T/n: This chapter is made possible by our geneours supporter: Safida~ Thank you so much for your ko-fi. Many more blessings to you!
Chapter 78
Lin Xiu came to take a look on the first day of Chi Aibei’s rehearsal, but he left before Chi Aibei finished. Chi Aibei didn’t know how he had angered him.
At noon, Chi Aibei was about to find Lin Xiu for lunch when he was stopped midway by the woman who had mistaken Meng Huaiqing for Lin Xiu last time.
The woman had her hair pinned up and was dressed simply. “Student, do you know Lin Xiu?”
Ever since Chi Aibei remembered where he had seen her, he felt even more strange about her appearance here. They had met in Zhou City last time—she had come from so far just to find Lin Xiu?
Chi Aibei: “Who are you? What do you want with him?”
The woman had a bitter smile. “I’m his mother. Can you help me call him out?”
Chi Aibei looked at the woman in shock. “Mother? Impossible, Lin Xiu-ge doesn’t have a mother!”
The woman’s brow furrowed slightly. “I indeed haven’t been back for many years, but he didn’t just pop out of a rock. How could he not have a mother? I went home, but no one was there. Lin Xiu’s grandmother and uncle weren’t there either.”
Chi Aibei was clear about this. He said, “Grandma is sick and in a nursing home. Uncle was caught gambling and is in prison.”
Lin Ning was stunned. “How do you know so clearly?”
Chi Aibei thought to himself, How could I not be clear when I arranged it all myself?
Meng Huaiqing had slipped out of the Student Union to slack off. As soon as he arrived, he saw the woman who had mistaken him for Lin Xiu last time talking to Chi Aibei.
“Xiao Bei.”
Chi Aibei turned around. Meng Huaiqing had already walked up behind him. He nodded at the woman in front of Chi Aibei. “Met again.”
Lin Ning looked at Meng Huaiqing. Seeing this familiar face made her heart skip a beat with panic.
A hurried glance in Zhou City had made her mistake him for someone else. Seeing him again, she realized she couldn’t be blamed for mistaking him; they really were alike.
Meng Huaiqing asked Chi Aibei, “Didn’t you say you didn’t know her?”
Chi Aibei didn’t know her. He frowned and whispered, “She said she’s Lin Xiu-ge’s mother.”
Meng Huaiqing raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Ning. What kind of mother is this, to even mistake her own son?
Looking at Meng Huaiqing’s face, Lin Ning couldn’t resist asking, “What is your relationship with Lin Xiu?”
Meng Huaiqing’s eyes curved, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “As of now, there is no relationship.”
This sentence sounded strange, but Chi Aibei didn’t have the mind to think that much. This woman who suddenly popped up claimed to be Lin Xiu’s mother. Someone who hadn’t appeared until Lin Xiu’s death in the novel had suddenly appeared. Chi Aibei didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
Chi Aibei’s phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was Lin Xiu calling, he instinctively hung up.
Lin Ning guessed who was calling from Chi Aibei’s reaction. She said, “I have no other purpose. I just want to see Lin Xiu and the old lady. I’ve been alone outside for so many years; I didn’t know the old lady was sick. Can you help me call him out?”
Just as Chi Aibei was about to speak, his shoulder was suddenly pressed by Meng Huaiqing. He looked up at Meng Huaiqing.
Meng Huaiqing: “It’s better to let Lin Xiu decide this himself.”
After all, it was Lin Xiu’s own business, and it wasn’t good for outsiders like them to interfere too much. Chi Aibei nodded and said to Lin Ning, “I’ll tell Gege. As for whether he sees you…”
Meng Huaiqing pressed his shoulder and turned him around. “Doesn’t your club have something? Go quickly, lest your president scolds you.”
Chi Aibei was about to say their president didn’t scold people when he caught Meng Huaiqing’s gaze signaling him to leave quickly. Chi Aibei quickly said, “Right, I still have things. I’m leaving first. Goodbye, Auntie.”
Lin Ning wasn’t finished. Just as she was about to chase after him, Meng Huaiqing took a step sideways to block her. “Sorry, Auntie. We’re busy preparing for the school anniversary lately. It’s better if you find Lin Xiu himself for his matters.”
Lin Ning also wanted to find Lin Xiu, but she had searched for several days and only found someone who looked like Lin Xiu; she couldn’t find the person himself.
Looking at Meng Huaiqing’s face, Lin Ning was a bit concerned. “Can I ask what your surname is?”
Meng Huaiqing said with a smile, “Surname is Meng.”
…
During the meal, Lin Xiu saw that Chi Aibei was absent-minded and tapped his head with his chopsticks.
Chi Aibei reacted slowly for a moment before looking up at Lin Xiu. “What?”
