Lu Qingyu and I started our relationship in this inexplicable way.
This is the fact. I once thought that Lu Qingyu and I were parallel lines that would never intersect, but who would have thought that we would end up together.
Just like what a song says, it turns out that parallel lines will one day intersect.
So, when Ning Yuan heard the news, his reaction was very intense. He repeatedly said to me: "Sister, are you sure you are talking about Lu Qingyu and not someone else? Is it really not someone else?"
When I looked at him helplessly and nodded for the Nth time, he kept laughing as if he was having a seizure.
It's no exaggeration to say that he laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten his back. He looked like he was getting married.
I looked at him helplessly. I was speechless. I waited until he had laughed enough and calmed down before I asked him about him and Mo Yan.
"Ning Yuan, how is the situation between you and Mo Yan going? How are you getting along? Is there any progress? How far has it progressed?"
"Sister, don't worry, Mo Yan and I are as happy as you and your brother-in-law."
Thinking about the day when Mo Yan was with that strange boy, and looking at Ning Yuan's smile, I felt a little tangled, not knowing how to tell Ning Yuan. I wanted to tell him that day, but when I heard the happiness in his words, I hesitated again.
Maybe not telling Ning Yuan was the right choice. After all, this is a matter between them and I can't interfere.
No matter what, I hope my brother can grow up strong. Experiencing a complete relationship is also a growth. Even if he is sad for a relationship, cries for a relationship, or feels heartbroken for a relationship, it is also a transformation of growth.
I knew Ning Yuan had the courage to do this, so I just smiled at Ning Yuan, patted his shoulder gently with my hand, and didn't ask any more questions.
But Lu Qingyu beside me was restless again. This bastard kept yelling in my ear that he wanted to send me home, he must send me home.
He said firmly: "Ningjing, I must send you home today. You are my girlfriend, why can't I tell the world about this and let everyone know that you are my girlfriend?"
I looked at him helplessly. I had said it many times, but he still ignored my words. I had told him not to send me home, but he insisted on sending me home.
Just when I was feeling helpless, Ning Yuan fanned the flames as if he was afraid that it wasn't lively enough. He said with a smile: "Brother-in-law, don't worry, don't worry. I will definitely ask you to take my sister home today. Besides, you've been to my house before."
After saying that, he winked at me mischievously.
Lu Qingyu had indeed been to my house. When Ning Yuan said this, I couldn't help but recall the scene when Lu Qingyu first came to my house. But when I saw Ning Yuan's cunning face, I got a little angry. When I heard him casually call Lu Qingyu "brother-in-law", I became even more annoyed.
I chased Ning Yuan and wanted to punch him a few times, but he ran around shouting, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, brother-in-law..."
"Ning Yuan, don't let me catch you today, otherwise I will teach you a lesson!" I shouted angrily.
"Sister, I think so too! Please don't catch me!" He was still shouting restlessly.
"you……"
I was so angry that I thought I must catch up with him, but I didn't see the person in front of me clearly and bumped into a girl.
"Ouch!"
We were evenly matched, so both the girl and I fell to the ground.
I sat on the ground, gasping for breath, and stared at the girl opposite me. I was surprised to find that the girl I knocked down was the same girl who knocked me down that day. That collision made things awkward between Zhuo Yian and me.
I looked at her and felt a little unhappy, so I stood up silently and turned away without apologizing.
I didn't want to vent my anger on her, but I couldn't help thinking, if she hadn't knocked me down that day, the things in my bag wouldn't have fallen to the ground. Then Zhuo Yian wouldn't have seen the photo that said I miss him, and maybe there wouldn't have been so many unpleasant things between Zhuo Yian and me. He wouldn't have brought his girlfriend to show off his happiness in front of me, and I wouldn't have to endure such a heart-wrenching pain.
Thinking of this, my face became more and more uglier. I glared at her fiercely and found that she was also unhappy when she saw me.
Maybe because I knocked her down and didn't apologize, she thought I was a very impolite girl, I thought to myself.
I turned around and walked to Lu Qingyu's side. Just as I was about to say something to him, a sweet voice suddenly called out from behind me: "Brother Qingyu."
The sound was sweet, like cotton candy.
I couldn't help but look back, and was instantly shocked, because I saw that the girl who called "Brother Qingyu" was the girl I had just knocked down.
Does she know Lu Qingyu?
