Chapter 23: Friends walk together until the end of the line. Who will marry first; who will be the dog
As plate arrangement involved color coordination, Jiang Zhi Zhou had naturally believed his study of colors to be extensive. As he stared at the variety of the red shades before his eyes, however, he did not know which red she was speaking of…
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「Where did you get this picture?」
Xia Wei: 「It previously circulated the internet on a straight guy exam paper. This is the last big question『doge』」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「…the legendary harbinger-of-death question?」
Xia Wei: 「Hahahaha, your knowledge is quite broad 『doge』Actually, I also don’t know which one is the killer ┑(￣Д ￣)┍」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「…」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「When do you return?」
Xia Wei: 「Why on earth do you want to know?」
This question caused Jiang Zhi Zhou to blank. Unexpectedly, he had no idea what he was doing. Why was he so concerned about when she came back?
Xia Wei: 「I returned to attend my school’s anniversary, so I plan to stay for a week.」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「You’re celebrating the school’s anniversary for a whole week?」
Xia Wei: 「I would be happy to stay a month here『smile』」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「Not concerned about your nail salon?」
Xia Wei: 「I already arranged the work shifts, so you don’t need to worry. Just continue thinking about what to give Sun Jiao Jiao as a birthday present.」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: “…”
He glanced at the image of dazzling red shades.
Xia Wei: 「Actually, just close your eyes and choose one. I think regardless of what you pick as a gift, Lady Sun will be happy.」
Jiang Zhi Zhou did not reply, so Xia Wei stowed her phone away and looked at Sunshine across from her. It had just been eating the ham that she bought, but when she approached closer, it recoiled back and became on guard again.
Xia Wei smiled at it and coaxed, “Sunshine, tomorrow I will come to feed you again, but be careful to not get captured.”
Sunshine, not knowing what she was saying, simply barked at her. Xia Wei waved and got up to head home.
That evening with her parents during dinner, the conversation, sure enough, transitioned to her love life. Xia Wei felt very helpless. “Dad, Mom, this depends on fate. I’m not in any hurry.”
Mama Xia huffed. “You are not worried now, but after all your nearby friends marry, you’ll start being in a hurry.”
Xia Wei curled her lips and thought to herself, Twiggy and the others will not marry so easily like that…right?
Imagining them all being married while she remained a lonely soul, thinking about the amount of times they go out to eat together lessening…Xia Wei immediately sent a message to their best friends chat. 「Friends walk together until the end of the line. Who will marry first; who will be the dog『smile』」
Eight Treasures Congee Female Hero: 「If we get married, then being a dog is fine. And who in the world is your friend『smile』」
Asking For Suicide At Eighteen This Year: 「… 『goodbye』『goodbye』『goodbye』」
Invincible Little Sweetie: 「Are you being urged to marry upon returning home? Hahaha」
Asking For Suicide At Eighteen This Year: 「Yes :)」
Not Losing 5kg Not Changing Name: 「Did you tell your love history to auntie『picks nose』」
Eight Treasures Congee Female Hero: 「Then she might be beaten to death」
Not Losing 5kg Not Changing Name: 「Since you returned home, try to make progress with Tao Yu. Mn, although, I think this is ultimately useless :)」
Eight Treasures Congee Female Hero: 「 Hahahahahaha」
Asking For Suicide At Eighteen This Year: 「…『smile』」
The day where I get married first will inevitably arrive, which will scare them to death. Mn
She lazed about at home for two days, eating and drinking, until the day of the school’s anniversary finally arrived. Since she was returning to her alma mater, thus seeing her former teachers and classmates, Xia We meticulously did her makeup today and even went to a hair salon near the neighborhood to get her hair done. She and Tao Yu agreed to meet directly at eight o’clock at the school gate. Having not gotten up so early in quite a while, for a split second, Xia Wei felt like she had returned to that period of time when she was a student.
Because she had clung to bed for as long as possible, Xia Wei took a taxi directly to school. As the taxi drove closer to the school, traffic became unbearable.
“Today is the school’s anniversary, so there are a lot of cars. Pretty lady, how about you get off here.”
“Okay.” Xia Wei paid the fare and walked the rest of the way to the school gate. The school gate was also full of parked cars. Xia Wei searched through the usual crowd of students and guardians to look for Tao Yu’s familiar figure.
“Xia Wei.” A familiar voice reached her ears from close by. Xia Wei followed the voice and very quickly caught sight of Tao Yu.
He wore a white shirt and jeans, just as neatly dressed as he used to be in high school. He had grown really tall, however, and his long, perfectly straight legs were overwhelming. His eyes were gorgeous, as always, but the pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose made others ignore this detail. So many years had passed, and his glasses had changed as well; nevertheless, Xia Wei still took note of his eyes.
