For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 70

An unintended draft of wind, yet it triggered a flash flood

After entering March, with the continuous watering of spring rains, all things truly bid farewell to the desolation of winter and welcome the vibrant vitality of various colors. Xiao Wanqing’s work seemed to return to its normal track, as if the gentle breeze had swept away the previous brief restlessness. The life of leaving early and returning late, along with overtime after meals, finally gradually exited Xiao Wanqing and Lin Xian’s life.

Lin Xian naturally felt delighted. After noticing that Xiao Wanqing had started to slow down during dinner and gradually resumed the habit of watching TV with her afterwards, she cautiously and timely proposed the request to share the study room with her. This time, Xiao Wanqing readily nodded and agreed without much hesitation.

Lin Xian was so happy that she almost wanted to jump and run a few laps.

Unfortunately, as Xiao Wanqing slowed down the pace of life and had time to spend with Lin Xian, she, on the other hand, became busy after a few days.

Learning to drive and taking on a part-time job were not impulsive decisions for Lin Xian, so immediately after the Lantern Festival, she added them to her schedule.

Regarding the part-time job, she wanted to save up some pocket money, so naturally she didn’t tell Zhou Qin about it. And because she wanted to surprise Xiao Wanqing later, she decided to keep it a temporary secret from her as well.

As for learning to drive, she needed to seek the generous support of her mother, so she obediently called Zhou Qin to discuss it.

Zhou Qin considered that Lin Xian would eventually need to obtain a driver’s license. It might be troublesome to wait until later when she goes abroad or becomes busy with work. Therefore, she expressed her support without hesitation.

She gave Lin Xian some advice, suggesting that she consider enrolling in a driving school near the university. Firstly, it would be convenient to utilize the spare time between her classes. Secondly, at a driving school near the university, most of the students are also learners, so the interpersonal relationships at the driving school would naturally be simpler.

If she went to an external driving school, she worried that Lin Xian might not be able to handle some of the unspoken rules in society. Deep down, she still carried some intellectual pride and temporarily didn’t want to encourage Lin Xian to experience the dark side of society. She didn’t want her to learn right away how to give cigarettes and red envelopes to instructors or treat them to meals.

Lin Xian considered it for a moment and thought that it would be better to enroll in a driving school near the university. Her thoughts differed from Zhou Qin’s. She thought that if she wanted to take on a part-time job, it would be safer to have an excuse to go out for driving lessons on weekends if she kept it a temporary secret from Aunt Xiao.

So, in the end, she enrolled in a driving school not far from the university, with the practice ground just a five-minute walk away.

Before the holiday, Lin Xian mentioned her desire to take on a part-time job to Shi Man. Surprisingly, Shi Man took it to heart. Taking advantage of the weekend, she and Xia Zhijin efficiently compiled a list of job options for Lin Xian and handed it to her during their break on Monday.

The list was meticulously put together by Xia Zhijin, perfectly embodying her usual rigorous style of work. It ranked the jobs from high to low recommendation based on her personal considerations and ratings. Topping the list was a tutoring job for middle school math and English, which Xia Zhijin highly recommended. The pay was 50 yuan per hour, twice a week, for two hours each session. The location was in a completely different direction from Xiao Wanqing’s house.

When handing the list to Lin Xian, Shi Man relayed a message from Xia Zhijin, saying, “Zhijin says she highly recommends the first job because it takes up less time and won’t be too tiring. Plus, the work environment is relatively simple—it’s right downstairs from where she tutors, and she’s met the employer, who seems quite friendly.” Shi Man paused for a moment and continued tactfully, “Zhijin says that tutoring jobs can sometimes be… troublesome if you encounter difficult people.” Although the probability was low, Xia Zhijin had indeed come across some parents who were handsy and inappropriate. Shi Man knew about Xia Zhijin’s concerns for Lin Xian but didn’t want to be too direct and scare her.

“If you happen to be working downstairs from her part-time job, she can adjust her schedule to be in sync with yours. She can give you a ride on the way, and she can wait for you to finish in the evening and go back together. That way, it’s safer.”

In reality, Lin Xian had never truly entered society or experienced the outside world. She hadn’t made any preparations for this first part-time job. The thought made her a little nervous. When she heard Xia Zhijin’s considerate suggestions, she was immediately touched and insisted on treating Xia Zhijin to lunch.

