Chapter 14: Put on the Shelf
“Beep, beep, beep—”
The phone rang stubbornly. In the past, with Li Yan's internet-addicted finger speed, the ringing would never have lasted more than a second time, but today, no one answered.
Jiang Le pursed his lips and dialed again. This time the call was answered quickly.
"Hello?"
But that voice wasn't Li Yan's. Jiang Le's heart sank: "Auntie, where's Li Yan?"
Mrs. Li on the other end of the phone paused for a moment before sighing softly, "Lele, I'm so sorry to have worried you. Yanyan... fell asleep. She's just not in a good state. I'm afraid she won't be able to go out with you tomorrow."
A few more words of apology were heard, and Jiang Le responded calmly: "It's okay. When she wakes up tomorrow, please ask her to call me back, okay?"
Li's mother nodded repeatedly, and then hung up the phone in a hurry as if there was some movement over there.
"How is it?" Jiang Congyue asked with concern.
Jiang Le frowned slightly: "He said he was fine. I guess he's holding his breath."
After saying that, she dialed Chen Ting's number again without hesitation.
The call was connected, and Chen Ting spoke first: "Let's talk later if you have something to say. I'm busy." Before he finished speaking, there was only a busy tone in the receiver.
Jiang Le held the phone in his hand for a few seconds, then turned to look at Jiang Congyue, his eyes full of confusion.
"Okay," Jiang Congyue took her phone without leaving any trace, "This is a matter between the two of them, they have to solve it themselves. It's difficult for outsiders to interfere."
Jiang Le moved his lips, as if he wanted to refute, but finally nodded and turned around to continue packing his luggage.
Seeing her absent-minded look, Jiang Congyue's face rarely showed a trace of displeasure, but he immediately smiled again: "Le Le, if one day, the person you like suddenly left without saying goodbye, and you knew there was something else going on...what would you do?"
The question came out of the blue. Jiang Le stopped what she was doing and glanced at Jiang Congyue who was leaning on the bed: "I don't have anyone I like." She said it firmly, thinking it was just another test from Jiang Congyue.
"I mean, what if? Suppose there comes such a day in the future, what will you do?" Jiang Congyue asked relentlessly, leaning forward slightly, looking extremely curious.
Seeing her serious expression, Jiang Le also concentrated on thinking for a moment, and then uttered the answer with a firm determination: "I will hate her."
Jiang Congyue tutted, clearly not satisfied with the answer, but didn't ask any further. Instead, he asked, "What kind of person does Lele like?"
"No premature love." Jiang Le answered honestly.
Jiang Congyue couldn't help laughing. It seemed that the last incident had really left a big shadow on her, and she felt a little guilty about it.
"We're about to graduate, so it's okay to talk about it." Jiang Congyue's eyes turned into crescents when she smiled.
What kind of person do you like? Jiang Le subconsciously touched his face, and then answered in a strong voice: "I like someone like me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Congyue laughed so hard that he fell backwards. His white hair reflected tiny rays of light under the lamplight, which made Jiang Le a little dazed.
She rubbed the clothes in her hands vigorously, thinking that Jiang Congyue must be laughing at her narcissism, and her ears couldn't stop burning.
She believed that no one in the world could compare to her, not even Jiang Congyue who treated her so well. But listening to the continuous laughter, she scratched her hands in frustration. If she had known earlier, she would not have said that.
Suddenly, someone gently rubbed his head. Jiang Le raised his head and met Jiang Congyue's smiling gaze: "Oh, then I'm relieved. Lele likes me so much, she will definitely take good care of me in the future, right?"
Jiang Le's back tensed instantly, and she slapped the hand away with some displeasure. She didn't like talking about this topic, even though separation and death were common in the world.
"Don't interfere too much in their affairs. Chen Ting is a smart girl, she will handle it." Jiang Congyue withdrew her hand awkwardly and advised gently.
