Lu Mingyu really didn't lie to me. He really lived upstairs from me. However, unlike what I expected, his home was nearly twice as big as mine, beautifully decorated, spacious and bright. As soon as I opened the door, I could smell the aroma of rice inside. There was a high-quality blanket at the door, as well as clean and tidy fabric slippers.
"Mingyu is back!" A woman in an apron appeared at the door and was stunned the moment she saw me.
"Um."
Lu Mingyu hung my schoolbag on the hanger at the entrance, turned around and waved at me: "Come in."
I didn't listen to him, but looked at the woman carefully.
"Oh, it's you." The woman immediately smiled kindly, "Come in, come in!"
I looked at Lu Mingyu strangely. It seemed as if the whole family knew me.
"Come in quickly." Lu Mingyu pulled me in directly and scolded me like an old friend, "You, you have lived here for so long, and you don't even know who your neighbor is."
I was so flattered by this scolding remark that I almost fell down while changing my shoes. If Lu Mingyu hadn't helped me, I would have made a fool of myself.
This was my first time staying in a stranger's home. Nervousness and embarrassment dominated my mind. I just stood there stupidly, not knowing what to do.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot. Come and have dinner with us." The woman warmly invited me to sit down at the dining table.
While Lu Mingyu was helping her bring the hot dishes and rice over, he introduced her to me: "She is my mother, you can just call her auntie."
"Okay, Auntie." I shouted obediently, but it made Lu Mingyu laugh.
He looked even more handsome when he smiled, with a pleasant expression and a hint of cuteness that was typical for his age.
"I heard that your name is Pei Jixing. What a good name." Auntie put the bowl in front of me and filled it with rice .
I raised the corners of my stiff mouth and replied shyly: " My father gave it to me."
She smiled and didn't ask any more questions about her father.
I think she may know more or less about the situation in my family, even Lu Mingyu. After all, the sound insulation of this building is average, and Chen Meihua has a loud voice. When she is angry, she will not care about her family affairs being heard by outsiders.
Thinking of this, I suddenly felt that Lu Mingyu and his mother were so kind and well-educated.
"Mom, my dad isn't coming back today?" Lu Mingyu took out a bottle of juice from the refrigerator and placed it in front of me generously, chatting with his mother in a casual manner.
"He's not coming back. He's been busy with official business these days. No one will compete with you for the crayfish today." She patted his head lovingly.
I sat in front of them, tense all over, and suddenly felt extremely envious.
At this moment, Lu Mingyu suddenly turned around and took in all the lost emotions on my face.
He suddenly smiled, put a peeled crayfish into my bowl, and then patted my head with his other clean hand in a serious manner: "Don't just stand there, it's time to eat."
That night, I stayed at Lu Mingyu's house until very late.
I was supposed to do my homework, but Lu Mingyu insisted on dragging me to play games with him. I didn't know how to play at all, so I could only watch from the sidelines and recite the text absentmindedly.
From the casual chats with him, I learned that he was about my age and that he was studying in a good high school nearby. He had many friends, both male and female, but none of them was as honest and well-behaved as me.
He described me with these four words: honest and well-behaved.
The moment I heard it, my heart suddenly trembled.
I don't remember what happened afterwards, but I always went to bed early, so I quickly fell asleep on the sofa. When I woke up again, I was already lying in their guest room, covered with their fragrant and soft quilt.
I thought I had had an indescribable dream and sat up suddenly in shock.
The moonlight was like flowing water, filtering through the gauze curtains. In the quiet night, the sound of vehicles passing by could be heard on the road downstairs.
It turned out not to be a dream, but it was more sad than a dream.
I quietly got up, put on my coat, packed my things, and tiptoed out the door.
I took out my cell phone and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock, but Chen Meihua hadn't called me at all.
It's impossible to say that I don't feel lost, but this kind of loss is like a light bulb that has been out of repair, flickering and making me upset.
When I returned to my home again, I smelled a strong smell of cigarettes and stench as soon as I opened the door. Chen Meihua was not at home, so I knew without thinking that she must have been called by that group of people to drink.
The house was extremely dirty. Compared with Lu Mingyu's home, it was like a paradise and a hell. If it were before, I would have cleaned it up quickly, but this time, I didn't want to do it at all.
Since Chen Meihua doesn't care about me so much, why should I act nice and show my presence in front of her?
It wasn't until I finished washing up and lay down on my own shabby little bed that I finally felt a sense of relief.
Looking at the peeling roof and the ugly incandescent light bulb hanging on the roof, it occurred to me that my seventeenth birthday was going to pass like this.
No birthday cake, no blessings, and no gifts.
But my heart is fuller than any other birthday.
Because of a person, his name is Lu Mingyu.
He is sunny and cheerful, as warm as light. He magically appeared in my world and swept away the haze in my heart.
So, what's there to be dissatisfied about?
