"Huh?" Playing mixed doubles with him? Ju Nian couldn't even imagine that scenario.
Seeing her disapproving look, Han Shu chuckled, "Oh...you wouldn't happen to be waiting for that person...to partner with you because you heard that doubles matches in this competition can be between schools?"
He seems to never remember a name; it's a kind of forgetfulness that comes with a sense of superiority.
Ju Nian lowered her head and said, "His name is Wu Yu." He has a name, not "that guy".
However, just mentioning those two words made her heart feel like it was being pierced by a thousand needles.
"Then let's go with Wu Yu, the one from the vocational high school. I can tell you... you like him..."
Han Shu didn't continue, leaving this blank as if giving Ju Nian time to refute.
Ju Nian hesitated and said, "I... I probably don't have time to play. I need to study, and I have a lot of things to do at home. When my mom is busy, she also has to look after my younger brother."
"I don't like your family." Han Shu suddenly blurted out.
"Why?" Ju Nian was utterly puzzled. Putting aside the fact that his father, Xie Maohua, had been dismissed from the procuratorate, his father had been quite devoted to Han Shu during the years he drove for Dean Han, and had been very considerate towards Han Shu. Han Shu could dislike her, but he had no reason to dislike her family.
Han Shu said, "They treat you badly. I can't imagine that parents would say their own daughter has intellectual disabilities and send her to be fostered by other families just for the sake of their son!"
Ju Nian remained silent, when suddenly a thought flashed through her mind.
"It's you?"
Han Shu repeatedly clasped his left and right hands together, but when she looked over, he put his hands behind his back.
"You mean the one who posted the whistleblower letter on the secretary's office door? Yes, that was me. They were in the wrong first. What, you think I did wrong? Don't you hate them at all?"
Ju Nian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and could only sigh in his heart. He had done a "righteous act," which was naturally gratifying, but he hadn't considered that Xie Maohua was the pillar of Ju Nian's family. No matter what, Ju Nian was born and raised by him. How difficult would life be for an ordinary family if they lost their main source of income? It couldn't be summed up in a simple love and hate.
Ju Nian didn't even intend to explain the pros and cons to Han Shu; she never expected him to understand. It's perfectly normal for one person not to understand another's world.
"There's a small shop a little ahead. I'm going to buy a bottle of soda. Do you want some?" Han Shu asked.
There was only one small shop in the area, Lin Henggui, Ju Nian's nightmare. Just hearing Han Shu mention it, the sweltering heat, filth, and ugliness of that summer afternoon seemed like yesterday.
Ju Nian kept shaking his head.
Han Shu was somewhat suspicious, "You don't need to shake your head down if you don't want to drink water."
"Don't go. He... is a bad person."
"Please, I'm just going to buy a bottle of soda... Did he bully you?" Han Shu wasn't stupid.
Ju Nian didn't want to talk about it; she just wanted to stay away from Lin Henggui and his small shop, and not even hear about it.
Han Shu said, "Forget it, I won't drink anymore. On the way here, there was an annoying dog barking incessantly when we passed that little shop."
That's Zhaofu. Maybe it's not even called Zhaofu anymore, it's been given a Japanese name a long time ago." Lin Henggui used to always say that his Japanese purebred dog had a noble lineage and should be given a Japanese name.
"I do have a ready-made Japanese name, Marakubako, and I usually just call her Bako."
Despite her preoccupied state, Jie Nian couldn't help but smile. They had reached the narrow path beside the sugarcane field, and the previous gloom had dissipated considerably. The path was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. Han Shu let the girl go first, following a step behind Jie Nian. It was the first time he had seen Xie Jie Nian without her hair tied up; her long hair cascaded down her back, the ends swaying gracefully with each step.
Han Shu secretly reached out and lightly touched the ends of her hair. She didn't notice. He then boldly grabbed it in his hand. It was cool and smooth, and the touch made Han Shu feel that the scarf around his neck was a little hot.
He couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like if that hair were wrapped around his neck like seaweed.
Hair has no tactile sensation, but Ju Nian wasn't paying attention to her footing and stumbled, causing her body to lurch forward. The strand of hair that Han Shu was holding in his hand suddenly tugged at her painfully.
"Ouch!" Ju Nian turned around, completely bewildered.
Han Shu did not withdraw his hand; the strands of hair, like the enchanting spiderweb, entangled his heart.
"Uh, this is my hair." Ju Nian reminded him softly and awkwardly, but Han Shu ignored her. She could only carefully pull the strand of hair away from his fingertips inch by inch, but his hand seemed to be drawn closer to her face by that strand of hair as she exerted force.
Ju Nian panicked and sneezed.
Han Shu finally gave in, took out a pair of gloves that matched the scarf from his backpack, and handed them over, saying, "Take these, so you don't freeze to death and turn into a troublesome aunt."
"Oh, thank you." Ju Nian put the gloves on, and they fit perfectly. "I'll take them off for you later."
Han Shu laughed and said, "Who's being stingy with you? The gloves were sent by my sister, and I don't need them anyway."
