Chapter 30: Fondness for Zhang Heyu
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“Same question as before. Are you coming with me to the Sun family or not?”
Jiang Nanyan did not want Jiang Ci to enter the Sun family. Unfortunately, when Madam Sun heard that she had a daughter who was sweet and well-behaved—and that the Sun family was sorely lacking a girl—she made an exception and allowed Jiang Nanyan to bring Jiang Ci along.
“You want to use me as a stepping stone?” Jiang Ci refused without a moment’s thought. “Impossible.”
Her words struck Jiang Nanyan hard, tearing away her hypocritical mask.
“Jiang Ci, I gave birth to you and raised you. Is this how you treat your mother?”
Jiang Ci froze for a moment, and scenes from her childhood suddenly surfaced in her mind.
“Have you ever been my mother for even a single day?” Jiang Ci forced out a smile, disappointment filling her eyes. “When I needed you most, you were never there. What right do you have to call yourself my mother?”
Even before her rebirth, Jiang Ci had already seen Jiang Nanyan clearly.
Jiang Nanyan gritted her teeth as she stared at the girl before her. She suddenly found Jiang Ci completely unfamiliar. In her memory, Jiang Ci had always been obedient and docile.
“You!” Jiang Nanyan was furious. “You’ve changed, Jiang Ci!”
Jiang Ci shook her head. “I haven’t changed. You have.”
She walked to the door and opened it.
“Leave. Don’t come here again. I don’t want Grandma to find out about the disgraceful things you’ve done.”
Jiang Nanyan paused, glaring viciously at Jiang Ci. Without humiliating herself any further, she turned and walked out in her high heels.
Only after the sound of her footsteps had faded did Jiang Ci close the door and collapse onto the floor.
After the school sports meet ended, everything returned to normal.
Since Jiang Nanyan had come back that one time, she had never appeared again.
Jiang Ci had expected that outcome long ago. What she had not expected was that, after that day, Jiang Nanyan would uncharacteristically send her fifty thousand yuan.
She planned to take some of the money to repay Zhang Heyu and deposit the rest into her bank account.
On the weekend, Jiang Ci went to tutor Cheng Yaoyao as usual.
The moment Cheng Yaoyao saw her, she hurriedly pulled out her monthly exam paper.
“Ta-da!” Cheng Yaoyao pointed at the score on the paper. “Sister Jiang Ci, look at my score on this month’s exam!”
“Exactly ninety points!”
Jiang Ci had not expected Cheng Yaoyao to do so well. She praised her, “Yaoyao, you were wonderful. What reward would you like?”
Cheng Yaoyao had already made up her mind. Rubbing her little hands together, she said, “Sister Jiang Ci, I want to go to an amusement park!”
Jiang Ci had never been to an amusement park in her entire life, but she knew it was a place filled with every child’s dreams.
After thinking it over, Jiang Ci had no objection. She simply did not know whether Cheng Yaoyao’s parents would agree.
Cheng Yaoyao noticed her hesitation and quickly added, “My mother agreed. She said you could accompany me, and you’ll still be paid as usual.”
Since that was the case, Jiang Ci nodded and accepted.
Once Jiang Ci agreed, Cheng Yaoyao became so excited that her enthusiasm and efficiency in studying improved considerably.
After the first lesson, Jiang Ci gave her fifteen minutes to rest.
Cheng Yaoyao picked up the potato chips she had set aside and began eating while scrolling through short videos. Suddenly, she came across a comment beneath one of them.
She glanced at Jiang Ci, who was sitting beside her, thought for a moment, and asked curiously, “Sister Jiang Ci, what does it feel like to like someone?”
Jiang Ci’s finger stopped on her phone. Her heart tightened, and the world around her quietly fell silent. The face of that unruly young man suddenly surfaced in her mind.
After a moment, Jiang Ci asked, “Why are you suddenly asking that?”
Cheng Yaoyao leaned closer and said mysteriously, “Sister Jiang Ci, someone confessed to me recently. I don’t know whether I like him, and I don’t understand what liking someone is supposed to feel like.”
Middle school was the age of innocent, bewildering first feelings.
Jiang Ci thought for a while before answering, “When you like someone, your heart beats faster. You get nervous and flustered. It’s happiness tinged with a little bitterness, like orange soda—bubbling with joy, yet carrying a faint sourness.”