I turned over gently and turned off the light.
"Happy birthday, Pei Jixing."
I whispered to myself.
Lu Mingyu, thank you and good night.
I didn’t see Lu Mingyu and his mother for several days after that.
Their door was always closed and there was no news from them. I was even wondering if what happened that day was just a beautiful dream.
My deskmate Lu Xiaoxiao noticed that I was absent-minded, so she took out the latest horoscope book to coax me. The book said that my horoscope would have good luck in the next month, and I would meet the person I wanted to meet. Lu Xiaoxiao and I had the same horoscope, and she believed it without a doubt. But what happened in reality severely slapped her and my face.
The teacher discovered that she was smoking secretly, and she implicated me as well because she often stuffed cigarettes and lighters into my schoolbag and asked me to hide them for her.
This incident had a very bad impact on the school. Perhaps because I had always had good grades and was well-behaved, this incident was even more unforgivable. The teacher called Chen Meihua directly. I thought Chen Meihua would act as if she didn't care, or not come at all, but in fact, it was the opposite. She came and cared very much. After slapping me in public, she started a fierce quarrel with the teachers.
When she found out that my deskmate was a female gangster, she immediately dragged me back home and locked me up for three days.
In fact, I was not as scared as I imagined. I was just surprised that my mother, who even refused to celebrate my birthday for me, would make a fuss because I hung out with female gangsters.
During these three days, her little mahjong parlor was closed. She stayed at home and watched me, but she didn't talk to me much. I was responsible for her daily life as usual. I began to worry that she would stop me from studying because of this.
However, just when I was about to ask about this, she took the initiative to offer to transfer schools for me.
"The tuition for your current crappy school is so expensive, so if you don't want to go, then don't go. There's nothing to regret." She flicked the ash from her cigarette, and I don't know if she was trying to comfort me.
"There's a pretty good high school nearby. I've asked around, and they're willing to accept students with your grades."
"Oh." I lowered my head and tried my best to look obedient.
"I'll take you to a new school in a few days, so you better behave yourself then." She rolled her eyes at me unceremoniously, "I'm counting on you to get into college and make money to support me in the future."
"Oh." I nodded, but I was very surprised. I thought she would let me drop out of school early and find a man to marry and give her dowry and money. I didn't expect that she also knew the importance of studying.
It's not hopeless.
Chen Meihua kept her word and took me to register at the new school the next day.
Before leaving home, I looked upstairs, and there was still no movement in Lu Mingyu's house. I couldn't help it, so I pretended to be nonchalant and asked, "Do you know the family surnamed Lu upstairs?"
"The wealthy family you mentioned?" Chen Meihua answered while locking the door.
"Um."
"They have a handsome son. What? Are you attracted to him?" She glanced at me, and my heart suddenly sank. I kept a straight face and said nothing, as if I was blaming her for joking.
"Hey, you are such a stubborn person. I would be happy if you could really climb up the social ladder. They are the richest family in our community. They moved out recently because the villa they bought before was renovated ."
"Moved away?" My heart sank, and it seemed as if all the strength in my body was drained away.
"If I had moved out earlier, I would be so annoyed by having a messy person like me living downstairs." She muttered to herself in a self-deprecating manner.
But I didn't want to listen. I felt like I was walking on clouds, floating and out of state.
The new school is not far from home, about ten minutes’ walk away.
The sun was warm, and the snow sparkled. I didn't know if it was because I was nervous, but I was sweating even though I was wearing a down jacket.
I am not a girl who can adapt to a new environment quickly, so I can only pray that the people in the new school can be easier to get along with.
Chen Meihua took me to the principal's office on the third floor with ease. From her appearance, I knew it was not her first time to come to this school. I shamelessly thought that maybe she had come to this school several times for my sake.
"Don't look so sad when you go in later, do you hear me?" At the door , she tapped my forehead.
"Oh." I nodded woodenly. As for Chen Meihua, I would agree to whatever she said, but whether I listened or did it was another matter.
The moment she pushed open the office door, Chen Meihua's expression changed instantly.
She, who always acted bossy and ferocious in front of me, immediately became smiling in front of the fat, big-eared principal in a suit. Even when she said hello, she nodded and bowed, very humbly.
My heart was filled with contempt and I followed her expressionlessly.
"Hello, Principal Chen, this is my child. I brought her here to register today."
"Oh, hello, hello." The principal greeted us warmly.
Chen Meihua was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. She cried in a fake tone and said directly, "Principal, my child's grades are pretty good. I told you before that our family is really poor. Her father died early, leaving us mother and daughter to pay off the debt of that short-lived ghost. I worked several jobs and worked from dawn to dusk to raise her. Look at the clothes she wears. They are all picked up from others."
As she spoke, she tugged at my bulky down jacket.
I suppressed my displeasure and pushed her hand away.
