Chapter 30

Wei Qingyue only felt a great anguish in his heart, the kind of "great anguish" one might encounter in a classical Chinese reading comprehension text. It seeped into his heart, instantly overflowing and submerging him. He had never known what a person had to encounter for their heart to feel such "great anguish."

Youth is uneven; everyone has their own joys and sorrows. But most people are fed and clothed, and their parents' only demand is that they study hard. And yet, for all that, a large group of them are still unhappy.

Wei Qingyue studied well, yet things were still like this. He never knew someone would think of him in this way. The girl's face was as ridiculously swollen as a pig's head. He looked at her, then slowly stood up.

Without saying a word to Jiang Du, Wei Qingyue returned to the school with Zhang Xiaoqiang.

The school reported it to the police, and the matter ended up at the station. The man clamored for a paternity test, yelling that it was perfectly natural to hit your own child, that hitting your own kid wasn't against the law.

Such an arrogant man had an exceedingly common name, Wang Yong.

Wang Yong had a criminal record. He had been imprisoned for ten years for rape, and later imprisoned again for theft. He had only been out for a short time.

The director told the police that Jiang Du's file had no information on her parents, only on two elderly people.

"Officer, now you know why I hit the kid, don't you? She won't acknowledge..." Wang Yong was cunning and full of twisted logic. The officer barked at him, saying sternly, "Even if she is your child, beating her like this is against the law! What do I know? What do you know?! Huh?"

In the end, Wang Yong was taken into custody.

Jiang Du took a full week off. She was hospitalized for two days and spent the remaining days at home.

The school was covered in red banners, so long they fluttered from the top floor all the way down to the first. They were inscribed with inspiring words, making it seem as if you could truly touch a bright future just by reaching out your hand.

The countdown would soon go from double digits to a single digit, yet the city seemed to have entered the plum rain season. They called it moderate rain, but when it came, torrents poured down the bus windows, shattering the neon lights into a messy puddle of apricot-red and smoky-blue. The seared aroma of stir-fried mutton with scallions drifted from the street.

Jiang Du's scrapes began to scab over. Her Grandma told her not to pick at them, afraid they would scar, but scars were not something that only formed on the skin.

No one mentioned what had happened that day. She heard her Grandma crying with restraint inside the room. The floor was littered with cigarette butts her grandpa had smoked. He had said, "What a sin," followed by a long sigh.

During the meal, her Grandma opened her mouth to speak several times, but always swallowed her words. Outside, the sound of the rain grew more urgent, washing the fresh green osmanthus tree.

"Sweetheart, there's something I want to discuss with you," her Grandma said. Although she was holding her bowl, the rice inside was almost untouched. The chopsticks in her hand were splayed apart, like two independent em dashes. "Your grandpa and I are thinking about selling the house and moving somewhere else. We've already asked Mei Zhong. You can transfer schools while keeping your student status here. When it's time for the Gaokao, you can come back to Mei Zhong to take the exam. It won't cause any delays."

Her grandpa wasn't at the dinner table today. Her Grandma said he had gone to see an old friend. Jiang Du guessed that her grandpa was busy running errands for something.

The rain was so heavy.

"We didn't do anything wrong, so 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 this way, and she just hadn't known it before.

Her Grandma fell silent, her hands trembling slightly.

There were some things Jiang Du didn't ask a single word about. If she didn't ask, she could pretend they weren't real, that they had never happened.

There was no laughter at the dinner table anymore. The meal tasted bitter.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Both grandmother and granddaughter tensed up and exchanged a look. Her Grandma stood up first, walked to the door, and peered through the peephole. She turned her head and said to Jiang Du:

"It's a classmate, the one who walked you home."

The rain was so heavy, and Wei Qingyue had come to see her.

