Chapter 12 The night is deep and the dew is heavy, yet we forge ahead without hesitation.
Jiang Meng returned home relatively early that day, and Plan A was successfully implemented.
The anime convention was a great success for Jiang Meng, and she hid all the merchandise she bought as soon as she entered her bedroom. She even went to buy scratch-off lottery tickets, but didn't win a single penny; she guessed all her luck had been spent on that rose.
But it doesn't matter, she's extremely happy today.
Jiang Meng put the roses in a vase on her bedside table. Half an hour later, she heard someone coming in. She quickly ran to the semi-open study across from the living room, spread out her papers and books haphazardly, and pretended to have been studying diligently all day.
Jiang Su returned.
"Didn't go out today?" He took off his coat and walked home, not looking at Jiang Meng, but only glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "It's very lively outside."
Jiang Meng didn't dare look at him. Her heart was pounding as she lied: "You locked me in the house, how am I supposed to get out?"
Jiang Su slowly realized this, looked at Jiang Meng, and then softly said "Oh".
He tossed his coat onto the sofa, which was rather unusual, as he was usually very neat and organized, always putting things away properly. This small detail led Jiang Meng to guess that he was either very tired or very relaxed today.
The smell of alcohol quickly reached her.
Jiang Su leaned on the table, looking at her physics test paper: "Are there any questions you don't know how to answer?"
Jiang Meng actually circled a few questions: "Yes."
She flipped through the test paper, spending some time searching for the questions. A long silence followed, broken only by the sound of paper sliding. Before she found the question, Jiang Meng suddenly heard Jiang Su say, "Don't many people say you look like your father?"
Jiang Meng was stunned: "...What?"
He was looking down, observing her.
Each sentence is vague, without any support or coherence.
It didn't feel like I was having a conversation with her, and I certainly didn't intend to explain the problem to her.
He was simply drunk.
Jiang Meng then fell silent.
He looked her over, then brushed a strand of her hair aside and commented, "You're similar in every way except for your brain?"
Jiang Meng was speechless. She was annoyed by the smell of alcohol and wanted to get up and go into the room, but as soon as she stood up, Jiang Su pressed her shoulder down.
She had no choice but to sit back down.
"It's a gift. I didn't know what you liked, so I just bought it randomly."
He took a walnut music box out of his pocket and placed it in front of Jiang Meng: "I feel bad that I lost a lot of your things when we were little, so I'm making it up to you."
The music box was open and playing music; the tinkling sound was beautiful.
Jiang Meng wasn't interested in the music box, nor was she concerned with how exquisite it was. She only remembered how, when she was little, he wouldn't get angry by scolding her harshly, but by throwing away all the toys she had arranged on the table. He felt those vibrant colors were superfluous in the house. He could usually tolerate it, but when her behavior made him feel incredibly disappointed, the extra toys became an eyesore. He would question her with a look that seemed to say, "Why can't you concentrate on your studies?" sending chills down her spine.
Perhaps what's bothering you isn't the toys, but your daughter who can't get first place in her exams.
He said, "It's not that Dad doesn't care about you, it's just that sometimes I really don't know how to get along with kids your age."
Jiang Su told her earnestly, "But you'll understand later. How you get along isn't important; what's important is what you can gain from each relationship."
He said, "Your needs should be your goals, and the essence of loving others is self-love. You need to adapt to this and learn this."
His words, shrouded in mystery and sounding very high-sounding, were quite cryptic.
Jiang Meng listened to him speak, but didn't want to take his words to heart. When she disliked someone to the core, no matter how earnest the other person's words were, it would only make her subconsciously want to escape. In her state of endless endurance, her fingertips hardened at the tip of the pen.
The joy of the holiday hadn't faded yet when Jiang Meng subconsciously thought of Chen Jizhou. She wondered why Chen Jizhou never reasoned with her. He simply took her out to enjoy life, basked in the sun with her, bought her ice cream, and helped her out of difficult situations.
