**49**

As soon as the class bell rang, Chi Sheng stuffed his textbook into his bag amidst the noisy classroom and ran outside.

Reaching the door, a classmate called out from behind, “Chi Sheng, the homework!”

Chi Sheng slapped his forehead, then quickly turned back like a gust of wind, rummaged through his bag, found the homework, and handed it to his classmate.

Seeing her rushing about, a classmate laughed and said, “You’re so busy, be careful!”

Chi Sheng responded with a couple of “uh-huh”s, slung her backpack over her shoulder, smiled and said goodbye, then ran out.

She ran out of the school gate and squeezed onto a bus.

The bus was packed full, shaking as it started moving.

Chi Sheng stood there, still slightly out of breath.

She was going to tonight’s tutoring session, recommended by a senior in the same major. The hourly pay was not low, and she valued this job very much.

The tutoring paid more than the two jobs she had during the summer break, but since she had many classes, she didn’t have much free time. However, she made good use of the time she could spare.

The weather had turned chilly, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. As the bus passed by, the leaves swirled along the side of the vehicle.

Chi Sheng got out of the car and walked to a residential community. The previous few times she came, she was always in a hurry, afraid of being late. Today, with plenty of time, she walked inside while casually glancing at the shops at the entrance.

Her gaze swept over them briefly and was about to withdraw when Chi Sheng suddenly paused, turned her head again, and focused on a storefront with the words “education” on its sign.

She stopped in her tracks, her eyes fixed on that shop, and walked over in that direction.

The child for tutoring was a middle school girl with a good foundation, making teaching her quite effortless.

When she came out in the evening, the mother of the family settled the month’s wages with her. Chi Sheng took it with both hands and politely said thank you.

Xiao Chi teaches quite well. I wonder if you have time on Sunday afternoon. A classmate in An An’s class also wants to hire a tutor.

Chi Sheng quickly checked her schedule in her mind and said hurriedly, “I do.”

After leaving the community, she couldn’t help but look back at that shop again, her hand instinctively slipping into her pocket to feel the wages she had just received.

Ruan Yinmeng worked as a cashier at a 24-hour convenience store.

This type of convenience store had only become popular in the past two years, with a small storefront and open around the clock.

All the other shops on this street were closed, and there were few pedestrians on the road. Only the streetlights on both sides and this convenience store emitted a faint glow in the quiet late night, revealing the chill of late autumn in the air.

Chi Sheng, carrying a backpack, pushed the door open. Ruan Yinmeng was behind the counter, wearing the store’s uniform, handling payments. Seeing Chi Sheng, a smile immediately appeared on her face, and she gestured for her to sit down on the side first.

Chi Sheng nodded slightly and sat down at a spot nearby where there was a table and chairs, habitually taking out his textbook from his backpack to review.

There weren’t many customers at this time; one would come in sporadically every ten or so minutes.

Ruan Yinmeng wasn’t idle either; she was holding a notebook, taking inventory of the goods.

Chi Sheng looked up at her from time to time. Ruan Yinmeng was very serious when working; she no longer wore those flirtatious clothes or wore such heavy makeup.

But she would still keep herself neat and clean, no matter how tired or rushed she was, no matter what she was going to do, even if it was just as a clerk in a 24-hour convenience store, she had to be presentable.

The word “self-respect” was as vital to her as the air she breathed.

Chi Sheng pressed her lips together.

Ruan Yinmeng seemed to notice her gaze, looked up, saw Chi Sheng watching her, then walked over and asked gently, “Are you tired?”

Chi Sheng shook his head, lowered his gaze, and saw the words in the notebook. The handwriting wasn’t exactly beautiful; it looked somewhat like that of a child just learning to write, very immature. But each line was written neatly, with every stroke done very carefully.

Ruan Yinmeng noticed that she was looking at her handwriting and couldn’t help but raise her hand to cover it: “Not good-looking.”

“Beautiful.” Chi Sheng said softly, his tone filled with an unyielding stubbornness.

Ruan Yinmeng’s gaze softened, and she couldn’t help but stroke Chi Sheng’s head.

Half an hour later, the shift change arrived.

They came out of the convenience store.

It was not far from their home, less than twenty minutes on foot.

The cold was intense late at night. Chisheng rubbed his hands together and took Ruan Yinmeng’s hand in his to warm her.

Ruan Yinmeng let out a small “eh,” looked around but saw no one, and then allowed him to hold her hand.

“It’s okay.” Although Chisheng was cautious, he was nowhere near as nervous as Ruan Yinmeng. After all, he was young and naturally straightforward, not fond of hiding like this.

“Girls holding hands is very common.” She said as she tucked Vuan Yinmeng’s cold hand into her own pocket.

Vuan Yinmeng has a cold body; at night when she sleeps, it’s hard for her body to warm up. Chi Sheng always holds her, letting her hands and feet press against him. Unfortunately, she usually has too many classes and can only stay here on Fridays and Saturdays.

So they only saw each other two or three times a week.

Ruan Yinmeng’s hand hooked into her pocket, scratching Chisheng’s palm.

Chisheng was a little ticklish but didn’t let go, still holding her tightly.

