Wu Ming public square is located in the city center, it’s the biggest SCBD in Yang City. Last time when Shang Jie came over to meet He Li Zhen, they were dining in that area. He Li Zhen takes the bus and arrives there at 09:40a.m.
In Wu Ming, there’s a symbolic construction of sculpture named “Ning Gu De Shi Guang” [A solidifying light]. It’s in modernize design.
He Li Zhen waits nearby and looks around. She finally notices Wan Kun.
She feels that Wan Kun is looking at her too.
He seems to be healthy right now, he is wearing a black sport suit. He looks clean and neat. Wan Kun walks toward her and she feels he walks like a hooligan.
He Li Zhen shows her serious expression and she waits till he stops in front of her. He Li Zhen takes a deep breath and prepares to speak up.
“You——“
“Follow me, why are you standing here?” Wan Kun just holds He Li Zhen’s arm and wants to take her somewhere.
He Li Zhen just shakes off her arm and takes few steps back. She says: “Wan Kun, stand straight.”
Wan Kun laughs and puts his hands on his pocket. He just stands still and straight in front of her.
“Em?”
He Li Zhen’s face is serious and says: “What did you write on your diary!”
Wan Kun says: “Oh, that, didn’t you read it?”
He Li Zhen says: “Don’t joke around like that. Let me warn you, if you do it again, I’ll….”
“What would you do?” Wan Kun bends his body and says to He Li Zhen: “You would tell Hu Fei? Or you would expose the fact that I’m ‘working’?”
He Li Zhen asks: “Are you still working there?”
Wan Kun stands up straight again and looks at the lawn nearby. Everything is green and clean around.
He Li Zhen knows that Shang Jie seems to be right. “If you are still working there, then don’t blame me to inform the school.”
“Okay ah.” Wan Kun doesn’t care about it.
He Li Zhen is startled, Wan Kun seems to be sure that He Li Zhen would not expose this matter. He holds her arm again. “Don’t you want me stop joking? then accompany me to watch a movie.”
“What?” He Li Zhen is confused.
Wan Kun smiles and says: “Watch a movie with me, then I would not write recklessly on the diary.”
He Li Zhen is a bit alarmed: “Wan Kun, don’t stir up trouble!” She pushes him away. Wan Kun just takes a dep breath. He bends his body.
“…..” He Li Zhe looks at him. “What happened?”
Wan Kun frowns and he has cold sweat on his forehead. he turns his head and looks at her. He scolds: “D*mm*t, my back is not recovered yet! Do you want me to die!”
He Li Zhen just holds her bag and stands still, she feels guilty. She doesn’t mind Wan Kun’s impolite remark. She really doesn’t know that Wan Kun is still hurt as she feels that he looks fine. “………. I’m sorry.” She says with a low voice.
Wan Kun calms down and stands up straight again, he says to He Li Zhen. “We are just going to watch movie to get connected between teacher and student. What’s wrong with it.”
He Li Zhen is still worried about Wan Kun’s health and she is dragged by him to enter the large department store.
“Wait for me, I’ll buy tickets.” Wan Kun leaves He Li Zhen there. He Li Zhen calls his name twice, but he doesn’t respond. The time Wan Kun is back, he also holds a bucket of popcorn and puts it on the table.
“Wan Kun…..” He Li Zhen pushes the bucket of popcorn aside and says: “I feel that we need to talk.”
Wan Kun sits down on the stool, he couldn’t lean on his back. He looks at her and says lazily: “What do you want to talk about?”
He Li Zhen says: “For that day, I apologize to you. I shouldn’t take that hot water and splashed it to you.”
Wan Kun smiles and says: “It’s okay, if I’m a woman, I also would do the same thing.”
“…..” He Li Zhen says: “But you were the one that provoked me first and also for the diary.” He Li Zhen remembers about the torn paper. She continues: “I’m your teacher. I’ll not mind your mischievous prank or if you have any other plan. You need to control yourself. You are my student. A student should study well.”
Wan Kun lowers his head and his concentration seems to be focused on his pam. His hands are big. His hand is sweating and a bit pale.
“I’m talking to you, are you listening to my words?” He Li Zhen knocks on the table.
“I’m listening.” Wan Kun raises his head.
He Li Zhen stands up straight.
Wan Kun looks at her and smiles.
When He Li Zhen looks at his smile, she suddenly remembers what Shang Jie told her.
