The next day, Wei Zhi didn’t show up at all. After staying up until dawn the previous night drawing with dark circles under her eyes, she finally fell asleep and slept until noon. When she woke up and habitually checked her phone, well, there was another dead Crayon Shin-chan.
What a scumbag.
Even Shinnosuke Nohara had that scumbag vibe now. At the beginning, when he brought Shiro home but didn’t want to take responsibility and tried to be lazy about walking him – wasn’t that exactly what a scumbag would do!
Wei Zhi sat on her bed spacing out for three minutes, spending two and a half minutes being cynical about a three-year-old cartoon kid. Then she turned to Jiang Nanfeng, who was crouching by her feet applying a face mask, and asked, “Hey, want to go see Changbai Mountain’s Heavenly Lake?”
Jiang Nanfeng was crouching by the trash bin reading Wei Zhi’s update from yesterday. When she saw the guard dog die, she promptly opened the manga comments section and silently liked the comment “Has the otaku gone crazy?”… After a pause, she slowly turned her head, took another slow look at her friend’s face haggard from heartbreak, and finally said slowly, “No.”
Wei Zhi thought.
She was now like a stray dog, abandoned by the whole world – for the time being, she didn’t want to see Shan Chong, and certainly didn’t want to see Han Yiming even more, so she had to leave Xinjiang, but she couldn’t go home…
Where could she go?
According to information, the current situation wouldn’t allow her to go to Northern Europe, but domestically there was a skiing holy land where she definitely wouldn’t run into Shan Chong, that place was called Changbai Mountain.
“Changbai Mountain has great scenery and people, there must be handsome guys there,” Wei Zhi brought up the same tactics Jiang Nanfeng had once used to persuade her. “Don’t you want to go see?”
“No, Lao Yan would cry,” Jiang Nanfeng said lazily. “Though I’m fickle, I’m not heartless. I won’t look for new options while still in a relationship – unless we break up.”
“Then when will you break up?”
“Don’t know,” Jiang Nanfeng said quite perfunctorily, “but it will happen.”
“When did you two get together?”
“Around when Dai Tuo left?” Jiang Nanfeng said, “It’s not important, you didn’t notice either, which means I haven’t lost self-control, things are still within a manageable range, it’s not a big deal.”
Wei Zhi felt a bit dizzy from her roundabout explanation.
Not satisfied with Jiang Nanfeng’s firm refusal to go to Changbai Mountain, she asked again: “Then let’s go surfing in Sanya, it should still be quite warm in Sanya now, right?”
“…You’re being too casual about finding substitutes. The skateboarding in the park downstairs is also board sports, and it’s cheaper – just need to go downstairs, why don’t you try that?”
“Right! Life has so many wonderful things! What are you afraid of? Is Lao Yan crying? Breaking up? After breaking up, besides skiing, can’t we do many other things? We can even learn paragliding, then practice for the B license, and do wingsuit flying… In summer we can learn diving, go to the underwater museum, go to Mount Mao’er, chase whales in Tonga, and see penguins in Antarctica!”
Jiang Nanfeng: “…”
Jiang Nanfeng: “After breaking up? This sounds more like after winning the lottery.”
Wei Zhi: “…You’re not romantic!”
Jiang Nanfeng: “Someone who brutally killed off my cute little guard in their manga has no right to call me unromantic.”
Wei Zhi pouted, got up to wash up, then sat at her computer and honestly worked on updates all-day-
She saw those chaotic comments under the manga, but it wasn’t a big deal, it didn’t affect her coldly continuing to draw the main plot, as if the guard dog had never existed.
The female protagonist erected a tombstone for him, and shed two tears in front of his grave, and that was all the closure given.
After finishing, she didn’t forget to smugly say in the author’s meeting room: It’s already good that the female lead cried, when other guards died they didn’t even get a panel, which was even worse.
The fans of Author Otaku had probably never seen such a savage creator, they were all stunned-
Fan 1: Did the guard dog steal your underwear or something?
