Chapter 24
From the very beginning, Xu Qingzhou never intended to tell Chi Jun about her part-time job; otherwise, she wouldn't have used "evening self-study" as a shield.
After all, it was she who insisted on keeping Chi Jun in the first place, so even if the burden is too heavy now, it is the result of her own actions.
She really didn't need to tell Chi Jun, much less use this to morally blackmail him.
Furthermore, Xu Qingzhou didn't want Chi Jun to know that she was just putting on a brave face every day, and that her savings were almost gone.
—For Xu Qingzhou, forcing others to suffer with her when she was poor was something that made her feel ashamed.
Therefore, Xu Qingzhou had been concealing his "part-time job".
Caught off guard, this secret seemed to have been exposed. At this moment, Xu Qingzhou looked at Chi Jun, instinctively unwilling to admit it, yet unsure how to explain: Why was there a faintly blood-stained fish scale on her shoulder when she was clearly studying at school?
She's really bad at lying.
As Xu Qingzhou silently pondered how to deceive Chi Jun, her face began to show faint signs of heat.
Fortunately, Chi Jun didn't seem to need to wait for her answer. He flicked his thumb on his index finger, and the fish scales flashed as it drew a perfect parabola in the air before landing precisely in the trash can next to the small table.
Chi Jun turned and walked towards the door, carrying a small basket, his joking voice drifting over.
"There are fish scales on your body out of nowhere. People who know you will understand that you are going to evening self-study. People who don't know you will think you are cleaning fish at the market."
Xu Qingzhou: "..."
Actually, it's... pretty much the same.
Fortunately, Chi Jun disappeared outside the door after he finished speaking.
Xu Qingzhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, I don't have to rush to think of reasons anymore.
She raised her hand to pat her slightly flushed face, took several deep breaths to calm herself down, and then sat down at her small desk, slowly unfolding a math test paper.
Perhaps the tense atmosphere had dissipated, and as she relaxed, an excuse quickly popped into her mind:
When I came back from evening self-study, I saw a vendor selling discounted fish by the roadside, so I went over to take a look. But because the fish didn't look very good, I hesitated for a while and finally didn't buy any.
Yes, that's it.
If Chi Jun asks again, she will give this answer.
Xu Qingzhou sighed, realizing he was telling far too many lies, and quickly prepared a response in his mind to answer Chi Jun's questions.
However, when Chi Jun returned after taking a shower, he seemed to have completely forgotten about it. He dried his hair, went to bed, and casually picked up a book that he was reading halfway through and continued to flip through it.
Just as he was about to turn off the lights and go to sleep, he suddenly remembered something, looked up at Xu Qingzhou and said:
"Oh right, I have a game competition with some friends coming up, so I'll be practicing at his house every night for a while, and I'll probably be back quite late."
Is it a game competition?
Xu Qingzhou felt a little curious, recalling the competitions that the boys in his class would occasionally mention.
But in the end, he didn't ask any more questions and just nodded.
*
As expected, Chi Jun also returned very late at first.
Only once or twice did he arrive home earlier than Xu Qingzhou; otherwise, he usually arrived home after Xu Qingzhou.
They arrived on time, which shows they've prepared quite seriously for this game competition.
Xu Qingzhou thought.
One evening, as Xu Qingzhou was walking home from her part-time job, a gust of wind blew towards her, carrying a damp chill. She looked up and noticed that the streetlights in the distance illuminated the fine raindrops, making them impossible to miss.
It turns out it's raining.
She instinctively reached out and took it.
Fortunately, the rain was light.
Xu Qingzhou pulled the hoodie over his head, put on his headphones as usual, and walked back north along the road.
It must have been raining for a while now; the road is wet, and you can occasionally hear the faint sound of wheels rolling over the water.
Through the female voice in his earphones, Xu Qingzhou could faintly hear the horn of an electric scooter behind him.
It made two sounds and then stopped.
Then it rang seven or eight more times.
Xu Qingzhou subconsciously looked back and found that the electric scooter was still far away from her.
She frowned in confusion, but still moved aside to make room for the electric scooter.
Unexpectedly, the electric scooter pulled up next to her and suddenly stopped.
Xu Qingzhou's eyes instantly turned wary, and he took a big step to the side. Only when he saw who was wearing the raincoat did his heart finally settle down.
