SYLM Chapter 69

Chapter 69: The Gaokao.

Chapter 69 The Gaokao.

Chen Lu didn’t want to have any connection with Chen Qingyu, that was the truth.

Besides, she was a highly vigilant person, so logically, upon hearing the strange woman in front of her talk about Chen Qingyu’s experiences abroad, Chen Lu would either unhesitatingly press the police call button, or simply turn around and leave, ignoring this person altogether.

But Chen Lu didn’t.

After much hesitation, before getting into the car, Chen Lu carefully sized up the woman inside the car from head to toe without showing any expression.

The woman was wearing a suit with a long skirt, and there was a plaster on her exposed wrist. She looked about the same age as Chen Qingyu, but time was particularly kind to her. The few fine lines at the corners of her eyes did not affect her beauty and charm at all. The coquettishness revealed between her eyebrows and eyes was natural, but the ambition and sharpness in her eyes were undisguised.

When she smiled, she had a few hints of naiveté in her charm, but when she wasn’t smiling, she was full of oppression, giving the sense of an ambitious politician who was very good at manipulating people’s hearts.

It was just that this set of makeup and attire with a strong personal style really didn’t match the image of a dignified and upright politician in Chen Lu’s impression.

After getting into the car, the woman kept staring at Chen Lu, her faint gaze like she was looking at her own trophy.

The strong smell of perfume and the direct gaze made Chen Lu very uncomfortable. The girl’s expression was clear, and she directly met her gaze and asked:

“If you have something to say, you can say it now. Time is limited, and I have to go back to review later.”

“Even the tone of speech is so similar. No wonder you’re mother and daughter.”

The woman’s eyes were smiling, a kind of sassy charm.

Chen Lu didn’t know if it was her illusion, but she always felt that this woman couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning Chen Qingyu.

Are these two really just friends?

The conversation lasted for about an hour, almost entirely the woman talking. Chen Qingyu’s nearly twenty years of turbulent life were described by this person in such a light and breezy tone.

Before getting out of the car, the woman stuffed a business card into the side pocket of Chen Lu’s small schoolbag:

“Let’s talk about this for now. This is my personal number. If you want to know anything in the future, feel free to call me. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you. See you next time, Chen Lu.”

Opening the door and getting out of the car, it was already completely dark. Soon, the white Lexus disappeared at the corner of the dimly lit street.

Entering the residential area, going upstairs, and arriving home, Chen Lu was heavy-hearted. She took out the business card from the side pocket of her small schoolbag. The black card with gold lettering used a debossed process. The three words [Han Chu Hui] were clearly printed on it, followed by a row of phone numbers. On the back was the English name of a foreign winery.

The business card retained the strong smell of perfume from its owner. Chen Lu looked at the business card, repeatedly replaying her conversation with Han Chu Hui in her mind—

“You don’t like me calling Chen Qingyu your mother, right? Coincidentally, I don’t like it either. I like to call her name, Chen Qingyu, a very nice name.”

“Chen Qingyu is a person with a strong sense of morality. This is a very endearing thing about her. After giving birth to you, she felt that she couldn’t face herself for dropping out of university after only one year, and she couldn’t face you, who had no father from birth, so she planned to leave without saying goodbye and go out to work to earn money.”

“But what Chen Qingyu didn’t know at the time was that due to excessive mental and physical stress, she developed postpartum depression after giving birth to you, and often had mental lapses.”

“In this situation, Chen Qingyu, eager to make money, signed a contract with a so-called agent in the industry. The other party said that he could make her a singer, and earning millions a month would be no problem. Oh, by the way, did you know that Chen Qingyu sings exceptionally well?”

“In her early twenties, she was still too young. After signing the contract, the agent took Chen Qingyu to a casino abroad. Only then did Chen Qingyu realize that something was wrong, but it was already too late. Her ID card and passport were confiscated by the agent. The agent was in league with the people at the casino. Chen Qingyu owed the casino a huge amount of liquidated damages. She couldn’t run away, and she couldn’t repay the money. Chen Qingyu was forced to work as a dealer in the casino for five years.”

“In the first few years of working as a dealer, Chen Qingyu only dealt cards and placed bets. As time went on, the behind-the-scenes boss began to arrange for her to learn how to cheat.”

“At first, Chen Qingyu firmly disagreed, saying that she wouldn’t do it no matter what, even if she was beaten half to death. But a few days later, the people at the casino took out a photo of her mother leading a little girl buying vegetables at a market in China. Chen Qingyu stared at the photo for a long time, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded in agreement. When she was released, her body was either bruised or purple, without a single good spot.”

