What could make her so shy? Xing Zheng suddenly recalled the envelopes and stationery she had bought at the stationery store a few days ago. Xing Yan would be leaving soon, and given their interactions, leaving a "love letter" was perfectly normal.
Indeed, when he entered Xing Yan's room, he saw the envelope on the desk, adorned with a heart-shaped sticker. He picked it up, opened it, and saw her neat, elegant handwriting. He could perfectly imagine how much effort she had put into writing this letter.
She wanted to maintain the most perfect image in front of the person she loved; this was a common concern for everyone in adolescence.
Even in her letter, she expressed her feelings subtly.
She wrote in the letter, "Brother Mingzhe, I'm so happy to have met you. I've made many friends, but none of them understand me like you do. I will definitely come to Nanjiang, so you have to wait for me, okay? We promised."
She also wrote about the poems and verses they had read together. Every line was filled with unspoken affection. Although she never explicitly said "I like you," every word conveyed her feelings.
After reading it, his mind was clouded with jealousy, leaving him with only one thought: he absolutely could not let Xing Yan see this letter!
Xing Yan already liked Lin Mei so much. If he saw this letter, their mutual affection would be confirmed, and how could he bear for such a thing to happen?
He hid the letter, and when Xing Yan returned, he didn't find Lin Mei's letter.
Even so, he still went to see Lin Mei and gave her the jade pendant with his name engraved on it. In ancient times, men giving jade pendants to women often signified a declaration of love. Moreover, the one he gave Lin Mei was custom-made for him by Xie Qin Jia, and they both understood its meaning.
Before they parted, they met one last time. Xing Zheng followed them again and saw Lin Mei blush as she accepted the jade pendant. Their fingers brushed against each other, and she shyly averted her gaze. The surrounding wind seemed to shy away too, rustling the leaves.
Xing Yan stroked her ponytail and said to her, "I'll wait for you at Nanjiang University. Come find me with the jade pendant then."
Though shy, she nodded firmly, promising him, "I will definitely come."
It was at that moment that Xing Zheng also set his sights on studying at Nanjiang University.
When the brothers returned to Nanjiang, Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia personally came to the airport to pick them up. Upon seeing Xing Yan, Xie Qin Jia embraced him, her eyes welling up, showing how much she had missed him.
As a son himself, Xing Zheng could only stand by, watching the mother and son express their emotions, feeling like a passing stranger. Xing Sha, perhaps sensing his awkwardness, came over and chatted casually with him. However, the father and son were not close, and their conversation was exceptionally awkward.
Finally, the family of four got into the car. This was also the last time they would travel together as a family of four.
By the time Xing Yan returned to Nanjiang City, the second semester of his first year of high school had already begun.
Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia had high hopes for Xing Yan, wishing him to take the IELTS and study abroad. However, Xing Yan refused, saying he wanted to stay in Nanjiang, close to his parents, and study Chinese literature, which he loved.
Xing Sha was displeased. He had worked so hard, naturally hoping his children would follow in his footsteps. But Xie Qin Jia unconditionally sided with Xing Yan, supporting his decision. Therefore, Xing Yan took the IELTS, but did not go abroad.
With his excellent grades, Xing Yan was effortlessly admitted to Nanjiang University. Once he entered the university, he began waiting for Lin Mei's college entrance examination.
Xing Zheng, on the other hand, took the college entrance examination in the same year as Lin Mei. When he chose his specialization in high school, he opted for science. By the summer of his college entrance examination, Xing Yan was already nearing the end of his third year of university.
While other students were accompanied by their parents for their exams, Xing Zheng was alone. Therefore, Xing Yan personally accompanied him for two days.
After the college entrance examination, Xing Yan asked him, "How did it go? Have you decided where you want to study?"
Xing Zheng's grades had always been outstanding; he was consistently ranked in the top ten in the science experimental class. Such results meant he could easily attend any top domestic university. However, Xing Zheng's answer was, "Nanda."
Xing Yan seemed slightly surprised by this answer. "You want to study at Nanda?"
Xing Zheng replied, "Mm, like you." He was also waiting for her to come.
Xing Yan didn't anticipate this. The brothers had been close since childhood, and Xing Zheng's dependence on him was normal. He assumed Xing Zheng was going to Nanda because of him.
However, that summer, the two brothers were involved in a premeditated car accident.
On that day, Xing Zheng, Xing Yan, and Xie Jin had planned to go out together. They had stayed at Xing Yan's apartment the night before and drove Xing Yan's new car the next day.
Xing Zheng volunteered to drive. Shortly after getting onto the highway, an accident occurred. A truck coming from the opposite direction collided with them. Xing Zheng's mind went blank. The windshield shattered, and he was shielded on one side of his body.
Xing Yan shielded him, covered in blood, his eyelids pierced by glass. Before losing consciousness, Xing Zheng could only smell the thick scent of blood and hear continuous alarm sounds.
When he woke up again, he was connected to many tubes and wearing an oxygen mask. Every breath brought intense pain.
He saw doctors and nurses in sterile gowns surrounding him. Pain assaulted him, and he couldn't move his body. His hearing was also partially impaired; he could only see their mouths moving but couldn't hear what they were saying.
He asked the doctor, "Where am I?"
The doctor told him, "This is the intensive care unit. You were in a major car accident. You have multiple rib fractures and a comminuted fracture of your right leg. Your right leg is particularly severe. You may need crutches and rehabilitation training for the next year."
He didn't fully process the doctor's words, only asking, "What about the people with me?"
The doctor shook his head, seemingly unaware of the situation. This made him even more worried about Xing Yan and Xie Jin. However, confined to the ICU and with a crippled leg, he couldn't possibly go out and could only wait for someone from outside to visit him.
Yet, he didn't see Xing Sha or Xie Qin Jia until he was transferred out of the intensive care unit.
He was only eighteen years old then, newly an adult. After such a serious accident, facing it alone, how could he not despair?
A week after the car accident, he finally saw Xie Qin Jia and Xing Sha. When Xie Qin Jia entered the ward, he felt a moment of surprise. However, the next moment, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
The slap made him cough, and the pain in his ribs was almost overwhelming. Before he could recover, she struck him again, and he heard her curse him, "You murderer! You killed Ah Yan and Xie Jin!"
His mind instantly reeled. Xing Yan and Xie Jin...
"What happened to them?" the question escaped his lips.
Xie Qin Jia roared, "How dare you ask what happened to them? Do you think I'll treat you well if you managed to kill Ah Yan? You're dreaming!"