Meng Ting looked at Jiang Ren. In the moonlight, his expression was serious and intense, as if he would strangle her if she didn’t agree.
But she had never even dated Xu Jia, how could she break up with him?
Her hesitation, in Jiang Ren’s eyes, looked like reluctance to let go.
His face darkened.
Meng Ting held back a smile in her eyes and, imitating his manner, solemnly nodded, “Alright.”
Her quick agreement made Jiang Ren suspicious, “You agreed so fast, you’re not fooling me, are you?”
Meng Ting’s watery eyes glared at him.
Did he have to be so domineering? He’d get angry if she didn’t agree, but when she did, he was suspicious.
However, she couldn’t explain the scene in the snow from before, so she could only say, “I’m not lying to you.”
Jiang Ren handed her his phone, “Break up with him now.”
Meng Ting: “…”
Jiang Ren sneered, “What? You really can’t bear to do it?”
He was like a master in an ancient mansion forcing a maid to bow, his black eyes cold, staring at her intently, “Dare to go back on your word and see what happens.”
What was Meng Ting going back on? She now realized that one lie required countless follow-ups. She had no relationship with Xu Jia, to begin with, how could she go and break up now?
Amidst the soft chirping of insects, Meng Ting asked quietly, “Can I break up with him myself tomorrow?”
“What do you think?”
“I think it’s too late, he might be asleep.”
Jiang Ren had somehow found Xu Jia’s home landline number and had already dialed it. He handed it to her. Fearing she wouldn’t take it, he grabbed her hand, forcing her slender fingers to press the call button. His grip was strong, veins popping on the back of his hand. He had been at his limit for a while. The white light of the phone illuminated her face, her long lashes casting shadows.
Meng Ting was on the verge of tears, looking at the dial pad on the screen. This unreasonable man held her hand and pressed down together.
The countryside signal wasn’t great back then.
The first call didn’t go through.
Her bright eyes looked at Jiang Ren, “See? It’s not connecting. Let’s call during the day.”
Jiang Ren sneered, gripping her hand and pressing down for a second time. He said coldly, “If it doesn’t connect, we’ll keep calling all night until he answers.”
He was unbelievably domineering.
Perhaps the heavens favored a girl like her because the second call went through.
Jiang Ren watched her without blinking, as if ready to strangle her at the slightest sign of reluctance. The moonlight was ghastly white, the young man’s facial features resolute and cold. She couldn’t help but fear him.
Meng Ting experienced for the first time what it felt like to be forced to “break up.”
On the other end, it was Xu Jia who answered.
“Hello?” Xu Jia was making tea, holding a tea bag in one hand and the phone in the other.
“This is Meng Ting,” Meng Ting spoke reluctantly under Jiang Ren’s gaze.
Xu Jia was surprised, then pleased, “This is Xu Jia. Meng Ting, I haven’t seen you for days. I asked Uncle Shu today, and he said you went to F City. Are you doing well?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
A pair of hands gripped her shoulders.
Jiang Ren couldn’t stand it anymore. Damn, why were they being so lovey-dovey? His thin lips moved, his eyes cold, silently reminding her — to break up quickly.
Meng Ting frowned; his hands were so heavy, it hurt.
But more than the pain was the embarrassment. What was she breaking up from? Meng Ting spoke without emotion, “Xu Jia, we’re not suitable for each other. Let’s break up.”
The hands on her shoulders stiffened for a moment.
Before Xu Jia could react, she hung up. Xu Jia must think she’s gone mad, and the thought made her feel awful.
Jiang Ren lowered his gaze to look at her, his black eyes filled with indescribable emotions. She said, “It’s done. Let me go.”
Jiang Ren raised his finger to touch the corner of her eye, “Why aren’t you crying?”
Meng Ting knew he was crazy. Since she had already embarrassed herself, she might as well play along, “Because I don’t like him.”
His hand paused, and his breath stopped for a moment.
