Chapter 64
The days in July dawn quickly. At five or six in the morning, the sky is just turning light grey. The air is not yet mixed with the city’s scent. Everything is so pure that it makes people feel relaxed and happy, like a light ink painting filled with the fresh and elegant fragrance of leaves.
Zhong Xing's daily habit is to wake up at 6:30 and go out for a run. After coming back, he takes a shower and changes into going-out clothes. He also waters the orchids at home. Remembering that he has a business meeting today, he also changed into a more formal black suit. The Rolex mechanical watch on his wrist makes him look low-key and noble.
It was exactly seven forty when he went out with his briefcase.
When he arrived at the gate of the community, he heard a young couple discussing something.
"I heard that there was a serious fire and explosion at Capital University last night. This is really scary."
"The school is full of students, and we don't know what the casualties are."
The word "fire" clearly reached Zhong Xing's ears. He took a breath and couldn't help asking, "Which building is on fire?"
"I heard it's a girls' dormitory."
He felt a loud bang in his ear and his face turned pale. Without time to think, he drove to Capital University.
Along the way, his mind was full of Jiang Jiang's shadow.
While he was anxiously waiting for the green light, he prayed in his heart that nothing would happen to Jiang Jiang, and his hands holding the steering wheel were shaking slightly.
When there was only one intersection left to Capital University, he saw black smoke rising above the university from a distance. The entrance was crowded with ambulances and fire trucks, a cordon was set up, and the outside was filled with people watching the excitement.
The originally old and simple dormitory building was burned black by the fire. It was a horrifying sight. His legs felt as if they were filled with lead, so heavy that he could hardly lift them.
The students who escaped from the fire gathered in the playground to rest, and they all looked very embarrassed. The teachers were counting the number of students. People were coming and going in the school, some were transporting supplies, some were responsible for first aid, and some were responsible for post-disaster rescue... Zhong Xing was anxiously looking for Jiang Jiang in the crowd.
Zhong Xing recognized the girl next to him as Jiang Jiang’s roommate.
Fang Yanzi also recognized him immediately, "Are you Jiang Jiang's brother?"
"Yes! Where's Jiang Jiang? Isn't she with you?"
"Jiang Jiang, Jiang Jiang didn't come out with us!"
Hearing this, he staggered, fell to his knees, and tears fell from his eyes.
Tears fell uncontrollably and a huge sadness surged into his heart, making it hard for Zhong Xing to breathe.
"Jiang Jiang, Jiang Jiang..." He murmured Jiang Jiang's name, feeling as if the most important thing was being torn away from his body.
If he had known this would happen, why would he not dare to be with her because of fear of outside opinions?
He obviously, obviously likes Jiang Jiang.
"Brother?" Jiang Jiang appeared supporting a female classmate. Seeing the man kneeling on the ground and crying, she was surprised.
"Why are you here?"
Jiang Jiang didn't wait for Zhong Xing's answer. The man's expression changed from trance to surprise. He took a big step forward, stretched out his arms and held her in his arms.
"Jiang Jiang, I thought... I thought something happened to you." His voice was choked with sobs, and he hugged the woman in his arms tightly, wishing he could embed her into his life.
"I'm fine." Jiang Jiang was a little dazed by his sudden hug. Thinking of how he knelt on the ground and cried just now, she felt distressed and a little moved.
"I like you."
She was surprised and asked, "What did you say?"
Zhong Xing's heart was beating fast. He looked at Jiang Jiang in front of him and said, "Jiang Jiang, I don't want to escape anymore. I like you."
"I like you too. I like you very much, only you."
She hugged Zhong Xing back excitedly.
For a moment, Jiang Jiang felt that everything around him ceased to exist. The world became chaotic, and only the two of them were left.
Until the screams and boos from all around her reached her ears clearly.
Jiang Jiang became famous in school in a relatively sensational way.
Wherever she goes now, she becomes the focus of the crowd, and then there is a burst of whispers. She feels her scalp tingling every time she is in public. She quickly buys her things and runs back to the dormitory. Even some familiar teachers will tease her during breaks. Jiang Jiang complains about this.
