Perhaps seeing that Ji Zheng's thoughts were too obvious, Xu Yao was playful and clever, and wisely decided to get out as soon as possible. She smiled and said, "Uncle, don't bother me. I just heard that Ji Su was sick, so I came to see her. I'm leaving now."
"How can that be possible?" Ji Zheng wiped away the gloom on his face and told Su Rui, "Go buy some good food and invite Ji Su's friends to dinner at home tonight."
"Uncle Ji, it's really not necessary..."
"Yes, yes! Why are you still standing there like an idiot? Go quickly?" Seeing Su Rui standing there without moving at all, Ji Zheng got furious and scolded her harshly.
Su Rui was startled, and quickly agreed, changed her clothes, got the money, and went downstairs in a hurry. Ji Su turned her head away, and couldn't stand her father showing a flattering face in front of Xu Yao, but he was her father after all, and he was facing another serious crisis in his life. As a daughter, what could she say
Xu Yao didn't want to embarrass Ji Su, so she stood up and said calmly, "My father is still waiting for me to come home for dinner. Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Ji. If I have a chance next time, I will definitely stay and try Aunt Su's cooking."
"That's fine. Come to my house more often when you have time. Don't be polite. If you see Secretary Xu later, please say hello to him on my behalf..." Ji Zheng was so bold that he dared to delay the reunion of Xu Fuyan and his daughter. He didn't care about being roundabout and could only say it so bluntly without any dignity.
"Dad!" Ji Sulue interrupted him a little angrily, stood up suddenly, bit his lower lip tightly, tears already glistening in his eyes.
Ji Zheng couldn't bear to look at his daughter's eyes, and turned his head away guiltily. Ji Su felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, and he could hardly breathe. He whispered to Xu Yao, "Let's go, I'll see you off!"
As the two girls left side by side, pain flashed in Ji Zheng's eyes. If he had a choice, who would not want to maintain an image of being upright and omnipotent in front of his daughter? Unfortunately, fate was always playing tricks on him. Every fall was so swift, violent and unpredictable that he did not have enough time to plan or resist. When he came to his senses, he had lost everything. No one can truly understand the panic and powerlessness.
Last time he seized the opportunity and rose again from the impossible, but this time he fell to the bottom. Will there be such a miracle again
Ji Zheng has no confidence at all!
When he was taking shelter under Wen Liang, he felt that he could do everything with ease and many problems were solved easily, with an almost unspeakable success. But once he left the young man's vague shadow, he not only stumbled and had difficulty moving forward, but more importantly, he suffered a psychological blow. He was confused and bewildered about the way forward, worried and afraid about the future. He was like a duckweed, with no branch to rely on, as if the vast ocean had lost its guiding light, and he was alone, facing the darkness until his death.
One person cannot sail a boat!
Ji Zheng then understood that there really are people in this world who can become the faith and absolute dependence of others!
It was because he had thought it through that Ji Zheng lost his usual tenacity and composure, and became confused and at a loss as to what to do. Even though he knew that it was futile to please Xu Yao, he was still unwilling to miss the opportunity easily. He was humble and shameless, and the father-daughter relationship that had just been repaired was once again severely damaged!
The doorbell rang suddenly. Ji Zheng calmed down, stood up and opened the door. Liu Tianlai came with two bottles of Moutai and stood outside the door and said with a smile: "I just saw your daughter and Secretary Xu's daughter talking and laughing. It seems that my brother has turned bad luck around. I even brought wine to you to cheer you up, haha."
Ji Zheng's reaction was almost the same as Ji Su's when he saw Xu Yao. He really didn't expect that someone like Liu Tianlai would come to his house at such a sensitive time. He was stunned and unbelievable for a moment. Liu Tianlai's face flashed with embarrassment, and he said, "Are these two idioms used incorrectly? Damn, go back and teach those little bastards in the bureau a lesson. They are college students, what level are they!"
Ji Zheng's face was full of gratitude. He held Liu Tianlai's hand tightly and said, "Director Liu, I am so grateful to you for coming..."
"Brother, this isn't a dangerous place, why should I be afraid of you?" Liu Tianlai smiled and said, "Let's go, each of us will have a bottle, and we won't go home until we're drunk tonight!"
"Okay, come in, this way please!"
Ji Su walked to the gate of the community. Her fragile body looked even weaker in the cold wind. She stopped and said apologetically, "My dad was in a bad mood and said something a bit too much. Don't be angry..."
Xu Yao shook her head, took her hand, and said, "Why should I be angry? Don't worry! You should go back to class tomorrow. After all, the exam is coming up soon. It's not good to miss too many classes."