Chen Jizhou would never tell her: You must gain something from the relationship.
Humans are strange creatures.
She has one completely different mindset and another completely different approach. It can be both captivating and agonizing for her.
The extreme contrast made Jiang Meng lose her temper. She covered her ears and snapped at him, "Aren't you annoying? I don't want to hear you say this. You reek of alcohol, it's awful!"
Jiang Su was taken aback by her sudden and intense rejection.
Then, he calmed down, patted the top of her head, and, like a loving father, showed a self-righteous gentleness: "Study hard."
When he was lucid, Jiang Meng wouldn't dare speak to her father like that.
But she now realizes that her fears were unnecessary.
Because he always does that.
Invulnerable to weapons, devoid of emotions, and never adjusting itself based on how others behave.
I won't get angry, and I won't be moved.
One question Jiang Meng often pondered was whether her father was capable of love. He himself seemed to disdain any empty talk about love.
When she felt that this person was extremely cold-hearted, she would remember his original intentions.
For example, he would encourage her to study hard, get into a teacher's college, and at the very least, obtain a master's degree. If she stayed in the province, he would help her find the best job within their respective capabilities.
This represents clear demand and pragmatic supply.
Is this love?
Perhaps it counts.
After all, providing without asking for anything in return is already quite selfless for him.
While Jiang Meng was lost in thought, Jiang Su returned and placed the key that had been confiscated earlier that day on Jiang Meng's desk: "Keep the key safe."
The keys suddenly thrown on the table startled her, and she looked up.
Jiang Meng had a Cinderella pumpkin carriage hanging on her keychain.
The bright orange pendant was tossed onto the messy draft paper, like a totem that led her to break free from her chaotic life and run forward relentlessly every night when the dew was heavy.
This is what she bought for herself.
One late autumn evening during her elementary school years, she desperately wanted to escape from this home.
-
After sending Jiang Meng back, Chen Jizhou went to Su Yu's place again. Afraid of being asked to stay for tea by his aunt and uncle, he waited quietly at the bus stop at the intersection downstairs.
When Su Yu got off the bike, Chen Jizhou was leaning against a shared bicycle by the roadside, waiting for her. He looked a little tired. Several girls passing by were stealing glances at him. Su Yu slowly approached him after they had gone some distance.
He heard footsteps, looked up and saw Su Yu, then picked something up from the basket next to him and handed it over, saying, "Children's Day gift. Play more games and think less about your male classmates."
"..."
His voice was calm, yet it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Su Yu forgot all the pleasantries she had prepared, feeling embarrassed as if she had been struck by lightning, her face flushed red, "I didn't."
Chen Jizhou nodded and didn't argue with her: "Okay, you don't."
He shoved the things into her arms: "Take them."
Su Yu looked at it blankly and said, "I think I'd better not, or Mom will scold me."
If you don't want something, just say no.
This sentence structure clearly presents a dilemma: wanting something but not daring to.
Chen Jizhou was about to leave when he heard this and felt very disappointed. He let out a heavy sigh, his face showing a cold expression of disappointment, and waved his hand, "Come here."
Su Yu obediently moved a little closer.
Chen Jizhou deftly tore open the gift bag, threw it away, leaving only the small box and accessories. He grabbed Su Yu's shoulders, turned her around, stuffed the game console into her hoodie hood, and patted the hood tightly: "Then don't let her see it. Do you have to fight to the death? You don't know any of the thirty-six stratagems."
Su Yu seemed to understand but not quite: "Oh."
Chen Jizhou told her seriously, "I'm afraid you'll overuse your brain, so I'm giving you a break to pass the time. But you can't fail to get into university, or I'll be remembered as a villain for eternity."
Su Yu lowered her head and said no.
Chen Jizhou crossed his arms and looked at her, tilting his head to examine her for a long time: "Smile for me? You always look so gloomy."
Su Yu grinned.
