Chapter 56

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Xiang ChangKong was officially discharged the day before the postgraduate entrance exams. Xu Lian and Weng ShuLi had gone to the hospital to pick him up, and after Xiang Nuan found out, she also specially asked for class leave to come home. She would be leaving school at noon and skip her last afternoon class.

Originally, Weng ShuLi had told her daughter that there was no need. After all, today was Friday, so Xiang Nuan would be coming home tomorrow anyway. Xiang Nuan didn’t need to miss school just for this. But Xiang Nuan disagreed. She hadn’t managed to visit Xiang ChangKong once during his stay in the hospital. If she didn’t even see him on the day of his discharge, then she can’t be called his sister, ah!

Of course, the most important reason she wanted to see Xiang ChangKong before his postgraduate exams were to encourage him. Although Xiang ChangKong was much smarter than her, Xiang Nuan still felt very nervous for him. Honestly, she was feeling a lot more nervous than she had been during her own mock exams.

After her fourth class, Xiang Nuan began to pack up her things. Shen Lin watched her put away her books and asked: “You’re going home? There’s still one class left.”

Xiang Nuan glanced at him and snorted. “It’s none of your business. You’d better concentrate on your studies, ah, so your mother doesn’t come to school again.”

Shen Lin pursed his lips and said nothing more. After his mother came to school and bothered Xiang Nuan’s brother, Xiang Nuan had never approached him again about their studies. If she had any questions, she now went to ask other people.

He turned his head and went back to his exercise book.

When Xiang Nuan arrived home, Weng ShuLi had almost finished cooking lunch. Xu Lian and Xiang ChangKong were sitting on the sofa in the living room, chatting.

“Brother!” As soon as Xiang Nuan saw Xiang ChangKong she flew over, intending to embrace him. Xu Lian hastily raised her hand to stop her and said: “He just left the hospital.”

“Oop.” Xiang Nuan abruptly stopped her hands. Instead, she smiled at Xiang ChangKong and said: “Then I’ll hug you very gently!”

Weng ShuLi came out of the kitchen with some dishes and saw her daughter about to hug her son. “Alright, alright, go wash your hands. Don’t disturb your brother.”

Xiang Nuan’s mouth flattened and she complained in her heart: I just wanted to hug brother a little, ah.

But in the end, she put down her school bag and left to wash her hands.

Although Xiang ChangKong had just been discharged from the hospital and there were many things to watch out for, Weng ShuLi still made a full table of dishes to celebrate. Xiang Nuan, who had been eating in her school canteen for the entire week, ran towards the food immediately. Weng ShuLi placed the dishes Xiang ChangKong liked near his seat so he would have an easier time grabbing food.

(T/N: There are certain foods people avoid when recuperating. For example, greasy food.)

Xiang Nuan sat down and asked Xiang ChangKong: “Brother, how’s your injury? Will you be alright for your exam tomorrow?”

“Don’t worry, I use my brain during my exams, not my stomach.”

“…” Well, alright then.

Xiang Nuan ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then curiously asked: “What exactly happened that day you got injured? Mom didn’t explain when she called me.”

Fearing that Xiang Nuan would worry, Weng ShuLi had only called her daughter when Xiang ChangKong’s condition stabilized. Xiang Nuan wasn’t very happy with this. When her father had an accident, her family also kept it from her. She’s always the last one to know about such things.

She knew that her family only did this because they were worried about her, but Xiang Nuan felt that she wasn’t as vulnerable as they perceive her to be.

Xiang ChangKong replied: “It was nothing. I heard that the people involved already got arrested.”

Xiang Nuan: “…” Getting arrested is nothing, ah! I want details!

But seeing that her brother didn’t want to tell her, Xiang Nuan changed the topic. She asked: “How’re your studies? Are you confident?”

Xiang ChangKong smiled. “I feel pretty much the same as when I was studying for my college entrance exams.”

Xiang Nuan: “…”

Why is she even wasting her time being concerned about her brother’s exams, ah? Her time would be better spent worrying about her own exam. Xiang Nuan thought she should quickly finish her food and go back to her room to study.

Listening to the siblings talk about exams, Xu Lian said to Xiang ChangKong: “I’ll drive you to the school tomorrow morning. You’ve just recovered so you shouldn’t squeeze in the subway.”

“Alright.”

“You said your exam starts at 8:30 a.m. right? Let’s leave early as not to get caught in traffic.”

“Alright, I’ll give you a call when I wake up.”