“Holding on so tight, are you afraid of losing me?” Ruan Yinmeng teased her with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, Chi Sheng’s hand tightened even more: “I won’t lose you.”

They walked from one streetlamp to the next, their shadows gradually lengthening, then shortening again as they approached the next lamp.

The night was so quiet, so quiet that you could hear your heartbeat.

Unlike Ruan Yinmeng, Chi Sheng was like a little stove; after holding hands for just a short while, his palm was warm, passing the heat to Ruan Yinmeng.

When they got home, Chi Sheng was sent to take a shower, while Ruan Yinmeng went to the kitchen, planning to make a bowl of wontons.

The wontons were specially made yesterday. Last week, after Chi Sheng finished tutoring and came over, he was so hungry that he kept groaning. She made him a bowl of fried rice, but he ended up too full, and they spent a long time digesting before lying down.

Ruan Yin thought it over and over, and still decided that wontons were the best—they could fill her stomach without making her too full.

Chi Sheng washed quickly, and as soon as the wontons were scooped out, she came out, wearing only a single shirt.

There was no heating in the room. Ruan Yin put down her bowl and hurriedly grabbed some clothes to cover her: “Don’t catch a cold.”

“I’m burning up,” Chi Sheng mumbled, but obediently slipped her hands into the sleeves.

She smelled the fragrance, looked at the table, and her eyes lit up: “Wontons!”

She sat down at the table and found there was only one bowl, so she looked up and asked, “What about yours?”

I don’t…

Before Ruan Yinmeng could say she was hungry, Chi Sheng stood up, went to the kitchen to get an empty bowl, divided the bowl of wontons into two, then patted the seat beside him, making his intention very clear.

Ruan Yinmeng had no choice but to sit down, and only then was Chi Sheng satisfied.

She was already hungry, scooped up a spoonful, and put it into her mouth, then hissed from the burn.

Ruan Yinmeng hurriedly wanted to get her some water, but was stopped by Chi Sheng.

She swallowed, took several deep breaths, and Ruan Yinmeng looked at her anxiously. After a while, Chi Sheng gave Ruan Yinmeng a thumbs up: “Delicious!”

Only then did Ruan Yinmeng relax her furrowed brow: “Slow down, don’t rush.”

Chi Sheng was just so hungry that he forgot the wontons had just come out of the pot. After being scalded once, he patiently blew on them to cool them down and took the opportunity to tell Ruan Yinmeng a lot about school.

The student council, clubs, various activities, which teachers were especially impressive, and even about seniors who had graduated only two or three years ago and had already made a name for themselves with their artwork.

That was a world Ruan Yinmeng had never been exposed to at all.

Before Chi Sheng told her, she didn’t even know that university lasted four years, nor that graduate school was divided into master’s and doctoral programs. She hadn’t encountered these things before and didn’t quite understand some parts, but she still enjoyed listening very much.

Because she knew that her Chisheng would go higher and farther in the future, and there would be a vast world.

She had never seen it, nor could she imagine it, but she could grasp a fragment from Chisheng’s words.

Suddenly, Chi Sheng stopped.

Ruan Yinmeng looked at her inquisitively, “What’s wrong?”

Chi Sheng suddenly became serious, her gaze earnest, no longer casual as before. She said solemnly, “You should study too.”

Ruan Yinmeng was stunned, the spoon slipped from her fingers, falling into the bowl with a crisp sound.

She hurriedly lowered her head, pulled out a tissue to wipe her wet hand, her fingers reddening from the rubbing, then said somewhat absentmindedly, “How can I study…”

After saying this, as if setting the tone for herself, she finally mustered the courage to lift her head and curved her lips slightly at Chi Sheng: “You see, I don’t even have an elementary school diploma. Where would I even start studying?”

Chi Sheng stood up, took his backpack over, pulled out a stack of materials, and pushed them in front of Ruan Yinmeng: “I’ve looked into it thoroughly. You can take the self-study exams and get a diploma.”

Ruan Yinmeng looked at Chi Sheng, then lowered her head to glance at the stack of materials, but didn’t even dare to touch them.

Chi Sheng took a deep breath, took out the wages he received today from his pocket, then took her passbook out of the backpack and placed it on the documents.

Grandma didn’t know how to transfer money, and being an elderly person, she was quite cautious. She felt uneasy asking for help but also embarrassed to refuse. Thinking that Chi Sheng was self-disciplined, she simply put the living expenses for the entire semester into this passbook for her.

Chi Sheng didn’t have many big expenses, and there was still quite a bit left inside. Adding today’s wages, it was just enough for the registration fee.

“You can register first, give it a try, if you like it, continue studying; if not, then don’t go.” Chi Sheng said this, but she didn’t think at all that Ruan Yinmeng would dislike it.

If Ruan Yinmeng had the chance to touch a textbook, she would cherish it more than anyone else. The books she brought from Pingcheng, she read almost every day. Whenever she held a pen, she was always uncertain yet reluctant to let go.

In her heart, there was a little girl walking under the sunlight with a backpack. This was her obsession; if she didn’t try, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Ruan Yinmeng’s past, she didn’t have time to participate in, but for her future, Chi Sheng didn’t want any shadows.

If there is, then let her clean it up.