The next moment, Meng Ting felt a tightening around her waist, and her whole body was lifted into the air. She couldn’t help but let out a soft cry, instinctively hugging his head. Realizing what she’d done, she quickly pushed against his shoulders.
Jiang Ren held her waist and lifted her, spinning her around.
Under the starry sky, the young man’s unrestrained, hearty laughter echoed low and deep.
Meng Ting was terrified, pounding on his shoulder, “Are you crazy? Put me down!”
Jiang Ren buried his face in her waist.
Beneath the soft yellow blouse, her waist was slender. The young girl’s fragrance overpowered the scent of countless blooming pear blossoms. He took a deep breath, laughing purely, “I’m so happy!”
Meng Ting was scared to death. How could he be so strong? Seeing that hitting him was useless, she gently tugged at his hair, embarrassed and annoyed, “Let go, let go!”
He wasn’t angry at all and put her down.
After his moment of joy, he started acting crazy again. He cupped her face, threatening fiercely, “If you dare trick me, you’re finished.”
Meng Ting felt like she was about to be finished. She had been spun in the air, scared out of her wits.
Was he even human? He was like a wild bull!
The “wild bull” was unreasonable and aggressive, not knowing when to stop, “If you don’t like him, why did you kiss him?”
Her face turned completely red. Why did he have to speak so bluntly and crudely?
It was none of his business!
She bit her lip and turned her face away, “It’s none of your business. You only had one condition, and it’s done. Go back to sleep now. And don’t bother my grandfather anymore.” Her grandfather was old, and this scoundrel had ill intentions.
Pear blossoms scattered in the night breeze. He used his thumb to brush her lips, his gaze wild and fierce, “If you’d kiss someone you don’t like, why not kiss me too?”
She was about to die of anger.
Jiang Ren cupped her face and lowered his head. The crescent moon was shyly hidden behind clouds.
Meng Ting quickly covered his lips with her hand, unable to bear it any longer. She wanted so badly to beat him to death. When would this end? “No, I didn’t kiss him. That’s enough!”
She was never good at lying, and now she had to deal with so many follow-ups to one lie. Jiang Ren narrowed his eyes, “On Christmas Eve, do you think I’m blind?”
Meng Ting tried to pry his fingers away. Her small face was flushed pink, and she shook her head seriously, “Enough, there was no kiss, nothing happened. He was just helping me remove a snowflake. You saw wrong.”
Jiang Ren couldn’t hold back and finally laughed.
The moonlight was cold, but his eyes were filled with tenderness.
“Meng Ting.”
Meng Ting mumbled, “Hm?”
“Don’t lie to me,” he said softly. “I can’t bear it.”
This time she wasn’t lying to him; she hadn’t done anything with Xu Jia. She nodded. The last light in the village went out. The night was getting colder, and she had to go home. “I need to go home now.”
Meng Ting asked him, “It’s so late, how will you get back?”
“I borrowed a car. I’ll drive back later.”
Meng Ting knew he had his ways, but the smell of alcohol on him was so strong. She remembered the last time Jiang Ren crashed his car into a tree; the scar on his forehead still left a faint mark. Having experienced Jiang Ren’s recklessness, she couldn’t help but say, “You should have someone pick you up. Don’t drive after drinking.”
He brushed the hair from her cheek, his eyes full of laughter, “Alright.”
Jiang Ren said, “Then you agree to one condition for me too.”
Meng Ting didn’t want to agree at all. She said angrily, “Then you can drive.”
Jiang Ren laughed, “How about I carry you back?”
The insect chirping fell silent.
The spring breeze caressed their faces, gentle and soft.
Meng Ting lowered her gaze, her long lashes covering her tea-colored eyes, “No, it’s very close. I’ll walk by myself.”
In late April, after making sure her grandfather would never go to the slope again, Meng Ting packed her things and prepared to leave.
She was wearing new clothes that her grandmother had sewn for her mother long ago.
