SYLM Chapter 88
by VolareChapter 88: Some Rejoice, Some Grieve
The next morning, bright and early.
Gu Wan Jun, who was washing up in the bathroom, heard a knock at the door.
“Coming,” she responded. Afterwards, she dragged her still somewhat sore ankle and limped to the door.
Upon opening it, she was surprised to find her mother standing outside.
The old woman held a bag of fresh fruit in her hand, her face etched with worry and seriousness.
“Mom?” Gu Wan Jun asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
This was the first time the mother and daughter had met since Gu Wan Jun had come out to her mother. In fact, it had only been a Friday ago, but the heart-wrenching pain and arguments of the previous day were still brutally tearing at their hearts.
Gu’s mother didn’t immediately respond to Gu Wan Jun’s words. Instead, she looked down at Gu Wan Jun’s ankle, her brow furrowing slightly, and changed the subject with a somewhat stiff tone: “Is Duoduo home?”
Gu Wan Jun nodded and stepped aside to let her mother in. “She’s reading in her room. Do you want me to call her?”
Gu’s mother waved her hand and walked straight into the living room, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for something.
Gu Wan Jun followed behind her mother, feeling uneasy. She didn’t know why her mother had come today.
The mother and daughter sat down on the sofa, a thick silence filling the living room.
Just as Gu Wan Jun was about to ask her mother why she had come, Gu’s mother spoke first, her tone still stiff: “How’s your foot?”
Gu Wan Jun was taken aback, then smiled and said, pretending to be relaxed, “It’s fine, it’s much better already.”
“If you feel uncomfortable, go to the hospital in time. Don’t force yourself.”
“Okay, I know,” Gu Wan Jun nodded, tentatively asking, “Mom, how did you know?”
Gu’s mother’s expression remained serious, her voice tinged with blame: “I heard you didn’t go to work yesterday. This morning, I called Little Tang, and she said you sprained your ankle.”
“…”
Gu Wan Jun’s heart tightened, and she pursed her lips.
“Little Tang” in her mother’s mouth was Tang Ying.
Hearing that her mother had spoken to Tang Ying on the phone, Gu Wan Jun couldn’t help but wonder if Tang Ying had also told her mother about her taking leave yesterday to attend an event at Yunjiang Media University.
Just as Gu Wan Jun was about to tentatively bring up the matter of yesterday, Gu’s mother suddenly scanned the living room again and asked in a cold tone, “She’s not here?”
Gu Wan Jun was taken aback and didn’t react for a moment: “Who?”
Gu’s mother’s face darkened, her tone tinged with displeasure: “Besides that Chen Lu of yours, who else could it be? Aren’t you two together? I came quite early, so why haven’t I seen her?”
“…”
Gu Wan Jun was shocked by her mother’s words, a trace of helplessness flashing across her face. She hurriedly explained, “Mom, Chen Lu and I aren’t together yet…”
“Not together?” Gu’s mother’s voice suddenly rose, her eyes full of disbelief: “If you weren’t together, why were you acting like you were dying over it the other day? So, this whole thing hasn’t even been settled yet?”
“…”
Gu Wan Jun rubbed her forehead, a hint of blush rising on her face, and explained somewhat embarrassedly, “Mom, I wanted to be honest with you first, so you wouldn’t have any worries.”
“…”
After a long silence, Gu’s mother looked at her daughter with a complex expression, as if weighing something. After a few seconds, the old woman finally spoke, her tone tinged with helplessness and inquiry: “Then how far along are you and Chen Lu now?”
Gu Wan Jun sighed, her voice tinged with bitterness: “Chen Lu hasn’t forgiven me yet, but our relationship has improved a lot. Yesterday, when I sprained my ankle, she was the one who took me back.”
Hearing this, Gu’s mother frowned even more, her tone filled with concern: “You’re ten years older than her. She can wait, but you can’t.”
Gu Wan Jun nodded, her tone firm: “Yeah, I know.”
Looking at her daughter’s firm eyes, Gu’s mother asked one last, unwilling question: “Are you sure you have to have her?”
“Yes, I must have her.”
“…”
Gu’s mother’s face turned even uglier. After a moment of silence, she asked again, “Does Duoduo know?”
Gu Wan Jun shook her head, her tone gentle: “Duoduo doesn’t know yet. Like you said, it’s not a done deal yet. I want to tell her after everything is settled.”
“What if Duoduo doesn’t agree?”