In that instant, her feelings were indescribable. Wei Qingyue was always different from others. He ranked first and was a good kid by worldly standards, yet he also smoked and fought, always looking untamed. He was the idol of all students at the opening ceremony; he could walk her home, and he could also violently beat up a creep. But behind him stood an insurmountable patriarchal power. He had two sides. Jiang Du thought that she probably didn't hold any great significance to him; she had just happened to become a part of his actions, a consequence of his personality.

The girl walked over and opened the door. What she saw was the boy's face as he lifted it that instant—his eyes clear, his hair misty from the rain, his black sneakers completely soaked.

He was wearing a striped long-sleeved shirt, and his casual jeans were also black. She couldn't tell if they were wet.

"Here. These are the handouts and test papers your class got recently." Wei Qingyue handed over a tightly sealed plastic bag. "Your deskmate photocopied her notes from every subject for you. She said you two probably haven't spoken much, but she hopes you recover soon."

Jiang Du's face was strangely pale, so thin and transparent it seemed a paper cut could draw crimson blood. She took the plastic bag and hugged it tightly to her chest, holding it under her chin. Her eyes flickered as she looked at him with a somewhat distant expression, saying nothing.

"Child, why don't you come in and sit for a bit?" Her Grandma stood behind Jiang Du, giving Wei Qingyue a smile that was slightly awkward and inexplicably nervous. The old woman seemed like a different person, having lost her usual natural and effusive warmth.

Wei Qingyue gave a faint, slight smile. His eyes were pitch-black, and when he was silent, the eyes and brows hidden by his damp hair seemed as if they had something to say.

"Don't just stand outside. Come in for a cup of tea before you go. Look at you, coming to deliver materials for Jiang Du in such heavy rain." Her Grandma tried to find something to say to get Wei Qingyue to come inside.

Jiang Du stepped back and bent down to find a pair of slippers for him. Then, she watched him place his umbrella in the entryway. The raindrops dripping from it looked very much like tears.

The two sat on the living room sofa. Her Grandma found some tea leaves and filled a disposable paper cup with hot water.

"You two talk, I'll go tidy up the kitchen. By the way, child, have you eaten?" Her Grandma asked as she tied on her apron. Wei Qingyue quickly said that he had already eaten.

Her Grandma gave a couple of placating "ohs" and went into the kitchen.

For a moment, the only sound was the rain on the balcony, vast and all-encompassing, creating the illusion that a river was about to overflow its banks.

"If there are any problems you don't understand, you can ask me." Wei Qingyue held the paper cup, sipping the scalding water.

Jiang Du smiled briefly. Her eyes were on his long sleeves, but she was guessing that Wei Qingyue must have been beaten. His arms must be covered in ugly scars, which was why he kept them hidden. Just like her, hiding at home, not yet knowing how to gather the courage to return to school.

She suddenly stood up and took out the special scar-healing ointment her grandpa had gotten, handing it to Wei Qingyue. As expected, Wei Qingyue was taken aback for a moment. He actually smiled. Taking it in his hand, he glanced at it twice, his expression still nonchalant:

"Thanks."

"During military training, why did you sit by the side of the field every day?" He seemed to have randomly picked a topic to start a conversation, not asking if she was better or offering any words of comfort.

Jiang Du had that shy look on her face again. She said, "I've had a bad heart since I was little. There are holes in it, so I can't do strenuous exercise."

At this, she looked at Wei Qingyue's face and suddenly knew where the holes were. They ached faintly, but strangely, with him sitting right in front of her, the holes also became gentle and distinct. A whistling spring breeze poured into them, tender and lingering, until the holes were completely filled, and then green grass and delicate flowers grew, with a bright sky overhead.

Wei Qingyue didn't reply, just took another sip of hot tea. On the coffee table were a couple of popular science books. He flipped through one casually and asked her, "You like reading popular science?"

"I like knowledge that's useless but interesting." Jiang Du's voice finally had a bit of life in it.

Wei Qingyue smiled. "What do you mean by useless but interesting knowledge?"