Fan 2: Although what you’re saying might be right, I still want to ask if the guard dog has a real-life prototype, otherwise there’s no reason for him to suddenly appear against all odds, get extra scenes, and now that everyone’s invested, he suddenly dies!
Fan 3: What the person above said is right, the guard dog’s appearance to death is exactly like how a man goes from being treasured to being discarded by a woman.
Fan 4: So you got dumped? Hahahahaha I suddenly don’t feel angry anymore!
Fan 5: The above comment 2333333333 sounds like taking revenge on society after a breakup, I’m dying laughing!
Fan 6: You guys are too much, I love it.
Wei Zhi scrolled through the comments for a while, and couldn’t help but sigh that nowadays even readers of the adult manga were so smart. They said not to think too much and just enjoy it for entertainment, but they analyzed even authors like Sherlock Holmes.
Sighing, she turned off the computer, feeling hungry. Seeing there was nothing to eat in the room, she prepared to go to the small supermarket to get instant noodles and yogurt.
Casually putting on a warm enough down jacket and wrapping a scarf around her neck, she went out.
The supermarket wasn’t far from the hotel, and though small it had all kinds of goods. As soon as Wei Zhi walked into the supermarket her stomach started growling. She first went to the instant noodles section and chose some noodles, then to the snacks section, getting ham, dried tofu, braised eggs, pickled vegetables, Lao Gan Ma sauce, chicken feet, potato chips, rice crackers…
She got more and more excited.
Until she realized this was “turning grief into appetite,” she hesitated for three seconds, then put back one of the two braised eggs she had taken.
Then she went to the refrigerator to get cola and mineral water.
When she stumbled towards the cashier carrying a pile of snacks to check out, the owner seemed a bit too lazy to calculate mentally, taking out an old calculator and slowly pressing buttons.
Wei Zhi leaned against the checkout counter patiently waiting, holding her mineral water.
Just as she opened the mineral water bottle cap with a “pop” using her skills gained from twenty-plus years of being single, a figure appeared outside the supermarket, pushed open the door, and walked in, meeting her gaze.
Wei Zhi’s bottle-opening motion paused.
The newcomer was wearing a purple snowsuit and initially didn’t notice his surroundings as he came in, first patting off the snow. As he was patting, he felt a chilling gaze from behind, paused, and turned his head, meeting a pair of jet-black pupils.
–This was the first formal meeting between Shan Chong and Wei Zhi after yesterday’s kiss.
The man was silent for three seconds, his gaze moving from her face downward, looking at her hand frozen in a “twisting” position on the mineral water bottle cap…
He cleared his throat, trying to make conversation.
“Can’t open it?”
Wei Zhi didn’t speak, just twisted her hand with enough force to pop someone’s skull off, removing the mineral water bottle cap.
Her dark eyes which seemed bottomless stared at him without speaking, then after a while moved away her gaze – as if she hadn’t seen him – raised the mineral water and gulped down more than half, finished drinking with a satisfied sigh, and wiped her mouth.
At this time, Shan Chong noticed a small wound on her lips that had scabbed over.
He was certain it wasn’t there yesterday.
Just as he raised his eyebrows wanting to say something, the young woman seemed to sense it and turned to the store owner behind the counter saying: “Boss, why does your water have a scumbag taste?”
The store owner who wasn’t Han Chinese and whose Mandarin wasn’t very good was completely confused: “Huh?”
“Never mind, it’s not your fault.” Wei Zhi lowered her eyes, muttering as she held out her phone, “Have you calculated the total? Should I scan your code or you can mine?”
The young woman acted as if no one else was there.
Shan Chong stood silently at the door, even forgetting what he had come to the supermarket for.
He certainly knew she hadn’t appeared at the snow field all day, and didn’t actively look for her in the morning also because he considered it was the third day of her period, and also…
After yesterday’s brief kiss, pretending nothing happened and asking her to come to class the next day would be somewhat strange.
He was a bit distracted teaching in the morning, always thinking about what the first encounter with Wei Zhi would be like. Maybe she would blush and avoid him, or maybe glare and curse at him, but he never expected her to completely ignore him.
