Chapter 19 Tonight's Dream "May he be safe and sound, and soar into the sky." ...
January 12, 2018: Cloudy to overcast
I finally came to your side, in the name of friend.
——Excerpt from Tao Shuran’s Diary
*
It is a wonderful thing to become friends with someone you like.
This means that the distance between the two people is infinitely close, but for Tao Shuran, becoming friends with Liang Yuanjing is a sweet torture.
Because if she wanted to stay by Liang Yuanjing's side, she couldn't let him find out that she had even the slightest affection for him.
The hot air exhaled condensed into a mist on the floor-to-ceiling window.
Fang Qingyi pulled Zhao Zhengnian over to write down their wishes. The college entrance exam was approaching, and both of their wishes were basically related to the future.
What Zhao Zhengnian wrote was: Win first place in the competition and become No. 1 in the universe.
Fang Qingyi wrote and erased, and finally wrote vaguely: In the same city with you.
Zhao Zhengnian asked, "Who are you?"
She didn't answer the question.
Tao Shuran stared at the line of words they wrote for a moment, and Liang Yuanjing asked casually, "Do you want to write?"
Unexpectedly, Tao Shuran shook his head and said with a bit of distress, "I don't have any wishes."
Zhao Zhengnian came over with a smile and said, "Sister Tao, what is your dream?"
Tao Shuran hesitated and said, "Study hard and get into Qing University?"
"Hahahaha." Zhao Zhengnian threw his head back and laughed. "What kind of dream is that? I didn't use this standard answer when I was in elementary school."
Tao Shuran lowered his head embarrassedly, and a look of helplessness and confusion flashed across his round eyes.
She really didn't know where her future lay, and no one had ever asked her this question.
At home, Zhao Yanyun hopes that she will become a lawyer in the future, but Tao Hongfeng thinks that working overtime as a lawyer is too hard, and it would be better for her to study at a local teacher training school and become an elementary school teacher, which would give her winter and summer vacations.
So what does she like?
Tao Shuran didn't know that she had been searching, trying to find the love of her life like Liang Yuanjing loved flying, but she never found it.
The familiar feeling of anxiety came back.
Liang Yuanjing took a glance and found that the girl's face was wrinkled, like a small bun.
He raised his chin and casually resolved the situation.
"I'm only seventeen. Why do you insist on me coming up with a dream? I'm not destined to live here for the rest of my life."
Fang Qingyi also agreed: "That's right, I haven't figured out what I want to do in the future yet."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, almost covering the blue-gray eaves.
The scheduled sleeping time is getting later and later, and no one is willing to go to bed first.
In fact, if you look closely at that night, there was nothing special that happened. It was just that a few kids who were noisy at home ran out and gathered together to talk meaningless things.
Later, Tao Shuran's memories traced back to this day. As time passed, he gradually savored the flavor of youth that was particularly special to this day.
She still remembered clearly what Fang Qingyi said to her that night.
Fang Qingyi said with red eyes, "Tonight was the most daring thing I've ever done. I climbed over the wall of my house in the middle of the night just to see him tomorrow morning."
"When he's unhappy, I immediately want to rush to his side."
The underlying color of secret love is courage.
Tao Shuran crossed her legs and looked up at the endless night sky. The glass reflected the figure of the person she liked.
Even if she only saw a corner of it, her heart was already filled with joy.
This joy swept away all the fatigue from the whole night.
In the silence, with wind and snow blowing, Tao Shuran raised his fingers and trembled slightly as he quietly wrote down his secret.
"May he be safe and sound, and soar into the sky."
*
At eight o'clock in the morning, the four of them agreed to go to the hospital together to visit Grandpa Fu Changpei and see if there was anything they could do to help.
Tao Shuran got up half an hour early and planned to go home to wash up.
In the second half of the night, she felt a little exhausted and fell asleep on the sofa without knowing when. When she woke up, Fang Qingyi was resting her head on her legs and she was covered with a cashmere blanket.
As soon as Zhao Zhengnian woke up, he started yelling that he was hungry. Fang Qingyi was so annoyed by his noise that she took him to a breakfast shop across the street.
"Boss, please pack me two more bowls of porridge and ten fried dumplings. I want the porridge to be lighter, and the side dishes to be packed separately."
Zhao Zhengnian laughed: "Miss Fang, why didn't I realize you are so caring?"
It was just a simple joke, but Fang Qingyi suddenly became angry like a cat whose tail was stepped on.
He hurriedly took out some change from his pocket, avoiding his gaze while yelling that he could get out if he didn't want to eat.
Zhao Zhengnian suddenly realized something, his face suddenly changed, and the fried dumplings on his chopsticks fell with a loud noise.
Fang Qingyi's mind was not on him at all.
She walked to the door of the store, pulled Tao Shuran who was looking around and asked, "Ranran, what are you looking at?"
