Ju Nian worried that Wu Yu's long-accumulated hatred would erupt in her encounter with Lin Hengguan's usual despicable behavior. However, just like the Seven Injury Fist, if you want to hurt others, you must first hurt yourself. So she asked, "I'll go with you."
Wu Yu refused without hesitation. Lin Henggui's covetousness for Ju Nian was obvious. How could he let Ju Nian appear in front of that bastard again? How could he let her take such a risk?
"If you won't let me go, I want you to promise me that no matter what, you won't fight him." Ju Nian followed Wu Yu's averted gaze. "Wu Yu, don't let him drag you into this mess!"
Wu Yu agreed and went to find Lin Henggui alone. However, when he returned to Ju Nian empty-handed and with a bruise on his lip, Ju Nian began to doubt her own judgment and her long-held moral principles.
"I don't know where that bastard found that old, tattered piece of paper, but it even has my father's signature on it. He said he borrowed ten thousand yuan from Lin Henggui to do some business..."
"Your father...didn't he already...how is that possible!"
Wu Yu slumped to the edge of the small wooden bed. "Yeah, how could that be? How could I be so stupid? He set a trap and was just waiting for me to fall into it."
"Without any evidence, what can prove that the flimsy IOU was written by your father? He's been dead for so many years, he can make up whatever he wants!" Ju Nian was also stunned with anger. Like Wu Yu, she was still a child under twenty. Although she had seen more darkness and the coldness of the world than her peers, she still felt helpless in the face of such naked ugliness, greed and traps.
Wu Yu covered her eyes and laughed. "Of course he can testify. Aren't there other witnesses? Your uncle and another neighbor both pointed to the sky and said they saw my dad sign it with their own eyes. It's just that for the past ten years or so, he's been too embarrassed to mention it because he saw my grandma and me living alone. This time, he bought the house to help me out of a tight spot. He only owes me 8,000 yuan for the final payment, while I owe him 10,000 yuan. Seeing how pitiful I am, he forgot about the remaining 2,000 yuan. Ju Nian, do you believe it? He really is a very kind and compassionate person."
"How shameless!" Ju Nian regretted using even more vicious words, yet she didn't think any curses directed at Lin Henggui were excessive. "Isn't there any other way? Even if he finds someone to testify, the law doesn't stipulate that children should pay for their husband's debts. We...we'll sue him!"
She finished speaking in a trembling voice, unable to convince herself of her own words.
Sue him? What grounds could they possibly have? All they possessed was a life, and a soul that clung to purity amidst the filth; nothing more. But what they had was so fragile, as delicate as white jade before a stubborn rock, as powerless as white silk before a vat of dye. They couldn't think of a way; no one would believe the son of a murderer. They knew this themselves, and Lin Henggui knew it too.
Ju Nian couldn't think of anything else to say. She pried Wu Yu's hand off her face and gently touched the wound on the corner of his mouth. "Does it hurt?"
Wu Yu turned her head away and said, "This slap was from your uncle when I said that the IOU was fake. I didn't fight back, don't worry."
Ju Nian closed her eyes, relieved, completely relieved. Yet sorrow is an invisible, soft knife, killing silently.
The dispute with Lin Henggui over the house was put on hold. Ju Nian was very worried about Wu Yu, but he went to work and rested as usual every day and refused to mention the matter again. He just worked harder and became more and more silent.
After August, with the release of the college entrance examination results, the first batch of university admission notices arrived like snowflakes. Ju Nian's wait was not anxious; she was the highest-scoring liberal arts student at No. 7 High School and second in the city, and any university would be happy to open its doors to her.
On August 13th, the postman delivered the admission notice from Renmin University of China to the Xie family, ringing his bicycle bell. That morning, the small alley was abuzz with excitement. Everyone had heard that the Xie family's unassuming daughter was the top liberal arts student at No. 7 Middle School and had been admitted to the law school of a prestigious university in Beijing.
"Old Xie, a top student graduating from law school is destined to be a lawyer or judge. Raising such a promising daughter is better than anything else. In a few years, good days are waiting for you," the neighbors said.