Shi Man rolled her eyes, raised her eyebrows, and mercilessly refused, “No, don’t disturb our alone time.” She grumbled, “If I didn’t know you weren’t interested in Zhijin, I wouldn’t feel at ease with you spending so much time together.” She joked, “Speaking of which, Zhijin seems especially concerned about you. Hmm, should I be more concerned about you, Lin Xiaoxian, as a potential rival?”

Lin Xian burst into laughter and teasingly replied, “Manman, you’re really the queen of jealousy.”

She quickly turned the tables and retorted, “Sister Zhijin isn’t concerned about me, she’s concerned about you, because I’m your friend. She loves the whole package, so she’s so eager to help me.” She chuckled and mockingly said, “Why is your emotional intelligence so low? You can’t even understand this.”

Shi Man, despite being teased by Lin Xian, wasn’t the least bit angry. Instead, she felt a hint of sweetness in her heart. With a light laugh, she playfully mocked Lin Xian, saying, “Yes, yes, you know so much, you have such high emotional intelligence, the theoretical giant.” Her words carried a profound meaning, clearly mocking Lin Xian’s actions as being inadequate.

What Shi Man didn’t know was that recently, Lin Xian was quite satisfied with her own and Xiao Wanqing’s state of affairs.

She wondered if Aunt Xiao was trying to make up for the coldness and neglect she had shown Lin Xian before. Lately, Aunt Xiao had been incredibly kind and gentle towards her, almost like she would do anything for her. Just the day before, when Lin Xian jokingly asked for a bedtime story, Aunt Xiao actually sat by her bedside, patting her blanket, and told her a fairy tale in a gentle voice, just like she was coaxing a child. It made Lin Xian feel both sweet and shy, and she excitedly stayed awake until the late hours of the night.

Therefore, when Lin Xian heard the mockery, she didn’t take it seriously. Instead, she raised her eyebrows in a mysterious manner and smiled without saying a word.

After considering it for an evening, Lin Xian thought it over and decided to follow Xia Zhijin’s recommendation and choose the tutoring job at that household. However, she made it clear that Xia Zhijin didn’t need to pick her up or drop her off. If it was convenient for Xia Zhijin, they could go together when she went there, and on the way back, Xia Zhijin could drop her off at the school gate. Lin Xian planned to take a small electric scooter back home by herself, so she didn’t want to trouble Xia Zhijin by taking a detour to drop her off.

Seeing that she couldn’t persuade Lin Xian, Xia Zhijin didn’t insist and went along with her wishes.

And so, Lin Xian started her tutoring life every Wednesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 in the evening. Combined with her existing student council and debate team department meetings on Monday and Tuesday evenings, Lin Xian only had Friday and the weekends left to spend time with Xiao Wanqing.

To explain the sudden addition of two days where she needed to stay late at school, Lin Xian told Xiao Wanqing that she had chosen an elective course for the next semester. Xiao Wanqing didn’t think much of it and readily believed Lin Xian’s explanation. She even said that if Lin Xian wanted to come back for dinner, she could drive her to class afterward. Lin Xian, with a heavy heart, tearfully declined.

She didn’t notice the fleeting disappointment in Xiao Wanqing’s eyes when she was rejected.

In truth, Lin Xian was reluctant to give up these rare evening moments she had regained. However, thinking about Xiao Wanqing’s upcoming birthday and her desire to become a capable adult who could earn her own money, she ultimately chose to bow down to financial constraints, gritting her teeth and sacrificing her time.

She comforted herself, thinking that she could try to come back as early as possible. If Aunt Xiao was still awake when she returned, she could still spend some more time with her.

She needed to grow up faster, to the point where Aunt Xiao could treat her as an equal.

Under the pretense of taking the driving license exam, Lin Xian requested a leave from her counselor, but surprisingly, the counselor didn’t approve it. As a result, on a Thursday morning two weeks later, Lin Xian skipped class for the first time in her life and went to the exam center to take the written test.

Before the exam, Lin Xian felt a bit confused about various traffic signs while practicing questions, and coupled with the fact that she was skipping class, she was extremely nervous and anxious. Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but worry and feel sorry for her, trying to help her remember while soothing and encouraging her in a gentle voice.

Fortunately, once she entered the exam room, everything went smoothly, and in the end, she handed in a perfect answer sheet.

As soon as she walked out of the exam room, she couldn’t help but feel delighted and immediately retrieved her stored backpack, took out her phone, and sent a message to Xiao Wanqing with joy: “Aunt Xiao! I finished the exam! I got 100 points!”

