Chapter 22: The World's Many Regrets and Tears
After getting off the ferry, the pier was in a rather remote location. Chen Jizhou counted the money he had left and figured it should be enough to take a taxi.
But Jiang Meng's imagination ran wild. She pointed to a blue pickup truck parked nearby and asked, "Can I sit in the back of that truck?"
"..."
Chen Jizhou gave her a rare look of unwillingness: "Are you sure?"
Jiang Meng's smile held a hint of coquettishness as she tugged at his sleeve and said, "I want to see the stars, it'll be as beautiful as a movie, okay?"
The intention behind that look wasn't to please; it was simply to act cute.
He hesitated for a moment, glanced at the relatively clean carriage, and walked over to the driver who was smoking. "Where are you going, driver?"
The driver looked at him and said a place name.
Chen Jizhou looked up where the place was and then said, "It's on my way, can I hitch a ride with you? The price is negotiable."
The driver was quite friendly and didn't refuse him, nodding and saying okay.
Jiang Meng climbed up with great interest and said with a smile, "An open-air bus is a rare treat."
Chen Jizhou was still a little worried, so he took off his school uniform and handed it to her: "Sit on my clothes, the ground is a bit dirty."
Jiang Meng didn't take it. Actually, it wasn't that dirty. He was just too afraid that she would suffer. She said, "No need. Otherwise, Auntie will scold you again, saying that you came back as a dirty little dog after a trip. Besides, I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself."
Chen Jizhou said nonchalantly, "So what if it's broken? I'll just have Lao Tao send me another one."
Jiang Meng ignored him and sat down on the ground in a cheerful mood.
He couldn't persuade her, so he draped his clothes over his arm and sat down next to her.
Jiang Meng faced the outside, letting the fresh, clean breeze caress her face. "It's amazing. I feel like I should be at home doing my homework right now, instead of counting stars with you in the countryside."
Although she said that, her expression was one of complete ease and relaxation.
Chen Jizhou said, "If you can't do your homework one day, can you see the stars in the countryside of Yunzhou every day?"
"You're right," Jiang Meng replied with a smile.
The nights spent locked at home are just nights, but the nights of rebellion are the prelude to freedom, the morning dew of tomorrow. On the derailed path of life, it is those thrilling adventures, those sparkling moments, that will forever burn brightly in our memories.
Jiang Meng sat with her knees bent and her legs wrapped around her chest, adopting a ladylike posture.
She was filled with curiosity about this place, peeking out to look at the dawn redwood trees outside and then at the fields.
Chen Jizhou simply observed her quietly, and seeing that the wrinkles on her brows had finally disappeared during the journey, he asked, "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Jiang Meng immediately shook her head and looked back at him: "No, it's super fun to go out and have fun."
She thought to herself that it would be better if she didn't have to go home: "Mainly because my phone is off, otherwise seeing those messages would be really annoying."
Chen Jizhou laughed: "It seems that I am still too rich, and I did not let you experience the life of a homeless person."
Jiang Meng took a carton of milk out of her bag, inserted a straw, and sipped it slowly: "Thanks, young master."
The night breeze blew her stray hairs onto the bridge of her nose.
Chen Jizhou brushed a strand of hair aside for her, silently completing the action. His gaze lingered, like in a tragic ending story, where the story concludes with separation. He spoke to her gently yet earnestly, "Take good care of yourself from now on."
Jiang Meng nodded seriously and replied, "Yes, I will."
It quieted down.
"Chen Jizhou." Jiang Meng wiped the milk off her lips, called his name softly, and said to him sincerely, "You should be happy too."
He couldn't help but laugh, his eyes sparkling: "Have you ever seen me unhappy?"
Jiang Meng smiled with relief, "I've never seen you before, you're so cool!"
She didn't look away, but stared directly into his deep eyes.
Chen Jizhou was born in January, the last of the twenty-four solar terms, the Great Cold.
The coldest period of the year is during the third and fourth nine-day periods, when cold waves move southward.
The season was freezing cold, but he flowed with warmth.
He possessed an indelible, summery quality. A passionate and enduring spirit, defying fate, surrounded her from beginning to end.
A part of her will stay with him in this summer.
The journey home is always tiring.
Chen Jizhou shared a song with her.
She listened to the song playing in his headphones; it was:
"The flowing water clearly understands the responsibility of cherishing flowers."
His real identity is just a deliveryman.
If this trip was considered enjoyable
"It is also a life well-lived."
The narrow road is lined with towering metasequoia trees on both sides, and further away are villages and factories in the suburbs of Yunzhou.
Looking into the distance, one can still see the lights of countless homes in the city.
The sky is vast, and the stars twinkle.
She bit her milk straw and quietly gazed at the night sky.
Although the trip wasn't over yet, Jiang Meng knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
From then on, she would no longer ride in such a truck, covered in dust and grime, through vast rural villages, in cities where no one knew her, leaving behind all her homework and resentment, simply counting the stars in this peaceful moment.
There will never be such days again.
Therefore, she cherishes it very much and hopes that time will pass more slowly.
The melody flowed past my ears again and again.
