Chapter 41

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Even after she arrived back home, Xu Lian’s heart was still uneasy. It didn’t matter that she won’t be able to visit Xiang ChangKong’s home and see his mother for a while. Anyway, improving her relationship with his mom wasn’t such an urgent mission. What’s troubling is that tomorrow was when Xiang ChangKong needed to go to the school to confirm his application. He’ll still go…right?

In the end, Xu Lian couldn’t help but call Xiang ChangKong after she had taken a bath. The phone rang for a while before it was picked up. The voice that came out of her phone was soft and gentle: “Xu Lian, what’s the matter?”

Xu Lian felt bewitched by his gentle voice. But after shaking her head a few times, she managed to focus. “Well, it’s nothing…what are you doing right now?”

Xiang ChangKong replied: “I just took a bath, and I was going to study a little.”

After hearing that Xiang ChangKong intended to study, Xu Lian felt a little relieved. Studying meant that he still intended to go tomorrow.

“Then I won’t bother you. Don’t forget tomorrow’s on-site confirmation.”

“Nn.” Xiang ChangKong spoke up before Xu Lian hung up. He said: “Don’t worry about today; just wait a few days, and my mother will calm down.”

Xu Lian smiled. “Alright.”

The confirmation place was in City A’s University of Technology. Xiang ChangKong needed to bring his ID card and certificate. He got up early in the morning, piled up all the necessary documents, then went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Weng ShuLi seemed to be in a bad mood. She got up much later than usual. When Xiang Nuan came out of her room for breakfast, she knocked on her mother’s door. “Mom, are you awake? Brother has finished making breakfast. Do you want to come out and eat?”

In winter, the temperature was lower, so things cool much faster. Xiang Nuan was afraid that the food might get cold. After she knocked, Weng ShuLi opened her door in her pajamas. She didn’t look very well, and her hair was only messily tied back.

“Mom?” Xiang Nuan said. Weng ShuLi looked at Xiang Nuan, then walked past her to brush her teeth. Afterward, she went to the dinner table and sat down.

Xiang ChangKong ate quickly, then went into his room to get his bag. He told Weng ShuLi: “I’ll be leaving for work. You guys eat slowly.”

“Okay.” Xiang Nuan answered him as she took a bowl of porridge. Weng ShuLi, with chopsticks in her hand, looked at the bag he was carrying.

Xiang ChangKong sometimes brought food to work, and it was usually packed in a bag. Weng ShuLi had seen this before. Recently, Xiang ChangKong had been carrying his textbooks to work, and to not attract his mother’s attention, he would use the same bag to smuggle them out. Today, there were no textbooks in his bag. Instead, it was the documents he needed.

Weng ShuLi stared at the bag right until Xiang ChangKong left.

After breakfast, Xiang Nuan took the initiative to clean up the table. Afterward, she went into her room to study. Weng ShuLi sat alone in the living room for some time, then got up and walked towards Xiang ChangKong’s room.

Xiang ChangKong usually closed his door, but he never locks it. Weng ShuLi grabbed the door handle and turned it. The door opened with a ‘click.’

Before, when Xiang ChangKong was still in high school, Weng ShuLi used to go into his room and clean Xiang ChangKong’s room for him. After she got sick, Xiang ChangKong took over all the housework.

Ever since she stopped cleaning, Weng ShuLi had never gone into Xiang ChangKong’s room. Because they moved houses after Xiang ChangKong’s father died, this was going to be the first time Weng ShuLi entered this room.

The house was old and small. Although Weng ShuLi stayed in the master bedroom, it wasn’t very spacious. But when she stepped inside Xiang ChangKong’s room, she realized that her room wasn’t cramped at all. She even started to doubt whether the small bed in this room could hold the tall Xiang ChangKong.

The furnishings were simple, with few decorations. Everything could be seen at a single glance. Xiang ChangKong’s textbooks were all on a small bookstand, but Weng ShuLi could see that they were all textbooks by reading the spines. When she took out a book and flipped through its pages, she found notes written on the spaces.

He had been studying in secret.

As Weng ShuLi put the textbook back in its original place, her eyes fell on the wooden airplane sitting on the desk. It was the model plane Xiang ChangKong’s father had personally made. It would be hard for Xiang ChangKong to not get interested in planes after being exposed to his father’s excitement and zeal. When Xiang ChangKong first proclaimed that he wanted to be an aircraft designer like his father, she hadn’t been surprised. Though she wasn’t thrilled either.

That line of work was too tiring, too bitter. She didn’t want Xiang ChangKong to live so harshly.

But her son liked it. She saw the same enthusiasm his father had whenever she looked at Xiang ChangKong’s eyes. When his father was young, he had the same eyes. Whenever he talked about planes, his eyes would lit up like stars.

Although she was reluctant, Xiang ChangKong liked it so much. So she didn’t stop him. Not until his father was sent to the emergency room.

