Chapter 60 You liked me, didn't you? ...
Jiang Su and Jiang Meng briefly explained the matter.
After listening, Jiang Meng stood there quietly. In the cold southerly air and the somber atmosphere, she lowered her head and looked at the dusty floor tiles. Her father's voice had already faded into the distance.
She remembered how he had changed from his cold and arrogant demeanor to a kind and earnest voice, saying to her: "You did very well on the exam. You are my pride. The past was all my fault. I apologize. Whether you forgive me or not doesn't matter. Just be good to me from now on."
Tears streamed down her face as she apologized, and with tears welling in her eyes, she put down the admission notice, letting go of all her humility and pride. She wouldn't tell him it was okay, or that she didn't blame him.
She just wanted to get through this summer, leave her hometown, leave behind the pain that seemed to have no end, and finally move on.
I don't need to explain myself to anyone anymore. I will definitely grow up well and love myself properly.
Little did she know that someone would see how tiring her journey was, and someone would remember it.
She has two memory cards from her teenage years.
One copy is stored with her, and the other is treasured in his heart.
Jiang Meng could imagine how soft and faint, yet complex and heavy, his voice must have sounded when he said, "She doesn't like me."
Five short words overwhelmed the boy's youth.
On the high-speed train back to Yunzhou, Jiang Meng opened QQ, which she hadn't logged into in a long time, and found her friend A's chat window.
He was still on her contact list, but her messages had been cleared. She moved around and changed phones many times.
After thinking it over, Jiang Meng sent him a message: "How have you been lately?"
However, this account is already "half-buried," having been abandoned for many years, and there are no updates indicating that he might still reply to her.
As the message was sent, the train slowly moved forward, heading south.
Jiang Meng took this train on her first trip to Yunzhou.
Chen Jizhou helped her skip class, and he soothed her heavy and gloomy mood.
He told her, “Be yourself. You can breathe freely, speak loudly, and no one will restrict you anymore. The car will keep going forward, and I'll hold up the sky for you if it falls down.”
She looked out the window, watching the scenery rush by.
His promise had no time limit, and unexpectedly, even now, with the sky falling, he is still holding it up for her.
Where should I begin to recall this person?
One day, during a break between classes when she was still half asleep, she rubbed her swollen eyes from crying and saw a boy running towards her against the flow of people. He asked her if she was unhappy.
He devised a plan to make up for her regrets on Children's Day. She grabbed his collar and urged him to watch Kidd in the stands. She glanced into his eyes and saw a pure and innocent heart.
He held her hand in front of the tree hole surrounded by fireflies, nervously and cautiously telling her his secret: There will always be someone who will thank you for being born, and I am the first.
That night, she wished her journey of wandering would never end. She watched the bus's exhaust fumes dissipate, and he leaned half his body out of the window and laughed, having a good dream.
The last year, the snow fell on the distant river lanterns during the Lantern Festival. She said, "Could you help me tie my hair?" The moment her fingertips touched her hair, she still had faith in human relationships.
besides--
There were also tickets to ensure she "didn't fall behind."
There's also a rainbow that helps her summon the sun.
And there were fireworks that came for her.
...
Countless times, when Jiang Meng thought of the young Chen Jizhou, the image that appeared before her eyes was that of him, leaning on his bicycle late at night after school on a snowy day, smiling as he knocked on her car window: "Why didn't you give me a ride?"
He always brought her boundless, uplifting energy, leaving her with a gentle, warm smile like the sun. The night sky was vast, and he illuminated the entire universe.
She just felt that with him by her side, nowhere was cold.
Their relationship was so close that she could even see him as another version of herself, confiding all her troubled thoughts and feelings to him—the happy ones, the unhappy ones. Each one was answered, understood, and forgiven.
But if you get too close, your vision will become unfocused.
She doesn't need to think about whether she likes something or not, and she won't think about it.
Chen Jizhou was her one and only friend.
That day, heartbroken, she asked him: Do you think there is such a thing as a love that never ends?
He did not answer.
The answer was planted in my heart, and it has long since flourished.
The strung-together beads of memory finally point to the only, ultimate possibility.
She saw a vast net of youth, dense and intricate, capturing for her a young heart, clear as water, unshakable.
Jiang Meng flipped through the book "Missing at Seventeen," looking at her own youthful photos. She had her own story outside of the main narrative.
She looked at the camera.
