Chapter 24: Parting
The boisterous reunion ended quietly. Su Yu was completely drunk that night. When he woke up, half of the attendees had already left. He looked around the empty private room, a sense of melancholy washing over him.
The seat next to him was also empty. Chen Kai was gone, and Xia Qian Ge had also left, perhaps having slipped away quietly last night. They hadn’t even said a proper goodbye, just parted ways like that.
The following days were uneventful. He checked his scores, applied to Qingchuan University, confirmed his submission, and everything was set in stone. There was no hesitation, and even regret was useless now.
The summer days ticked by, seemingly only in anticipation of the first day of college, a new beginning. He hadn’t accomplished anything significant in his second life, and even the university he got into wasn’t as good as before. But being alive again was enough. He didn’t regret it, at least not now.
…
“Hey, you don’t understand this problem?”
Someone tugged on Su Yu’s shirt, pulling him out of his daze. “Aren’t you supposed to be the tutor? Why are you spacing out more than the student?”
Su Yu looked down. He Mu Qing was looking up at him, her big eyes filled with dissatisfaction. She pointed at a problem in the textbook. “I don’t get it. Explain it to me.”
“Didn’t we just go over a similar problem? If you understood that one, you should be able to do this one. How can you not understand?”
“How are they the same? I don’t see it.”
“That’s because you didn’t understand the first time. Why did you lie to me?”
“Ugh, I don’t want to study anymore. I just don’t get it! Why are you bullying me? I’m stupid, okay?”
He Mu Qing threw down her pen, acting cute, her big eyes fluttering like butterflies, making his heart soften.
“Don’t try that with me. We know each other too well. Acting cute is shameful!”
“Hmph… blockhead.” He Mu Qing immediately dropped the act and pouted. “You’re such a blockhead.”
He Mu Qing really didn’t understand what had gotten into Su Yu. She had promised him that if he got into Qingchuan University, she would grant him one request, and he had asked her to listen to him tutor her?
She was a cute, pretty girl, and he expected her to obediently sit through his lectures? She had even… specifically bought a beautiful dress, waiting for him to make his request. And the result? She had spent the past few days stuck at home listening to his tutoring, wearing the same old pajamas, her new dress untouched in the closet, probably gathering dust.
“It’s for your own good. With your grades… where can you go? Do you really want to go to some average university and just coast through?”
Su Yu smiled helplessly. The girl hadn’t given any thought to her future. “Which university do you want to go to? Have you thought about it?”
“No… it’s still early.”
He Mu Qing shook her head, absentmindedly kicking her slippers. Her white legs swung beneath her knee-length nightgown, her jade-like feet tapping the floor. Her toenails were painted a bright orange, a pleasing sight.
Her eyes suddenly lit up as she looked at Su Yu. “Hey, how about Qingchuan University?”
“Qingchuan University?” Su Yu chuckled and poked He Mu Qing’s forehead. “With your current grades, you can only dream of going there.”
“Haha.”
He Mu Qing brushed his hand away impatiently, muttering, “Just you wait and see. I’ll get in and scare you to death.”
“If you want to get in, study hard. Once I’m gone, no one will tutor you.”
“Oh… when are you leaving?” He Mu Qing suddenly remembered. More than half of the summer break had passed, and Su Yu still had to go to Qingchuan.
“In a few days. Qingchuan is quite far. Even by high-speed rail, it takes a long time. I plan to go early and take a look around.”
“So soon.”
He Mu Qing was stunned. She suddenly remembered the dress in her closet that she hadn’t shown Su Yu yet. She had thought there was still time. They had lived in the same building for over a decade, seeing each other almost every day. But now Su Yu was telling her he was leaving in a few days.
Once Su Yu left, they wouldn’t see each other again until winter break. She felt inexplicably uncomfortable, not just reluctant but also upset, a feeling of sadness that was more irritating than the math problems she couldn’t solve.
He Mu Qing suddenly grabbed the air conditioner remote and started pressing buttons furiously. Su Yu watched, knowing that if he said anything now, she would probably snap the remote in half.
The temperature kept dropping, all the way to the lowest setting. Su Yu was sitting right in front of the vent, the cold air sending shivers down his spine. He couldn’t take it anymore and finally spoke.
“What… what are you doing? Why did you turn the AC down so low?”
“You’re leaving soon, why didn’t you tell me earlier… why didn’t you say anything? You’re still here tutoring me, I thought you wouldn’t be leaving for a while.”
He Mu Qing threw the remote on the table, her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes fierce. Su Yu knew this was what she looked like when she was really angry.
“You’re so annoying, really annoying.” She stood up and opened the bedroom door, pulling Su Yu’s arm and dragging him outside. “I don’t want to see you. Get out of my house.”
“Your… your mom asked me to come. If you kick me out, I’ll tell her.” Su Yu didn’t dare to use too much force, barely managing to stay seated.
“My mom is at the hospital taking care of my dad. I’m in charge now. I can tell anyone to leave, and they have to leave.”
He Mu Qing was as stubborn as a child when she was angry, her words childish and illogical. She could never hide her feelings, her displeasure written all over her face.
“Stop pulling, you’ll rip my clothes. Are you a pervert?”
“You’re the pervert, your whole family are perverts! You’re a blockhead, emotionally stunted, a big idiot…” He Mu Qing bit her lip, still clutching his shirt.
“Stop, okay? Tomorrow… tomorrow I’ll take you out. I’ll treat you to mango pudding, everything’s on me!”
“Really?”
Su Yu felt the grip on his arm loosen. He lay back in his chair, panting. He Mu Qing was staring at him, her eyes as bright as crystal grapes.
“R-Really.”
Su Yu grinned, his face full of sincerity.
“Fine, you can go then.”
Su Yu was stunned. He gaped at He Mu Qing. “Huh? You’re still kicking me out?”
“I’ll forgive you tomorrow if you take me out.” The girl lifted her chin proudly. “I didn’t say I’d forgive you today. Get out, or I’ll get a broom and chase you out.”
“You…” Su Yu gritted his teeth, annoyed, and retorted, “He Mu Qing! You’re so despicable!”
…
“Slam!”
The door to the He family home slammed shut, the sound cold and harsh. The smile on He Mu Qing’s face faded. She couldn’t stay mad at Su Yu for long, and agreeing to his offer was just a way for both of them to save face.
After Su Yu left, she didn’t feel as upset anymore. She rarely acted cute, often getting angry at Su Yu instead. But most of the time, she wasn’t truly angry, just using it as a way to act cute, because whenever she got angry, Su Yu would try to appease her by agreeing to her small requests.
This time, Su Yu had given in as usual, but she wasn’t as happy as before. It felt like punching cotton, soft and yielding, leaving her feeling powerless.
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