Lin Xiu: “I should be asking you what you’re doing. You’re not even eating properly. What are you thinking about?”
Chi Aibei bit his chopsticks, not knowing if he should tell him about that woman. Just as he was hesitating, Meng Huaiqing suddenly sat down with his food tray.
Chi Aibei was stunned. “Wheelchair Gege?”
Meng Huaiqing glanced at Lin Xiu. “Did he tell you?”
Lin Xiu: “Tell me what?”
Chi Aibei quickly called out to Meng Huaiqing, “Wheelchair Gege, I haven’t said it yet!”
Lin Xiu looked at Chi Aibei. “What is it?”
Chi Aibei opened his mouth. Originally, he hadn’t decided whether to say it or not, but now that he was being put on the spot, it seemed he couldn’t not say it.
Seeing his difficulty, Meng Huaiqing said for him, “A woman mistook me for you the day before yesterday. She came again today and told Xiao Bei she’s your mother and wants to see you.”
Lin Xiu looked at Chi Aibei. “When was this?”
Chi Aibei stammered, “Just—just now.”
Meng Huaiqing had a tone as if he didn’t take it seriously, pretending not to see the atmosphere between them. “How could your mother mistake her own son?”
Chi Aibei winked hard at Meng Huaiqing, wanting him to stop talking.
Lin Xiu glanced at him. “Is President Meng this gossipy?”
Meng Huaiqing smiled. “How can this be called gossip? I’m clearly caring for a classmate.”
Lin Xiu: “Caring for a classmate’s private affairs doesn’t count as gossip? I thought you’d be very busy since you don’t stay at the Student Union every day.”
Meng Huaiqing: “Why do I feel like you have some hostility toward me?”
Lin Xiu originally didn’t have much hostility toward Meng Huaiqing, at least not in his previous life. If there was any, perhaps it was because he was the only person Chi Aibei approached without a clear purpose.
Meng Huaiqing seemingly came specifically to speak for Chi Aibei. After saying his piece, he left without eating much.
After Meng Huaiqing left, Lin Xiu said to Chi Aibei, “If she looks for you again, tell me.”
Chi Aibei quickly asked, “Are you going to see her?”
A person who had vanished for nearly twenty years—Lin Xiu didn’t believe she would appear for no reason. He hadn’t had contact with this person in his previous life; Lin Xiu wanted to know the purpose of her appearance.
In the afternoon, Lin Xiu sent Chi Aibei to rehearsal. As soon as they reached the venue entrance, they saw Lin Ning standing there. It looked as if she had been standing there without leaving.
Chi Aibei’s footsteps faltered. He looked at Lin Xiu. “Gege.”
Lin Xiu looked at the somewhat nervous woman and said to Chi Aibei, “Go in first.”
Chi Aibei was worried. “I won’t.”
Lin Xiu: “You’ll be late for rehearsal.”
Late then. It wasn’t a class, and credits wouldn’t be deducted.
Lin Ning walked over. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Lin Xiu say, “Wait for me a moment. I’ll send him in first.”
Hearing that indisputable tone, Lin Ning was stunned. She had thought Lin Xiu would distance himself from her, would not acknowledge her, but she hadn’t expected him to use this calm tone to tell her to wait a moment.
Lin Xiu came out very soon. Lin Ning called out “Xiao Xiu.” Lin Xiu glanced at her. “Let’s find a place to sit.”
Looking at Lin Xiu’s calm attitude, Lin Ning was a bit surprised. Shouldn’t a teenager be at an age where they are flustered and uneasy when something happens? Why did he look not surprised at all, despite it being the first time he met her?
The area near the school was full of food stalls and milk tea shops. Lin Xiu found a cold drink shop that Chi Aibei usually liked. He went in and ordered a mango smoothie. He said to the clerk, “To go.”
“To go” meant he didn’t intend to eat here, nor was it ordered for Lin Ning. And smoothies melt easily; he didn’t even plan to stay here for long.
Lin Xiu found a random seat. After Lin Ning sat down, she tried hard to find a topic. “What do you want to drink? Order whatever you like.”
Lin Xiu looked at her calmly. “No need, thank you. If you have something to say, please say it.”
This polite but distant attitude was quite different from what Lin Ning had anticipated. The words she had prepared to say to the child could not be put to use for a moment. “How have you been all these years?”
Lin Xiu: “Quite good.”
Lin Xiu was a master at ending a conversation. A “quite good” left Lin Ning not knowing how to continue asking. “I heard your grandmother is sick. What’s the illness?”
Lin Xiu: “A stroke. It’s been several years now. She’s currently in a nursing home. If you want to see her, I can give you the address.”