The photographer made her laugh, and she laughed; he made her melancholy, and she melancholy.
She didn't understand melancholy back then, but because of her beautiful face, even if her emotions weren't perfect, she could be forgiven.
Yu Guangli held a figure within her, tireless and unwavering, like a healthy and vigorous poplar tree, standing tall deep within her life.
He waited there under the camphor tree leaves in early summer.
It was that one time, and it was countless times.
The novel tells a heartwarming story of childhood sweethearts. The male and female protagonists, who are together, are separated due to the grudges of the previous generation, and the first volume ends with the breakup.
Jiang Meng looked at it when she first got it.
Reading it again, my feelings from back then have completely changed.
She soon realized that Chen Jizhou had indeed read the book.
She finally found a clue, and had to carefully flip through each page, searching as meticulously as picking up fragments from a vast pool of memories, before she could find his solemn yet brief annotations.
Beside her photo.
He wrote her name, the difficult strokes deeply imprinted, etched in his heart.
Jiang Meng, I miss you so much.
He always carried the book with him because it contained her photograph.
In which year, in which scene, in which late night, did he pick up his pen and write these few obscure thoughts?
Words cannot express it all, and mountains and rivers cannot bridge it.
Seeing Jiang Meng crying, a kind girl sitting next to her handed her a tissue.
It took her eight years to realize that people don't only cry when they are moved; people also want to cry when they are loved.
As she pieced together her inseparable bond from her memories, she slowly realized that love is like aged wine; it takes years to mature and reveal its true value and richness.
We've been together for ages, our bond is greater than friendship, and you are the love I use to ward off powerful spells.
-
Jiang Meng arrived late. Chen Jizhou didn't pick her up at the station; Pei Su, his intern, went instead.
He was driving Chen Jizhou's car. While enthusiastically helping Jiang Meng with her luggage, he explained, "President Chen is working overtime today. He's been quite busy lately."
Jiang Meng: "I know, he said thank you."
"You're welcome," Pei Su said thoughtfully, getting into the car and asking her with a smile, "Do you have any plans for today?"
"Huh?" Jiang Meng didn't react for a moment.
"He said there's a festival of some ethnic minorities, and you want to release sky lanterns with them, right?"
Jiang Meng paused for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Oh, right, is it today?"
Pingjiang city has strict regulations on fireworks and similar items; they no longer allow lights or fireworks. They used to play with them when they were little, but haven't had the chance to experience it since. Jiang Meng had mentioned this event in Yunzhou to Chen Jizhou before, but she didn't expect him to remember it even more clearly than she did.
Pei Su: "Yes, are you going back first, or going straight over there? He'll go over as soon as he's done."
Jiang Meng said, "I'm going to put my luggage down. Is this considered overtime?"
Pei Su smiled happily: "Yes, yes, there's overtime pay."
He took one hand off the steering wheel, rubbed his fingertips together, and looked quite pleased with himself.
Jiang Meng was amused. Looking at the other person's youthful and spirited smiling eyes, she couldn't help but say, "Your temperament is quite similar to his."
"Right, Mr. Chen said so too, so he likes me."
"How narcissistic! He hires people who are just like himself," Jiang Meng laughed. "But he won't be as obsequious as you."
Pei Su immediately straightened up: "I'm not flattering anyone. I'm very smart, otherwise why would President Chen promote me?"
Jiang Meng laughed and said, "Then you're not like him. He's not only smart but also cunning. Cunning people are ruthless."
“I admit it, I’m not as cunning as him, I still need to work on it.” Pei Su scratched his head.
Jiang Meng chatted with him about Chen Jizhou casually, and silently thought that no one could be so cunning as to hide their thoughts so deeply.
But perhaps she was just too slow-witted.
It was late at night, and as their car drove along the coastal highway, she saw the distant glow of the lights.
When Jiang Meng had everything arranged, Chen Jizhou was already waiting for her.
He drove another car, and when Jiang Meng arrived at the destination, he parked the car in a dark spot and was resting with his eyes closed.
The car was very quiet.
Chen Jizhou, wearing a light gray hoodie, slept peacefully in the enclosed space, oblivious to the noise outside.
Jiang Meng didn't get in the car; she quietly looked at him through the windshield.
The reflection of the Kongming lantern in the glass cast countless rays of light upon it.
His brow was serene, and no matter how hard life or work was, he never seemed tired. His face was always peaceful and composed, and his spirit consistently revealed an unyielding youthful will. A person with spirit remains young even at eighty.
