"Um?"
"If this continues, her aloof and reserved beauty persona is going to crumble."
How could such a claim exist?
Meng Yang recalled the discussions he had heard.
Do you still remember the interns you supervised when you were the chief resident?
"Remember."
Meng Yang pursed his lips.
"They're shipping our couple."
"Such a thing is true?" Liu Zhi couldn't help but laugh.
“Didn’t you like my post on WeChat Moments that day? And then you posted about the flowers I sent you,” Meng Yang said. “Later, I ran into her at the hospital, and her hesitant expression made me feel so pained.”
“They’ve really fallen for them.” Liu Zhi said with that serious expression again.
"Let's go out for lunch," Liu Zhi suggested.
"I want to eat the jianbing guozi from the stall near the school gate," Meng Yang said. "I'll also visit the school while I'm at it."
"Can we still go in now?" Liu Zhi asked.
"It should work, let's give it a try."
There were shared bicycles near the hospital, so Liu Zhi and Meng Yang each scanned one and headed towards Yanzhong.
They underestimated the distance between the two places, and by the time they arrived, it was almost 1 p.m.
Back when they were in school, there would be all sorts of small vendors scattered around the north gate of the school at mealtimes. Now, with stricter city management, all those vendors have been reassigned to the food street.
The snack street wasn't far from the school. Liu Zhi and Meng Yang searched for a long time but couldn't find the auntie who used to push the multigrain pancake cart. In the end, they chose a small shop and ordered two bowls of wontons.
The school has been renovated in recent years and looks much more grand than when they were in school.
The school playground is open to the public in the evening, but Liu Zhi and Meng Yang couldn't wait until then, so they rode their bicycles around the fence instead.
This turn stirred up many memories for them.
“Time flies,” Meng Yang said. “I still remember watching the boys do pull-ups here.”
Liu Zhi pointed in a direction: "Let's put the mats over there and do sit-ups."
"Back then, making thirty or forty at a time was no problem. Could you still make twenty now?" Meng Yang laughed.
"I'm afraid I can't."
"I can't either."
"It's so good to be young." Meng Yang's long hair was lifted by the wind, and her skirt fluttered.
Liu Zhi looked at her, momentarily forgetting to look away.
"Don't stare at me, watch the road," Meng Yang reminded him. "There are going to be a lot of cars ahead."
"Liu Zhi," Meng Yang said with a hint of pride, "if I gave you another chance, would you still distance yourself from me in high school like before?"
"If I could, I would still distance myself." The sunlight was a bit too bright, and Liu Zhi squinted.
"You still think it's childish for two high school students to be in a relationship?" Meng Yang asked.
"No," Liu Zhi said. "Luckily, I distanced myself from you back then, otherwise, what would I have done if you had returned to the capital in your senior year of high school?"
Meng Yang smiled and said, "It seems that's really the case."
It seems that's really the case; everything happens for a reason.
Chapter 58 Mid-Autumn Festival
Around five or six in the afternoon, Liu Zhi and Meng Yang arrived at their maternal grandmother's house.
Meng Yang found a fruit stand, carefully selected a lot of fruit, and carried it over.
The old lady is recovering well, which can be considered a small medical miracle.
The old lady liked Meng Yang very much and praised her several times.
Liu Yi noticed something was off about Meng Yang's expression.
His intuition told him that Meng Yang was the person on his sister's phone wallpaper.
Liu Zhi also noticed that something was wrong with him, so she pulled him outside to talk.
"What's wrong?" Liu Zhi asked. "Why do you look so strange?"
Liu Yi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
“Sister,” Liu Yi said, “that person…”
"Speak your mind clearly."
Liu Zhi had a rough guess in her mind.
Is that person your...girlfriend?
"Yes," Liu Zhi readily admitted.
"How did you know?" Liu Zhi asked.
"Your phone wallpaper," Liu Yi said, head bowed, "and the one from when you called last time."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Yi added, "I didn't mean to, I just wanted you to walk faster."
“My wallpaper clearly doesn’t show any faces.” Liu Zhi frowned slightly. “How did you figure that out?”
“Your demeanor,” Liu Yi said. “Just by looking at your demeanor, you can tell she’s exceptionally gentle.”
"This matter..." Liu Zhi rubbed her temples, "Who did you tell?"
"Mom noticed something was wrong with me last time and asked me about it." Liu Yi's voice was much softer; he had always been a little afraid of his older sister.
"Which time?" Liu Zhi felt a sharp pain in her temples.
“It was that time at the hospital, the time I skipped my Chinese class to visit my grandma.” Liu Yi’s eyes were lowered. “But I didn’t say anything.”
Liu Zhi didn't quite trust her mama's boy brother.
"What did she ask you?"
"She asked me if I knew the girl who came," Liu Yi said. "I said I didn't know her, but she seemed to have a good relationship with you."
Liu Zhi calmed down a little.
“But, sister,” Liu Yi said slowly, “I think Mom should be able to tell.”
"Why?"
“The way you looked at her that day gave everything away,” Liu Yi said.
Liu Zhi was speechless for a moment.
"And another thing," Liu Yi added, "Mom probably saw your phone wallpaper that day too."
"That woman has a really different aura. Apart from my dad, who's a roughneck, anyone else would be able to tell after a few more glances."
Liu Zhi: "..."
Liu Zhi looked towards the kitchen, where her mother was busy.
"Little Yi!"
Liu's mother called out, "Come quickly and bring the plates!"
"They're here!" Liu Yi exclaimed with relief.
Liu Zhi followed him into the kitchen.
Liu Yi took two plates and left, leaving only his mother and Liu Zhi in the kitchen.
"Don't just stand there, take these two plates away." Liu's mother wiped the table, not looking at Liu Zhi.
"mom."
Liu's mother looked up: "What's wrong?"
"The friend I brought home today..."
Liu's mother turned her face away and continued wiping the table.
“I saw him, he’s a very good child,” said Liu’s mother.
"Me and her..."
"Yes." Liu's mother's smile faded slightly. "I know."
Liu Zhi's heart tightened.
“I guessed it when Grandma was in the hospital.” Liu’s mother put down the rag and rinsed her hands. “She was always looking at her phone, and her expression was different when she replied to other people’s messages.”
Liu Zhi felt very uneasy, as if she were waiting for a verdict.
“You always make phone calls late at night,” Liu’s mother said, looking at Liu Zhi. “What kind of relationship do you have with people who can make phone calls so late at night?”
"I could only guess that you had a girlfriend," Liu's mother said, "until the day you saw her off."
"Little Zhi," Liu's mother sighed, "Although I've spent half my life dealing with household chores, I have no skills and little education."
"But I'm not that kind of pedantic person."
"Mom is more open-minded than you think."
Liu Zhi's throat tightened, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
“I married a man and raised two children.” As she spoke, Liu’s mother opened her palm. “Besides this, it seems I haven’t received anything else.”
Liu's mother's palms, worn smooth and delicate from years of housework, were no longer as fresh and slender as they had been in her youth; they were now visibly rough.
At that moment, Liu Zhi felt a lump in her throat.
"I also reminded your dad this afternoon not to make things difficult for that girl."