I suddenly felt that the world was so small. I turned around and looked at Lu Qingyu, and felt that his fans might really be everywhere.
Thinking of this, I smiled at him.
I was just daydreaming when the little girl walked up to us.
Only then did I look at her carefully. She was wearing a white chiffon long dress and looked particularly quiet and ladylike. She had a cute bun on her hair and her eyes were curved when she smiled, making her look very playful.
I couldn't help but be amazed. Just now, this little girl looked unhappy when she saw me, but after seeing Lu Qingyu, her expression immediately changed and she looked very intimate.
She came forward with a smile, put her arm around Lu Qingyu's arm affectionately, and called him "Brother Qingyu" sweetly.
I don't know why, but when I saw this scene, the scene of her and Lu Qingyu holding each other's arms affectionately that day immediately appeared in front of my eyes. I suddenly felt unhappy and there was a rage that I couldn't suppress.
I know I should smile at this moment, but I just can't do it. I stared at the girl fiercely, cursing in my heart: "Do you think you are filming a Korean drama? You call me brother so affectionately, do you think you will get paid for calling me brother so affectionately?"
Of course they couldn't hear me, so I could only look at them with gritted teeth and sulk alone.
I originally wanted to endure it for a while, thinking that this little girl might restrain herself, but I didn't expect that this little girl's two hands would hold Lu Qingyu's arms tightly like an octopus.
I looked at Lu Qingyu and found that he had no intention of letting the girl let go. It seemed as if it was a matter of course. He did not refuse and even smiled at the girl.
This made me even angrier. I glared at Lu Qingyu fiercely, out of sight, out of mind. I snorted coldly, turned around, took Ning Yuan's hand and left.
I pulled Ning Yuan forward without saying hello to Lu Qingyu.
I had just taken a few steps when I heard footsteps behind me, and then someone grabbed my arm.
The familiar smell lingered in my nose, and I knew that Lu Qingyu was chasing me.
He said to me, "Ningjing, why did you just leave without even saying hello? You should know that you are my girlfriend."
He seems to be possessed recently. Ever since I agreed to be his girlfriend, he can't wait to keep the word "girlfriend" on his lips and mention it at every turn.
"Ningjing, why are you so mean to me? You should know that you are my girlfriend."
"Ningjing, you must have dinner with me tonight. You must know that you are my girlfriend."
"Ningjing, remember to take notes for me. You are my girlfriend."
…
He always talks about "girlfriend", as if "girlfriend" is the most sacred profession in the world, which makes me very helpless.
Today, he mentioned these three words again. It would have been fine if he didn’t mention it, but once he mentioned it, my anger increased a little bit.
I shook his hand off fiercely, as if using up all my strength.
I glared at him and said, "Mr. Lu, do you really think I'm your girlfriend? Then why are you so affectionately chatting up that little girl in front of me?"
I was so angry that my voice tone unconsciously rose a few degrees, and I yelled at him so hard that he was stunned.
After venting my anger on him, my mood immediately improved. I turned around and didn't want to argue with him anymore. I was about to leave holding Ning Yuan's hand, when suddenly Lu Qingyu grabbed my hand again.
His palms were broad and warm. He held my hand in his, tightly. I struggled but couldn't get away.
I turned my head to look at him, and he looked at me too, his eyes showing grievance, and then I heard him say: "Ningjing, Qianmo is not my childhood sweetheart, she just grew up with me, she is just my sister, did you misunderstand something?"
"Misunderstand?"
I sneered, lowered my head and said nothing.
"Yes, Ningjing, believe me, she is really just my sister, I..." He kept explaining, and because he was in a hurry, he looked a little embarrassed.
I bit my lip and kept silent. In fact, I didn't believe it, but I didn't show it.
After thinking about it, I raised my head, sighed, and said, "Lu Qingyu, I really feel tired."
He didn't understand what I meant and became more and more flustered. He pulled my hand harder and asked me in a panic, "Ningjing, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
I secretly laughed at his stupidity and was about to say something, but before Lu Qingyu and I could finish our conversation, the girl named Jiang Qianmo followed us again.
"Brother Qingyu, why did you leave before I even finished talking?" She walked over with small steps, twisting her waist.
She walked over and took Lu Qingyu's arm again, looking very natural, as if she didn't feel there was anything wrong at all.
I looked at her and felt that she did it on purpose. Was she demonstrating to me?
