SYLM Chapter 31
by VolareChapter 31 “You should call me ‘older sister’ too.”
One can return home often, but not stay too long.
During these few days of returning home for the New Year, Gu Wan Jun was being urged to get married by her relatives so much that her ears were almost calloused. It was either this aunt wanting to introduce her to someone or that aunt wanting her to go on a blind date.
Some relatives who came to offer New Year’s greetings even kept asking Gu Wan Jun about her work situation, salary, benefits, and a series of other questions.
Upon hearing that Gu Wan Jun was now a high school teacher in a small county town, everyone immediately sighed and looked worried. They all expressed their “brilliant opinions,” constantly lecturing Gu Wan Jun that she should be like her older sister, Gu Wan Rong, and stay in a big city to find a good job, so that she could get married later.
Originally, Gu’s father and mother did not approve of Gu Wan Jun staying in the small county to teach, but now that they were surrounded by a bunch of relatives “helping to analyze,” the two elders gradually joined the army of “educating” Gu Wan Jun.
On the evening of the fifth day of the New Year, the bedroom door, for who knows the how many times, isolated the voices of her parents and relatives from outside, Gu Wan Jun leaned against the door panel and let out a long sigh.
She really couldn’t stand staying in this house for even a day longer.
The first person to know that Gu Wan Jun was leaving was Gu Wan Rong.
Knowing that her younger sister only managed to get a standby ticket for the high-speed train, Gu Wan Rong decided to drive her sister back to Ningcheng.
Afraid that her sister would be tired, Gu Wan Jun initially refused, but Gu Wan Rong said with a smile that if she stayed, she would be urged by the relatives to ask about having children, so she might as well go to Ningcheng with Gu Wan Jun to see it. Anyway, she wouldn’t start working until after the seventh day of the New Year.
Therefore, early in the morning on the sixth day of the New Year, the two sisters bid farewell to their parents and set off for Ningcheng.
—
On the highway.
When the topic turned to the books she had read recently, Gu Wan Jun immediately perked up. She vividly told her sister about Chen Lu’s book, “The Cage.” After she finished speaking, both sisters were left wanting more.
“Is that it?” Gu Wan Rong, who was engrossed in the story, was clearly not satisfied.
“Yeah, that’s where Chen Lu left off the last time I read it.”
“Where is this book updated and serialized?”
“Chen Lu didn’t submit this book for publication; she wrote it in her notebook.”
“Then how can I see the rest of this book?”
“I haven’t even seen it yet, let alone you.”
As if thinking of something, Gu Wan Jun curled her lips into a light smile, her tone carrying a hint of smugness:
“But Chen Lu said that she would let me read it first after she finished writing it. I’ll tell you about it after I read it.”
“…”
If they weren’t sitting in the car, Gu Wan Rong would have suspected that the corners of her younger sister’s mouth would have risen to the sky.
Why did this tone sound like she was showing off?
Showing off what?
Showing off Chen Lu or the mystery novel Chen Lu wrote?
But it didn’t seem right to show off either…
Looking at Gu Wan Jun’s smiling face, Gu Wan Rong’s emotions were complicated.
She didn’t know if that girl named Chen Lu had returned from her classmate’s house. She wanted to take this opportunity to meet her.
—
The sisters took turns driving. After about 5 hours of driving, it was almost one o’clock in the afternoon when they arrived in Ningcheng.
During the New Year, the streets of the small county town were sparsely populated. Occasionally, a few taxis or private cars passed by. The road surface was covered with a thick layer of snow, and the tires made a crunching sound as they ran over it.
The white Benz stopped in the parking space across from the Rose Garden residential area. The sisters got out of the car, took their luggage, and entered the residential area.
“Sister, I live in this residential area. Across the street is our school, Ningcheng No. 1 High School. It only takes ten minutes to get to work, so it’s pretty close, right?”
Gu Wan Jun introduced the area to her sister as she took out her access card to swipe and enter the residential area.
Compared to other residential areas, Rose Garden was nothing special. It was expensive because it was located in the golden area for school district housing.
Gu Wan Rong followed her sister into the residential area, looking around at the surroundings.
If it were a normal time, almost as soon as you entered the residential area, you could see adults chatting and children playing in the snow. Laughter and cheers would spread throughout every corner of the residential area.
But today was the sixth day of the New Year, a day when all the laughter and joy took place in each family’s home. At this moment, the entire residential area was covered in a white blanket of snow, looking very quiet.
Gu Wan Jun lived in Unit 6.
When passing by the entrance of Unit 2, Gu Wan Jun saw a figure wearing a black down jacket and a gray hoodie, and she couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. The figure was squatting on the ground near the entrance of Unit 5, and the black down jacket stood out against the white background.
