The Silent World And Him - Chapter 22

The day before the May Day holiday, Pu Chen began planning how to spend this holiday. Her aunt was overseas and couldn’t come back, and her father’s auto repair shop never had a day off. She would be bored staying home alone.

“What do you and Peng Jingyang, the academic overachiever, do during the holidays?” she asked Qin Yu tentatively, wanting to know if she could still see him during this holiday.

After Qin Yu finished reading the text she edited, he said, “I’m going back to Beijing.”

“Oh,” Pu Chen felt a subtle, inexpressible sense of loss in her heart.

Habit is terrifying. Over the past month, she had been almost inseparable from Qin Yu, gradually becoming dependent on him. Three days off for the holiday weren’t long, but she had a feeling it would be difficult to endure.

Qin Yu was packing his bag and chatting, “Do you want to come to Beijing with me?”

Pu Chen snapped out of her thoughts, not hearing what he had just said clearly.

Without getting a response, Qin Yu glanced at her and said, “If you want to go to Beijing, I can ask my dad to book another plane ticket. There’s still time.”

Pu Chen guessed what he had just asked her. She shook her head busily, saying, “I’ll go play after the college entrance examination is over.” At that time, she could use the excuse of a graduation trip. Now she was only in her first year of high school, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to go out and play with male classmates.

Qin Yu thought for a moment. The holiday was a bit short, and he didn’t want to have a dull time. “Then after the college entrance examination, I’ll take you to play for a few more days and introduce you to my friends.”

He zipped up his backpack and asked her, “Have you been to Beijing before?”

Pu Chen replied, “Many times,” pointing to her throat, “to see a doctor.”

Qin Yu stared at those words for a few seconds, then looked at her face and said, “I consulted. There’s still hope for your condition, at most twenty years. By then, medical science will have developed to a degree we can’t even imagine now. I’ll find the most authoritative doctor to treat you.”

Twenty years seemed too distant. She was only sixteen now, already feeling that her life was incredibly long. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like twenty years later. By then, he would have been married and had children, maybe even forgotten about her as his desk mate.

But she was still very touched by his concern for her condition. “Thank you, academic overachiever.”

Qin Yu said, “You’re welcome. For the next two years, you’ll continue to bring me breakfast as promised, as a thank you in advance.”

Pu Chen said, “…”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“No smiling. I’m not joking with you. I’ll definitely keep my promise. Think about it.” Qin Yu stood up, put on his school uniform, and said, “I’ll go ask Teacher Lu for leave.”

Pu Chen asked, “What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m going back early and taking sick leave,” Qin Yu replied.

* * *

When Lu Baisheng heard that Qin Yu had a stomachache and wanted to take leave in the afternoon, he looked at him suspiciously.

Qin Yu was neatly dressed today, with his school uniform zipped up to the top, standing straight, unlike his usual mischievous self when he saw Lu Baisheng.

Lu Baisheng leaned back in his chair and looked at him. He didn’t look like he was feeling unwell at all. He mocked, “Are you a prophet, knowing that your stomach will ache this afternoon and arranging leave in advance?”

Qin Yu, with a good temper, said, “I’m enduring it now. Can’t you see?”

Lu Baisheng sneered, “Are you skipping class to play games or go back to sleep?”

Qin Yu didn’t hide it anymore and said, “I have a flight to Beijing at seven o’clock tonight, flying from Shanghai.”

Lu Baisheng couldn’t believe it. “You’re willing to go back?”

“Yeah,” Qin Yu replied, “my dad asked me to go back.”

“It’s not easy,” Lu Baisheng sighed, asking him, “Are you in such a hurry to go back? Couldn’t you wait until tomorrow?”

Qin Yu explained, “My dad’s flying to New York at noon tomorrow. If I go back tomorrow, I won’t be able to see him.”

Lu Baisheng didn’t ask any more questions. He sat up straight, took out a piece of paper and a pen, and gestured, “Write a leave note, and I’ll approve it for you.”

Qin Yu didn’t expect Lu Baisheng to be so accommodating. He bent down to write the leave note and whispered, “Is this considered you opening the back door for me for leaving early? I feel bad about it.”

Although he said he felt bad, he wrote the leave note without any delay.

Lu Baisheng said, “If any other student in the class had the same situation as you, I would approve the leave. The knot in my heart is untied. Isn’t an afternoon class less important than this?”

Qin Yu was in a daze. He wasn’t sure if the knot in his heart had been untied, but his relationship with his father had indeed eased.

Lu Baisheng glanced at the schedule. The last two classes in the morning were physical education. “I’ll inform the physical education teacher. You can go home now.”