I was thinking secretly, but unexpectedly Jiang Qianmo suddenly turned her gaze to me. She looked at me, showed a bright smile, and then called me "sister" sweetly.
At this moment I felt a little dizzy, so I had to force myself to grin and give her a smile that couldn't really be called a smile.
There is no way. You can't hit a smiling person. She smiled at me, so can I still scold her?
I had no choice, and I didn't want to face Jiang Qianmo again, so I turned around and said to Lu Qingyu: "Let me go."
My voice was very calm, even with a hint of pleading. Perhaps my appearance at that moment frightened Lu Qingyu, he was stunned for a moment and had to let go.
I said, "Lu Qingyu, I'm tired, I'm going home first."
After saying that, I turned around, not looking at his surprised look, pulled Ning Yuan and left silently.
After taking a few steps, I heard Lu Qingyu calling my name from behind. He shouted loudly: "Ningjing, wait a minute, Ningjing!"
I didn't stop. I thought he would catch up with me, so I deliberately slowed down and wanted to wait for him, but he didn't catch up with me after a long time.
I couldn't help but be curious, so I turned my head and saw that Lu Qingyu's arm was being held tightly by Jiang Qianmo. He wanted to catch up, but he was being held by Jiang Qianmo, so he had no choice but to look at me anxiously and helplessly, waving his arms at me non-stop.
I saw a hint of pride in Jiang Qianmo's eyes. She looked at me arrogantly with a look of disdain.
I didn't want to watch any more, so I turned around and quickened my pace, just wanting to get as far away from this place of trouble as possible. Just like that, I tried my best to suppress the anger in my heart, and walked faster and faster.
Ning Yuan shouted loudly: "Sister, why are you walking so fast? Sister, slow down, wait for me, wait for me!"
I ignored him and continued walking briskly. I felt like I could even participate in a race walking competition at this speed.
I walked for a long way like this before I slowly slowed down, breathing heavily.
Ning Yuan caught up with me. He was always weak and was out of breath. He complained to me while panting: "Sister, can't you walk slower and wait for me?"
He looked very aggrieved, and I felt a little guilty when I looked at him.
He adjusted his breathing and calmed down. Then he blinked slyly and asked me with a look of understanding, "Sister, are you angry? Are you angry with Brother Qingyu?"
It’s Lu Qingyu again. I don’t know why, but when I heard this name, I felt very annoyed.
I said to Ning Yuan unhappily, "Please don't mention this name in front of me."
I also want to stay calm, but I have no place to release the anger in my heart.
Ning Yuan was stunned for a moment when he looked at me. After a while, he actually burst into laughter and said, "Sister, are you jealous?"
"Jealous?" I rolled my eyes at Ning Yuan. "Are you kidding me? Would I be jealous of Lu Qingyu?" I hurriedly denied it.
How could I be jealous of that guy?
I frowned and thought to myself.
"But...but you look like you're jealous. If you're not jealous, why would you react so strongly?" Ning Yuan argued with me word by word.
“I, I am…”
I was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say to defend myself. I even felt a little insecure. I bit my lip and said with certainty, "Anyway, I'm not jealous."
My voice was loud and contained a hint of anger. Ning Yuan stuck out his tongue at me and said nothing more.
Anyway, what makes me depressed is that I have to admit that, in fact, when I saw Jiang Qianmo and Lu Qingyu arm in arm, I felt really uncomfortable.
That feeling of sadness is like a needle prick, a kind of pain that is hard to describe but real.
I clenched my fists tightly and suddenly found myself confused.
Why do I feel so sad when I see him being intimate with other girls? Don’t I like Zhuo Yian? Haven’t I liked Zhuo Yian for a long time? Then why do I feel sad because of Lu Qingyu?
I couldn’t understand what was going on, but the heartache was so real. I thought: I am really not a good girl. How could I be so indecisive?
I was just daydreaming when I heard Ning Yuan's cell phone ringing.
He picked up the phone and said, "Okay, wait for me there, I'll be there soon."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Yuan turned his head and looked at me. He scratched his hair with his hand, smiled at me apologetically, and said hesitantly: "Sister..."
"What's wrong?" I looked at him with a frown.
He thought for a moment, then continued, "Sister, that was Mo Yan calling just now. She has something urgent to talk to me about. I can't accompany you anymore. I have to go first, sister..."
He looked at me awkwardly, with an apologetic look on his face.