At least, that was how Jiang Ci felt.
Cheng Yaoyao paused, then instinctively asked, “Sister Jiang Ci, do you like someone?”
“Yes.” Jiang Ci admitted it without hesitation.
“Does he know?”
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Jiang Ci did not know whether Zhang Heyu had noticed her feelings.
“Probably not.”
Thinking of the fact that Zhang Heyu liked Sister Jiang Ci, Cheng Yaoyao suddenly realized something and was startled.
“Sister Jiang Ci, you like someone?”
Her sudden outburst left Jiang Ci a little dazed. She nodded.
Cheng Yaoyao murmured, “Then what will happen to my brother...?”
“What?” Jiang Ci did not hear her clearly.
Cheng Yaoyao could only mourn for Zhang Heyu for a second.
In the end, Jiang Ci merely reminded her, “Yaoyao, your studies should still come first!”
After the tutoring session ended, Jiang Ci gathered her things and went downstairs. There, she happened to see Huo Chensi and Fan Mian, who had come to visit Zhang Heyu.
Zhang Heyu was lounging lazily on the sofa, a lollipop between his lips and the latest game controller in his hands.
“Brother Yu, are we playing or not?” Fan Mian glanced toward the stairs and asked.
Huo Chensi snickered. “Can’t you see that our Brother Yu’s eyes are practically growing on Sister Ci? Of course he’s going to see her off!”
Nothing in the world mattered more than Sister Ci.
Zhang Heyu ignored them, tossed aside the controller, and rose to walk toward the stairs.
“Leaving?” he asked.
The sweet orange flavor of the candy seemed to drift into Jiang Ci’s heart. She nodded obediently.
“Mhm. I’m leaving.”
“All right. Wait for me. I’ll take you home.”
After saying that, Zhang Heyu went to the entrance and changed his shoes.
December had just begun. Over the past few days, cold air had swept through South City. After a night of rain, the temperature had dropped sharply, and winter was drawing closer by the day.
Jiang Ci’s gaze fell on the thin gray hooded sweatshirt he was wearing. Suddenly remembering something, she gently reminded him, “Zhang Heyu, why don’t you put on another layer before you go out? It’s cold outside.”
He responded with an indifferent hum, then ran upstairs to put on another layer. He also took a coat from his wardrobe.
When he returned, he handed her the coat draped over his arm.
“You should put on another layer too.”
Jiang Ci froze for a moment, then accepted it and thanked him.
She slipped it on neatly. The coat was somewhat large on her, making it look oversized. It left her appearing even more adorably foolish than usual.
Quite cute, actually.
Huo Chensi glanced over curiously. When he saw Jiang Ci wearing Zhang Heyu’s favorite limited-edition coat, he could not help laughing.
“Damn, Brother Yu, you really brought out your precious coat for Sister Ci to wear?”
Zhang Heyu shot him a sideways glance.
“Shut your mouth.”
Fan Mian was staring too.
Jiang Ci blinked and asked, “Is this coat expensive?”
“Not really,” Zhang Heyu replied lightly, as though he were saying it had been bought casually from a street stall.
Jiang Ci touched the fabric. Its quality was excellent, and she could tell it was not cheap.
Seemingly aware of her thoughts, Zhang Heyu said carelessly, “If you want to catch a cold, take it off.”
Since he had given her an order, Jiang Ci could only force herself to keep wearing it.
“Zhang Heyu, I’ll transfer you the money for Grandma’s medical expenses from last time.”
As she spoke, Jiang Ci took out her phone, opened the WeChat account with the Alaskan puppy avatar, and sent him the money.
Zhang Heyu was just about to tell her that she did not need to repay him so quickly when Jiang Ci added, “Aunt Zhang paid me for tutoring last night.”
He looked at her and smiled helplessly. In truth, he did not want to accept the money.
But beneath Jiang Ci’s unwavering gaze, he still tapped the payment confirmation.
“Thank you.”
Only after seeing him accept it did Jiang Ci relax and smile.
Zhang Heyu walked her to the bus stop. He watched until Jiang Ci had boarded, sat down, and waved goodbye to him through the window before turning back along the way he had come.
Just as he was about to reach his front door, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. Puzzled, he took it out and glanced at the screen.
