Who exactly is she coming for?
Qiu Baiyu sits in the position of a first-grade child’s seat, listening to two children talk.
The little girl in front with a bow hair clip is Qiao Mingxue.
Jiang Zimin tells Qiao Mingxue that she has a very amazing aunt—that’s her.
In Jiang Zimin’s description, the sky is held up by her, like Pangu.1
If there were no homework and they could chat, the Earth would be kneaded round by her, Qiu Baiyu.
After listening, Qiu Baiyu’s expression is very calm, even accepting Jiang Zimin’s praise very frankly.
Children boast about how amazing the adults at home are; normal.
Besides, it was said by her that if the sky falls, she will hold it up, so isn’t the sky held up by her?
Children’s way of understanding is just more imaginative.
Most importantly, they chatted very happily.
Establishing friendship’s first step: have common topics.
They have already achieved it.
Qiu Baiyu turns her head and looks towards Qiao Mingxue.
The child grows very fair, with a chubby face, proper features, bright eyes, and looks both pretty and blessed.
“Then do you want to wait here for your parents until when?”
Qiao Mingxue shakes her head: “Don’t know, maybe need more time.”
Qiu Baiyu asks again: “Is your home far from school?”
Qiao Mingxue says: “Need to drive.”
This is her parents’ way of explaining the distance.
Qiu Baiyu looks at Jiang Zimin, then looks towards Qiao Mingxue, and asks: “Are there people at your home?”
“Yes, my grandma is at home.”
“Grandma cannot come to pick you up?”
“My grandma cannot drive.”
“No problem,” Qiu Baiyu suddenly says, “Auntie can drive.”
Qiao Mingxue blinks.
Jiang Zimin also follows with a blink.
Two little faces are full of confusion.
“If you don’t mind letting me take you back, then your parents won’t have to rush over, and your teacher can leave work earlier.”
Qiu Baiyu looks into her eyes, her tone very gentle.
“This is as thanks for you previously protecting our Xiaomin.”
Jiang Zimin’s eyes slightly brighten.
Qiao Mingxue and her mother connected by phone, then Qiu Baiyu spoke to the parent on the other side.
Qiao Mingxue’s mother, while watching the phone, was very grateful to Qiu Baiyu: “Thank you, Zimin’s mother, it’s really a trouble for you!”
Qiu Baiyu expressed that it was no trouble, and after greeting the class teacher, she took the two children and left.
Out of the school gate, Jiang Zimin very generously said: “I’ll treat you to a starch sausage!”
Qiu Baiyu did not refuse but first looked at Qiao Mingxue: “Can you eat it? Do your parents mind?”
Qiao Mingxue shook her head: “They don’t mind, as long as I don’t eat it every day, it’s fine.”
She pointed to the grilled sausage stall that Qiu Baiyu and Jiang Zimin often visited: “Moreover, my parents themselves also eat from their stall.”
Qiu Baiyu raised her eyebrows.
Starch sausage indeed is irresistible for all age groups.
“Then you also eat one, to fill your stomach a bit.”
Qiao Mingxue nodded once, said thank you, and remembered it was Jiang Zimin who offered to treat, so she said to Jiang Zimin: “Next time I’ll treat you.”
There is a next time.
Very fair.
Jiang Zimin smiled, eyes bending: “Okay.”
In the car’s back seat, the two little friends each held a starch sausage filled with sauce, with faces full of smiles, talking about things happening at school.
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Mainly, Jiang Zimin was telling Qiao Mingxue about things during her absence.
She may not necessarily participate, but she always pays attention to classmates in the class, so she can tell Qiao Mingxue every interesting thing she sees.
Qiao Mingxue listens and then follows with laughter.
Her personality is good, allowing her to talk with everyone and get along well.
At this moment, she is like a comedy sidekick, catching every topic from Jiang Zimin. Back and forth, the atmosphere is very harmonious.
Very soon, Qiao Mingxue’s neighborhood was reached.
