Hear this life

In front of the Quanxue Building, a group of people were discussing the evening celebration. Wen Tingli was thinking about telling her father and Xiao Taozi the good news that she had passed the exam, so she just said, "I can't go out with you tonight. I have to go back to the hospital first."

"It's almost four o'clock now. At least have dinner with everyone before you go. Also, have you decided whether to study education or economics?"

"Let's go to Zhao Qingluo's house tomorrow to discuss this matter."

Director Zheng of the Art Department happened to pass by and saw a group of students doing nothing together. He put his hands on his waist and said, "I'm in need of work. Come here and help me move these things to the auditorium."

The girls smiled and rushed forward. According to the school's tradition, a grand graduation ceremony would be held immediately after the students' grades came out, and the Art Department was in charge of organizing it.

When they arrived at the auditorium, everyone was working and playing at the same time, and the crisp laughter could be heard outside the auditorium from time to time.

Gao Xiaowen arrived soon after. She was always very stylish when she went out on weekdays, but she was restrained at school. Today, perhaps because she had received her graduation transcript, she acted without restraint. She walked in front like a swaggering peacock, with a driver behind her who was carrying snack boxes for her.

As soon as she arrived, she gave everyone snacks and soda. She sat on the storage box and saw Wen Tingli in the crowd. She quickly jumped off the box and pulled her aside: "I have something to talk to you about."

With a smirk, he said, "My eldest brother was furious this morning - why? It was because of the beauty pageant."

It turned out that Gao Tingxin had put in a lot of effort in advance to build momentum for the opening of Yifeilin. Not only did he invite several newspaper owners to dinner, he also gave red envelopes to several influential journalists. However, after just one day of excitement, the limelight was stolen by the sudden appearance of Wen Tingli. This morning, Gao Tingxin went to his own bank to discuss matters and saw several of his managers reading newspapers together. They were so excited that they said they would take their wives and children to Xinxin to join in the fun.

"My brother was so angry that he got mad at those managers. He invited Meng Qiguang to his home in the morning to discuss countermeasures. Guess what Meng Qiguang said? He said he saw your performance that night and he expected that you would steal the limelight because you really performed well."

Wen Tingli originally thought that Meng Qiguang just came over temporarily that night, but she didn't expect that this person actually watched her performance carefully.

"My eldest brother said that if things go on like this, most citizens will only remember that Xinxin Department Store is very busy recently. Who will remember that a more upscale Yifeilin Department Store has just opened on Xiafei Road? If the start is not favorable, the subsequent business will also encounter a series of problems. He kept urging Meng Qiguang to come up with a solution, but Meng Qiguang said he had no idea. My eldest brother scolded him for being a traitor and said he had ulterior motives."

At this point, Gao Xiaowen glanced at Wen Tingli, "Meng Qiguang was pestered by my eldest brother, so he said that there was a ready-made person to break the impasse, that is, Miss Zhu Zihe, who my eldest brother had the most optimistic about at the beginning, but whether he would use her depends on my eldest brother himself. He also said that Xinxin relied on its own contestant Wen Tingli to save the crisis, and Yifeilin could only rely on its own contestants to attract attention. After hearing what Meng Qiguang said, my eldest brother remembered to call Zhu Zihe."

Wen Tingli asked cautiously, "So what did your elder brother tell Miss Zhu?"

"I don't know." Gao Xiaowen shrugged. "He has long regarded me as a spy and sent me away in advance. But I guess it has something to do with Lu Shicheng. Everyone knows that Lu Shicheng has a close relationship with our principal, and the principal likes Zhu Zihe very much. If I were Zhu Zihe, I would definitely find ways to bring Lu Shicheng to watch the finals. Watching the finals is nothing to Lu Shicheng, but it means something different to my eldest brother. As long as Lu Shicheng agrees to go, my brother will dare to publicize that Yifeilin will soon cooperate with the Lu family. Then, even if there are not many customers patronizing Yifeilin that night, those merchants who are interested in cooperation will not be snatched away."

As I was speaking, I saw a group of classmates walking towards the auditorium.

"Miss Zhu Zihe is prettier than in the newspapers. Don't you think she and Mr. Lu are a good match sitting face to face like that?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense."

"What's the big deal? The principal seems to have the same idea. She just said that Miss Zhu has something to show Mr. Lu, and specifically asked Mr. Lu to come to her house tonight."

Wen Tingli pricked up her ears to hear this, and couldn't help asking, "Have you seen Miss Zhu Zihe?"