Mr. and Mrs. Xie said politely, "This little girl, who knows what she'll become in the future? We'll worry if she doesn't get into university, and we'll worry if she does. The cost of going to university in Beijing is enough to give us a headache."
Despite this, Xie Maohua still went to the street to buy two large rolls of firecrackers and set them off in front of his house. Ju Nian leaned against the small window of her room, watching through the glass as the firecrackers shattered and scattered red on the ground. Even eleven years later, she still remembered the joy and excitement of that moment; it was the only celebration that belonged to Xie Ju Nian.
In the afternoon, Mom was busy calling all the relatives to share the good news, Dad was dragged out by friends to drink and discuss parenting tips, and Ju Nian, under the pretext of visiting a classmate, left home and ran to Wu Yu's place. She just wanted to share this joy with him.
Wu Yu wasn't home, and the things on the bed were in a mess. Ju Nian muttered something to herself, and when she turned her head, she saw a white corner of a note sticking out from under the pomegranate bonsai.
Ju Nian smiled. It seemed that Wu Yu left home in a hurry. He had guessed that Ju Nian would bring good news, so he specially celebrated for her in advance.
She excitedly picked up the potted plant, pulled out the note underneath, and eagerly unfolded it with one hand.
Wu Yu is an extremely lazy person when it comes to writing and clumsy in expressing himself. He usually leaves only a few words in his messages, as long as the meaning is conveyed. This time, Ju Nian saw a short passage of his handwriting and couldn't help but show surprise.
“Ju Nian, I have to leave. I have no choice. Jie Jie is pregnant, and I can’t leave her here any longer. I know you will try to persuade me, but I was born not to be free, and this may be the only chance God has given me to leave. Ju Nian, don’t worry about me. Once I’m settled, I will contact you first.”
Wu Yu's handwriting was messy, but Ju Nian could understand every word, yet not the meaning. She shook the crumpled paper and read it again.
Finally, the note fell from her fingertips, floating lightly for a long time before finally covering the shattered pomegranate bonsai.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Where is he?
Ju Nian rushed out of Wu Yu's place, found the nearest phone booth on the street, and began frantically dialing Wu Yu's pager. She didn't remember how many times she dialed. While waiting for the pager to be reconnected, for the first time in her life, she irrationally blocked everyone who wanted to use the phone behind her, fearing that she might miss Wu Yu's call in that one second.
She stood by the phone, maintaining the same posture, until her legs became sore and numb.
The phone remained silent, as if dead. Many times, Ju Nian doubted whether it was just a useless decoration. A second before despair, the ringing startled her. She reached for the phone with both hands, but her grip slipped, and the slippery, cold receiver almost slipped from her grasp.
"Wu Yu, is that you?" Ju Nian almost burst into tears as she uttered the first word.
There was silence on the other end of the phone; the long, drawn-out breathing sounds were perhaps just her hallucination.
"Wu Yu, is that you? Where are you going? Don't do anything foolish! Wu Yu, you don't need to answer me, just promise me you won't do anything foolish..." This was the only sentence repeated over and over.
In her anxious wait, Ju Nian had no choice but to accept the unconventional reality of "a child belonging to Wu Yu and Chen Jie Jie." She couldn't control what they did as they pleased. As their "best friend," she was even willing to offer her blessings. But who else would offer their blessings besides her? Chen Jie Jie's parents had such strict financial control. With so much to do, where could two penniless people go?
After the other party hung up, Ju Nian suddenly remembered that she might still be able to find Chen Jiejie. Finding Chen Jiejie would mean finding Wu Yu.
Fortunately, she remembered Chen Jiejie's auspicious phone number. The call went through, and the person who answered was Chen's nanny.
"Excuse me, is Chen Jiejie home?" Ju Nian's heart was in her throat.
"Oh, who are you?"
"I was her classmate at No. 7 Middle School, and I wanted to ask about her exam results."
"She went out, supposedly to ask her classmates about going to university."
"Do you know which classmate it is?" Ju Nian hoped that it might be Han Shu, so she could at least have a general idea.
The elderly nanny said, "What's her name... she mentioned it this morning... what year? I think she was her classmate..."
"Xie Junian?"
"Yes, yes, Xie Junian, that's the name. He went out with the driver at noon."