After class today, Shan Chong voluntarily refunded half the money to his student, although he had managed to teach him proper frontside and backside box plus horizontal scraping plus 180 within one lesson…
But he was indeed distracted.
That guy nervously accepted the three thousand yuan Shan Chong returned, not even knowing why.
This seemed like a curse-
Just as now, Shan Chong didn’t know why he seemed to be being ignored.
…
Shan Chong finally remembered what he wanted to buy after walking around the supermarket, returned to the checkout counter, and bought a pack of cigarettes for Bei Ci.
After hesitating, he didn’t get his share.
Back at the hotel, there was a bump on Bei Ci’s bed, and the guy still sleeping with his head buried.
Shan Chong took off his snowsuit, had no classes in the afternoon, and wasn’t in the mood to ski, so he turned to go to the bathroom to wash his hands and wash his face guard while at it. While applying soap to the face guard, he looked up and saw himself in the mirror: unusual dark circles under his eyes, furrowed brows, looking even less approachable than usual.
He suddenly understood what that guy meant earlier when he tremblingly asked “Can I still book lessons with you later” while receiving the refund.
Pursing his lips, he lowered his head to continue washing the face guard. While wringing out the water, suddenly, without warning, a thought flashed through his mind-
With a blank expression, he flung the face guard he was trying to wring dry, turned around, went back to the room, and kicked straight in the direction of the still soundly sleeping person’s bottom.
The person in bed made an “mmph” sound, rolled over with the force, and opened his eyes groggily: “Who’s messing with your grandpa!”
Shan Chong bent down, lifted the blanket half-covering his face, and asked: “Did you say something else to Wei Zhi yesterday?”
Bei Ci made an “uh” sound, his brain not fully awake yet, staring blankly at the handsome face hovering above him with emotionless eyes, blinked, and said: “No.”
Shan Chong directly threw the still not completely wrung-out face guard onto his face: “Then did my helmet and face guard that I left on Lao Yan’s car grow legs and walk back by themselves?”
“Lao Yan-“
“When I got in the car yesterday, he could barely stand straight, how could he have brought these back?” Shan Chong said, “What exactly did you say to Wei Zhi?”
Though his tone wasn’t very fierce, just asking normally, Bei Ci felt a belated chill run down his spine after his initial confusion… That tingling sensation crept up his spine, and he slowly sat up wrapped in his blanket, nervously glancing at Shan Chong, asking out of nowhere: “What’s wrong, did she scold you?”
Shan Chong didn’t speak.
Bei Ci asking like this confirmed that he had said something nonsensical.
Under the man’s intimidating gaze, Bei Ci laughed awkwardly and described his “fatherly love” speech from yesterday to Shan Chong again-
Watching his expression change from silence to mockery, then from mockery back to silence…
Bei Ci felt he should first apologize for falsely conveying orders, as staying alive was more important.
“I was wrong, I’ll kowtow to you. I shouldn’t have falsely conveyed orders. But there’s one thing I need to emphasize, I didn’t say those things to cause trouble… Don’t you need to keep your distance from her completely?”
She already has a fiancé.
Forcing things would inevitably end in disaster.
“It doesn’t need to be so thorough that we can’t even talk, right?” Shan Chong hesitated.
Bei Ci paused: “She won’t even talk to you?”
Shan Chong: “Mm.”
Bei Ci exclaimed “Damn”: “Though she usually seems soft and mild-tempered, when it matters she can be ruthless-“
Shan Chong: “She’s always had quite a temper.”
Now she wouldn’t even show her temper to him.
Just completely ignored him.
Thinking of this, the man sighed.
Bei Ci: “…”
…Put it this way, even when Single’s rehabilitation doctor called Shan Chong asking if he wanted to participate in this year’s prosthetic order forms, Bei Ci hadn’t heard Shan Chong sigh.
He just kept quiet, taught many classes continuously for many days, teaching all sorts of people, until he worked himself sick.
That was all.
This sigh completely scared away his sleepiness.
Wrapped in his blanket and sitting cross-legged, Bei Ci tilted his head and carefully watched the man’s expression: “Should I go clarify that you didn’t say anything, it was all my fabrication?”