"A brief encounter"
Each left no mark
But experienced
The gentlest resonance
...
Jiang Meng fell asleep while listening to music.
In a state of light sleep, her consciousness was hazy, at the boundary between reality and dreams. She could feel the turbulence, yet she was still aware of her own wakefulness. Scenes from her dreams—a covered boat, the starry sky, fireflies, valleys and countryside, a curtain of water and sky—fragments of various shapes and sizes fell into her heart like stars.
And her accomplices in her youth.
He appeared vaguely in her dreams.
"15th floor, thank you."
As Chen Jizhou carried her into the elevator, Jiang Meng woke up while he spoke to someone nearby.
Finding herself in his arms, she couldn't catch her breath and immediately closed her eyes again.
She didn't put her arm around his shoulder, so he should have had a hard time carrying her, but Chen Jizhou seemed to be doing it quite easily.
Jiang Meng only felt light when he was holding her.
She pretended to be asleep all the way to bed.
Chen Jizhou laid her down on the edge of the bed, then knelt down and untied the shoelaces of her canvas shoes. He gently peeled them off from the heel, and the shoes came off easily.
He didn't touch her clothes, only used the blanket to slightly cover her body.
The weather is fine, neither too cold nor too warm, so you won't get cold.
Only the dimmest light in the entryway was on.
He didn't rush to leave. He stood there and calmly looked at her sleeping face.
Her thin eyelids were closed peacefully, the curve of her nose was outlined by the light and drawn on the pillow, her lips were full cherry pink, and her hair was a little messy, but it did not affect her beauty.
Jiang Meng isn't someone who meticulously grooms her appearance. She won't get anxious and stay up all night applying lipstick just because lip lines appear, nor does she need bangs or black-rimmed glasses to modify her face shape. She gets pimples, has wispy hairs that she can't seem to straighten, and has split ends that she can never seem to cut, but she doesn't care. Because as long as she stands there, she's a genuine beauty. Her skin, figure, and demeanor are all undeniably beautiful, and no one would question that.
Chen Jizhou looked at her and unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.
Growing up is truly amazing; he didn't know how they had transitioned from childhood to the present.
Even as a child, Chen Jizhou thought Jiang Meng was beautiful, so beautiful that even if he didn't want to say anything and had no ulterior motive, he would still walk around her. The innocent child didn't understand what liking someone meant and labeled his actions as lewd behavior.
He couldn't remember from which day the feeling he got when looking into her eyes started to change.
Seeing her healthy and beautiful body makes my ears feel warm.
I would think of her from time to time, wondering where she was and what she was doing.
I would want to give her all the good things in the world.
I will like this world with her in it even more because of her existence.
She loves clear blue skies and gentle drizzle, and loves every kind of weather that guides her towards her.
Before the concept of love existed neatly in his dictionary, it was replaced by her name.
"Jiang Meng" appeared earlier than "like".
What she said on the ferry was very true; it is certainly difficult to find someone you truly like.
Thus, all the regrets and tears in the world can only be drowned in countless wishful thinkings.
He loved her silently.
But she had someone else in her heart.
Even uninhibited stares could only occur for a brief moment while she was asleep.
Chen Jizhou wanted to turn Jiang Meng's head onto the pillow to make her more comfortable, but as soon as he raised his hand, he noticed something unusual.
"Pretending to be asleep?" he said.
Jiang Meng's eyes darted nervously around under her eyelids a couple of times.
Feeling stared at, she couldn't help but open her eyes.
Chen Jizhou was indeed smiling.
He stood by the bed, looking down at her: "Her face is all red."
Jiang Meng quickly sat up, stuffed her feet into her shoes, and took apart the messy ponytail that had been lying on his arm.
Chen Jizhou helped her hang the dreamcatcher, leaving a small gap to let the sea breeze in. He earnestly asked the shop owner how to position it to catch beautiful dreams, and while standing there studying it, he said, "Do you want to take a shower now? I'll come over in a bit and take your clothes to wash."
Jiang Meng almost lost her temper.
...Who wants him to do her laundry?!
She quickly said, "No, I'll order service myself."
"good."
Chen Jizhou thought for a moment and said that he had nothing more to say: "I'm next door. Call me if you need anything."
Jiang Meng remained silent, and Chen Jizhou turned and left.
"Wait a minute," she called to him.
Jiang Meng took something out of her schoolbag, held it in her hand, hesitated for a few seconds, then quickly walked up to Chen Jizhou and asked him to hold out his hand. She said, "This is Cinderella's pumpkin carriage. I bought it when I was in elementary school. It's a return gift for you."
Chen Jizhou looked at the pendant in his palm, almost laughing: "Are you taking me to see the prince?"
“No.” Jiang Meng moved her lips, and after a long while, she finally responded, “It’s me… I don’t need it anymore.”
Jiang Meng had many things she didn't say, but she was too embarrassed to say them.
Now she can give away the pumpkin carriage that has been with her for many years, and no longer yearn for the appearance of a prince, because she has Chen Jizhou.
He was like an ever-flowing amusement park, open only for her. With him, she didn't have to worry about being stopped by the midnight bells.
