Fu Shitian was in doubt and could not figure out what Fu Siyu meant by this. Was it a mockery or a reminder? She did not dare to be sentimental. Over the years, she had already gotten used to Fu Siyu's hot and cold tempers. Judging from Fu Siyu's previous reaction, it was highly likely that she would not complain to her grandmother, but it was hard to say when she would be unhappy and change her face again. Fu Shitian carefully took off her watch, put it in her inner pocket, and wore it close to her body. There was no place in this house where she felt safe. She did not want to take any risks at all.
She went downstairs to help Wang Meifen prepare the offerings for tomorrow morning. Unexpectedly, Wang Meifen asked her: "Does your classmate have a good family background?"
Fu Shitian responded hesitantly: "Yeah."
Wang Meifen sighed: "Tsk, the platform is indeed very important. Is she from Shanghai? Are there many Shanghai students around you?" She began to outline her daughter's life after college. Shanghai is not far from Ningcheng, it would be nice if she could find a boy from Shanghai. It's time to teach Xiaoyu to open her eyes.
Fu Shitian said objectively: "In fact, there are more people from other places."
Fu Jiantao didn't understand the point of Wang Meifen asking such messy questions. He interrupted: "Is your classmate an only child?"
"Um."
"Will it be hard to get along with a child who comes from a wealthy family and is spoiled? Will he be more selfish? Will he not know how to take care of others?"
Fu Shitian subconsciously protected Shi Yi: "No. She..." She paused and changed her words: "They are all easy to get along with."
Fu Jiantao looked at her with concern and love in his eyes, and said something else: "Don't be too hard on yourself."
Fu Shitian's heart warmed, "No."
Wang Meifen was cutting vegetables and casually agreed: "Your uncle is right." She looked at Fu Shitian. The girl was skillfully frying squid rings, and her profile was no worse than the stars on TV. She was indeed pretty, and she didn't believe that she didn't have some experience in college. Although the old man didn't say it explicitly in the past few years, Wang Meifen could hear that she hoped Fu Shitian would find a son-in-law to continue the family line in the future. Wang Meifen herself only gave birth to a daughter, and she didn't have her old ideas. Besides, most sons-in-law who came to live with the family wanted the family property, so she hoped Fu Shitian would just find a good one outside.
"You're not a child anymore, and it's not too early to tell you now. When you're out there, especially when you're with boys, don't put yourself down too much. The more you put yourself down, the more likely he will not take you seriously." She warned Fu Shitian.
Fu Shitian's dimples were light: "So uncle pursued you for two years before you agreed?"
Wang Meifen glanced at Fu Jiantao and said disdainfully: "That's different. I really don't like him."
Fu Jiantao was dissatisfied: "Come on. I was the only one who was blind back then."
The two of them started to argue with each other. Fu Shitian watched them and laughed, and he felt a sense of warmth as a family. Not long after, the sound of an old man leaning on a cane came from the door. The three of them looked at the door and their smiles faded.
The old man pushed the door open, glanced at them, and saw Fu Shitian acted as if he didn't see anything and went straight into the house.
Fu Jiantao poured a few freshly fried shrimps and squid rings into a bowl and handed it to Fu Shitian. He nodded in the direction of the old man, indicating that she should bring it in for the old man to eat.
In the past, Fu Shitian would have taken it obediently. But this time, Fu Shitian just looked at him, lowered his eyelashes, and did not reach out.
It's rare that he has a bad temper.
Fu Jiantao sighed helplessly and coaxed her: "Go quickly, the old woman is half a child, don't get angry with her."
Wang Meifen was also looking at her.
Fu Shitian didn't want to disappoint Fu Jiantao, so after a few seconds of hesitation, he bit his lip and took the bowl.
She walked heavily towards the old man's bedroom.
The old lady's door was open, and she was half lying on the bed watching TV. When she heard the footsteps, she glanced at Fu Shitian, then looked away and continued watching TV.
Fu Shitian gritted his teeth and took the bowl to the old-fashioned dressing table beside her bed, then put it down and said in a soft voice with difficulty: "Grandma, it's freshly fried. Please try it."
The old man didn't even look at her.
Fu Shitian stood there for two seconds, opened her lips, but made no sound. Forget it. She was destined to no longer be the granddaughter that could satisfy her. Fu Shitian turned and left.