"The gloves your sister bought for you seem to be a little small." Ju Nian waved the gloves in front of him, showing off the high-quality wool fabric, which had a soft and warm feel.
“She didn’t buy it for me either…hey, anyway, she likes to do boring things.” Han Shu said this without ever looking at Ju Nian, but even in the dim night, Ju Nian could still sense that his face was burning.
Ju Nian began to understand something. Perhaps she had always known. The way he looked at her was so familiar, and that familiarity made her feel sad.
"Orange..."
"Han Shu, don't be so nice to me."
Ju Nian slowly took off her gloves and handed them back to him.
The footsteps that lingered outside the door of my heart are already fading into the distance, let alone those who are on completely different paths.
Han Shu looked at Ju Nian, who had lowered her head, and finally understood the meaning behind her words.
He was such a proud boy, used to being treated well by others since he was a child. When he first tried to reciprocate that kindness, he was met with rejection before he could even express his true feelings.
The immense humiliation caused Han Shu's handsome face to contort slightly. He sneered, "When have I ever been nice to you? I was just teasing you out of pity. You really think I'm... Xie Junian, you're really delusional."
Ju Nian blushed at his blatant mockery, but still insisted that he take back the gloves.
"Take it."
Han Shu took it and casually tossed it into the sugarcane field. "You wore it, why would I want it again?"
After saying that, he squeezed past Ju Nian and left her far behind in just a few steps.
Ju Nian cherished her belongings, so she jumped down from the sugarcane field to look for the glove. Unfortunately, it was too dark, and after groping around for a while, she only found one glove; the other was nowhere to be found, so she had to give up. By the time she returned to the path, Han Shu's figure was already out of sight.
She took the glove and walked back the way she came. She didn't want to go to her aunt's house. When she left, she told her mother that she was going to a classmate's house for a birthday. Even though it was late when she went back, she would only get a scolding at most.
As Ju Nian passed Heng Gui Store, the roller shutter door was already down and the lights were off. She had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a small light in the shadows across the street. Then, Lin Heng Gui's face, which made Ju Nian feel nauseous and terrified, along with a lit cigarette, appeared from the darkness.
"Ju Nian, it's been two or three years since I last saw you. You've grown into a beautiful young woman, and your hair has grown quite a bit too."
Fear gripped Ju Nian. She could run, and she could run fast, but she trembled at those words and couldn't move her feet.
“Wu Yu, that little brat, wasn’t with you? Doesn’t he hate me to death? I’ll get him sooner or later. Ju Nian, don’t you recognize Uncle Heng Gui? Don’t forget, the scar you gave me is still there. Want to touch it?”
Ju Nian took a step back, her hand secretly grasping the deformed hair clip. Lin Henggui smiled and approached. If he took just one more step, she... she would...
She had already gathered her strength, and the moment she raised her hand, she heard Han Shu, who had returned, impatiently shout from ahead: "Xie Junian, get the hell away from me."
Chapter Thirty-Four: Remember to Say Goodbye
Han Shu's extremely impatient urging made Lin Henggui stub out his cigarette.
After briefly glancing at the young couple, the shop owner hummed an unknown tune as he returned to his shop.
He was an extremely cunning man. He certainly wouldn't let the lone Ju Nian slip through his fingers, but the presence of a strange boy was a different story. A vigorous seventeen or eighteen-year-old, full of youthful vigor, was like a lion just coming of age, while Lin Henggui, after years of gambling and womanizing, was in a state of decline, merely an aging wolf. Even the most tempting prey had to be rejected; he had that much in mind. Moreover, in his eyes, Han Shu was different from Wu Yu. Wu Yu was a pale, unassuming boy born and raised in the same place, but Han Shu appeared arrogant and sharp. His clothing and demeanor hinted at a different social class. Even if Lin Henggui tasted success today, he feared endless trouble in the future.
The increasingly charming Ju Nian made him restless, but in this situation, it wasn't worth it.
When Han Shu saw that Ju Nian had followed him, he stopped talking to her. His cold face said, "Those who come near me will die," and Ju Nian dared not provoke him.
The last bus had already left, and Ju Nian only had five yuan on her. Fortunately, Han Shu hailed a taxi and didn't stop her from gritting her teeth and taking a seat.
The taxi stopped at the entrance of Ju Nian's alley. Ju Nian struggled internally for a thousand times before finally deciding to thank him. The two words were uttered timidly, and his disdain filled the entire car.
"If Dean Han hadn't known I was afraid he'd skin me alive if I left a woman in the wild, do you think I would have paid any attention to you?"
"How did Dean Han know?"
"Nonsense, aren't you getting off the bus?"
Ju Nian was a beat too slow and didn't have time to react before Han Shu shoved her out of the open car door. She scrambled to her feet and barely managed to stand up, looking quite disheveled. Even the calm taxi driver couldn't help but turn around and look at her.
Han Shu closed the car door and politely said to the driver, "Please take me to the family quarters of the Municipal Procuratorate." As the car started, he nodded to Ju Nian, "Goodbye." It was as if they had just parted ways a moment ago.
