Chapter 19
Xu Ying went home with a bellyful of gossip.
The next day when she went to dinner, Lin Zhongxu was not there again. She casually asked where he had gone, and Grandma Wang replied irritably, "Where else could he have gone? He went fishing again. I don't know what's so great about fishing on such a hot day!"
Xu Ying responded with an "oh," expressing some regret.
She had originally planned to take advantage of the mealtime to ask Lin Zhongxu if he wanted to go to the movies.
She was scrolling through her phone before bed yesterday when she came across a movie that interested her. The movie was still showing, but unfortunately, there were very few screenings in her small county, and the only two screenings were scheduled for the middle of the night.
Unlike first-tier cities, there are basically no people on the streets in county towns late at night.
Xu Ying wanted to watch a movie but didn't dare go out alone at night, so she thought of Lin Zhongxu. He was tall and imposing, so it would be best to bring him along.
Unfortunately, Lin Zhongxu seemed to have a thing for fish.
Several days passed, and Xu Ying didn't see him at the dinner table, nor did she have his contact information...
Fortunately, there was no rush to see the movie, so Xu Ying kept putting it off until one evening after dinner when she went downstairs to throw out the trash and happened to run into Lin Zhongxu riding his bike back. Only then did she bring it up.
“Watching the movie is fine, but you have to pay for the tickets yourself, including my share,” Lin Zhongxu said as he rode his bike to the designated parking spot and took off his helmet.
Xu Ying was waiting for him on the road. Upon hearing this, she immediately replied, "No problem."
She was worried about safety and asked someone to accompany her to the movies, so it was only right that she pay for a movie ticket.
Perhaps Xu Ying agreed too readily, now Lin Zhongxu was a little at a loss. When going upstairs, he followed behind Xu Ying and took the initiative to ask, "Has my grandmother already told you about me?"
Xu Ying gave a soft "hmm".
He's not just said it; he's sighed and complained countless times behind people's backs.
"Then you should know that my family is very angry about me changing my college application. They suspended my credit card, and I don't have a hundred yuan on me right now, otherwise..."
Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't let the girl spend money; Xu Ying's mind had already automatically filled in the blanks he hadn't finished saying.
"It's pretty tragic," Xu Ying commented.
Lin Zhongxu seemed amused by her words: "You don't think I deserved what I got?"
"I only saw a child who had been forced into a corner."
These past few days, Grandma Wang has often talked about Lin Zhongxu at the dinner table, saying how well-behaved and sensible he used to be, and how he suddenly became a different person after entering high school.
He also said that once he got into an argument with his family at the dinner table, throwing his chopsticks and bowls, making it impossible for the whole family to enjoy their meal.
......
He sounds like someone beyond redemption.
However, Xu Ying sketched out a family full of repression and suffocation from Grandma Wang's complaints.
A domineering mother, an angry father, and a weak and helpless boy.
Lin Zhongxu has been attending tutoring classes since he was a child. His mother values his grades and hopes he can be multi-talented, so his weekends are packed with activities, leaving him no time to even go out and play basketball with his friends.
He had only skipped one extracurricular class when his father dragged him home from the basketball court, gave him a severe beating, and made him kneel until after 2 a.m. He was in sixth grade at the time.
When he was in junior high school, a girl liked him and stuffed love letters and gifts into his schoolbag. He took them home without knowing it, and when his mother found out, she beat him severely without asking any questions.
He raised his hand to cover his face after being slapped, but his father thought he was trying to fight back, so his father hit him even harder.
Afterwards, when he was being punished by kneeling, his grandmother went over and earnestly advised him, saying, "How can you be so young and not studying properly, but only talking about love? Your father is hitting you for your own good. How can you fight back?"
The incident later reached the school, and the girl who had written him love letters and given him gifts was so ashamed that she eventually transferred to another school.
"Thinking about it now, it was indeed a bit unfair to him, but his parents were just afraid that he would go astray. In the end, it was all for his own good." After many years, when the matter was brought up again, Grandma Wang's words were similar to those of Grandma Lin Zhongxu.
......
Adults always have their reasons.
No one cares about a child's dignity or grievances.
Lin Zhongxu is already eighteen years old this year, and this kind of thing has happened countless times over the years.
Grandma Wang always says that he became disobedient after high school. In her opinion, he has grown up and knows how to run away. Didn't he run away here to fill out his college application this time?
well.
