Enduring the Winter

Chapter 2

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Passing through the flowers, Bai Lu and Jiang Ru left the community.

At 10:30, the Sixth Middle School was closed. Compared with Jiang Ru's relentless progress, Bai Lu had to think more about how to explain it to the security guard and the dormitory aunt when she went back.

"It's here." Jiang Ru said.

They were standing at the intersection, and it was still a red light. There is a row of roadside snack bars on the opposite side of the road, and there is a dark big iron gate at the turn.

Sixth Middle School and Vocational High School are only two streets away, but the scene and atmosphere are completely different.

At this point in time, there are very few pedestrians coming and going at the gate of No. 6 Middle School. Only the dormitory building of the third year of senior high school is lit for students to read. But the gate of Fuyi Vocational High School is as lively as a vegetable market.

After ten o'clock, a row of barbecue stalls were set up on the road.

Vocational high school students are the main customers of these small restaurants. Bai Lu had studied in No. 6 Middle School for more than two years, so she knew a little about this neighboring school. Fuyi Vocational High School is also a boarding school, but there is no access control, or it is for nothing.

This is the bustling time period, and there are high school students with childish faces going back and forth between the shops.

No one here is honestly wearing school uniforms, showing their hearts, or wearing them around their waists. In the corner of the barbecue booth, there are young couples hugging each other. You feed me, and I punch you.

The green light turned on, but Jiang Ru didn't take a step.

Bai Lu gave her a strange look, and found that her face was flushed and her lips were tightly closed.

is tense.

Bai Lu said, "Do you have his phone? Do you want to call him to come out?"

Jiang Ru nodded, "Yes, but yes..."

Bai Lu: "Do you want to call him?"

Jiang Ru held her schoolbag tightly, lowered her head, and stroked her school uniform skirt with the other hand.

"Let me go find him, I know where he is." Jiang Ru said.

Bai Lu: "Where is it?"

Jiang Ru raised her hand and pointed across the road. Bai Lu looked over and saw that it was a fast food restaurant.

"He's usually there at this time." Jiang Ru said, "eating with friends..." Her face turned even redder, and Bai Lu took her hand, which was cold.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Bai Lu said.

Jiang Ru clenched her hands a little, as if she wanted to draw strength from Bai Lu. Bai Lu: "Do you still want to go?"

"Go." Jiang Ru gritted her teeth, "I have to go."

After waiting for another traffic light, Jiang Ru took a deep breath and walked across the road.

She touched her hair and pursed her lips several times along the way, Bai Lu no longer knew how to comfort her.

The store was open, and when it was more than ten meters away, Jiang Ru said to Bai Lu, "You can wait for me here."

Bai Lu said, "I can also accompany you."

Jiang Ru shook her head, with a look of hesitation on her face, "You...you won't like that group of people."

Bai Lu: "You like it?"

Jiang Ru shook her head again, and whispered, "I don't like it either...but I like him."

Jiang Ru took a deep breath, turned her head and walked towards the fast food restaurant.

Bai Lu looked up. The name of the store is "Coco Express", and the sign is not a light box, so it is not clear at night.

Jiang Ru walked in, and Bai Lu silently followed behind, stopping at the door of the store.

The shop was eerily quiet.

Maybe it has something to do with entering an unexpected guest.

"What for?" said a girl.

"I'm not looking for you..." Jiang Ru's voice sounded lighter than before.

"I'm sick!" The girl didn't seem to think that Jiang Ru could offend her, and her voice suddenly became louder, "Who wants you to look for it?"

Jiang Ru's voice trembled.

"Xu Hui..."

Bai Lu leaned against the door of the fast food restaurant and waited for a long time without hearing a reply. She lowered her head inadvertently, only to realize that the door was very dirty and hadn't been wiped for a long time.

Bai Lu took half a step back when a voice came from the store.

"What are you looking for me for?"

Bai Lu paused, then slowly stood up again.

A boy of seventeen or eighteen, his voice is still slightly green.

Maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe it was lack of interest, but his voice was faintly low.

Jiang Ru: "Come out with me."

The girl laughed, "Whether it's interesting or not, who are you calling?"

Jiang Ru held her breath, "I didn't call you anyway."

The girl slapped the table, "Are you talking again?" She muttered sharply, "You're a shameless thing."

Bai Lu rubbed her feet, a dead leaf that had fallen to the ground was trampled to pieces by passers-by.

Jiang Ru: "Who are you talking about, you are..."

"You fucking try to talk nonsense again!?"

A few boys next to him were faintly laughing.

"Okay." Xu Hui interrupted the girl and said to Jiang Ru, "What are you looking for?"

Boys and girls are so strange, obviously all the meanings cannot be hidden, but I still have to ask, why did you come to me.

Jiang Ru cooperated very well and replied, "I have something to tell you."

The girl interjected, "If you have something to say, just say so."

Jiang Ru took a deep breath and said, "Xu Hui, are you coming out with me?"

Her tone sounded calm, with the dignity unique to a good student, but in such an environment, this vague reserve and pride seemed fragile and embarrassing.

The girl was irritated by inarticulate feelings.

"Ugly."

At a young age, the more direct you are, the more hurtful you are.

Jiang Ru was about to cry, "What are you talking about? Why are you swearing?"

The girl looked innocent, "Did you say something wrong?"

Jiang Ru: "Say it again."

The girl groaned, slamming every word, and said with a tone, "Ugly, awesome!"

Jiang Ru stamped her feet, "Xu Hui!"

"Okay." The boy is like an emperor who is full of stars and the moon. The officials are arguing, and finally he is in charge of the overall situation. "Stop talking, Xiaoye, don't go too far."

