After Meng Ting’s competition, there was an award ceremony in the evening to announce the winners.
As she stepped off the stage, she still felt a bit dazed.
Zhang Xiaofang hugged her and said, “Congratulations.”
Meng Ting smiled and nodded.
Zhang Xiaofang hadn’t won an award, but she wasn’t discouraged. “I’ll only be in my third year of high school next year, so I can still participate in this competition. See you next year.”
“Alright, see you next year.”
Teacher Zhang was originally supposed to lead the team back to H City, but Meng Ting told her she wanted to return on her own.
Because of the incident with Wen Rui, Teacher Zhang still felt guilty. When she heard that Meng Ting would be returning with Jiang Ren, she nodded.
Going with that young man would be even safer than going with them.
When she left Swan Villa, Jiang Ren was waiting for her by the door.
The warm evening breeze made one feel slightly tipsy. No one dared to break the rules at the gate where Young Master Jiang was stationed. The young man was very hot and was drinking mineral water. He looked carefree and unrestrained; if not told, who would know he was the sole heir of the Jiang family?
When Meng Ting didn’t see any investors, she understood something. But seeing him guarding outside all this time made her heart ache a little.
She ran over and hugged him from behind, pressing her small face against his back.
Jiang Ren froze.
Meng Ting rarely took the initiative to get close to him, except for that one time when she was particularly sad and scared. Jiang Ren couldn’t see her expression and could only guess. He frowned and asked hoarsely, “What’s wrong? Didn’t win an award?”
Jiang Ren was cursing in his mind, wondering what was going on and if those people had any taste at all.
She shook her head.
“Then what’s wrong?”
He held her arms, but she didn’t want to turn around. Jiang Ren was afraid she was crying.
Meng Ting’s cheeks were slightly red. “Aren’t you hot?”
He was stunned for a long time, then laughed. “Not hot. I’m sweating though. Did I smell bad?”
Young Master Jiang had lived for eighteen years and rarely felt embarrassed, but he was really afraid that the little fairy he had finally won over would find him disgusting.
He turned around and found that she wasn’t crying.
She was smiling, her eyes as brilliant as summer flowers. Meng Ting opened her palm to reveal a small bronze medal. It was engraved with a ballet dancer’s pose.
Meng Ting took his hand and placed the medal in it. “I don’t have any gift for you, so I’m giving you this.”
Jiang Ren looked down at her.
In the warm twilight, the young girl’s voice was sweet. “I didn’t get first place, don’t look down on it.” Her big eyes were anxious as if she was really afraid he would despise the little bronze medal for being worthless.
Jiang Ren felt as if someone had gently tapped his heart.
It didn’t hurt, but it trembled violently.
She was concerned for him.
The corners of Jiang Ren’s lips curled up. When he spoke to her, he couldn’t help but lower his tone several levels, saying gently, “I don’t look down on it. Ting Ting is amazing.”
Her eyes curved, filled with bright colors.
Jiang Ren put the small bronze medal in his pocket. “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”
Meng Ting felt a sweetness in her heart.
Jiang Ren had booked the flight tickets early. He had someone print out the boarding passes, only notifying Chairman Jiang when he was about to leave. There wasn’t much to talk about between father and son.
Jiang Ren said, “I’m leaving.”
Chairman Jiang had no choice but to say, “Go, go, go, hurry up and go.”
Jiang Ren was in a good mood and just smiled.
He looked at Meng Ting beside him, her big eyes bright with curiosity. He took the phone away from his ear and couldn’t help teasing her, “What are you looking at? Want to say hello to our dad?” Without waiting for Meng Ting’s reaction, he put the phone to her ear.
The metal case still carried the young man’s warmth.
She was stunned.
Jiang Ren smiled a bit roguishly. “Be good, call him dad.”
The tips of Meng Ting’s ears turned red. She pushed his hand away, her eyes telling him no, no.
Jiang Ren held her small hand. “Hurry up, Dad’s waiting.”
Meng Ting was afraid the other side could hear. She wanted to beat Jiang Ren so badly.
She bit her lip and said softly and politely, “Hello, Uncle Jiang.” She was completely unprepared and could only greet him as Uncle Jiang first. It was her first contact with Jiang Ren’s father in both lifetimes, and it was so sudden.
She waited for a response, her small face anxious and serious, a bit aggrieved, and particularly nervous. She was incredibly cute.
Jiang Ren couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
His chest shook with laughter. There was no sound from the other end for a while, and Meng Ting looked at him blankly.
Jiang Ren turned the phone over to show her.
It turned out he had hung up long ago.
Meng Ting was so angry she wanted to hit him.
“Meng Ting, how can you be so cute?”
Jiang Ren, how can you be so mean?
He said, “Why didn’t you call him dad?”
Meng Ting was embarrassed. “That’s your dad.”
He just smiled. “Mm, my dad.”
