That's not how you say it!
Lin Shengmiao quickly replied, "If it weren't for you and Mom back then, I might not have even been able to finish high school, let alone anything else. Besides, as a junior, it's only natural for me to give some of the money I earn to my elders. There's nothing wrong with accepting it!"
Indeed, when Lin Shengmiao graduated from junior high school, her father was persuaded by his second wife not to let her attend high school. It was an elder from the same village who called Ms. Pei Wei, who was living in Nancheng and had already remarried, to inform her of the situation.
Zhang Cheng made the decision on the spot, and the couple bought plane tickets overnight. After arguing with Lin's father and stepmother for half a month, they finally managed to bring Lin Shengmiao to live with them and raise her.
Zhang Cheng and Pei Wei paid for all three years of high school tuition. When they received their college admission notices, Zhang Cheng offered to cover all four years of tuition and living expenses, but Lin Shengmiao refused.
At that time, Zhang Ting was still young and needed money. They were both just ordinary wage earners with mortgages to pay. How could they afford to take on such a burden?
So later on, whether it was university tuition, living expenses, or the cost of studying abroad, Lin Shengmiao paid for it all with student loans he applied for himself, as well as by squeezing out time to work part-time during his breaks from studying.
But...
The gratitude is genuine, the desire to repay is genuine, and the desire to avoid excessive contact is also genuine.
after all……
Lin Shengmiao looked up at her mother and saw Pei Wei gazing at Zhang Cheng for a long time. The coldness that seemed to have been frozen on her brows had completely dissipated, and her eyes were full of gentleness.
She lowered her head and gave a bitter smile. Three years of living together in high school had made Lin Shengmiao fully realize just how superfluous she was in this family.
Author's Note:
Have I been away from Jinjiang for too long? Why has its mobile layout become so ugly again!
Chapter 11 White Roses Half Price Today
I stumbled upon a flower shop on Dongbai Street.
Xiao Tang felt that her boss was in a particularly good mood today. At noon, he not only ordered her a super deluxe eel rice and a large cup of milk tea, but also bought a huge bag of snacks with shockingly high prices, telling her to eat whatever she wanted.
She seemed a little restless, always holding a small mirror in her hand, checking herself every now and then, fixing her hair, and unusually, she was wearing light makeup.
After observing for a while and comparing her with her college roommates and senior female students, Xiao Tang silently came to a conclusion—oh my god, she's going on a date!
Sunlight streamed in through the French windows. Xu Xingyan moved a few plants that didn't like the sun to a shady spot. She accidentally got some dirt on herself, staining her carefully chosen white wool coat. She frowned slightly and hurriedly grabbed a wet wipe to clean it.
"I'll do it, Sister Yan, let me handle this!" Seeing this, Xiao Tang quickly dropped what he was doing, ran over and moved the flower pots in no time. Then he clapped his hands, stood up, looked at Xu Xingyan, hesitated for a moment, and advised, "Actually, there's no need to be too nervous."
"Huh? What?" Xu Xingyan was a little confused.
Looking at her boss's increasingly handsome face, his incredibly gentle smile, and his overflowing wallet, Xiao Tang inwardly screamed with anguish, "There isn't a single stinky man in this world worth worrying about like this!"
"Later, add a sentence to the blackboard at the door: all white roses are half price today," Xu Xingyan said with a light laugh, not minding the lack of response. She caught a handful of warm sunlight in her hand.
"Why?" Xiao Tang asked, puzzled.
Xu Xingyan took a freshly cut white rose from the transparent freezer. The bud was half-open, and she held it close to her chest, taking a light sniff. "I'm happy today."
"Fine," Xiao Tang was defeated by this willful reason and resignedly went to get the chalk.
...
Ten years ago.
Class 1, Grade 12, Nancheng No.1 Middle School.
Because of the light rain, the morning exercises were suspended. Students either went to the convenience store in twos and threes to buy snacks or stayed in the classroom to read books and do practice problems.
With only eight months until the college entrance examination, the overall learning atmosphere in the senior year is very tense, especially in Class 1. The classroom is quiet, with only the sound of pens scratching on notebooks and pages turning.
Suddenly, Zhao You turned around, poked the desk behind her where she was engrossed in doing her homework with her pen, gestured towards the window with her lip, and whispered, "Xingyan is here."
