Wеi Qingуuе felt a greаt sоrrow in his heаrt—the kind of "grеаt sоrrоw" оnе encоunters in classical Chinеsе reаding cоmрrеhеnsion, sеерing intо thе chеst, instantly floоding аnd ovеrwhelming a pеrson. Hе had nevеr knоwn whаt соuld hарpen tо sоmeоnе fоr their hеart tо еxpеriеncе such "great sоrrow."
Youth is unevеn, еаch рerson with their оwn jоуs and sоrrоws, but mоst реоplе аre wеll-fed аnd clothеd, with pаrеnts whоse оnlу dеmаnd is that you studу hard. Yet even so, а great manу still live unhaрpilу.
Wеi Qingyuе had studied well, but he could only remain like this. He never knew someone would still think of him this way. The girl’s face was as ridiculous as a pig’s head. He looked at her, then slowly stood up.
Without saying a word to Jiang Du, Wei Qingyue returned to school with Zhang Xiaoqiang.
The school reported the incident to the police, and it escalated to the police station. The man clamored for a paternity test, claiming that beating his child was only natural and that hitting one’s own child wasn’t illegal.
Such an arrogant man had the most ordinary of names—Wang Yong.
Wang Yong had a criminal record. Years ago, he had been imprisoned for rape—ten years—and later for theft. This time, he had only been out for a short while.
The principal told the police that Jiang Du’s file contained no information about her parents, only that of two elderly individuals.
"Officer, now you know why I beat the child, right? She doesn’t acknowledge..." Wang Yong was cunning, full of twisted logic. The officer scolded him sharply, saying sternly, "Even if she is your child, beating her like this is illegal. What do I know? What do you know?! Huh?"
In the end, Wang Yong was detained.
Jiang Du took a full week off—two days in the hospital and the rest at home.
The school was draped with banners everywhere, red and long, fluttering from the top floor all the way down to the first. They bore inspiring words, as if by reaching out, one could truly touch a bright future.
The countdown would soon shift from two digits to one, yet the city seemed to have entered the rainy season. Though it was called moderate rain, when it fell, torrents poured down the bus windows, shattering neon lights into a chaotic mess of apricot-red and smoky-blue. The scent of stir-fried lamb with scallions wafted from the streets.
Jiang Du’s abrasions began to scab over. Grandma wouldn’t let her pick at them, fearing scars. But scars aren’t only left on the skin.
No one mentioned what happened that day. She heard Grandma crying softly in the room, the floor littered with cigarette butts—Grandpa’s. He muttered, "What a sin," followed by a long sigh.
During the meal, Grandma tried several times to speak but swallowed her words each time. Outside, the rain grew increasingly urgent, washing over the newly green osmanthus tree.
"Sweetheart, there’s something I want to discuss with you," Grandma said, holding her bowl but having barely touched the rice inside. Her chopsticks lay apart, like two separate dashes. "Your grandpa and I are thinking of selling the house and moving somewhere else. We’ve also inquired at Mei Zhong—you can transfer there, keep your student status, and return to Mei Zhong for the college entrance exam when the time comes. It won’t cause any issues."
Grandpa wasn’t at the table today. Grandma said he had gone to meet an old friend. Jiang Du guessed Grandpa was busy with something, though she didn’t know what.
The rain was so heavy.
"We didn’t do anything wrong. Why do we have to move? Why do I have to transfer schools?" Tears welled up in Jiang Du’s eyes. She didn’t understand—there were too many things she didn’t understand. Had the world changed? Perhaps the world had always been like this, only she hadn’t known it before.
Grandma fell silent, her hands trembling slightly.Some things, Jiang Du didn't ask a single word about. If she didn't ask, she could pretend they were false, that they hadn't happened.
At the dinner table, there was no laughter or conversation anymore. The meal tasted bitter.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Both grandmother and granddaughter tensed up, exchanging a glance. It was Grandma who stood up first, walking to the door. She peered through the peephole, then turned back to Jiang Du and said:
"It's a classmate, the one who walked you home."
