Chapter 13: Bonds
“I had a lot of fun today. I feel much less stressed.”
“You shouldn’t worry too much about your grades. Don’t overthink it.”
“Mm-hmm, I will. I’ll talk to you later, I’m going to take a shower.”
“Okay.”
The phone screen flickered, and Su Yu, after a final glance, turned it off and placed it on the desk.
They had snuck out of school, bought some snacks, and wandered around freely, returning to the classroom just ten minutes before the end of evening self-study. Fortunately, no teacher had discovered their escape.
What was a common occurrence for Su Yu and Chen Kai was a bit nerve-wracking for Xia Qian Ge. She had followed behind him the whole time, worried about getting caught, yet also thrilled by the novelty of it all.
Growing up always gradually restrains one’s nature. The impulses of youth often seem childish and laughable in hindsight.
Su Yu had gradually adapted to his life after rebirth. He could interact with everyone around him naturally, and no one had noticed anything amiss.
A second chance at life wasn’t boring. Now he just had to wait. His life would restart in college, because he would choose a different university than before and start anew.
“Xiao Yu, thank you so much this time. If it weren’t for your casual mention, we wouldn’t have discovered your Uncle He’s illness.” Auntie He piled food into Su Yu’s bowl, still seeming shaken. “We found it early, so it’s treatable. Otherwise, I don’t know what we would have done.”
“It’s good that everything’s okay.” Su Yu smiled and glanced at He Mu Qing, who was quietly eating her rice. He felt something was strange. “Mu Qing, what’s wrong?”
“I got second to last in the class.”
Before Auntie He could answer, He Mu Qing looked up and said abruptly.
“Was the test too difficult?”
“I didn’t do well on the math test. It was so hard… I just couldn’t do it.”
He Mu Qing lowered her head again, her voice laced with frustration, but the stubbornness in her eyes remained. Clearly, she and her mother had argued about her grades before Su Yu arrived.
“Mu Qing and I are full…”
Su Yu put down his chopsticks and tugged on He Mu Qing’s sleeve, earning a glare from the girl.
“What? I know you did well on the test.” He Mu Qing bit her lip, muttering, “Like good grades are so great…”
“How well I do has nothing to do with you. If you don’t understand the problems, I can teach you. Do you have the test paper?”
“You teach me? You?” He Mu Qing raised her voice, staring at Su Yu. “You have your gaokao in a few days, and you’re worried about me…”
“That’s why I only have an hour. If you don’t want to waste time, we should start now.”
Su Yu looked back at He Mu Qing and smiled.
…
“You got this problem wrong too? It’s not that difficult. You mixed up the basic formulas, how could you get it right?”
“Ugh, I don’t want to study anymore. I’ll never get it anyway.”
He Mu Qing impatiently threw down her pen, her wet hair in disarray. She had just taken a shower, the scent of shower gel still lingering around her. She wore a loose-fitting nightgown, revealing large swathes of her milky-white skin.
Su Yu instinctively moved a bit further away, a flustered expression on his face. He Mu Qing… really didn’t have any reservations around him.
“If you don’t want to study now, we can do it next time. You’re only a sophomore… there’s still time.”
“Tsk tsk, Su Yu, you…”
He Mu Qing stared at Su Yu suspiciously. She suddenly leaned closer, her sweet breath brushing against his face. He could even see the soft downy hairs on her cheeks.
“What about me?”
“You sound like an old man lately, like a completely different person.”
“If you don’t want to see me, just say it. You don’t have to insult me indirectly.”
“Hmph…” He Mu Qing leaned back, the soft, warm light of the desk lamp reflecting in her eyes. She stared blankly ahead, her thoughts written plainly on her face. “Do you think… I’m really stupid? Other people can learn things in minutes, but I spend so long and still don’t understand.”
“Stupid, of course you’re stupid.” Su Yu looked at He Mu Qing seriously and nodded emphatically. “But ignorance is bliss. It’s a good thing. There will always be someone who loves you and can tolerate your stupidity.”
“Someone who loves me…”
He Mu Qing lowered her long eyelashes, as if to hide some emotion she didn’t want him to see. But the next second, her slender foot kicked Su Yu hard in the shin, making him gasp in pain.
“What was that for, He Mu Qing? What’s wrong with you?”
“You called me stupid, didn’t you? I gave you a chance, and you didn’t comfort me, you just called me stupid again.”
“Wait, wait, wait… my phone’s ringing.”
Su Yu showed He Mu Qing his phone. “It’s my dad. I really have to go now.”
“Go on then, you always make me angry when you come over.”
…
Su Yu left the He family home. He glanced at his still-vibrating phone and answered the call.
“Xiao Yu? What are you doing? Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
The voice on the other end belonged to a middle-aged man, his tone slightly ingratiating. But to Su Yu, it was just guilt.
Su Yu had never met his mother. His parents had divorced after he was born. He only knew that his mother was a beautiful woman. The old man always said Su Yu looked a lot like her.
Su Yu wasn’t bad-looking, but his features were more feminine and delicate, especially his eyes and eyebrows, which resembled his mother’s in the photos.
The old man was always busy with work, rarely coming home. Su Yu was unfamiliar with his mother and didn’t have strong feelings for his father either.
When Su Yu was younger, he had blamed his father for driving his mother away. But even after growing up and understanding things better, he still found it difficult to smile at his father.
Familial affection needed time to cultivate. A forced relationship was as fragile as a spider’s thread, unable to withstand even a gentle breeze.
“Can’t I call you if I have nothing to say? I’m just checking on you since the gaokao is coming up.”
“If you’re so concerned, do you even know when the gaokao is?”
“I…” The man’s voice faltered. “Forget it, let’s not talk about this. Are you short on money these days? I can transfer you some more later.”
“I need to study. Is there anything else?”
“Wait… there is something. Dad has something to discuss with you.”
The man’s voice was hesitant, the words seemingly caught in his throat.
Su Yu waited patiently. He knew what his father was hesitating about. He had found another woman and had been married for a year, keeping it a secret from Su Yu. In his previous life, Su Yu had only met the woman a few times. She also had a daughter.
The girl was the same age as Su Yu. They had only shared a couple of meals at the dinner table. He hadn’t had high expectations for that kind of patched-together family and had moved out after graduation.
“If you don’t want to say it, forget it. Anything else?”
“Uh… no. Then you should focus on your studies.” The man sighed, full of regret.
Su Yu hung up the phone, looked up at the apartment complex shrouded in night, the warm lights of each home flickering in his dark eyes. He stood by the window for a long time.
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