As if by telepathy, Chen Jizhou opened his eyes under her scrutiny.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Jiang Meng asked, "Have you been waiting for me long?"
"No, I just arrived." His voice was still a little hoarse from just waking up.
Jiang Meng hugged him. "Didn't you say I should come over first?"
Chen Jizhou said, "That's so ungentlemanly. How can I keep you waiting?"
He gently patted her head: "Let's go, we'll miss it."
The sea breeze was a bit strong, and Chen Jizhou was worried that he wouldn't be able to launch the lanterns. He wanted to buy more Kongming lanterns, but the event was almost over, and the crowd had already looted all the lanterns. In the end, he only managed to buy one at a bargain price.
They walked on the beach, following the example of others, unfolding their lamps and about to set them up when Jiang Meng remembered something and closed the lampshade again. She took a marker, opened the cap, and said, "I'll write a wish, and you write one too."
Chen Jizhou stood there, looked at Jiang Meng who was squatting on the ground, and said, "You've written down all your wishes? Wouldn't it be too heavy if you couldn't put them down?"
She said unhappily, "Don't jinx it."
He laughed heartily: "Okay."
"Don't peek!" Jiang Meng deliberately covered her eyes.
He immediately turned his back, saying nothing: "I wish I could look like that."
She smiled and lightly began to write.
After thinking for a long time, she realized she had no particular wishes. In her twenty-sixth year, a year in which everything went smoothly, what more could she possibly want?
Jiang Meng wrote four words: "Happy, free".
It was the year she graduated from high school. She was at the window when she heard the boy send her his blessings.
It's okay if you can't find a prince; I hope you're happy and free.
"You write it."
Jiang Meng flipped the lampshade over, and Chen Jizhou took her pen.
His writing was free and fluent, and he finished writing in just a few seconds.
The lamps were unfolded and set up, each facing its own desire.
Chen Jizhou pressed the lighter and lit the wick.
Jiang Meng silently prayed in her heart: I must fly, I must fly...
"Is it done?" he asked.
"alright."
"Let go."
Beyond the flickering firelight, Chen Jizhou tilted his head from behind the lamp, looked at her, and suddenly smiled, saying, "Don't you dare peek at my wish."
To be honest, Jiang Meng really wanted to see it. That year in the tree hole, she talked about her wishes, and he said he had no thoughts about it. The only thing he had on his mind was what he told her.
Jiang Meng pondered for a moment and then tried to negotiate with him: "Then I'll show you mine, okay?"
"I don't want to see it."
His face revealed a cunning look that seemed to say, "You won't succeed."
Jiang Meng rolled her eyes.
With his carefree smile, the lamp was lifted, released, and floated upwards with the sea breeze.
There were many "corpses" of Kongming lanterns at my feet, which was quite frightening. After all, releasing lanterns depends on fate, and not all of them can fly out successfully.
They only have this one lamp in their hands, and there's no room for error.
Jiang Meng looked up and watched as the lampshade slowly and steadily rose into the air, guided by the firelight.
It shouldn't fall anymore.
Lanterns carrying wishes fly above the sea, bearing beautiful sentiments, drifting far into the star-studded night sky.
That gentle light, and the brilliant starry sky, all shone for her.
She didn't mean to see Chen Jizhou's wishes.
But he wrote too much.
His handwriting is so big, so very big.
So clear, so unobstructed, without any desires, only the voice of the heart. Solemn, devout, steadfast, requiring no response—
I will always love you.
The words were so familiar that she no longer needed to compare them; they were vivid in her mind, constantly appearing and overlapping with her own.
He has never changed.
When the truth came to light, she was already in tears under the starlight.
He is very open-minded and insightful.
He's a jerk, he deserves a beating.
He is very gentle and sincere.
He was passionate and romantic from beginning to end.
Stay by her side, in different ways.
Chen Jizhou pulled Jiang Meng into his arms, letting her tears soak onto his hoodie. He gently stroked the back of her head, soothing her chaotic emotions. He lowered his head and lightly kissed her forehead, whispering, "Didn't you say you wouldn't look?"
"Chen Jizhou, you like me, right?"
After Jiang Meng finished speaking, she changed her approach and asked, "You liked me, didn't you?"
His response was anything but heavy; it was casual, hiding all his bitterness in a cynical laugh: "You figured it out?"
