Recap
“All right, all right, get out—see? I don’t care which school you are from, just leave quickly, our children don’t have time to talk to you.”
Seeing the little rabbits from the school next door talking more and more, almost figuring out their entire teaching institution. The director of the education department interrupted in time, signalling Jin Linkun to take Yu Sheng home as soon as possible, and glanced at the man at the table.
“If you don’t know anything, don’t claim you’re his parent.”
___
The man stood for a while, then looked back at Yu Sheng who had no intention of speaking, turned around and went out the door.
The director of the education department rushed to the door, called Yu Sheng to stop him, and rummaged in the drawer for a long time.
“As a man, you need to have a backbone*, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.”
*(difficult to grasp the meaning of this one, but in chinese, it is 男子汉大丈夫)
The director tugged at him, and stuffed a bar of chocolate into his hand: “Little brat, the school is still here, tell the teachers if something is bothering you, okay?”
On the way home, he didn’t see that man again, so Jin Linkun entered his house with Yu Sheng and set up the hot pot.
After thinking about it, he dug out two more cold cans of beer from the refrigerator.
The affairs of Yu Sheng’s family are actually quite simple.
After his parents separated, they had a new life. His mother remarried after the divorce. The man also brought a boy who was a few years younger than him. While his father remarried as well and gave birth to a girl.
Yu Sheng’s custody is on his father’s side, but they don’t live together. When he was a child, he lived in their house by himself. Later, the property was divided, and his father bought another villa. The old house was put up for sale because it was difficult to divide.
When it was sold, he happened to be in high school, so they bought him a place to stay in the newly built community here.
“At the age of 18, if you have an independent residence, you can move out and open a separate account.”
Yu Sheng glanced at the phone, and put it on the table: “Family member, help me ask for a leave tomorrow, I’ll go through the formalities.”
In fact, it is not surprising at all.
The Steinway piano he was used to playing when he was a child was moved to his father’s new home. When he was in junior high school, he would occasionally use the excuse of practising the piano to stay at their house all day.
He also knew that it was no longer his piano, but he still wanted to touch it again.
There was a time when he was thirsty and went to drink water, when he overheard his father lower his voice to appease the worried woman: “He is young, he must have a guardian. Let him hang around in our house a little longer, and he will no longer come when he becomes an adult…”
Yu Sheng didn’t drink the water that day, so he took off the key his father gave him and put it on the piano bench, and walked more than ten kilometres under the sun to go home.
On the way home, he bought himself a sky blue children’s educational piano.
___
Then because he felt that the piano was still too stupid, he did not unpack it after two days after purchase. When he moved, he took it out and threw it into the storage room.
“…Actually, it sounds quite good.”
Jin Linkun took Yu Sheng’s hand, stroking his fingertips, and couldn’t help speaking up for the sky blue children’s educational piano: “It’s small and exquisite, easy to carry around, and I have developed feelings for it.”
Yu Sheng happened to remember that there was a cultural performance in their school at the end of the month: “Then why don’t you take it and show it to your classmates?”
Jin Linkun: “…”
The pot of green vegetable balls was almost cooked, Yu Sheng took a fish ball, dipped it in the sauce, took out the beer can he was holding in his hand, and went for a glass of orange juice.
“I’ll take a day off tomorrow too.”
Jin Linkun took two sips of orange juice, and finally temporarily suppressed the hoarseness in his voice: “I’ll accompany you?”
Yu Sheng put some meat into the hot pot: “No need.”
Jin Linkun still wanted to talk, but Yu Sheng had already scooped up another piece of potato and put it in his bowl: “We just go through a procedure for the things that have been decided in advance. The student registration and household registration are all arranged. I will sign and go through the procedure.”
Yu Sheng had thought about this day quite a few times. When he was a child, he thought that he would be extremely uncomfortable. Later, he realised that it had been too long, and he had long since lost the feeling.
It seemed that it was a predestined thing, nothing more than waiting for an ending that he already knew what it was.
It’s not a big deal.
The next day, Yu Sheng went through the formalities by himself.
Jin Linkun sat there all night, and even thought up an excuse that “the household registration book happened to be soaked in water and needs to be replaced.” When he got up the next morning, he met the eyes of his child, but he still didn’t say it.