Weng ShuLi knew better than Xiang ChangKong just how hard this line of work was. She had even gone to the funeral of one of the workers before. It had been the first time she had ever gone to a funeral, and she still remembers how deathly afraid she had been. Afraid that it would be Xiang ChangKong’s father next. But Weng ShuLi didn’t try to persuade her son; she knew that she wouldn’t be able to.

There have always been people in this world who had experienced much heavier things in life than others.

Weng ShuLi didn’t know if what she had done was right or wrong. The only thing she knew was that she had lost her husband. She didn’t want to lose her son too.

These past few years, Xiang ChangKong hadn’t mentioned aircraft even once. She really thought that he had given up….but today, she learned that he had only been hiding. In the end, his spark of interest never actually died.

What changed? Was it that woman named Xu Lian?

After staring at the model plane for a while, Weng ShuLi finally turned around and left Xiang ChangKong’s room.

Meanwhile, Xiang ChangKong had arrived at the university. This was the first time he had come here ever since he graduated three years ago.

To be honest, he had never been a man with a strong heart. Although he was a person who single-handedly supported his family through a devastating time…Xiang ChangKong didn’t dare come back to the university. He didn’t want to meet all the teachers and classmates he used to have.

Even when he decided to do takeaways, he made sure to do routes far, far away from the university.

This was where his dreams began, then ended. It was a place he was all too familiar with- familiar enough that when he breathed in the fresh air, he felt his heart ache a little.

And today, he was once again standing in front of the university gates.

The university’s students graduated batch after batch, so the only constant in this place was its students’ vigor and vitality. Those who were still attending university hadn’t been overwhelmed by reality. They still had the energy to look forward to their futures and dream.

After a long pause, Xiang ChangKong walked past the gates.

The location of the on-site confirmation was quite busy, with many people coming and going. The confirmation process wasn’t too long though, and after presenting his necessary documents, Xiang ChangKong was free to leave.

Fortunately, he didn’t meet any of his teachers.

When Xiang ChangKong left the university gates, he saw a familiar car nearby. It was Xu Lian’s car.

Xu Lian was standing in front of the car, waving at him with a smile.

She was wearing a long black coat, a pair of high-heeled boots, and a very intense lipstick. She looked very eye-catching.

Many of the boys passing by couldn’t help but glance at her. But it seems that Xu Lian’s aura was too intimidating, and they all didn’t dare go up and speak to her.

Xiang ChangKong was stunned. He walked towards her and asked: “Why did you come?”

Xu Lian replied: “I was afraid you were going to chicken out, so I came to make sure that you went.” She then gestured towards his parked scooter. “After I saw your scooter, I parked and waited for you to come out.”

Xiang ChangKong huffed out a laugh. Xu Lian asked: “Have you finished with all the formalities?”

“Un. I just have to take the exam now.”

Xu Lian nodded. “That’s good.”

After Xiang ChangKong arrived, the eyes trained on Xu Lian doubled. Although Xiang ChangKong had graduated for three years already, his clothes were still the same- that’s to say, he still dressed like a university student. Complain as he might, it was ultimately his fault for not buying new clothes after so long. Plus, Xiang ChangKong’s temperament was somewhat pure. Xu Lian had always felt that Xiang ChangKong was much younger than her.

So by standing just outside of the school gates, they made the situation look like a female tycoon was hooking up with a male university student. It’ll probably end up in the university’s forums.

Xiang ChangKong also felt that they were a bit too conspicuous. University students are very curious people, ah. They better change venues before they attract even more onlookers.

He asked Xu Lian: “Where are you headed?”

“I’m going back to the store. You?” Xu Lian asked.

“I’m also going to work.” Xiang ChangKong replied.

“Alright. Let’s talk later, then.” Xu Lian got into her car, then drove away. Xiang ChangKong waited for her to leave before going to his scooter and departing.

Back at home, Weng ShuLu was quietly sitting down in the living room. She had been motionless for hours now, but she still hadn’t been able to calm down. She stood up, went into her room, and took out her cell phone from a drawer in her closet.

This was the same phone she used all those years ago. However, she hadn’t touched it ever since she had gotten ill. Because it hadn’t been used for so long, the phone had long run out of power. Weng ShuLi unearthed the charger, plugged in her phone, then turned it on.

After watching the familiar, yet unfamiliar boot screen, Weng ShuLi paused. She held her phone in her hands for a long while.

She didn’t know if her old phone number could still be used, but they had wi-fi at home, and even if her phone card didn’t work anymore, she could connect to the internet. Their wi-fi password was the pinyin initials of Xiang ChangKong’s name, plus the password of his phone- both of which Weng ShuLi knew. She connected to their wi-fi, then searched up the campus website for the University of Technology.

When Xiang ChangKong attended the university, she would often go through the website because it would update every day to post news and current events.

Today’s page had information on the on-site confirmation for postgraduates. In addition to the text introduction, there were photos taken by students. From the photos, one could tell that the scene was very lively.

Weng ShuLi immediately spotted Xiang ChangKong in the corner of one photo.