Before school started in the afternoon, Zhao Nuancheng was organizing some forms.
As the class’s organizational committee member, she usually coordinated student participation in school activities. Her promotional flyers were spread out on her desk.
“The National Mathematics Olympiad for Primary and Secondary Students is officially starting. Students are welcome to sign up.”
The most eye-catching part of the bright red flyer was the black text in the center: First prize – 8,000 yuan.
8,000 yuan.
Meng Ting felt a bit dazed. In that year, 8,000 yuan wasn’t a small sum. Shu Zhitong’s monthly salary at the research institute was only 6,000 yuan. Her scholarship was 5,000 yuan per year.
Their family was quite poor. For her eye surgery fees, Shu’s Dad had run around borrowing money from relatives. Every weekend, relatives would come to urge Shu Dad to repay the loans. Shu Zhitong could only smile good-naturedly, apologizing and sweet-talking to delay the repayments again and again.
Later, when they couldn’t delay any longer, and Meng Ting had been disfigured in an accident, Shu Dad had to take on the most dangerous radiation work.
Zhao Nuancheng, not noticing Meng Ting’s distraction, was packing her bag while gossiping: “Shen Yuqing had her birthday party last time, and I heard Jiang Ren didn’t go. But just now, somehow, she said Jiang Ren is treating their class to an outing at Xiao Gang City this weekend evening. Ting Ting, do you know about Xiao Gang City?”
Meng Ting shook her head.
Zhao Nuancheng’s eyes sparkled: “I’ve never been there either, but I know that one visit there costs at least tens of thousands of yuan.” After her excitement, she pouted, “Everyone knows Shen Yuqing wants to show off, but Jiang Ren is really rich and generous. Sigh, who told Shen Yuqing to be so pretty? We don’t get such chances.”
Meng Ting lowered her eyes and picked up the form, carefully writing down her name.
She knew the world was very unfair. Some people could carelessly spend tens of thousands, while others struggled at every turn just to make a living.
“Ting Ting, are you signing up for the Math Olympiad?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Have you studied it before?”
“I learned a bit when I was young. There are still two weeks left, I can practice more and give it a try.”
Zhao Nuancheng couldn’t help but feel that Meng Ting was impressive.
Meng Ting sighed inwardly. After all, it was 8,000 yuan. Even if she couldn’t do it, she had to try. She wanted to spare Shu Dad from doing radiation experiments. First, she couldn’t repeat the mistake of being disfigured by burns, and second, she needed to find ways to earn more money.
However, she was only seventeen now, still in her second year of high school. Shu’s Dad certainly wouldn’t want her to neglect her studies for other things, but competitions were different.
Meng Ting paused, glancing at the Math Olympiad brochure. Suddenly, she knew how to make money.
She asked Zhao Nuancheng, “Besides the Math Olympiad, are there any other competitions?”
“Yes, there’s an English speech contest, but that’s during the summer vacation.”
Meng Ting felt a bit disappointed.
Zhao Nuancheng thought for a moment: “But I heard the vocational school next door has a lot of these events, like singing, dancing, and piano playing. They’ve admitted art students.” Zhao Nuancheng looked at her, hesitating before finally saying, “Never mind, it’s nothing.”
Ting Ting’s eyes were injured, how could she possibly dance or play the piano?
Today was Zhao Nuancheng’s turn for class duty. The duties at Qi Zhong High were simple: after school, erase the blackboard, and close the windows and doors.
Meng Ting helped her.
As the two girls were closing the windows, they realized it wasn’t good. Thunder rumbled, and heavy rain started pouring down suddenly. Zhao Nuancheng cursed under her breath.
“Ting Ting, did you bring an umbrella?”
Meng Ting hadn’t.
Neither had Zhao Nuancheng.
That year, Qi Zhong High didn’t have any kind of public umbrella facility. Since Meng Ting had to wait for Zhao Nuancheng, Shu Yang had usually left already.
The two girls went downstairs, looking at the curtain of rain, feeling a bit worried. Their school didn’t allow them to bring phones, and Meng Ting didn’t even have a phone that year. She glanced at her digital watch—18:32.
Shu’s Dad wouldn’t get off work until 9 PM.
Zhao Nuancheng also felt uneasy: “My dad should come pick me up after he gets off work, right?”
Just as she finished speaking, several sports cars drove in through the school gate. A silver sports car made a cool turn and stopped at their teaching building.