"I understand." Jiang Le replied in a muffled voice.
"Okay, go to bed early after you've packed up." Jiang Congyue smiled, waved his hand, and left the room.
The moment the door closed, Jiang Le suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation. She angrily shuffled the neatly folded clothes.
After fidgeting for a moment, she got up, opened the drawer, and carefully took out the longevity lock from the cloth bag. The cold metal felt against her palm.
How wonderful it would be if people could live forever. In the not-so-long time, Jiang Congyue had already quietly and silently integrated into her life, becoming a part of her that she could not let go.
How she wished she could stay with her forever.
Jiang Le sighed with regret, his fingertips lingering over the intricate pattern before he carefully wrapped it up and returned it to its place. Immortality was like this longevity lock, beautiful yet heavy. Hanging it around the neck left only the suffocating feeling of a tight string, so he had no choice but to remove it and put it away.
She could only learn to accept the fact that Jiang Congyue would eventually leave.
The next day, Li Yan called back and told Jiang Le in a firm tone that she and Chen Ting had broken up completely, with fatigue that was hard to conceal in her voice.
Jiang Le only told her to have a good rest. As for Chen Ting's choice, it was her own business and had nothing to do with Jiang Le.
During a trip, Jiang Congyue took Jiang Le to see countless new things she had never seen before, adding color to her pale world bit by bit.
Back at school, Li Yan seemed to have recovered, having forgotten all about Chen Ting and Chen Ting. It had only been a few months of love, so there was no way it could be said to be unforgettable.
That day, the head teacher talked about college entrance examination choices.
As soon as the words fell, the classroom was filled with discussions, and everyone's face was filled with longing for the future.
"Hey, Jiang Le," Li Yan put his arm around Jiang Le's shoulders and wailed exaggeratedly, "If you pass the exam and go to Taipei, won't we not see each other for a long, long time? I'll miss you so much!"
Jiang Le laughed: "You were in an international relationship before, and you were so passionate, saying it was just a plane ticket? Why does it feel like it takes ages when it comes to me?"
"Hey!" Li Yan glared at her in feigned anger, then slumped over the table with his head in his hands. "We agreed not to mention this! Don't mention it again. It's so embarrassing!"
Hearing her complain like this, Jiang Le knew that she had already let go of the matter by about 70% in her heart.
It seems that the love they talk about is just like this. Jiang Le thought so.
The days spent poring over exercises flew by like a fleeting moment. The more Jiang Le desperately tried to catch up, the more he could only watch the countdown on the blackboard shrink. He forgot to eat or sleep, even holding his vocabulary booklet while brushing his teeth. He was visibly losing weight, and the suffering was unbearable.
Fortunately, I am finally getting through this.
"Admission ticket, ID card, pen, ruler..." The night before the exam, Jiang Congyue counted the items she needed to bring for the next day for the fourth time. She was as nervous as if she were facing a great enemy, even more nervous than Jiang Le, who was about to enter the exam room.
Finally, she pretended to be calm and walked over, holding Jiang Le's hand, and comforted him again and again: "Don't be nervous, it's just an exam. With your grades, there is no need to worry. Just do your best..."
Jiang Le's heartbeat, which had been slightly accelerated by nervousness, was calmed down by Jiang Congyue's expression. She pulled her hand back with amusement, tilted her head, and looked at him mischievously: "Are you the one who's nervous, or am I?"
His little thoughts were ruthlessly exposed. Jiang Congyue coughed lightly and waved his hands: "Okay, okay, just keep it in your mind. I don't care. I suddenly feel a little sleepy. I'm going to sleep. Don't forget to drink the milk on the table." After saying that, he almost ran away.
Watching the brisk figure disappear through the doorway, Jiang Le couldn't help but laugh. His steps were much more vigorous than before, when he'd gasp after every few steps. She shook her head, shooing away some inappropriate thoughts, turned off the lights, and closed her eyes in the darkness to review.
