Though Li’s story is absurd, she is welcomed to stay at Lin’s house.
Li Xi’er once spent three years with Baojia. Their friendship is deep. Li Xi’er sheds tears several times after she knows about Baojia’s current condition. She sometimes goes to stay with Baojia by her bedside and talks to her. Baojia never makes any response. Nobody knows whether she can hear or not.
It’s September. There is a major event of the Lin family. Luodong is going to junior high school.
Luodong’s grades are pretty good and he is enrolled by the best junior high school of the R City. Wei Xue, his best friend, didn’t do the exams so good and she fails to be enrolled by the same school. Wei Xue has her pride and she refuses to let her parents, who are normal wage-earners, pay for the expensive school selection fee. Therefore, she goes to a middle school on the west side of the city. Wei Xue and Luodong make an agreement that they should be desk mates in high school.
What surprises Lin Luoran is that Huang Weijian’s mysterious grandfather sent her a message days before.
That day, Lin Luoran logged into her BBS account and saw a private message from the man under the ID of “Unworthy Apprentice of the Alchemy School”. He asked her to take care of Huang Weijian and he would give Lin the first batch of boluses as compensation. There is only one person who is related to Huang and that will be his missing grandfather. This is Lin’s only guess. Anyway, the first batch of boluses worth enough money to send Huang to study abroad. After asking for Huang’s opinion, Huang becomes Luodong’s classmate again.
Lin Luoran smiles because Huang Weijian is such a premature kid. He clearly sees Luodong as his friend, yet he insists to pretend to be cold, which is actually hilarious.
“Sister, Huang Weijian said that our family was going to pay for his tuition fee?” Luodong is happy about this. Wei Xue is going to another school, so Luodong is afraid of losing another friend.
Lin Luoran looks at Huang Weijian, who is in silence, and shakes her head. Huang grows in the midst of adversity and he is even more restrained than how Luodong used to be. Certainly, Huang has his pride. Thus, Lin Luoran explains to Luodong seriously, “We’re not paying for him. The truth is, I owe something valuable to his grandfather, and Mr. Huang has trusted me to take care of Huang Weijian and to pay his tuition fee in return.”
Huang Weijian looks up in surprise. Lin Luodong’s sister is entrusted by his grandfather? Grandpa is still alive?
Although Huang is premature, he is just a teenager. He has lived the past year in difficulties because of the sudden loss of his only family member. Every night, the loneliness and desperation gnaw Huang’s stubborn heart.
Is grandpa really alive? Where is he?
The wind blows and lifts Huang’s bang-up. He is looking at Lin Luoran with expectation in his eyes. His shiny eyes add more energy to himself.
However, Lin Luoran doesn’t have the answers to his questions. She says, “Your grandfather only sent me a message online. I don’t know his whereabouts. Nevertheless, what I said is true. You can stay in my house…”
Huang Weijian is disappointed. He grits his teeth, “I can’t live here… I have to stay at my house in case my grandpa comes back later!”
Lin Luoran’s heart is softened. She smiles at Huang with encouragement and changes the topic.
Ms. Lin asks Huang to stay for lunch. Huang ignores the invitation and heads home. Luodong goes after him.
“Hey! Huang Weijian! Slow down!”
Luodong comes back home alone after a while. He seems to be absent-minded and upset.
“Why? Does Huang Weijian refuse to let us pay his tuition fee?” Lin Luoran notices Luodong’s confusion. She puts down the bowl in her hand and asks.
Luodong shakes his head, “I’m thinking how we can help Huang find his grandfather. I’ve never seen him so heartbroken!”
Before Lin Luoran says anything, Li Xi’er rubs Luodong’s head and says, “Little boy, you should leave these things for us adults to worry about. You just focus on your schoolwork!”
Li Xi’er calls herself an adult… Luodong sticks his tongue out and answers, “Xi’er, my dear sister, you should worry about nobody but your own fiancé!”
“You stupid kid!” Li’s face goes red. The story of her running away from her wedding has become a joke in the world of cultivation. The most popular post on the BBS for cultivators is the news of her becoming a run-away bride. The host of the pose even encourages other young cultivators to pursue Li Xi’er!
Mr. and Ms. Lin, as well as Lin Luoran, laugh. Li Xi’er has done the right thing to run away from the wedding. Li is just an innocent girl. It’s not the perfect time for her to marry anyone!
*********
It’s the first day of the new semester. Lin Luodong, Wei Xue, and Huang Weijian have become best friends. The three of them once gathered at the park yesterday night and promised each other to stay loyal to their friendship even though they are not in the same school anymore. Of course, Huang Weijian never said those words, but he didn’t say no. Thus, Lin Luodong and Wei Xue believed that Huang made a silent consent.