Gu Wan Jun glanced at the figure and didn’t pay much attention to it. She continued walking forward, talking to her sister. But after a few steps, a sudden “meow” interrupted the sisters’ conversation!
Gu Wan Jun, who had been afraid of cats since she was a child, was startled!
Gu Wan Rong, who was next to her, also heard the meow. She was about to instinctively stand in front of her sister, but at the same time, the sisters saw a skinny gray-orange cat running away from the black figure with something that looked like a cat treat in its mouth.
The black figure that was squatting on the ground turned its head, its gaze seeming to follow the running cat. It wasn’t until the cat disappeared into the white snow after turning several corners that the black figure stood up straight. She turned her head slightly, and as a result, her eyes met with Gu Wan Jun and her sister’s.
As their eyes met, the shock that had been in Gu Wan Jun’s eyes turned into undisguised surprise. She quickly walked forward two steps, calling out the other person’s name in a gentle tone as she walked:
“Chen Lu? What are you doing here? When did you come back?”
“…”
The person whose name was called was filled with shock, and for a moment, she forgot to answer.
Chen Lu had returned from the old residential area yesterday afternoon. She never expected Gu Wan Jun to return home for the New Year so quickly, since today was only the sixth day.
Moreover, this person had brought someone else back with her.
Looking at the two women in front of her whose features seemed to be carved from the same mold, Chen Lu remembered Gu Wan Jun once saying that she had an older sister who looked a lot like her but had a completely different personality.
In other words, the woman who looked a little older was Gu Wan Jun’s sister?
The sudden “meeting the parents” made Chen Lu nervous all of a sudden. She silently took her hands out of her down jacket pockets, took off the hoodie on her head, and adjusted a well-behaved and polite smile on her fair face.
Chen Lu nodded slightly, responding to Teacher Gu in a respectful and polite tone.
Gu Wan Jun: …
Gu Wan Jun was stunned by the words “Teacher Gu” and looked confused.
Although Chen Lu had called her that before… but what was that tone just now?
Had this child become estranged from her after only a few days apart?
The smile on her lips gradually faded, and Gu Wan Jun pursed her lips, grinding her back teeth unconsciously.
On the side, Gu Wan Rong also followed her sister’s footsteps and stood in front of Chen Lu.
Since she had seen Chen Lu’s photos before, Gu Wan Rong had been quietly sizing up this child from the moment she recognized Chen Lu.
Even though she was wearing a down jacket, the girl’s slender and tall figure did not appear bloated at all.
She was really too thin, thinner than Wan Jun. If a gust of wind came, she reckoned that even if the two of them were holding arms, they would be blown away.
Gu Wan Rong couldn’t help but sigh in her heart.
However, she had to admit that Chen Lu was really a beautiful girl. Not only was she more beautiful in person than in photos, but her voice was also nice and polite.
No wonder Wan Jun liked her.
…
—
It was too cold outside, so the three of them entered the unit door one after another, and Gu Wan Jun began to introduce them to each other.
“This is my sister, Gu Wan Rong, I told you about her before. This is a student in my class, Chen Lu.”
Gu Wan Rong looked at Chen Lu and greeted her with a smile, “Hello.”
“Hello, older sister.” Chen Lu nodded in response, looking well-behaved.
The words “Hello, older sister” made Gu Wan Jun’s eyes change again and again, her complex gaze unconsciously scanning back and forth between her own sister and Chen Lu.
Busy thinking about other things, Gu Wan Rong did not notice her sister’s scanning gaze. She looked at Chen Lu’s quiet and cold face, cleverly finding a topic:
“Wan Jun has been praising you these past few days at home. I was wondering when I would have the opportunity to meet you in person. I didn’t expect it to be so coincidental today. Were you feeding stray cats just now?”
“Yes.” Chen Lu nodded.
“I heard Wan Jun say that you are a very loving child, that’s great.”
“Teacher Gu is too kind.”
As Chen Lu spoke, she looked at Gu Wan Jun, and as a result, a bit of grievance emerged in those soft peach blossom eyes. Gu Wan Jun reached out and pinched Chen Lu’s delicate face, “complaining” in a dissatisfied tone:
“What’s going on? How can you be so biased, calling my sister ‘older sister’ but calling me ‘Teacher Gu’? It’s vacation time now, you should call me ‘older sister’ too.”
“…”
Chen Lu: … Why does this tone sound a little strange… Could it be that Gu Wan Jun is jealous?