"That auntie..." Tao Shuran retracted her gaze and asked softly, "Is she Liang Yuanjing's mother?"
"Let me see."
Fang Qingyi stood on tiptoe and looked out into the distance. In fact, she was not very familiar with Liang Yuanjing's mother.
All I know is that her name is Li Wan, and she is a famous investor of the Affiliated High School. I heard that there is a building in the school that was funded and built by her.
It's just that she was very busy and never attended any school activities related to Liang Yuanjing. Even at the critical juncture of senior year, she was never present at the parent-teacher meetings held by the teachers.
"It seems so." Fang Qingyi said in a tone of relief. "Luckily, we didn't run into her mother. I heard that her mother doesn't like Liang Yuanjing dating girls."
Tao Shuran was about to ask why when he saw a green taxi parked at the end of the street.
A familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the alley. She called out "Mom" and immediately ran over.
Zhao Yanyun stopped and her face showed the fatigue that could not be concealed by a night of running around. When she saw Tao Shuran, a smile appeared on her face.
He asked her gently, "Are you coming downstairs for breakfast?"
Tao Shuran hummed, then looked behind her. Seeing no one, she asked nervously, "Where's Dad?"
"Oh, he went to the market to buy you some spareribs and said he would make you some soup at noon."
Zhao Yanyun paused and continued, "Don't worry, your college entrance examination is the most important thing to our family right now. At least before your college entrance examination is over, mom and dad will be together."
"But Mom still hopes you can listen to my advice and study law."
"But I'm not interested in law, and I don't really like the job of a lawyer."
Tao Shuran lowered her eyes and whispered, "You can't force yourself to do something you don't like. Just like you and Dad, if you really feel that living together is not suitable, you can separate. Don't compromise because of me."
"Don't think too much. Your college entrance exam is the most important thing right now."
The well-behaved and sensible daughter suddenly retorted, and Zhao Yanyun frowned and his tone became stern.
"If you don't become a lawyer, what else do you think you can do? Do you think there are no barriers to entry in society?"
For a long time, the choice of major has been a conflict between Tao Shuran and Zhao Yanyun.
She had never clearly expressed her thoughts because she was subconsciously afraid of a conflict with Zhao Yanyun.
But this day will always come, won't it?
Just like Liang Yuanjing told her, one should not force oneself to choose something they don’t like just because they are afraid of arguments.
This is too unfair to myself.
Thinking of this, Tao Shuran slowly raised her head and asked softly, "Mom, am I really that bad?"
"So bad that you think I can't do well in any major I choose."
Zhao Yanyun said coldly, "If you're not bad, show me how to get into the top 20 in the next mock exam."
Tao Shuran's eyelashes trembled, and her voice was a little wet with tears.
She asked Zhao Yanyun, "Did you never believe that I could get into Qing University?"
Zhao Yanyun said, "Don't you know how capable you are?"
It was like a beautiful dream being torn apart.
Tao Shuran was shaking all over.
This sentence made her dream back to a few months ago, when Fuqing had just entered autumn and the weather was not so cold.
That night it was her turn to be on duty. She was blocked in the toilet by Wen Fangfang and her group. They threw piles of photos at her and cursed her with the most vicious words.
They said she was a toad wanting to eat swan flesh, overestimating her own abilities and taking things that did not belong to her.
For Zhao Yanyun, is her goal of getting admitted to Qing University also a wishful dream?
Tao Shuran had difficulty breathing and couldn't help but look across with tearful eyes.
Zhongshan Mansion and Xikang Road face each other from afar. A century-old avenue lined with sycamore trees is like a galaxy running through them, becoming a gap that is difficult for her to cross.
Liang Yuanjing.
Every step towards you is actually difficult.
Tao Shuran walked back home slowly and opened her diary. It was a thin diary, and she had already written most of the page without realizing it.
Turning over from the first page, Tao Shuran saw that his academic ranking had gradually climbed up from the bottom of the class, from around 900th to the top 50 in the grade.
She bit her lower lip tightly and vowed to work harder every day.
On the other side, Liang Yuanjing had just taken a shower and when he came out he happened to see Li Wan walking in.
He was stunned, his eyes falling on the mess in the living room. There were some cans and snack packaging bags scattered beside the coffee table.
"I asked Aunt Yao to come and clean up later."
Liang Yuanjing lowered his head to glance at the time, his tone very stiff.
"My friend's grandfather is sick, I'm going out to see him later."
Li Wan asked coldly, "Liang Yuanjing, did you bring a girl home yesterday?"
"A friend."
He touched his cheek with the tip of his tongue, and a look of impatience flashed across his face, but he still patiently asked, "Can't I have female friends?"
Li Wan stared at his face intently. For a moment, Liang Yuanjing even felt that she was not looking at him, but an enemy who was engraved in his bones.
No child can accept their mother looking at them like that.