For Yu Sheng, this is something he needs to solve by himself.
Considering his reaction to drinking beer, Yu Sheng drank the two cans of beer yesterday, neither of them wanted to clean up, so the empty cans just left in the living room.
Jin Linkun went to wash his face, and was about to tidy up the house. When he walked around to the living room, his footsteps suddenly paused.
The two empty beer cans were still there, but they were filled with soil at some point, placed on the coffee table, and two green grasses were placed in it.
It’s not a special kind, just the most common weed on the side of the road.
Jin Linkun stood by the coffee table for a while, holding the two beer cans, and carefully placed them on the window sill together with the garlic sprouts.
Yu Sheng’s appointment was early, it seemed that his father still had a lot of plans for today, and he didn’t have much time to spare. Jin Linkun walked around the house twice, carefully packed his things, looked at his phone for a while, and went to school with his schoolbag.
Yu Sheng didn’t always send him messages, but today he seemed to know that he was worried, and the messages came one by one.
It’s still his usual style of texting, and Jin Linkun can’t see any difference from usual.
– I met him and I’m going through the formalities now.
– What class are you having now?
– I can’t go back at noon, you eat first and bring me a piece of bread.
– There is a bookstore here, and the practice books are good.
– Ge.
Jin Linkun leaned against the wall next to the back door, held a pen between his fingers, and hid his mobile phone under the table in one hand, quickly replying to the messages.
He typed fast, and he could reply to several of Yu Sheng’s messages. The previous messages were all normal, but when he saw this word, his fingertips suddenly paused.
The other end did not send another message immediately, and after a while, another one was sent.
– I want to eat potato chips, tomato flavoured.
Their last lesson is a quiz, they are required to take a mock paper in an hour. In order not to cause too much pressure on other students, Jin Linkun was requested by the teacher several times to slow down the speed of doing the questions in cooperation, and would check the answers for a while after he finished.
Only half of the full duration passed, and the students in the class were still writing hard, writing a full sheet of paper and replacing it with a blank one, continuing to bury their heads in the calculation.
After Jin Linkun read the message for a while, he got up abruptly and handed in the paper that had already been filled.
Yu Sheng didn’t come back until it was getting dark.
If the registered permanent residence is changed, the student status must also be changed. The man who was labelled as a spy from the school yesterday took him into the school, and was interrogated for a long time. After repeatedly confirming the name “Yu Yanxing” on the ID card is his, he was finally let into the school.
The teacher of No. 3 High School accompanied the whole process, several directors chatted with Yu Sheng without saying a word. The director of the Academic Affairs Office went to make a cup of tea, left the man standing beside him for a long time, before finally stamping on the area where the seal should be stamped.
Lao He didn’t say anything from the beginning to the end. He only handed Yu Sheng a note with his address on it when he was sending him out, and smiled at him: “Let’s go, come over for dinner when you have the time.”
Yu Sheng took the note, held it for a while, and thanked Lao He.
When he went out today, the sky was a little cloudy. When he left the teaching building, there was already a cold wind blowing before the rain.
He thought it wouldn’t take so long to complete the procedure, but he didn’t expect it to take a whole day. The schedule reminder on Yu Yanxing’s mobile phone rang for a day, and Yu Sheng didn’t get in his car, so he took off his schoolbag and the two sets of newly bought practice papers: “It’s not far away, I can just go back by myself.”
Yu Yanxing looked at him without saying a word.
After so many years, no matter how close the blood relationship is, it will be diluted by time. The boy looked completely different from when he was a child, and he also carried a completely different aura than him. Today, they were together with each other all day, yet there was nothing to say.
He remembered that the last time he heard about Yu Sheng, it was this son who caused trouble everywhere and entered a third-rate high school to join forces with others and gave up on himself.
If he hadn’t come back to go through the formalities this time, he wouldn’t have known that the number one student in the Humanities Entrance Examination, which was widely talked about among private school parents, was actually his son, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time.
Yu Sheng didn’t seem to be moved by what happened today, and carried his school bag with his eyes downcast, and carried the plastic bag containing the practice books in his hand.
Hearing the sound of clattering, Yu Yanxing vaguely remembered the time when he was waiting to go through the formalities, and Yu Sheng seemed to have gone out once.
