Meng Ting wasn’t crying, but when her eyes hurt, they would tear up involuntarily.
Jiang Ren agreeing to let them go truly relieved Meng Ting.
Fang Tan, seeing the situation wasn’t good and Zhao Nuancheng already whimpering softly, felt they had gone too far. He quickly went over and said, “I’ll have Brother Ren drive you back.” He motioned for Zhao Nuancheng to follow him.
Zhao Nuancheng was already afraid of them and refused to move. Meng Ting gently patted the back of her hand, and only then did she reluctantly stand up. After all, she and Meng Ting weren’t heading in the same direction home.
Jiang Ren’s car keys were in his jacket. He put on his clothes and said to Meng Ting, “Come out.”
Meng Ting followed behind him as they walked out.
The night wind carried a hint of autumn. Coming out of the warm private room, the sudden chill in the air made people shiver.
He was tall with long legs and took big strides. Meng Ting stumbled along behind him but didn’t say a word.
Inside the Xiao Gang City restaurant, Shen Yuqing’s face turned pale.
All evening, Jiang Ren hadn’t looked at her once. Though they were called boyfriend and girlfriend, it wasn’t the case. She had pursued Jiang Ren. He had never really responded one way or the other.
A female classmate nudged her with her elbow, and Shen Yuqing snapped back to reality. She didn’t even bother to put on her coat before running outside.
The night was misty.
When she ran out, Jiang Ren was looking back at Meng Ting.
Meng Ting was being very careful, testing each step. Jiang Ren watched her intently. Shen Yuqing didn’t know what kind of look Jiang Ren was giving Meng Ting, but she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of crisis.
She naturally walked faster than Meng Ting with her impaired vision.
Shen Yuqing walked through the side door, ran to Jiang Ren’s side, then reached out and hugged his waist, “Jiang Ren, come back soon, okay?”
The air was quiet for a moment. Jiang Ren’s instinct wasn’t to look at her but at Meng Ting.
Meng Ting’s footsteps halted.
The warm-colored lights of Xiao Gang City made her look especially gentle.
She gripped her white cane, quietly turning her face away. The light fell on her exposed cheek, and only then did he realize how fair her skin was.
Meng Ting felt a bit awkward.
She uneasily turned towards the ocean wall of Xiao Gang City, where many goldfish were kept.
In the past, she had only heard about Jiang Ren and Shen Yuqing’s relationship with others, and by then they had already broken up.
Jiang Ren suddenly pushed Shen Yuqing away and said to Meng Ting, “Get in the car.”
Shen Yuqing, pale-faced, didn’t dare say anything. She secretly glanced at Meng Ting before going back inside. Meng Ting got into his car. It was only a little after 8 PM, and the buses hadn’t stopped running yet.
Jiang Ren had her sit in the passenger seat.
Meng Ting fastened her seatbelt herself.
When she was with him, she always felt insecure, gripping her cane tightly. Jiang Ren asked her, “Your home address?”
Meng Ting stiffened for a moment.
She didn’t want to get involved with Jiang Ren: “Any bus stop will do, thank you.”
Jiang Ren sneered, “Don’t want to get involved with me, huh, good student?”
Meng Ting quickly shook her head, her ears turning red as he saw through her thoughts.
“You think I care.” Jiang Ren randomly found a bus stop, “Get out.”
Meng Ting obediently got out of the car.
She was quick-witted but didn’t understand why he was unhappy. Somewhat afraid of him, she didn’t dare to speak.
It was still raining.
Jiang Ren sat in the car watching her.
That year, the H City bus stops hadn’t been renovated. There were just a few trees overhead, and raindrops fell through the gaps in the leaves onto her. She knew he was still nearby and stood uneasily, but showed no signs of anger or complaint.
Very, very obedient.
Jiang Ren suddenly got out of the car.
He unzipped his jacket, took it off, walked over in a few steps, and draped it over her.
She raised her head from under the black jacket, startled, and raised her cane to hit him: “What are you doing?”
He didn’t know what he was doing either. Jiang Ren grabbed her heavy cane and couldn’t help but laugh, “You think I’m that nice? Touch me with this thing one more time and I’ll beat you, got it?”
Meng Ting lowered her head, not daring to speak.
He was nearly 30 centimeters taller than her.
Looking down, he saw her eyelashes, like butterfly wings dotted with water droplets, trembling slightly. Her lashes were long and curled, and Jiang Ren suddenly wanted to see her eyes.
He smiled, “Hey, what’s your name, good student?”
Meng Ting didn’t speak.
She wished she’d never met Jiang Ren.
Jiang Ren pulled out the blue-ribboned student ID from her pocket.
Meng Ting reacted several beats too slowly. By the time she came to her senses, the bus had arrived. That jacket was still protecting her head, with a faint smell of smoke.
“Get on the bus.”
Meng Ting hesitated for a moment, but eventually gave him back his jacket and got on the bus.
But her student ID…
The driver called out, “Sit down properly, young student.”
Meng Ting had no choice but to sit by the window.
As the bus drove away, Jiang Ren’s silver hair was already wet from the rain. He looked down at the student ID in his hand.
Her name was Meng Ting.
When Jiang Ren returned, people in the private room were singing.
Seeing him come in, everyone looked towards Shen Yuqing.
Shen Yuqing walked over and sat beside him, lighting a cigarette for him. She knew Jiang Ren didn’t sing, so she asked softly, “Want to play pool?”
Jiang Ren frowned, finding it hard to tolerate the overly strong perfume smell on her.
He took a few puffs of the cigarette held between his fingers, then went to play games with He Junming.