“Good.” Xu Lian began to carefully think about whether there was something else she needed to pay attention to. “Get your things ready tonight. Things like your ID, pens, and so on.”

Xiang ChangKong finally couldn’t help but laugh. “I know, I know. You don’t need to be so nervous, ah. You’re like a parent sending off your child.”

Xu Lian: “…”

Xiang Nuan raised a brow at his words. Ah, brother, you’re so loved. Even sister Xu Lian doesn’t dare complain in fear of affecting your mental state.

“Enough chatting, ah. Eat, eat.” Weng ShuLi placed some vegetables in Xiang ChangKong’s bowl and poured him some soup. “Drink it while it’s hot.”

“Yes.”

After eating, Xiang ChangKong was forced to go to his room for a nap. Because Xiang Nuan was currently living with Xu Lian and had no room of her own in this apartment, she took a nap on the sofa. Xu Lian wanted to help Weng ShuLi clean up but was instead shooed off. In the end, Xu Lian also took a brief nap on the sofa.

Xiang Nuan had to go back to school, so she didn’t stay for long. She brought her bag with her, intending to study, but she hadn’t even turned a single page of her textbooks. In fact, she hadn’t even opened her schoolbag.

It’s so painful to run back and forth with such a heavy bag, ah.

After Xiang Nuan woke up from her nap, Xu Lian also sat up. Seeing that Xiang Nuan was going back to school, Xu Lian simply told Xiang Nuan that she would drive her.

This was Xiang Nuan’s first time in Xu Lian’s car. Naturally, she was a little excited. Xiang Nuan opened the car door and sat on the passenger seat. As she was buckling herself in, Xu Lian asked: “Are you going to learn how to drive during summer vacation?”

“Well…” Xiang Nuan seriously considered it. “It’s possible to learn, but I don’t have a car. Truthfully, I wanted to take advantage of my break and get a summer job to earn living expenses.”

Xu Lian nodded. “That’s good too. You’ll be able to buy whatever you need yourself.”

“Un! That’s what I was thinking!” Xiang Nuan fantasized about the places she could potentially work in. Eventually, her gaze strayed to a fragrance diffuser stone that was hanging off Xu Lian’s driving mirror. “That small plane looks so pretty. Did you make it?”

(T/N: The mirror inside the car that shows the car behind you.)

Xu Lian glanced at the lightly swinging miniature plane and replied: “Yeah. I made some air conditioner clips too. They’re quite cute.”

“Wow. If I ever buy a car in the future, I’ll hang up one like this!”

“Nn. Well, let’s be off.”

After Xu Lian sent Xiuang Nuan to school, she drove back to her store. These days, she had spent most of her days in the hospital with Xiang ChangKong. Zhang GuoEr had picked up the slack and was almost always along in the store, so Xu Lian figured it was time to give her a holiday.

When Xu Lian entered her store, Zhang GuoEr had just finished ringing up a customer. When she saw Xu Lian, she happily exclaimed: “Boss, you’re here!”

“Nn.” Xu Lian nodded at the customer as they left, then said: “Take care.”

Zhang GuoEr locked the cash register, then ran over to Xu Lian. “Has little brother Xiang been discharged already?”

Xu Lian smiled. Looks like Zhang GuoEr was watching her quite thoroughly. “He got discharged today. His exam is tomorrow.”

“Oh, how fast! But the exam will certainly pose no challenge for little brother Xiang.”

“Nn.” Xu Lian certainly hoped so. “I want to drive Xiang ChangKong to his exams tomorrow and the day after, so I won’t be able to spend much time here. I’ll be troubling you to mind the store. I’ll give you a holiday after these two days.”

“That’s alright Boss, don’t worry about it.” Zhang GuoEr replied. After a moment’s pause, a somewhat embarrassed expression appeared on her face as she asked Xu Lian: “But Boss, I may not be able to come in after the Spring Festival.”

“Ah? Has something happened in school?”

“Something like that. My teacher introduced me to a production team as a screenwriter assistant. I may have to follow the team for some time, so I might not have the time to continue working here…”

Xu Lian was fine with this. If Zhang GuoEr left, she could simply hire another person. “I understand. I’ll plan to recruit people. If you get accepted into that production team, your schedule would certainly get packed. Don’t worry and go for it.”

“Yes, I will! This is the first time I’ll be formally working as a screenwriter, and with a senior with a lot of achievements in the industry. I should be able to learn a lot of things!”

“That’s good. I’m looking forward to seeing your work on TV or on the big screen in the future.”

