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Zhuang Zi’ang and Su Yudie sat on the grass, staring blankly at the sky, envying the drifting clouds.
Occasionally, a few butterflies flitted past.
“I wish I were a little butterfly so I could fly across the river and see the scenery over there,” Su Yudie sighed.
“We could fly a kite and let it see for us,” Zhuang Zi’ang suggested with a smile.
“Great idea! You’re so clever,” Su Yudie exclaimed in surprise.
“You just called me a big dummy,” Zhuang Zi’ang pointed out. “So, should I go buy a kite now?”
Su Yudie glanced at the sun’s position and shook her head. “It’s too late today. I have to catch the bus soon.”
“Can’t you go back a little later?” Zhuang Zi’ang was a little disappointed.
“No, Grandma will be angry if I’m late.”
From Su Yudie’s tone, her grandmother seemed quite strict.
She had to catch the 6:10 bus on time.
“Xiao Yudie, tomorrow is Saturday; we don’t have classes. Let’s come here and fly a kite!” Zhuang Zi’ang compromised.
“Okay! Let’s meet at West Mountain Park tomorrow morning,” Su Yudie readily agreed.
The sun in the sky was getting redder and redder, hanging low over West Mountain.
A sudden phone ring broke the quiet atmosphere.
Zhuang Zi’ang picked up his phone; the screen displayed the word “Dad.”
He stared at it for more than ten seconds before answering the call.
“Dad, what is it now?”
“Zhuang Zi’ang, your brother got into a fight with a classmate at school, and it’s a bit of a problem. Come here immediately,” Zhuang Wen Zhao’s voice was harsh, laced with a commanding tone.
“Isn’t it commonplace for him to get into fights? What does it have to do with me?” Zhuang Zi’ang felt completely bewildered.
“The classmate he fought with has a homeroom teacher who was apparently your elementary school Chinese teacher. If you go and say a few good words, we can make a big deal into a small one,” Zhuang Wen Zhao explained patiently.
It turned out that the elementary school Zhuang Yuhang attended was also Zhuang Zi’ang’s alma mater.
As an outstanding student who only came along once every few years, many teachers still remembered Zhuang Zi’ang.
This time, Zhuang Yu’hang got into a fight with a student from another class, breaking the other boy’s nose.
The student’s parents were out of town, but the homeroom teacher was relentless, demanding an explanation from Zhuang Wen Zhao.
Zhuang Wen Zhao, knowing that the teacher had taught Zhuang Zi’ang, immediately tried to appeal to her emotions.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t fall for it, thinking he was talking nonsense.
How could the same family produce such diametrically opposed children as Zhuang Zi’ang and Zhuang Yu’hang?
Zhuang Wen Zhao wanted to prove he was Zhuang Zi’ang’s father, but after searching through his phone’s photo album for a long time, he couldn’t find a single picture of Zhuang Zi’ang.
With no other choice, he had to grit his teeth and call Zhuang Zi’ang, asking him to come over.
“He hit someone. You should compensate and apologize. I’m very busy and don’t have time to come.”
After understanding the situation, Zhuang Zi’ang flatly refused.
Zhuang Yu’hang had made a mistake; why shouldn’t he accept the consequences?
On the other end of the phone, Zhuang Wen Zhao exploded.
“Zhuang Zi’ang, I raised you, and you don’t have a shred of gratitude?”
“Yu’hang is your brother. When he’s in trouble, you, as his older brother, won’t help?”
“You’ve studied so much, yet you don’t even understand basic human decency.”
…
“Basic human decency? You should discuss that with your precious son. I’m not getting involved,” Zhuang Zi’ang, ignoring Zhuang Wen Zhao’s incessant nagging, abruptly hung up the phone.
When the phone rang again, he immediately turned on Do Not Disturb mode.
Zhuang Wen Zhao raged with frustration, almost smashing his phone in anger.
The Zhuang Zi’ang of the past had always obeyed him unquestioningly.
Why had he become so rebellious in the last few days?
Zhuang Zi’ang and Su Yudie sat on the grass until almost six o’clock before getting up and slowly climbing the stone steps.
Time was a truly strange thing.
A 45-minute math class felt excruciatingly long to Zhuang Zi’ang.
But sitting with Xiao Yudie, even doing nothing, two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Arriving at the bus stop, several students were already waiting for the bus after school.
As soon as Su Yudie appeared, she immediately attracted the attention of all the boys.
This girl was unbelievably beautiful.
It felt like the air around her was filled with sweetness.
Zhuang Zi’ang felt a pang of unease; he wished he could cover her face with a big mask.
The number 19 bus slowly approached from the corner, signaling their imminent separation.
Even though they would see each other again tomorrow, there was still a sense of reluctance.
Zhuang Zi’ang said, “I’ll wait for you in the park tomorrow. You have to come!”
“Of course I’ll come. Let’s pinky swear!” Su Yudie extended her pinky finger.
Zhuang Zi’ang frowned. At eighteen, pinky swearing seemed a bit childish.
And with so many people watching!
“Hurry up!”
Su Yudie couldn’t wait and grabbed his hand.
Their pinky fingers hooked together.
“Pinky swear, a hundred years, no changing!”
Su Yudie recited the words of the pinky swear, not forgetting to press their thumbs together for added significance, adding a sense of ceremony.
A pinky swear was the highest form of contract spirit among children.
In the adult world, countless laws and moral frameworks are used to bind people to their promises, yet it remains filled with betrayal and broken commitments.
But for children, once a pinky swear is made, they would never go back on their word.
The bus arrived at the stop, and students began to board one after another.
Su Yudie intentionally waited until the last moment, wanting to spend a little more time with Zhuang Zi’ang.
“Goodbye, Xiao Yudie.”
“Goodbye, Big Dummy.”
Zhuang Zi’ang watched the bus drive away until the red taillights disappeared from sight before turning away.
He stared at the number 19 bus stop sign, guessing which stop Xiao Yudie would get off at.
He didn’t look away until the words on the sign became blurry from staring too long, then he turned to leave, bored.
A few steps later, a black car pulled up beside him.
The window rolled down, revealing Lin Mu Shi’s face.
Since getting to know Xiao Yudie, Zhuang Zi’ang found Lin Mu Shi’s face increasingly ordinary.
“Zhuang Zi’ang, tomorrow is Saturday, and I’m free.”
Lin Mu Shi, the school’s top beauty, thought that by saying this, Zhuang Zi’ang would automatically ask her out.
Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zi’ang calmly replied, “If you have nothing to do, stay home and study. Your grades have dropped considerably recently!”
Lin Mu Shi was stunned, completely unprepared for Zhuang Zi’ang’s blunt rejection.
“Xie Wen Yong invited me to see a movie tomorrow,” Lin Mu Shi added.
“Oh, have fun then,” Zhuang Zi’ang replied casually.
Lin Mu Shi didn’t get the answer she wanted and was completely baffled.
*What’s wrong with you, Zhuang Zi’ang?*
*It’s not like I immediately rejected your advances. Why did you give up?*
*When I said you had no chance last time, it was just a rash remark made in anger. Can’t you tell?*
*I’m so kind-hearted. As long as you persist and show me your sincerity, you still have a great chance of winning me over.*
“You can’t park on the side of the road. Drive away!”
Zhuang Zi’ang said this and walked away.
Lin Mu Shi was left flustered in the wind, feeling the frustration of a spare tire losing control.