Gu Wan Jun smiled, her eyes full of tenderness: “Duoduo really likes Chen Lu. Yesterday, she even told me that she wished Sister Lu Lu could move in and live with us.”
“…”
Gu’s mother’s face grew more and more unpleasant as she listened, and her tone was particularly stiff: “That’s because Duoduo is young and doesn’t understand anything. If she knew about you and Chen Lu…”
Gu’s mother didn’t continue, but Gu Wan Jun understood her concerns. She gently took her mother’s hand, her tone firm: “Mom, I’m Duoduo’s mother. No matter what I do, I’ll consider her feelings.”
“…”
Their hands clasped together, and for a moment, it was hard to tell whose hands were colder.
Gu’s mother didn’t say anything more, but silently stood up and turned to walk towards the bedroom, saying she was going to see Duoduo.
—-
For two days, Saturday and Sunday, Gu’s mother stayed at Gu Wan Jun’s house under the pretext of taking care of Duoduo.
Although she used taking care of Duoduo as an excuse, Gu Wan Jun knew that her mother was concerned about her foot injury and had stayed to take care of her.
On Monday morning, Gu Wan Jun’s ankle was able to walk normally. Since it was still a bit inconvenient to drive, her mother offered to take Duoduo to school.
Before leaving, Gu’s mother suddenly stopped Gu Wan Jun.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
Their eyes met, and Gu’s mother’s tone was strangely awkward: “I had nothing to do these past two days, so I looked at the books in your cabinet…”
“Um…” Gu Wan Jun hesitated, not understanding what her mother wanted to say.
“I have to say, that child is very talented.”
“…”
Realizing that she was talking about Chen Lu, Gu Wan Jun was somewhat flattered, but soon she smiled and nodded, agreeing with her mother’s words: “Yes, she is indeed very talented.”
Gu’s mother was silent for a while, looking at her daughter with a complex expression, her voice tinged with a hint of softness that was hard to detect: “You’re right, Duoduo really likes her too.”
“…”
Gu Wan Jun’s heart rate suddenly quickened. She knew this was a sign that her mother’s attitude was softening, and a wave of expectation welled up in her heart. She mustered her courage and asked softly: “Mom, what do you think of her?”
Gu’s mother sighed, not answering the question. When she spoke again, the old woman’s tone was tinged with helplessness: “Your life is your own. We parents can’t be with you forever. Since you’ve already made your choice, there’s no point in me saying anything more.”
The old woman paused, her voice low: “I’ll take care of things on your father’s side, but I can’t guarantee that he’ll be able to accept it. This kind of thing isn’t easy for any parent to accept.”
“…”
This was the biggest concession a mother could make for her daughter.
After saying this, Gu’s mother stopped looking at her daughter and turned to go to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. The next second, Gu Wan Jun’s voice, clearly choked with emotion, came from behind her: “Mom, thank you.”
“…”
The saying that love can overcome all difficulties is a very ideal one, but what has supported Gu Wan Jun to overcome obstacles and get to where she is today is only love.
On the way to school in a taxi in the morning, the sky was still clear. However, by noon, the sky had suddenly turned gloomy, and a light drizzle began to fall. The raindrops gently tapped on the windows, and the air was filled with a damp atmosphere, as if even the air had become heavy.
Gu Wan Jun didn’t have a class during the last period, so she could leave work half an hour early. When she came out of the teaching building, she happened to run into Fu Yi Wen, who came to deliver food to Tang Ying on time. The two exchanged greetings.
Adhering to the principle of humanitarian care, Fu Yi Wen also symbolically inquired about Gu Wan Jun’s ankle.
After the two separated, Fu Yi Wen easily walked into the teaching building and went up to the third floor.
Yunjiang No. 3 High School was a key high school in Yunjiang City. The campus and teaching building were much larger than Ningcheng No. 1 High School. When Fu Yi Wen came for the first time, she even got lost.
Third floor, Liberal Arts Office.
Fu Yi Wen walked to the door of the office with the insulated lunch box in her hand. Just as she was about to raise her hand to knock on the door, she happened to run into several teachers who were about to leave work.
Fu Yi Wen was a frequent visitor to the Liberal Arts Office. The teachers all knew her and greeted her with a smile: “Oh, it’s Little Fu. Are you here to deliver food to Sister Tang again?”
“Yes,” Fu Yi Wen nodded, a faint smile on her face.
“Sister Tang has a class this period. Go in and wait.”
“Okay, thank you, Sister.”
Fu Yi Wen nodded her thanks.
