Two Paths

Two Paths

After afternoon military training ended, Class Teacher Shan Qingrong informed everyone that they would stay in class for self-study that evening and be dismissed at nine thirty.

When the students heard this, they silently cursed the school for being idiotic. They had trained all day and were utterly exhausted, eager to hurry home and lie down to rest, yet they actually had to attend Evening Self-Study.

They had not even been given textbooks. What kind of Evening Self-Study were they supposed to have? Seeing the resistance on their faces, Shan Qingrong said cheerfully, "It can't be helped. It's the School Rules. How about this? I'll play a movie for everyone tonight."

The classrooms at No.4 Middle School were Multimedia classrooms, equipped with computers and projectors. They were often used during lessons and were quite convenient.

Hearing that they would be watching a movie, the students' moods improved somewhat. Watching a movie at school was still pretty enjoyable.

Only Xue Yuantong wore a solemn little face. She had not known beforehand that there would be Evening Self-Study. If it lasted until nine thirty, then even though it was summer, the sky would be completely dark by then. She would have to walk three kilometers alone along the River Dam, and just thinking about it was frightening.

Though she considered herself extremely brave, walking alone at night... What if she ran into bad people? The more Xue Yuantong thought about it, the more afraid she became. Her little face went pale as all kinds of terrifying scenes kept surfacing in her mind.

Because of military training, she had not brought her phone today. Her mother had gone to the village to help her grandparents harvest peanuts and would not be home for the next few days. No one would come pick her up.

It was over. Xue Yuantong was miserable now.

Several times, she wanted to stand up and tell Shan Qingrong that she needed to go home early, but that would be too embarrassing. If Shan Qingrong asked her why, what could she say?

That she was afraid of walking at night?

Ridiculous, ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Would I, Xue Yuantong, be afraid of a mere road at night? The classroom lights were switched off, and Shan Qingrong played Spirited Away for everyone. The projector cast its image onto the screen.

Xue Yuantong's expression shifted constantly in the shadows, her feelings wavering.

Jiang Ning had watched this movie in his previous life. After the first day of military training, Shan Qingrong had done exactly the same thing.

Watching it again now gave him a different feeling.

Jiang Ning used to enjoy watching movies in class. Usually, he came to school to study, and he could only play on his phone in secret. Being able to watch a movie openly always made him feel as though he had gotten a bargain.

This kind of permitted indulgence was actually rare throughout one's life. Back when he was in school, he played on his phone in secret. Later, after entering society, he slacked off at work in secret too. It was always done furtively. It seemed like much had changed, yet perhaps nothing had changed at all.

Whether now or in the future, rules were everywhere. Jiang Ning's life had been full of compromise and helplessness; he had never gained true freedom.

Jiang Ning quietly finished the movie. When nine thirty arrived, he found Xue Yuantong in the square in front of the classroom.

"It's getting late. Walking at night isn't safe. Come back with me."

Hearing this, Xue Yuantong said confidently as she walked, "It's fine. I've walked at night plenty of times. It's nothing worth mentioning."

Jiang Ning fell silent for a moment.

Xue Yuantong wanted nothing more than to slap herself. She had worried through an entire Evening Self-Study and thought of every possible way to get home. She could have taken a taxi, but she had already spent all the money she had on her.

After finally waiting for Jiang Ning to offer, she had rejected him too quickly.

Well, that was great. Xue Yuantong felt that her future was pitch-black.

Xue Yuantong's refusal was within Jiang Ning's expectations. He could have ignored her, since she had refused him several times already, but then he remembered that he was going to dig up her house.

"You know I usually go to the River Dam at night, right? The River Dam isn't safe. There are often drunk men around. Last time, I took a careful look and found that there was a grave every so often in the fields beside it. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, there are even people sitting on the graves talking. It's pretty creepy," Jiang Ning said flatly.

That left Xue Yuantong speechless.