Ju Nian seemed to chuckle, but the latter half of it got stuck in her throat.
After hanging up the phone, Ju Nian first went to the internet cafe where Wu Yu worked. People who knew him said he hadn't come today, but none of his friends could tell him where he had gone.
By the time Ju Nian arrived at "KK," night had already fallen. This was Ju Nian's second time at this place. As soon as she pushed the door open halfway, she was almost overwhelmed by the surging sound. Most of the bartenders responded to Ju Nian's questions with a simple "I don't know," but only a boy swaying to the music gave Ju Nian hope.
He said, "Wu Yu, he's here every night... Today? I think I saw him before... As for when, I forgot, maybe an hour ago, maybe not so long ago... What? With whom? Heh, look here, there are people everywhere, you're holding my hand, I'm holding yours, how am I supposed to know who I'm with..."
Ju Nian still intended to cling to this lifeline and press for answers, but the boy's state made it impossible for her to be sure. She didn't know if he had been drinking or had ingested some kind of random substance; he seemed excited yet confused, and his words gradually became more and more incoherent.
Ju Nian was disappointed again and left the bar dejectedly. The boy called out to her again, "Hey, don't go, beautiful. Let's chat a little longer. Who else do you want to ask about? I can tell you."
Having shaken off the boy, Ju Nian wandered through the enormous disco, like a bamboo raft tossed about in a giant wave, not letting a single person dancing around her or a silhouette in the corner escape her notice. Perhaps Wu Yu had never really come, and it was all just other people's nonsense, but what if that boy still had a shred of consciousness? She had to find her little monk.
She was unaware of how lost and out of place she felt amidst the revelry, looking around incongruously. She also didn't know that in a corner of the hall, three boys were enjoying this one moment of unbridled revelry.
The slightly chubby boy said, "Han Shu, have a little more. It's alright. You've already received your admission letter from the University of Political Science and Law, and your score is so high. You've also met the expectations of your Dean Han. What else could he possibly criticize you for? If it were my old man, he'd probably be laughing his head off."
Han Shu took the wine offered by his companion, took a sip, and smiled without saying a word.
Fang Zhihe put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Zhou Liang is right. We've been on edge for so long, if we don't relax now, how can anyone live? Do you think he doesn't know you're out having fun today? We'll just turn a blind eye. Hasn't he been young before? If he's had too much to drink, he can stay at my place tonight. He won't object. Come on, let's drink this, the three of us brothers. From now on, we'll all go our separate ways, and who knows if we'll ever get together like this again."
Han Shu was clearly in a good mood. He raised his glass to clink with Zhou Liang and Fang Zhihe, saying, "What are you talking about? Zhou Liang is the only one who hasn't found a job yet. With his old man's abilities, how could he not take care of everything for him? Fang Zhihe, you're at G University. What are you talking about, going your separate ways? You're just spouting nonsense."
"Isn't the south and north of the city also north, south, west, and east? Someone like you, once you get to college, will be surrounded by a ton of pretty girls. How could you possibly have time to think about me?" Fang Zhihe joked.
Zhou Liang winked at Fang Zhihe. "You don't understand. Don't you know what kind of person Han Shu is? He only dates girls because he has no choice. He's incredibly innocent. He might not even have held a girl's hand before."
Fang Zhihe laughed loudly.
Han Shu kicked Zhou Liang, saying, "Won't I kick you to death? Are you kidding me?"
Zhou Liang dodged the question, "Then why are you blushing?"
"I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you." Han Shu lowered his head to drink what was in his cup, refusing to admit that he was blushing. He was lost in thought and did not want to refute.
“My old man said that once you get into university, you’re an adult. We should do some adult things. What’s the point of just drinking here? Look, there’s a girl over there, she’s only wearing a tiny piece of cloth, but she’s got a hot body… And that one, she’s pretty, but she’s a bit old.”
Fang Zhihe joked, "I like good figures, but Han Shu isn't into that. He likes... well, no, not this kind... not that kind either... Hey, Zhou Liang, do you think that one looks like...?"