Qin Yu didn’t hesitate. “No need. Just take an afternoon off. It’s not far from Sucheng to Shanghai. There’s no need to leave in the morning.”

He still had to have lunch with Pu Chen.

With the leave note written, he handed it to Lu Baisheng for approval and casually asked, “Are you going to Beijing or staying in Sucheng for May Day?”

Lu Baisheng gave an ambiguous answer, “We’ll see.”

Qin Yu thought for Lu Baisheng’s sake, hoping he could reconcile with his ex-wife sooner. “Why don’t you go see Pu Chen’s aunt? You have enough time to make a trip to New York.”

“This isn’t something you should worry about. Prepare well for your math competition.” Lu Baisheng handed him the leave note and urged him to leave.

* * *

During lunch, the conversation inevitably turned to the upcoming May Day holiday.

Pu Chen saw the leave note Lu Baisheng had approved for Qin Yu. He was going to Shanghai in the afternoon, and the only time she could spend with him was during this lunch.

She wished time would slow down a bit.

“Morning, what are you doing during the vacation?” Zhao Shu asked.

Pu Chen: [Just staying at home, not going anywhere.]

Zhao Shu was planning where to go during the vacation and sought the opinions of Peng Jingyang and Qin Yu: “How about we take Chen Chen to Disneyland for the May Day holiday, just to relax?”

Peng Jingyang regretfully said, “I have classes all three days.”

Qin Yu: “I’m going back to Beijing.”

Zhao Shu teased him, “Oh, going back to see someone you like?”

Qin Yu couldn’t be bothered to explain. If he said too much, Pu Chen might notice something, and if she found out he liked her and asked Teacher Lu to change their seats, what would he do?

If he silently treated her well for three years, maybe by the time they graduated from high school, she would like him too.

But now is definitely not the time for her to know.

He didn’t deny it, so Zhao Shu took his return to Beijing as confirmation that he was going to see a girl he liked. She couldn’t help but give him advice on pursuing someone, blabbering on endlessly.

Pu Chen occasionally glanced at Qin Yu opposite her, wondering if his return to Beijing this time was just to see that girl, or if he had decided to pursue her. If he really got together with that girl and got a girlfriend, she wouldn’t be able to have meals with him in the future.

Thinking about these things, she couldn’t help but feel melancholic and sad.

Pu Chen absentmindedly ate the food on her plate, feeling like she was chewing wax.

Qin Yu noticed that she didn’t have much of an appetite and seemed preoccupied, but he couldn’t ask directly, so he tactfully said, “Is the food not good? I can order something else for you.”

Pu Chen suddenly looked up, then shook her head, covering up: [I was just distracted by a math problem.]

Qin Yu guessed that maybe her bad mood had something to do with not being able to see Peng Jingyang for the next three days. But Peng Jingyang had classes and couldn’t find time to accompany her to the library.

This time, he really felt powerless. He couldn’t make the school not have a holiday.

After dinner, Qin Yu didn’t leave directly to go to Shanghai. Instead, he returned to the classroom, wanting to spend a little more time with Pu Chen.

Pu Chen didn’t feel like taking a nap today. She picked up a book to read for extracurricular study, occasionally checking the time on her phone, wanting to spend a few more minutes with him but afraid he would miss his flight.

Finally, she couldn’t help but ask him, “Why haven’t you left yet? Will you make it to your flight?”

Qin Yu had to find an excuse: “The driver hasn’t arrived yet.”

As soon as he said that, his phone lit up, and the driver’s call came as expected, urging him to come out quickly.

The driver had been waiting at the school gate for almost an hour and had sent three messages to Qin Yu during that time, but Qin Yu said it wasn’t urgent and asked for another competition problem to solve.

Seeing that time was running out and there might be traffic on the way, possibly causing him to miss his flight, the driver had no choice but to call Qin Yu.

“I’m coming right over.” Qin Yu hung up the phone and turned to Pu Chen, saying, “If there’s anything, message me.”

Pu Chen nodded.

But what could there be?

School-related problems during the vacation were annoying.

Pu Chen watched Qin Yu’s figure leave through the front door. She tilted her head slightly, able to see Qin Yu from this angle, but in just a short moment, he completely disappeared from her sight.

Without Qin Yu by her side for an afternoon, it felt long and boring, both physically and emotionally, empty.

—

At eleven o’clock in the evening, Qin Yu returned to his father’s villa.

After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, Qin Yu was thinking about what to post in the group chat with the four of them when there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a voice saying, “Qin Yu?”

He Junshuo called him from outside the door.

The door was half-open, and his father didn’t push it open.

Qin Yu exited the chat window, and his father came over to ask him to have a late-night snack together since they hadn’t had dinner yet, so they could have both dinner and a late-night snack together.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked his father.