“She’s in the principal’s office.”

"Mr. Lu is here too?"

"Yes." Several people turned around and pointed, "But they've already left."

Wen Tingli stood on tiptoe to look into the distance. Gao Xiaowen poked Wen Tingli's arm meaningfully: "What did I say? It's here."

He smiled again and said, "I was right about Zhu Zihe. I like girls like her who are smart and capable."

At this time, Director Zheng was inside calling on the people outside to come in and help. After everyone finished their work, Gao Xiaowen said that she would invite Mr. Zheng and the students present to have dinner at the restaurant opposite. When the group came out, Yan Zhenzhen and Zhao Qingluo were busy looking for Wen Tingli, but they couldn't find her.

***
Wen Tingli hurried back to Ci Xin Hospital and bought a basket of fruit at the door before entering.

As soon as I reached the corridor, I heard my father's weak cough, which was hollow and accompanied by an eerie whistle. Even in the scorching heat, it sounded chilling.

Whenever she heard this sickly voice in the past, Wen Tingli would feel depressed, but this time she confidently freed up one hand to take out the report card from her school bag.

Her father's condition had been fluctuating during this period, and her mood had also been up and down. However, every time his condition got worse to a certain extent, he would miraculously get better. Dr. Thompson was puzzled by this, but Wen Tingli knew very well what had kept her father going until now. After getting the report card today, an idea popped into her mind: when her father knew that she had done so well in the exam, perhaps his physical condition would completely improve.

She stepped into the ward excitedly.

"I am back!"

Head Nurse Liu was instructing the young nurse to pat Wen Desheng on the back. She turned around and saw Wen Tingli's smiling face, and she also smiled: "What are you so happy about?"

An hour later, Wen Desheng's spirits improved greatly. He took the initiative to eat half a bowl of porridge, and then half-leaned on the pillow to discuss with Wen Tingli about going to Nanjing to offer sacrifices and announce the good news.

Wen Tingli was busy peeling oranges for her sister, but she was replying to her father: "Let's do as you wish: Sister Zhou will stay in Shanghai to take care of Xiao Taozi, and you and I will take Xiao Taozi on the train. Let's go buy tickets now? Oh, no matter how urgent it is, we have to wait until you can be discharged from the hospital. You should rest and recuperate first. When you recover, I will take you to visit Beijing a few times, not to mention Nanjing."

"Little Peach wants to go too!" Little Peach raised his round head.

Wen Tingli tapped Xiao Taozi's nose and said, "I heard that the candied haws in Peking are very delicious. How many bunches do you plan to eat when we get to Peking?"

Little Taozi spread out five fingers, counted them, and felt that it was not enough, so she quickly opened her other hand.

Wen Tingli giggled, and Wen Desheng lay on the pillow watching all this with a smile on his face. His haggard face was surprisingly brighter than usual because it contained tenderness and hope.

Dr. Thompson seemed a little surprised when he came to check on the patient. He came out and said to Wen Tingli and Head Nurse Liu, "It can be seen that the patient is in a very good mood. If the condition continues to improve, there may be hope for a complete recovery."

Because of this sentence, Wen Tingli was full of energy. Later, after her father fell asleep, she took out a cheongsam from the suitcase and went to the ladies' room to wash up.

Mrs. Zhou came over with a basin of water and saw Wen Tingli busying herself in front of the mirror. She asked in surprise, "Are you going out? You're not going to have dinner with us?"

"I'm going to a classmate's house. Don't worry, I'll be back before 8:30."

She tied a red velvet bow at the end of her hair and paired it with a light white cheongsam, which made her look elegant and graceful.

As she was looking left and right in front of the mirror, she accidentally met Mrs. Zhou's puzzled gaze in the mirror. She hurriedly escaped from the bathroom. Seeing that it was getting late, she simply called a rickshaw and bought a basket of fruit on the roadside before getting in the car.

After arriving at the destination, Wen Tingli was not in a hurry to get off the car. She just leaned over and looked at the path in front of the building. She saw Lu Shicheng's car at a glance. She hurriedly said to the driver: "Master, please stop here."

After getting off the car, she carefully looked around with the flower basket in her hand. The doorstep of Principal Zou's house was very quiet, and the house was planted with tuberoses and roses. She went up the steps, and the rich fragrance of the flowers blew towards her with the evening breeze. She stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and raised her hand to ring the doorbell.