Strictly speaking, he is even slightly more capable than the prince.
In our youthful and taciturn years, we lacked open-mindedness and candor, so we let our words sink into silence.
Because he wasn't a girl, she couldn't hug him.
Because he wasn't a girl, she couldn't say: I really "like" you.
When people of the opposite sex talk about liking each other, romantic love always takes precedence over friendship. No matter how you explain it, it's ambiguous, and this word shouldn't be used lightly.
Jiang Meng struggled to find a fitting description to depict the deep affection between her and Chen Jizhou.
So she simply said softly, "Here, take this. I don't need it anymore."
He carefully held the small gift in his palm: "Thank you."
Jiang Meng's period came at the right time, before she went to bed that night. Fortunately, she was in good health and did not experience menstrual cramps.
Next, I had a very enjoyable two-day trip in Yunzhou.
They returned to Pingjiang on Sunday.
On Sunday evening, Jiang Meng began to feel uneasy on the high-speed train back home. For the past two days, she had been spending almost all her time with Chen Jizhou, following him wherever he went. He was a meticulous guide, so she didn't need to use her phone at all. Therefore, Jiang Meng had kept her phone off until finally, when she had to face reality, she opened all her messages and found that the "real" world was also very quiet, just like usual.
There was no accusation, no searching, no interrogation.
Only a few teachers in the class group are assigning homework.
Even A didn't chat with her.
Chen Jizhou escorted her safely to the entrance of the residential area.
Just as Jiang Meng was wondering why no one was asking about her whereabouts, Chen Jizhou stood at the bus stop, the dim, familiar streetlights illuminating his carefree smile.
He seemed to see through her worried expression: "I've asked for leave. I told you to come with me to Ningcheng to watch the game, so don't worry about being criticized."
Jiang Meng stared in disbelief: "What do you mean? Have you told my parents?"
"Yes, I should clear up any potential problems after you were taken away without a word."
Seeing her complex expression, Chen Jizhou leaned casually against the bus stop sign and couldn't help but laugh: "Don't tell me you were on tenterhooks the whole way."
Jiang Meng didn't speak; she was afraid she would be mercilessly mocked the next second.
He said he had Xie Zhuo ask the teacher for leave.
He asked Su Yu to bring back the newly assigned homework for Jiang Meng, and instructed her to imitate the handwriting when copying it, as she was afraid of being criticized.
He also reassured her mother, saying that she was with him and he would definitely get her home on time, so there was no need to worry.
Jiang Meng didn't understand. Could the words "unorthodox" and "proper" be used together?
Despite being such a reckless person, he never manages to mess anything up.
She didn't know if it was because his two personalities were too contradictory, or if this was what true maturity meant.
Just like every time she felt like she was going to die when the roller coaster reached the top, she would finally glide to a safe landing in a heart-stopping moment. Later, when she finally realized that she really wouldn't die, she began to enjoy the thrill more and more.
Jiang Meng was still in surprise when Chen Jizhou had already walked forward.
He announced, "The car has arrived; the wandering is over."
The bus that goes directly to his house arrived at the station.
While waiting for the car to come to a complete stop and the door to open, Chen Jizhou turned back to look at her again: "See you tomorrow."
“…Hmm.” She responded blankly.
Chen Jizhou got into the car.
Soon, the doors closed and the bus drove away.
It wasn't until the exhaust fumes were completely expelled that Jiang Meng realized that this journey had truly come to an end.
But she still didn't want to walk towards home.
Hearing him say "the end of my wandering" left Jiang Meng feeling empty inside.
She hoped to see him one more time, not wanting the night of parting to end so abruptly. So she watched the bus, seeing him drive away, and in that regret, she could almost hear the ticking of time in her heart.
The bus turned and waited at the intersection for the red light to turn left.
Jiang Meng turned away dejectedly, and just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard the sound of a window opening, a crisp and clear "click".
She turned around in surprise and looked up.
Chen Jizhou was in the last row by the window. He opened the bus window and leaned half his body out.
Jiang Meng shouted, "Hey, watch out—"
Before she could finish saying the word "safety," Chen Jizhou reached out and interrupted her with his gesture.
The ring hung on his finger, and the pumpkin carriage in his palm drooped naturally. From her perspective, the orange pendant perfectly aligned with the crescent moon in the distance.
The boy's soft hair fluttered in the wind, as if he was also pleased with her tacit understanding in waiting for him. Chen Jizhou smiled gently.
"Sweet dreams," he said in the wind.
An unparalleled evening breeze carried a fleeting moment of excitement, from his fingertips to her heart.
Jiang Meng only knew that people would want to cry when they were moved.
Jiang Meng didn't know that people can also feel like crying when they are loved.
She watched the car drive away with tears in her eyes.
Perhaps it's because the aftereffects of the suspension bridge effect are still working within her body.
Or perhaps, she was terrified of going back to the past and becoming a prisoner on an assembly line.
For a fleeting moment, driven by a powerful thought, she wanted to catch up with the bus and desperately tell him, "Chen Jizhou, take me away, to a farther place, and let's never look back."
He will agree to her request.
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