After the military training ended in the afternoon, the class teacher Shan Qingrong informed everyone that they would stay in the class to study in the evening and finish school at 9:30.
When the classmates found out, they secretly cursed the school idiots in their hearts. They had been scolding for a whole day and were exhausted. They wanted to go home and lie down to rest, but they ended up having to attend evening self-study.
How can I have evening self-study if I haven’t even distributed the books
Shan Qingrong saw the students' resistance and said with a smile:
"I can't help it. This is the school's rule. How about this? I'll show you a movie tonight."
The classrooms at No. 4 Middle School are multimedia classrooms with computers and projectors. They are often used in class and are very convenient.
When we heard the movie was starting, the classmates felt a little better. It was quite enjoyable to watch movies at school.
Only Xue Yuantong had a gloomy face. She didn't know in advance that she would have to attend evening self-study. If the class lasted until 9:30 in the evening, it would be completely dark even in summer. She would have to walk three kilometers alone on the dam by then. The thought of it was scary.
Although she thought she was very brave, walking at night... What if she ran into bad guys on the way? Xue Yuantong became more and more scared, her face turned pale, and various horror scenes kept emerging in her mind.
Because of military training today, she didn't bring her cell phone. Her mother went to the village to help her grandparents pick peanuts and has not been home in the past few days, so no one will come to pick her up.
It’s over, it’s over. Xue Yuantong is very sad now.
She wanted to stand up and tell Shan Qingrong several times that she wanted to go home early, but that was too embarrassing. Shan Qingrong asked her the reason, what should she say
Saying she is afraid of walking at night
How ridiculous, so ridiculous. Would I, Xue Yuantong, be afraid of a mere street at night
The lights in the classroom were turned off, and Shan Qingrong showed everyone the movie "Spirited Away", with the projector projecting onto the screen.
Xue Yuantong's expression kept changing in the shadows, and his mood was uncertain.
Jiang Ning had seen this movie in his previous life. It was the end of the first day of military training, and Shan Qingrong was just like today.
Watching it again now, I have a different feeling.
Jiang Ning used to enjoy watching movies in class, because he usually came to school to study and could only play with his phone secretly. Watching movies openly always made him feel like he had earned something.
This kind of permitted indiscretion is actually rare in one's entire life. When he was in school, he played with his mobile phone secretly. Later, when he entered society, he also did things secretly at work. He has always been secretive. It seems that he has changed a lot, but it seems that nothing has changed.
Whether now or in the future, various rules are everywhere. Jiang Ning's life is full of compromises and helplessness, and he has never gained real freedom.
Jiang Ning watched the movie quietly until 9:30 in the evening, when he found Xue Yuantong in the square in front of the classroom.
"It's getting late. It's not safe to walk at night. Come back with me."
Xue Yuantong listened and said confidently as he walked:
"It's okay. I've walked the night road many times. It's not worth mentioning."
Jiang Ning was silent for a moment.
Xue Yuantong wanted to slap herself in the face. She had been worried for the entire evening study session and had thought of various ways to get home. In fact, she could have taken a taxi, but she had already spent all the money she had with her.
After waiting for a long time for Jiang Ning to speak, she quickly rejected him.
Now, Xue Yuantong felt that his future was bleak.
Jiang Ning had expected Xue Yuantong's rejection. He could actually ignore Xue Yuantong, after all, the other party had rejected him several times, but he thought about stealing someone else's house.
"You know I usually go to the dam at night, right? The dam is not safe and there are often drunk men there. Last time I observed carefully, there was a grave every few meters in the fields next to it. Sometimes in the middle of the night, there were people sitting on the graves and talking. It was quite creepy." Jiang Ning said calmly.
These words left Xue Yuantong silent.
"Before she left, Auntie told me that if we had any troubles, we should take care of each other. If anything happened to you while you were walking, I would definitely feel bad."
"Okay, okay, stop talking. I'll just sit down." Xue Yuantong folded his hands in front of his chest and snorted:
"I'm not afraid of walking at night, I just think it's pitiful for you to ride a bike alone at night, so I'm reluctant to accompany you."
Jiang Ning watched Xue Yuantong pretending but did not expose him.
When Shen Qing'e was leaving school, she saw Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong chatting in front of her, and her face changed. Jiang Ning hadn't contacted her for several days, so she had to go there in person to buy things. She was a little uncomfortable for a while.
She glanced at Xue Yuantong a few times. Although he had a clean face, he was very short, like a primary school student, and often had a stern face. Jiang Ning's vision was also amazing.
"Chen Qing'e, let's go." The classmate next to her called her.
"Yeah, okay." Shen Qing'e responded. She didn't say hello to Jiang Ning. There was no need. When she was studying in the town's middle school, she thought Jiang Ning was a little unique. Now that he was in No. 4 Middle School, he was completely mediocre in the class, just an ordinary classmate.
As for herself, she became the focus of discussion among the boys in the class two days after school started. During the afternoon military training break, a sunny and handsome boy from the next class brought her a can of Coke, which aroused the envy of the girls around her. Bathed in the gazes of those girls, Shen Qing'e showed a sweet smile.
She lives in her sister's house. With the help of Jiang Junlong, who is studying in the experimental class of No. 2 Middle School, her grades will undoubtedly improve by leaps and bounds, far surpassing Jiang Ning.
She and Jiang Ning are no longer the same kind of people, and the gap between them will only grow bigger in the future. She has no attachment to the past and will bury it in her memories!
Shen Qing'e got into her sister's car at the school gate. Through the car window, she saw Jiang Ning pushing a bicycle, followed by the short Xue Yuantong.
The car started and drove towards the neon-lit city center. The rearview mirror reflected a large, gloomy suburb, like a dilapidated village, and that was the direction Jiang Ning was pushing the car towards.
A faint smile appeared on Shen Qing'e's lips.
…
Jiang Ning pushed the cart and kept walking. Xue Yuantong followed quietly behind without saying a word.
Jiang Ning got on the bike and tapped the ground with his toes:
"Come up and sit down."
Xue Yuantong said: "You ride first, and I'll jump on the back seat later."
Jiang Ning stepped on the pedal, the wheels turned, and the mountain bike moved slowly forward.
Xue Yuantong took a running start from behind and kicked with his short legs...
I jumped into the air and failed to reach the seat.
Jiang Ning pretended not to see it and slowed down the car again.
Xue Yuantong took a deep breath and tried again, but still failed.
Jiang Ning stopped the car, and the atmosphere suddenly became suffocating. Xue Yuantong's face turned red. It was so embarrassing that she felt like she was going to die.
After a long while, Jiang Ning broke the silence:
"Well, the instructor of the military training is quite strict. Today's training intensity exceeded the standard. The boys in our team all complained that they couldn't stand it."
Xue Yuantong said, "Oh, yes, military training is nothing to me. The main problem is that my shoes don't fit me well, which makes me feel uncomfortable. Do you understand?"
"I understand, I understand." Jiang Ning said with a smile.
Xue Yuantong pretended not to notice Jiang Ning's expression and looked away.
"Get in the car."
"Okay." Xue Yuantong finally got into the car. She sat sideways and the back seat cushion was very soft and did not hurt her butt.
The mountain bike gradually picked up speed. Xue Yuantong held tightly onto the edge of the back seat with her hands, her body pressed against Jiang Ning.
She had never been so close to a boy before. The night wind blew her hair on her forehead, and Xue Yuantong's heart beat a little faster than usual.