[That kid has wildness in him, you couldn’t control him.]
He Li Zhen gives up, she sits down in front of him and starts stuffing the popcorn to her mouth.
Wan Kun just buys the tickets without being picky, he just chooses the recent movie and it is a war movie.
He Li Zhen sits down on her seat inside the theater box. She is a bit unfocused, she just hears the noise of the gun being fire.
Wan Kun just sits down beside her, his eyes are fixed on the screen but he shows no expression. She doesn’t know whether he is watching the movie.
He Li Zhen just wonders when the movie will end, she just wants to leave quickly. She doesn’t notice that Wan Kun has turned his head and he is watching her expression.
The time she notices it, Wan Kun’s hand has captured and held her hand.
In the darkness, the sense of touch is getting more sensitive. He Li Zhen feels like she is being electrified. She shakes the hand quickly but Wan Kun’s strength is bigger than him. So she couldn’t shake his hand off. She is a bit worried, yet she doesn’t dare to make big noise inside the movie theater. She just says with a low voice: “Let me go!”
Wan Kun doesn’t let her hand go, he moves closer to her body. He also holds her head with her other hand. He Li Zhen is furious so she uses her leg to kick his knee.
Wan Kun is in pain for a while then the time he lets her go. He Li Zhen takes the opportunity to take her bag and runs out.
She doesn’t look back to see whether Wan Kun chases after him or not. She doesn’t take the elevator, and just takes the escalator down.
She goes toward the exit of the department store.
Her heart is beating so fast.
“He Lao Shi (teacher He).”
He Li Zhen’s hands are shaking, her bag almost falls down to the ground. She turns her head and looks that someone is coming out of the department store. It’s the English teacher, Li Chang Jia.
“Li Lao Shi (Teacher Li).” He Li Zhen takes her handbag again and greets Li Chang Jia.
“What a coincidence.” Li Chang Jia comes over and says: “You are also strolling around?”
“Em.” He Li Zhen nods: “You too?”
“I came over to buy clothes.” Li Chang Jia smiles and looks around: “You are alone?”
He Li Zhen pauses and says: “…. Right.” This time she notices Wan Kun, who is standing behind Li Chang Jia.”
Wan Kun is standing there with his two hands inside his pocket. He is watching them.
He Li Zhen says: “That’s right, I’m alone.”
“I’m also alone. It’s lunch time, do you want to have lunch together? Let me treat you, what do you think?”
He Li Zhen smiles and says: “You are too modest, let’s go.”
She walks side by side with Li Chang Jia. Li Chang Jia asks her: “What do you want to eat?”
“I’m okay with anything.”
Li Chang Jia walks and tells her about few good restaurants. He Li Zhen doesn’t say anything and just listens to him. After they walk quite far from the department store, He Li Zhen just regains herself.
At last Li Chang Jia chooses to have lunch at a Thai restaurant.
They both take their seats and chat.
He Li Zhen says: “Last time when I listened to your class, it created great impression for me.”
“Really?”
“Em, I just started to be a teacher officially on September.”
“Really? I think that you are quite composed. Your personality is really suitable for being a teacher. You have a charisma.”
What charisma does she have…. He Li Zhen thinks about Wan Kun and feels confused.
“You (Nin= formal way of talking) are joking.” He Li Zhen says.
“Don’t call me that way, I’m just twenty nine years old. We are in the same age. You could call me by my name.” Li Chang Jia says.
“Ah, okay.”
Li Chang Jia then frowns and coughs. He covers himself, He Li Zhen pours him a glass of water. “Li Lao Shi, are you okay?”
Li Chang Jia coughs till his face is red, he takes the glass from He Li Zhen and says: “I’m, I’m okay.” He drinks the water and says: “I’m sorry, I have an occupational disease.”
He Li Zhen blinks.
LI Chang Jia then smiles and says “Don’t be afraid. I have a bit of issue with my windpipe, then I always breath in the chalk dust, so it’s getting worse.”
He Li Zhen is worried: “Do you want to take any medicine?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Li Chang Jia shifts the topic of discussion and says: “He Lao Shi, what is your thought on your current position?”
He Li Zhen is startled: “Thought? What do you mean?”
“I will not hide it for you. But now I and several other teachers are preparing to hold tutorial classes. Maybe in these two months it would be opened. We have find the place, but we are lacking of teachers.” Li Chang Jia looks at He Li Zhen and says: “I don’t know whether you are interested to join us?”