“Would it help if you say that now?” Shan Chong gave him a cool look, “I wouldn’t even bother commenting on a grown man gossiping, but you’re not even gossiping, you’re creating gossip.”
Though his tone wasn’t very good, Bei Ci could tell that the man wasn’t blaming him-
He knew he wasn’t trying to cause trouble.
It’s just that right now, feeling that there was truly no way to deal with this woman, his brain suddenly short-circuited with brotherly loyalty wanting to help, and righteousness made him overthink things.
Ultimately, he was just trying to act on his side.
Bei Ci called Wei Zhi in front of Shan Chong, honestly saying that last night’s words were all his fabrication, Shan Chong had no interest in raising daughters and didn’t have mountains of fatherly love.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for over ten seconds.
The young woman asked while slurping instant noodles: “What’s wrong, sudden confession session? This time he really did say something to you, right?”
Bei Ci looked at Shan Chong, who calmly looked back.
Bei Ci understood and tried to gain sympathy for him: “Yeah, it’s all my fault, ancestor, I apologize to you, I was talking nonsense… it has nothing to do with Brother Chong, don’t ignore him.”
“Yesterday it wasn’t you who pressed his head down to kiss me either, the core reason he’s being called a scumbag hasn’t changed at all, right?” The young woman’s muffled voice came from the other end of the phone, “Now I don’t want to talk to any of you.”
She softly dropped this least aggressive statement and directly hung up.
Bei Ci stared at the phone that had been hung up on, raised his eyebrows about to comment “You’re right her temper is quite big”…
Looking up, he found that the world’s coldest skiing machine had been successfully knocked down by the young woman’s softest, least aggressive words.
…
The next day was the qualifying round of the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup Altay station.
If nothing else was going on, Shan Chong would go, and he wasn’t in the mood to teach anyway.
The rules for snowboard big air are quite simple, either two-run-best (best score from two runs) or three-run-best (best two scores from three runs). Each run is scored based on a series of criteria including the rider’s regular/switch stance, aerial trick difficulty, flight distance, completion quality, etc., with final rankings determined by total points according to the competition format.
One slightly special rule is that no matter how well the aerial tricks are performed or how high the completion quality is if there’s a landing error and the rider doesn’t maintain balance, that run score is directly zeroed and judged invalid.
-So even at the Olympics, the biggest international competition, it often happens that under the three-run-best format, after three runs, the champion might only have two valid scores to choose from.
Skiing sports have indeed become popular these past two years, even in this cold winter, along with official media and various self-media, there were quite a few spectators…
When Shan Chong arrived, the stands were already quite full.
At this time, Lao Yan waved behind him: “Sister!”
The youth’s puppy-like voice was clear, Shan Chong’s ears twitched and he turned his head, seeing Jiang Nanfeng sitting several rows back, and beside her, Wei Zhi was lowering her head playing with her phone.
She didn’t look up.
He felt something silently roll in his chest, but concealed it well, naturally withdrawing his gaze.
Lao Yan went to find Jiang Nanfeng, Bei Ci saw his provincial team teammates and went over to greet them, and the rest of the people also scattered around finding snow friends here and there.
Finally, only Shan Chong was left alone, he chose a front-row seat positioned sideways to the big air jump.
The competition started quickly.
Many famous athletes came to this competition, from Japan to Korea, and over to Canada. How important are Winter Olympics qualifying points? Even with fifteen days of quarantine, these people still came-
Among them was even Hirano Yuto, currently ranked first in world snowboarding big air points. He already had 963 points, and if he performed well in this competition, he could directly max out his points and secure a spot in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Coincidentally, it was precisely because of these famous athletes’ presence that the ranking points for this competition would be quite considerable.
Shan Chong sat in the corner, people had already noticed him – a few self-media folks with cameras wanted to approach but were directly driven back by one look from the man: now everyone in the world realized he was in a bad mood.
The man supported his chin with one hand, watching the competition with lazy eyes.
The first few jumpers were all small fries, with a frontside cork 1440 landed without falling being the most spectacular.