Lin Shengmiao looked up in response and saw the girl standing quietly outside the classroom, her head slightly lowered and her lips pursed. A vacuum zone automatically formed around her within a meter, completely out of place with the noise in the corridor.
Without much thought, Lin Shengmiao put down her pen and the math problem she had only half-solved, and ran out of the classroom.
"How long have you been standing there? Why didn't you call me? It's so cold outside..."
Xu Xingyan placed one hand on her lower abdomen, while the other hand was held by her. The chill she had just felt dissipated, and in an instant, spring warmth filled the air. "It wasn't long. I saw you solving a problem earlier, so I thought I'd wait until you finished before we talked."
Lin Shengmiao's heart softened completely. He lowered his head and gently rubbed her hand, asking, "Did you need something?"
Xu Xingyan's lips curled up slightly, "Sister Jing isn't here, so there's no one to have lunch with me."
Luo Jing went to the city to participate in an Olympiad math competition. She was going to be out all day and just left this morning.
"I'll go with you!" Lin Shengmiao said without hesitation.
Xu Xingyan's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "What do you want to eat? I'll call Aunt Luo and ask her to make it and bring it over."
The two sisters' meals are prepared by their family's housekeeper and then delivered to the school gate by a driver.
Lin Shengmiao and Luo Jing had been deskmates for three years, so they knew everything about it and weren't surprised. Lin Shengmiao smiled and said, "I'm fine with anything, just do what you're used to."
Xu Xingyan looked at her, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then blinked and said, "Then... how about shredded pork with green peppers? I saw you really liked it when we went to the city center last time."
“Okay,” Lin Shengmiao’s usually aloof and cold face softened with a warm smile. She watched the girl’s figure disappear into the stairwell before turning back to her classroom to continue working on the math problem that had been troubling her for an entire break.
At noon, in the agreed-upon empty classroom, Lin Shengmiao and Xu Xingyan sat facing each other. On the table were six or seven small dishes, a good mix of meat and vegetables, which looked very appealing. The dish of shredded pork with green peppers was also among them.
Xu Xingyan took off the canvas bag that she had been carrying and placed it on an empty chair next to her.
Because of a habit formed since childhood, Lin Shengmiao eats very quickly, but Xu Xingyan always chews slowly and gracefully, which is pleasing to the eye. Lin Shengmiao is also happy to slow down and keep up with her.
Having put down her chopsticks at some point, Xu Xingyan's fingers were white from gripping them tightly. She bit her lip and said, "Miaomiao, I..."
"Oh, right, there's something I need to tell you," Lin Shengmiao interrupted her at that moment: "...Huh? What were you going to say?"
Xu Xingyan paused, then shook her head. "You go first."
“I can’t go to the library with you for a while. A friend introduced me to a weekend part-time job. The hourly wage is quite high, it’s not too tiring, and I can still find some time to review and practice questions. I’m thinking of doing it for a while and saving up some tuition fees.”
“It’s okay,” Xu Xingyan quickly said, then frowned slightly, “Do you pay for your own tuition?”
Xu Xingyan had never specifically inquired about Lin Shengmiao's family background, but Luo Jing would always tell her some things automatically. Over time, she roughly understood that Lin Shengmiao's family was not well-off. However, she did not expect that "not well-off" meant that Lin Shengmiao had to earn his own tuition fees.
Lin Shengmiao lowered his head to tidy up the lunchbox and bowls, and said lightly, "My younger sister is still young and at that age when money is needed. I'm an adult now, and I can figure things out myself. I shouldn't bother my elders."
"Besides, my first choice, University A, is quite competitive. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to get a full scholarship. It's better to save up more money in advance so I have a backup plan."
"University A? Are you going that far? Don't you...don't you ever think about staying in Nancheng?"
Xu Xingyan's fingers curled up unconsciously. She tugged at the corner of her mouth, her eyes looking helpless. "When did you decide this? I've never heard you mention it before."
Lin Shengmiao looked at her, paused for two seconds, and then smiled and said, "I've already thought it through. I discussed it with my homeroom teacher for a long time, and we both think I have the ability. Anyway, I'm going to university, so why not give it my all? But you're the first person besides Sister Dan to know this, so remember to keep it a secret for me!"