Gu Wan Rong: … Isn’t this tone really jealous? Wan Jun, oh Wan Jun, you’re really my own sister. It’s just a title, and you’re jealous of that? Is this kind of possessiveness normal between teachers and students?
…
—
It was too cold outside, so the three of them went inside the building together. Gu Wan Jun then started introducing them to each other.
Walking to the third floor.
Gu Wan Rong took the initiative to ask Chen Lu if she wanted to go out to eat with them later.
As soon as these words came out, for some reason, the expressions of the two people in front of her changed. Gu Wan Jun opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything. She subconsciously looked at Chen Lu, as if waiting for the other person’s answer.
Faced with Gu Wan Rong’s invitation, Chen Lu, who was not prepared, glanced at Gu Wan Jun first, then politely refused:
“Thank you for the invitation, older sister, but I have something to write later, I’m in a hurry, so I won’t go.”
“Is that so, then—”
“Well, then you go ahead and do your thing.”
Gu Wan Jun interrupted her sister Gu Wan Rong’s words.
As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Lu immediately nodded obediently.
The teacher and student had come to an agreement, without giving Gu Wan Rong any chance to continue speaking.
—
302.
After entering the door, before she had time to take a good look at her sister’s residence, Gu Wan Rong couldn’t help but ask about what had just happened:
“I said I wanted to invite Chen Lu to dinner just now, why did you stop me?”
“I didn’t stop you, didn’t Chen Lu say she had something to do and couldn’t go?” Gu Wan Jun said calmly, pretending to be innocent.
Hearing this, Gu Wan Rong smiled helplessly: “Is that so?”
“Yes, didn’t you hear her say just now that she was going to be busy writing something later?”
“You don’t want her to go to dinner with us, do you?”
“…”
As their eyes met, Gu Wan Jun suddenly realized that the person standing in front of her was her own sister, who had watched her grow up. She was afraid that she couldn’t hide anything from her.
Seeing that her thoughts had been exposed, Gu Wan Jun curled her lips and confessed:
“Okay, sister, I really don’t want Chen Lu to have dinner with us.”
“Why?”
“I know you want to express your liking for Chen Lu, but that child doesn’t like getting close to strangers. Don’t be too enthusiastic and scare her. I finally—”
“Wait, am I a stranger?”
Gu Wan Rong pointed at herself with her finger, looking incredulous:
“I’m your sister, how can I be considered a stranger?”
“You’re my sister, but not Chen Lu’s sister. She calls you ‘older sister’ purely out of politeness, but you’re not familiar with each other.”
“…” As if thinking of something, Gu Wan Rong’s tone carried a hint of helplessness: “Wan Jun, you’re not still jealous because Chen Lu called me ‘older sister’ just now, are you?”
“…”
As soon as she finished speaking, both sisters fell silent.
Although she thought her sister’s question was inexplicable, the moment she heard it, Gu Wan Jun was surprised to find that she seemed to be a little…
Wait, was she jealous of this too? Was her possessiveness towards Chen Lu a little too strong?
Gu Wan Jun began to silently reflect on herself.
Seeing that her younger sister wasn’t speaking, Gu Wan Rong tentatively called out, “Wan Jun?”
“Yes?”
Gu Wan Jun instantly came back to her senses, and she responded to the question just now in a generous manner:
“Hey, am I that petty? Just now I asked Chen Lu to call me ‘older sister’ too, just to tease the kid. I really treat her like my own sister, so it’s not too much to ask her to call me ‘older sister’, right?”
“You treat her like a younger sister?”
“Yes, didn’t I say it on the phone last time? And you know, I’ve always wanted to have a younger sister since I was a child.”
Gu Wan Jun smiled, attributing all her complex emotions towards Chen Lu to a sister’s love and concern for her younger sister.
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Wan Rong carefully observed the expression of the person in front of her. No one knew Gu Wan Jun’s character better than her. She knew that her younger sister was not lying when she said these words.
The big stone in her heart loosened, and Gu Wan Rong felt that this trip to Ningcheng was not in vain.
—
The worrying matter was temporarily put to rest, and the calls from her parents kept coming, Gu Wan Rong did not stay for dinner. After a short rest, she directly set off to return to Yunjiang City.
At the entrance of the residential area.
Watching the white Benz disappear around the corner of the snowy street, Gu Wan Jun received a message from her sister, Gu Wan Rong—
[Go back quickly, it’s too cold outside, don’t catch a cold.]
[I left some money under the clivia in the living room, take it and use it. When you have time, treat that child Chen Lu to a meal, it’s also a little something from me.]
[I’m going back, take good care of yourself, contact me anytime if you need anything.]
[……]
It gradually started to snow lightly in the sky, and it melted quickly after falling.
