Encounter
After buying New Year's goods, Xu Zhiyi was still worried about this matter. When Xu Wangping talked to her, she listened absent-mindedly.
After getting off the bus, Xu Zhiyi was just walking away from the station with his things when he saw a black figure standing in front of the Lawson convenience store not far away.
Song Chengrui!
Xu Zhiyi saw him at a glance and was instantly panicked, fearing that Xu Wangping would see her. She had to pretend that nothing was wrong and followed him, but she couldn't help but look in the direction of Song Chengrui.
Xu Wangping was not thinking about this and walked straight to the entrance of the community.
It was not until they entered the community that Xu Zhiyi found an excuse to go out and buy something.
She hurried out, but found that Song Chengrui was no longer at the door.
She hurried into the store, but no one was there.
Where are the people?
She stood at the door dejectedly, the automatic door opening and closing.
Was it because she ignored him just now that he was unhappy and left?
"Xu Zhiyi."
A familiar voice came.
Xu Zhiyi suddenly raised her head and saw a boy in a black hooded sweatshirt standing outside the door.
"Who are you looking for?"
Xu Zhiyi was nervous and aggrieved, but she gritted her teeth and held back her tears.
"Where have you been?"
"Oh, I just went to park, but they don't allow parking at the entrance."
The two of them found a nearby shopping mall to stroll around. Xu Zhiyi was also looking around the community, as she was afraid of being seen by acquaintances.
"for you."
Song Chengrui handed her a bag.
"What's this?"
Just as Xu Zhiyi was about to open it, Song Chengrui stopped him.
"I've printed out some review materials and the key points for next semester, compiled by my tutor this time. There are also a few test papers in there. You can try them out. If you have any questions, just call me."
Xu Zhiyi lowered his head, "I don't have a cell phone for the time being..."
"A home phone number will do."
Song Chengrui couldn't wait to add, "Don't worry, my parents won't say a word. I've already told them that they are not allowed to interfere in my affairs."
Xu Zhiyi touched the heavy bag, feeling a bit heavy in his heart, "Thank you..."
"Why are you being so polite to me?" Song Chengrui put his hands casually in his pockets. He seemed casual, but his shoulders were tense and not relaxed at all.
The two walked side by side, and Xu Zhiyi was a little worried. "What if... one day, we are discovered..."
Song Chengrui was the first to admit, "Just put the blame on me, I don't care anyway."
"That won't work."
Xu Zhiyi suddenly became anxious, "No way."
Song Chengrui noticed her uneasiness and said, "Don't worry about things that haven't happened yet. We'll be careful and we won't be caught. Besides, we haven't broken any laws or committed any murder or arson."
"Nonsense." Xu Zhiyi glared at him, "That's not what I meant."
They fell silent again, walking and stopping along the way, moving forward aimlessly, just like their current state.
"Have you bought all the New Year's goods?" Song Chengrui changed the subject.
"Almost..." Xu Zhiyi said, "Actually, there's nothing to buy. I'm just going to the vegetable market today."
"Um……"
There was another long silence between the two sides.
"If you don't understand something, feel free to ask. I'm always home at night, so you can ask."
Song Chengrui repeated the time again.
Xu Zhiyi looked up at him, her ears slightly red, and nodded, "Yeah. Okay."
When they reached the corner of the mall, the crowds thinned out, and Xu Zhiyi stopped. "I have to go home. It's not good to be out for too long."
"Okay." Song Chengrui stopped, his eyes reluctant to leave.
Xu Zhiyi felt a little sad, and she was reluctant to leave. "Be careful when you go back."
"Okay. Let's go back quickly." Song Chengrui raised his chin towards the community.
Xu Zhiyi turned around and walked back. After a few steps, she couldn't help but look back at him.
The young man stood there, staring at her intently, with tears in his eyes.
Seeing her turn around, the black figure seemed stunned for a moment, then raised his hand and waved at her, indicating that she should go home quickly.
Xu Zhiyi couldn't hold it in any longer and sped up, fearing that she would burst into tears the next moment.
It was not until she walked into the gate of the community that she dared to take a sneak peek. There was no one sitting there, and the place was deserted.
Her heart also became empty.
She took a deep breath and touched the bag in her hand, as if the warmth of Song Chengrui's palm still remained.
When she got home, she carefully took off her shoes while carrying her bag, looking guilty as a thief. However, Xu Wangping seemed to still be on the phone and had no time to pay attention to her situation.
Xu Zhiyi quickly returned to the room, closed the door, and opened the bag. Sure enough, there was a thick stack of information inside.
The notes are neatly printed, with the key points marked with highlighters, and Mango sticky notes added to special locations.
She carefully read every piece of printed paper, and could imagine how attentive the other party was when doing this.
When she turned to the last page of her notes, she suddenly paused.
In the blank space at the lower right corner of the paper, there is a line of light pencil marks.
"Don't be too tired, keep going, I'll always be with you."
