She almost thought Morse code had become a language.
Liang Xinzhou translated much faster than Rainbow, finishing the entire translation in less than five minutes.
Liang Shi: "..."
Is this what you mean by being able to understand it?
This is clearly your second language.
Liang Shi felt that since arriving here, his intelligence was being constantly crushed.
It might also be related to the fact that she is surrounded by powerful figures.
Liang Xinzhou read it to her, and she typed it all into her phone's notepad.
Put together, it means—
April 7th, sunny.
I've fallen for a girl in my class. She's not pretty, not tall, and very quiet—a quiet oddball like me. I wonder if she's also been through some painful and difficult times like me?
March 9th, cloudy.
It rained today. I saw Liang Shi at the school gate, but she seemed not to remember me. I wanted to greet her, but I was afraid that if she saw me, she would remember those unpleasant things. I hope she can forget me and forget those unpleasant experiences.
February 1st, heavy snow.
I dreamt of my younger sister again. I told her, "An older sister is supposed to protect her younger sister, but I failed to do so." I have a million apologies to say to her, but it seems I'll never have the chance. I really can't hold on much longer. I wonder if that little sister will be beaten again. The whip hurt so much when it struck her. I just hope she lives a peaceful and happy life and never has to go through that again.
February 17th, rain.
The weather's been so strange lately. It was snowing a few days ago, and today it's raining. My heart is raining too, just like many days before. I wonder if my world will ever see the clouds clear? Probably not. I often wonder, what was I born for? I remember asking Liang Shi before, and she said—we are angels, born to heal demons. Yes, my sister is an angel, but I am not.
April 9th, windy.
Liang Shi, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No amount of apologies can make up for it, but besides saying sorry, I seem to have nothing else to say. Why do we all have to have a devilish mother? Can we be born without a mother in our next life?
Including the translation Rainbow provided earlier, there are a total of six images.
Most of the content was related to Liang Shi, and after Liang Xinzhou finished translating, he looked at Liang Shi and asked her, "So what did you experience with Yang Jiani?"
“I already said that last time,” Liang Shi chuckled. “It’s nothing more than being beaten, scolded, and not being fed.”
Liang Xinzhou clenched his fists. "Why did Mom send you there?"
Liang Shi smiled bitterly, "I've already addressed this issue before. You should ask her why she would kill a child so cruelly? Ask her why she wanted to drive me insane?"
Liang Xinzhou remained silent, but Liang Shi said in a deep voice, "I don't understand it either. She had a million ways to kill me, but she chose to keep me alive, support me, and then make me grateful to her after abusing me."
“Brother, she is your mother,” Liang Shi slowly shook his head and said, “but she is not mine.”
Liang Xinzhou wanted to say something, but Liang Shiyong suppressed him with his words, "You can stand up for Lingdang, you are very reliable, and I also consider you my older brother."
When Liang Xinzhou stood before Lingdang, protecting her, a memory also flashed through Liang Shi's mind.
It was when Liang Xinzhou, as a child, was holding her hand in front of the bookstore cashier. The cashier had wrongly accused her of stealing a book, and she said aggrievedly that she hadn't. So Liang Xinzhou took her to confront the cashier.
Just like today, he stood in front of her and firmly told everyone, "My sister said she didn't do it, so she didn't do it. The children in our family never lie."
He was a minor at the time, yet he spoke with absolute certainty, shielding her from all the insults and standing on the opposite side of the world to believe in her.
So Liang shed tears at the right time.
But now, Liang Shi said to him, "Brother, this time you stand in the middle, don't ask or care about anything, that's the best protection you can give me."
She didn't want to put Liang Xinzhou in a difficult position, nor did she want him to do anything for her.
Liang Xinzhou has done enough for her.
"Brother," Liang Shi said, "this time it's my turn to protect you."
Chapter 101
Liang Shi has no memory of spending time with his parents, whether in this world or another.
But she has grandparents.
She knows what bonds and family ties are.
Especially those that transcend blood ties.
Admittedly, she turned Liang Xinzhou to the side, making him treat her like he treated Lingdang, continuing to stand in front of her, while she stood behind him like a coward, making him help her resist Qiu Zimin, making him speak ill of Qiu Zimin, and even sever their mother-son relationship.
This must have been painful for Chiu Tzu-min.
This is the consequence of Qiu Zimin's own evil deeds, which resulted in her raising such a righteous and awe-inspiring son.
But what did Liang Xinzhou do wrong?
Parents cannot choose their parents, and Qiu Zimin had no complaints about the Liang family except for Liang Shi, at least not before Liang Xinran returned.
Liang Xinzhou always stood in front of his family, protecting them from the harsh winds and cold rain outside.
But no one ever thought that Liang Xinzhou was also a person who needed warmth to keep going.
Liang Shi refused to be a coward and refused to let Liang Xinzhou become a tool for his revenge.