Ji Su remained silent. She also wanted to go back to school, but she was worried about her father's condition and her mother's illness. Besides, no matter how open-minded she was, she couldn't ignore the rumors on campus.
Xu Yao said softly, "Ji Su, let the adults worry about their own affairs. We can't control them, and we don't have the ability to control them. But as long as we take care of ourselves, at least we won't distract them anymore. Don't you think so?"
Listening to the sincere comfort from the girl in front of her and looking at her big eyes that could melt almost anyone's heart, Ji Su suddenly felt that perhaps only a girl like Xu Yao could truly deserve Wen Liang. After a long while, she whispered, "Xu Yao, I like Wen Liang, do you know that?"
Xu Yao blinked and smiled: "I know, it's not a secret!"
Ji Su fell silent again. When he spoke again, his voice became a little hoarse. He said, "Since you knew, why are you so nice to me? Don't you like Wen Liang too?"
Xu Yao scratched his head and said in distress: "There is no necessary connection between the two, right? I like Wen Liang, but I also like you. If I like you, I will treat you well. Isn't this normal?"
Ji Su had thought many times about what the consequences would be if she talked about this topic with Xu Yao face to face one day. Would she blame her for being ungrateful? Would she call her shameless? But she never expected that the answer would be like this!
"sorry… "
The first person who rushed over and picked her up from the ground that day was Xu Yao, and the first person who came to comfort and encourage her today was still Xu Yao. She came from an excellent family, but was very well-educated. She was lively and cute, but also had prestige and commanded respect from everyone. She was regarded as an idol by the girls and a goddess by the boys. She had always been the most popular girl in Qingyi Middle School, no doubt about it.
But it was such a girl who should have been high and mighty, who should have stood on the moral high ground and despised herself to her heart's content, but she used her sincere and kind heart, as beautiful as her face, to make me, who harbored selfish motives, feel ashamed!
Xu Yao finally put away her carefree look, her eyes passed through Ji Su's back and projected to an unknown place in the distance. Finally, she sighed deeply, took Ji Su's hand, and said softly: "Ji Su, you don't have to say sorry to me. It's his luck that you like him, and it's also my luck - a girl as outstanding as you likes him, which at least shows that my vision of judging people is not bad, right?"
"As for the rest, you don't have to think too much. Wen Liang belongs only to him, not to me or anyone else. You have the right to like him, and I have the right to like him, but who will he choose in the end?" Xu Yao smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know. It could be you, it could be me, but maybe neither you nor I are qualified to enter his heart..."
"If one day, I leave, Ji Su, can you promise me one thing?"
Ji Su suddenly noticed the deep sadness in Xu Yao's eyes. He felt inexplicably flustered and waved his hands, saying, "No, you won't leave. If you really have to leave, it can only be me..."
She repeated mechanically, "Yes, it's me! Xu Yao, I won't promise you anything. You have to do whatever you want. I can't replace you, and I can't replace you. In fact, I have always understood that in Wen Liang's heart, the most important person is always you, and there has never been any change!"
Xu Yao silently shook her head, her clear eyes filled with unforgettable pain, and said: "You are wrong, in that silly boy's heart, there has always been another person, I can feel it. He was thinking about her when he smiled, thinking about her when he was deep in thought, and even when he lost his temper, that person was hidden in his heart..."
"He has a big heart, but he has only had that one person in his heart from beginning to end," Xu Yao's voice slowly deepened, a faint scar crossed her pretty face, as if the scar on her heart was copied here, she said: "Ji Su, to be honest, I have always been a very confident person. I am confident that I am no worse than any girl around him. If we really have to compete, I am not afraid of anyone... But facing this person, I don't know her name, I don't know where she came from, I don't know if she is in Qingzhou or somewhere else, I'm not even sure if she is still in this world. For the first time, I understand that there are some people you can never defeat, and you can never replace..."
"I've never said these words to anyone else. Although the silly boy is a good person to chat with, I understand that in his eyes, you, me, and Xiao Ning are just children who know nothing. As long as we are carefree and happy, that's fine. So I show him my happiness and joy, so that he can rest assured to do his own big things, instead of worrying about whether I get up late and be late, cry because I didn't do well in the exam, or feel depressed after quarreling with my father... In fact, what I want is not these trivial matters, not this trivial and messy life. I want to know why there is always worry between his brows, why his smile can never be relaxed, why his heart is tightly locked, so that I try my best, but still can't get even an inch closer..."
(Thanks to Orange-Peel and Kohler's Escape Dagger for their 10,000-word reward. I bow my head in gratitude.)
(In fact, it is not just 10,000 rewards. I have always kept in mind all the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and subscribed. However, due to the length of the article, I cannot thank them one by one. I will sort out the names and announce the free chapters later. Thank you again) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian. to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)