"Before Auntie left, she told me that if there were any problems, we should look after each other. If something happened to you while you were walking, I'd definitely feel guilty."

"Fine, fine, fine, stop talking. I'll ride with you." Xue Yuantong folded her arms across her chest and snorted. "It's not that I'm afraid of walking at night. I just think it's pitiful for you to ride alone at night, so I'll reluctantly accompany you."

Jiang Ning watched Xue Yuantong put on an act but did not expose her.

As Shen Qing'e was leaving school, she saw Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong chatting ahead of her, and her expression changed slightly. Jiang Ning had not contacted her for several days, forcing her to buy things herself lately. She found herself strangely unaccustomed to it.

She glanced at Xue Yuantong a few times. Her face was clean enough, but she was ridiculously short, like an elementary school student, and she always wore such a stern expression. Jiang Ning's taste was truly something.

"Shen Qing'e, let's go," a classmate beside her called.

"Mm-hm, okay." Shen Qing'e responded. She did not greet Jiang Ning; there was no need. When they had attended middle school in town, she had thought Jiang Ning was somewhat distinctive. Now that they were at No.4 Middle School, he was completely unremarkable in class, just an ordinary classmate.

As for herself, after only two days of school, she had become the focus of the boys' discussions. During an afternoon break in military training, a sunny, handsome boy from the neighboring class had brought her a Coke, making the girls around her envious. Bathed in their gazes, Shen Qing'e gave a sweet smile.

She was living at her sister's house, and with Jiang Junlong, who attended the Experimental Class at No.2 Middle School, helping her in the future, her grades would undoubtedly soar, leaving Jiang Ning far behind.

She and Jiang Ning had long since ceased to be people on the same path. The gap between them would only grow wider in the future. She felt no attachment whatsoever to the past. Let it be buried in her memories!

Shen Qing'e got into her sister's sedan at the School Gate. Through the window, she saw Jiang Ning pushing his bicycle, with the small Xue Yuantong following behind him.

The sedan started up and drove toward the neon-lit city center. In the rearview mirror lay a vast, gloomy suburb, like a rundown countryside, and that was precisely the direction Jiang Ning was pushing his bicycle toward.

A faint smile curled Shen Qing'e's lips.

Jiang Ning kept walking while pushing his bicycle. Xue Yuantong said nothing and quietly followed behind him.

Jiang Ning got on the bicycle, one toe touching the ground. "Hop on."

Xue Yuantong said, "You ride first. I'll jump straight onto the back seat in a moment."

Jiang Ning pressed down on the pedal, and the wheel began to turn. The Mountain Bike rolled slowly forward.

Xue Yuantong took a running start behind him, her short little legs pushing off...

She jumped into thin air and failed to reach the seat.

Jiang Ning pretended not to see and slowed down again.

Xue Yuantong drew a deep breath and tried once more, but still could not get on.

Jiang Ning stopped the bicycle, and the atmosphere suddenly became suffocating. Xue Yuantong's little face turned bright red. It was too embarrassing; she felt like she was going to die.

After a long while, Jiang Ning broke the silence. "Well, the military training instructor was pretty strict. Today's training intensity was over the limit. Even the boys in our formation complained that they couldn't take it."

Xue Yuantong went along with him. "Ah, right, right. Military training is nothing to me. It's mainly that my shoes don't fit, and they're especially uncomfortable. You understand?"

"I understand, I understand." Jiang Ning smiled without smiling.

Xue Yuantong pretended not to see his expression and looked away.

"Get on."

"Okay." Xue Yuantong finally got on this time. She sat sideways, and the back seat cushion was soft, not uncomfortable against her butt.

The Mountain Bike gradually picked up speed. Xue Yuantong's small hands gripped the edge of the back seat tightly, her body pressed against Jiang Ning's.

She had never been so close to a boy before. The night wind swept up the hair before her forehead, and Xue Yuantong's heart beat slightly faster than usual.