To be precise, she was unwilling to let anyone become a tool for her to take revenge on Qiu Zimin.
If it's a matter between two people, then let those two people handle it.
Perhaps that's a bit naive.
But she felt that this naiveté could be preserved.
Seeing Liang Xinzhou's astonished expression, Liang Shi laughed even more freely, "Big brother, if you're tired, just step away from these things. There's no need to protect everyone."
Liang Shi said, "Younger siblings will grow up."
Liang Xinzhou pursed his lips, his glasses, hidden behind his glasses, were slightly moist. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "They are also my younger brothers and sisters."
“But what about your wife?” Liang Shi said, “Compared to us, your sister-in-law and the baby in her belly need you more.”
Liang Xinzhou frowned: "And what about you? What are you going to do?"
“The present is more important than the past,” Liang Shi said, repeating a familiar phrase. “I will find out why she did this, and I hope she pays the price for her actions. People always have to pay for their mistakes, right?”
Liang Xinzhou turned around and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, but the previous leisurely rhythm was gone, and the sound was dense enough to make people feel irritable.
After a long silence, Liang Xinzhou said, "Just ask when you need help."
The implication is—just ask, and I'll help you.
Liang Shi chuckled, "Okay."
//
As night falls in the city, vehicles come and go on the asphalt roads, their red taillights flashing in a staggered pattern. The streetlights on both sides of the road illuminate the way home for those hurrying along.
Lingdang fell asleep peacefully on Liang Shi's lap, and Liang Xinzhou drove Liang Shi back to Chenjiang Community.
The dim yellow lights along both banks of the river gently illuminated the flowing water.
The lines built above the bridge seem to reach the sky, reflecting the inclusive and beautiful nature of this city.
They originally planned to go to the hospital where Qiu Zimin and Liang Xinran were, but Lingdang was fast asleep and it was getting late, so Liang Shi suggested that they go home first to avoid arguing late at night, which would make everyone uncomfortable.
The main purpose was to give Liang Xinhe and his wife time to "cut off their own firepower".
Liang Xinzhou agreed and drove her back to her apartment complex. He asked her if she had moved in yet, and Liang Shi replied that it would be in a while.
When Liang Xinzhou asked her to put Lingdang in the car, he suggested that Lingdang go with him and Yu Wan that night. Liang Shi hesitated, since Yu Wan was pregnant and he was afraid that Lingdang would disturb her.
Liang Shi then asked for Lingdang's opinion.
Lingdang was half asleep and didn't cry when she was woken up. When Liang Shi asked her whether she was going to her aunt's house or her uncle's house that night, Lingdang rubbed her eyes and asked, "Is Shengyu at your house?"
Liang Shi: "...I don't know."
"Then I won't go." Lingdang yawned, quite heartlessly. "I'm going to find my aunt and play with the little sister in her belly."
Liang Shi: "...Alright then."
After waking Lingdang up, he didn't let her sleep anymore. She tucked her little head into the seat and reminded Liang Xinzhou to drive carefully before Liang Shi went home.
On her way home, she texted Xu Qingzhu to ask if she had eaten dinner and if she was back.
After sending the message, I suddenly thought of "roommates" because this situation is quite similar.
They live in the same house, but in different rooms. The questions they ask each day are: Are you home yet? Are you home? What do you want to eat for breakfast? What do you want to eat for dinner?
Occasionally, other conversations were interspersed throughout.
It wavers between crossing the line and not crossing the line.
Everything was done as it pleased, with no one deliberately controlling the pace between the two, yet occasionally they would race headlong into an unstoppable frenzy.
At the moment, I didn't feel anything was wrong; instead, my heart was pounding, and I could even laugh out loud while looking at the screen.
However, it was later discovered that something seemed to have gone too far.
Standing in the elevator, Liang Shi pondered this question carefully for the first time.
But she couldn't tell where her own feelings were, or what stage Xu Qingzhu's feelings had reached.
Do you like it?
Or is it simply dependence?
Liang Shi was an extremely skilled person at suppressing her emotions; she mastered the art of delayed gratification.
In that world, people were afraid of hurting others, so they always had to suppress their emotions. When I saw a girl I liked in middle school, my first reaction was to stay far away from her, and I wouldn't even have a normal conversation with her.
It was the same every time after that. She wouldn't take the initiative to greet people she was interested in. She was exceptionally sensitive and would notice the emotional changes of the people around her.
Because that's how she's always lived.
Back then, her agent and assistant said she lived too cautiously and was too careful, not at all like someone in their twenties.
What should a person in their twenties be like?
Flamboyant and unrestrained, proud and arrogant, he felt that none of the world's peaks were high enough, none of the world's hardships were difficult enough, and nothing could make him back down.
When doing something, I don't think about what others should do; instead, I always think about what I want first.