They were still as clear and beautiful as all those years ago, but they had become even deeper since then.
Time always left some traces on people.
“Haha, I didn’t expect you to actually recognize me.” Xia Wei walked over to him. If he had not called out to her just now, she was slightly afraid she would not have been able to recognize him.
Tao Yu smiled faintly and commented, “You practically have not changed since high school.”
“How could I have not changed; I think I’ve grown a lot prettier!”
“Haha.” Tao Yu chuckled softly. “Mn, you are indeed prettier. The school anniversary celebration is about to begin. Let’s head over to the sports field.”
“Okay.”
The high school anniversary celebration was not as majestic compared to one for a university, but many alumni had still returned. The sports field was packed full of students, with teachers and class leaders alike vigorously maintaining order.
“Back then, we stood over there to exercise!” Xia Wei pointed to the left up ahead. She still remembered how she took advantage of the exercise drills to stealthily turn and look at Tao Yu, every single time.
“Teacher Tao!” Two high school boys dressed in the school uniform had been carrying a wooden bench off the sports field, and one of them called out to Tao Yu when they passed by.
Tao Yu nodded at them and said, “Hurry and assemble.”
“Oh…” The two boys’ gazes coincidentally fell onto Xia Wei’s frame, the look in their eyes and their voices both becoming ambiguous. “Teacher Tao, is this your girlfriend?”
Tao Yu said, “Don’t talk nonsense. This is your senior sister, coming back to visit for the school anniversary.”
“Oh——” The two boys very profoundly exclaimed, “Hello, senior sister; you are really pretty!”
Xia Wei: “…”
After the two boys escaped, Tao Yu said to Xia Wei, “Don’t mind them; students these days are different from us back then.”
“Mn…”
After those two students found places to stand amongst their classmates, the entire group of students began to turn their gazes toward her and Tao Yu.
Xia Wei: “…”
At eight-thirty, the celebration officially began. Naturally, the first segment was opened by all kinds of leaders making speeches. Xia Wei stood there, watching the somewhat familiar leaders, and became a little dazed midway through. Students had already come and gone, but the department chairs were still the same.
Whether it was because it was too early in the morning or because the speeches were honestly too boring, Xia Wei couldn’t help but yawn. Tao Yu, when he saw her, laughed lightly and remarked, “Do you think that no matter how long or short, the school leaders’ speeches are like hypnosis spells?”
Ke— “It’s because I woke up too early this morning.” Xia Wei faked a cough and curiously asked Tao Yu, “Do students go to sleep in your physics class?”
Tao Yu replied, “Yes, students just like you.”
Xia Wei: “…”
“But when we were studying, I always believed you were very interested in physics, especially since you would frequently come to ask me physics questions.”
Xia Wei: “…”
Teacher Tao was probably…not outdone by Mr. Jiang in terms of being a straight guy.
With great difficulty, she lasted through each speech. The host on stage then announced that alumni representatives were being invited to speak. As one of the main high schools in D City, this campus was a training ground for many talented people who had then gone to big universities all over the country, with at least one alumni at each location. Now, these alumni who were shining with gold light had returned to their alma mater, which adhered to the school motto——Today, I honor my alma mater; tomorrow, my alma mater will honor me.
Xia Wei took a photo of the alumni representatives on stage and sent it to the best friend chat. She then felt sad on Tao Yu’s behalf. “If you had continued your studies abroad, it would be you standing on stage and making a speech right now.”
Tao Yu grinned and said, “I think my life right now is excellent like this. Moreover, I don’t want to stand up on stage and talk.”
Xia Wei thought so too, but when he was in school, he had to go on stage and make speeches, as the student representative.
“Is that Xia Wei? You came to visit the school on its anniversary?”
The voice that abruptly rang out caused goose bumps to erupt on Xia Wei’s skin. That old fear she had long suppressed in her heart was, in short, pulled up by the roots.
Xia Wei turned her head. Sure enough, it was her former homeroom teacher, the terrifying physics teacher—Teacher Zhao!
“Teacher, Teacher Zhao, hello.” Although she was no longer his student, Xia Wei still felt the exact same teror as when she saw him all those years ago.
Tao Yu also called out, “Teacher Zhao.”
Teacher Zhao examined Xia Wei with a gaze overflowing with interest. “You have grown into a young woman. Are you still on good terms with Tao Yu like before? I remember in high school; you would ask him physics questions frequently, but you still scored only nine points on the exam.”