Lin Luodong arrives at the school early and he goes to check the name list of his classmates. As expected, Huang Weijian is in the same class as him. Luodong puts down his schoolbag and goes to the balcony to wait for Huang. Luodong is afraid that Huang may have a hard time finding the classroom because he is always too shy to ask anyone for the direction.
Light pours down through the clouds. The weather is nice today. The school is crowded because it’s the first day of a new semester. The parents even accompany their children to the school. They can’t stop talking to their children about things they should pay attention to at school. Lin Luodong sighs. He believes that no junior high school students should let their parents take them to school. Even he has stopped Mr. and Ms. Lin from giving him a ride, and he rides a bike here by himself.
Luodong looks around. Before he sees Huang Weijian, a familiar boy comes into his sight.
“Ma Ming?!”
Ma Ming, the fat boy, is in his mother’s arms. His mother keeps calling him “baby” and doesn’t want to let go. Ma Ming has seen Lin Luodong on the second floor and he blushes. Damn! Why Lin Luodong has to be the one who sees this? Ma Ming wipes his mother’s lip print off his face and hurries to get to the second floor.
He says, “Lin Luodong, why are you here? I don’t want to be your classmate again!”
Lin Luodong laughs, “You will be my classmate if you’re in Class Eight! However, Ma Ming, tell me, how can you go to this school with your poor grades?”
Ma Ming is stunned. Lin Luodong has become much sharper after the summer vacation! The fat boy becomes angry with the embarrassment. He answers, “It’s not your business!”
Lin Luodong walks closer to Ma Ming and pretends to be vicious, “Your minions couldn’t follow you here, right? If you bully anyone ever again, Huang Weijian and I will beat you!”
Ma Ming stares at Lin Luodong. His cheeks shiver… He is furious! This can’t be real! Why Lin Luodong dares to threaten him? What has happened during the summer vacation?
A burst of laughter comes from downstairs. Ma Ming and Lin Luodong look down. A group of people are passing by. A woman with high-bridged nose walks in the front. Her hair is brown and curl. The weather is quite cold and the woman only wears a thin beige wind coat. She is tall. The woman must have heard the childish conversation between the two boys and couldn’t help laughing.
A foreigner! Ma Ming’s eyes are light up by his affection for this woman.
Lin Luodong pushes Ma Ming with disdain. Ma Ming casts a glance at Luodong and says seriously like a good kid, “Hey, nice to meet you, foreign lady!”
The woman giggles and says in mandarin, “My name is not a foreign lady!” She has a strange yet cute accent and her voice is sweet.
Ma Ming smiles foolishly. He doesn’t act like a teenage boy right now.
The foreign woman keeps laughing and says, “Principal Bao, kids in your school are so interesting.”
Principal Bao scolds the fat boy in his heart and puts on a smile. He replies, “I’m sorry for that, Miss. This way please.”
Then Ma Ming sees that the foreign woman is not alone. There is a group of people downstairs: the principal, some other foreigners, and a middle-aged man who must be the leader of the school… He has seen a picture of the principal on the website of the school and he recognizes him immediately. It’s not that Ma has a good memory. The principal has lost most of his hair, which is so distinctive. Ma Ming instantly steps back.
Ma Ming was in front of Lin Luodong before. Now, Luodong becomes the only boy on the second floor. The foreign woman suddenly looks back and smiles at Lin Luodong.
Ma Ming is envious, but Luodong finds the woman’s smile familiar. Luodong feels cold.
This is so strange. Luodong doesn’t know any foreigner. Why does he feel familiar with her?
When Luodong is immersed in his thoughts, Huang Weijian shows up at the corner of the building.
“Huang Weijian! I’m here!” Lin Luodong waves to Huang and welcomes him warmly. He acts completely different from what he did when he saw Ma Ming.
Ma Ming looks at Huang Weijian. Huang’s bang still covers his eyes. He walks slowly in school uniform. Under the sunlight, Huang Weijian seems to be calm and easy.
“I’m so damned lucky!” Ma Ming says and goes back to the classroom.
Huang Weijian is carrying his same old bag. Along the way, many students point at him and whisper to each other. Huang ignores.
When Huang sees Luodong waving to him on the second floor, expressions in his eyes become warm without himself noticing. He still walks slowly, carrying his bag with his precious brush pen in it.
As Huang Weijian walks pass the spot which the group of people stood, the brush pen in his bag suddenly starts to shiver severely. If he didn’t manage to hold it back, the pen would have jumped out of his bag, which would be so frightening to others.
What did grandpa say about this situation? Is there a monster around?
This is clearly bad news for Huang Weijian on the first day of the new semester.