“You–“
Yu Yanxing couldn’t help frowning, the words came to his lips, but he couldn’t say them immediately,
It’s been too long.
He could hardly remember what this son looked like, let alone how Yu Sheng got here all these years. After he separated from Yu Sheng’s mother, he entered the rising stage of his career. He was in countless business meetings and negotiations every day, and had no time to go home. After a few years, he stabilised and formed a new family.
___
Then he suddenly discovered that the boy who was obviously so obedient and sensible when he was a child, had suddenly acquired an indifferent and cold stinging hostility towards him as he grew up.
“Who the hell taught you?”
Having suffered all the way in No. 3 high School, this son of his was so indifferent to his plight, seeming unmoved by anything. Sitting in the driver’s seat, Yu Yanxing finally couldn’t hold back his anger anymore, and his expression sank: “What kind of school is this? Did you pick up this attitude here? Look at yourself now…”
The cold wind was piercing, making people shiver, and their thoughts and emotions seemed to be moving very slowly.
Yu Sheng didn’t really want to hear these words, nor could he voice out what he really wanted to say. Turning around to leave, a hand suddenly grasped his wrist.
A familiar breath suddenly approached.
The extra warm coat was draped over his head thickly, wrapping his whole body tightly.
Jin Linkun was also carrying a bag in his hand, his chest was heaving, and he held him tightly with one hand, distributing more heat from his body to him.
The chest that had been cold for a day suddenly warmed up, Yu Sheng couldn’t help but frown, his breathing paused for a while, the heavy and dull ache that had always been ignored, suddenly surged up.
Yu Sheng grabbed his sleeve, stood for a while holding his breath, bent slightly, and his body leaned against the warm chest.
Jin Linkun embraced him.
Yu Yanxing recognized him, and his brows furrowed even tighter: “Who the hell are you?”
In the office of the No. 3 high School, this kid inexplicably got involved. Yu Yanxing became even more angry, rolled down the car window and said sternly: “This is our family business, it has nothing to do with you, you—”
“The meal is ready.” Jin Linkun didn’t listen to him, he lowered his head and took Yu Sheng’s hand, “Have you brought the key?”
Yu Sheng nodded, took it out and handed it to him.
He doesn’t know how long the key has been held in his hand like this, the child’s whole body is almost freezing, and the metal key is still slightly warm.
Jin Linkun took the key, took out a cup of hot millet pumpkin porridge, stuffed it into his hand, and inserted a straw for him.
Yu Sheng hadn’t eaten much all day, and now something fell into his stomach, it hurt at first.
The millet pumpkin porridge nourished the stomach, and the discomfort did not last long. Yu Sheng waited for a while, then lowered his head and continued to drink the porridge in small sips, the dull pain from before was also gradually calmed down by the warm temperature.
Jin Linkun walked in front of Yu Sheng, shielding him, and nodded politely towards Yu Yanxing: “Excuse me, I’m here to pick up Yu Sheng to head home, what about you*?”
*(He uses the polite form of the word ‘you’)
Yu Yanxing suddenly stopped.
The sky was a little cloudier than before, and the wind was blowing the fallen leaves and blowing sand all over the sky. The air conditioner was turned on in the car, and it was only after he opened the windows just now, did he realise that it was so cold outside.
Jin Linkun didn’t continue to embarrass him, he hugged Yu Sheng for a while, then held his hands and said a few words in a low voice.
Yu Sheng nodded, followed him out a few steps and stopped, took out his phone, and took out a card pin from his pocket.
Sitting in the car, Yu Yanxing watched as Yu Sheng lowered his head, took out the SIM card that was already old and slightly rusty, and put it on his dashboard.
Not knowing what this SIM card meant, Yu Yanxing’s heart shrank inexplicably, and he frowned and wanted to speak, but Yu Sheng had already taken a step back.
With straight shoulders and a straight figure, he bowed to him.
It didn’t take long for the rain to pour down, and the two of them had already walked a long way. The tall boy took out a raincoat from his arms, wrapped him in his arms, and covered him carefully.
The cell phone next to him rang, and the messages came one after another.
Yu Yanxing sat in the driver’s seat for a long while, saw the figures disappearing into the rain, picked up his phone to reply to the message, and was suddenly taken aback.