However, Zhong Xingben was an outstanding student in previous years and was humble and polite. Although there was a big age difference between them, he still received blessings and support from many people.
That Saturday, when Jiang Jiang came out of the door, she saw Zhong Xing already waiting for her in the car.
After all, it was their first date, so she dressed up carefully. She let her long hair fall on her shoulders and wore a light pink dress. Jiang Jiang had fair skin, and the pink dress made her skin look even whiter than snow, and her temperament was sweet.
When Zhong Xing saw Jiang Jiang, he was unconsciously attracted to her.
He didn't look away until she sat down in the passenger seat. Zhong Xing watched her fasten her seat belt and handed her a paper bag.
"I just bought it, try it."
Jiang Jiang opened the paper package and took a look. It turned out to be peeled chestnuts, still warm. She looked at Zhong Xing in surprise, picked up one and put it in her mouth. It was soft, sweet and delicious.
"tasty."
He rubbed Jiang Jiang's head and said, "As long as it tastes good."
"Brother, did you peel this?"
"Yeah, I just peeled it while I was waiting for you."
Jiang Jiang tasted the chestnuts and felt sweet from the bottom of his heart.
"Would you like to go eat first or watch a movie first?"
Jiang Jiang thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to the movies!"
Zhong Xing naturally followed her own ideas. When they arrived at the entrance of the cinema, there were quite a few people gathered at the door. The next movie was "A Moment of Romance". Zhong Xing asked Jiang Jiang if she wanted to watch it.
"Look."
Zhong Xing was just about to ask Jiang Jiang to wait for him here. He went to buy the ticket and noticed Jiang Jiang holding his hand. She smiled at him and said, "Let's go together."
The girl had a faint fragrance and a sweet and bright smile. He couldn't help but hold Jiang Jiang's hand tightly, "Okay."
The two of them stood together, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, and they looked a perfect match.
Fortunately, the social atmosphere is open now, and there are young couples holding hands on the streets, so they will not appear out of place.
The cinema was full of people. Actually, cinemas were still a new thing at that time, and there were many people who loved to watch movies and join in the fun. Zhong Xing bought two tickets for adjacent seats, and the movie started less than five minutes after they sat down.
The cinema was pitch black, with only the light flashing on the big screen. The screening room was crowded with people, and the audience stared at the screen intently, afraid of missing a single scene. Soon, everyone was attracted by the exciting, compact and ups-and-downs plot of the movie and was intoxicated by it.
During the movie, Zhong Xing did not let go of Jiang Jiang's hand.
After coming out of the cinema, Zhong Xing asked Jiang Jiang what she wanted to eat.
Jiang Jiang didn't have any ideas, and then heard Zhong Xing ask, "I'll cook for you, okay?"
Jiang Jiang didn't expect Zhong Xing to be able to cook. She widened her eyes in surprise. She had been to Zhong Xing's place and saw very few cooking utensils and seasonings. "Brother, can you cook?"
"Yes, I just don't do it often."
"Then let's go buy some groceries and cook."
Jiang Jiang took his arm and they walked towards the vegetable market.
Zhong Xing could cook, he knew which leafy vegetables were the freshest and which spareribs tasted the best. Jiang Jiang watched him buying vegetables from the stall owner at the market. His slender fingers had distinct joints, his eyes were gentle, the sun shone on him, and every scene was so attractive that one could not take their eyes away.
All the seasonings at home were replaced with new ones. When Zhong Xing was cooking, Jiang Jiang helped beside him. In less than an hour, four dishes and a soup were ready.
Sweet and sour spare ribs, stir-fried beef with celery, steamed egg with pumpkin, stir-fried rapeseed, and vegetable and tofu soup are all Jiang Jiang’s favorite dishes.
She picked up a piece of pork ribs and put it in her mouth. It was surprisingly delicious. She said in surprise, "Mm, it's delicious!"
Jiang Jiang feels that the sweet and sour pork ribs made by her mother are probably the most delicious, but the sweet and sour pork ribs made by Zhong Xing are actually not much different, with just the right amount of sweet and sour, a mellow taste, and not greasy at all.
Zhong Xing smiled and gave her a few more ribs. "Eat more."