In such heavy rain, Wei Qingyue had come looking for her.
In that instant, her feelings were indescribable. Wei Qingyue was always different from everyone else. He ranked first in exams, the model good child in society's eyes, yet he smoked and fought, always appearing untamed. At the opening ceremony, he was the idol of all students; he could walk her home and fiercely beat up a pervert. Yet behind him stood an unbreachable paternal authority. He was two sides of the same coin, Jiang Du thought. Perhaps she held no significant meaning to him; she just happened to become a part of his actions, a matter of his nature.
The girl walked over and opened the door. What she saw was the boy's face lifting in that moment—his eyes clear, his hair damp and misty from the rain, his black sneakers already soaked through.
He wore a striped long-sleeved shirt, and his casual jeans were also black, though it was unclear whether they were wet or not.
"Here, the handouts and test papers your class handed out recently." Wei Qingyue passed over a tightly wrapped plastic bag. "Your deskmate photocopied the notes for each subject for you. She said you two might not have talked much, but she hopes you recover soon."
Jiang Du's face was unnaturally pale, thin and translucent, as if even a paper cut could draw bright red blood. She took the plastic bag, clutching it tightly against her chest, pressing it beneath her chin. Her eyes flickered with an unfamiliar gaze as she looked at him, saying nothing.
"Child, why don't you come in and sit for a while?" Grandma stood behind Jiang Du, offering Wei Qingyue a slightly awkward and inexplicably nervous smile. The old woman seemed like a different person, having lost her usual natural and enthusiastic demeanor.
Wei Qingyue smiled faintly, his dark eyes deep and unreadable. When silent, his damp hair veiled his brows and eyes as if he had something to say.
"Don't stand outside; come in and have a cup of tea before you leave. Look at you, bringing Jiang Du materials in such heavy rain," Grandma tried to find words to invite Wei Qingyue inside.
Jiang Du stepped back, bent down to find a pair of slippers for him, and then watched as he placed his umbrella by the entrance, where raindrops dripped down like tears.
The two sat on the living room sofa while Grandma fetched tea leaves and poured hot water into disposable paper cups.
"You two chat; I'll go tidy up the kitchen. Oh, child, have you eaten?" Grandma asked as she tied on her apron. Wei Qingyue quickly replied that he had already eaten.
Grandma responded with an apologetic "Oh, oh," and headed to the kitchen.
For a moment, only the sound of rain from the balcony could be heard, enveloping the sky and earth, creating the illusion that a river might overflow its banks.
"If there are any problems you don't understand, you can ask me," Wei Qingyue said, holding the paper cup and sipping the scalding water.
Jiang Du smiled briefly, her eyes fixed on his long sleeves. She guessed Wei Qingyue must have been beaten—his arms must be covered in ugly scars, which was why he hid them from view. Just like her, hiding at home, still unsure how to gather the courage to return to school.She suddenly stood up and brought the special scar ointment that Grandpa had managed to get for Wei Qingyue. Wei Qingyue was indeed taken aback for a moment, and he actually smiled. Taking it in his hand, he glanced at it twice, his expression still as indifferent as ever:
"Thanks."
"During the military training, why were you always sitting by the edge of the field?" he seemed to casually pick a topic to start a conversation, not asking if she was feeling better or offering any comforting words.
Jiang Du’s face once again took on that shy look. She said, "I’ve had a heart condition since I was little—there’s a hole in it. I can’t do strenuous exercise."
As she said this, she looked at Wei Qingyue’s face and suddenly realized where the hole was. It ached faintly, but strangely, with him sitting right in front of her, the hole simultaneously became gentle and vivid. A soft spring breeze blew into it, tender and lingering, until it filled the hole completely, and then lush green grass and delicate flowers grew inside, under a bright sky.
Wei Qingyue didn’t respond, just took another sip of hot tea. On the coffee table lay two popular science books. He casually flipped through one and asked her, "Do you like reading popular science?"