"When I was in elementary school, I liked to repeatedly touch the touch-me-not plant to watch it close up. Back then, I wanted to know why it was so magical. Knowing the principle behind why the touch-me-not closes isn't very useful, but it's very interesting. It's something like that," Jiang Du explained smoothly. She was actually a little tired—the kind of tiredness that comes from carefully trying to maintain a normal conversational state with a friend—but she was very happy today.

Wei Qingyue quickly flipped through the book in his hands, like shuffling a deck of cards. "What a coincidence. I have a whole bellyful of useless but interesting knowledge like that. You can ask me anything you want to know." When the boy smiled at her, his eyes held a hint of playfulness, and something else as well.

Jiang Du pressed her lips together and also gave a faint smile. She placed her hands on the fabric of the sofa, rubbing it gently a couple of times, and said, "I haven't even properly thanked you."

As she spoke, she glanced toward the kitchen. Her Grandma walked past and quietly entered her and her grandpa's room, pulling the door closed behind her.

"I'm not as noble as you think," Wei Qingyue said. "That day, I didn't do what I did purely because of you. I hate violence, but I discovered that I'm actually quite similar to Wei Zhendong. You have no idea how much I hate him. Why, of all people, did I have to be like Wei Zhendong?"

Jiang Du had heard from the teacher that Wei Qingyue had tried to strangle the man to death and hadn't succeeded. Usually, if she had ten things to say to him, she could only manage to say one. But at this moment, she had to say everything.

"Wei Qingyue, don't be like that anymore," 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 be devoured by it. I think people need to have boundaries when they do things. Once you cross that boundary, it's not good—mainly, not good for yourself. If you had..." She suddenly shivered violently. "...killed him, maybe we're not old enough to go to jail now, I don't really understand the law, but if we were over eighteen, we would have to bear legal responsibility. No matter what, it's not worth it. I mean, you're so good, you shouldn't waste your future over something like this."

"I didn't realize you were such a preacher, just like a teacher. Where am I so good? How come I don't know it myself?" Wei Qingyue said, half-joking, a smile playing on his lips.

The light in Jiang Du's eyes dimmed. She forced a smile. "I really do think so."

He continued to look down and drink his tea, as if it contained some incredible flavor. The steam wafted onto his face, seeming to soften his features.

"Alright, I'll listen to you." Wei Qingyue was very direct. He smiled at her again and saw her exposed arm—slender and fair. On her forearm were two red dots, and next to them, a purplish-black scab.

He pointed at the red dots. "Mosquito bites?"

Jiang Du hummed in agreement and looked down as well. She asked him, "Why do you get a bump after a mosquito bites you?"

"Because when a mosquito bites you, it injects an anticoagulant into your skin. This substance is identified by your body's immune system. To put it simply, the two sides start a fight, which leads to an allergic reaction." Wei Qingyue's eyes were like a field of rice in the wind, one part raised and bright, one part sunken and dark. Outside, a flash of lightning lit up, passing swiftly over the osmanthus leaves.

Jiang Du nodded, seeming very pleased. "My store of useless but interesting knowledge has increased again."

The rain was truly heavy, and the wind began to pick up as well. The dense leaves were blown apart, revealing a patch of dark, churning clouds. The light in the living room grew more and more unstable, and the people sitting there were reduced to vague silhouettes.

"It feels like summer," Jiang Du murmured to herself. Wei Qingyue said, "The Start of Summer was a while ago. It is indeed summer."

"I always feel like spring isn't over. It seems like summer is for the summer vacation, for eating popsicles, enjoying air conditioning, and taking long afternoon naps. Otherwise, it can't be called summer," Jiang Du said with a completely serious face.

Wei Qingyue was sweating from the hot tea. He laughed, thinking Jiang Du was particularly interesting. This was how one should live 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 reporter, or a magazine editor. What about you?" Jiang Du's mood was gradually becoming the opposite of the weather outside. She asked him cheerfully.