The lead car was a supercar.
The window rolled down, and Meng Ting saw Jiang Ren’s face.
His hand rested on the steering wheel as he looked towards Meng Ting. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
Zhao Nuancheng quickly pulled Meng Ting back, wondering how the security guard could have let these vocational school students drive in.
Soon, laughter came from upstairs as Shen Yuqing and several girls came down.
The expensive sports cars made the girls’ eyes light up.
They all called out flatteringly: “Young Master Jiang, Young Master He, hello.”
He Junming raised an eyebrow: “Get in the cars, beautiful ladies. Don’t get wet in the rain.”
The girls split up and got into the cars. Shen Yuqing sat in Jiang Ren’s car.
Jiang Ren’s foot was on the clutch, his black eyes suddenly looking towards the quiet girl sheltering from the rain in the corner: “You over there…” He didn’t even know her name. “Get in. I’ll take you to the bus stop.”
Meng Ting raised her eyes.
She wasn’t yet fully accustomed to these eyes; they still hurt after prolonged use. But in the dim twilight, she didn’t need to close them anymore.
Meng Ting shook her head: “Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”
“Get in. Don’t make me say it a third time.” His tone was already showing traces of impatience.
Meng Ting opened her mouth, but Shen Yuqing leaned out first: “You’re that classmate from Class 1 with poor eyesight, right? Come on, get in.” Her tone was cheerful, but her eyes told a different story.
He Junming behind them was stunned.
Since when had Ren become so kind-hearted? Was he caring for the disabled?
Meng Ting knew Jiang Ren’s personality. The more you defied him, the more persistent he became. If she didn’t get in, he wouldn’t take his foot off the clutch.
Jiang Ren was eighteen that year. He had repeated a grade, making him a year older than his peers, and had already obtained his driver’s license. With everyone watching them, Meng Ting and Zhao Nuancheng had no choice but to get into Jiang Ren’s car.
Zhao Nuancheng, usually talkative, was now as timid as a little quail.
The car was very quiet.
Shen Yuqing also knew about Jiang Ren’s explosive temper and usually wouldn’t be foolish enough to provoke him.
Jiang Ren drove for a while before a soft, sweet voice came from behind: “Just at the stop ahead.”
That voice seemed to blend the sweetest honey with the gentle waters of an ancient southern town from childhood memories. Only, the attitude was distant and cold.
Jiang Ren gripped the steering wheel tighter, suddenly laughing: “So you’re not blind, huh?”
As he spoke, he stepped on the accelerator, and the bus stop whizzed past their eyes. Meng Ting began to panic a little. She held her white cane horizontally, feeling uneasy. She hadn’t provoked him, why did he dislike her so much?
Meng Ting looked at Zhao Nuancheng beside her, but Zhao Nuancheng didn’t dare make a sound.
Joking about his explosive temper was very scary.
If he went berserk…
The group got out of the cars at Xiao Gang City.
Outside, the rain continued to pour, quickly soaking the streets. As night fell, the city’s neon lights began to flicker.
The three large characters of “Xiao Gang City” flashed with dazzling purple light.
Meng Ting got out of the car and stood at the entrance. Xiao Gang City was quite far from her home; she didn’t even have enough money for a taxi back.
Jiang Ren hung his key fob on his index finger: “Top student, come in and have some fun.”
When he invited them in, it wasn’t a request for their opinion.
The burly security guards at the entrance all knew him, bowing and calling him “Young Master Jiang.” Jiang Ren’s smile was cold. The back of his hand still hurt. Since they looked down on him, he had to make them play along.
Meng Ting also knew he wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goal, so she could only go in with Zhao Nuancheng.
Shen Yuqing looked at Meng Ting with suspicion and worry. The girl behind her whispered in her ear: “Yuqing, don’t worry. I just asked He Junming, and he said that the blind girl hit Jiang Ren. Besides, she’s such an ugly blind girl, Jiang Ren wouldn’t be interested in her.”
Shen Yuqing’s expression improved considerably.
Compared to the slight chill of autumn outside, it was much warmer inside Xiao Gang City.
Meng Ting had never been to a place like this before.
In her memories, her interactions with Jiang Ren were mostly after her eyes had healed. He was always chasing after her, never caring about being rejected. In her past life, Jiang Ren wouldn’t have forcefully brought her to Xiao Gang City to please her.
Warm yellow lights illuminated the layout, with luxurious soft sofas.
