Something warm was surging in Zhang Zhiyuan's chest. It made his heart beat faster and his throat feel inexplicably dry.
The words I want to say and the emotions I want to express are all on the tip of my tongue, but there is always a trace of clarity in my mind.
"I, I..." he said, "I also think it's best not to fall in love during high school."
Zhang Yansheng's mouth opened and closed.
Zhang Zhiyuan felt his face getting hot, but he still insisted, "Studying is more important. We only have more than 900 days."
Zhang Yansheng stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly covered his face.
I can't say I'm disappointed, I just think it's... funny.
"You..." She couldn't help laughing.
Zhang Zhiyuan blushed, and then found himself funny. I wanted to hold back my laughter, but I couldn't, so I had to bite my lips hard.
The two of them smiled at each other in the night and the lights.
When Zhang Zhiyuan said this, he was worried that Zhang Yansheng would be disappointed or something. But when he saw Zhang Yansheng's smile, he knew that she had seen through his forced turn.
But she was neither disappointed nor angry, so she must have understood what he was feeling, and also understood that what he said was right.
Zhang Yansheng was indeed in this state of mind at the moment.
She didn't expect that the boy's mind could still be so clear at such a hazy and beautiful moment, with his first love budding.
I wasn't angry at all. The little bit of expectation that was dashed just made me laugh uncontrollably.
After the two of them laughed enough, Zhang Yansheng said, "You're right, so don't fall in love too early. Q University is still waiting for you."
Zhang Zhiyuan looked up to the sky and said, "Don't put pressure on me."
Zhang Yansheng laughed again and was about to speak when suddenly a woman's voice sounded behind Zhang Zhiyuan: "Zhiyuan."
The atmosphere of hormones and youth was dispersed.
The two looked over at the same time. A middle-aged woman was stepping over the small iron gate embedded in the big iron gate. She asked hesitantly, "Didn't you say you were going downstairs to take out the trash? Why are you here?"
Zhang Zhiyuan called out "Mom" and said, "I want to talk to my classmate about something."
The middle-aged woman looked over, and Zhang Yansheng politely called her, "Auntie."
The middle-aged woman responded and asked, "Why are you still outside so late? What's going on?"
When an adult sees two children outside at this time, they ask this question. Strictly speaking, there is nothing wrong with the content of the question.
What was problematic was her wary tone and defensive attitude.
Zhang Zhiyuan saw that the smile that originally appeared naturally on Zhang Yansheng's pretty face disappeared. Instead, there was a reserved and distant smile.
"Mom!" he said immediately, "We'll be done soon, you go back first."
Zhang Yansheng glanced at Zhang Zhiyuan, somewhat surprised by the firmness in his tone.
He had said before that his tone was too harsh when he spoke to Xu Lichen, but Zhang Yansheng didn't really believe it. Because in the class, most girls' impression of Zhang Zhiyuan is "tall, gentle, and a little handsome".
He was especially patient with Zhang Yansheng. The slow speaking speed and soft voice when explaining the topic make people feel gentle. It even got to the point where Zhang Yansheng felt that his personality was a little lukewarm.
Now it seems that he really does have a strong side.
"I'm done. I'm going home now." Zhang Yansheng still gave Zhang Zhiyuan face and said politely, "Auntie, goodbye."
Zhang Zhiyuan said: "Be careful on the road."
Zhang Zhiyuan's mother asked in surprise: "You don't live here?"
She thought that this girl, like them and several other classmates, rented a house in Dongfengdongli for the convenience of going to school.
"Not here." Zhang Yansheng replied, and then nodded at Zhang Zhiyuan, "He's gone."
Zhang Zhiyuan nodded.
Zhang Zhiyuan's mother hesitated.
Late in the night, such a beautiful girl was alone... As an adult, Zhang Zhiyuan's mother thought it would be best if someone could send her off, but as a mother, she didn't want her son to have more opportunities to be alone with this girl who was running around outside and looking for her son late at night.
Just as she was hesitating whether to go and see the girl off herself, the girl had already strode across the street.
The driver of a black Mercedes-Benz opposite got out and opened the door for her. The car drove away.
Zhang Zhiyuan’s mother was even more surprised.
"Your classmate's family is well off, right?" she said.
Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Maybe. I don't know."
Middle school students are not yet at the age where they care about these things. It’s just that Mercedes-Benz is too popular, and Zhang Zhiyuan still recognizes it. If Zhang Yansheng were sitting in the Rolls-Royce or Bentley at home, he might not be able to identify the brand.