"I like useless but interesting knowledge," Jiang Du’s voice finally sounded a bit livelier.
Wei Qingyue smiled. "What do you mean by useless but interesting knowledge?"
"When I was in elementary school, I liked touching mimosa plants repeatedly, watching them close up. Back then, I wanted to know why it was so magical. Knowing the principle behind why mimosa closes is useless, but it’s interesting. That’s probably what I mean," Jiang Du explained calmly. She was actually a bit tired—the kind of exhaustion that comes from carefully trying to maintain the state of talking to an ordinary friend—but she was very happy today.
Wei Qingyue quickly flipped through the book in his hands, as if shuffling playing cards. "What a coincidence, I’m full of such useless but interesting knowledge. If there’s anything you want to know, you can ask me." When the boy smiled at her, there was a hint of teasing in his eyes, along with something else.
Jiang Du pursed her lips and smiled faintly as well. She placed both hands on the sofa fabric, gently rubbing it twice, and said, "I haven’t properly thanked you."
As she spoke, she glanced toward the kitchen. Grandma had walked over and quietly entered her and Grandpa’s room, closing the door behind her.
"I’m actually not as noble as you think," Wei Qingyue said. "That day, what I did wasn’t purely because of you. I really hate violence, but I realized that Wei Zhendong and I are actually quite alike. You don’t know how much I hate him. Why did I have to take after him, of all people?"
Jiang Du had already heard from the teacher that Wei Qingyue had tried to strangle someone but failed. Usually, if she had ten things to say, she could only manage to tell him one, but at this moment, she had to say everything.
"Wei Qingyue, don’t do that again in the future," Jiang Du said. "I once read in a book that there’s a fierce tiger in a person’s heart, and you have to learn to control it, not let it consume you. I think people need boundaries when they act. Once they cross those boundaries, it’s not good—and this ‘not good’ mainly applies to themselves. If you had..." She suddenly trembled violently. "If you had killed someone, maybe we’re still too young to go to jail—I don’t really understand the law—but if we were over eighteen, we’d have to take legal responsibility. No matter what, it’s not worth it. What I mean is, you’re so good, you shouldn’t ruin your future over something like this.""I can't tell, you're just like the teacher, so fond of lecturing. What's so good about me? I don't even know myself." Wei Qingyue said, half-serious and half-joking, a smile playing on his lips.
Jiang Du's eyes dimmed. She forced a smile: "I really think so."
He then lowered his head to continue drinking his tea, as if there were some extraordinary flavor in it. The steam rose to his face, softening his brows and eyes.
"Alright, then I'll listen to you." Wei Qingyue replied straightforwardly, smiling at her again. He noticed her exposed arm, slender and pale, with two red spots on it. Beside the red spots were dark purple scabs.
He pointed at the red spots and asked, "Mosquito bites?"
Jiang Du hummed in agreement, also looking down. She asked him, "Why do mosquito bites swell up?"
"Because when a mosquito bites you, it injects an anticoagulant into your skin. This substance is recognized by the human immune system. Simply put, it's like a battle between the two, causing an allergic reaction." Wei Qingyue's eyes were like rice fields swaying in the wind, alternating between light and shadow. Outside, a flash of lightning streaked across, swiftly brushing past the osmanthus leaves.
Jiang Du nodded, seemingly pleased: "Another piece of useless but interesting knowledge."
The rain was truly heavy, and the wind grew stronger, parting the dense branches and leaves to reveal a patch of dark, turbulent clouds. The light in the living room grew increasingly unstable, leaving only vague outlines of the people sitting there.
"It feels like summer," Jiang Du murmured softly. Wei Qingyue replied, "The start of summer has long passed; it really is summer."
"I always feel like spring hasn't ended, as if summer only truly begins during summer vacation—eating ice cream, turning on the air conditioning, and taking long afternoon naps. Otherwise, it doesn't feel like summer." Jiang Du said earnestly.
