The head nurse administered the injection with practiced skill. After finishing, she instructed Meng Ting to hold the cotton swab in place. Then she left, leaving the two students alone in the medical room.
Meng Ting lowered her long lashes to look at the cotton swab. It didn’t hurt.
The young girl’s delicate skin, as white as milk, took on a slight blush. She turned her head and immediately met the boy’s black eyes. His gaze fell on her bare shoulder, with a hint of sensuality, but when he noticed her looking back, he slowly met her eyes.
Meng Ting hadn’t expected him to be watching all along. She forgot about her wound, tossed the cotton swab aside, and pulled her sweater back over her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed red: “You said you wouldn’t look.”
His eyes sparkled with amusement: “When did I say that?”
Meng Ting realized he indeed hadn’t promised, and she had no comeback. She could only get up and walk towards the door of the medical room.
Jiang Ren said: “Where are you going?”
She wasn’t really upset, just embarrassed: “My friend is still outside.”
“That girl? Want the head nurse to give her the shot?”
Meng Ting turned back at this.
Zhao Nuancheng was afraid of pain and terrified of injections. Earlier, when the nurse had trouble finding a vein, it almost made her cry. Meng Ting knew the head nurse was quite skilled at giving injections, so this was good news. She nodded and said softly: “Thank you.”
He suddenly moved closer to her: “Can’t you be a little nicer to me, Meng Ting? Even if it’s just as a regular classmate.” He wasn’t asking for much, just a little would be enough.
Meng Ting paused, then finally nodded slightly.
He seemed unable to believe she had agreed. His fingers tightly gripped his lighter, then finally loosened, his eyes bright.
Meng Ting couldn’t help but look away.
She hadn’t thought too much about it. She and Jiang Ren were in different schools, and even following the trajectory of her previous life, they hadn’t interacted much. In the end, he would always return to the Jiang family.
She remembered that when she had her accident, Jiang Ren had long since returned to B City.
They were never meant to have much intersection, but he didn’t know that.
Outside the hospital, it was bustling with people. Jiang Ren told her to go out first, saying he would arrange things for Zhao Nuancheng.
Stepping out of the hospital, the air was fresh. Since winter had set in, H City had been getting colder. This was a city where it never snowed. Meng Ting was born here, and she had also died here.
In her previous life, she had lived for nineteen years without ever seeing real snow.
She walked along the path lined with camphor trees for a while, then turned back to see Jiang Ren still following her. Meng Ting said: “Why are you following me?”
He had his hands in his pockets: “I’m walking you home.”
“No.” Her cheeks were delicate and pink, her eyes clear and bright. “You said you’d stop bothering me after the injection.”
He couldn’t help but smile, finally conceding: “See you tomorrow.”
Meng Ting thought to herself, we won’t see each other tomorrow. There was a bus stop for her route home right outside the hospital. She walked for five minutes to wait for the bus. Meng Ting glanced at her watch; the winter wind felt like knives.
The cleaning lady, who was sweeping the trash at the bus stop, was so tired she could barely straighten her back. She saw Meng Ting bend down to help her pick up the broom.
Looking up with a smile, she said: “Thank you, young lady.”
The girl replied softly: “You’re welcome.”
Only then did the aunt notice how pretty the girl was. Her smile could melt hearts. She advised: “The buses at this stop are hard to catch.” Seeing that the girl wasn’t dressed warmly, she felt concerned. “If it’s too difficult, maybe ask a family member to pick you up.”
Meng Ting thanked her, and the aunt left with her garbage bag.
The wind was indeed very cold.
Especially today, with the bad weather. It was just after 9 AM, and the morning chill hadn’t dissipated yet. Taking a breath stung the lungs.
When Jiang Ren came over, he saw her standing in the wind, camphor leaves falling all around her.
Even just her quiet profile was beautiful.
Meng Ting turned her head, saw him, and felt a bit annoyed: “Didn’t you leave already?”