I don't understand and I don't care.
The two people walked back silently. Zhang Zhiyuan’s mother didn’t say anything and didn’t question why Zhang Zhiyuan “threw garbage” outside the community.
Some things are hard to handle if you explain them out loud.
But she couldn't help but say, "This girl is pretty."
Zhang Zhiyuan curled his lips: "The boys in our class always make a fuss, saying that she is the school belle of this year."
The mother observed her son's expression and said, "In high school..."
Zhang Zhiyuan sighed and stopped: "I don't know how to fall in love, I really have something to do."
Zhang Zhiyuan's mother believed him. Because she had just come here to look for her son, and happened to hear the last words Zhang Yansheng said, which was that he agreed not to fall in love, and also said that Q was waiting for Zhang Zhiyuan.
The words sounded quite pleasant, as if the two of them were indeed not dating secretly.
After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but say, "She seems to be a girl with a bad temper. I didn't say anything just now, did I?"
Even Zhang Zhiyuan could feel the change in Zhang Yansheng's attitude, and as an adult she certainly wouldn't be unaware of it. I think she is a very proud little girl. Maybe all pretty girls are proud - this is the general perception of parents.
Zhang Zhiyuan was silent for a moment, then said bluntly: "Don't treat my female classmates like that in the future."
Mom asked, “What?”
"Don't guard against others like you would a thief," Zhang Zhiyuan said helplessly. "Your son is a treasure only in your heart. In the eyes of others, he is nothing. No one cares about him."
Mom scolded: "What are you talking about?"
But that kind of guard against others seemed to have become her instinct, and it couldn't be changed by a few words. Zhang Zhiyuan said no more.
My mother said, "It's not that I don't allow you to date, but you can't do it now. When you go to college, you'll have plenty of time to date. High school is only three years long, and the college entrance examination is like a thousand troops competing for a single wooden bridge. An exam is a lifelong matter and can determine your entire life..."
These are all old clichés, Zhang Zhiyuan said: "I know them, no need to repeat them."
"You kids, you say you know, but you still do things that always make your parents worried." Mom said, "I have to go to your dean next week. You can't just label this matter like that. I heard from Li Shuqing's mom that the boy in Class 8 has already been punished. Doesn't this prove that he is a problem student? The responsibility cannot be shared equally. Why should you be punished..."
But her son said: "If you listen to me and don't call the police, nothing will happen."
Mom stopped and looked sad.
She regretted it too.
In her heart, her son was a "good boy" and if he was beaten by a student from the same school, he must blame the other student. She didn't expect that other people thought differently from her.
The principal said that the video only showed two people talking to each other, and then they got into a conflict. At first they were pushing each other, and although Zhang Zhiyuan was "beaten" later, that only meant that the other child was good at fighting, not that he was fully responsible.
So I called the two children to question them, wanting to get to the bottom of things. Who knew that the two people said the same thing? The director guided her son for a long time, but he didn't change his words. In the end, they each took half of the responsibility.
She regretted it so much.
Zhang Zhiyuan turned to look at her and saw the regretful and sad expression on her face. She has aged rapidly in recent years, with many more white hairs on her temples. She always says she wants to dye her hair, but she never does, and refuses to spend unnecessary money.
I have a lot of stuff in my house and I don’t want to rent it out for fear that the tenants will mess up the house. So for the next three years I have to pay extra rent for Dongfeng Dongli. Because there are many customers like them who rent houses for their children to go to school, the rent here has always been high...
Zhang Zhiyuan walked back and put his arms around his mother.
He was taller than her when he was in junior high school. When he hugged her like this, from behind, one would think she was a child and he was an adult.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I've talked to the class teacher, and the punishment can be rescinded. Our class teacher has also talked to the dean of studies, and the dean has agreed not to put it in my file. As long as I can get into the top class, he will revoke it on the grounds of great academic progress. So, don't worry."
In the dim night, the boy's chattering voice could be heard.
"Why did you come down to see me? I just came down for a short while."
"You're working overtime again today, why don't you go to bed early?"
"I'll go to sleep later. I have a set of questions that I haven't finished yet."
"Don't worry about it..."
The son was filial but firm: "There are only you and me at home. Can you please discuss anything with me before you do it in the future?"
Mom said helplessly: "I know, alas..."
The two returned home.
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