I waved my hand and said nonchalantly, "Go ahead. I'm almost home. It's not like I don't know the way home. Why do I need you to accompany me? As your sister, if I can't contribute to your lifelong happiness, then how can I hinder your happiness?"
Ning Yuan smiled, showing his white teeth, looking like a little boy who got candy: "Sister, you are so nice. You have loved me the most since I was a child."
He turned around and waved at me: "Sister, I'm leaving first. Be careful on the road. See you in the evening!"
He was really anxious and ran away before he finished speaking.
Just like that, I walked towards home alone and silently, with a lot of thoughts in my mind along the way. Although I thought about many things, my heart still felt empty.
I don’t know why my heart feels so empty.
When I was almost home, a strange middle-aged man suddenly stopped me.
"Excuse me, are you Ning Nan's daughter?" A deep baritone sounded in my ears.
I was thinking about something when I was suddenly stopped by someone. I was shocked.
I stopped and looked at the uncle in front of me warily. He actually asked me if I was Ning Nan's daughter. He could actually call out my father's name. Did he know my father?
Countless questions swirled in my mind. I looked at him warily, sizing him up silently for a while before asking, "Who are you?"
"I'm a policeman." He answered my question calmly. Seeing my suspicious look, he took out his work ID from his pocket and handed it to me.
I took it and looked at the photo above. It turned out that he was really a policeman. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed my vigilance against him a little.
I nodded at him and asked him puzzledly, "Do you want to talk to me about something?"
I asked myself if I had done anything bad, so why would the police come to my house? Could it be that Ning Yuan had caused trouble?
The uncle smiled at me, signaling me not to be too nervous, and then asked, "Ning Nan is your father, right?"
"Yeah." I nodded, feeling even more confused. I didn't know why he would ask about my father.
The uncle nodded slightly at me and asked, "Then you probably know how your father died, right?"
After hearing his words, I felt as if my scar was suddenly opened and bleeding. I was speechless for a long time and just looked at him silently.
He was unwilling to give up, and continued to ask, "Do you know the cause of your father's death? And did he leave any last words before he died?"
Such routine questioning was really a torture for me. I tried hard to suppress the anger in my heart. Although my hands were clenched into fists, they were still shaking uncontrollably.
I tried to control my emotions for a long time before I said, "I only know that my father left us because of an accident. I don't know what the accident was, and I don't know anything else."
I tried hard to control my emotions, but my voice still trembled.
He looked at my sad face with a hint of apology in his eyes, but he still continued to ask: "So how did you, your mother, and your brother live all these years?"
Although I was overwhelmed with sadness, I still tried my best to calm down and answered his question: "My mother and I are the main source of income. Now that my younger brother has grown up, he will also help to reduce the burden on the family."
"Oh, is that so?" He nodded at me, looking thoughtful.
I looked at his face full of questions, and more questions involuntarily came to my mind.
In fact, I have always had a question in my heart. For so many years, my mother would cry sadly every time she helped me pay for my tuition. In fact, the little money we earned was not enough to pay for my and Ningyuan's tuition, but where did the other money come from? My mother never talked about it and kept it a secret.
I was thinking about something and was a little distracted, so the uncle opposite called me several times before I came back to my senses.
"Thank you for your cooperation, little girl. If there is anything I need to investigate in the future, I will come to you again."
"Oh well."
He said to investigate? Investigate the cause of dad's death?
I responded to him, thinking about the conversation we had just had. This policeman appeared out of nowhere, and the questions he asked were completely confusing to me.
I looked at him, his expression was a little stiff, then he turned around and left, but after taking two steps, he turned back.
He advised: "Little girl, if you have any problems in the future, you must contact me. You must contact me."
He reminded me word by word, and at the end, he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to me: "My phone number is on it. We can keep in touch at any time."
I took it, looked at his departing back in confusion, and stood there in a daze for a long time.
I really couldn't figure this out, so I shook my head helplessly and walked towards home.
I took out the key, opened the door, and when I walked into the house, I found that my mother was washing clothes.
The weather was already very hot and there was no electric fan at home. Her face was covered with crystal beads of sweat, which flowed down her cheeks. She looked so tired.
Those beads of sweat deeply hurt my heart. My heart ached. My mother was only in her forties, but half of her hair was already white, as if it was stained with the vicissitudes of life.
