50: Chapter 50 Let Time Heal Her Wounds

" ♪ We were both lonely once and made promises to each other ~ We were both worn out by life because of the torment ~ But these kinds of days ~ In the same way ~ How much longer... "

On the bus bound for Shenzhen, Shen Weiyue wore his headphones, watching the scenery drift further and further away outside the window, his gaze distant.

The song he was listening to was "A Dream".

The person he parted with was also just a dream.

The aftereffects of his hangover were still throbbing at his temples. Early in the morning, he had fled Liang Yuting's home in a sorry state, forced to return to his aunt's house in the small town ahead of schedule.

His luggage had been packed beforehand, so there was no delay in his departure, only a lingering sense of reluctance pulling at him from behind like invisible threads.

Last night, he had ended up drinking too much after all.

The two people's birthday had turned into the absurdity of a dream.

It was only right that she was angry and indignant.

Of course, Shen Weiyue could see the reluctance beneath her flustered emotions, but that was not enough of a reason to dilute the awkwardness and shame.

Moreover, there was immense fear and anxiety; she must be feeling a complex mix of emotions, her heart in turmoil.

Shen Weiyue knew that worldly gossip was the most lethal thing.

Some things didn't matter to an old hand like him who had lived two lifetimes, but Liang Yuting needed time to accept and process it.

Her role and life experience were not enough for her to calmly face the scrutiny of society; what she needed more at this moment was to calm down and heal.

Since that was the case, then he would leave; he would go back to his hometown first to take a look.

Before boarding the bus, he had already called his aunt. She was very happy and said she would buy a few more dishes for lunch, adding that his cousin, Zhou Xiaonan, was already on vacation and playing games at home.

Shen Weiyue smiled knowingly.

His cousin was a cheerful guy, a year younger than him, and they had often hung out together since childhood.

Returning this time, the two brothers would definitely go to the town's arcade to play King of Fighters.

Shen Weiyue looked calmly at the scenery along the way. When the bus passed through the countryside and fields, there were golden fruits on the treetops, villagers working in the fields, lively stray dogs, and flocks of chickens and ducks...

Of course, there were also complaints and cursing.

Someone on the bus was indignant, mostly cursing how this county road was repaired only to rot, then repaired again, a cycle repeating every two or three years—all tofu-dreg projects that wasted money and manpower.

Shen Weiyue could feel the violent jolting.

Based on his years of experience as a safety expert at the Emergency Management Bureau, it was obvious that corners had been cut in the construction of this road, but it was also due to the overloading of too many coal and cement trucks.

In this era, county towns and townships were purely fertile ground for the willful and barbaric growth of power, which was also the reason why he was determined to test his way out.

The smaller the place, the more one would be burdened by social connections and worldly wisdom. In a county town where even Stephen Hawking would have to stand up to offer a toast, no matter how much talent you had, it was useless.

Shen Weiyue didn't like drinking, but if he had to, he quite liked the kind of drinking he did last night.

It was a pity he hadn't had the chance to savor it carefully.

" Beep beep beep ~ "

His phone received a message. Shen Weiyue unlocked the screen, and a smile couldn't help but tug at the corners of his mouth.

In the class group chat, some people were posting graduation reflections, while others were imagining the future and bullshitting wildly.

" Fellow classmates, big-dicked guys and beautiful ladies, my dad has already said that if I can get into a 985 University this time, he will definitely throw a huge banquet for our teachers and invite the whole class to eat! "

" My parents also said that it doesn't have to be a 985 University; if I can get into a key university, they'll book a whole floor at the Lingshan Hotel. You're all welcome to grace us with your presence. "

" Let's discuss filling out our applications properly so our scores don't clash and we end up hurting our own people... "

The guys were chatting excitedly. Shen Weiyue didn't join in, just frowned as he looked at 'Liang Muzi's' grey avatar. After a moment of deep thought, he decided to send her a message:

" Teacher Liang, I'm sorry. "

A long time passed after the message was sent without a reply; he had no idea if the person on the other end had even seen it.