"Tch." The girl named Xiaoye snorted coldly, giving the boy enough face, and stopped talking.

Jiang Ru seemed to have hope again, "Xu Hui."

After a while of silence, Xu Hui said in a low voice, "What's the matter, you can talk about it here."

In the presence of a large crowd, such a conversation almost cost Jiang Ru his life, and he relied on one breath to hold on from the beginning to the end.

"Can you come out for a while?"

Xu Hui stopped talking.

Xiaoye murmured to the side, "... I'm really convinced."

Jiang Ru didn't care about Xiao Ye, and forced her face to say, "Then let's break up."

Xiaoye: "Pfft." Then she covered her mouth and didn't laugh any louder.

Xu Hui didn't laugh, but said softly, "Okay."

There was nothing more to insist on, Jiang Ru opened her mouth several times, but couldn't speak, and finally the tears didn't stop, she turned and ran out of the store.

She seemed to have forgotten Bai Lu's existence, and ran all the way outside.

The huge schoolbag swayed left and right behind him, awkwardly.

Chatted in the store.

A boy said: "Xiao Ye, you are too much, why do you say that about others."

Another boy: "That's right, at least he ran out to look for Brother Hui at night, you're too jealous to be frightened."

Xiaoye laughed and made a fuss with the boy, yelling loudly: "How dare you say me! Am I wrong? Bite you!"

The boy said: "Actually, she's not particularly ugly, the main reason is that her head is too big and so thin. I'll go. When I first came in, she looked like an alien. It scared me."

Xiaoye giggled, "It's just your mouth."

"Sister Datou." The boy said, "Sixth Middle School, she must be good at studying."

Xiaoye: "Study nerd, women do well by studying."

Boy: "Well, studying is like being pretty, there's no way."

Xiaoye: "In the examination room, you can rely on your studies, but in the love field, you must rely on your face. Bookworms should go to bookworms, so why not talk nonsense."

Everyone laughed, and a boy jokingly said: "Brother Hui is still more charming, what kind of girl can't get along with him, Brother Hui give me some advice, I've been single for too long, and I'm physically and mentally exhausted."

After a long time, Xu Hui opened his mouth and said jokingly: "Go to the whole face, sometimes men also look at their faces."

Everyone laughed.

The waiter in the restaurant watched the bustle all the way, and couldn't help but said: "Young man, that little girl likes you quite a bit, it's not good for you to do so."

Xiaoye: "What, what do you mean it's not very good? How can love be good? He doesn't like her, but he has to force himself to like her. It's sick."

Xu Hui didn't speak, the waiter was choked and said quickly, "You're right, you're both right."

"That's what it is." Xiaoye said, "Is it disgusting for people who pretend to like you in the name of liking? There is no right or wrong in love. If you love you, coax you, and if you don't love you, kick you away. Who is not like this. People who are not liked You should just go away and don't upset people."

The leaves on the ground had been trampled to the point that there was no residue left, so Bai Lu started to walk back.

She saw Jiang Ru squatting and crying in the honeysuckle bushes.

Bai Lu squatted beside her and said, "Don't cry."

Jiang Ru covered her face, and Bai Lu suddenly said, "Do you feel more ashamed?"

Jiang Ru shook her head vigorously.

After a long silence, Bai Lu said again: "Stop crying, it's not worth it."

Jiang Ru cried, "You don't understand..."

Bai Lu: "It's really not worth it, just be yourself, there's no need to change anything."

Jiang Ru raised her eyes, "They're right." Her eyes were red, "Bai Lu, if I just have a crush on him, it's just my business, but I want him to respond, it's not just my business." .Since I have requirements for him, I should pay for it myself. This world is conservative."

Bai Lu smiled, "Physics is good, logic is really strong."

Jiang Ru: "Boys like pretty girls..."

Bai Lu: "Not necessarily."

Jiang Ru: "He just likes it."

Bai Lu smiled, "Not necessarily."

Jiang Ru: "What do you mean?"

Bai Lu paused, then said, "Don't you think their words are superficial?"

Jiang Ru shook her head, "No, we are stupid, too self-righteous, always talking about inner beauty, who can see it."

Bai Lu: "Self-criticism is really thorough."

Jiang Ru twitched the corners of her mouth, trying to cooperate with Bai Lu, but her face was still gloomy.

Bai Lu: "Go back."

Jiang Ru lost her mind, and Bai Lu said, "Just wait a few days and forget about it."

Bai Lu dragged Jiang Ru's arm and pulled her up from the ground. The soles of Jiang Ru's feet shook, and Bai Lu took off her schoolbag and carried her away.

Jiang Ru: "Thank you."

Bai Lu: "It's fine."

As Jiang Ru walked, she unconsciously said, "It's because I don't love him enough. The third year of high school is very important. I can't accompany him wholeheartedly like that girl."

Bai Lu said softly, "It's not love."

Jiang Ru insisted: "It's love."

Bai Lu: "You're just on the edge of a dead end now. I don't think feelings are that simple."

Jiang Ru didn't speak.

Bai Lu: "You can give easily, and you can receive easily, that's not love."

Walking under the dim street lights and about to leave the community, the fragrance of flowers is no longer there, and there is a faint smell of car exhaust on the side of the road.

Jiang Ru asked in a daze, "Then what do you mean by love?"

Bai Lu was quiet, she walked out of the community, and a black car passed by on the cold long street.

"Maybe it should be stronger." Standing still, Bai Lu looked at the gray and yellow street, thinking, and said softly, "Either save people or kill people..."

The night wind smelled of mud.

"That's how I understand love."