He watched a few and got a bit impatient, just as he sat up straight, he saw Dai Tuo appear. Today he had changed into bright red snow gear, standing there quite eye-catching…
Just like his personality, like a hedgehog.
Probably because he was a local athlete, when he stood at the starting gate, there was even applause.
After strapping in his board, he set off-
Regular stance, frontside quad 1800, the red figure from grab to rotation, movements smooth clean, and crisp, presenting a parabolic rotation descent!
As Dai Tuo was about to land, Shan Chong raised his eyebrows.
The next second, his snowboard “bang” heavily hit the snow surface, in the rising snow dust, his board nose lifted almost 30 degrees, and his center of gravity completely lowered to his hips!
He slid forward several meters, then in the thunderous applause from the stands, he stood up, and while returning to normal riding on his board, lazily waved at the audience.
“–Landing like that, pressing the tail so much, he has the nerve to be pleased.”
A middle-aged man’s voice sounded from behind, Shan Chong didn’t turn around but knew who it was.
Wang Xin stood behind him with folded arms, appearing mysteriously like a ghost, “If he doesn’t stick the first run I’ll laugh my teeth off.”
“…”
No, you won’t laugh your teeth off, you’ll just be so angry you’ll punch him while breaking your teeth.
Shan Chong expressionlessly didn’t even look at him, just said in a deep voice: “If you want to argue, pick another day, let me have some peace today.”
“I’m not here to argue, we’ve argued so many years, has it helped? You’re not tired but I am.”
Wang Xin looked at the man’s cold and noble profile, down in the competitor area while Dai Tuo was waiting for his score, he didn’t even turn his face slightly toward the scoreboard, “I just came to see if you were here, and if you were, what kind of expression you’d have watching the competition.”
As Wang Xin was speaking, not far away, the scoreboard showed Dai Tuo’s first run score-
Under the hundred-point scoring system, his frontside quad 1800 was already the highest difficulty among all athletes who had completed their first run. Although there were major flaws in the landing, the judges gave a high score of 83.5.
At this point, with two-thirds of the first round completed and several top athletes yet to compete, Dai Tuo was temporarily in first place.
When the ranking came out, there was a stir in the stands.
Everyone was applauding frantically.
Shan Chong symbolically clapped his hands lightly twice and put them down, that handsome young face showing no emotion or other expression, his eyes like dead water.
Facts proved that Wang Xin wouldn’t see any expression on his face.
He wasn’t discouraged either, middle-aged and approaching old age, his greatest virtue was patience, so he thought and asked: “If according to plan, Dai Tuo’s next trick should be backside triple 1620, any suggestions?”
“The suggestion is, if he wants to land on his back edge again, you better think about what trick to use in the third run to secure points.” Shan Chong leaned back, finally not being mute anymore, “How come he can’t fix these bad habits after so many years?”
“Who knows, we’ve tried beating him, scolding him, you’ve taught him you know, could teach a pig or cow but-“
At the outdoor stadium, Wang Xin spoke while taking out a cigarette and lighting it.
He offered it to Shan Chong, who waved it away.
The middle-aged man paused, bit the cigarette butt and smiled, thought for a moment, and said, “I’m looking for an assistant coach recently.”
Shan Chong gave him a flat look.
Wang Xin smiled and asked, “Interested?”
Shan Chong looked away, returning to his previous coldness and laziness: “No thanks, a nominal position doesn’t pay much.”
Wang Xin was taken aback, then laughed in understanding: “You just look at the money… Don’t you miss the big air jump at all? Hm? You jumped there for five, six, seven, eight years – A Chong, do you still remember what the cable car at Changbai Mountain looks like?”
“…”
It had been so long since anyone called him by that name. Everyone called him “Brother Chong” or “God Chong,” or just his full name. In his memory, only his parents and Wang Xin called him “A Chong.”
The man lowered his eyes, saying nothing.
Just his fingertips resting on his knee twitched involuntarily when he heard the words “Changbai Mountain.” His lips pressed tight, maintaining silence.
Just like what he said at the dinner table that day-
Too low to stoop, too high to reach.