***
"All the photos are here." Zhu Zihe handed an old photo album to Lu Shicheng.

Zou Zheping pointed to one of the photos and said to Lu Shicheng: "This was taken when the three of us first entered the school. Your mother was only fifteen years old at that time, and she was the most mischievous student in the school. You and your mother not only look alike, but also have similar personalities."

Zhu Zihe showed a surprised smile, and Zou Zheping sighed: "Don't think that Shicheng doesn't like to talk now. When he was a child, he was not only very naughty, but also very good at coaxing people."

She remembered an interesting story that her good friend Xi Yue had told her before she passed away.

Once, Xi Yue was angry about something. It happened that Shi Cheng had just learned a little magic trick outside. When he came back and saw that his mother was unhappy, he pointed at her back and said in a baby voice, "Mom, what's behind you?"

Xi Yue looked back, but there was nothing there. She thought her son was just being naughty. But when she turned back, she saw a flower in front of her. The child said to his mother sincerely, "Mom, you are as beautiful as this flower."

She was only four and a half years old, but she could coax people like this. When Xi Yue occasionally mentioned these interesting things to her later, her whole face seemed to glow.

Recalling this, Zou Zheping felt a little sad. He was afraid that Lu Shicheng would feel sad after hearing this, so he quickly changed the subject: "Zihe, you have done a great thing. These photos are of great significance to Shicheng."

Lu Shicheng looked at his mother in the photo album in silence.

Zhu Zihe said with emotion: "In fact, I am also surprised that my mother can preserve these photos so completely. She often said that Aunt Zou and Aunt Xi Yue were her best friends in her life. It can be seen that these memories are also very precious to my mother. I am just returning the precious memories that belong to Mr. Lu to Mr. Lu on her behalf."

Zou Zheping nodded approvingly: "Child, every time you speak, you can speak to people's hearts. Shicheng, did you hear that? You and Zihe are real old friends. You were too busy a few days ago to disturb you. I have to be busy with the graduation ceremony this week. You can take Zihe to have a good time in Shanghai on my behalf. Also, her beauty pageant is in great need of friends' support right now. If you are free, you might as well go and show your support."

Zhu Zihe hugged Zou Zheping's neck and said coquettishly, "Don't make arrangements for me like this. Competition depends on one's own strength. I don't need friends' help in this regard. But Mr. Lu, I saw the proposal you put forward in the plan for the establishment of the women's night school this afternoon. I feel very inspired. It just so happens that I have encountered some personnel troubles when managing the art museum. I have a few questions I want to ask you. I wonder if you can spare some time?"

Zhu Zihe lowered her eyes and waited, thinking that everything was a sure thing. Unexpectedly, Lu Shicheng thought about it and pretended to take out a pen from his jacket pocket. Zhu Zihe's eyes froze with a smile. If he was willing to stay for dinner, he only needed to nod his head, and there was no need to write a special explanation. At this time, someone suddenly rang the doorbell. Zou Zheping looked at the Western clock on the wall and got up to open the door: "Who could it be at this time?"

After a while, I heard someone outside the door say, "Principal Zou."

The voice was not only crisp and sweet, but also extremely familiar.

Lu Shicheng immediately raised his eyes and looked towards the door.

"Wen Tingli?" Principal Zou's voice was full of surprise. "Please come in."

"I'm here to return something." Wen Tingli explained her purpose generously. "I was busy with my summer job a few days ago and didn't have time to come to see you. Besides, the results are out today, and I also want to ask you for advice on which subject to study. I didn't send a note before coming here, so I hope you don't mind."

Soon, brisk footsteps were heard in the hallway, and Wen Tingli entered the house under the guidance of Principal Zou.

Wen Tingli was obviously surprised when she saw Lu Shicheng in the room: "Mr. Lu."

The surprise on her face was almost seamless.

"It seems that I came at a bad time. How about I——"

"Just sit down. Shicheng and Zihe are both very casual." Zou Zheping pointed to the sofa. "I was just curious about how you did on the exam, and your funny performance. Oh, it's so funny just thinking about it. Have you eaten?"

Wen Tingli showed a blushing look: "I——"

"It seems that he didn't eat." Principal Zou did not doubt him, "Sister Liu, prepare another set of bowls and chopsticks."

Wen Tingli then "naturally" joined the dinner. Lu Shicheng pretended not to notice anything, calmly picked up the water cup and drank a sip. At this time, Zhu Zihe was there to remind Aunt Zou: "Mr. Lu doesn't seem to stay for dinner."

"Shicheng? Are you leaving?" Zou Zheping looked at the unfinished words on Lu Shicheng's hand.