Jiang Ren had no luggage, only carrying Meng Ting’s small suitcase. He reached out his other hand. “Hold my hand.”
She felt like laughing a little.
His gaze was very expectant, but his tone was extremely domineering. As if she had no choice but to do it.
Are you very nervous, Jiang Ren?
Meng Ting lowered her long lashes, looking at her slender, fair fingers. Thinking about how he had just deliberately teased her to call his father dad, she hesitantly reached out her hand. Just before touching his palm, she pulled back and hid it behind her, looking up to see his reaction.
Jiang Ren looked down and saw the smile in her eyes. Her long lashes were like crow feathers, and her tea-colored eyes held a hint of smugness.
As if to say, serves you right, you rascal.
He smiled too.
Damn. She’s so cute it’s killing me.
When he left B City alone last year, there was blood at the corners of his mouth. In the bustling streets at dawn, he had smoked for half the night. Then he silently boarded the plane.
At that time, he didn’t know where to go.
Later, he randomly chose H City, where He Junming’s family company had relocated.
The nights in H City were quiet, with even a broken streetlight.
He sneered and extinguished his cigarette with the toe of his shoe.
But this time, his heart was about to burst with sweetness. For the first time, he felt a sense of belonging to a city. Because the most beautiful girl in the world was sleeping soundly on his shoulder.
He didn’t dare move at all.
Meng Ting had been under mental strain for several days in a row, and dancing was also very tiring.
Her long lashes were lowered, casting faint shadows in the dim light of the plane. Her breathing was also very soft.
Jiang Ren sent a text message with one hand, asking someone to pick up the checked luggage.
He carried her off the plane.
Meng Ting woke up, rubbing her eyes. “Are we there?”
“Mm, keep sleeping.”
Meng Ting was too embarrassed to sleep again. She was also happy to be home. After all, the sound of her hometown city warmed her heart.
It was just dawn, and the entire seaside city had fallen into sleep.
When Meng Ting got home, all the lights in the entire residential area were off.
Only a cat out for a night stroll, its eyes particularly bright in the darkness, darted into the bushes upon seeing people.
Meng Ting said softly, “I’m home now. You should go home too, Jiang Ren.”
This was their third dawn together. Jiang Ren instinctively tightened his hand, then casually let go. He smiled and said, “Alright.”
After she went upstairs, Jiang Ren still didn’t take his eyes off her.
He hadn’t slept last night, and he didn’t dare sleep tonight either.
The faint light on the third floor came on, then went off again after a while.
Meng Ting might never know in this lifetime how he had felt looking out her window this past year.
His heart beat powerfully and regularly, yet faster than usual.
His illness hadn’t improved; it seemed to have gotten worse.
He couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t sleep all night, unable to calm his restless heart. He watched for a long time until the cat elegantly walked out of the bushes before Jiang Ren left the residential area.
The next day was Tuesday, a school day.
When He Junming came to school yawning, he immediately saw Brother Ren in his seat.
He Junming remembered the incident from two nights ago and instinctively wanted to laugh. Luckily, he held it back.
The boys exchanged glances, none of them mentioning Brother Ren’s late-night dream that he had taken seriously.
However, Jiang Ren, who had sworn to study hard before leaving, spent the entire day staring at his phone.
He wasn’t even playing games, just staring intently.
He Junming asked, “Brother Ren, what are you doing?”
Jiang Ren pressed his lips together.
He had sent Meng Ting a good morning text at 6:30 AM and was waiting for her reply. But even after he arrived at school, she still hadn’t responded.
He Junming thought to himself, look, this is the aftermath of an unfulfilled dream.
Ah, Brother Ren is miserable.
He Junming consoled him, “Brother Ren, stop studying. Let’s go play games after school.”
Jiang Ren said indifferently, “Not going.” The corners of his lips curled up. “I’m going to see my girlfriend.”
He Junming: “…”
He Han turned around. “Brother Ren, who’s your girlfriend?”
“Meng Ting.”
He Junming: “Pfffft hahahahaha.”
He Han couldn’t hold back this time either. “F*ck, He Junming, you laughed first! Don’t blame me, sorry I really can’t hold it in anymore hahahahaha!”
Fang Tan’s mouth twitched, trying hard not to laugh.
Mainly because Meng Ting agreed to date? As a proper good student from their No. 7 High School, puppy love was practically like drugs in their eyes. Who were they trying to fool?
Jiang Ren’s eyes cooled, without a trace of humor.
After they finished laughing, he took out several banknotes from his wallet and threw them to each person, his voice cold. “Money for wedding candies.”
Jiang Ren beckoned to the stunned He Junming.
He Junming leaned his head over.
Then he was hit hard.
“Owww, Brother Ren, I was wrong!”
“You’re the one dreaming, asshole.” Jiang Ren was in a good mood, so he spared him. He didn’t care to prove anything; if his phone didn’t ring, he’d go himself.