He hummed in agreement and nodded in satisfaction: "That's more like it. Let's go."
After all that trouble, Chen Jizhou finally got home, and it was getting late.
Both my parents are here.
Dad was watching TV in the living room when he heard a noise outside: "Grandpa's back."
Chen Jizhou walked inside wearily, his voice deep and tired: "I'm back."
Chen Lian asked sarcastically, "Would you like me to brew you a pot of tea?"
Chen Jizhou: "Zhengshan Xiaozhong, thank you."
dad:"……"
Wang Qi's sharp voice came from inside: "Chen Jizhou, are you itching for a beating?"
Chen Jizhou took off his bag and tossed it onto a chair. He sprawled on the sofa, his voice languid: "It is a bit, after being in the sun for so long today."
Mother:"……"
Chen Lian laughed, glanced at Wang Qi who was tidying up the house, and then at his son who was sprawled on the sofa, exhausted: "Which beautiful girl did you go on a date with?"
Chen Jizhou buried his face in the cushion and didn't say a word.
"Jiang Meng?"
He didn't say anything.
Chen Lian took it as tacit agreement and, not wanting to miss out on the drama, said, "You dared to abduct the young lady? Didn't her father skin you alive?"
A voice drifted from inside the pillow: "No one wants to skin me alive except your wife."
Chen Lian gloated, moved to the edge of his sofa and sat down, patting the boy's shoulder blade: "To be honest, you've been thinking about this for ten years and still haven't gotten your hands on this swan. It looks like this marriage is going to be tough, son. I'm getting a little anxious for you."
Alright, this time there's no need for poisoning. Everyone's a toad in front of a swan.
"You've made such a fuss about revolutionary friendship—" Chen Jizhou looked up at him, unable to bear it any longer. "Where's my tea, Lao Chen?"
Chen Lian clicked his tongue, pressed the back of his head with one hand, and slapped him back into the pillow. "No manners, brat."
Chen Jizhou rested for a while.
The clanging of swords echoed from the martial arts film; he hadn't rested properly and got up again after a long while.
I'm really thirsty.
He wanted to drink a Coke.
Chen Jizhou was about to get a drink from the refrigerator when he glanced at his open bedroom door and noticed that all the lights in the room were on, making the room exceptionally bright, almost blindingly so. His mother was standing in front of his bookshelf, fiddling with something in her hands.
Chen Jizhou frowned.
He turned a corner and arrived at his door.
"Why did you sneak into my room again?" Chen Jizhou said, glancing down at the gift box in his mother's hand. The box had been opened, and inside was an unopened jigsaw puzzle.
Wang Qi said, "What did I steal? I entered openly and honestly."
She happened to have some free time that day and was doing a thorough cleaning at home when she discovered that Chen Jizhou's cabinet was filled with gifts. At that moment, the rag was still on the cabinet, and she was examining these new gadgets.
The father, holding the back of his head, watched from afar: "Let's see if you've hidden any stolen money. That's how my secret stash of money was taken away."
Wang Qi glared outside, then glanced at her son, and asked sharply, "Which young lady sent it this time?"
Chen Jizhou snatched the puzzle back and stuffed it back into the box: "It was given to me by Xie Zhuo for my birthday, but with you, everything is still just a little girl's gift."
Wang Qi said "Oh," and her expression relaxed: "I think you're playing with other people's feelings, there's a whole cabinet of gifts here."
"If I ever played with someone's feelings, may I get hit by a car and die."
Wang Qi was displeased again: "Why are you saying such unlucky things! Go touch the wood."
He stated firmly, "I won't touch it; whatever you say goes."
"..."
Wang Qi realized her mistake and softened her tone: "Alright, alright, I won't touch you next time."
The items were safely returned, but his mother, that formidable figure, was still in his room. In order to get rid of her, Chen Jizhou devised a plan and said with feigned seriousness, "Look, my dad isn't saying a word. He's obviously a seasoned veteran. He's more adept at handling young girls' gifts than I am."