At that moment, Xiao Wanqing had just closed a document and was staring blankly at the time displayed in the bottom right corner of her computer screen, wondering how Lin Xian’s exam went. As if they were telepathic, her thoughts had just flashed through her mind when her phone, sitting on her desk, vibrated. It was the message from Lin Xian, announcing her success. Along with the message, the image of Lin Xian’s bright face appeared in her mind.

Upon seeing the content of the message, Xiao Wanqing’s slightly furrowed eyebrows immediately relaxed.

A captivating smile bloomed on her lips, and in her heart, she gently responded to Lin Xian, her fingertips moving in sync with the soft, silent words in her mind: “Xianxian, you’re amazing! Auntie always believed that you would be fine. Have you had a meal after the exam? Are you preparing to go back to school now?”

Lin Xian quickly replied to her, saying, “I’m getting ready to go back to school for lunch. It’s a pity I can’t hug you, Aunt Xiao. I really want to spin around with Aunt Xiao happily right now. Do I have to wait until tonight to hug you?”

Xiao Wanqing looked at the message and chuckled, dumbfounded. What a strange way to express happiness! She was her elder, after all! Just a hug would be enough, but spinning around? Yet, there was a tender warmth in her eyes, as if it was about to overflow.

She imagined Lin Xian saying those words with a cute tone and an adorable expression. She couldn’t help but imagine the sight of Lin Xian genuinely hugging her and spinning around in joy. Her heart couldn’t help but soften and ache.

Just the imagination alone was so touching, yet so tormenting.

She suppressed the sourness in her heart and earnestly contemplated how to politely reject and dispel the thoughts conveyed in Lin Xian’s previous message. But before she could respond, another message from Lin Xian came in. This time, it was a brief few words: “The bus is here. I won’t reply to you for now.”

Lin Xian completely ignored what she had said in her previous message.

Xiao Wanqing’s hand froze in motion, and the next second, her eyes slowly dimmed. She stared blankly as the screen darkened a bit. After a while, it turned completely dark.

An unintended draft of wind, yet it triggered a flash flood.

Xiao Wanqing lightly bit her lower lip, and on her delicate face, her smile gradually turned bitter. She scolded herself in her heart, realizing that it was just a casual joke from a girl, yet why did she take it so seriously?

It was a pity that she had reached her middle age before experiencing this for the first time.

So, this is what unrequited love feels like. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, easily becoming overly sentimental, leading to feelings of embarrassment and bitterness, like a solo performance.

She rubbed her temple and took a deep breath, adjusting her emotions. She unlocked her phone and replied to Lin Xian in her usual gentle manner, “Okay, be careful on the way, stay safe, and remember to eat.”

But as she stared at the screen that remained unresponsive for a long time, her mood inexplicably became downcast.

During the lunch break, Xiao Wanqing declined her colleagues’ invitation to have a meal together due to a loss of appetite. She sulked in her office, continuing her work.

Suddenly, the office door was knocked.

“Hello, your takeout is here,” a slightly nasal young female voice sounded from outside the door.

Xiao Wanqing raised her head from the documents, momentarily stunned. Which colleague or assistant was it? Did they order takeout for her since she didn’t go out to eat?

She stood up with a look of confusion, walked to the door, and furrowed her brows as she opened it.

The next second, her entire body froze, and her picturesque features involuntarily blossomed into a radiant smile. In her eyes, there was sheer surprise and joy.

Outside the door, there was no delivery girl with takeout. Instead, there was a youthfully beautiful smiling face.

Lin Xian, carrying a backpack and holding a bag of hot food in one hand, looked at the gentle and beautiful woman inside the door with a curved smile in her eyes.

Xiao Wanqing was taken aback by the unexpected surprise, and she was a bit dazed. She instinctively curved her lips and tenderly asked, her voice trembling, “Xianxian, how did you get here?”

The girl stared at her without blinking, gently pushing the door open with her free hand, calmly stepping into Xiao Wanqing’s office, and then closing the door behind her.

She tilted her head, gazing softly at Xiao Wanqing with her watery eyes, revealing a cute set of teeth. Slowly, she leaned closer to Xiao Wanqing, and in Xiao Wanqing’s state of confusion, she extended her slender yet strong arm and tightly wrapped it around Xiao Wanqing’s slender waist, pressing against her ear, and answered her matter-of-factly.

“I’m here to spin around with my Aunt Xiao.”

The author has something to say:

Aunt Xiao: Her legs go weak every day (despair).