On the seat on the co-pilot side, at some point, a boy who used to sit there had left a few pieces of big white rabbit candies.
Yu Sheng was held by Jin Linkun, and looked up at the umbrella above his head: “Am I not already wearing a raincoat?”
“Yes, double protection is better.” Jin Linkun smiled, raised his hand and rubbed his hair, “The autumn rain is cool, I’m afraid you will be cold.”
It’s not cold anymore.
Yu Sheng was first wrapped in a coat by him, and then he was forced to put on a raincoat outside. He still had a hot water bottle stuffed in his arms. He felt that he was basically no different from Totoro*, even walking. It’s a bit of a struggle.
*(
He stayed outside all day today, and Jin Linkun was not in a hurry to ask what he did, so he took all his school bags and plastic bags, and led him home together.
The rain crackled on the ground, stirring up a little fog along the street.
The roadside stalls are almost sold out, and there is a cart selling candied haws, with the last few bunches left.
It’s not the traditional hawthorn, which has everything strung on it, grapes, bananas, and yams, which are specially made to amuse children, with a thick layer of rock sugar poured on top.
Jin Linkun stuffed the umbrella into his hand, put on the hat of the raincoat, ran over to buy a bunch in the rain, and walked back quickly protecting it with his arms: “Take a bite, come, see if it’s sweet, he said we don’t have to pay if it’s not sweet…”
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but smile, opened his mouth and took one in his mouth, wanting to speak, when his chest suddenly hurt without warning.
That unbridled pain.
When his parents divorced, he was doing his homework. After finishing his homework, he watched two people who had exhausted their love and patience walk out of the house one after another in the torment of endless trivial matters, and there were two loud sounds downstairs.
When his mother remarried, he was still learning English. Complete strangers stood together with the relatives he was once most familiar with, and said “Don’t be a stranger” and “treat this like your own home” to him with a smile.
After his father remarried, the woman who told him to call her “Auntie” smiled at him kindly, gave him a notebook and earphones that he hardly needed, and when he was teaching the little girl how to play the piano with her back close to him, she ran up in a panic and quickly snatched her daughter back.
That day, he walked more than ten kilometres home by himself, and he was fine. He should eat and sleep when he goes back. The next day, he threw away the registration form for direct entry into high school that the private school teacher helped to choose, and picked a school that was far away from everyone. The furthest high school.
It seems that none of them are worth hypocrisy. If he were to really compare, his life is not bad, he is not blocked by some hurdles that he cannot get over.
He didn’t think it felt uncomfortable. Anyway, even if it was uncomfortable, it was nothing more than getting over it on his own. No one would come back to help him because of this.
But now it suddenly seems to hurt.
The pain was as if a hot iron rod had been inserted into his chest, and he couldn’t bend it down or straighten up. It seemed that it was something that had been accumulated for a long time, firmly buried in the bottom of his heart, and even he himself felt that he had already gotten over it long ago, leaving only scars, yet the emotions roared fiercely now.
It was as if a child ran and fell, and his hands and knees were bruised and bloody, but he gritted his teeth and got up.
The wounds have been treated, disinfected and bandaged, and they have begun to heal, even the impression of falling is not deep, when suddenly someone stroked his hair, hugged him, and asked him if it hurts.
Then it seemed like all the pain came back.
Yu Sheng chewed and swallowed the thick sugar-coated grape, closed his eyes, and was pulled into an embrace by Jin Linkun.
The boy who was holding on to the railing was forcibly carried back to the room by the nanny, curled up on the bed alone, and while the nanny was fast asleep, he sneaked back to the balcony, curled up in the cold moonlight, and gently patted his own head.
Someone will come, someone will definitely come.
He held back his tears, and when that someone finally came, he must have a good cry.
Then never cry again.
___
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Update: 2 days later~
- After becoming enemies with the lord god
- Blog
- Completed
- Don't talk to me!
- Dropped
- Ghost Marriage
- Hunger Academy
- I opened a safe house in the Infinite Stream
- Notices
- Ongoing
- The Dragon Lord is Weak and Helpless but Has a Big Appetite [Interstellar]
- Want to ascend? Then fall in love.
- What can I do, I'm not human.
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