Chen Lian, who was leisurely watching TV, was startled when he was suddenly called out. Noticing the unfriendly look from his wife, he quickly clarified, "I'm ugly. I can't compare to your popular school heartthrob. Nobody likes me."
Wang Qi then looked at Chen Jizhou: "Yeah, he's so ugly, who would like him?"
When Chen Jizhou was young, his father's import and export business was just starting to take off, and he was constantly traveling between China and other countries. His mother took care of him more. Those years of wits and courage with Wang Qi were very difficult for him. However, when his father came back, he had room to be cunning in the three-way battle.
The Thirty-Six Stratagems: The Strategy of Sowing Discord.
"That's hard to say. Who can truly understand a man's cunning?"
Chen Jizhou leaned against the door, looking at his mother beside him, and then gestured with his chin toward the living room, "She's so old and still studying The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Do you know why she likes Jin Yong? Every male protagonist in Jin Yong's novels has a bunch of wives. It's practically the dream of middle-aged men like them."
"..."
This tactic works very well. All he has to do is casually shift the blame, and Wang Qi will grab a feather duster and warn her husband, "Don't you dare mess things up!" Then Chen Jizhou can swagger away and watch with great interest from the sidelines.
He closed the door.
My ears finally have some peace and quiet.
Chen Jizhou's bedroom, which connected to a study, had been cleaned. The homework on the desk had been checked. He moved the chair, the bookshelves, and the messy figurines on the computer desk, and it took him quite a while to restore the room to its original layout.
Wang Qi often searched his room, but Chen Jizhou didn't mind. He was good at countering her moves; knowing his mother liked to do this, he would move any "dangerous items" she found. Once she realized she wouldn't find anything, she would stop. Just like when she used to beat him as a child, she would stop once she knew she wouldn't raise any good children.
Having experienced more, Chen Jizhou understood that the most important thing was to figure out how to get some benefits, and that it was impossible to seek approval from adults.
He touched under the pillow.
Fortunately, Nokia is still around.
Chen Jizhou took a shower, turned on his old-fashioned phone, and saw a message from Jiang Meng sent a few minutes ago on "Friend A's" account: "Why do you never initiate a chat with me?"
A: "So you finally figured it out? I'm actually a robot."
Jiang Meng: "Hahahahahaha"
A: "What's wrong? I was always there when you called me."
After typing that line, he went to get his hair done, and when he came back, he saw that the other side had sent him a dozen photos in batches. The content was the same: that blue rose. She had taken the photos from more than a dozen different angles, and the words "I love it so much" practically overflowed the screen.
Jiang Meng: "It's okay, let me show you my Children's Day present."
Jiang Meng: "Given to me by my childhood crush"
A: "You went out to play? Did you have fun?"
Jiang Meng: "Super, invincible, giant, so happy!!!"
Chen Jizhou sank into the chair, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
With his slender fingers supporting his chin, he looked at the three exclamation marks, relaxed in his swivel chair, and swayed slightly.
The phone was too old and the battery drained very quickly. Chen Jizhou needed to charge it to chat with her for even a few minutes. He also had the password for this number, but he hadn't transferred it to his own phone yet. There was a reason for this: he hadn't yet convinced himself to accept the idea.
He didn't boast about being a gentleman, but with the enemy in the open and him in the shadows, this tactic was still somewhat unethical. He was afraid Jiang Meng would be angry, disappointed, and think he was treacherous, even though he had no ulterior motives.
He considered many times to tell her the truth, but felt none of them were appropriate. Since taking over the phone, Chen Jizhou himself couldn't explain how they had ended up chatting like this. He thought that if he didn't take the initiative, she would gradually lose contact. But he hadn't expected Jiang Meng to seem somewhat reliant on this "Friend A."
Chen Jizhou gripped the old-fashioned cell phone, which was smaller than his palm, and recalled what happened a year ago.