“Beauty is the least valuable advantage on Chen Qingyu. She is a very intelligent person. In five years, Chen Qingyu went from being a small dealer to the most skilled professional cheat at that casino. The behind-the-scenes boss of the casino valued her very much. In those three to five years, Chen Qingyu was immensely successful, helping the casino earn money every day and firmly holding the position of the casino’s second-in-command.”

“But things never go smoothly, and there are always better players in the cheating industry. One time, in a big game, Chen Qingyu was caught red-handed by a gambler who noticed something amiss. According to the casino’s rules, not only would the cheater have to lose all their money, but they would also have to have one hand chopped off as punishment. Chen Qingyu’s left pinky finger, which she always wears gloves on, was chopped off like that.”

“When her finger was chopped off, the blood splattered on Chen Qingyu’s face, leaving little red marks. Her big eyes were watery, but she refused to shed a tear. Do you know how beautiful she was at that time? That was my first meeting with Chen Qingyu.”

“After helping her pay off the money and saving her left hand, I spent money to use connections to redeem Chen Qingyu from the casino. Then, I handed over the winery under my name to her to manage. It wasn’t until I heard that she had a daughter in China being cared for by her mother that I accompanied her back to the country to find you. Counting it all up, I’ve known her for ten years now.”

“…”

The woman’s low, hoarse voice replayed in Chen Lu’s mind. The excessive amount of information in Han Chu Hui’s words oppressed every nerve in Chen Lu’s brain, and she began to feel a faint pain in the back of her head.

How much credibility did Han Chu Hui’s words have? Could it be that Chen Qingyu really…

Chen Lu tried hard to recall the rainy night a few days ago, recalling the hand holding the umbrella.

But even if everything Han Chu Hui said was true, why didn’t Chen Qingyu return to the country after being redeemed, and why didn’t she take the initiative to contact them?

Meeting for the first time and spending a huge amount of money to use connections to redeem someone from the intricately complex underground casino, and even handing over the winery under her name with confidence, who exactly was this woman named Han Chu Hui, and what was her relationship with Chen Qingyu?

—

The moonlight was like water, and the shops on both sides of the street were brightly lit, very lively.

The white Lexus passed through the old-fashioned buildings in the streets and alleys, and finally stopped at the only place in the county center that could be called a hotel.

The moment she swiped the card and entered the room upstairs, the strong smell of alcohol that permeated the air hit her face. In the center of the room, several empty wine bottles were neatly placed on the table. Chen Qingyu was standing in front of the balcony with a wine glass in her hand, the butterfly bones that seemed ready to fly were facing the doorway through the thin gauze fabric. Han Chu Hui couldn’t see the person’s expression.

Before Han Chu Hui swiped the card to enter the room, Chen Qingyu heard a noise outside the door, but she ignored it. A few seconds later, Han Chu Hui swiped the card to enter the room, but Chen Qingyu still didn’t turn around, her heavy-hearted gaze always falling on the wine glass in her hand, until—

“Your daughter is like you, very beautiful.”

A low, hoarse female voice sounded from behind, and the wine glass in her hand couldn’t help but tremble. Chen Qingyu’s eyes suddenly changed, and she suddenly turned around, her expression tense as she stared at Han Chu Hui:

“You went to see Lu Lu?”

Their eyes finally met, Han Chu Hui raised her eyebrows slightly, chuckled, and said in a matter-of-fact tone: “Yes, I always need to know whether the daughter you’ve been thinking about is like you or that old man.”

Hearing Han Chu Hui say this, the wine glass in her hand tightened. Chen Qingyu walked forward quickly, her tone very nervous: “What did you do to my daughter?”

As soon as the question came out, a moment of self-mockery flashed across her enchanting face. Han Chu Hui, who had changed into slippers, casually tore off the plaster on her wrist that was used to cover the tattoo. The suit jacket was taken off and thrown on the sofa, and the black backless long dress finally had the opportunity to show its full appearance. The phoenix tattoo covering her entire back was clearly reflected in the light, lifelike.

Under the bright incandescent light, Han Chu Hui walked to Chen Qingyu, took the wine glass from Chen Qingyu’s hand, and drank from the lipstick mark on the edge of the glass. The glass was quickly emptied, and Han Chu Hui licked the corner of her mouth, staring at the person in front of her with a flower-like smile:

“Ayu, am I that bad in your eyes?”

Perhaps in the eyes of others, Han Chu Hui, whose eyebrows and eyes were full of charm at the moment, was quite charming, but in Chen Qingyu’s eyes, this was precisely a dangerous signal.