"Me? I'll be your interview subject." Wei Qingyue's reply was perfectly natural. "Whatever you ask me, I'll answer. 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. She slowly reined in her smile. For a moment, there was nothing to say, and the air became slow and silently awkward.

Wei Qingyue was truly sensitive to the heat. He unconsciously rolled up his sleeves, revealing a glimpse of ghastly scars. Jiang Du's gaze automatically shifted to them.

"My dad and my mom had a terrible relationship. They fought every day. I got used to it." Wei Qingyue followed her gaze down to his own forearm and began talking about himself. "They would have their fights, and I would just eat when it was time to eat, and do my homework when it was time to do homework. Later, they divorced, and I went with Wei Zhendong. He has an inferiority complex. You might not understand a man's inferiority complex. My mom was a top student from a privileged family. He wasn't smart enough for school, his IQ was lacking, but he knew how to do business. My mom thought he was crude and uncultured and looked down on him. So he constantly found other women, switched them out, to prove that women liked him. He bought a bunch of antiques for the house, famous calligraphy and paintings, and went to exhibitions dressed in suits, though I suspect he didn't understand any of it. Besides making money and finding women, his greatest hobby was beating me. The more he gesticulated and roared, the more indifferent I became. It had no effect on me. Wei Zhendong always wanted me to admit I was wrong. He was crazed. It was as if by suppressing me, he was indirectly suppressing his ex-wife, whom he could never handle. It also took me a long time to figure out why Wei Zhendong beat me so crazily."

The words were many, but his tone was light and detached.

After he finished, Wei Qingyue smiled and asked her, "Isn't it ridiculous?"

Jiang Du said quietly, "Forget these bad things. You'll be able to get away from your father soon. You will have a good life."

Wei Qingyue was first amused for a moment by her simple words. He hesitated for a bit, squeezing the paper cup. "Yes, I'm probably going to America after the summer vacation ends. I've waited a long time for this day." As he said this, the feeling that should have been ecstatic, like a dream come true, was instead like diluted air, almost undetectable. It was as if "I've waited a long time for this day" was just something he felt he should say, without any strong emotion behind it.

So soon... Jiang Du lowered her head, and for a long while, it seemed she was just listening to the sound of the rain.

She finally lifted her head. "That's great. You'll go to a really amazing university, right?"

"You will too." Wei Qingyue avoided her gaze and looked toward the balcony. "The rain seems to have let up a little."

"Yeah, it seems a little lighter." Jiang Du also looked outside.

"When are you coming back to school?" Wei Qingyue cleared his throat.

But Jiang Du shook her head. "I don't know. My grandparents want to move and have me transfer schools. I don't know if I'll be going back to Mei Zhong."

The paper cup in Wei Qingyue's hand slowly deformed.

He said, "You're transferring? Is it because of... this incident?"

Jiang Du's eyes turned red. She turned her head away, grateful that the light was poor on this rainy day. She didn't want people to think that just because she looked frail, her personality was weak as well.

"I guess so. I don't want to leave Mei Zhong, but if my grandparents insist, I'll listen to them."

Wei Qingyue was silent for a long time, then suddenly stood up. "I should go. You don't have to transfer. Just wait a little longer."

Jiang Du stood up in a bit of a flurry. The rain outside hadn't stopped. Wei Qingyue hurriedly changed his shoes, picked up his umbrella, and turned to look at her, saying, "Don't see me out."

"Thank you for bringing me the materials today," Jiang Du said in a small voice.

Wei Qingyue smiled. "Study hard. Don't fall behind on your schoolwork."

He opened his umbrella and stepped out of the security door. Jiang Du, in her slippers, stood on the red doormat that read "Safe In and Out" and watched Wei Qingyue walk toward the building entrance.

As he exited the building, he glanced back at her one more time. He didn't wave or say anything before turning and walking into the wind and rain.