There's a very old barbershop in the S University staff quarters, run by a very simple and honest old lady. She's very skilled, and Chen Jizhou usually gets his hair cut there. It's always busy in the mornings, with long queues. He wasn't fully awake yet, so he sat idly on a small bamboo rattan chair by the door while waiting. With his eyes closed, Chen Jizhou lazily crossed his legs. He overheard two little kids talking, but he wasn't really listening. However, he quickly caught a familiar name.
One person asked, "Who have you been chatting with lately?"
One person answered, "Jiang Meng, do you know her?"
Chen Jizhou slowly opened his eyes and turned his gaze to look.
Two little boys, carrying backpacks and wearing high school uniforms, leaned against a tree, each with a cell phone, playing some childish game.
The taller one said, "She used to live in the South Third District. She was rich and died young. Her dad was a doctor and drove a Mercedes!"
Boys going through puberty have rough, unpleasant voices.
The other one was even worse; it was a soft, high-pitched voice, barely developed, that sounded like fingernails scratching a blackboard: "Huh? You're having an online romance with her?"
The tall guy scratched his hair, looking a little embarrassed: "Oh, I don't know either, it's not really, just an ordinary online friend—it doesn't matter, let's see if I can trick her into buying me some equipment."
"You had an online romance with someone from high school?" the shorter man exclaimed in surprise. "She's not stupid!"
"I'm not stupid! I created a fake account, changed my age, and posted a bunch of handsome guy photos on my social media, and she didn't suspect a thing! I think she's pretty easy to fool. I told her I was 26, and she believed me. It's hilarious."
"Can she spend money on you?"
"She buys so much equipment but doesn't know how to use it. She obviously has too much money to burn. What's wrong with giving me some?"
When the two started discussing Jiang Meng, Chen Jizhou stood up.
He was taller, and when he stood in front of the two of them, the light on the child disappeared. The taller one glanced at him, and Chen Jizhou's eyes, though indifferent, were somewhat sharp.
"What's wrong with Jiang Meng?" he asked.
Both of them were stunned.
Seeing that the other party didn't speak, Chen Jizhou gestured with his chin toward the tall man and said, "Let me see your phone."
The other party was very wary and stubbornly refused, saying, "Why should I?"
He shoved his phone into his pocket, gave his companion a wink, and they set off together.
Chen Jizhou grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
He repeated, with an air of pressure, "My phone, let me see it."
The little kid, his neck constricted by the tight collar, screamed several times, "Here you go, don't strangle me, okay?"
Chen Jizhou took it and opened QQ.
Jiang Meng's message popped up: "I have a secret to tell you, but don't tell anyone else."
Chen Jizhou was still holding the little kid with one hand, and with the other hand free, he typed a line in the input box: Don't say anything yet.
We were still a step too late.
Jiang Meng's long message has arrived: "My dad hasn't spoken to me for six months. Sometimes I feel really annoyed with him, but other times I just wish he could be normal. Do your parents feel this way?"
Chen Jizhou: "..."
He solemnly deleted the four words in the box.
Chen Jizhou was caught in a dilemma as he looked at these words.
She immediately said, "I have a secret to tell you"—even though he already knew this secret, wouldn't she cry if he told her now that this account was a scam? He felt a little guilty about it.
Chen Jizhou didn't know what this little brat had that made Jiang Meng reveal her heart. But at the very least, he couldn't afford to cut her heart twice right now.
Chen Jizhou was thinking of a plan and didn't reply to her yet.
Jiang Meng's online name is Kaoru, which is the name of a female protagonist in an anime. Chen Jizhou knew that she liked that anime, and he found it very funny. This kid was quite good at catering to her interests and gave her a matching name.
"I'll buy you new gear and a new phone," Chen Jizhou said, holding a corner of the Nokia phone and shaking it. "This one is confiscated. Don't log into the account anymore, and don't bother her again."
The child's eyes lit up: "Really? Buy it for me!"
"Go pick one now."
"May I have your name?"