She is such a liar. This down jacket was a discounted model she bought for me from a roadside stall, but now she described it as someone else's clothes. I don't think I am a vain girl, but if she made up such nonsense and other students heard it, how would they talk about me behind my back?
You know how important self-esteem is to a teenage girl like me.
"Well...well, we are a public school, and the tuition fees are fixed. Besides, our tuition fees are not expensive." Principal Chen answered perfunctorily and indifferently.
"Principal, you really need to help us! Our family is poor, and we have to pick up the leftovers from the market to eat, and we also rely on our neighbors for help. Although this child is a bit stupid, she is also a good student. Please help us. Otherwise, she can't afford to study, and I will have to let her get married early."
When I heard the words "neighbor's help", "stupid", and "early marriage", my loose fists clenched tightly again.
I gritted my teeth, resisted the urge to rush out of the office, and stared at Chen Meihua, wishing I could find a rag to cover her mouth. How could she belittle her own daughter like this just to save tuition?
The principal was overwhelmed by Yu Chen Meihua's rapid-fire rhetoric and was unable to refuse, and his eyes kept glancing at me.
Perhaps because she felt that I didn’t look pitiful enough, Chen Meihua pushed me twice more.
At this moment, I felt my self-esteem was insulted.
If there hadn't been a knock on the door, I wouldn't know what expression I should have used to respond.
It was a boy in school uniform holding a stack of papers, with short hair and a clean face. He wore a white shirt with a beige knitted waistcoat and a woolen coat with good texture, which made him look kind and gentle.
I looked curiously at the person who accidentally rescued me, but inadvertently attracted his attention.
He walked up to the principal, respectfully placed the stack of papers on the table, then raised his head and glanced at me nonchalantly. If Lu Mingyu's eyes looked like the warm sun in winter, then his eyes were like the cold wind whistling past in winter.
I shuddered for no apparent reason and lowered my head in panic.
"This is the registration form for the Mathematical Olympiad that has just been printed." His voice was low and steady, but I never dared to look in his direction again.
"Oh, okay, okay, thank you for your hard work, Chen." The originally indifferent principal immediately smiled brightly upon seeing him.
"Oh, this child is so handsome, you can tell at first glance that he is a good kid!" Chen Meihua took advantage of the situation and started praising him.
Unexpectedly, this trick worked. The principal smiled and said to her, "That's the best student in our school. This kid has won many awards for our school. This Mathematical Olympiad depends on him!"
"It's really enviable to have such a child. Unlike me, I gave birth to a dull person." As she said this, Chen Meihua tapped my shoulder again.
I looked up and glared at her impatiently, but she ignored me.
Chen Meihua is like this. Everyone else's child is better than hers. Other people's children will always be stars in the sky, while her own children are money-losing goods, debt collectors, and useless pieces of mud that cannot be supported.
Thinking of this, I felt extremely depressed and a little nauseous.
I don’t know if it was because my face was too embarrassed, but the top student spoke again during this interval: “Principal, Auntie, do you want me to take her to get familiar with the environment first? This school is quite big after all, and I’m afraid she won’t be able to find a place to eat.”
A very polite tone, a perfect smile... I looked up at him blankly, and heard Chen Meihua and the principal say yes at the same time. Chen Meihua was happy that I was friends with such an excellent person, and the principal seemed to have something to say in front of me.
"Then let's go." He walked to my side, tilted his head slightly, and said lightly.
I followed this tall boy who looked indifferent and distant, walking foolishly. The straps of my schoolbag kept sliding down and my fat, big down jacket made a rustling sound as I walked. I felt like a clumsy and stupid quail following a prince.
After leaving the teaching building, he and I stood in the thin snow, and the sound of reading could be heard all around us.
"I have to go back to class." He turned around and shook another stack of papers in his hand.
I looked up at him, the sun shining on my face, and I squinted my eyes subconsciously. I couldn't tell whether he was smiling or had a cold face.
"Oh well."
I answered obediently. Although I looked dull, I was not stupid. He must have seen that I was very uncomfortable, so he found an excuse to take me out, so I thanked him from the bottom of my heart.
"You can go around by yourself. I'm leaving first."
After uttering these words coldly, he turned around and strode towards another teaching building.
I looked at his back, and suddenly I felt the inexplicable chill in my heart slowly disappear. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I suddenly shouted out loud: "Excellent student, thank you!"
I don't know if I saw it wrong, but after hearing it, his steps seemed to pause. However, he didn't turn around to look at me, nor did he answer me. But this didn't matter to me.
After all, it was his timely appearance that saved my crumbling self-esteem, preventing it from falling to the ground and shattering into pieces.
It seems that there are still more good people in this world, such as him and Lu Mingyu.
But, can I see Lu Mingyu again, the boy who brought me light in the dark night of despair?
I stared blankly at my snow-covered toes , unable to find the answer.