“Looks like what… oh…” Zhou Liang winked knowingly, stared at it for a while, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “What? It’s not about whether it looks like her or not, it’s her!” He kept nudging Han Shu with his elbow. Han Shu couldn’t stand it, glanced in the direction he was gesturing, and was stunned.
Ju Nian ran into one of Wu Yu's "brothers" not far from them; he was also working at "kk". Surprisingly, that "brother" remembered her too. Under Ju Nian's persistent questioning, he whispered in her ear, "I don't know where Wu Yu is, but he asked me for money this morning. But I'm dirt poor myself, how could I lend him any?"
Ju Nian was still unwilling to give up when she felt someone pat her shoulder hard. She was overjoyed and turned around abruptly, only to feel a wave of disappointment.
The other person looked familiar; it turned out to be Fang Zhihe, who had always been on good terms with Han Shu.
"Is that you?" Ju Nian greeted him awkwardly.
"Xie Junian, you're usually so quiet and reserved, I never expected you'd enjoy coming to places like this."
"No..." Ju Nian didn't finish her sentence. Why should she explain?
Thinking that he should ask Wu Yu's "brother" if Wu Yu might have revealed something, he turned around, but the boy had already disappeared into the crowd.
"They left long ago, but Han Shu is here too. Why don't you come over and chat together?"
Ju Nian glanced over secretly and, sure enough, Han Shu was standing to the side, talking to Zhou Liang.
"Oh, no, I'm here to find someone. You guys have fun."
"Looking for someone? We've been here for a while now. Why don't you tell us? Maybe we've met before."
Ju Nian, in desperation, asked, "Have you ever met Chen... no, have you met one of my friends? His name is Wu Yu, he's this tall, with very short hair, the one who partnered with me in mixed doubles last time..."
"Oh, you mean 'the concubine is on the sunny side of Wushan Mountain'?"
"You've seen him?" A new flame ignited in Ju Nian's heart, which had gradually turned to ashes. She had completely forgotten that Fang Zhihe, who looked like a good student with glasses, was actually a person full of mischievous ideas.
"Come here, come here."
Ju Nian didn't get the answer she wanted. The other person moved forward, waving for her to follow. She didn't want to get too close to Han Shu, lest it make everyone uncomfortable, but their acquaintance, Wu Yu, might actually be able to give her some clues.
She walked to their small table after Fang Zhihe. Zhou Liang smiled knowingly, but Han Shu remained indifferent, as if she didn't exist at all, playing with the empty wine bottle on the table.
"Now can you tell me? When did you see him here? Is he alone?" Ju Nian knew that if Chen Jiejie was with him, Fang Zhi and the others would not have ignored it.
"What's the rush? Xie Junian, we've been classmates for three years, but we've barely spoken a few words. Graduation is just around the corner, and it's such a coincidence that we've run into each other. It's only right that we have a drink together."
"I'm sorry, I don't drink alcohol." Ju Nian was embarrassed.
"This isn't really alcohol, just a soft drink. Your voice is hoarse, so this will soothe your throat. Consider it a toast to our three years of friendship as classmates." Fang Zhihe poured a glass for Ju Nian without further ado and handed it to her. "I'll drink this first as a sign of respect."
He drank it down so heartily that Ju Nian felt embarrassed. She was the one who needed his help, and after drinking it, he had no reason to refuse to reveal anything.
Before taking a sip, Ju Nian looked at the liquid in the glass. It was amber in color, shimmering with a clear light as it flowed through the ice. She tentatively took a sip; it was sweet, completely unlike the bitter taste she had expected. She tilted her head back and swallowed it in one gulp.
When he put down the cup, Han Shu seemed to glance at her, but still didn't say anything.
“My turn, my turn. When it comes to friendship, Fang Zhihe can’t compare to me, right? Ju Nian, what I want to say is that you are exactly my type of girl, really!” Zhou Liang’s chubby face looked very sincere.
"Disgusting." Han Shu laughed mockingly, looking like he couldn't be bothered to look.
“This…” Ju Nian’s face flushed red.
"It's alright. After you drink this cup, you can go find that Wu Yu."
"You really saw him?"
Ju Nian emptied her glass once again. For her, it wasn't wine or a beverage; she was drinking a sliver of hope she had given herself.