To prevent any accidents from happening to the child on the way, Qiu Baiyu specially got out of the car to escort her to the doorstep.
“Really, thank you so much.”
Grandma Qiao, holding Qiao Mingxue’s hand, had an expression that was very kind.
“You are too polite,” Qiu Baiyu said, “We also need to thank your Mingxue for often helping my child at school.”
“Okay, since she is safely brought home, we should leave now.”
“Stay for a drink of water?”
“No need, it’s fine, we’re leaving. Goodbye.”
“Okay, okay, then be careful on the way.”
“Okay.”
Qiu Baiyu, holding Jiang Zimin’s hand, turns and leaves.
Jiang Zimin waves her hand towards Qiao Mingxue: “See you tomorrow~”
Qiao Mingxue also smiles and waves her hand towards her: “See you tomorrow!”
Once the figures of the two disappear in the elevator, only then does Qiao Mingxue’s grandma close the door and pat Qiao Mingxue’s head: “Our Xiaoxue helps other classmates at school, our Xiaoxue is really something!”
Saying this, she gives her a thumbs up, her expression gratified and proud.
Qiao Mingxue happily also gives a thumbs up: “Grandma is also something!”
After exiting the elevator, Jiang Zimin, holding Qiu Baiyu’s hand, skips along the way, visibly happy.
Qiu Baiyu sees a blackening progress bar suddenly appear above her head, the progress bar showing another 1% rollback, now only 7% left.
Qiu Baiyu retracts her gaze and looks forward again, the corners of her lips slightly raised.
It looks like her little friend has successfully made a friend.
“Really good.”
She suddenly let out such a sigh.
Very peaceful, very gratified, yet seemingly faintly tinged with a bit of sadness.
She also missed her friends.
But they are in another world, a world already unreachable.
After coming here, she doesn’t miss her father or mother, only occasionally thinking of her deceased grandmother and best friends.
They were once her pillars, supporting her through stretches of dark or bright days.
But the dead cannot come back to life, and she has no way to tell them not to worry, that she is doing okay in another world now…
Unexpectedly, Jiang Zimin detected the subtle melancholy in her words.
“Auntie, are you not happy?” She stopped skipping and instead looked at her with concern.
Qiu Baiyu looked at her once and honestly said, “Auntie just misses her own friends.”
Jiang Zimin said, “Then why not invite them out to meet?”
Qiu Baiyu faintly smiled and shook her head: “Can’t meet anymore.”
With those simple words, Jiang Zimin seemed to understand something.
She thought of death.
She already has a concept of “life and death,” which symbolizes separation.
She also can’t see her mother, can never see her, so what Auntie means by “can’t meet” might be this…
“Auntie, don’t be sad,” she clumsily comforted, “you still have me, and we can also go make new friends…”
As she spoke, suddenly an image of a person flashed in her mind, and her eyes instantly lit up. She expectantly asked, “Auntie, do you like Auntie Wanyue?”
Qiu Baiyu was stunned for a moment: “…?”
She suddenly felt puzzled: “Why suddenly mention her?”
Jiang Zimin said, “Just thought of her!”
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Besides Qiu Baiyu, only Yi Wanyue is close to her.
They are both her aunties and should be about the same age, right? Then can’t they be friends?
“Do you like Auntie Wanyue?”
She repeated this question.
Qiu Baiyu was confused: “Is whether I like her very important?”
Jiang Zimin said coquettishly, “Very important, Auntie. Tell me, quickly answer my question.”
Qiu Baiyu then seriously thought for a moment.
Yi Wanyue, this person, currently seems indeed very good.
Good temper, gentle personality, respects others, makes it hard for people to find fault.
Especially her sentence, “Maintaining a marriage without feelings, isn’t it a very tiring thing?” It simply gave her a fresh perspective.
The heroine having such awareness is truly surprising.
“She is really nice, indeed very likable,” Qiu Baiyu said.