Xu Zhiyi gently stroked the trace. If he didn't look carefully, he probably wouldn't be able to see the words. It was obvious that the person who wrote it wrote and then erased it.
This person is just like her.
A guess suddenly came to Xu Zhiyi's mind. She looked at the word carefully and frowned even deeper.
This method is exactly the same as mine, could it be...
After thinking about it, she felt that she might be overthinking it. Song Chengrui probably didn't know about her past.
Perhaps, this is just a coincidence.
After thinking for a long time, Xu Zhiyi just attributed it to a coincidence.
She looked through the bag and found some debris inside. She poured the contents out carefully and some fine sawdust fell on the table. She leaned in to take a closer look and saw that it was indeed sawdust.
But she didn't think much about it, just thinking that Song Chengrui brought it in in a hurry, so she tidied the bag and put the information back.
Ever since she lost her cell phone, Xu Zhiyi wanted to talk to Xu Wangping about it all the time, but until New Year's Eve, she didn't dare to mention a word.
In the kitchen, mother was washing vegetables, and Xu Zhiyi was sitting on a small stool in the corner peeling garlic.
"It's New Year's Eve, why is my dad still so busy?"
When mother Xie Mushuang heard Xu Zhiyi's words, she was stunned for a moment and then sighed.
"Your father is worried about his students."
Xu Zhiyi raised his head. "What student? I saw he received several calls today."
"At your dad's school, there's a new student assigned to their class this year. He's from a reconstituted family: his biological dad and stepmother have another child. As a result, this boy is disliked and his family often doesn't give him money for meals. Your dad is worried about him. The child is only eight or nine years old, what does a child know? So your dad helps with his lessons and takes him to eat. But it's Chinese New Year these past two days, and the child had a fight with his family and hasn't been home for the past two days. I asked your dad to stop worrying about it, but he softened his heart. He went to look for him all day yesterday, and I kept him at home today. He's still preoccupied with the child. Look, he's so absent-minded."
No wonder Xu Zhiyi's movements slowed down. "Mom, do you disagree with Dad doing this?"
"I certainly don't agree."
Xie Mushuang's tone was a little excited. "But I can't persuade your dad. In his eyes, children who don't study have no future. He will force them to study no matter what. Look at you. Your dad has never slacked off on your studies since you were a child. Look at Zhou Yu'an back then, he was so rebellious, skipping classes and fighting, and he almost went to jail. Your dad worked hard to get him back. Now he's been admitted to university, and your dad talks about him every day."
"You didn't stop Dad, though."
"How can I stop him? Your father doesn't make much money, so what's the point of me stopping him? Your father is kind-hearted and can't let go of his students. It's been so many years. He's destined to be a teacher all his life. He loves to worry."
Xu Zhiyi also agreed with her mother. During the holidays over the years, she often saw her father's students coming to visit. Some were former troublemakers, while others had achieved great success. However, her father never accepted their gifts. Instead, he would give them a bunch of books to take back home. There were many photos of her father with his students at home.
She knew how responsible her father was and how controlling he was, but sometimes she felt guilty and wanted to escape.
"Mom, have you ever blamed Dad?"
Hearing this, Xie Mushuang seemed stunned, and it was a long time before she spoke.
"Life is just like that. Your dad is a kind and down-to-earth person, but he has a bad temper. When I was young, I complained about him every day. Now, I just hope that our family will be safe and sound, especially you. If you grow up well and go to a good university, I will be satisfied."
Around seven o'clock, Xu Zhiyi was lying on the sofa watching TV, while Xu Wangping answered a phone call and hurried out with his coat.
"I'm going out for a while, don't wait for me."
Mother Xie Mushuang suppressed the pain and dissatisfaction in her eyes, "It's so late, and you're still going out?"
"I heard that the child has been found, but he doesn't want to go home. I have to go to the police station to check." His tone was firm and no one could question it.
Xu Zhiyi thought for a moment, then immediately sat up and said, "Dad, I'll go with you!"
Xie Mushuang frowned, "Xiaoyi, don't make trouble."
Xu Zhiyi clenched her fingers, "Mom, I'm not causing any trouble. You can rest assured that I'm with Dad. Besides, I'm also a child. Maybe I can help persuade Dad's students."
There was a hint of relief in Xu Wangping's eyes at this moment.
"Dad, I'm coming with you. Wait for me to change my clothes."
After Xu Zhiyi finished speaking, Xu Wangping seemed to move slower, "Wait two minutes."
"Okay."
After saying that, Xu Zhiyi hurried back to the room, put on his down jacket over his pajamas, and was about to go out in his boots.
Xie Mushuang handed her a scarf and a mask. "It's windy outside, don't catch a cold. Wear your hat and be careful, okay? Ask your dad to drive carefully."
"I know, I know. Don't worry, we're going out."
"Yeah." Until Xu Zhiyi and the others came downstairs, Xie Mushuang was still standing at the door looking at their backs.
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