STT – Chapter 43

There are many things you do not know.

After the car entered Linzhou, Jiang Huaixi suddenly spoke to Jiang Wang, “Jiang Wang, when we get home, could you please accompany Zizheng back home to pack some things to take to Ji’an?”

Before Jiang Wang could answer, Mother Jiang exclaimed in surprise, “Huaixi, why so urgent?”

Lu Zizheng, worried, couldn’t help but say, “Huaixi, are we leaving soon? Shouldn’t we rest at home for a few days before going?” She was concerned that such a long journey would be too much for Jiang Huaixi, whose body had not yet fully recovered.

Jiang Huaixi, however, raised her eyebrows and teasingly said, “Do you want to be lazy and take care of me for a few less days? Zizheng, that’s not good, you know.”

Lu Zizheng wasn’t in the mood to joke and gloomily responded, “You know, it’s not like that. Won’t it be too exhausting?”

Jiang Huaixi looked at Lu Zizheng’s worried expression, gently smiled, and softly asked, “Didn’t you say you would take good care of me? Will you let me get tired?”

Lu Zizheng was slightly stunned and firmly said, “I certainly won’t…”

Jiang Huaixi raised her eyebrows and calmly said, “Then that’s settled.”

Mother Jiang looked at Jiang Huaixi, who was fully intent on Lu Zizheng, through the rearview mirror, feeling irritated and thinking she really didn’t care about herself! She lowered her voice and decided to have a good talk with Jiang Huaixi, “Huaixi…”

But she had only said three words before Jiang Huaixi interrupted her, calmly saying, “Mom, I’ve already decided, don’t worry, I’m fine…”

Mother Jiang was choked, with a rush of air blocking from her throat to her heart, feeling extremely stifled. She was so patient and gently guided with Lu Zizheng, but with herself, it was so simple and crude?!

She also had a temper! So for the rest of the way, Mother Jiang decided to remain silent, but clearly, she felt Jiang Huaixi did not notice. She fussed with Jiang Huaixi alone for a while, but as they neared the Jiang family home, she couldn’t help but worry about what to bring for Huaixi. She wondered if the people over in Ji’an had tidied up the house well and if everything was prepared, sigh…

When they arrived at the Jiang house, Grandma Jiang had already received the message and was waiting at the door. As soon as she saw the car, she called people out to help with the luggage in the trunk. Only Jiang Huaixi and Mother Jiang got out of the car. Before Jiang Huaixi closed the car door, she slightly bent down, her fine bangs slightly covering her dark, beautiful eyes, but not the gentle look in them. She said, “Zizheng, I’ll wait for you here…”

Lu Zizheng’s heart trembled slightly at the words, and for the first time since Mother Lu’s accident, she showed a faint, fleeting smile. She responded softly but seriously, “Okay.”

Only then did Jiang Huaixi lower her eyes, ease her brows, and close the car door contentedly.

Jiang Wang, whose lips were hidden under a mask, also revealed a slight curve, her expression somewhat envious, yet also comforting, as she started the car and slowly drove towards Lu Zizheng’s home.

Upon reaching Lu Zizheng’s home, as they walked out of the elevator, Lu Zizheng and Jiang Wang walked one after the other in the hallway. Passing the corner, Jiang Wang finally removed the mask that had been covering her face and threw it into the trash bin. She suddenly spoke to Lu Zizheng, “Miss Lu, there’s something I don’t know whether to say or not.”

Lu Zizheng placed the key into the keyhole, turned her head, slightly softened her expression, and replied, “Doctor Jiang, no need to be so formal. Just call me Zizheng. There’s nothing that can’t be said, please go ahead.”

Jiang Wang pondered briefly and then said lightly, “Zizheng, in one’s lifetime, to have someone treat you wholeheartedly and gently is a fortune many seek but cannot find. If possible, please cherish it. I have known Huaixi for many years and know she can be awkward, but please have faith, no matter what, her love for you is genuine.”

Lu Zizheng opened the door, turned back to seriously look at Jiang Wang, and for a moment, she suddenly felt the coldness in the girl’s expression and the warmth in her eyes looked particularly familiar. A shadow flashed in her mind, but as she tried to recall, she couldn’t capture that figure. Lu Zizheng lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat dim. She stepped aside to invite Jiang Wang in, and dully replied to Jiang Wang, “If possible, I will definitely cherish it well, but maybe, there is no such ‘if’…”

Jiang Wang was stunned and fell silent. She wasn’t someone who was good at speaking or meddling with others’ affairs. Saying these words was already against her nature. Perhaps because she saw Xu Baihan in the morning and truly wanted to let go of Xu Baihan in her heart, she suddenly became particularly emotional, eagerly hoping to see Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng, who love each other, achieve happiness.

Love is a conditional statement. The condition p is mutual love, and the condition q is having courage. Neither can be missing. Only when both are satisfied can love be proven true. She and Xu Baihan, in the statement of love, did not satisfy a single condition, so it was destined to fail. But Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng are only a little bit short, a bit of courage, and they can prove love. She doesn’t know if she’s afraid they will have regrets or if she’s afraid she will regret such rare, genuine love.

Jiang Wang accompanied Lu Zizheng in the room to pack. She watched Lu Zizheng pull a small suitcase, simply pack some clothes from the wardrobe, and then go to the bedside to take down the family photo of Father Lu, Mother Lu, and herself. After looking at it affectionately for a long time, she carefully placed it into the suitcase. Next, Lu Zizheng opened the bottom drawer and took out a lock of hair tied with a red string and a watch with a thick strap.