“Then go try,” Jiang Zimin suddenly said.
“?”
“Gather your courage, take the initiative, the opportunity is in your own hands!”
Such familiar dialogue.
Qiu Baiyu said, “Isn’t this what I told you yesterday?”
She taught her to boldly make friends, and now it’s turned back on her?
Truly learning and applying in real life.
Jiang Zimin smiled cheerfully, “Auntie, you go try. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, trying is always better than not trying!”
“Anyway, I am always your friend!”
Qiu Baiyu gently blinked her eyes, and after a moment, raised her hand and patted Jiang Zimin’s head: “Clever little one.”
Unfortunately, even if she wants to, Yi Wanyue might not necessarily want to.
Making friends also depends on whether the other person is willing.
Slender ten fingers freely traversed between black and white piano keys, the melodious tune echoing in the ears, finally gently falling between the ten fingers, as a piece ended.
Yi Wanyue finished practicing the piano, raised her arms to stretch her body, then picked up her phone.
She replied to unread messages, and while browsing her friend list, she inexplicably remembered that she had added Jiang Zimin’s contact information.
After Jiang Zimin added her, she would occasionally send her good morning and good night messages and would also ask her how to choose piano textbooks.
The child is very studious, very motivated, and she also gave relevant suggestions.
She was very pleased that Jiang Zimin was interested in the piano, but in fact, these were not what she most wanted to discuss.
She wanted to talk with her about Qiu Baiyu.
To be precise, she wanted to ask some questions about Qiu Baiyu.
The conversation interrupted last time at the Jiang household, the questions she didn’t have the chance to ask, she hadn’t found the opportunity to ask again since.
How exactly did Qiu Baiyu change from having only Jiang Shen in her eyes to the current appearance of completely not caring about Jiang Shen?
Is it from struggling out of the whirlpool of love?
But why does she see taking care of Jiang Shen’s child as a duty, and even says they can’t divorce?
Too strange…
Yi Wanyue looked at Jiang Zimin’s contact information, lowered her gaze, and remained silent, as if trying to see Qiu Baiyu through her.
Qiu Baiyu, a very mysterious person.
Everything she shows is completely different from what she heard from others.
The main thing is, she is also very interesting.
She likes interesting people, but unfortunately, they are not even friends.
Yi Wanyue pulled back her thoughts, put down the phone.
In the end, she still didn’t ask anything.
These questions are not suitable to ask a child, and it’s a bit strange, as if everything she does is directed at Qiu Baiyu, even teaching Jiang Zimin piano is not sincere.
So, better to forget it, and wait for an opportunity in the future to personally ask Miss Qiu herself.
Understanding a person from others’ words is not as good as seeing and hearing for oneself.
Just as the phone was put down, the notification sound immediately followed.
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Yi Wanyue picked it up and glanced at it.
It was a message from Jiang Shen:
[Do you have time to have a meal together this week?]
Yi Wanyue looked at this sentence, and only after a long time did she slowly reply: [What do you mean?]
Is it a private invitation, or does it mean something else?
But she clearly told him “not suitable”—a married man and a single woman, not suitable.
But saw Jiang Shen send a sentence: [It’s to thank you for teaching Xiaomin piano.]
Yi Wanyue raised an eyebrow, fingers landing on the screen.
[Xiaomin will also be present?]
[Of course.]
[Then if Xiaomin is present, shouldn’t Miss Qiu also be present?]
Jiang Shen looked at this sentence, silently not speaking.
Before he could say anything, Yi Wanyue sent another sentence:
[If Miss Qiu isn’t there, I won’t go.]
Through the screen, it seemed you could see the harmless smile on her face.
Jiang Shen: “…”
Who exactly is she coming for?
Footnotes
- Pangu: A primordial being and creation figure in Chinese mythology and Taoism. According to the legend, Pangu separated heaven and earth, and his body later became geographic features such as mountains and roaring water.