He finally restrained himself and took out the homework Meng Ting had assigned before to write.
Jiang Ren wrote seriously until school was over. He closed his book, was the first to leave, and then walked towards No. 7 High School under He Junming and the others’ surprised gazes.
Halfway there, Jiang Ren stopped in his tracks, frustrated.
No good.
Puppy love didn’t matter for him, but it wasn’t okay for Meng Ting. Their school rules didn’t allow it, and there was also Meng Ting’s father to consider.
But Jiang Ren wanted to see her. He had sat obediently all morning and was about to go crazy.
Meng Ting was the last to leave the classroom.
When Zhao Nuancheng called for her to leave, she shook her head.
“What are you writing, Ting Ting?”
Meng Ting’s small face reddened as she covered the paper.
Zhao Nuancheng said teasingly, “What is it that you won’t let me see?”
Meng Ting just firmly shook her head.
Zhao Nuancheng said, “Well, I’m off then. My dad’s coming home early today to take me and my mom to Pizza Hut for dinner.”
After she left, Meng Ting finished writing what was on the paper.
Then she practiced a few more problems. Meng Ting thought simply: that puppy love was wrong, but the school teachers restricted it because it would affect grades. She could only work harder to make up for it and not let her grades slip.
For the first time, with a girlish heart, she wrote a poem for Jiang Ren.
She had seen the good morning text he sent long ago. But at 6:30 AM, he hadn’t slept well.
Now that Meng Ting had decided to be with him, she didn’t want Jiang Ren to go down the path of his previous life. She hoped the little bad boy would be well, and even if he wasn’t with her in the future, he would have a happy and fulfilling life.
But Jiang Ren was sick, with an irritability disorder, an uncontrollable illness.
He had left very late last night; Meng Ting had seen him from behind the curtain. Then she hadn’t slept either, looking up a lot of information on soothing irritability disorders. Jiang Ren didn’t believe she liked him; the young man was unrestrained in character, but his heart was particularly sensitive.
She was too shy to hug or kiss him and hadn’t tried to like someone before, but she was very gentle. One day she would understand all these things. He must have been very afraid, but he had never told her.
Meng Ting finished writing a poem on a page from her diary, then wrote “Translation Exercise” in the upper left corner in her elegant handwriting.
She locked the door and walked past rows of tender green phoenix trees.
Then she saw Jiang Ren.
Jiang Ren was pressing his lips tightly together, then smiled as he spoke, “I waited until everyone left before coming over.”
Meng Ting was stunned for a moment, taking a while to understand that he was afraid she would be angry. Just like when they left the police station that time, he had also avoided her when leaving.
He was usually imperious, yet particularly cautious when it came to dating, afraid she would change her mind and break up with him.
Her heart felt sour and soft. Jiang Ren was so good.
Meng Ting blinked, her small face slightly pink as she handed him the paper. “Translation exercise.”
Jiang Ren thought she was angry and said with difficulty, “Then I won’t come to your school during the day in the future, okay?”
She found it funny inside.
“Not okay, but if you do the translation exercise correctly, there’s a reward.”
“Any reward is fine?”
She nodded with a smile.
So Jiang Ren started doing the translation in the afternoon.
On it were English letters handwritten by her.
The handwriting was elegant.
He unfolded the paper and was stunned by the first sentence.
He recognized all three letters.
“I love you,”
For a moment, the teacher’s voice faded away, and his heart raced. For the first time, he flipped through the dictionary so quickly.
Piecing together the second line—
“not only for what you are,”
Not, only, for, what, you are.
What the hell is this?
He couldn’t take it anymore. For the first time in his life, he decided to cheat. He pulled out his phone and found the correct answer that made his heart skip a beat:
“I love you not only for what you are,
But for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself,
But for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for passing over all my foolish and weak traits,
That you can’t help but dimly see,
And for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life, not a tavern but a temple;
Out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song.
I love you because you have done more than any creed.
Could have done to make me good,
And more than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it without a word,
Without a touch,
Without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what being a friend means after all.”
It was a love poem, “Love” by an Irish poet. She had chosen it as his translation assignment.
Jiang Ren’s breathing quickened, his fingers trembling. After a long moment, he abruptly stood up, the sound of the desk rattling echoing through the classroom.
The literature teacher at the front was stunned. “Jiang Ren, we’re in the middle of class.”
He didn’t hear a thing.
Even He Junming, sitting next to him, gasped and tugged at Jiang Ren’s sleeve. “Bro, the principal’s doing rounds outside!”
But Jiang Ren was oblivious.
For the first time in his life, Jiang Ren realized just how terrifying the power of knowledge could be. Because of a single love poem from his goddess, every drop of blood in his body was boiling. He was on the verge of losing control, teetering on the edge of euphoria.