Chapter 88: The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife
Chapter 88: It's You...
As soon as the door opened, a young man with refined features, gentle eyes, and a scholarly demeanor stood outside. Yes, a scholar, because he held a book in his hand and wore a gentle smile.
"How have you been lately?"
Under the sunlight, he stood gracefully, smiling softly as if embracing the spring breeze. His words were caring, well-measured, and never made anyone feel uncomfortable, just like his refined and gentle personality.
As his voice landed, even the wind seemed to turn gentle.
Bai Lu was momentarily stunned, and a smile appeared on her face. "I'm doing well. How about you recently?"
Lin Jinfan nodded slightly, handing her the book. "This is the book I used in my senior year. I've taken important notes inside, and there are some practice papers. If you plan to take the college entrance exam, you can use them for reference and practice. If not, consider it as miscellaneous reading, occasionally flipping through."
He wouldn't ask too much or force any choices, just offering the best advice.
From childhood to adulthood, he treated the original owner like a younger sister.
"I have to take the exam."
Bai Lu took the book and papers, gratitude evident in her smile. "Thank you, brother Jinfan."
The original owner had poor grades, repeated a year, and didn't take the college entrance exam with Lin Jinfan. Originally planning to take the exam this year, after the incident with Xiao Cheng at the end of last year, she moved to Xiao Cheng's house. The books at home were burned as firewood by Li Xuelan.
With no bookstore in the small town, Bai Lu was worried about where to find books for review. Lin Jinfan's book and papers were like a timely rain.
"Study well. The college entrance exam isn't difficult."
Lin Jinfan's voice was gentle, containing encouragement for Bai Lu. "There's a better future waiting for you outside."
Bai Lu nodded with a smile. "Yes!"
Watching Lin Jinfan walk away, Bai Lu then noticed a brick truck not far away.
The back compartment was filled with chestnuts, but the driver's seat was empty.
Bai Lu ran over and searched around, checking everywhere, even the roots and tops of trees.
Still, she couldn't find Xiao Cheng.
The brick truck made a lot of noise when driving. If he had just returned, she would have heard it outside the door.
Unless she hadn't opened the door yet, and Xiao Cheng had already come back. But why hadn't he come home, and where was he?
After school, Xiao Wei came back and saw someone swinging a shovel in the back compartment of the brick truck, unloading chestnuts into a large basket placed on a small wooden cart.
He ran home to put down his school bag.
Then he came out to help, only to find that the person wielding the shovel in the back compartment was not his big brother but Bai Lu.
"Where's my big brother?"
"He disappeared after unloading the chestnuts. I don't know where he went." After filling the basket, Bai Lu put down the shovel, got off the truck, and pulled the small wooden cart back.
Xiao Wei followed behind, helping push the basket.
The two of them worked until the sun set, finally unloading all the chestnuts from the truck.
When they finished preparing dinner, Xiao Cheng still hadn't returned.
Xiao Wei went to Xiao Dazhuang's house and learned that Xiao Dazhuang and Luo Shiliu had gone out to find Xiao Cheng, planning to have dinner and drinks together.
"Big brother and Luo Shiliu went out for dinner together," Xiao Wei told Bai Lu when he returned.
Looking at the delicious dishes on the table, Bai Lu pursed her lips. "Then let's eat by ourselves."
... The moon rose to its zenith.
A man with intoxicated eyes, holding his coat on one shoulder and a cigarette in his ear, leaned against the door frame. He looked at the wooden door in front of him, just a reach away. A cynical smile played on his lips.
"Heh..."
Her childhood sweetheart had returned.
Her smile was not just for him.
She had never said she would stay here...
The cigarette was taken from his ear, lit, and the flame flickered. The smoke ring, misty and distant, clouded his eyes.
Fragmented scenes replayed.
"Bang—"
The last oil lamp in the house shattered.
The woman angrily scolded, "Xiao Zhigang! Are you trying to force me to death? Everything is lost in gambling. Why don't you gamble yourself away? Why come back!"
"Gambles every day, and everything in the house has been plundered by others to pay off debts several times! I don't need to eat or drink, huh! Why don't you sell your son, Xiao Cheng, to pay off the debt? Your son needs money for food and education! Sell him, and you'll have money to continue gambling. You and your son can sell yourselves to gamble in the future. Don't come back!"
The man was drunk, lying on the ground. Even when the woman kicked him with her foot, he didn't react.
The woman, in anger, fetched a basin of cold water and poured it on him.
The man still didn't wake up...
The sound of a door opening. A little boy carrying a school bag walked out.
By the time the sun set, he came back carrying a fish, but the front door was tightly closed, with a faint light shining through the crack.
The boy knocked on the door, but there was no response.
He knocked harder and called for the door to be opened, still no response.
Footsteps in the yard. The boy knocked three more times, but no one came to open the door.
With another knock, the faint light from the crack disappeared.
The boy stood outside the door for a long time. It was windy at night, and the fish froze, motionless.
His wet clothes clung to his body as the wind blew, and his frail body couldn't stop trembling.
The boy's forehead was hot, cold sweat oozing out. His vision began to blur. After knocking three times and waiting for an unknown amount of time, the door still didn't open, and the crack remained dark.
The wind grew stronger, the leaves rustled, and the entire night was covered in frost. Tiny hailstones fell on the black tiled roof, making a clattering sound.
The light from the crack flickered, and the sound of closing windows came through. The knocking resumed.
The light went out, but the door didn't open.
The boy's body was burning, his lips turning purple. He looked at the door one last time, put down the fish, dragged his wobbly steps, and turned away...
The cigarette went out.
The smoke dispersed.
The man stared at the tightly closed door, his mind blank, and his gaze becoming increasingly blurry.
Being led by fragments of memory, he turned and left...
"Creak."
The sound of the door opening came from behind him. He kept walking, as if he hadn't heard it, unable to distinguish between reality and dream.
"Ah Cheng."
The man's steps paused.
In his murky eyes, the familiar and warm call brought back a bit of sobriety. He turned his head slowly.
The door was wide open, and a girl in a white sweater stood in the middle of the doorway. The orange light fell on her, illuminating her warm smiling face, crescent-shaped eyebrows, clear and pure eyes filled with concern, care, and a gentle gaze that enveloped him without reservation.
In her eyes was his reflection.
His coat fell to the ground.
Bai Lu was embraced tightly, a trace of alcohol wafting over her nose. The man's heavy body pressed against her, almost causing her lower back to arch and nearly fracture.
After a while, he pushed her away step by step.
"Wait, don't you need your coat?"
"Don't need it..."
Bai Lu was pushed back into the room, falling onto the bed.
Xiao Cheng grabbed her wrist, pressing on both sides of the pillow. His slightly reddish, deep, and focused eyes stared at her.
Bowing down slowly, he murmured, "It's you..."
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