[Zhang Xiyi: Yaoyao wants to go to the amusement park with Jiang Ci next weekend. Do you want to come too?]
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Zhang Heyu looked at the message and typed a single word without hesitation.
[Zhang Heyu: Yes.]
He exited his conversation with Zhang Xiyi and happened to notice a small red notification dot in the upper-right corner of the account with the strawberry bear avatar.
[Jiang Ci: Thank you for the coat. I’ll return it to you on Sunday evening.]
[Zhang Heyu: It’s going to get colder tomorrow. Wear more layers.]
Jiang Ci instinctively nodded, then remembered that he could not see her. She quickly typed a reply on her phone.
[Jiang Ci: Okay.]
On Sunday evening, before leaving for school, Jiang Ci placed Zhang Heyu’s coat into a nicely wrapped bag and took it with her.
When she returned to school, the classroom was noisy. With evening self-study still some time away, some students were playing on their phones while others chatted.
Jiang Ci returned to her seat and glanced at the desk beside her. It was empty. Zhang Heyu had not come back yet.
Suddenly, a figure appeared outside the window.
Yu Xijin stood by the window and knocked on it.
“Ci-Ci, come with me to the school gate. I ordered takeout, but I haven’t picked it up yet.”
There was still an hour before evening self-study, so Jiang Ci agreed and accompanied her to the school gate.
Along the way, Yu Xijin kept her head lowered as she scrolled through her phone and chatted with Jiang Ci.
Suddenly, she stared at her phone in astonishment.
“Oh my gosh, Ci-Ci, look at the school forum!”
“What happened?” Jiang Ci asked in confusion.
Seeing Jiang Ci’s blank expression, Yu Xijin simply handed her the phone.
“The number one trending post is about Zhang Heyu’s next girlfriend.”
Jiang Ci paused, her eyes falling on the phone Yu Xijin had pressed into her hands. Yu Xijin continued, “Do you know who everyone is voting for in the comments?”
She swiped across the screen.
“It’s you, Ci-Ci! You’re in first place!”
Jiang Ci frowned slightly and pressed her lips together without speaking.
Yu Xijin slipped her arm through Jiang Ci’s and smiled brightly. Lowering her voice, she asked tentatively, “Ci-Ci, you like Zhang Heyu, don’t you?”
At her words, Jiang Ci’s body stiffened. Her emotions grew complicated, but Yu Xijin was her best friend, so she decided not to hide it any longer.
“Yes. I like Zhang Heyu.”
Yu Xijin had guessed it long ago, but hearing Ci-Ci admit it aloud still made her so excited that she nearly screamed.
“If I hadn’t been clever enough to figure it out, you probably never would have told me.” Yu Xijin tugged at her lips and pouted. “You kept something this important from me. I’m hurt!”
Jiang Ci had not expected Yu Xijin to have noticed so early. Hearing her complaint, she felt slightly apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Xinxin. I didn’t mean to hide it from you...”
“Oh, it’s fine.” Yu Xijin laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. “Now tell me—how long have you liked him?”
“About one thousand and sixty-three days,” Jiang Ci replied softly.
Yu Xijin froze for a long moment, utterly astonished.
“You’ve liked him for nearly three years?”
She had never imagined Jiang Ci’s feelings would have lasted so long.
Unable to hold herself back, Yu Xijin looked at Jiang Ci with reddened eyes.
“Ci-Ci, I feel so sorry for you.”
Jiang Ci shook her head. She lifted her face toward the darkening sky and sighed, white mist escaping her lips.
“Xinxin, I’m the one who chose to like Zhang Heyu. Unrequited love is painful by nature. Besides, who could blame me when he appeared during the brightest years of my life?”
Yu Xijin sighed. She understood what it felt like to like someone, let alone love them from afar.
After picking up the takeout, Yu Xijin suddenly remembered something.
“Ci-Ci, have you ever realized that Zhang Heyu likes you too?”
Jiang Ci blinked. She remembered the day Zhang Heyu had told her that his feelings toward her were not entirely innocent.
She was not sure whether she had understood his words correctly, nor was she certain how Zhang Heyu truly felt about her.
But she knew that he treated her very well.
Jiang Ci was just about to say something when the warning bell for class rang across the square. The two girls had no choice but to hurry back to the classroom.
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