He smiled mischievously: “I couldn’t bear to leave you.”
“Jiang Ren, don’t talk so…” Her ear tips turned slightly red, and she finally uttered the words to scold him, “indecently.”
Her tone was soft and gentle; even calling him indecent sounded sweet.
He laughed: “You’re calling me indecent?”
That year, he wore a stylish black down jacket. Having dyed his hair back to black, he looked sharp and wildly handsome. His brow ridge was like a honed sword, easily intimidating others.
He moved closer to her and unzipped his jacket.
She blushed deeply, her eyes filling with shy moisture: “What are you doing?”
He clicked his tongue: “Teaching you what indecent means.”
Just as Meng Ting was about to push him away, a warm-down jacket was draped over her shoulders.
She looked up in surprise, finally understanding that she had misunderstood him. Her cheeks turned completely red.
Meng Ting said: “You should wear it, I’m not cold.”
Jiang Ren snorted a laugh: “Us indecent people don’t get cold.”
She bit her lip, held back for a while, and finally laughed.
It was the first time she had smiled at him, even if it was just because she found it funny. When she smiled, she was so beautiful it was mesmerizing, sweet enough to make one’s heart tremble.
Meng Ting also felt very sorry. She blinked, trying hard to bite her lip to suppress her laughter: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
But in Meng Ting’s eyes, Jiang Ren had always been a bit of a scoundrel.
It was almost December, and under his jacket, he wore only a thin shirt with the top two buttons undone. He had a kind of unrestrained, carefree air about him.
How could he not be cold in this weather? Just as she was about to return the jacket to him, he spoke impatiently: “If I tell you to wear it, just wear it. Don’t you dare refuse?”
Meng Ting was stunned for a good while. He frowned and asked: “Does it smell of smoke?”
Her clear eyes looked at him, and just as she was about to speak, Jiang Ren gently patted her delicate cheek, his tone domineering: “Even if it does smell, you’re not allowed to take it off, understand?”
She covered her cheeks with her hands.
She looked at him with wide eyes. He exuded a roguish air, seemingly unaware that there was anything wrong with being so unreasonable.
Jiang Ren saw her round eyes and thought she was adorable.
He smiled and said: “Meng Ting, I won’t smoke next time. Will you not take it off?”
No one would believe that.
Jiang Ren had started smoking very early.
However, it was because of his condition. He needed medication to alleviate his psychological mood swings, but he resisted being treated like a mental patient, so he had always used smoking to suppress and calm himself.
Over time, anyone would develop a significant addiction.
Meng Ting still remembered how in her previous life, Jiang Ren and his group would smoke under the phoenix trees at their school.
Shu Lan had looked out and said: “Sis, don’t you think he’s handsome?”
She had shaken her head but didn’t say much. She didn’t like the smell of smoke very much.
Meng Ting didn’t take his words seriously. In the end, she still tried to return the jacket to him, but he didn’t reach out to take it.
“You should go back,” Meng Ting said, glancing at the end of the road. “The bus is coming.”
The bus was indeed approaching. Meng Ting’s luck wasn’t too bad; she had caught this bus quite quickly. He didn’t turn back, just looked down at her. Suddenly, he said: “Meng Ting.”
She looked up.
Camphor leaves were falling behind her, creating an indescribable beauty. But amidst all this beauty, no matter who she looked at, her bright eyes were always serious and focused.
She was very beautiful, her face possessing a fatally youthful beauty. Damn, it was lethal.
He smiled: “I only smoked one cigarette at the hospital this morning. The jacket might smell, but the shirt doesn’t.”
She looked at him, not understanding. So what? She hadn’t asked about that.
“I’m not lying to you.”
She nodded, her mind still on the approaching bus, mumbling: “Mm.”
She was a bit anxious, wanting him to take back his jacket. The next moment, the young man leaned in, and her head bumped against his chest.
Jiang Ren was only wearing a simple shirt, but in the wind, his body was hot.