Jiang Jiang also picked up some food for him, "Brother, you should eat more too."
After dinner, Zhong Xing washed the dishes while Jiang Jiang watered the orchids on the balcony. The balcony was in a good location with a wide view and a green lake not far away.
Zhong Xing came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes. He wiped the water off his hands with a paper towel and threw it into the trash can beside him. "Jiang Jiang, come here for a moment."
Zhong Xing's house has two bedrooms and a living room. He uses the other room as the master bedroom. Zhong Xing took Jiang Jiang to the door of the other bedroom.
When Jiang Jiang opened the door, she found that Zhong Xing had arranged the room to look like a tailor's workshop, with a sewing machine, shelves for storing clothes and fabrics, a cloth cutting table, a needle and thread stand...all the tools needed to make clothes, everything you could think of.
Moreover, the whole room was specially decorated. The walls were repainted, and the original dark blue curtains were replaced with light yellow. In the pink glazed porcelain vase on the windowsill, there were two lotus flowers that she liked. The green stems were straight inside and outside, bringing a fresh fragrance to the room. There is a dark yellow desk by the window.
The sunlight outside shines in through the window, bright and gentle.
She covered her mouth in disbelief.
Jiang Jiang touched the sewing machine excitedly. Due to limited dormitory conditions, she seldom made clothes at school. She mostly drew drafts. She actually wanted to make clothes too.
"I know you like making clothes, so I turned this place into a studio. It's not far from Capital University. You can come here to make clothes on weekends."
Zhong Xing placed a bunch of keys in Jiang Jiang's palm.
"Woo woo..." Jiang Jiang hugged Zhong Xing excitedly and hung on him, "Brother, you are so good to me!"
Jiang Jiang stayed at Zhong Xing's place until about five in the afternoon. They went out to have dinner and he sent her home.
Jiang Jiang thought of the last time Zhong Xing sent her back, he was also standing in this place. She felt that the distance between them was so far at that time, and Zhong Xing made it clear that there was no possibility between them, but now, they held hands tightly, and Zhong Xing was her boyfriend.
A feather-light kiss landed on the side of his face.
"Good night, brother."
Zhong Xing's body stiffened for a moment, his ears turned red, and he said in a very low voice, "Well, Jiang Jiang, good night."
Jiang Jiang walked briskly back to the dormitory. As soon as she entered the dormitory, her roommates surrounded her and asked her how the date felt and what she did.
"I went to the movies and had dinner, and everything is fine." Jiang Jiang's face turned slightly red.
"Ahhhhhh" several girls screamed in excitement.
After finally getting rid of her roommate, Jiang Jiang went to the bathroom, took a shower, and changed into a set of white cotton pajamas.
Although the fire was not small, it was discovered in time. Although some students were injured, most of them were slightly injured and no one died in the fire. The girls who originally lived in that dormitory were temporarily relocated to a vacated boys' dormitory.
Jiang Jiang took a shower and washed her clothes. When she returned to the dormitory, her roommates had all gone to bed. She tiptoed back to her bed and took out a photo from the small cross-body bag she was carrying.
This is a photo of her and Zhong Xing. After coming out of the cinema, Jiang Jiang found a photo studio with Moscow-style decoration not far away. She suggested taking a photo together, and Zhong Xing naturally agreed.
In the photo, Jiang Jiang is sitting on a chair, with Zhong Xing's hand on her shoulder. The two of them are behaving intimately, with smiles on their faces, and it is obvious that they are a couple.
This is also the first photo of her and Zhong Xing.
Jiang Jiang dug out the old photo of Zhong Xing and compared it with the current one. The previous Zhong Xing was a clear-minded young man, but the current Zhong Xing has more of a warm and mature feeling that has gone through the years. Jiang Jiang held the photo in her hand. In fact, she liked Zhong Xing from any period.
Even if he becomes a weathered old man in the future, she will still like him.
Jiang Jiang smiled, but when Zhong Xing became an old man, she should also be a white-haired old lady.
She also tucked the photo into the copy of Wuthering Heights on her bedside table.
Finally, place it next to the pillow.
"good evening."
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