Secretly practicing jumps, even while knowing there probably would never be a day he could return to competition.
The most tragic thing isn’t living a miserable life, but seeing the end of your fate in advance yet still dreaming unrealistic dreams, trying to resist in vain.
He found himself pathetic.
“Don’t want to talk about this, it’s annoying.” Shan Chong said, “Wang Xin, you know my family’s situation.”
“I just want to suggest that you sometimes consider yourself too.”
“Being human means having parents, brothers, and sisters,” Shan Chong said. “Living only for oneself invites heaven’s punishment.”
“That’s not being human, that’s being Buddha.”
After Wang Xin finished speaking, Shan Chong fell silent.
At the competition, several more competitors appeared. When Hirano Yuto, currently ranked first in FIS rankings, took the stage with a backside triple in 1980, he taught everyone present a lesson-
Even though he wasn’t a local athlete, he received enthusiastic applause from all the snow sports fans present.
“How’s Shan Shan doing?”
Amidst the applause, Wang Xin calmly watched as Dai Tuo’s first-round ranking dropped to second.
“Fine.”
“Good,” the middle-aged man smiled, hands in his pockets, “During New Year, Dai Tuo and I will visit her, and bring some New Year goods to your parents too.”
Shan Chong thought for a moment and said: “Better not, those two fight whenever they meet, my mom has to break them up, it’s so annoying… She’s complained about it so many times.”
Wang Xin didn’t respond, just smiled.
Standing there with his crooked posture, watching all the athletes complete their first round.
After the last athlete finished, Dai Tuo was temporarily ranked third, fairly satisfied with this result. He put aside his cursing mood, looked back at Shan Chong and his broad hand heavily patted his shoulder.
“A Chong, like you said, we’re born human. People live one life, don’t have to be rich and noble, don’t have to achieve fame and success… Life is very short, passes in a blink.”
Wang Xin said-
“You should do what you want to do.”
He paused.
“Don’t ask about the outcome.”
…
Wang Xin left.
Shan Chong sat in his seat, staring blankly at the jump, watching the competition but his mind was in a fog, not knowing what he was thinking about.
Just feeling stifled.
He couldn’t remember when was the last time he had sat down and had a proper conversation with Wang Xin…
Perhaps not since the day he announced his retirement.
This middle-aged man Wang Xin, who never married, like a stray dog, liked to bring Dai Tuo to his home during holidays. This habit hadn’t broken since Shan Chong started practicing big air until his retirement.
The first two years after Shan Chong’s retirement, he still brought up the jump, but after getting beaten up by Shan Chong’s old parents together, he didn’t dare mention a word about it anymore, just brought gifts in big and small packages…
He was polite to everyone, except for showing no good face to Shan Chong.
Shan Chong found it annoying, so he simply wouldn’t go home on New Year’s Eve, only knocking on the door early New Year’s morning.
The man’s thoughts broke off here.
Raised his hand habitually wanting to grab a cigarette, then remembered last time after finishing smoking he inexplicably didn’t buy new ones…
Suddenly felt irritated.
At this moment, a familiar voice, in quite a polite tone, sounded beside his ear.
“–Can I ask you a question?”
Shan Chong maintained his failed cigarette-reaching posture and didn’t move.
Actually, from when the young woman snuck over, he had noticed her. His gaze remained fixed on the competition field in front, mind wandering about various things, but in reality, his attention had completely shifted… His eyeballs moved slightly in their sockets, he discreetly glanced at her once and made an “mm” sound.
Not trying to act cool.
Just afraid of saying something wrong again and being called a scumbag.
Wei Zhi sat beside him, a white, soft bundle, several strands of her hair braided into small plaits, the rest falling loose, looking soft at the crown…
Her long eyelashes trembled.
“Just, chat?”
“Okay.”
“Yesterday afternoon and this morning, I wasn’t deliberately ignoring you… well, I was deliberate, I was just a bit angry.”
“It’s fine.”
“Oh, then, I saw Wang Xin from far away just now… did your coach scold you?”
“No.”