From that day on, Han Shu never paid any attention to Ju Nian again. When he saw her at school, no matter how Zhou Liang, Fang Zhihe, and the others winked at him, he ignored them.
Ju Nian actually quite enjoyed this tranquility. What truly made her feel lonely was that she found herself unsure how to face the young monk. Every time she was about to fall asleep, the image of his tightly embracing body in the martyrs' cemetery under the night sky made it hard for her to breathe. However, in her dreams, sometimes behind that black hair was Chen Jiejie's face, and sometimes it was her own. When she woke up, she felt as if her heart was covered with a piece of oiled paper mixed with lard and honey. The feeling was murky, sweet, ambiguous, and airtight.
Ju Nian wanted to tear away this layer of oiled paper and see again the quiet and clear sky where she and the little monk lay side by side under the pomegranate tree. She felt a piercing pain, the oiled paper clinging to her flesh.
She thought that maybe she shouldn't go looking for Wu Yu anymore. But at that moment, a shocking event occurred that stunned the entire school: Chen Jiejie disappeared from her balcony on the night of her birthday and never returned home. In other words, this beautiful little princess vanished into thin air in front of many people who celebrated her birthday, and a week later, there was still no trace of her.
It is said that Chen Jiejie's family has reported the incident to the police, fearing that their beloved daughter had been kidnapped. However, the police investigation found no signs of violence or struggle at the scene, the door lock was not pried open, no one heard any cries for help, and, more importantly, Chen Jiejie herself was clearly prepared for this disappearance. Several of her favorite clothes and a bag disappeared from her closet, along with all her savings from the past eighteen years—an amount that would leave most people speechless.
Some people said that a neighbor of the Chen family was driving home late that night and seemed to have seen Chen Jiejie running down the mountain road with a boy. The boy was wearing a baseball cap, so his features were not clearly visible. Her parents tried everything but to no avail, and were almost driven to despair and madness.
Thus, Chen Jiejie's risky runaway from home for an unknown boy became the most shocking and unconventional news in the history of No. 7 Middle School in recent years. Although the school tried to cover it up, what could suppress the curiosity and whispers behind people's backs? The runaway, which was already shrouded in a gloomy tone, coupled with the fame of the person involved, caused this unsolved case to evolve into many absurd yet seemingly convincing versions in the whispers of No. 7 Middle School students during their leisure time.
Some people say that they discovered Chen Jiejie was hanging out with a member of the underworld a long time ago. The man was over thirty years old and had a hideous scar on his face. He was very scary. Chen Jiejie eloped with him.
Some say that Chen Jiejie has always been a frivolous and restless person. Just look at her nail polish to see how vain she is. She might run off with any guy who just beckons her from downstairs.
Some say that it's possible the Chen family isn't facing a financial crisis, and that they sold their daughter and then pretended she disappeared.
Some people even slapped their foreheads and guaranteed that one day, in some corner of the city, they spotted a girl who looked remarkably like Chen Jiejie, and just as they were about to call her name, she vanished like a puff of smoke...
The scandalous rumors were exciting, causing an adrenaline rush and making people forget the monotony of ordinary life. They also provided a fresh thrill for the senior students at No. 7 High School amidst the pressure of college entrance exams. Only Ju Nian, looking at the empty seat next to her, remembered the two faces that had been blinded by passion and lost all sense of self, and felt an uncontrollable anxiety.
She feared that her worries would come true, and that Wu Yu would take him away.
How could he be so foolish? Even if they had gone down the same path, Chen Jiejie could have had a chance to turn back, but he didn't. With the Chen family's power, if they didn't find out, all would be well, but once they did, no tragedy would be too dire.
Ju Nian waited a week in agonizing anxiety, longing for Wu Yu to give her some news. Although she had resolved never to interfere in his affairs again, this was the last time. She just wanted to know that he was safe and sound. From now on, she would not care what happened between the two of them.
But Wu Yu didn't. The internet cafe where he worked said he had taken leave for personal reasons, and as for the vocational high school, absences were commonplace. Ju Nian tried to convince herself that Chen Jiejie was prepared, that she had money, and that the two of them could support each other, so at least their lives wouldn't be too hard for the time being. However, the terrifying fantasies of Wu Yu being discovered as the culprit who "abducted" the Chen family's always well-behaved daughter played out in Ju Nian's mind every day.
Ignore them, ignore them.
You can't control them!
He didn't even remember to leave you a single word when he left, so why are you bothered by their situation?
Ju Nian would mutter to herself when no one was around, but every day when she combed her hair, clumps of hair would fall out between the comb teeth.
A week later, he could no longer endure the torment. On Sunday afternoon, he made an excuse and went to Wu Yu's house. He hoped that even though she wasn't there, she might say a few words to his grandmother.
Outside Wu Yu's courtyard wall, the loquat tree could be seen peeking out. Ju Nian remembered telling him that several trees should be planted in the yard, otherwise it would resemble the Chinese character "困" (meaning "trapped" or "confined"). Wu Yu did as he was told and scattered many seeds, but only this one seedling survived.
If he never comes again, will this unique loquat tree die of loneliness?
Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open, and who else could it be but Wu Yu who stepped out?