Liang Yuanjing was slightly stunned, and in this moment of daze, Li Wan's hateful expression appeared in front of him.
She said with disgust in her voice, "You don't deserve it."
Liang Yuanjing's Adam's apple rolled up and down, and his heart felt like it was on fire, the pain was astonishing. The corners of his straight lips were tightly pursed, stretched into a sharp straight line.
He said nothing, his face calm, but the artery in his neck was beating violently. His hands hanging at his sides were clenched into fists, and in the invisible corner, his fingertips were trembling slightly.
After a few seconds, he pretended nothing happened, put on a cynical smile, and walked out holding his coat.
He didn't even turn his head, but just said as he passed by, "Okay, I'll move out from today and won't be a bother to you anymore."
…
At the same time, Tao Shuran was also very sad. On the one hand, he was sad about his mediocre qualifications, and on the other hand, he was sad about Zhao Yanyun's attitude.
Adults like them never consider the children's thoughts. Does it mean that when it comes to suitability, her likes are not important at all?
When winter came in Fuqing, the lush sycamore tree downstairs lost its leaves, leaving only a bare trunk, which was trimmed into a Y shape.
The noisy chirping of summer cicadas passed, and Tao Shuran lowered his head in a trance, feeling the last notes of his fading youth on a tree.
She closed the window in an upset attempt to block out all the outside sounds.
But at the moment of closing the window, a small ball of paper hit the window on the third floor, and at the same time, the mobile phone thrown on the bed rang.
She subconsciously looked downstairs and saw Liang Yuanjing leaning lazily against the wall, carrying his schoolbag in one hand, under the bright morning glow.
He stood in the shadow deliberately, but the light and shadow still slanted down, outlining a profile with superior lines.
Cold, aloof, yet full of human warmth.
"come out."
Staring at the message, Tao Shuran couldn't help laughing.
I feel like all the unhappiness has been swept away.
*
Fu Changpei's grandfather was hospitalized in the First Hospital of the city, which was some distance away from Linchuan District.
The four of them took a taxi together. Liang Yuanjing had asked for the ward number in advance. Fu Changpei was always overly polite and politely said that they didn't need to come over because he didn't want to disturb their precious study time.
Liang Yuanjing raised his eyelids and said impatiently, "Send me the location."
Fu Changpei's mother was on a business trip out of town, and Fu Changpei was the only one left at home besides his grandparents. He had been running back and forth in the hospital all night.
When Tao Shuran and the others saw him, they felt that he looked much more haggard.
Liang Yuanjing unscrewed the bottle cap, handed over a bottle of water, and asked about the details.
"He's still in the ICU. He hasn't woken up yet. The doctor said we'll see what's going on after he wakes up."
Fu Changpei said with some self-blame: "I have lived with grandpa for so long, and I never noticed that he was unwell."
"It's none of your business." Liang Yuanjing patted his shoulder and said, "Go back, change your clothes and have a rest. I'll watch over you in the morning and notify you if anything happens."
Fu Changpei was a little hesitant at first, but later Tao Shuran followed him and persuaded him, saying that he should be notified immediately if there was any news. Human energy is always limited, and he cannot stay awake 24 hours a day.
"Tell me what you need."
Before leaving, Liang Yuanjing saw him off for a while and reminded him, "I've sent you the phone number of the driver at home. If Grandpa Fu needs a ride anywhere, just let me know. I've already informed him in advance."
Tao Shuran stood outside the door with him.
Hearing this, she couldn't help but turn her head slightly to look at him. She didn't expect that he was more careful and considerate than she could have imagined.
Fu Changpei said softly: "Thank you."
His thin, straight shoulders stood still in the biting cold wind, and his cold, dark eyes were emotionless, making him look extremely strong.
But Tao Shuran and Liang Yuanjing both saw his vulnerability.
Being introverted does not mean having no emotions. Sometimes repression is the deepest level of madness.
"If I really want to say thank you—"
Liang Yuanjing put his hands in his pockets, lowered his eyelashes, and smiled nonchalantly.
"I was kicked out of my home. Can you take me in for a while?"
Liang Yuanjing was kicked out of the house? Was it because of what happened last night?
Before he had time to investigate further, Tao Shuran turned around and looked at him in disbelief. Under the gloomy white wall, Liang Yuanjing had a dull expression, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Fu Changpei reacted and said hesitantly, "My house...can you get used to living here?"
"Don't you and Tao Shuran live there? Why should I be uncomfortable with it?"
"The college entrance exam is just a few days away, so I plan to hurry up and give her some extra lessons."
Liang Yuanjing's eyes fell calmly on her face, and his slender black eyelashes moved slightly, making the small black mole at the end of her eye particularly alluring.
His voice was also hoarse, and it always sounded like teasing to Tao Shuran, a thoughtful person.
"I can't go back on my word, right?"
"Qingda is waiting for you."
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