He Junshuo was buttoning his cuff. He had just taken a quick shower, and his fatigue from the day had slightly eased.

He thought for a moment, “How about we invite your mom? It’s been a long time since we’ve eaten together as a family.” As for how long it had been since they had eaten together, he couldn’t remember.

But Qin Yu remembered. From the time he was five years old until now, he had never eaten with his parents, including his tenth birthday when his mother missed it because she had to attend a court hearing.

Seeing that his son didn’t object, He Junshuo called Qin Mingyi. Qin Mingyi had returned during the holidays to see her parents and had arrived in Beijing in the morning.

Receiving a call from her ex-husband in the middle of the night, Qin Mingyi’s heart skipped a beat, and her first thought was, “What happened to Qin Yu?”

“Nothing, just got home.” He Junshuo walked downstairs and asked her, “If you’re not busy, would you like to have a meal together?”

Qin Mingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that nothing was wrong. When she received the call, she thought Qin Yu and He Junshuo had quarreled again, and Qin Yu had slammed the door and left home. She asked, “When?”

He Junshuo replied succinctly, “Now. I’m leaving for New York tomorrow and won’t have time.”

Qin Mingyi snorted coldly twice, but out of consideration for her son’s face, she ultimately agreed to go.

For the first time in twelve years, the family had a meal together, chosen to be in the middle of the night. Qin Yu found it a bit ironic. If they didn’t know, they might think He Junshuo or Qin Mingyi was busy being the mayor of the Global Village, too busy to spare a moment.

The place they chose for dinner was picked by Qin Yu, a private kitchen.

Qin Mingyi hadn’t seen He Junshuo for almost half a year. When she saw him, she furrowed her brows slightly. It was just a late-night snack, and there were no outsiders, but he had tidied up like he was going to a formal occasion, with the gray shirt buttons done up to the top and his hair meticulously styled.

The three of them sat down, with Qin Yu and his mother on one side and He Junshuo on the other.
Neither he nor Qin Mingyi knew what dishes Qin Yu liked, so they each flipped through the menu and ordered two dishes, while Qin Yu also ordered two.

He Junshuo asked his son, “Do you want beer?”

Qin Yu: “Bring a can of chilled beer.”

He Junshuo also ordered a can for himself. He knew Qin Mingyi didn’t drink, so he closed the menu.

“Go to the trunk and bring a few bottles of water for mom.” Qin Mingyi handed the car keys to Qin Yu.

Qin Yu knew his mother was finding an excuse to talk to his father alone, so he grabbed the car keys and went downstairs.

He Junshuo leaned back on the sofa, looking at Qin Mingyi, accusing, “The moment our son leaves, you start giving me attitude.”

With their son gone, Qin Mingyi dropped the pretense. Her eyes sharp, she spoke coldly, “He Junshuo, do you think this is appropriate? Our son finally comes back to Beijing, and you insist on going on a business trip tomorrow? There’s no rush to leave, but you choose the day our son returns to be away.”

She smirked, “Going to New York to see your girlfriend?”

Ignoring her sarcasm, He Junshuo said, “My second uncle introduced me to someone.”

Qin Mingyi coldly interrupted, “Even arranged dates are happening overseas now? Your elders must be desperate for you not to remain single.”

He Junshuo retorted, “Qin Mingyi, your ability to jump to conclusions hasn’t changed.”

Unable to miss his sarcasm, Qin Mingyi replied defiantly, “Thank you for the compliment.”

“You’re welcome, it’s deserved.” He Junshuo didn’t want to argue and got back on track, “It’s someone from the Cohen family.”

Upon hearing that He Junshuo was meeting the Cohen family in New York, Qin Mingyi fell silent, suppressing the retorts she had in mind.

Seeing her quiet, He Junshuo continued, “My uncle said since Qin Yu is going to stay abroad in the future, connections are crucial. You know how busy the Cohen family is. If they have a free time slot the day after tomorrow, I can’t refuse to go.”

Qin Mingyi coughed awkwardly, embarrassed. She changed the subject, “You didn’t make that clear earlier.”

He Junshuo, annoyed, said, “Did you give me a chance to explain?”

Qin Mingyi pursed her lips.

At that moment, Qin Yu came upstairs with the bottles of water.

Taking the opportunity, He Junshuo reminded his son, fulfilling his fatherly duty, “You’re almost done with your first year of high school. You only have about a year and a half left to prepare. Take your exams seriously and aim for competition certificates.”

Qin Yu unscrewed the cap of the soda water and took a few sips.

Soon, their ordered dishes arrived.