The shocking white seemed to tell me that she had put in so much effort to take care of Ning Yuan and me and to maintain our home over the years.
I ran over and hugged her tightly from behind, trying hard to hold back my tears.
She turned around and saw that it was me. She smiled and said, "Ningjing, you're back. I'm washing clothes. Let go of me quickly. Don't get wet and stain your clothes."
"No, Mom, don't let go." I shook my head vigorously. Instead of letting go, I hugged her even tighter.
I suppressed the pain in my heart, but my voice still sounded choked with sobs: "Mom, you have worked so hard over the years. You have really given so much for Ning Yuan and me, so much that we can't repay you in our lifetime. Mom, we can never repay you for your kindness to us in this lifetime. Don't work so hard anymore, I can help, I have grown up and can help you share the burden of the family, don't make yourself so tired anymore, I really feel sorry for you..."
By the end of my speech, my voice had a noticeable tearful tone and I was even a little incoherent.
My tears kept streaming down my cheeks. Before this, I always felt that these words were too sentimental and I didn't want to say them or express them. I kept them buried in my heart. But today, I finally plucked up the courage to say what I had been holding back for so many years and express all the gratitude in my heart.
As soon as I finished speaking, I felt my mother's shoulders trembling slightly.
My mother turned around and looked at me, her eyes full of kindness. She gently smoothed my hair and nodded at me, saying with a sob: "Ningjing is a big girl now. She knows how to love her mother. My Ningjing has really grown up."
"Mom..." I reached out and hugged my mother tightly.
The kindness of parents is truly higher than the mountains and deeper than the waters. They only know how to give without asking for anything in return. This is the most selfless and greatest love in the world. Even if children cut their own flesh and blood, they cannot repay them in the slightest.
I helped my mother wash and hang up the clothes. It was already dark outside.
I made dinner, and when my mother and I finished our meal, the clock had already pointed to 9 o'clock.
Mom looked at the quartz clock on the wall and frowned slightly. She seemed to be talking to herself, or she seemed to be asking me, "Why hasn't Ningyuan come back yet?"
I looked at my watch and comforted her, "He should be back soon. Their school is hosting a large event soon, and he was probably left behind to rehearse."
My mother looked at me doubtfully, and her expression finally eased a little.
After dinner, I quickly slipped back to my room. Just as I was about to call Ning Yuan, Ning Yuan's phone call came in at the right time. It was really "Speak of the devil and he will appear."
I scolded him on the phone: "Ning Yuan, do you have any sense of time? What time is it now? Do you know you need to go home? If you don't come back later, you will probably be scolded."
"Sister..." Ning Yuan's voice was very low, as if he was hiding somewhere and calling me secretly.
"Where are you?"
I was very confused. Where did he go and why didn't he go home so late?
He didn't answer me, but just kept talking to himself: "Sister, I have something to do tonight so I won't go back. You must help me, help me hide it from mom, otherwise I will be scolded when I go back. Sister, you can't bear to see me being scolded by mom, sister, I am your own brother!"
Not coming back tonight?
I frowned. Ning Yuan had never stayed overnight outside. Even in the past, he would play basketball in the basketball hall until very late and would not stay out all night. But why did he say he wanted to stay overnight outside today?
I recalled what happened in the afternoon. In the afternoon, he received a call from Mo Yan and then left in a hurry.
So, he was called away by Mo Yan, so he is still with Mo Yan now? Nothing will happen, right?
The more I thought about it, the more I felt something was wrong. I started to feel uneasy and just wanted to call Ning Yuan back as soon as possible.
"Ning Yuan, you can't not go home, you can't stay out overnight, you have to come back here right now!"
I was very firm in my attitude. I was really afraid that something might happen to him, so I had to get him back.
"Sister..." he begged me.
"When I said no, it means no, Ningyuan, you have to come back here right now, okay?" I was afraid that my mother would hear me, so I had to lower my voice deliberately.
There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone.
"Ningyuan..." Before I could finish my words, there was a busy tone from the other end of the phone.
"Hello? Hello?"
I looked at the phone in my hand in disbelief. He actually hung up on me!
I was just about to call him again, but unexpectedly the screen of my phone lit up again. I received a text message from Ning Yuan: Sister, please help me keep this a secret from mom. Today is Mo Yan’s birthday. We are celebrating for her outside and will not be back home tonight.
The little brat actually dared to stay out all night. I must call him and teach him a lesson. If mom knew that he didn’t come back at night, he would be in big trouble.