—
At the school gate.
The scorching sun couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the parents. Each holding a fan, they gathered together, chatting and laughing, but their eyes would occasionally glance anxiously towards the school gate.
In a low-key black car, Jiang Congyue looked at his phone with a calm expression: "Chen family?"
She seemed to have thought of something, and the corners of her lips twitched upwards imperceptibly. "We can talk."
"Oh! Isn't that Lele and Yanyan!" The driver honked the horn twice happily.
Jiang Congyue looked in the direction of the voice, and his eyes instantly fixed on a particularly eye-catching figure in the crowd.
Jiang Le was wearing a light white dress with a faint smile on her face. She tilted her head slightly and listened attentively to the chatter of the girl next to her.
Her heart felt like it had been gently struck, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her. She quickly said into her phone, "I'll go to the office tomorrow to handle the details." Then she ended the call.
Outside the car, Jiang Le and Li Yan also noticed them and walked over quickly.
I opened the car door and the cool air instantly dispelled the heat around me.
Li Yan sat down and immediately started talking: "Hey! This time the test paper is really super easy! If I really take the test..."
Everyone in the car listened to her vivid description with smiles on their faces.
When she finally stopped talking due to dry mouth, Jiang Congyue handed her a bottle of water at the right time.
While Li Yan was drinking water, Jiang Congyue said, "To celebrate your escape from suffering, I've booked a private room. Why don't you go back and take a shower first, then we'll go over there."
"Great!" Li Yan's eyes lit up instantly and he cheered when he heard there was a big meal.
Jiang Le, leaning back in the chair, happened to meet Jiang Congyue's smiling eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously looked away. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt, and that strange sense of familiarity came back.
Jiang Congyue was amused by Li Yan's words again and said with a smile: "Yanyan's noisy nature is becoming more and more like you, isn't it?"
Mother Li was also amused by her daughter. Looking at the two faces reflected in the rearview mirror, she said with a casual smile, "Of course, if you wear them more often, they will look alike. Hey, Boss Jiang, you and Lele are becoming more and more alike."
As she spoke, she glanced carefully in the rearview mirror and added, "Don't even mention it. Even with these facial features, if you go out and let people recognize you, who can say you're not biological children?"
"Wow! Really? I think so too!" Li Yan immediately moved closer, looked at the two of them seriously, and nodded in agreement.
Jiang Congyue smiled even more brightly after hearing this, and responded repeatedly: "That's right."
The speaker might not have meant it, but the listener felt like he had been struck by lightning. Jiang Le felt as if his heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, then slammed down.
Normally, Mother Li's words would have only made her secretly delighted. However, at this moment, amidst the doubts lingering in her heart, a chill suddenly rose from the soles of her feet, instantly engulfing her.
"What's wrong, Lele?" Jiang Congyue noticed something was wrong with her and leaned over, placing his palm on her forehead. "Why is your face so pale?"
Jiang Le snapped back to his senses, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and shook his head: "I just finished the exam, I'm a little tired."
Jiang Congyue immediately held her cold fingers with her backhand and said worriedly, "Is the air conditioner turned on too low? The sudden change of temperature will make you catch a cold easily." She looked towards the front seat.
"Oh, yes, yes, look at my memory." Mother Li quickly turned up the air conditioner temperature.
"My baby is tired," Jiang Congyue said, pulling her closer and letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Lean on me and rest for a while."
The shoulder wasn't exactly comfortable, even a little prickly, but the warmth from his palm strangely soothed Jiang Le's heart, which was being gnawed by anxiety.
She leaned in obediently, resting her forehead on Jiang Congyue's hand, and slowly leaned the weight of her body on the slightly thin shoulder. The faint pain actually made her confused and chaotic thoughts clearer.
No matter what, the remaining time is ultimately limited. Why worry about gains and losses? Seizing the present moment is the most important thing.
–
Jiang Congyue:33
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