Xia Wei: “…”
How was Teacher Zhao’s memory so good, to even remember that nine-point physics exam of hers…
Tao Yu saw her embarrassed expression and stepped forward to smooth things over. “It’s alright. Students still score nine points on their exams nowadays.”
Xia Wei: “…”
You are not good at comforting, are you, Teacher Tao.
Teacher Zhao burst out laughing and asked Tao Yu, “No wonder you refused my offer to introduce you to potential girlfriends. Turns out, there was such a circumstance like this even back then.”
“No, Xia Wei merely came to visit for the school’s anniversary.”
Teacher Zhao completely ignored his explanation. “Alright, I understand. You youngsters are all shy.”
Tao Yu: “…”
“Xia Wei, where are you working right now?”
Seeing Teacher Zhao point the muzzle of the gun at her, Xia Wei hurriedly replied, “I opened up my own nail salon…”
“Nail salon? Being your own boss, excellent.”
“Hehe haha.”
Teacher Zhao made some more small talk with her before walking over to his students. When this cheerful conversation came to an end, Xia Wei breathed a long sigh of relief.
Standing to the side, Tao Yu smiled. “After that, are you still afraid of Teacher Zhao?”
Xia Wei curled her lips and remarked, “Of course you’re fearless. You were never scolded by him. Not to mention, Old Zhao really liked you and taught you a lot of knowledge during school. As you grew up, he even tried to help you find a wife.”
Tao Yu: “…”
Once various kinds of speeches were over, the performance segment that the students were looking forward to the most finally began. The opening music began echoing, which drew a smile from Xia Wei.
“You guys are actually opening with a dance to 《Pure Land of Perfect Bliss》 ?!” Do the school leaders not care at all?!
Tao Yu laughed and explained, “As I’ve said, students these days are different from us back then.”
Xia Wei: “…”
She remembered how they were all those years ago. They had some programs with very high standards. Once, the students danced to Michael Jackson, which caused a controversy to spread throughout the entire school. Students these days, with Pure Land of Perfect Bliss…
She recorded a short video and uploaded it to QQ with the comment: 「I feel that I studied at a fake high school :)」
Quite a lot of her old classmates were on QQ. Very quickly, a large surge of people liked her post and sighed about how schools nowadays were really open-minded. Mr. Jiang’s name was mixed in the pile of viewers, and like before, Xia Wei’s attention became solely focused upon him when she saw it.
Chapter 23: Friends walk together until the end of the line. Who will marry first; who will be the dog
As plate arrangement involved color coordination, Jiang Zhi Zhou had naturally believed his study of colors to be extensive. As he stared at the variety of the red shades before his eyes, however, he did not know which red she was speaking of…
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「Where did you get this picture?」
Xia Wei: 「It previously circulated the internet on a straight guy exam paper. This is the last big question『doge』」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「…the legendary harbinger-of-death question?」
Xia Wei: 「Hahahaha, your knowledge is quite broad 『doge』Actually, I also don’t know which one is the killer ┑(￣Д ￣)┍」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「…」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「When do you return?」
Xia Wei: 「Why on earth do you want to know?」
This question caused Jiang Zhi Zhou to blank. Unexpectedly, he had no idea what he was doing. Why was he so concerned about when she came back?
Xia Wei: 「I returned to attend my school’s anniversary, so I plan to stay for a week.」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「You’re celebrating the school’s anniversary for a whole week?」
Xia Wei: 「I would be happy to stay a month here『smile』」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: 「Not concerned about your nail salon?」
Xia Wei: 「I already arranged the work shifts, so you don’t need to worry. Just continue thinking about what to give Sun Jiao Jiao as a birthday present.」
Jiang Zhi Zhou: “…”
He glanced at the image of dazzling red shades.
Xia Wei: 「Actually, just close your eyes and choose one. I think regardless of what you pick as a gift, Lady Sun will be happy.」
Jiang Zhi Zhou did not reply, so Xia Wei stowed her phone away and looked at Sunshine across from her. It had just been eating the ham that she bought, but when she approached closer, it recoiled back and became on guard again.
Xia Wei smiled at it and coaxed, “Sunshine, tomorrow I will come to feed you again, but be careful to not get captured.”
Sunshine, not knowing what she was saying, simply barked at her. Xia Wei waved and got up to head home.
That evening with her parents during dinner, the conversation, sure enough, transitioned to her love life. Xia Wei felt very helpless. “Dad, Mom, this depends on fate. I’m not in any hurry.”
Mama Xia huffed. “You are not worried now, but after all your nearby friends marry, you’ll start being in a hurry.”
Xia Wei curled her lips and thought to herself, Twiggy and the others will not marry so easily like that…right?