“Tutorial class?”
“Right.” Li Chang Jia says: “Just think of it as part-time job.”
“But in our school, it seems that teachers couldn’t give any tutorial class outside the school…..”
“Huh.” Li Chang Jia laughs indifferently and says: “You might not know about this. But how could a teacher not give any remedial. At your school, there’s a mathematic teacher called Hu Fei right?”
“Ah, yes. He is the homeroom teacher fo grade 12.”
“He also joins us.”
He Li Zhen’s eyes turn big.
Li Chang Jia says: “Do you want to join us?”
“This…” He Li Zhen says; “This is too sudden, I need time to consider.”
“Of course.”
“Em, I’ll give you my answer soon.” He Li Zhen says. She also thanks Li Chang JIa: “But I’m thankful for your offer. But I’m a newbie, if I’m taking this job, I don’t know whether I could do well or not.”
“It’s okay.” Li Chang Jia seems to be confident about He Li Zhen. “I had looked at your way of teaching. Don’t worry, you could do it.”
After the lunch, He Li Zhen has a good impression for Li Chang Jia.
When she is back home, she considers seriously about Li Chang Jia’s advise.
Actually he is not wrong, giving a tutorial class outside will make teachers more money quickly. It’s normal. The school shouldn’t mind too much.
On Monday as expected, Wan Kun and Wu Yue Ming are skipping the class again. He Li Zhen hands over the checked test paper and reviews the paper.
How many days this time?
Four days or five days?
For the whole week, He Li Zhen doesn’t see Wan Kun. The time the diaries are collected again, she doesn’t find Wan Kun’s diary.
He Li Zhen thinks that everything will return to normal.
Till one night, He Li Zhen is stopped by Wu Yue Ming.
Of course, this time He Li Zhen has drawn a lesson from what happened last time.
“What is it?” He Li Zhen asks.
“Lao Shi…” Wu Yue Ming sounds a bit hesitant. He Li Zhen narrows her eyes and says: “Is it Wan Kun again?”
Wu Yue Ming lifts up his head; “You know about it?”
“What do I know?”
Wu Yue Ming pursues his lips and says: “Lao Shi, could I borrow you a little bit of money?”
He Li Zhen thinks that she hears it wrongly.
“Could you repeat one more time?”
Wu Yue Ming says: “Could I borrow a little bit of money?”
He Li Zhen: “Why do you want to borrow money from me?”
Wu Yue Ming says nothing.
“Why are you responding? What do you want to do with that money?” He Li Zhen says: “Do you guys get into trouble?”
Wu Yue Ming frowns and says: “Not me.”
It’s a silence for a while.
“What happened to Wan Kun?”
Wu Yue Ming says: “Could you borrow me a little bit of money, I’ll return to you quickly.”
He Li Zhen: “Are you confused? I’m asking you, what happened to Wan Kun? Why do you guys want to borrow money?”
Wu Yue Ming takes few steps back and just says “Forget it.” Then he just turns his body to leave. He Li Zhen doesn’t know what is on her thought, she just comes forward and holds his arm.
“Tell me clearly!” He Li Zhen is angry. “If not, let’s go to the office room and talk to Hu Lao Shi.”
“It’s okay.”
“Wu Yue Ming!”
He LI Zhen is a teacher but he never hears her raise her voice. That time Wu Yue Ming jut stands there and doesn’t run again.
“You and Wan Kun have been skipping classes for days, what are you guys doing?”
“I’m working.”
“What about Wan Kun? Is he working too?” He Li Zhen thinks about the nightclub Xiu Ji.
“No, he is going home.”
“Going home?” He Li Zhen is startled.
“Em.”
“Then why should you want to borrow money from me?” He Li Zhen says: “Why does Wan Kun need money?”
“Ahyo, don’t ask me again.” Wu Yue Ming is impatient, “Tell me if you want to lend me or not. If not, just go away.”
He Li Zhen says nothing else, she just holds Wu Yue Ming and drags him toward the office.
Wu Yue Ming knows what she plans to do. Wu Yue Ming cannot bear it anymore and roars: “—— His family needs it!”
He Li Zhen turns her head: “His family?”
Wu Yue Ming looks around and notices there are people around. He says: “Come here and talk.”
He Li Zhen follows him.
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