrong.
"Jiang Jiawei, you two don't leave school together this late every day, do you?"
"We'll get together when the classroom is empty."
The person who stopped in their tracks was instantly speechless with anger.
Mu Zhengxi caught up with Jiang Jiawei again and began to rattle off a barrage of questions: "Why? What's wrong with the others? Don't they study? Why are they coming home so early? Isn't the college entrance exam just over a year away? If they don't start working hard now, when will they ever start??"
“Others,” Jiang Jiawei said, looking at the steps, “learn faster.”
Mu Zhengxi exclaimed, "Isn't Liu Xinze a top student? Why is he staying up so late?!"
"I don't know, top students probably have high standards for themselves." Jiang Jiawei replied casually, jumping down the last two steps and turning around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's go to the night market, what do you say?"
"Why go to the night market?" Mu Zhengxi reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in front of him. His expression was very serious as he warned, "Jiang Jiawei, don't you dare to fall in love too early."
The person issuing the warning, feeling uneasy under the watchful eye of the person being warned, begins to bluff.
"I'm serious, I mean it." Mu Zhengxi emphasized, changing his strategy from firm to gentle, playing the role of an elder and earnestly persuading: "Early love won't lead anywhere, I'm telling you, high school romances shouldn't be taken seriously."
Jiang Jiawei tilted her head. "Really?"
"Of course!"
"Have you talked about it?"
This rhetorical question caught people off guard.
But Mu Zhengxi quickly found another angle to attack, "What's there to talk about? I'm so busy, I don't have time for romance. I'm focused on my studies." As he spoke, he pushed up his glasses, looking like a model student.
"Okay," Jiang Jiawei drawled, deliberately adding, "Thank you for your concern, little brother~"
“…Hey, Jiang Jiawei, I’m serious, Jiang Jiawei.”
"Want to go to the night market?"
"go."
Security guard: "Jiawei, are you home?"
"Okay, goodbye Uncle~"
Mu Zhengxi also greeted him, "Goodbye, Uncle~" and then quickly followed, "Going to the night market so late, will your dad agree?"
"Isn't it because you're with me?"
"Your dad trusts me so much!"
"Yes, aren't you my younger brother?"
"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You deliberately tried to annoy me, didn't you, Jiang Jiawei?"
Mu Zhengxi reached out and grabbed her ponytail.
Her eyes, which she turned to look at, were full of smiles, and the moonlight reflected in them.
"Forget it, I'm a magnanimous person, I won't hold it against you."
"That would be best."
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