Before I made the call, the screen lit up again and a familiar ringtone rang out.
I thought it was Ning Yuan calling, but when I saw the name on the screen clearly, my heart was filled with mixed feelings and I couldn’t tell what I was feeling for a moment.
Because I saw the three words "Lu Qingyu" appear on the screen of my mobile phone.
Thinking about how he was being intimate with that little girl named Jiang Qianmo in the afternoon, my anger gradually grew.
I watched the screen flashing and listened to the phone ringing, but I just didn't want to answer his call.
Just like that, I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the screen of my mobile phone light up and then dim, just like my mood at the moment.
I didn't answer the phone, but he kept calling. When he called for the 20th time, I softened my heart and answered the phone.
As soon as I picked up the phone, I heard him calling my name anxiously on the other end of the phone: "Jingjing..."
I seemed to be able to imagine his expression at this moment, but I still didn't want to let him go so easily.
I asked him coldly, "Excuse me, what can I do for you?"
"Jingjing..." He hesitated and said after a long silence, "Jingjing, please don't be angry, okay?"
"Lu Qingyu, are we that familiar with each other? Please call me Ning Jing, thank you." My tone was very unfriendly.
"I feel like we are quite familiar, you are my girlfriend." He laughed, and his voice sounded silly.
I was speechless for a moment, and then I said, "Lu Qingyu, is there anything wrong? If not, I'll hang up now."
"Wait..." He heard me say I was going to hang up and hurriedly stopped me.
"If you have something to say, just say it." Thinking of how Jiang Qianmo had held his arm in a sticky way in the afternoon, I couldn't calm down and couldn't show a good face.
"Actually, I came here to apologize because I made my girlfriend angry."
"Who said I was angry?" I muttered softly.
"I know my girlfriend is unhappy because she cares about me too much." When he heard my tone soften, he started to get carried away again.
"Who said I care about you? Stop being so conceited." I sneered at this.
"Ningjing, no matter what, I want to explain to you about Jiang Qianmo." His tone was serious and earnest. "She and I really have nothing to do with each other. I just treat her as a little sister. If you are unhappy because of her, then in order not to make my girlfriend angry, I will try not to contact her in the future."
I felt sweet inside when I heard him say that, but I still refused to give in: "Lu Qingyu, am I so stingy in your heart?"
He hurriedly explained: "My girlfriend is not stingy, it's me who is not motivated and always makes her angry."
I burst out laughing.
"Good Ningjing, don't be angry." He begged, and then said after thinking for a while, "In order to make my girlfriend happy, this young master is determined to destroy his image."
"How do you destroy your own image?" I asked with interest.
"Let me imitate various cartoon characters for you. If I imitate them well, please don't be angry, okay?" he suggested.
"That depends on your ability." My mood gradually became much more relaxed.
"I will never let you down, so let's start with Crayon Shin-chan."
After that, Lu Qingyu began to imitate vividly, and he imitated the characters very well. Then he imitated Doraemon, Saint Seiya and other cartoon characters, all of which were also lifelike. He accidentally brought back those beautiful memories of my childhood, and my mood became better.
I listened to his hard work on the other end of the phone and laughed, and I thought: If this is love, then it is really sweet.
I feel that Lu Qingyu seems to have slowly integrated into my life and gradually become an indispensable part of my life. I don’t know when he became a very important part.
Just as I was immersed in the sweetness, I suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.
Maybe because I laughed too loudly, I heard my mother's voice outside the door: "Ningjing, are you still awake? Why are you laughing so foolishly in the middle of the night?" Her voice was full of displeasure.
My mother knocked on my door and said to me, "Ningjing, are you on the phone? Who are you talking to in the middle of the night? Go to bed quickly!"
"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll go to sleep now." I responded quickly because I was afraid she would be angry.
Only then did the room become quiet again.
I breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lu Qingyu on the other end of the phone: "You heard it too. I have to go to bed now."
"I heard it, I heard it. I felt so guilty for disturbing our mother's rest." He said with a smile.
"Hmph, shameless! Who is your mother?" I cursed him softly, but for some reason I didn't feel that disgusted.
"Okay, okay, then go to bed, dear, and have a sweet dream." He said to me like he was coaxing a child.
"Who is your dear?" I growled at him in a low voice, but there was a sweetness in my heart.
