The sound of children's laughter came from the alley in the distance.
Sheng Muxi only knew that Ni Chujing was a very good teacher, but she didn't know that there were these stories behind her.
Grandma Liu passed away a few days later.
People in the alley said that the old man specially wore new clothes and, as usual, sat alone at the door and dozed off. But he never woke up again.
Grandma Liu's children live in other places, and the neighbors took care of all the funeral arrangements.
Standing quietly before the grave, Chai Qianning gripped Sheng Muxi's hand tightly.
She didn't know that when Grandma Liu suddenly told them about Ni Chujing's past a few days ago, it might be because she had a premonition that she was about to die. That's why, seeing that the two of them often came to Ni Chujing's house, she hoped that they could visit Ni Chujing more often.
The old lady was a kind-hearted person. She was lonely in her later years, but before she passed away, she was still thinking of her neighbor.
The fine drizzle washed the tender green leaves, and the mountain was shrouded in mist.
Chai Qianning and Sheng Muxi followed Ni Chujing to visit Xu Limeng's grave.
The grave was overgrown with weeds, and Ni Chujing used a sickle to clear them away.
Knowing that the other party did not want their help, Chai Qianning and Sheng Muxi simply stood aside and watched quietly.
Sheng Muxi, holding Chai Qianning's hand, held the umbrella over Ni Chujing's head and stood there quietly for a while. No one spoke, but even without saying anything, a strong feeling of being moved was growing with the spring breeze.
A few months later, summer came again.
Sheng Muxi had considered bringing Ni Chujing over to live with him, and Chai Qianning strongly agreed with this idea.
But in the end, Ni Chujing's wishes were respected. After all, everything she cared about most was in Tongwan Alley.
Ni Chujing reassured them that although she lived alone, she knew her neighbors well and could chat with them whenever she wanted. She could also spend holidays with the elderly people in the alley.
The cicadas chirped noisily in July.
I still remember last year, when Chai Qianning and Sheng Muxi had only known each other for a short time. At that time, they were just ordinary neighbors.
Chai Qianning is hibernating in winter, sleepy in spring, tired in summer, and powerless in autumn.
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter, her unchanging habit is to stay in bed longer.
In order to change Chai Qianning's habit of staying in bed too long, Sheng Muxi suddenly had a whim during the summer vacation and dragged her for a morning run.
Every morning at six o'clock, Chai Qianning would get up and go for a run in the park at six twenty. Every morning when she got up, she was like a lost soul. Her face, arms and legs seemed to be covered with super glue, sticking to the bed and the quilt. When she got to the park, she would stick to Sheng Muxi and couldn't be pulled away.
Sheng Muxi led her as they ran, while Chai Qianning lagged behind, her body moving but her soul seemingly asleep.
So Sheng Muxi had to slow down and walk slowly, while Chai Qianning yawned repeatedly at the trees and grass.
Good habits are not easy to form. With only half of summer vacation over, Sheng Muxi has already given up on saving her from her laziness.
So every morning after that, the scene changed to Chai Qianning seeing the sunlight streaming in through the window and exclaiming in surprise, "You didn't wake me up today!"
However, influenced by Sheng Muxi's words, she still naturally wakes up around seven or eight o'clock every day.
When Chai Qianning woke up on the morning of Qingming Festival, Sheng Muxi had already gone to school. When she opened the refrigerator, she saw a sticky note on it with Sheng Muxi's neat handwriting: "No ice in the morning, or I'll beat you."
There was also a simple line drawing of a little person next to it.
Chai Qianning pinched the corner of the sticky note between her fingers and smiled softly.
Chapter 53 Chai Shuqing & Xia Yan Extra Part 1
The entrance to University A's campus.
Under rows of parasols, volunteers wearing vests with the University of A logo held small fans to their faces and squinted at the distance.
The scorching sun seemed to be drying people out, but it couldn't stop the overwhelming youthful energy.
The wheels of the suitcase made a loud noise on the road, just like the excited and curious cells of every freshman stepping into the campus.
A black car was parked on the side of the road.
Chai Shuqing got out of the car, carrying a backpack in one hand and holding the handle of a suitcase in the other.
Chai Qianning rolled down the car window, lazily glanced out, propped her chin on her hand, and lightly tapped the steering wheel with her other hand: "Really, you don't need me to go with you to report for duty? I know this place well."
“No need, I’m going to university, not elementary school.” Chai Shuqing slung her backpack strap over one shoulder. “Sis, you go ahead and do your thing.”
"Okay, I understand. You want to take this opportunity to meet some upperclassmen." Chai Qianning raised an eyebrow slightly. "I won't bother you anymore."
As the car drove off, a light dust rose from the road surface, swirling in the beams of light.