Xu Xingyan looked at the glint in her eyes, speechless for a long time before finally nodding and humming in agreement.
Lunch time in high school is very short. Before long, the lunch break bell rang. Lin Shengmiao smiled apologetically and hurriedly ran back to the classroom.
She ran so fast that Xu Xingyan never had a chance to give away the white rose, which she had carefully hidden in her canvas bag and cherished all morning, a rose that symbolized pure, innocent, romantic, and beautiful first love.
And high school seniors are really busy.
Luo Jing was so busy that she often didn't have time to have lunch with Xu Xingyan, always finishing her meal in a few bites before rushing back to her books and exercises. Xu Xingyan was so busy that every time she stood at the door of Class 1, Senior 3, watching those students buried in their studies, she would hesitate, then turn around and quietly leave, just as she had come.
Not long after Lin Shengmiao, the top scorer in the college entrance examination, was released, Xu Xingyan received her final report card. Looking at the appalling score, and seeing Lin Shengmiao being interviewed by reporters not far away, she hesitated and missed the opportunity to go up and say hello.
And then...
As I entered my senior year of high school, I was overwhelmed by the increasingly heavy workload.
On the other hand, they have just entered university and need to quickly familiarize themselves with the new environment while maintaining excellent academic performance and scholarships, and also keep up with a continuous part-time job.
Naturally, the frequency of contact decreased, and there was less and less to talk about. Gradually, they became the most familiar strangers in each other's contact lists.
At this point in the story, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next part of the plot will be—
Time flies. One afternoon, while pruning the flower branches, Xu Xingyan suddenly recalled the past. That youthful time was nothing more than one of the countless mundane stories among the masses, with no end and only regret.
...
Are white roses half price today?
Xiao Tang was squatting on the ground trimming withered leaves when he heard the noise. He quickly stood up and turned around, saying, "Yes, only for today. How many branches do you need?"
A woman with a slender figure took off her mask, revealing a beautiful face. Her gaze passed over her and met that of the boss who had come after hearing the noise. She smiled gently.
"I originally planned to meet you in the evening, but before I knew it, I had walked here and saw the words on the blackboard at the door, so I thought I would come in and buy a rose."
(This book is from Longfeng Interconnect)
Chapter 12 Life is like the stars, never to meet again.
Life is like the stars, never to meet, always moving like the constellations of Orion and Scorpio.
When Xu Xingyan first saw this poem in her grandfather's study when she was a child, she felt a captivating beauty. Even after all these years, she can still clearly remember that leisurely afternoon when her grandfather held her and laughed loudly, splashing ink onto the rice paper.
But only now did she realize that the most beautiful thing in all of this was not the cyclical nature of life, nor the unpredictability of life, but the seemingly ordinary word "meeting".
An elderly person sees their infant grandchild in swaddling clothes; migratory birds returning south see familiar travelers from last year; ephemeral creatures see the afterglow of the setting sun; orcas circumnavigating the world see the coral reefs of their birthplace; blooming flowers see butterflies fluttering by...
But these things that make people cheer and shed tears—the beauty of being moved, the beauty of surprise, the beauty of tragedy, the beauty of loveliness, the beauty of nature—don't belong to her.
The moment she truly looked into that person's smiling eyes, the long-awaited reunion that had been lingering in her heart finally began to take on weight, making her feel so overwhelmed that she lost control of her body, with only her eyes able to move, repeatedly confirming the truth over and over again.
“Xingyan, I’m back,” the person paused, then added, “I’m sorry.”
Xu Xingyan took a soft breath, then looked up, her voice trembling slightly, "What is it?"
Lin Shengmiao bypassed the bewildered Xiao Tang and walked up to Xu Xingyan. Her soft tone carried an air of seriousness. "I should have told you I was coming back sooner, but due to some of my own reasons, I kept delaying it."
"So much so..." She looked at Xu Xingyan's stunned expression and a smile appeared on her face, "It seems I scared you."
Xu Xingyan: "..."
Now she could be sure it wasn't a dream. The Lin Shengmiao in her dream was always obedient and gentle, and would never say such things.
She retorted instinctively, "You're the one who's scared. I just didn't react for a moment."
"What, have I changed a lot?" Lin Shengmiao looked down at herself, turned around, and asked.
Xu Xingyan looked at it very carefully, and then told her, "Not big."