A white blouse with toggle buttons, a brown skirt, and a pair of black cloth shoes embroidered with a delicate dragonfly.
Zeng Yujie’s excellent sewing skills were inherited from her grandmother. Grandmother was skilled; she had made the cloth shoes herself, sewing the soles and embroidering the uppers bit by bit. Unfortunately, Zeng Yujie had left home before she could wear them.
Meng Ting left all her money except for the fare under her pillow. Then she shouldered her bag and went out.
Grandmother held back her tears and stroked her head, “Won’t people laugh at you for wearing this when you go back?”
After all, it was the aesthetic of twenty years ago. The city girls certainly wouldn’t dress like this anymore.
Meng Ting shook her head with a smile. She cherished the clothes she was wearing. They were all very beautiful.
Grandmother knew she had to go back to school. She supported Grandfather as they saw her off at the village entrance. They could only reluctantly let her leave. Meng Ting said, “I’ll call you every month. Grandmother, please go back now.”
She had to go to the town to catch a bus, then to the airport.
When she reached the town, she saw an unexpected person — Jiang Ren was already waiting there.
The pear blossom town wasn’t prosperous. He wore a black shirt with two buttons undone at the collar. Afraid she might leave alone, he had been waiting at the station for several days. Bored, he played games with He Junming and the others. Many people coming and going had been watching him. When people got too close, his temper flared, telling them to stay away and not touch him. He had become famous as the town bully these past few days.
When he ignored people, he looked arrogant. His clothes were expensive. He was rich, though it wasn’t clear where he got this outfit from.
However, she couldn’t look at him directly now. Whenever she thought of his clothes, she was reminded of him jumping out of the fish pond, angrily carrying her grandfather all the way, and then coldly asking her if he didn’t need to wear underwear.
This was probably the first time this bad guy had been so disheveled. He had thick skin.
Meng Ting couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile.
The station was bustling with people coming and going, a cacophony of voices. Buses and coaches started up, raising a cloud of grey exhaust in the air, with honking horns all around. Most people eventually stopped looking at Jiang Ren. They shifted their gaze to her, unable to look away once they saw her.
That year, she was seventeen, wearing a white blouse with a beautiful plum blossom embroidered on the shoulder.
The black skirt was elegant. Meng Ting wore cloth shoes that people of this era no longer wore, with a vivid little dragonfly that seemed about to take flight.
An outfit that everyone would consider rustic, yet she wore it with indescribable beauty. Her tea-colored eyes were like the sky after rain, clean and bright. Because of her innocent looks, she looked incredibly beautiful in this outfit.
If someone said she was a famous actress filming a movie, people would believe it.
Jiang Ren looked up and saw this scene.
He wouldn’t be able to forget it for many years to come.
He was like many ordinary people in the mundane world, perhaps with a different personality, but still ordinary. At that time, he was squatting in a corner, idly playing games, hoping she would come.
Around him were people eating instant noodles, snoring, coaxing children — all sorts of people. In his eyes, they all lost their color in an instant.
She was carrying her backpack, wearing the blouse and cloth shoes, smiling at him from outside the crowd.
White pear blossoms covered the ground in the small town, and ivy hung down from the old residential buildings next to the station. The tender green branches became her backdrop.
He heard his heartbeat, powerful enough to make him tremble.
One beat after another.
As if he was sick, yet also as if he had recovered.
The character he was controlling in the game had long since died. He Junming was being beaten up by the opposing team on the other end of the network, running for his life. But in Jiang Ren’s eyes, there was only her.
Pear blossoms everywhere, lush green ivy.
Seventeen-year-old her.
This scene became all of his memories of youth.
This beautiful girl was so hard to pursue. She had made his heart ache and constrict on numerous winter nights when he thought of her.
It was like frying oil over a fierce fire, like pulling chestnuts out of the fire.
Yet in the next moment, when he saw her smile, he couldn’t help but go crazy with excitement. He just never learned his lesson.
Damn, her smile at him was so sweet.