He ignored my rebuttal and said to himself, "Good night, dear." After that, he hung up the phone in a hurry as if he knew I would scold him.
I watched the screen of my phone go dark, so I put it down, and I still had a sweet feeling in my heart.
I lay down, turned over, but couldn't fall asleep.
It was getting dark outside the window, the bright moon was hanging above the treetops, and the sky was dotted with stars.
It was a really great night.
The word "dear" that Lu Qingyu said on the phone just now still seemed to linger in my ears. I stared at the ceiling with wide eyes, unable to fall asleep.
When I turned over for the fifth time, the screen of my phone lit up again.
Who on earth is calling me at this late hour? I was very confused and quickly picked up the phone.
On the screen, the three words "Zhuo Yian" flashed like neon lights.
Why would he call me so late? I sat up suddenly, biting my lips gently, thinking for a few seconds, and decided to answer the phone.
Zhuo Yian's familiar voice rang out from the other end of the phone: "Ningjing, are you asleep? Did I disturb your rest?"
I never thought that he would call me. I was actually a little nervous and my heart was beating wildly.
I calmed myself down and replied, "I haven't slept yet, it's okay."
He breathed a sigh of relief and paused. His deep voice once again echoed in my ears: "Ningjing, I'm downstairs in your house now. Can you come down for a moment?"
"You are downstairs in our house?" I repeated in disbelief. It was really unbelievable. I felt like my brain had short-circuited and my thoughts couldn't keep up.
"Yeah." He responded affirmatively.
I was a little surprised to hear him say that. He actually told me that he was downstairs and asked me to come downstairs.
It was so late, what was he doing downstairs of our house? Did something happen?
Suddenly, I had mixed feelings in my heart, I couldn’t tell whether I was excited or nervous.
I held the phone and hesitated for a long time, and was silent for a long time. He did not urge me, but just waited quietly for my answer on the other end of the phone.
I could hear his soft and even breathing over the phone. I felt he was very close to me, yet also very far away.
I turned my head and looked out the window. Only the dim street lights were struggling against the darkness, emitting a weak light. Thinking of him waiting alone downstairs in such a dark night, I suddenly felt touched and a little bit sorry.
I was silent for a long time and thought about it for a long time. Finally, I made up my mind and said to him, "Wait for me, I'll be down soon."
I put my phone down and tiptoed out of the room. I originally wanted to sneak out by myself, but I thought that if I was caught by my mother when I came back, I would inevitably get a scolding.
Thinking of this, I decided to say hello to my mother before going downstairs. I gently opened her door and walked in.
She had already lain down. Seeing that I was hesitant to speak, she frowned and asked me, "Why aren't you sleeping so late? What's wrong?"
"Mom, I have something to do. I, I need to go downstairs." I lowered my head, not daring to look up at her face.
"Now? It's late, why are you going out?" my mother asked unhappily, probably thinking that I was going out to meet a boy.
"Mom, it's about school. The school is going to have a party soon and I'm involved in the planning. Our class monitor asked me to go downstairs and get some information for the meeting tomorrow." I made up a lie, not knowing whether my mother would believe it.
"Party? Why haven't I heard you mention that?" Mom asked puzzledly.
"I've been so busy with the party lately that I don't have time to talk to you. I just called you about this. It will be fine after this week."
"Really?" Mom looked at me doubtfully.
I felt a little uneasy. After all, I had lied to my mother and I was afraid she would continue to ask questions. By then, I wouldn't know what lie I could use to cover up the lie.
"Then go out and come back soon."
"Yeah." I felt relieved, "Thank you, Mom!"
I raised my head happily to express my gratitude, but she rolled her eyes at me in dissatisfaction.
"Oh, right." Mom suddenly seemed to remember something and called me, "Where's Ningyuan? Why hasn't he come back yet?"
My brain was working rapidly, trying to find a perfect excuse for Ning Yuan. God was really testing me, asking me to come up with two lies to deceive my mother in such a short time: "As for him, his school had a basketball game this afternoon. He was the main player. He played on the court for 40 minutes and collapsed from exhaustion. There was also a celebration party afterwards. He asked me to tell you that he will not be back tonight. He said he will sleep at a classmate's house."
"Really? Why would you participate in a competition if you don't study hard?"
"Mom, if you keep studying, you will become dull. I will go downstairs first. I can't let the monitor wait too long."
"Why are you all so worrying?"