The hand pressing on the back of her head left her momentarily dazed. When she came to her senses, she put her hands against his chest to push him away, but couldn’t move him.
Meng Ting’s face turned completely red: “Jiang Ren, have you gone mad!”
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his tone low: “I’m not mad. I’m very clear-headed.”
“Then let go of me.”
He chuckled softly: “No.”
“You’re being indecent!”
“Mm.” He just couldn’t help himself. If she said so, then so be it.
She was about to cry from anger when the bus pulled up. He took a deep breath and released her. Meng Ting instinctively slapped him. He didn’t dodge, and the slap landed on his face.
It was a clear, crisp sound, but it didn’t hurt.
He didn’t even turn his head, still looking down at her.
He wasn’t angry at all, as if it didn’t matter that she had slapped him. He wouldn’t get angry no matter what she did.
“I’m serious. Don’t look down on me. I really won’t smoke anymore.” He was still smiling. “I mean it, Meng Ting.”
His pupils were pure black, unlike her brown eyes. That gaze was like a deep abyss.
The slap had only stunned her. She looked at her palm, her cheeks getting redder and redder.
The bus driver opened the door and called out: “Young lady, are you getting on or not?”
Everyone on the bus was looking over. Meng Ting wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She stuffed the jacket into Jiang Ren’s arms and ran towards the bus.
Camphor leaves covered the ground. After a while, he smiled.
Damn, it was the first time in his life someone had slapped his face.
It didn’t hurt, and he didn’t feel ashamed either.
He only knew that she had felt so soft and fragrant in his arms. Even if she stabbed him with a knife, it would be worth it.
When Meng Ting got home, Father Shu was sweating profusely, moving things.
She hurried to help, but Father Shu said: “Ting Ting, don’t lift anything. Dad will do it. Go rest in your room. There’s honey water in the kettle, it’s still warm. Have some water. Does the injection site hurt?”
Meng Ting smiled and shook her head.
She helped Shu Zhitong lift a box. Shu Zhitong explained helplessly: “New neighbors just moved in upstairs. It’s an old classmate of mine. I’m just lending a hand. Don’t tire yourself out.”
She smiled without saying anything, following Shu Zhitong.
Shu Zhitong felt the load lighten considerably. Thinking of Shu Lan watching TV in the living room, he sighed inwardly again.
A young man came down from upstairs.
“Little Xu, let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Meng Ting.” Father Shu greeted warmly. Meng Ting looked up, and the young man in the blue tracksuit also looked over.
He took the box from Shu Zhitong’s hands and politely said: “Thank you, Uncle Shu. You’ve worked hard. I’ll carry this. Dad also said you should rest.”
After a while, he turned to look at Meng Ting: “Hello, my name is Xu Jia.”
After he greeted her, the girl paused for a moment, then smiled politely.
Her smile was shy and distant, clearly not recognizing him.
But he remembered her.
The photo from the middle school awards board suddenly came to life. Xu Jia seemed to see that girl whom all the boys used to secretly watch, practicing piano in the music room at sunset.
That year, she was fourteen.
Now she had grown up. Many of those who used to secretly watch her were now scattered in different places, but none of them had forgotten her former brilliance.
But it didn’t matter. She was still as beautiful and still didn’t remember him.
After Xu Jia had carried the box upstairs, Meng Ting finally remembered who this Xu Jia was.
In her memory, this quiet young man seemed to have… also moved in in her previous life.
However, although they were neighbors, their busy high school lives meant they didn’t have much interaction.
She remembered his mother was a music teacher, and his father was a police officer.
But she felt like she was forgetting something.
Before going to bed that night, she looked at the small gold medal still out on her bedside table, and she finally remembered!
Xu Jia’s mother had once invited her to participate in a music competition.
But at that time, she couldn’t move past her mother’s death and had refused.
As for Xu Jia, she frowned and thought for a long time, but couldn’t recall anything about him. She just felt he looked somewhat familiar, but where from?