Gu Wan Jun lowered her head and blinked her eyes, exhaling a puff of white air, her heart surging with warmth.
—
The fifteen-day New Year holiday passed quickly.
During the second half of the tutoring period, Chen Lu and Gu Wan Jun still went out and returned home together.
Gu Wan Jun almost dragged Chen Lu to eat together every day, sometimes going to small restaurants, sometimes going to the supermarket to buy groceries and cooking at home. It could be said that except for sleeping at night and a few private moments, the two of them spent all their time together.
On the other hand, after that night at the barbecue restaurant, Tang Ying and Fu Yi Wen’s impressions of each other had changed somewhat.
Tang Ying still spoke in a sarcastic tone, but the sharpness and coldness in her words had lessened a bit. Fu Yi Wen still didn’t like Tang Ying, but she had more respect for her when she interacted with her. Even the number of times she called Tang Ying “annoying person” in private had decreased a lot.
If there were no special circumstances, the two could barely “coexist peacefully”.
Chen Lu and Jiang Zhen Zhen had found this strange more than once, how could a certain Little Fu classmate have suddenly changed her nature?
—
Everyone’s winter vacation was almost spent in make-up classes.
Time flies, winter goes and spring comes.
Ningcheng bid farewell to the cold, the sun became bright and warm, all things recovered, full of vitality, and the whole city ushered in new hope and vitality.
Second semester of the second year of high school.
The class placement exam at the beginning of the semester is essential, and the school principal will make slight adjustments to the class based on the students’ performance.
After the big list came out, as usual, Jiang Zhen Zhen and Chen Lu firmly sat in the first and second place in Class 12.
The difference was that the difference between the two this time was smaller than before.
Heaven will not disappoint those who have a heart, Chen Lu scored 83 points in math this time.
On the afternoon of the day the scores were released, all the class teachers in the second year of high school had a meeting.
Third floor conference room.
“According to the scores on the big list, each class will be slightly adjusted. Let’s talk about the liberal arts classes first. Jiang Zhen Zhen and Chen Lu of Class 12 are ranked 5th and 16th in the grade, respectively. According to the ranking, they will be transferred to Class 1.”
After speaking, the principal turned his head and asked the class teacher of Class 1, who was sitting next to him, “Teacher Hu, is there any problem?”
“No problem.”
“Okay.” The principal nodded, then turned his gaze to the class teacher of Class 12, Gu Wan Jun:
“Teacher Gu, is there any problem?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the other teachers in the conference room all focused on Gu Wan Jun’s face.
Meeting the principal’s inquiring gaze, Gu Wan Jun was silent for two seconds before pulling out an official smile and replying, “No problem.”
Gu Wan Jun didn’t hear a word of what was said in the second half of the meeting, or how the other classes were fine-tuned. All she could think about was that Chen Lu was going to Class 1.
…
After the meeting, the principal asked Gu Wan Jun and the class teachers of the students who were transferred to stay behind.
The principal earnestly said that everything they did was for the children, and hoped that the class teachers would not have any other ideas.
More than ten minutes later, everyone got up and left the conference room.
From the moment the principal announced that the class would be fine-tuned, although Gu Wan Jun always had a smile on her face, the reluctance in her peach blossom eyes could not be concealed. Now that she came out of the conference room, anyone could see that she was preoccupied.
Class 4 of the science class was also a fine-tuned class. When leaving the conference room, Yang Jin Feng, the class teacher of Class 4, took the initiative to walk up to Gu Wan Jun. While gently patting Gu Wan Jun’s shoulder, she comforted her based on her own experience:
“Every time there is this kind of fine-tuning class placement, it will make people feel very uncomfortable. After all, they are the students you brought out. If you say you want to transfer them, you transfer them. The teachers must feel uncomfortable, but what the principal said makes sense. Everything we do is for the students to have good grades. You’ll get used to it.”
“Yes, I know, thank you, Sister Jin Feng.” Gu Wan Jun returned a smile.
“Actually, think about it in a good way. Don’t you also teach Chinese in Class 1? Even if your two students go to Class 1, you will still teach them. Isn’t that great?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, by the way, your little class representative did well on the test this time. I saw her score, and I also heard that she is now working hard to learn math. As long as she is willing to work hard, maybe she will be in the top ten on the big list next time.”
“Yes.”
Clearly everything Yang Jin Feng said sounded like a good thing, and as a teacher, Gu Wan Jun should be happy for Chen Lu.
But she couldn’t smile at all.
Chinese class was next for Class 12.
After this class, the next time she taught Chen Lu Chinese, she would probably already be in Class 1.
…