In fact, Fu Yi Wen knew Tang Ying’s schedule by heart. However, regardless of whether Tang Ying had a class during the last period, she would come to deliver food at this time because she didn’t want Tang Ying to wait for her. She would do the waiting. Anyway, she had been used to it for so many years.
After entering the office, there were still two or three teachers busy preparing lessons. When they saw that it was Fu Yi Wen, they all greeted her.
While smiling and responding, Fu Yi Wen walked towards Tang Ying’s work station. However, the next second, her footsteps suddenly stopped.
On Tang Ying’s desk, there was a large bouquet of fiery red roses.
An ominous premonition rose along her spine. Fu Yi Wen’s heart sank suddenly, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the handle of the insulated lunch box.
The teachers nearby didn’t notice the sudden change in Fu Yi Wen’s face. Seeing Fu Yi Wen staring straight at the bouquet of roses, one of the teachers explained to her with a smile: “These were sent by Teacher Tang’s husband. Oh my, Teacher Tang has been married for four or five years, and she and her husband are still so affectionate. We’re all so envious.”
“…”
Once the floodgates were opened, it was like a rising tide that was impossible to stop.
The other teachers were still discussing how happy Tang Ying was, how she had really married the right person in this lifetime, and a series of other ear-splitting topics. Those words were like dense, fine needles piercing into Fu Yi Wen’s heart.
But she didn’t even have the right to cover her ears.
The insulated lunch box, which she always put on the table every time she came, was now firmly held in Fu Yi Wen’s hand. She walked to the chair next to Tang Ying’s work station and sat down.
The bouquet of red roses on the table was so dazzling that Fu Yi Wen couldn’t bear to look at it directly. She had to turn her head to look at the drizzling rain outside the window.
The raindrops outside the window slid down the glass, as if also telling of the sadness and helplessness in her heart. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the insulated lunch box, and a wave of indescribable bitterness welled up in her heart.
—
The other side of the city.
The raindrops gently tapped on the windows, as if reminding people of the passage of time.
Chen Lu sat in front of the computer, staring intently at the screen, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
She had taken a sleeping pill last night, but only slept for two or three hours. She had been sitting in front of the computer writing since early this morning, and it wasn’t until she was tired of writing and stretched her limbs that she realized it was already noon.
The rain outside the window had started sometime, and for Chen Lu, a rainy day was a day suitable for staying at home.
Being alone, she was always unwilling to cook. She couldn’t eat much, and it was a lot of effort. Chen Lu habitually opened the food delivery app, thinking about what to eat today. However, at this moment, a message suddenly popped up on WeChat.
It was from Gu Wan Jun.
[Lu Lu, is it convenient for you to pick me up at the north gate of Yunjiang No. 3 High School?]
A sudden message stirred up the original calm heart. Chen Lu stared at the message, her face sinking instantly.
How could this person have the nerve to ask her to pick her up?
What was their relationship now?
Did Gu Wan Jun really think that spraining her ankle was some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card?
Chen Lu threw her phone aside with some annoyance, but after a while, she couldn’t help but pick it up again and replied stiffly: [Walk yourself.]
After replying to the message, Chen Lu stared at the screen, but inexplicably felt a little uneasy.
Five minutes passed, and Gu Wan Jun still hadn’t replied.
The rain outside the window continued to fall, and the sound of the raindrops tapping on the window seemed to be tapping on Chen Lu’s heart.
Her already not-so-good complexion grew increasingly heavy, and Chen Lu inexplicably felt a little restless.
Why hadn’t she replied yet? Where was Gu Wan Jun?
The road was slippery in the rain. Could something have happened to that person?
Chen Lu shook her head desperately, trying to eliminate the bad thoughts from her mind.
No, it was just a light rain. What could have happened?
Besides, even if something really happened, what did it have to do with her?
Chen Lu bit her back molars and switched the phone screen back to the food delivery page.
Her fingers slid aimlessly up and down, not knowing if she was just tired of eating takeout. Chen Lu had no appetite for anything. Two minutes later, she switched the phone page back to the WeChat chat box. Gu Wan Jun still hadn’t replied to her.
Disappearing after sending a message to someone else, how could Gu Wan Jun be like this?
Annoying.
How could there be such an annoying person as Gu Wan Jun?
Chen Lu furrowed her brow, but after struggling for less than a second, she got up from the chair. She was even so anxious that she didn’t even change out of her pajamas. She directly put on a long trench coat, grabbed her umbrella and car keys, and hurried out the door.