"I call you Dad."
"Okay, Dad, can you buy me an Apple? Samsung is fine too."
Chen Jizhou felt a little nauseous: "...Shut up."
There was a digital mall right next to the school, and true to his word, he took people there.
While the two junior high school students were discussing which phone was more advanced, Chen Jizhou leaned against the counter and took out the Nokia phone to look at it again.
Jiang Meng: "Are you still listening?"
Jiang Meng: "Don't tell anyone."
Jiang Meng had no secrets from Chen Jizhou; he knew almost everything she could tell others.
Chen Jizhou spent two minutes mentally preparing himself.
Ignore her? Impossible; he couldn't bring himself to ignore her.
To confess? That would be too hurtful; she's so fragile, like a child.
Tell her he's actually her good friend? If he just pretends it's a prank and gets a beating, fine, but Chen Jizhou himself becomes a liar, everyone's a liar. More importantly, such honesty is still hurtful; it's like throwing his sincerity to the dogs.
Chen Jizhou couldn't think of a better way to protect her secret and dignity for the time being.
He clicked on the couple's profile pictures and names to take a look.
He thought, "I'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, we probably won't meet."
He can quietly play the role of a confidant.
The phone spun twice in his palm. After hesitating for those two short moments, Chen Jizhou finally replied, "I won't say."
-
In June, the Jiangnan region is shrouded in frequent rain.
The new round of college entrance exams has ended, and the school is much emptier. The rainy season has arrived, and the sky has been quite overcast lately.
Class 14's assigned cleaning area included a small grove of trees behind the teaching building. Jiang Meng wanted to finish cleaning quickly before it started raining, but before she had even finished cleaning for two minutes, a light rain began to fall. She rushed to the nearest lakeside pavilion to take shelter from the rain.
Jiang Meng's shoulders got a little wet from the rain.
She took off her school uniform and wiped the water off her neck with a tissue.
Jiang Meng didn't have her phone with her, and with the rain getting heavier, she had to find someone she knew to take her back to the teaching building.
Across the shallow artificial lake, I saw a boy standing on the opposite bank, holding an umbrella.
"Li Shuheng!" she called out to the opposite bank. When he turned around, Jiang Meng waved to him, smiled, and said, "I'm stuck. Could you please come and get me?"
When Li Shuheng approached, Jiang Meng noticed that he had a camera slung over his shoulder. She greeted him in a friendly manner, "Were you taking pictures just now?"
"Yes, rain and magnolias are quite harmonious."
Jiang Meng wasn't very interested in photography, so she didn't chat with him much. She used Li Shuheng's umbrella to walk with him across the winding bridge over the pond: "I have a question for you. Has your class been burgled?"
"You've heard about it too?" Li Shuheng was quite surprised. "It wasn't our class, it was the art studio. The teacher went to check the surveillance footage."
Did your classmates do it?
Li Shuheng shook his head: "I'm not sure, but we all think it's unlikely."
Jiang Meng said "Oh," paused for a moment, and then stopped talking about it: "Time flies so fast. You took pictures of me here last time, didn't you?"
Li Shuheng said yes, then he looked at Jiang Meng and suddenly raised the camera in his hand. She was not ready to make any expression, but she subconsciously smiled brightly in front of the camera.
As he pressed the shutter, Jiang Meng smiled smugly: "Doesn't it look much more natural than last time? I had a professional photographer give me pointers, and now I'm a pro at taking pictures."
Li Shuheng said, "You got selected? That model."
"right."
"What book? I'll buy it and take a look."
Jiang Meng's gaze flickered subtly for a moment, and she said softly, "It's a romance novel. Do you like reading it too?"
Li Shuheng was probably just exchanging pleasantries casually. Without waiting for her reply, he put down his camera, turned his head to look at Jiang Meng, admired the beautiful scenery of the rain, the girl, and the magnolias behind her, and then suddenly said, "You look a lot like the magnolias."