The old woman stared at her back in astonishment, with veins faintly visible on her bark-like face. She grabbed the bowl and wanted to throw it at Fu Shitian, but it was the end of the year and it was unlucky to smash the bowl, so she put the bowl down with a "bang", grabbed the fried shrimp and squid rings inside, and threw them at Fu Shitian.
The shrimp ball hit Fu Shitian's back and landed behind her feet. It was very light and didn't hurt at all. Fu Shitian's heart felt like it was stabbed by something and she was completely cold. She paused for a moment, then continued to walk out as if nothing had happened.
The more she walked, the more relieved she felt. There was no longer any hope. There was nothing worth lingering on. She told herself that this was not wrong. All that was left was responsibility. She had to fulfill her responsibilities and pay back what she owed. As for the rest, she just had to have a clear conscience.
I don't know if it was real or fake. In the evening, the old lady didn't come out for dinner. She said she was sick in bed, dizzy, anxious, and uncomfortable. But when Fu Jiantao took her to the clinic, she refused to go.
Fu Jiantao probably knew what the old lady was upset about. He was caught in the middle. He could not persuade the old lady, so he said Fu Shitian... Seeing Fu Shitian silently cleaning, he was reluctant to say anything. He was caught in a dilemma. He had no choice but to wait on the old lady in her room, listening to her complaints and suicide attempts, and swallowing his sorrow.
"The child has grown up and has his own ideas. He is really different from when he was a child." He hoped that the old man could listen to him a little.
It was just past eight in the evening, and before Fu Shitian had time to send a message to Shi Yi, Shi Yi took the initiative to send a text message to report that she was safe. Fu Shitian felt relieved and asked her if she had eaten. Shi Yi said she would go after taking a shower and talk later. Fu Shitian did not disturb her.
She finished all her work, took a shower, and returned to her room at around 10:00. She opened her notebook and wanted to translate the manuscript while waiting for Shi Yi's message, but Chen Xizhu's message came first.
As soon as Chen Xizhu arrived, he raised his eyebrows in a slightly obscene manner, "Have you gone home yet?"
Fu Shitian replied: "I'm back home."
"Where's Shi Yi?"
"Go home too."
"Hey, how was your Valentine's Day? Did anything happen?"
Fu Shitian could imagine what kind of expression she had when she said these words. She didn't answer the question directly, but laughed at her: "Why are you so gossipy? Why did you come to me at this time tonight? Aren't you playing with Fan Lu?"
Chen Xizhu said confidently: "Am I gossiping? I'm just concerned about my friend." She exposed Fu Shitian: "No, she has something to do tonight. Don't change the subject, tell me now!"
Fu Shitian couldn't avoid it, so he could only say vaguely: "It was fine. We just went to the aquarium, watched a movie, and walked around the playground of my high school."
"Wow, I'm so envious!" After a pause, she continued to ask, "What else?"
Fu Shitian said innocently: "No more."
Chen Xizhu: “…”
"Is this true? Are you playing dumb with me?!"
Fu Shitian: “?”
Chen Xizhu hit the nail on the head: "Aren't you guys sleeping in the same bed? Seriously, have you made any new progress?" followed by an emoticon that you know.
Fu Shitian's ears turned red. How could she dare to talk about such a thing
She was vague: "You think a lot."
Chen Xizhu thought she had denied it, and her heart skipped a beat. She was worried: "Didn't he even kiss you?"
Fu Shitian covered her face. Do they have to discuss this kind of thing
Chen Xizhu hesitated, but still sounded a warning to Fu Shitian: "Shitian... I don't mean anything else, I just want to remind you."
"Um?"
"Although Shi Yi doesn't look like a very enthusiastic and proactive person, but... it would be a bit bad if she didn't react at all when you two slept in the same bed."
"You know, the relationship between girls is more subtle, and sometimes it's hard to define friendship and love. If she likes you very much, but has no desire for intimate contact with you, then... maybe she is still straight in nature? Of course, it is also possible that she is just shy. But you should be careful? Or, you can take the initiative and try?"
Fu Shitian breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little touched and a little embarrassed. What Chen Xizhu said was not without reason. However, Shi Yi kissed her on the first day of his confession, which made her completely forget about this aspect. Moreover, although Shi Yi did not completely take her, her kiss... her performance... she felt hot all over when she thought about it.
Obviously this is not the case as Chen Xizhu said.