As Lu Shicheng expected, Wen Tingli immediately turned her head towards this side. She was so focused that she even forgot that she was greeting Zhu Zihe.

The room fell silent.

Lu Shicheng wrote down a sentence in a serious manner. [I want to eat the steamed pork ribs made by you tonight, but I don’t know if it’s too much trouble.]

Zou Zheping laughed: "So you want to order food from me. What's the problem? I'll go to the kitchen right away. You guys chat first, the food will be ready soon."

***
Since Principal Zou left, none of the three people in the living room spoke.

Needless to say, Lu Shicheng, even the usually talkative Wen Tingli was unusually quiet.

Zhu Zihe sat still. She would not rush to find words until she understood the other party's intention.

Suddenly, Principal Zou called out from the kitchen, "Shicheng, help me pick some onions from the vegetable garden."

Lu Shicheng stood up, opened the back door and walked out. When he returned, he had a few green onions in his hand.

Zhu Zihe stared in amazement as Lu Shicheng brought the green onions to the kitchen, and then she heard Principal Zou say inside: "My water spinach is dying. I've been too busy these days and I can't take care of it...Okay, go outside and help me pick out the worms."

Not long after Lu Shicheng left, he heard Principal Zou calling from the kitchen, "Zihe, we're out of soy sauce. There's a soy sauce shop across the street. Go get a bottle."

Wen Tingli hurriedly said, "I'll go."

In this way, Zhu Zihe was the only one left in the living room.

Zhu Zihe looked out the window and then at the kitchen. When she met Lu Shicheng before, there was always a group of people around him, but now, Lu Shicheng was alone by the vegetable patch.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to successfully complete the mission.

As soon as the thought came to her mind, she decisively poured Lu Shicheng a new glass of water, decisively pushed open the large floor-to-ceiling glass door, and decisively walked along the path towards the vegetable patch.

When she reached the end of the back garden, she immediately saw Lu Shicheng's silhouette, who was weeding the field with his sleeves rolled up.

Her heartbeat couldn't help but quicken.

Lu Shicheng obviously heard her footsteps, but he didn't turn back.

It wasn't until she walked and stopped behind him that he patted the dirt off his hands and stood up.

At this moment, a strange feeling emerged in Zhu Zihe's heart. This man did not mind her coming to him, nor did he mind her talking to him. He was even looking forward to her coming. This feeling was so subtle that it could not be described in words.

In a silent encouragement, she smiled and said, "It's hot, drink a glass of water."

As soon as the words came out, Lu Shicheng suddenly turned around and looked at her.

When he saw that it was her, his expression suddenly became extremely complicated. First, it was surprise, but in fact, it was disappointment that he could not hide.

Zhu Zihe was stunned, but Lu Shicheng quickly recovered his composure. He took the cup with a calm face, but did not drink it.

Zhu Zihe's thoughts were still immersed in his fleeting disappointment, but she quickly smiled and pointed to the vegetable patch in front of her and said, "Do you often help Aunt Zou take care of the vegetable patch?"

Before he finished speaking, footsteps were heard again on the path behind him. The person was in a hurry and almost trotted into the garden.

Lu Shicheng and Zhu Zihe looked back at the same time.

Zhu Zihe was not surprised at all that Wen Tingli came to find them, but was surprised why she came so quickly. It would take at least seven to eight minutes to go back and forth from Zou's house to the sauce shop, and Wen Tingli came at such a speed that it was as if she was flying.

Zhu Zihe subconsciously turned her head to look at Lu Shicheng beside her. He stared at Wen Tingli who was running towards him without blinking.

As soon as she saw them, Wen Tingli pretended nothing had happened and slowed down her pace.

"Ms. Zhu, Mr. Lu, what a coincidence. The room is a bit stuffy, so I came out for a walk. Wow, Principal Zou planted so many vegetables."

As she spoke, she walked towards the vegetable garden. When she passed Lu Shicheng, her body suddenly swayed. She raised her hand in panic and accidentally grabbed Lu Shicheng's arm.

Moreover, it just happened to touch the water cup in Lu Shicheng's hand.

With a "bang", the cup fell into the mud and all the water in the cup spilled out.

Due to the imbalance of gravity, Wen Tingli's body was still falling forward. She was about to fall to the ground. Lu Shicheng reached out and held her arm to help her stand firm again.

Zhu Zihe looked at the scene in astonishment.

If she saw it correctly, there was no trace of surprise on Lu Shicheng's face when Wen Tingli fell unexpectedly.