Qin Mingyi saw a delicate plate of braised beef among them and asked, “Who ordered the cold dish?”

Qin Yu said, “I did.”

He Junshuo picked up his chopsticks and said, “I wonder if it’s as delicious as what Mr. Pu Chen makes.”

Qin Yu picked up a piece and said before tasting, “Definitely not.”

Qin Mingyi, puzzled, looked at the two of them, “What are you talking about?”

He Junshuo told her about how Mr. Pu Chen, during the winter vacation, felt sorry for Qin Yu and made him late-night snacks, and even packed several boxes of dumplings, both meat and vegetable fillings.

Qin Mingyi had never heard her son mention this before, nor had she paid attention to what was in the fridge.

“Son,” Qin Yu said leisurely while eating beef, pretending to be casual, “in a situation like Pu Chen’s, could he become a lawyer?”

He Junshuo asked back, “What, does she want to be a lawyer?”

Qin Mingyi also looked at her son.

Qin Yu nodded, “She mentioned it a couple of times.”

He Junshuo put down his beer and told him the harsh reality, “Pu Chen’s difficulty in speaking, in any industry, will be a challenge. Given equal conditions, any company would prefer to hire someone who can speak well, let alone in the legal profession.”

Qin Yu asked about Pu Chen’s future because he knew she would face many challenges if she chose to study law later on. He wanted to inquire about connections from his parents in advance, “She’s already so pitiful. If she really wants to be a lawyer in the future, can you and mom help her?”

He Junshuo didn’t take it seriously, knowing these kids change their minds all the time. But for now, he spoke seriously to his son, “As long as she wants to study law, I have no problem with it.”

Qin Mingyi remained silent throughout. At this moment, she finally understood why her son willingly came out for dinner with them late at night—it was for Pu Chen’s sake. Maybe her son ordered the braised beef dish to bring up Pu Chen’s situation. He Junshuo was just a fool, falling for their son’s tricks.

—

Three days of vacation finally came to an end on the evening of May 3rd. Pu Chen leaned on the balcony desk, listening to the sounds of cars downstairs, the occasional shouts in the alley, and occasionally the earth-shattering cries of children.

I’m not sure if it’s because the holiday homework isn’t done, so I had a meal of stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots. Pu Chen exerted force to lift her hand, pulled down a plush toy bear from the bookshelf, and absentmindedly rubbed it. This little bear was given to her by Qin Yu. It’s now 9:22 in the evening, Qin Yu should be back from Beijing by now.

She put down the toy bear, opened her diary, and wrote today’s mood diary.

[I don’t know if Qin Yu has come back or not. I haven’t seen him for three days. From this afternoon to evening, I passed by his apartment building six times, trying my luck to see if he happened to come back from the airport. Maybe I could bump into him coming out to the alley to grab a bite to eat. But until 8:30, he didn’t show up. I don’t even know what I’m doing, maybe I’m going crazy. He must have someone he likes.]

After writing half a page, Pu Chen closed the notebook, dazed for a moment, then started packing her school bag for tomorrow.

“Knock knock,” the bedroom door rang. While Pu Chen was absent-minded, she put her diary into her backpack, and her dad knocked on the door to find her. She hurriedly closed the zipper of her backpack and went to open the door.

Pu Wanli poured her a glass of milk and handed it to her,

[You have class tomorrow, go to bed early.]

Pu Chen smiled,

[Goodnight, Dad.]

She sipped the milk, checked the weather forecast on her phone’s home screen, and found that tomorrow’s temperature was pleasant. After a moment of contemplation, she opened the wardrobe and took out her summer school uniform.

The next day, before six o’clock, Pu Chen woke up naturally, without any signs of grogginess. She got up, changed into her skirt, and checked herself in the mirror. Because she was secretly in love with him, going to school became a great happiness. Time passed unnoticed until 6:31. Qin Yu looked at his phone for the third time, against the morning light, flipping through the English magazine in his hand, pretending to review vocabulary, and slowly walked towards the teaching building.

Pu Chen stepped into the campus and saw such a scene: a tall guy in a black T-shirt, holding his school uniform in one hand and a magazine in the other, completely focused on his magazine without any reaction to passing people. She couldn’t help but quicken her pace. As if sensing something, when Qin Yu turned around, Pu Chen was only a step away from him.

Qin Yu stopped, wanting to see her earlier, so he came to school to wait for her a little after six o’clock. He looked at her,

“Why are you so late today?”

Late? Pu Chen was puzzled. She came to school ten minutes earlier just to see him.

[You’re earlier than usual.]

She handed him breakfast.

Qin Yu casually replied,

“Maybe I was just hungry, so I felt like you were late today.”

Pu Chen: “…”