“Haha, you’re making me shy.” Zhang GuoEr covered her face in shame. Then she looked to Xu Lian once more and said: “By the way, Boss, you’ve become much more open and friendly compared to when I first started working here.”

“Have I?”

Zhang GuoEr nodded. Back when she first met Xu Lian, the word she used the most to describe her boss was ‘cool’.

Xu Lian smiled at her words, then went up the stairs to her workshop.

The next day, before dawn broke, Xu Lian called Xiang ChangKong. After asking if he was all packed, she told him to go down to the underground garage and wait for her. Weng ShuLi had also gotten up early and had prepared breakfast for Xiang ChangKong and Xu Lian. Afraid that Xu Lian would grow anxious, Xiang ChangKong took their breakfast and was prepared to eat it on the road.

Xu Lian had arrived in the garage first and honked when she saw Xiang ChangKong look for her. Xiang ChangKong got on the car and tried to hand her some food. However, Xu Lian shook her head and said: “You eat first, I’ll eat after you’ve gone.”

After a moment’s thought, Xiang ChangKong suggested: “Why don’t I drive?”

“No way. You’re the examinee. You’d better take it easy.”

As her car drove out of the garage, Xu Lian managed to relax a little. Funnily enough, it was Xiang ChangKong, the examinee, who tried to comfort her: “You really don’t need to be so nervous. I’m fine.”

Xu Lian was silent for a while, but then she said: “You know, I wasn’t this nervous when I took the college entrance exams.”

She still remembered that her father had driven her to the exam hall. She hadn’t been that nervous because her grades had always been good.

But somehow, when the top student Xiang ChangKong was taking an exam, Xu Lian became so nervous she could die. She hadn’t slept much last night and had run out of the house at the crack of dawn after drinking just a cup of cold water, which was now making her stomach ache a little.

When the car stopped for a red light, Xiang ChangKong handed Xu Lian one of Weng ShuLi’s specially prepared hot milk. He said: “Drink this and warm your stomach.”

Xu Lian took a sip using the straw and felt the warm milk flow to her stomach. It made her feel a little better. Xu Lian looked at Xiang ChangKong and asked: “You’ve brought everything?”

“I have it.”

“Hurry and check again, while I still haven’t driven far.”

Xiang ChangKong: “….”

He dutifully checked again and made sure that everything was in order. After confirming that he did have everything, Xu Lian finally felt at ease.

The test site was located in A University. Xiang ChangKong had previously studied here for four years, so he was familiar with the place. They had arrived relatively early, but there was already a crowd of examinees waiting outside the gates, unable to enter yet.

Eventually, the university gates opened and everyone began shuffling inside. Xiang ChangKong smiled at Xu Lian and said: “Then, I’ll be going.”

“Nn. Good luck.”

Xiang ChangKong smiled and patted her head. Then, he walked into A University of Technology.

Seven years ago, when he first entered university, his mood had been similar to what he was feeling right now. Xiang ChangKong looked at the familiar scenery around him, then looked up at the sky.

During winter, the sky would usually be gray. But today, the sun was shining and the sky was blue.

As a soft breeze went through him, a smile slowly appeared in Xiang ChangKong’s face.

In Starlight Park, Zhang GuoEr had arrived at an unprecedented hour and opened the shop herself for the very first time. It wasn’t actually time to open the store yet, but she had felt restless today. Maybe she had been infected by her Boss’s nervous mood.

It should almost be time for the little brother to take his exam.

Zhang GuoEr took her little notebook out of her backpack and turned the pages.

Observation target No. 0121 Xu Lian, Observation target No.0122 Wei YiChen, Observation target No. 0123 Xiang ChangKong…

The winter sunlight gradually fell on her little book. Zhang GuoEr looked towards the window and stared at the sky. Then, she picked up a pen and began to write on a fresh page.

‘I’ll be leaving Starlight Park soon. During the past few months I’ve worked here, I’ve come across many people and gained a lot. I’ve taken a step closer to my goal of ‘A thousand people, A thousand faces’.

Next month, I’ll be working on another job. I’ll have a new start, get to know a new set of people, and hear their stories.

My only regret is that I won’t be here to see Starlight Park’s best and most beautiful coming moments.

After all, after the cold winter, spring will come.

I hope that each and every person’s story will blossom and bear fruit.’

(T/N: ‘Blossom’ can also mean to feel happy or elated / new development grows out
and ‘bear fruit’ can also mean outcome / result / conclusion / in the end.

Zhang GuoEr is wishing everyone’s stories to have a happy ending. )