As Xu Ying listened to Grandma Wang recount the events from an adult's perspective, the scene of her first meeting with Lin Zhongxu suddenly flashed into her mind.
No wonder his features are so sharp.
Growing up in such a family, it's really hard for a child to have a peaceful personality.
"I only saw a child who had been forced into a corner."
Xu Ying's casual remark froze Lin Zhongxu in place.
The dim streetlights cast long, distorted shadows on the steps, and Lin Zhongxu stared at Xu Ying's back with a complicated expression.
"What are you daydreaming about? Let's go!"
Lin Zhongxu didn't say anything, and silently followed Xu Ying's steps.
When they arrived at their doorsteps, they opened the doors back to back, said goodbye, and went their separate ways.
*
Lin Zhongxu did not go fishing the next day, and Xu Ying rarely saw him at the dinner table.
Perhaps because of what Xu Ying said last night, Lin Zhongxu smiled and greeted her subconsciously when he saw her today, which made Xu Ying feel flattered.
Having seen him so often with a blank expression, this was the first time I'd ever seen him smiling.
Indeed, people should smile more. Look at Lin Zhongxu's smile; the youthful spirit of a young man immediately shines through!
After dinner, Xu Ying secretly gave Lin Zhongxu a look, reminding him not to forget tonight's movie. Lin Zhongxu lowered his eyes and blinked to indicate that he remembered, and only then did she leave with peace of mind.
Nine o'clock in the evening.
Xu Ying stood at the door waiting for Lin Zhongxu next door. After a few minutes, a slight creaking sound came from the door next door, and then the door was opened a crack, revealing Lin Zhongxu looking cautious.
Xu Ying silently waved to him.
Lin Zhongxu slipped out and carefully closed the door with minimal noise before letting out a sigh of relief and saying in a low voice, "Let's go."
The two elderly people in the family had gone back to their rooms to sleep at this time, and he hadn't told them in advance that he was going out to see a movie, so he had to sneak around like a thief.
Xu Ying was infected by his chatter and started muttering along with him until they went downstairs, at which point their conversation returned to normal volume.
The movie started at 9:30 p.m. At that time, the waiting area of the cinema was empty, and apart from the ticket checker Xu Ying, no one else was seen.
The same was true in the theater; after she and Lin Zhongxu went in, someone came and closed the door, making it feel like the theater had been booked out.
"Does that mean we can speak loudly whenever we want?"
"fine."
Lin Zhongxu is very focused when watching movies.
However, his focus was different from Xu Ying's. Xu Ying paid more attention to the plot, while he paid more attention to the narrative rhythm and the art of editing the scenes.
"In this scene, the director first cuts to a long shot to show the audience the supreme majesty of the imperial power, and then slowly cuts to a close-up of the male protagonist to show the tragedy of a small person in the feudal era."
This comparison amplifies the audience's emotions, though of course, the actors' performances are also very important...
When analyzing films, Lin Zhongxu was no longer as taciturn as usual; he became much more talkative.
Xu Ying and he each talked their own thing, and they both seemed quite comfortable with each other.
Once the movie menu ended and the lights in the theater came on, the two got up and started walking out.
"The movie was pretty good," Lin Zhongxu continued enthusiastically. "The director of this movie is a newcomer. For a newcomer to make a film, he managed to integrate the visuals, plot, and editing so well. You know that's amazing..."
Lin Zhongxu genuinely loves directing.
He wasn't the rebellious person or someone who deliberately went against his family, as Grandma Wang described; he simply liked what he did.
Xu Ying looked at him with loving eyes and couldn't help but reach out and pat his head.
Lin Zhongxu's unfinished words choked in his throat. He stared at Xu Ying in shock, while Xu Ying, still immersed in her role as an elder, sighed to herself, "What a good child!"
Growing up in such a repressive family atmosphere, he did not go astray, nor did he develop psychological trauma or mental problems. He did not even have the arrogance and timidity typical of teenagers.
He is polite and considerate, frank and straightforward, with an independent personality and a sincere pursuit of ideals.
What a wonderful child!
Lin Zhongxu stared blankly at Xu Ying.
Xu Ying's voice was very soft, and her eyes were full of admiration as she looked at him. She was praising him; even his mother had never praised him like that.
Lin Zhongxu didn't know if he had lost his mind. By the time he realized it, he had already blurted out, "I wish you were my mom!"
Xu Ying was caught off guard: "Um... it would be nice if I were your older sister."
A note from the author:
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