Imagining them all being married while she remained a lonely soul, thinking about the amount of times they go out to eat together lessening…Xia Wei immediately sent a message to their best friends chat. 「Friends walk together until the end of the line. Who will marry first; who will be the dog『smile』」
Eight Treasures Congee Female Hero: 「If we get married, then being a dog is fine. And who in the world is your friend『smile』」
Asking For Suicide At Eighteen This Year: 「… 『goodbye』『goodbye』『goodbye』」
Invincible Little Sweetie: 「Are you being urged to marry upon returning home? Hahaha」
Asking For Suicide At Eighteen This Year: 「Yes :)」
Not Losing 5kg Not Changing Name: 「Did you tell your love history to auntie『picks nose』」
Eight Treasures Congee Female Hero: 「Then she might be beaten to death」
Not Losing 5kg Not Changing Name: 「Since you returned home, try to make progress with Tao Yu. Mn, although, I think this is ultimately useless :)」
Eight Treasures Congee Female Hero: 「 Hahahahahaha」
Asking For Suicide At Eighteen This Year: 「…『smile』」
The day where I get married first will inevitably arrive, which will scare them to death. Mn
She lazed about at home for two days, eating and drinking, until the day of the school’s anniversary finally arrived. Since she was returning to her alma mater, thus seeing her former teachers and classmates, Xia We meticulously did her makeup today and even went to a hair salon near the neighborhood to get her hair done. She and Tao Yu agreed to meet directly at eight o’clock at the school gate. Having not gotten up so early in quite a while, for a split second, Xia Wei felt like she had returned to that period of time when she was a student.
Because she had clung to bed for as long as possible, Xia Wei took a taxi directly to school. As the taxi drove closer to the school, traffic became unbearable.
“Today is the school’s anniversary, so there are a lot of cars. Pretty lady, how about you get off here.”
“Okay.” Xia Wei paid the fare and walked the rest of the way to the school gate. The school gate was also full of parked cars. Xia Wei searched through the usual crowd of students and guardians to look for Tao Yu’s familiar figure.
“Xia Wei.” A familiar voice reached her ears from close by. Xia Wei followed the voice and very quickly caught sight of Tao Yu.
He wore a white shirt and jeans, just as neatly dressed as he used to be in high school. He had grown really tall, however, and his long, perfectly straight legs were overwhelming. His eyes were gorgeous, as always, but the pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose made others ignore this detail. So many years had passed, and his glasses had changed as well; nevertheless, Xia Wei still took note of his eyes.
They were still as clear and beautiful as all those years ago, but they had become even deeper since then.
Time always left some traces on people.
“Haha, I didn’t expect you to actually recognize me.” Xia Wei walked over to him. If he had not called out to her just now, she was slightly afraid she would not have been able to recognize him.
Tao Yu smiled faintly and commented, “You practically have not changed since high school.”
“How could I have not changed; I think I’ve grown a lot prettier!”
“Haha.” Tao Yu chuckled softly. “Mn, you are indeed prettier. The school anniversary celebration is about to begin. Let’s head over to the sports field.”
“Okay.”
The high school anniversary celebration was not as majestic compared to one for a university, but many alumni had still returned. The sports field was packed full of students, with teachers and class leaders alike vigorously maintaining order.
“Back then, we stood over there to exercise!” Xia Wei pointed to the left up ahead. She still remembered how she took advantage of the exercise drills to stealthily turn and look at Tao Yu, every single time.
“Teacher Tao!” Two high school boys dressed in the school uniform had been carrying a wooden bench off the sports field, and one of them called out to Tao Yu when they passed by.
Tao Yu nodded at them and said, “Hurry and assemble.”
“Oh…” The two boys’ gazes coincidentally fell onto Xia Wei’s frame, the look in their eyes and their voices both becoming ambiguous. “Teacher Tao, is this your girlfriend?”
Tao Yu said, “Don’t talk nonsense. This is your senior sister, coming back to visit for the school anniversary.”
“Oh——” The two boys very profoundly exclaimed, “Hello, senior sister; you are really pretty!”
Xia Wei: “…”
After the two boys escaped, Tao Yu said to Xia Wei, “Don’t mind them; students these days are different from us back then.”
“Mn…”
After those two students found places to stand amongst their classmates, the entire group of students began to turn their gazes toward her and Tao Yu.
Xia Wei: “…”
At eight-thirty, the celebration officially began. Naturally, the first segment was opened by all kinds of leaders making speeches. Xia Wei stood there, watching the somewhat familiar leaders, and became a little dazed midway through. Students had already come and gone, but the department chairs were still the same.