Jiang Meng thought to herself, "That's strange. I never thought anyone would say I look like a magnolia."
"Where does it resemble?" she asked naturally.
Li Shuheng said, "The flowering period is short, and the flowers are very fragile; they will fall after the next rain."
Jiang Meng couldn't believe it: "Me? Me, so weak?"
He nodded: "Yes."
Jiang Meng raised her pretty face: "I think... I'm like a lotus flower."
She pointed to a lotus pond that had not yet blossomed, saying, "It's particularly lush and eye-catching. The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, an endless expanse of green, while the lotus blossoms, bathed in sunlight, are a vibrant red."
She retorted wittily, but could not hide the slight embarrassment of being seen through.
Li Shuheng looked at her, his eyes calm.
He has a gentle and considerate personality, and he can handle everything thoughtfully, such as tilting the umbrella towards her or giving her a compassionate smile when she feels frustrated.
He then said, "Magnolia is very nice, I like it very much, why are you angry?"
Jiang Meng forced a smile: "I'm not angry."
Li Shuheng said, "That's good."
After walking quietly for a while, she still asked, quite bothered, "Why do you think that?"
He said, "I can sense occasionally that you have some deep-seated thoughts that you don't often share with others. You might be sensitive and repressed. There probably aren't many people who understand you."
Do you understand me?
He laughed: "I'm not qualified."
Jiang Meng was quiet.
Li Shuheng: "Did I offend you?"
Jiang Meng shook her head.
As they walked down to the teaching building, Li Shuheng closed his umbrella and said to her, "But sometimes, we're quite similar."
Jiang Meng did indeed secretly label him with the word "delicate".
That's a point we've come to agree on.
She later thought, "We're quite alike," those words would be a great social phrase, bridging the gap between hearts and bringing a sense of mutual understanding and comfort. Whether that comfort is genuine or harmful.
When he was with Li Shuheng, the colors of the sky and clouds would fade. In the midst of the heavy rain, he would slowly and calmly turn the pages of her book and find a single, restrained tear in the colorful words.
I'm speechless again.
The journey back to class is still quite long.
Jiang Meng forced a conversation: "You said before that you have a younger brother?"
After asking the question, Jiang Meng suddenly remembered that someone had said Li Shuheng was from a blended family. She regretted it a little, but she had already nodded in response: "Yes."
Since the conversation had already started, Jiang Meng continued, "How old are you?"
"You'll be in fifth grade next semester."
She smiled slightly, looked him over, and asked, "What's your personality like? Is it as quiet as you?"
After thinking for a while with his head down, Li Shuheng slowly shook his head: "Better than me."
Jiang Meng's expression froze for a few seconds.
She had always suspected that she had some kind of Mother Teresa complex.
If someone shows a pitiful side, she will feel awkward and have nowhere to turn, so she will rack her brains to find some examples of her own miserable situation to comfort the other person.
She was even about to blurt out: Actually, I've been abandoned before too.
Jiang Meng looked up at the sky.
Never mind, I'd better not say anything more.
Gradually, she no longer wanted to get to know people by exchanging scars for scars.
Jiang Meng, learning from her good friend's method, patted him on the shoulder. On this rainy day, the girl's smile was bright and out of place with the surroundings: "Just do your job and don't make things difficult for yourself."
After she finished speaking, she realized that she might have answered a different question.
Jiang Meng's mind was racing, trying to recall any other maxims from her friends that could help her deal with someone who was "better than me".
However, Li Shuheng had already received her goodwill, and he smiled, his eyes clear and bright: "Okay."
Jiang Meng put her hands into her school uniform pockets, repeatedly touching her pumpkin carriage. She quietly wondered, who ultimately determines whether someone's character is good or bad?
The amount of love received.
There's no way to not care.
It's impossible for them not to care.
Before they have come into contact with the all-encompassing and gentle world, and before they have placed their trust in themselves, they can only regard the small eaves of their house as the universe.
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