The controller connected to the electronic screen had an extremely realistic feel.
The word “KILL!” appeared repeatedly on the screen in English.
Shen Yuqing held his jacket for him.
The student ID fell out of the pocket, and Shen Yuqing bent down to pick it up. She recognized the No. 7 Middle School student ID and turned over the photo. On the ID was a girl’s face.
An exquisite lower half of the face, but paired with an extremely uncoordinated and strange pair of eyes. Overall, it couldn’t be called pretty.
It read “Class 2(1), Meng Ting.”
How did Meng Ting’s student ID end up in Jiang Ren’s pocket?
Shen Yuqing bit her lip, pretending to casually show the photo to He Junming: “I just picked this up.”
He Junming, who had been playing the game, almost spat when he saw it: “This is that blind girl from your school.”
Shen Yuqing nodded.
He Junming: “Hahaha, I’m gonna die laughing, her eyes…” They were hideously ugly.
His outburst drew all the boys and girls to gather around and look.
Everyone immediately burst into laughter, and one boy even passed it around.
“Having eyes like that is worse than not having any.”
“It’s so uncoordinated, must be fake.”
They were still laughing when suddenly the boy holding the photo was punched in the face. The student ID was snatched away.
The boy covered his face: “Bro… Brother Ren.”
The scene suddenly went quiet.
Jiang Ren’s silver hair had an icy sheen under the light. His eyes were extremely dark, and without a word, he kicked the boy again. The boy had no chance to defend himself and fell to the ground.
He Junming panicked too and quickly hugged Jiang Ren: “Brother Ren, don’t be angry, don’t be angry…”
Jiang Ren’s fist bulged with veins, showing signs of an episode. Seeing this, Fang Tan also grabbed his arm: “Brother Ren.”
After a long while, Jiang Ren said: “Get out.”
The boy quickly ran away.
Jiang Ren turned to Shen Yuqing and held out his hand: “Jacket.”
Shen Yuqing was also frightened and tremblingly handed over the jacket.
Jiang Ren put the student ID in his pocket: “Shen Yuqing, we’re breaking up.”
Shen Yuqing looked at him in disbelief.
“What did you say?”
He threw the jacket over his shoulder, his tone casual: “Are you deaf? We’re breaking up.”
The girls looked at Shen Yuqing with complex expressions, some even gloating. Shen Yuqing’s goal today was originally to show off, but who knew Jiang Ren would directly dump her?
Shen Yuqing gritted her teeth: “Jiang Ren, what do you take me for, I…”
Jiang Ren chuckled: “What do I take you for? You know very well. It was just for fun, who would take it seriously?”
Shen Yuqing had always been good at studies and pretty since childhood, naturally developing a proud temperament.
Seeing those seemingly mocking glances falling on her, she couldn’t bring herself to beg Jiang Ren: “Don’t regret this.”
Shen Yuqing couldn’t stay a moment longer and ran out. Her best friend quickly chased after her.
With the main party gone, the remaining girls didn’t feel comfortable staying either.
So several boys offered to send them home.
Jiang Ren felt the outline of the student ID in his pocket and irritably lit a cigarette.
He was addicted to smoking because of his Intermittent Explosive Disorder. When he couldn’t calm his inner turmoil, he could only rely on external things to find peace.
He Junming thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out why Brother Ren suddenly hit someone and broke up.
Wasn’t everything fine before?
Meng Ting’s eyes got a bit infected because of the rain.
Shu Zhitong quickly took her to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor smiled and said, “It’s nothing serious, just be more careful. After all, rainwater isn’t clean.”
He carefully examined Meng Ting’s eyes in the dim light.
She obediently cooperated, opening her eyes wide.
Meng Ting’s pupils weren’t black, but a light tea color, pure and beautiful like colored glass. The doctor, in his early fifties, also thought this young girl was truly beautiful.
When she grows up a bit more, she might be even prettier than the most famous actresses on TV.
“Shall we apply some medicine, young student? Bandage it for three days, it’ll heal faster.”
Meng Ting was used to her eyes being bothered back and forth and used to a dark world. Hearing this, she nodded.
So her sunglasses were replaced with white bandages.
The world changed from gray to complete darkness.
Shu Zhitong felt very guilty: “It’s all Dad’s fault for not picking you up on time.”
Meng Ting said softly, “It’s not, Dad Shu. I wasn’t careful enough. It won’t happen again.”
Shu Zhitong knew she was sensible and obedient, so he could only nod.
When they got home, Shu Lan was lying on the sofa talking on the phone.
Not knowing what was said on the other end, Shu Lan’s eyes lit up: “Really? They broke up!”
She didn’t even notice Shu Zhitong and Meng Ting coming back.
Shu Zhitong’s face immediately darkened: “Xiao Lan, what are you talking about!”
Shu Lan hurriedly turned around: “Dad, Sister.” She quickly hung up the phone.
Because of Shu Lan’s outburst, the whole weekend had an unpleasant atmosphere at home.
On Monday, when the three children were leaving for school.
Shu Zhitong said: “None of you are allowed to date early, you hear me? You’re only in your second year of high school now, studies come first. If you can’t get into a good university later, you’ll have to struggle for a lifetime! If I find out anyone is dating, don’t call me Dad anymore.”
Shu Zhitong was usually gentle, but he was particularly strict at times like this. He looked at each of them in turn.
Shu Lan quickly said: “What are you saying, Dad? I won’t.”
Shu Yang didn’t say anything, but because of his quiet nature, Shu Zhitong was least worried about him.
The morning dew was just falling, and birds were hopping onto branches.
Meng Ting said softly: “I won’t date early either.”