Whether it was because it was too early in the morning or because the speeches were honestly too boring, Xia Wei couldn’t help but yawn. Tao Yu, when he saw her, laughed lightly and remarked, “Do you think that no matter how long or short, the school leaders’ speeches are like hypnosis spells?”
Ke— “It’s because I woke up too early this morning.” Xia Wei faked a cough and curiously asked Tao Yu, “Do students go to sleep in your physics class?”
Tao Yu replied, “Yes, students just like you.”
Xia Wei: “…”
“But when we were studying, I always believed you were very interested in physics, especially since you would frequently come to ask me physics questions.”
Xia Wei: “…”
Teacher Tao was probably…not outdone by Mr. Jiang in terms of being a straight guy.
With great difficulty, she lasted through each speech. The host on stage then announced that alumni representatives were being invited to speak. As one of the main high schools in D City, this campus was a training ground for many talented people who had then gone to big universities all over the country, with at least one alumni at each location. Now, these alumni who were shining with gold light had returned to their alma mater, which adhered to the school motto——Today, I honor my alma mater; tomorrow, my alma mater will honor me.
Xia Wei took a photo of the alumni representatives on stage and sent it to the best friend chat. She then felt sad on Tao Yu’s behalf. “If you had continued your studies abroad, it would be you standing on stage and making a speech right now.”
Tao Yu grinned and said, “I think my life right now is excellent like this. Moreover, I don’t want to stand up on stage and talk.”
Xia Wei thought so too, but when he was in school, he had to go on stage and make speeches, as the student representative.
“Is that Xia Wei? You came to visit the school on its anniversary?”
The voice that abruptly rang out caused goose bumps to erupt on Xia Wei’s skin. That old fear she had long suppressed in her heart was, in short, pulled up by the roots.
Xia Wei turned her head. Sure enough, it was her former homeroom teacher, the terrifying physics teacher—Teacher Zhao!
“Teacher, Teacher Zhao, hello.” Although she was no longer his student, Xia Wei still felt the exact same teror as when she saw him all those years ago.
Tao Yu also called out, “Teacher Zhao.”
Teacher Zhao examined Xia Wei with a gaze overflowing with interest. “You have grown into a young woman. Are you still on good terms with Tao Yu like before? I remember in high school; you would ask him physics questions frequently, but you still scored only nine points on the exam.”
Xia Wei: “…”
How was Teacher Zhao’s memory so good, to even remember that nine-point physics exam of hers…
Tao Yu saw her embarrassed expression and stepped forward to smooth things over. “It’s alright. Students still score nine points on their exams nowadays.”
Xia Wei: “…”
You are not good at comforting, are you, Teacher Tao.
Teacher Zhao burst out laughing and asked Tao Yu, “No wonder you refused my offer to introduce you to potential girlfriends. Turns out, there was such a circumstance like this even back then.”
“No, Xia Wei merely came to visit for the school’s anniversary.”
Teacher Zhao completely ignored his explanation. “Alright, I understand. You youngsters are all shy.”
Tao Yu: “…”
“Xia Wei, where are you working right now?”
Seeing Teacher Zhao point the muzzle of the gun at her, Xia Wei hurriedly replied, “I opened up my own nail salon…”
“Nail salon? Being your own boss, excellent.”
“Hehe haha.”
Teacher Zhao made some more small talk with her before walking over to his students. When this cheerful conversation came to an end, Xia Wei breathed a long sigh of relief.
Standing to the side, Tao Yu smiled. “After that, are you still afraid of Teacher Zhao?”
Xia Wei curled her lips and remarked, “Of course you’re fearless. You were never scolded by him. Not to mention, Old Zhao really liked you and taught you a lot of knowledge during school. As you grew up, he even tried to help you find a wife.”
Tao Yu: “…”
Once various kinds of speeches were over, the performance segment that the students were looking forward to the most finally began. The opening music began echoing, which drew a smile from Xia Wei.
“You guys are actually opening with a dance to 《Pure Land of Perfect Bliss》 ?!” Do the school leaders not care at all?!
Tao Yu laughed and explained, “As I’ve said, students these days are different from us back then.”
Xia Wei: “…”
She remembered how they were all those years ago. They had some programs with very high standards. Once, the students danced to Michael Jackson, which caused a controversy to spread throughout the entire school. Students these days, with Pure Land of Perfect Bliss…
She recorded a short video and uploaded it to QQ with the comment: 「I feel that I studied at a fake high school :)」
Quite a lot of her old classmates were on QQ. Very quickly, a large surge of people liked her post and sighed about how schools nowadays were really open-minded. Mr. Jiang’s name was mixed in the pile of viewers, and like before, Xia Wei’s attention became solely focused upon him when she saw it.