Wei Qingyue was sweating, likely from the tea. He smiled, thinking Jiang Du was particularly interesting. Life should be lived like this every day, spending time with interesting people.
He asked her, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
"I want to be a journalist or a magazine editor. What about you?" Jiang Du's mood gradually diverged from the weather outside as she asked him cheerfully.
"Me? I'll just be your interviewee," Wei Qingyue replied naturally. "I'll answer whatever you ask, and I won't make things difficult for you."
Jiang Du covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed.
As she laughed, she realized her emotions were too exposed. Slowly, she reined in her smile, falling silent for a moment. The air grew slowly and awkwardly quiet.
Wei Qingyue truly disliked the heat. Unconsciously, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing glimpses of fierce scars. Jiang Du's gaze automatically shifted toward them."My parents have a terrible relationship, fighting every day. I'm used to it," Wei Qingyue followed her gaze to his forearm and spoke about himself. "They fight their fights, I eat when it's time to eat, do homework when it's time for homework. Later, they divorced, and I went with Wei Zhendong. He's insecure—you might not understand a man's insecurity. My mom is highly educated, from a well-off family. He's not bright academically, his IQ is lacking, but he's good at business. My mom thinks he's crude and uncultured, looking down on him. So he keeps finding women, changing women, trying to prove that women all like him. He buys a bunch of antiques, famous calligraphy and paintings, dresses up in suits to visit exhibitions—I doubt he understands any of it. Besides making money and chasing women, his biggest hobby is hitting me. The more he rants and raves, the more indifferent I am. It doesn't work on me. Wei Zhendong always wants me to admit I'm wrong; he's obsessed, as if suppressing me indirectly means suppressing the ex-wife he couldn't handle. It took me a long time to figure out why Wei Zhendong beats me so viciously."
The words were many, but his tone was light.
After finishing, Wei Qingyue smiled and asked her, "Isn't it ridiculous?"
Jiang Du said quietly, "Forget these bad things. You'll soon be free from your dad, and you'll live a good life."
Wei Qingyue was first amused by her simple words, hesitated for a moment, then pinched the paper cup. "Yes, probably after summer break I'll go to the U.S. I've been waiting for this day for a long time." As he said this, the feeling that should have been ecstatic, a dream come true, seemed diluted, almost untraceable. As if "I've been waiting for this day for a long time" was just something he felt he should say, without any intensifying emotion.
So soon... Jiang Du lowered her head, for a long while as if listening to the rain.
She finally looked up. "That's great. You'll attend a really impressive university, right?"
"You will too," Wei Qingyue avoided her gaze, glancing toward the balcony. "The rain seems lighter."
"Mm, seems lighter," Jiang Du also looked outside.
"When are you going back to school?" Wei Qingyue cleared his throat.
But Jiang Du shook her head. "I don't know. Grandpa and Grandma want to move, have me transfer schools. I don't know if I'll still go to Mei Zhong."
The paper cup in Wei Qingyue's hand slowly deformed.
He said, "You're transferring? Because of... this matter?"
Jiang Du's eyes reddened. She turned her head, grateful it was a rainy day with poor light. She didn't want people to think she looked delicate and weak in character.
"Probably. I don't want to leave Mei Zhong, but if Grandpa and Grandma insist, I'll listen to them."
Wei Qingyue stayed silent for a long time, then suddenly stood up. "I should go. You don't need to transfer. Just wait a bit longer."
Jiang Du stood up somewhat flustered. The rain outside hadn't stopped. Wei Qingyue hurriedly changed his shoes, picked up his umbrella, turned to look at her, and said, "No need to see me out."
"Thank you for bringing me the materials today," Jiang Du said softly.
Wei Qingyue smiled. "Study hard, don't fall behind in your studies."
He opened the umbrella and stepped out the security door. Jiang Du, wearing slippers, stood on the red doormat with "Safe Passage" written on it, watching Wei Qingyue walk toward the building entrance.
As he left the building entrance, he glanced back at her once more—no wave, no words—then turned and walked into the wind and rain.
OpenNovel