I chuckled at her and quickly closed the door, shutting out her nagging words.
I was afraid that Zhuo Yian would wait too long, so I quickened my pace and ran downstairs in a hurry, almost spraining my ankle when going down the stairs.
I ran out of the door quickly and somewhat embarrassedly, and saw him at a glance.
It was indeed Zhuo Yian, the gentle and elegant Zhuo Yian.
At this time, he was standing under the tree waiting for me, and the bright moonlight made the lines of his face look particularly soft.
My heart suddenly softened, I calmed myself down, and slowly walked towards him.
I quickly stood in front of him, looked into his bright eyes, and called his name: "Zhuo Yian."
He was also looking at me. In the moonlight, his eyes were brighter than the stars in the sky, as if to illuminate the dark night.
Suddenly he laughed, gently, as if he was laughing bitterly, and he said, "Ningjing, I thought you wouldn't come down, but it's great to see you now."
I looked at him, shook my head gently, and said, "Knowing that you were waiting for me, how could I not come down?"
When he heard me say this, the corners of his mouth curled up, as satisfied as a child who had received candy.
He took me to the bench and we sat under the tree and chatted.
We talked about many things, but avoided the fact that I liked him and the girl. We kept talking about our childhood, his parents' divorce, and him going abroad with his mother.
This was the longest conversation we had since he returned to China. Under the moonlight, I looked at his profile, thinking about what had happened over the years and how much I missed him.
This is the boy I have liked for so many years. He is clearly right in front of me, but why do I feel that he is so far away from me at this moment?
This feeling makes me feel sad and depressed.
I didn't even know why he came to see me today, but I didn't want to ask too much. I just listened quietly to him talking, a lot of words.
The moonlight was bright, the wind blew gently, and the bushes behind the bench made a rustling sound, like a moving symphony. The moonlight stretched our shadows very long, and he sat on my left, talking softly and smiling occasionally.
I don't know how long it was, but he suddenly stood up, looked at me steadily, and said, "Ningjing, I'm leaving now, you should go upstairs. Thank you for coming down to listen to me and chat with me today."
I shook my head and wanted to say something, but nothing came out. I just felt like my throat was stuck.
Suddenly, he reached out his hands and held me in his arms, hugging me gently. His familiar voice rang in my ears: "Ningjing, we will always be good friends. This is a fact that will never change."
After saying that, he let me go.
It was such a short and hasty hug, so short that I didn't even retain the warmth of his body, so short that I didn't even remember the smell of him.
I just nodded with tears in my eyes, unable to say a word.
It was not until this moment that I realized that the girl named Ning Jing was not strong enough at all, because when facing the person she liked, she could only burst into tears and be at a loss.
I just stood there in a daze, the wind whistled past my ears, but I felt nothing.
"Zhuo Yian." I stood behind him and called his name softly.
"Hmm?" He stopped and didn't look back, so I couldn't see his expression.
"Did you ask me to come downstairs tonight just to reminisce about the past with me? Do you have something to tell me?"
He turned to look at me, smiled, and shook his head gently: "It's okay, I just couldn't sleep at night and suddenly wanted to find someone to chat with."
"Then...goodbye."
If he doesn't want to tell me, it will be futile for me to ask more questions. But Zhuo Yian, even you have so many secrets that you don't want to tell me?
I silently looked in the direction he left, feeling empty inside.
It was not until this moment that I realized that Zhuo Yian and I hadn't had a chat like this for a long time. Today, as he and I happily chatted about our childhood, I felt like I was back in the past, back to the time when I hadn't told him that I liked him.
When facing him, I still cry and feel sad, but it doesn't seem as heartbroken as before.
I'm getting better slowly, right?
I thought about this, and suddenly Lu Qingyu's appearance appeared in my mind, and his voice imitating the cartoon character just now seemed to ring in my ears. When I thought of him, the sadness just now seemed to become relaxed.
I lowered my head and thought, not knowing what Lu Qingyu was doing now. He must have fallen asleep.
I was thinking this silently in my heart, and when I turned around to go upstairs, I felt a little dazed. I seemed to see Lu Qingyu's figure. I rubbed my eyes, and the figure disappeared.
I smiled to myself, wondering if it was because I had been thinking about him all the time that I had hallucinations?
Since when did Lu Qingyu become more and more important in my heart? Even when he was not by my side, I would still think of him silently.