Chai Shuqing slung her backpack over her shoulder, but before she could take a step, a group of senior students rushed over.
"Junior, do you need any help?"
"Hey junior, what department are you in? Do you want me to take you to register?"
"..." It was too hot, and fine beads of sweat hung on Chai Shuqing's forehead. Faced with the enthusiasm of her seniors, Chai Shuqing gave a helpless smile: "I only have one suitcase, I don't need... so many people."
"I can do it."
"Move aside, I'll help the junior with her luggage."
"There are still a bunch of freshmen over there who need help, why are you competing with me for them?"
".."
Chai Shuqing glanced around. The sweltering weather, their constant arguing, and the air thick with the smell of sweat gave her a terrible headache.
In order to have some peace and quiet, she declined the offer of help from the group of senior students and chose to support herself.
A is not entirely unfamiliar to her.
Chai Qianning graduated from this university. She had attended Chai Qianning's graduation ceremony here before and even ate at the cafeteria.
After carrying her suitcase for a while, she suddenly regretted it. She should have asked Chai Qianning to come and hold the umbrella for her.
She's so hot, she's getting heatstroke.
And yet, this school is so big.
Chai Shuqing stopped, took out her phone, and checked the message from Yao Yunqi: "Have you arrived at school yet?"
Chai Shuqing replied: 【Arrived.】
Yao Yunqi: [I'm on my way.]
After replying to the message, Chai Shuqing put her phone in her bag. There was a step ahead; she needed to carry her suitcase up it.
She shortened the suitcase handle, gripped it, and applied slight pressure with her wrist. However, she only managed to pull it up halfway before the suitcase returned to its original position due to insufficient wrist strength.
This suitcase is actually quite heavy!
She freed her other hand, gripped the handle with both hands, and was about to lift it when a tall shadow fell to her side. Then a pair of pale, well-defined hands with a cool touch covered the back of her hands and helped her lift the suitcase up the steps.
Chai Shuqing half-lifted her eyes.
A tall girl, with her back to the sun, spoke before Chai Shuqing could clearly see her face due to the glaring sunlight, saying, "Thank you, senior."
She twirled her fingers.
My palms were sweaty from all the activity under the scorching sun, but the other person's hands were cool and refreshing, and the touch was surprisingly comfortable.
But when the man heard her call her "senior," he paused for a moment and asked, "Huh?"
Her voice was clear, yet slightly hoarse.
Only then did Chai Shuqing get a good look at the other person's appearance.
The area was bustling with people, and the red light at the intersection turned green.
She blinked slowly, a little surprised and a little afraid of mistaking someone for someone else, so she stared at the other person for several seconds.
The girl, in turn, calmly looked back at her.
Chai Shuqing's expression gradually changed: "You...Xia Jin?"
Xia Jin responded, her narrow eyes flickering slightly: "What, is there something on my face?"
Chai Shuqing withdrew her gaze from her face and looked at the green shade on the other side.
She dragged her suitcase and walked over there. Xia Jin followed a few steps and walked beside her: "What's wrong? You recognize me but you're pretending not to?"
"No."
"Then why were you in such a hurry?"
"I need to go report for duty."
"Oh, you haven't reported yet?" Xia Jin glanced down at the suitcase beside her. "I'll help you with it."
"Need not."
The next second, the other person's hand pressed against her wrist.
Chai Shuqing stopped walking.
Sunlight, shattered by the green leaves, poured down onto their shoulders and shoes.
Chai Shuqing turned to look at her.
The two have known each other since junior high school.
The summer after graduating from junior high school, they deleted each other's contact information due to a conflict. Xia Jin was not a local of City A and went to high school in another city. The two never saw each other again after that.
"What did you just call me? Senior?" Xia Jin's fingers slid from her wrist to the handle of the suitcase, and she curled her lips into a smile: "Come on, senior will take you to register."
Chai Shuqing had already let go of the suitcase handle. She paused for a few seconds, then seemed to finally realize what was happening, and followed after him, pulling on her backpack strap.
"Xia Jin, weren't you in the same year as me? How come you're my senior now? Are you a sophomore?"
Xia Jin hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.
"How come you're a sophomore in college..." Chai Shuqing scratched her head. The two were in the same class in junior high school and graduated together. How come the other person is a year older than her?
"There's only one possibility," Chai Shuqing turned to look at her in surprise, "You skipped a grade in high school?!"
Chai Shuqing was somewhat surprised. The other girl's middle school entrance exam scores weren't even half as good as hers, yet she skipped a grade in high school? In just two years, she got into University A. This was too unbelievable!
"Xia Jin, did you really skip a grade in high school?" Chai Shuqing pressed on relentlessly.
Xia Jin stopped and pointed in another direction. Chai Shuqing looked in the direction she was pointing.