"Um……"
Chen Jizhou hesitated for a moment, then asked her softly, "How did you know?"
Jiang Meng blinked her blurry tears and said, "I'm smart. I figured it out as soon as I thought about it. You've liked me for a long time."
"The paper airplanes are yours, and the fireworks are yours too."
You confessed your feelings to me.
Some people say that when you're leaning against a fire, how can you not feel the warmth?
She could feel the passion, but she couldn't distinguish what that affection meant, what that unwavering commitment meant. So she slowly asked him, "Is this love?"
It shouldn't be friendship.
Even the deepest friendship shouldn't be like this, but she was clumsy and slow-witted, and kept getting confused.
She said, "Chen Jizhou, you've loved me for a long time."
"Hmm, you're smart." He smiled faintly and answered each question. "The paper airplanes are mine, and the fireworks are mine too."
He said, "Jiang Meng, you finally know."
The darkness was illuminated by the lamp.
It also illuminated his eyes and his silent heart.
Seeing Jiang Meng start to cry, Chen Jizhou patted her back and comforted her, saying, "What's past is past. Just love me well from now on."
He said, "Don't shed tears for me, I don't need them."
Jiang Meng nodded slowly, "You're the most carefree one, you don't need that."
Under his gaze, she looked up and asked, "Is today also Valentine's Day?"
Chen Jizhou laughed and said confidently, "Of course."
He held her face in his hands, gently wiping away the dampness with his knuckles, and promised, "Every day."
As the crowds dispersed, the night grew quiet.
He led her back to their world together.
She must be tired from traveling all day. Let's talk about this another day. Chen Jizhou told her to go back and rest early.
After dropping Jiang Meng off downstairs, he casually mentioned something else to her: "Good news, I've chased away that person you hate."
Last time Chen Jizhou took Jiang Meng to play ball, they ran into the same ball-playing partner who had ridiculed her. Later, Chen Jizhou played against that person a few times on his own, and the invincible Chen Jizhou finally made the other person lose his teeth and never come back.
Jiang Meng wanted to laugh: "You didn't beat him up, did you?"
"No need to lift a finger, he'll fall at my feet." Chen Jizhou leaned casually against the car door and said arrogantly, "In the arena, he's petty, what can I do?"
He helped her dispel all her unhappiness, then pinched her cheek and said, "Don't worry, no one will bully you anymore."
Jiang Meng suppressed her bittersweet feelings and stepped forward to kiss him: "Sweet dreams, Chen Jizhou."
Yes, it will.
Chen Jizhou wasn't exactly a hardworking person, but he bought her a dishwasher—a rather high-end one at that—which looked like a grand temple in a small room. He would occasionally come over to cook for her, and with the dishwasher, he didn't have to fight over doing the hard work anymore. He would usually leave after eating and wouldn't stay overnight.
But he brought it up again later, asking if we should move to a bigger house.
Jiang Meng muttered meaningfully, "Could you try a little harder?"
He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll try my best, and we can live together."
She lived in the small apartment for a year; it was decorated beautifully in pink, like a girl's little home.
She thought that if she left this place, she would definitely have a better, more desirable life.
She will have a new home, their home.
Jiang Meng's phone vibrated as she drew the curtains.
She opened it and saw it was a QQ message.
Jiang Meng's heart skipped a beat.
She sent a message to her friend A during the day.
Jiang Meng asked, "How have you been lately?"
She knew he wouldn't use that account anymore, so she didn't expect a reply, but at that moment, his answer was right there in her palm.
Just a few simple words.
A: "It's great, how about you?"
They chatted casually, the barriers dissipating. Looking at the familiar profile picture on the screen, she was transported back to those heartbreaking 3 a.m. hours when she used to chat with him.
Jiang Meng gently covered her mouth in the cool night breeze.
It's as if all these years, he's still waiting for a message from her to rekindle their old flame.
Jiang Meng: "I have a boyfriend."
A: "Is he handsome?"
Jiang Meng: "He's incredibly handsome."
A: "Impossible, I'm the sturdiest player."
She couldn't help but chuckle.
I laughed, but my hands were stained with tears.
A: "Do you like it?"
Jiang Meng: "I love him very much, and I want to be with him forever."
A: "He agreed."
She covered her tear-filled eyes with a tissue and let the cold wind outside the window disperse the moisture.
After a long while, Jiang Meng replied, "Chen Jizhou, I love you."
A: "I love you too."
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