After a brief silence, Wei Zhi lowered her head wracking her brains for topics, like a poor crosstalk performer who had been on stage for ten minutes rambling but couldn’t get into the routine, running out of words until bald.
She just saw Wang Xin, saw him come and go, from his arrival to departure, the man’s back facing her direction remained stiff throughout, finally becoming dispirited, so…
She was a bit worried about him.
Damn.
She had a crush on someone, didn’t get the person, but discovered all her potential for kindness and soft-heartedness.
Her hand resting on her knee grabbed weakly, taking a deep breath, she felt, since she had come already, shouldn’t waste the trip, might as well get straight to the point.
“Then can I ask another question?”
“I didn’t tell you not to speak.”
“…Some things I think it’s better to ask you directly in person.”
Wei Zhi unconsciously bit her lip, bit the wound, pain made her shrink her neck and hiss…
Drawing a side glance from the man, she immediately released her lip.
“Yesterday Bei Ci said, the day before when you, you did that to me, it was just out of sympathy – was this something he made up to trick me?”
After asking, she nervously stared hard at the man, but desperately found she had made him fall silent.
But waited for quite a while.
Her palms were starting to sweat.
And at this moment she didn’t know, Shan Chong had realized what confirming this question meant.
If it were before, he might have said, it was a lie, but there wasn’t much other meaning, just consider that I lost my head at the time, sorry-
But when these perfunctory and evasive words reached his lips, suddenly Wang Xin’s voice appeared in his mind again.
Those life lessons the middle-aged man told him, summarized after passing thirty and approaching forty.
He said-
[A Chong, people live one life, doesn’t have to be rich and noble, doesn’t have to achieve fame and success… Life is very short, passes in a blink.]
He said-
[You should do what you want to do, don’t ask about the outcome.]
Say what you want to say, do what you want to do, like who you want to like, you should do it.
Then don’t ask about the outcome.
He was very impatient when hearing it, thought Wang Xin didn’t understand anything, but now suddenly remembering it, his chest was unexpectedly filled to bursting in an instant.
He just suddenly remembered, he was only twenty-seven after all.
What should people this age do, even if working nine to five, crushed breathless by life, he should still be choosing some side paths he wants to try while following the ordained path that seems to show its end at first glance-
He hadn’t been deprived of these rights by anyone.
Indeed, he had many things not yet handled well.
But right now, he suddenly felt he might be able to resolve one of them: for example, deciding to become a person without morals, of very low quality.
“…”
So he heard his own slightly hoarse voice sound.
“Mm, he lied to you.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw her turn her head.
Those almond-shaped eyes with pitch-black pupils seemed to have starlight flickering even in broad daylight. She slightly raised her small round chin, looking at him: “So?”
Her voice carried barely suppressed tension-
Three seconds, getting no answer, she raised her hand, and lightly poked his arm, urging.
“So?”
The young woman’s voice carried a nasal tone, like spoiled coquetry, also like suffocation from excessive nervousness.
He turned his head, expressionlessly looking back at her, and at the moment their gazes collided, he saw the flickering stars in her eyes become the endless Milky Way.
“You speak,” she stared at him intently, asked, “The person you mentioned at the dinner table the day before yesterday, was it me?”
He paused.
Finally slowly nodded.
She didn’t miss any detail of his nod, her throat moved, choked a bit, and made a single syllable: “Hm?”
“It’s you.”
She raised her hand, and childishly rubbed her eyes, when she took her hand away, her eyes were extremely red, and made an “oh” sound, “Then?”
“There was never anyone else, the person I like is you.”
Behind them at the competition field, a competitor shot off the jump, frontside cork 1800, perfect landing, thunderous applause, and enthusiastic whistles erupted from the audience seats, almost drowning out the man’s voice.
The boisterous cheers were like thunder, not knowing who they were celebrating for.
She slightly narrowed her eyes, her almond-shaped eyes becoming crescents, and choked out a laugh, tears rolling out and blurring her vision, she pressed the back of her hand hard against her eyes…
The corners of her lips turn up. “What a coincidence,” she said, “Me too, I like you too.”
there is a missing part in this chapter
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