Chapter 16: I’m Right Behind You

The girl followed silently behind Chen Lu as they climbed the stairs, her ponytail swaying back and forth, looking very capable.

“Is handing out flyers tiring?” Chen Lu casually started a conversation.

“It’s alright, just a bit tiring today.”

Liang Zhirou recalled herself running around to finish handing out the flyers as quickly as possible, and said softly.

Chen Lu was stunned, clearly not understanding.

After moving this load, Chen Lu pulled Liang Zhirou to sit on the playground and slack off.

He was increasingly enjoying spending quiet time with this silly girl.

The two watched the various people passing by, both silent for a long time, only occasionally meeting each other’s eyes.

Many people feel low when they see the sunset in the evening, and Chen Lu was one of them.

“You work so hard every day, is your mother’s illness very serious?” Chen Lu looked at the fiery clouds in the sky and spoke slowly.

“Can you tell me about your family?”

From the beginning, Liang Zhirou would answer whatever Chen Lu asked, and this time was no different. She hugged her knees with both hands and slowly told him about her family.

“My father passed away when I was young, and a few years later, my mother got sick and became paralyzed from the waist down. Every year, we have to spend a lot of money on treatment to maintain her feeling in her legs.

So I want to work hard to make money, support my mother, and then save money to have surgery for her.”

She paused after finishing.

“Even if my mother has surgery, there’s a high chance she won’t be able to stand up, but I still don’t want to give up…”

This was the longest speech Liang Zhirou had ever made since she met Chen Lu. The girl’s tone was calm, as if she was telling a story that happened to someone else.

She was used to it, and she had accepted it.

Then the two were silent again. Chen Lu’s face became increasingly blurry in Liang Zhirou’s eyes, as if through a layer of mist.

She never wanted to tell anyone about this, she was afraid of seeing pity in their eyes, worried that it would become gossip, and afraid of reminding herself of her incompetence and weakness.

But she was willing to confide in Chen Lu, she knew Chen Lu wouldn’t look at her with that kind of gaze.

She had been struggling so hard before meeting Chen Lu, so she couldn’t help but pour it all out.

She realized that she seemed to be increasingly craving his gentleness, like a drowning person seeing a piece of driftwood.

“Liang Zhirou, do you believe in miracles?” Chen Lu suddenly said.

Liang Zhirou clearly hadn’t reacted, she was stunned for a moment, her expression becoming desolate again, “I don’t believe… at least not in my case.”

How could a girl who had been tortured by adversity believe in such a vague thing.

“It’s possible.” Chen Lu’s tone was serious.

“For example, someone suddenly enters your life, and is even willing to share all of this with you.”

After saying that, Chen Lu slowly stood up.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore, I’ll help you shift your attention.”

In a short while, Chen Lu borrowed a guitar and sat down next to Liang Zhirou again, with about a body’s length between them.

“What do you want to hear?” Chen Lu asked with raised eyebrows, “I know quite a few.”

At this time, Lin Miaomiao, who had just finished her work, came to them.

“Senior, thank you for your hard work.” Lin Miaomiao smirked, handing Chen Lu a bottle of water.

“Go away.”

Lin Miaomiao didn’t retort, she was still smiling, she knew that Chen Lu was just saying he disliked her, but he was actually very helpful.

Although it was still unclear whether there was anything between these two, if Chen Lu suddenly told her he was going to pursue Liang Zhirou, she probably wouldn’t have much objection.

Suddenly, she looked at Chen Lu holding the guitar with a surprised expression.

“You can play the guitar? I want to hear it!”

“Of course, listen carefully.” Chen Lu plucked the strings with a confident expression.

Lin Miaomiao frowned, looking at him with disdain.

The sound wasn’t even in tune…

It was obvious he couldn’t play.

But even so, Liang Zhirou listened very attentively.

This was the first time someone had played the guitar for her.

“Senior, I thought you were going to show off, you can’t even play the guitar, what are you trying to do!” Lin Miaomiao rolled her eyes at Chen Lu, speechless, then left in boredom.

Anyone can pluck the strings randomly, she could even play like that herself.

Chen Lu watched Lin Miaomiao’s back disappear, turned to Liang Zhirou and smiled, continuing to pluck the strings.

This time, Chen Lu’s movements were skilled and professional, it was obvious he was playing a song, Liang Zhirou was stunned for a moment, she never expected that Chen Lu had been faking it just now.

“The annoying person is finally gone, listen carefully, I’m only playing for you.”

Hearing these words, the girl’s heart seemed to skip a beat, she felt inexplicably joyful, but soon her face flushed red because of her own “selfish” thoughts.

At this moment, she was no longer the sole pillar of her family, it seemed that she had also become a girl who needed to be cared for, could be loved, and enjoy youth and happiness.

“The sky seems to want to rain

I want to live next door to you…”

Liang Zhirou was mesmerized.

This was even more exaggerated than she had expected, Chen Lu’s singing was really beautiful, and his guitar playing was excellent.

This could also be seen from the fact that people would stop and listen for a long time.

Soon, more and more people gathered around, and Liang Zhirou lowered her head more and more.

Suddenly, Chen Lu used the back of his hand to support her forehead, gently lifting her head up so that she could look at him.

“I’m singing this for you alone, you can’t keep your head down.”

After singing a few songs, the sky had completely darkened unknowingly.

The crowd had all dispersed.

Liang Zhirou still felt her cheeks burning, there were just too many people watching, and Chen Lu kept telling her not to lower her head.

“What’s the biggest feeling I’ve had from being a lickspittle for seven years?”

While the girl’s thoughts were drifting, Chen Lu looked at the streetlights in the distance and took a sip of water, saying softly.

Liang Zhirou looked at him with some confusion.

“Once you’re looked down upon by someone, you’re completely out of the game.

I’m not talking about now, but you’ll leave school sooner or later, and then you won’t be able to hide in your own little world.

So no matter how long it takes, you have to learn to hold your head up high.

Just like me now.”

Chen Lu looked at her and smiled softly.

“We have our families who love us, we’re not inferior to anyone, you, as your mother’s darling, should learn to love yourself.”

These words were also Chen Lu saying them to himself.

He almost became the lowest level of lickspittle, almost caring more about a girl than his own parents.

“I hope you can grit your teeth and hold your head up, until you have the courage to look anyone in the eye.

And you’re already amazing now, since you’ve come to this university, you’ll graduate and find a job that can earn a lot of money. You can definitely give your mother a good life.

You’ll definitely become a very powerful person.”

“I… I want to become like that.” Liang Zhirou said softly, it was almost impossible to hear if you weren’t listening carefully.

She wanted to grit her teeth and endure the current days, as Chen Lu said, she wanted to make money to cure her mother’s legs.

To support her own little family, this was the most powerful version of herself in her eyes.

Chen Lu nodded slightly, “You can do it.”

“Really?”

Chen Lu didn’t say empty words like “believe in yourself”, he hesitated for a moment before slowly extending his hand, seeing that the girl didn’t resist, he gently brushed aside her bangs and looked into her eyes.

Just like the night they first met.

The breeze blew her sideburns, carrying the boy’s words into her ears.

“You’re working very hard, I know.”

“But you have to hold your head up and persevere, if you get tired along the way, look back…”

“I’m right behind you.”