Fu Shitian confessed to her: "Don't worry."
"Shi Yi is not that kind of person."
Chen Xizhu was surprised: "Are you so sure?" After a pause, she suddenly reacted: "Tiantian! Are you lying to me?! Has something happened between you two?! Is it true? When? Ah!"
Fu Shitian was so embarrassed that she didn't want to talk. She clicked on the "your friend is offline" emoji and ran away.
Chen Xizhu roared like a tiger, but Fu Shitian just looked back and smiled with his eyes curved.
Just as he was laughing, Shi Yi's message came in: "Can you video chat?"
Fu Shitian immediately fixed her hair in front of the phone screen, then plugged in the headphones and replied: "Can you talk while I type?"
“Sure.” Shi Yi replied immediately, and a video request popped up.
Fu Shitian clicked the connect button, and the phone jammed. Shi Yi, wearing pajamas and with her hair loose, appeared on the screen in a casual but graceful manner, with the atmosphere of home life.
Fu Shitian found that after only being apart for a few hours, he already missed her very much.
Shi Yi asked her: "What are you doing?"
Fu Shitian smiled and typed, "Waiting for you."
Shi Yi's lips curved up. She lowered her head and fiddled with something. A photo was sent to her in the chat window. The photo showed the note she had left on the center console that afternoon.
Shi Yi asked: "Aren't you afraid that I won't understand?"
Fu Shitian smiled: "That means you didn't listen carefully in the elective course." Last semester, Shi Yi chose the elective course "Common Japanese".
Shi Yi's laughter sounded through the earphones into Fu Shitian's cochlea, numbing Fu Shitian's heart, "I really didn't listen carefully. Can you translate it?"
Fu Shitian refused to fall for it and instead set another trap: "Then guess what it means."
Shi Yi refused to guess. The two of them were in a stalemate for two seconds, and Shi Yi laughed and let her go. She sent a new photo, which showed the flowers and stars left by Fu Shitian. The flowers and stars were placed in a beautiful decorative bottle and carefully placed in the display cabinet in Shi Yi's study.
Fu Shitian remembered that there used to be an exquisite projector ornament here. She asked, "Where is the projector?"
Shi Yi said, "Move it away. This cabinet is yours from now on."
Fu Shitian was full of confidence: "I will be responsible for filling it up."
Shi Yi groaned: "Then this cabinet may not be enough, all the cabinets in the house belong to you."
She used the word "home". Fu Shitian was stunned for a moment, then pursed his lips and smiled.
"good."
Such warm words. Even though Shi Yi said them unconsciously, she still felt sweet.
The two chatted casually, not knowing what they were talking about, when the clock had already pointed to eleven o'clock. Fu Shitian thought that Shi Yi must be very tired after driving for several hours, so he asked her to rest early.
Shi Yi said "OK" and prepared to hang up. Before hanging up, Fu Shitian suddenly called her, "Shi Yi."
Shi Yi's fingertips stopped.
Fu Shitian took his phone and walked to the window far away from the door. He lowered his voice and said softly, "What that sentence means is that I like you."
"I like you very much."
Shi Yi's eyes sparkled. She said, "I know."
"Do you know what song I was listening to on the way back to Shencheng?"
Fu Shitian asked: "What song?"
Shi Yi didn't answer, but just curled his lips and said, "Good night, go to bed early."
The video was disconnected.
Fu Shitian stared at the screen and laughed. The line of bubbles suddenly slid upwards, and Shi Yi shared a song with him—
"loving you" by Cheng Bi
A sentence followed.
“p=a(1-cosθ)”
Fu Shitian's eyes were like water, with deep dimples. She turned on the song and sat cross-legged in front of the small table, solving the equation with a pen while listening to the gentle and pleasant song.
On the rectangular coordinate axis, a graceful arc-shaped heart slowly appeared under her pen.
The phone screen lit up again.
In the pop-up window, Shi Yi said: "Wait for you to come back."
Fu Shitian lowered her head to the heart shape, feeling that her whole body was filled with something. The cramped situation in front of her was not cramped at all. She imagined how the sunset and the stars fell on the treetops and on Shi Yi's shoulders, and what kind of expression Shi Yi had, listening to this song, driving all the way south, back to Shencheng.
Her heart followed Shi Yi all the way south, towards Shencheng, towards freedom.