“What did you say to Lu Lu? Did you tell her about our relationship?”

“I said we’re good friends. What, did you want me to tell your daughter that you’re my kept canary?”

Han Chu Hui was still smiling, but these words made Chen Qingyu tense up. When she spoke again, her tone was cold: “Chu Hui, don’t mess with my daughter.”

“Is that you begging me or threatening me?”

“My life is already like this, I accept it, but my daughter can’t. I owe her enough. She’s about to take the Gaokao. Chu Hui, even if I’m begging you, don’t mess with Lu Lu. You can make me do anything.”

As if hearing something incredibly rare, the corners of her mouth that were originally raised lost their curve. Han Chu Hui sneered, dangerous sharpness flashing in her eyes:

“In all these years, this is the first time I’ve heard that ‘beg’ word from your Chen Qingyu’s mouth.”

After speaking, Han Chu Hui put the empty wine glass on the table. When she turned her head again, her lost gaze wanted to stare a hole in Chen Qingyu:

“It’s said that homosexuality is highly likely to be genetically inherited. Ayu, your daughter can like women, so why can’t you like me?”

“…”

Chen Qingyu was stunned by these words for a moment. She turned her head and avoided Han Chu Hui’s gaze, without saying anything.

Yes, how could her daughter like women.

And a woman who was ten years older than her.

—

A week passed quickly. In the midst of tense and anxious review, the Gaokao countdown officially reached zero.

On the day of the Gaokao, the school gate was crowded with parents sending their children to the exam. They were wearing clothes symbolizing good luck, holding flowers and snacks, and constantly saying encouraging words to their children. Some parents would occasionally look down at their watches, repeatedly asking their children if they had brought all the necessary items. It seemed that they were even more nervous than the children who were about to enter the exam hall.

For Chen Lu, her grandmother was her only relative. A week before the Gaokao, she had already returned to the old house to tell her grandmother that she was going to take the Gaokao, so rather than whether or not she had any relatives to see her off, at this moment she was only concerned about one question—

As she approached the school gate, Chen Lu saw that Gu Wan Jun, the homeroom teacher who had been on leave for two weeks, appeared on time at the gate of Ningcheng No. 1 High School to send the students to the exam together with Tang Ying, the acting homeroom teacher. Chen Lu’s heart, which was like a boat drifting alone in the vast sea, finally settled down.

Chen Lu quickly walked through the crowd towards the person she had been thinking about. At the same time, Gu Wan Jun, who was standing at the school gate sending students off, was talking to other students in the class with her back to her.

The first to see Chen Lu was Tang Ying, who was repeatedly looking at her watch, scanning around, seemingly waiting for someone.

Whether it was to deliberately remind the person next to her or for some other reason, Tang Ying called out Chen Lu’s name. The next second, Gu Wan Jun, who was standing next to her talking to other students, turned around upon hearing the sound.

After not seeing her for two weeks, Chen Lu noticed that Gu Wan Jun had rarely put on heavy makeup today, but even so, it still couldn’t hide the person’s obviously thinner face and the faint dark circles under her eyes.

Why is she so much thinner, and her complexion isn’t very good either? Could it be that she’s too tired and hasn’t gotten enough rest?

Chen Lu’s heart tightened.

Seeing Chen Lu standing in front of her, Gu Wan Jun’s eyebrows moved slightly, and her smiling gaze lingered on the little girl, her tone as gentle as ever: “You’re here.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s been two weeks, have you been reviewing well?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Have you brought everything you need for the exam?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, good luck with the exam later. Relax, I’ll be waiting for you outside.”

Gu Wan Jun gave her instructions one by one, as gentle and thoughtful as before. Hearing these words, Chen Lu, who originally wanted to ask “What’s wrong with you recently,” couldn’t ask anything at all, and could only nod and answer the questions.

The test takers entered the campus one after another. Seeing that it was almost time, Gu Wan Jun told Chen Lu to enter the exam hall.

“Jiang Zhen Zhen just went in. You should go in too. It’s almost time.”

“Teacher, I—”

Before Chen Lu could finish speaking, the long-awaited Fu Yi Wen finally arrived in a hurry on a food delivery guy’s motorcycle.

“Oh my god, the traffic jam almost killed me! Thanks to you this time, thank you, bro!”

Fu Yi Wen repeatedly bowed and thanked the food delivery guy, a dark and simple smile revealing itself on the face under the helmet. The guy waved his hand and wished Fu Yi Wen good luck on the exam.