Lu Zizheng placed the hair deep in the suitcase and then squatted on the spot, staring blankly at the watch for a long time. Finally, she opened the clasp and slowly put it back on her wrist. The thick strap gradually covered the rough, ugly scar on her wrist…

Jiang Wang keenly noticed that at the bottom of the drawer was a colorful hand-drawn map, the paper somewhat old, seeming to be from years ago.

Jiang Wang hesitated repeatedly but decided to meddle once more. She walked behind Lu Zizheng, looked down at the map in the drawer, and faintly asked, “The map at the bottom, it was Huaixi who gave it to you, right?”

Lu Zizheng was a bit surprised and turned to glance at Jiang Wang, then gently pulled out the map, stood up, and carefully spread it flat on the bed. Looking at the densely marked shops and annotations, she smiled warmly, “Yes, how did Doctor Jiang know?”

Jiang Wang sighed and said with a bitter smile, “Because I also contributed a bit to this map.”

Lu Zizheng, somewhat astonished, said, “This was a birthday gift Huaixi gave me in my third year. She said she accidentally remembered it was my birthday that day, and coincidentally, we needed to meet. She felt that not giving me a gift would make her seem particularly rude and lacking in grace. Before leaving, she found and saw this hand-drawn map of recommended eateries around the school given by seniors during the first-year orientation, and thought it suited a foodie like me, so she brought it to me. So, Doctor Jiang, were you from our school too?”

Jiang Wang, amused, said, “I was from the Medical University. Do you really believe whatever Huaixi says?”

Lu Zizheng froze slightly, feeling speechless under Jiang Wang’s questioning, and looked at Jiang Wang with some grievance and confusion, biting her lip.

Jiang Wang looked at the map, her gaze distant: “The map in the freshman guide couldn’t be this detailed and comprehensive. This map was specially prepared by Huaixi for you as a birthday gift for a month.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Zizheng widened her eyes in extreme surprise. At that time, when Jiang Huaixi handed her the map, her expression was so casual: “Here, just take this map as a placeholder. Think about what you want, and tell me, I’ll make it up to you in a few days.”

At that time, she was obviously annoyed by Jiang Huaixi’s arrogant attitude. Giving a gift shows sincerity, yet it seemed like she was begging for a gift from her. She naturally responded with a bit of anger: “No need for trouble, I’ll just take the map.”

Jiang Wang said: “The week before your birthday, Jiang Huaixi had a high fever from gastroenteritis and was on an IV drip for three days, do you know why?”

Lu Zizheng squatted down, gently reaching out to touch the map, and shook her head blankly.

Jiang Wang’s voice carried a long, distant reminiscence: “Because in order to draw this food recommendation map, Huaixi spent a month going to the surrounding restaurants to taste dishes every day after class, trying all the restaurants’ food around. She didn’t trust others to be careful enough, afraid that others wouldn’t understand your taste, so she personally tried the dishes and then annotated each restaurant and dish according to your taste. In the end, she ate something unclean somewhere and got gastroenteritis. When I went to give her the IV drip, I only saw her with a small table on the bed, a needle in her left hand, and her right hand hurriedly coloring the map. I couldn’t stand it, but couldn’t argue with her, so I had to take a pen and help her color it.”

Tears instantly overflowed from Lu Zizheng’s eyes, sliding down her cheeks: “I didn’t know, I’m sorry, I didn’t know anything…”

“At that time, I asked Jiang Huaixi why she wanted to draw such a map. When she answered me, it was the first time I saw such a gentle look in her eyes. She said, Zizheng’s mouth has been spoiled by Auntie, not used to the school cafeteria’s food, and often eats things she doesn’t like at outside restaurants, always stops eating after a few bites. This way, her stomach will be starved eventually. Give her a map, see if it can make her gain some weight.”

Jiang Wang sighed with some lamentation: “Every year before your birthday, Huaixi always racks her brains hoping to give you a special gift, to let you know that in this world, there is someone who is truly grateful and joyful for your birth, for your existence. Zizheng, what are you still afraid to doubt? If this doesn’t count as love, then I truly feel sad for Huaixi.”

Lu Zizheng gently held the watch on her wrist, gazing at the map spread out. The gentle image of Jiang Huaixi, who had just lowered her brows and said to her, “Zizheng, I am here waiting for you,” appeared in her mind, and a light called hope slowly blossomed in her shimmering eyes…

When Lu Zizheng followed Jiang Wang to the Jiang family again, there was already a full group of people standing at the Jiang family’s gate. Jiang Huaixi stood at the very front, tall and slender, with her black hair gently fluttering in the wind, her gaze directly fixed on Lu Zizheng.

Lu Zizheng got out of the car, walking step by step with determination towards Jiang Huaixi, finally standing in front of her, with a slight smile: “Huaixi, I’ve kept you waiting, I’m here…”

Jiang Huaixi slightly relaxed her brows, a faint gentle smile appeared at the corner of her lips, gentle as the breeze brushing past Lu Zizheng’s face, lifting her long hair, little by little, brushing over Lu Zizheng’s scarred heart, gently, peacefully, soothing her sense of pain.

Jiang Wang said, Zizheng, there are many things you do not know.

So, Huaixi, you understand me so well. Now, let me make the effort to know you, understand you, okay?

LP: Re-translated on September 03, 2024