Lin Xiu was too calm—so calm that Lin Ning felt they weren’t meeting for the first time. She lowered her head and smiled. “You don’t seem surprised at my appearance.”
Lin Xiu: “I’m always like this with strangers.”
Lin Ning: “…”
Lin Ning really wanted to refute his “stranger” comment but had no way to do so. “I left you here alone for so many years; I’ve let you down.”
Lin Xiu didn’t come out with her to accept her apology; he only wanted to know her purpose for finding him. But clearly, she didn’t understand the meaning of him ordering a “to go” smoothie.
Lin Xiu asked back, “Have you been well all these years?”
Lin Ning gave him a surprised look. Her son, whom she had abandoned for many years, had offered her such a word of concern. Suddenly, her nose felt sour. “Good, quite good. I’m married. You have a younger brother; he’s ten this year.”
The packaged mango smoothie was ready, and the clerk brought it over.
Lin Xiu said thank you, then looked at Lin Ning again. “That’s good.”
Lin Ning knew this meant he was in a hurry to leave. She tried hard to cozy up to him. “That boy just now seems to have a good relationship with you. Is he your friend?”
Lin Ning looked clean and simply dressed, but Lin Xiu remembered that when he ran into her at the Zhou City cake shop, her hair was messy and her clothes were full of wrinkles. She had looked extremely wretched.
Lin Xiu didn’t want to think of her so poorly, but she and Lin Weimin were biological siblings. Lin Xiu had to be on guard. Besides, he hadn’t figured out the purpose of her return this time; it was impossible for him to tell her about Chi Aibei.
Lin Xiu: “He’s my creditor.” In every sense.
Lin Ning was stunned. “Cred—Creditor?”
Lin Xiu: “Yes. I owe their family a lot of money. My high school was sponsored by their family, and their family has also helped pay for Grandma being in the nursing home these years.”
Lin Ning had thought the old and young might not have lived well, but she hadn’t expected them to live so poorly.
A hint of hesitation flashed in Lin Ning’s eyes. She squeezed the cloth bag she had been holding. “Um, are you in a hurry to get back? I won’t take up more of your time.”
Just as Lin Xiu was about to stand up, Lin Ning said, “Would it be convenient for you to give me a phone number?”
After Lin Xiu gave her the number, he left with the smoothie.
Returning to the school venue, Chi Aibei was being held on stage by the president of the Arts Club. He was venting by smashing the drumsticks against the drum kit, producing a string of noise.
Wang Yunmiao covered her ears. “Chi Aibei, what are you doing?”
Jiang Xiaomi was the president of the Arts Club. Lin Xiu had brought Chi Aibei in just now and personally handed him over to her, saying he wanted to escape rehearsal and asking her to keep a close eye on him.
Escaping rehearsal—really?
Chi Aibei was originally reluctant to perform on stage. As soon as Jiang Xiaomi heard he wanted to escape, she personally kept an eye on him.
Seeing Lin Xiu return, Chi Aibei glared at him and smashed out another string of sounds. This time it wasn’t random banging, but striking the drums in an inspiring rhythm.
The other people rehearsing couldn’t help but look at Chi Aibei. It wasn’t until he finished a whole song that Jiang Xiaomi snapped out of her daze. “No—if you play this well, you should have said so earlier! Do you even need to rehearse if you play like this?”
Chi Aibei put down the drumsticks and stood up. “Can I leave now?”
Jiang Xiaomi: “You can…”
Chi Aibei jumped directly off the stage and walked up to Lin Xiu. “You—”
Lin Xiu held up the smoothie he brought back. “Eat it here or back at the dorm?”
Chi Aibei: “…”
Too much! You actually want to buy me off!
Lin Xiu opened the smoothie box, scooped a spoonful, and handed it to Chi Aibei’s mouth. “Eat it here; it’ll melt soon.”
Chi Aibei bit the plastic spoon hard, mumbling with the smoothie in his mouth, “I’m angry. A box of smoothie won’t coax me.”
Chi Aibei was truly angry before Lin Xiu returned. Lin Xiu actually used such a ridiculous reason to make Jiang Xiaomi watch him. Was he such an disobedient person? If he didn’t let him go, would he have followed?
Lin Xiu scooped another spoonful. “Mn, I know. It’ll take at least two boxes.”
Chi Aibei pointed at the mango beside it, signaling Lin Xiu to scoop it up for him. He said, “Two boxes, and you have to tell me what you talked about. She must have something if she suddenly came to find you. Don’t agree to anything.”
Lin Xiu looked at the kid who was so angry he forgot to avoid suspicion and laughed helplessly. “I know. Why do you worry so much at such a young age?”
Chi Aibei said unclearly with the smoothie in his mouth, “I only worry about your matters. I’m too lazy to care about anyone else.”
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