It was Aunt Xu, who also worked in the fresh produce section.
Aunt Xu turned around and looked at him, her expression somewhat serious:
"Xiao Xu, are you walking home alone so late at night?"
Xu Qingzhou was confused and subconsciously looked back, but saw nothing.
She nodded.
Aunt Xu frowned even more deeply:
"Get in the car, I'll take you home."
Xu Qingzhou felt embarrassed to trouble others, so he instinctively waved his hand and was about to take out paper and pen to politely decline.
Before she could even press the pen, Aunt Xu impatiently exclaimed, "Hurry up and get on the bus! This young girl has no sense of safety at all!"
I've been working with Aunt Xu for a while now.
Xu Qingzhou knew she had a quick temper but was a very kind person. Seeing that she seemed a little unhappy, Xu Qingzhou immediately nodded obediently and put away the paper and pen.
Aunt Xu took a piece of paper to wipe the rainwater off the back seat, and Xu Qingzhou quickly took it and wiped it before sitting down.
The electric scooter beeped twice and quickly drove away.
Two wheels are indeed fast, and in less than ten minutes, we arrived at the intersection next to the rental compound.
Aunt Xu turned the car around with a swift and decisive movement. Seeing that the ground was dry, she muttered to herself, "This weather is strange. It's raining over there, but not a drop here."
As he spoke, he slowly pulled down the handbrake, and the electric scooter came to a stop behind the rented courtyard.
Is this the place?
Xu Qingzhou got off the electric scooter: "Thank you for bringing me back."
Aunt Xu waved her hand: "There's no need to thank me, go back now."
Xu Qingzhou smiled and nodded, but as he turned to leave, he was called back: "Little Xu."
Xu Qingzhou turned his head.
Aunt Xu looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
But after hesitating for a long time, he finally asked only one question: "Is there anyone else at your home?"
Xu Qingzhou was stunned for a moment, and the image of Chi Jun unconsciously came to mind.
[He also has an older brother]
Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished writing, Aunt Xu scolded with a stern face: "What kind of lousy brother is this? His sister has to work part-time while attending school, and he doesn't even bother to pick her up after get off work late at night."
"..."
Although I wasn't insulting her.
But Xu Qingzhou was still completely bewildered by this sudden scolding.
Aunt Xu didn't look at her again. While holding the handlebars and reversing the car, she said, "Go back and tell your brother to pick you up from get off work every night from now on."
Xu Qingzhou understood that although Aunt Xu sounded fierce, she was actually worried and concerned about her.
But thinking about it, I realized I'd been keeping my part-time job a secret from Chi Jun all along—
Xu Qingzhou slowly wrote on the paper: "Aunt Xu, my brother has something to do tonight."
"What's up?"
"..."
Playing games...
Of course, she couldn't say that truthfully, otherwise Aunt Xu would probably immediately abandon the car and go upstairs with her, giving Chi Jun a good scolding, and who knows, she might even hit him a few times with a broom.
To eliminate that possibility, Xu Qingzhou pursed her lips and told him a lie.
He also works the night shift.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Xu's fierce expression froze for a moment, then softened.
He glanced at Xu Qingzhou, then looked down, then looked up at Xu Qingzhou again, finally sighed heavily, and waved to her:
"Alright, you should go back now."
Xu Qingzhou nodded, hurriedly grabbed his backpack strap, turned around and left.
*
It didn't rain here after all.
As Xu Qingzhou walked towards the stairwell, he noticed by the light that the ground was spotless, without a single raindrop.
She climbed the stairs to the second floor and found that the doors and windows of the small rented room were all dark.
Chi Jun hasn't returned yet.
Xu Qingzhou put down her schoolbag, her mind still replaying what Aunt Xu had said that evening. When she took out her pencil case from her schoolbag, she suddenly paused, belatedly realizing that Aunt Xu's reaction seemed a bit excessive.
Could it be...?
Xu Qingzhou's face paled. She remembered how her aunt had been honking the car horn from a distance for no reason. She clenched her schoolbag, but decided to put it down for the time being. She walked to the kitchen cabinet and started rummaging through something.
Ten minutes later, Xu Qingzhou was almost finished and was about to wash the cutting board when Chi Jun returned.