Regarding Fu Yi Wen, who had such a different way of appearing and was almost late, Tang Ying repeatedly told herself that someone was taking the Gaokao today and she couldn’t scold them. But unexpectedly, the next second, Fu Yi Wen rushed over and gave her a bear hug, almost knocking her into the flower bed behind her!

“Oh my god! You scared me to death! I thought I wasn’t going to make it! You don’t know how congested that road near my house is. Fortunately, I ran into a food delivery guy, otherwise I definitely wouldn’t have made it!”

“It’s your bad luck if you didn’t make it. Why are you hugging me? Let go!”

“No! The exam is about to start, let me absorb the good luck from you!”

“Fu Yi Wen! Let go! You’re strangling me!”

Seeing the two people next to her hugging and almost starting to fight, Chen Lu pursed her lips, her gaze fixedly staring at Gu Wan Jun:

“Teacher, can we hug?”

“…”

Gu Wan Jun’s smile froze for a moment, but when she met the little girl’s bright and lively eyes with a hint of unease, her body still honestly reached out and gently wrapped Chen Lu in her arms.

Cool lips approached her slightly warm ear, Gu Wan Jun whispered:

“Good luck with the exam, don’t be nervous.”

“Yeah, then when I come out, will the teacher be willing to tell me what’s been happening with you recently?”

Her straight shoulders involuntarily trembled slightly. Gu Wan Jun was silent for a while, and said to take the exam well first, and everything would be said after the exam.

Watching the students enter the school one by one, the moment the exam bell rang, it was as if all the strength had been drained away, and the smile on Gu Wan Jun’s face disappeared little by little.

Finally, she could stop smiling.

Tang Ying, who was next to her, had her expensive white shirt crumpled all over, which was enough to show how hard that little chubby girl Fu Yi Wen had hugged her just now.

Tang Ying lowered her head and looked at her already disheveled shirt. Although she couldn’t help but curse in her mouth, her beautiful face didn’t show any of her dissatisfaction.

Compared to other things, shirt wrinkles were a minor matter. There was a more important thing to do at the moment. Tang Ying looked down for a moment and ignored it. She walked to Gu Wan Jun’s side and opened her mouth, carefully considering her tone:

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Gu Wan Jun shook her head, turned her head to look at Tang Ying, and forced out a reluctant smile: “Thank you for helping me cover up during this time.”

“There’s nothing to thank for such a small matter.”

Tang Ying glanced at Gu Wan Jun, her habitually cold tone becoming somewhat unnatural when she wanted to care for someone:

“Next time, you should tell me what’s going on as soon as possible, so I don’t have to find someone to investigate myself. Like this time, you didn’t reply to my messages at all, and I almost got exposed in front of your little follower.”

“Sorry, I made you worry.”

“…”

Hearing a soft apology made Tang Ying feel even more uncomfortable. Looking at the person in front of her who wished she could be as thin as a piece of paper, the woman who never bothered to say nice things rarely softened her tone:

“Tsk, why are you apologizing? I didn’t blame you. Are you deliberately trying to make me feel bad? You’re pretty good at scheming.”

“No, I’m sincerely thanking you.”

“It’s good that you’re not. I’m also sincerely worried about you.”

Tang Ying followed Gu Wan Jun’s words and said what was in her heart.

With such a change in the Gu family, how could she not worry about Gu Wan Jun? It was just that she was used to being sharp-tongued and didn’t know how to comfort people.

“If there’s anything I can help with, just ask. You don’t have to worry about the money. I have as much as you need. As for the connections, I can’t say for other places, but my family can still speak to those powerful figures in Yunjiang City.”

“I know, thank you, Tang Ying.”

“Tsk, what did I just say? Didn’t I tell you not to mention the word ‘thank you’? You’re so old, don’t you have any memory?”

Tang Ying couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Gu Wan Jun.

The sun was shining brightly, wishing it could scorch people.

The students went in to take the exam, and the people outside the school couldn’t keep standing at the school gate to wait. In addition, Gu Wan Jun hadn’t slept well for several days, so standing all the time would definitely make her faint. So Tang Ying told Gu Wan Jun to go with her to sit at the cold drink shop across from the school.

The two turned around, estimating which direction would allow them to get through the surrounding wall of people faster. The next second, a gentle and pleasant female voice, which she didn’t know when it had stopped behind them, called out to Gu Wan Jun:

“Are you Gu Wan Jun, Teacher Gu? I’m Chen Lu’s mother, Chen Qingyu. Can I take a little of your time to chat?”

…