He seemed to have expected her to do this.

Even though water was splashed on him, he just looked calm.

Wen Tingli looked frightened and barely stood in front of Lu Shicheng: "Thank you."

Looking down at the water marks on Lu Shicheng's body, he hurriedly said, "I'm so sorry, if you don't mind, Mr. Lu, please use my handkerchief to wipe it first."

The annoyance on Wen Tingli's face was so real, as if she had really not meant it just now. As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief to help Lu Shicheng wipe the water. At this moment, Principal Zou's voice came from the front room: "Children, come in and eat."

Zhu Zihe took the opportunity to say, "Why don't we go back to the house and clean up?"

However, Lu Shicheng still took the handkerchief from Wen Tingli and started to wipe his clothes.

Zhu Zihe glanced at the two people's series of actions and suddenly understood what Lu Shicheng's previous expression meant.

That was the posture of a hunter.

He was waiting for someone to come, or in other words, expecting something to happen.

Or maybe, Lu Shicheng himself didn't know what he was waiting for.

But it was obvious that she was not the person he expected to meet, because the moment he saw her, the distant yet charming aura in him disappeared in an instant.

And now, in front of Wen Tingli, that wonderful magnetic field on him returned again.

Lu Shicheng wiped the water off his body a few times and returned the handkerchief to Wen Tingli.

Wen Tingli naturally raised her head and said to him, "If there are still traces left after it dries, I will help Mr. Lu wash it thoroughly."

Lu Shicheng stared at her.

"I'm serious." Wen Tingli said hurriedly, "Mr. Lu, don't forget that my family used to run a Western-style clothing store. I know how to wash clothes."

Lu Shicheng glanced at her again and walked forward first. Wen Tingli hurriedly followed him and handed the handkerchief out again as she walked: "Your sleeves are still wet, Mr. Lu, wipe them again."

Lu Shicheng then took her handkerchief and started to wipe it again.

The two of them get along so naturally...

***
Wen Tingli enjoyed the meal most of the time.

The atmosphere in Principal Zou's home was very relaxed. People could make jokes, eat whatever they wanted, and make requests at will. This made her feel like she was not visiting an elder's home, but rather playing at the home of an enthusiastic peer friend.

While helping Principal Zou cut watermelon after dinner, Principal Zou mentioned something he had said before: "It's rare for Zihe to come here, so you should take her out to play in the next few days, not just in Shanghai. You should also take her to Suzhou, Yangzhou and other places. You have both people and a car, so you can arrange this better than I can."

Wen Tingli almost lost her grip on the watermelon in her hand.

Several people looked at her.

"It's okay." Wen Tingli laughed, "My hands were a little slippery just now."

But she was complaining in her heart. She was at her wits' end. If Lu Shicheng agreed to Principal Zou's request, she would no longer be able to intervene. She couldn't follow Lu Shicheng and Zhu Zihe around all day.

Zhu Zihe's expression showed that she did not object to this proposal, and Lu Shicheng did not seem to be very resistant to what Principal Zou said.

Her heart was in her throat. She carelessly touched the big round watermelon with her hand, but she still couldn't cut off a piece of it.

While I was feeling nervous, I saw Lu Shicheng write a line of words on a piece of paper and handed it to Principal Zou.

[I really can't spare the time recently, so I asked Lao Kuang to arrange a few people to accompany Miss Zhu. Lao Kuang is familiar with the local customs and people, and there is no problem in communication. With him accompanying her, Miss Zhu can be guaranteed to have a good time. ]

Principal Zou smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Okay, then I'll do as you wish."

Wen Tingli then breathed a sigh of relief.

After sitting for a while, Lu Shicheng took his leave as it was natural.

Wen Tingli hurriedly said goodbye and came out.

It was already pitch black outside, and the street lights on the corners were not enough to illuminate the road. Lu Shicheng walked in front, and Wen Tingli walked behind. Except for the occasional chirping of summer insects in the flowers, it seemed that there were only the footsteps of the two people in the world.

Wen Tingli looked down at the shadow in front of her, then looked up at the surrounding scenery with joy. It was a wonderful night, and there was a soft silence in her ears. Normally, she was most afraid of walking alone at night, but tonight she walked very safely. As she walked, the tall shadow in front of her stopped.

Lu Shicheng suddenly stopped and looked at her.

Wen Tingli coughed guiltily and smiled sweetly at him, "Mr. Lu, do you have anything to say to me?"

(End of this chapter)