Shen Weiyue didn't care and continued typing: " It's all my fault. Please don't blame yourself, don't feel pressured; just take your time to calm down. "

" I know you don't want to see me right now, and perhaps you won't want to see me in the future either, so I've thought about it: when the time comes, I won't have my acceptance letter sent to the school; I'll have it sent directly to my aunt's house for collection. "

...

" I'll book my ticket in advance in a couple of days. Once I've filled out my application, I'll head straight to Shenzhen. I don't know if I'll run into you at school that day. "

" A thousand words cannot express even a fraction of my apology. I hope there will be a chance to make it up to you in the future, or at least give me a chance to apologize to you in person. "

He sent many messages in a row, but received no reply from Liang Yuting, so Shen Weiyue typed the final two words:

" Goodbye. "

Of course, there was no reply to this last message either.

Shen Weiyue touched his cheek, which had been slapped, and shook his head with a bitter smile and a sigh. What the hell was all this?

...

After two hours of swaying, the bus finally arrived at its destination.

Shen Weiyue got off the bus, found a pedicab, loaded his bags and luggage, and headed toward his aunt's house.

His aunt's house was in the middle of a three-story building in town; the ground floor was a storefront, while the second and third floors were residential.

His cousin, Zhou Xiaonan, came down to help and moved all the luggage in one trip. Seeing that he wasn't in high spirits, he asked: " Bro, you look so gloomy. Did you bomb the exam? "

" Not really, I did okay, " Shen Weiyue replied.

" Then what's with that expression? "

" I did something wrong. You wouldn't understand even if I told you, so stop asking. "

Shen Weiyue entered the house and saw his aunt busy in the kitchen, so he poked his head in and said: " Aunt, I'm back. Where's Uncle? "

" He hasn't finished his shift at the factory yet. We'll eat by ourselves at noon. How did the exam go? "

" Pretty good. A key university shouldn't be a problem. "

" That's great! Did you bring back any of your study notes? You should let your cousin borrow them. "

After his aunt asked this, Zhou Xiaonan winked at him and shook his head desperately. Shen Weiyue understood what he meant immediately and laughed:

" They were too heavy, so I sold them by the pound. "

" That's such a waste! Those were materials from The First High School. You child, honestly... "

" It's okay, I can tutor him online. The knowledge is all stored in my brain. "

" That's wonderful! Zhou Xiaonan, you need to learn more from your cousin. Your dad said if you can't get into an undergraduate program, you don't need to go to college; you can just go out and work. "

Zhou Xiaonan sighed with a gloomy face and muttered: " You know what my capabilities are. How can I compare to someone from The First High School... "

Lunch unfolded amidst this kind of domestic chatter. After eating, Zhou Xiaonan didn't say a word, just pulled Shen Weiyue into his room and complained:

" My mom overestimates me too much. My grades are truly hopeless. From now on, I'm counting on you to show me the ropes. "

" Alright, stop complaining. Just do your best. In the future, as long as I have meat to eat, you'll have soup to drink. Between brothers, we don't need to say those things. "

Shen Weiyue lay comfortably on the bed. He hadn't slept well last night, and after the excitement, he was filled with exhaustion.

Seeing him collapse into sleep, Zhou Xiaonan cursed: " You must have stayed up all night gaming. I was planning on going to the internet cafe to play games in a bit. Are you still going or not in this state? "

" Yeah, I stayed up all night, so I need to catch up on sleep. I'm not going this afternoon. " Shen Weiyue waved his hand with his eyes closed.

" You're weak, man. A single night at an internet cafe and you're this pathetic? "

" You don't understand. This all-nighter was too draining. I was so excited all night that I didn't even close my eyes once, and I'd already pulled an all-nighter the night before, too. "

" You didn't close your eyes all night? What game is that stimulating? Looking at your sunken dark circles, I thought you'd walked into the Cave of the Silken Web and met the Spider Demon. "

" A game where clearing the level relies entirely on luck. Don't ask anymore. I'm going to sleep. "

Shen Weiyue tucked his phone under his pillow and drifted into a peaceful sleep.