Seeing her busy with a cutting board in the corridor late at night, Chi Jun casually asked, "What are you doing?"
Xu Qingzhou held up the small bottle for Chi Jun to see.
It's water in a spray bottle.
However, upon closer inspection, it is clear that there are many other red filamentous substances inside.
Glancing at the chili stems that hadn't been cleaned off the cutting board, Chi Jun knew—it was chili water.
Amidst the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze, Xu Qingzhou noticed Chi Jun staring at the chili water in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly as if he were deep in thought.
After a while, he suddenly looked at her and called her name.
"Xu Qingzhou".
The voice carried a certain inexplicable seriousness, as if there was something he wanted to say to her solemnly.
Xu Qingzhou's heart tightened, and she looked at Chi Jun with some trepidation.
Chi Jun stared at her and moved his lips.
It certainly seemed like he had something to say.
After staring at each other for a long time, Chi Jun finally turned his head to look outside the courtyard, his gaze returning to her face, and he had regained his usual casual and relaxed demeanor.
Your hair is wet.
"..."
Is this what he said that was important?
Xu Qingzhou was a little dazed, and touched his hair blankly. As he walked into the house, he suddenly realized something—
It rained in Anxi District, but it didn't rain at all here.
So her hair was damp... doesn't that mean she wasn't studying at school that night, but was in Anxi District?
Xu Qingzhou's heart started racing again, and even as she scooped flour into the bowl, she couldn't help but glance at Chi Jun repeatedly. Suddenly, she noticed:
Um... Chi Jun's hair seems a little damp too?
However, Xu Qingzhou snapped out of his reverie the next moment: maybe the friend who played games with Chi Jun lived in Anxi District.
Chi Jun could give a reasonable explanation, but she couldn't.
Therefore, Xu Qingzhou was still filled with anxiety.
Fortunately, after being on tenterhooks for a while, Chi Jun didn't seem to think much of it and didn't say anything.
Just as Xu Qingzhou was kneading the dough with great effort, he seemed to suddenly hear a question—
"Does it have to be this tiring?"
Xu Qingzhou paused for a moment, then looked up.
Chi Jun was leaning comfortably against the headboard, one leg slightly bent and the other casually extended, flipping through a book in his hand. Seeing her staring at him, he raised an eyebrow and asked first:
"What's wrong?"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou shook his head.
It seems like I was hallucinating again.
*
Because she had to do homework and make steamed buns at the same time, Xu Qingzhou planned her time in advance: first knead the dough and prepare the filling, then write the test paper while waiting for the dough to ferment, and then make the steamed buns while the dough was steaming. She could also write the test paper while the buns were steaming.
Time is easy to plan, but sleepiness won't listen to her commands.
Perhaps because he had taken on a part-time job recently, standing for several hours every night, and having to catch and kill fish and walk around cleaning, Xu Qingzhou felt particularly tired that night. He couldn't stop yawning and his eyes were watering as he made steamed buns.
While steaming buns next to the stove, I almost fell asleep with my head down.
Helpless, Xu Qingzhou could only turn on the tap again and wash his face with cold water.
When she went inside to wash her face, she saw that Chi Jun was sleeping soundly on the bed.
Envy welled up in Xu Qingzhou's eyes.
She just wanted to ignore everything, crawl into bed, and go to sleep.
But that won't work.
At 2:50 a.m., all the buns were finally steamed.
Xu Qingzhou splashed cold water on his face countless times before returning to his small desk to finish the remaining test papers.
Fortunately, while her mind was still relatively clear, she had already finished the more difficult math and physics papers. Now, only some Chinese and English assignments remain, which don't require too much brainpower.
But I don't know if it's because when you're tired to a certain extent, your brain will automatically shut down.
Xu Qingzhou was sitting at his small desk, wishing he could use toothpicks to prop open his eyelids. He soon realized that he had to read an English sentence four or five times before he could barely understand its meaning.
She scratched her head helplessly, took a deep breath, and read it again—
It still doesn't work.
My brain seems to have completely stopped working...
—Take a short nap.
—Just a short nap.
Xu Qingzhou reassured himself: "I need to rest for a while so my brain can clear up and I can complete my homework more efficiently."
However, before the last sentence could settle in his mind, Xu Qingzhou collapsed.
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