Several gaming controllers were on the table. In one private room, there was a microphone, red wine, a pool table—everything you could want.
There was also food and pastries on the large table.
The group ate first.
“Ren, let’s have a toast.”
Jiang Ren clinked glasses with him.
The dining table was very lively, with only Meng Ting and Zhao Nuancheng out of place.
Jiang Ren looked at Meng Ting. She was eating small bites, and although she looked uncomfortable, she sat very properly.
Most of the girls at the table would just touch a little bit of food and say they were full. She quietly ate a bowl of food while they were drinking. Then she put down her chopsticks and didn’t speak again.
There was a certain quality about her.
It made people envious but also made them want to destroy it.
Jiang Ren was the first to curve his lips: “Let’s play a game. Losers get punished.”
Once he spoke, everyone agreed.
It was a simple game. They took turns counting numbers. When it came to seven or multiples of seven, they had to clap. The game progressed very quickly.
Jiang Ren glanced at Meng Ting, calculating her position, and said “sixteen” himself.
The boy after him quickly clapped.
When it was Meng Ting’s turn, she should have said twenty-one. However, she didn’t know she was supposed to participate in this game. Jiang Ren lit a cigarette and leaned back: “Top student, go pick a punishment.”
There was a big box right next to them.
Meng Ting said softly, “I didn’t know I was supposed to participate.” She hesitated, and under everyone’s gaze, she gently clapped her hands. “Does this count?”
The scene went quiet for a moment, then He Junming nearly died laughing: “Oh my god, I’m dying of laughter.” Who the hell would clap so dumbly several minutes late?
Shen Yuqing and the others also laughed non-stop.
Fang Tan looked at Jiang Ren through the hazy cigarette smoke. There were also hints of laughter in Jiang Ren’s eyes.
“Not good enough. Go pick a paper slip for punishment. Can you play or not?”
Meng Ting’s cheeks reddened. She also belatedly realized how funny it was to clap so late.
She could see that Jiang Ren was toying with her and had no intention of letting her off.
She hesitated but finally drew a paper slip amidst their jeers.
Meng Ting read the words on it and was stunned for a good while.
A girl next to her snatched it and read aloud: “Maintain eye contact with someone of the opposite sex for ten seconds.”
Now everyone thought this was getting exciting.
Meng Ting was blind, wasn’t she?
This kind of flirty game would be horrifying for anyone to play with her.
He Junming saw that she wasn’t looking in any particular direction: “Shit, shit, don’t come over here!”
Everyone’s shoulders shook with laughter.
Zhao Nuancheng’s eyes reddened, also realizing that she and Ting Ting were being humiliated. She gritted her teeth: “Don’t bully us too much.”
Jiang Ren glanced at her lightly, and Zhao Nuancheng quickly shut up in fear.
Jiang Ren rested his hand on the sofa, his legs casually crossed, and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray: “Come over here, classmate. They’re all afraid of you, so I’m the only one left.”
Meng Ting didn’t know who pushed her, but when she turned back, several girls were covering their mouths and laughing. Only Shen Yuqing’s face didn’t look good.
Meng Ting knew that if she couldn’t get Jiang Ren to let her go today, she probably wouldn’t be able to go home.
She slowly walked over and sat down next to him.
Jiang Ren smelled that scent again.
The pure and elegant fragrance of rain-beaten gardenias.
She was a bit nervous, her voice soft and gentle through the countless noises outside: “My eyes aren’t good. Can I not take off my sunglasses?”
As if possessed, he said “Okay.”
Then he met a pair of hazy eyes behind the light ink-colored lenses. From up close, he could see the shape of her eyes through her glasses.
How to describe that moment’s feeling?
It was like misty mountains, like clouds after rain. Just glimpsing their shape, one could see a hazy beauty.
For Meng Ting, ten seconds was quite difficult. She was facing the light directly, and her eyes, slightly painful, glistened with moisture.
When the ten seconds were over, Meng Ting walked away awkwardly. Zhao Nuancheng was almost in tears.
He Junming, who was nearby, clearly knew they couldn’t provoke the two Qi Zhong girls any further. He quietly asked Jiang Ren, “Ren, how did it feel? Scary?”
Jiang Ren suddenly felt irritated and pushed him away: “Get lost.”
He stood up and walked over in a few steps: “Get up, I’ll take you home.”
Don’t cry, damn it. I didn’t even yell at you.