The Silent World And Him - Chapter 26

Pu Chen finished a box of milk while Qin Yu tidied up their textbooks, placing them together. Once done, Qin Yu took two cups to the tea room to get water.

A whistle came from the window, and Zhao Shu called out from the corridor, “Chen Chen, don’t stay cooped up in the classroom all the time. Come out and play. The wind is strong today, and it feels quite nice on your face.”

Pu Chen nodded and grabbed her phone to find Zhao Shu.

As Pu Chen got closer to Zhao Shu, she would take the initiative to chat with her: “How was the ending of the novel you were reading yesterday?”

“Ugh, don’t mention it,” Zhao Shu said sadly. “I knew an open ending was the most reasonable, but it’s still upsetting.” She leaned on the railing, resting her face on her arms. “Chen Chen, your essays are so good. In the future, if you write a sweet novel about you and Qin Yu, I’ll definitely support it.”

Pu Chen said, “My essays aren’t that good.”

She asked, “Will there be a sequel to the novel you were reading?”

Zhao Shu sighed, “They said there won’t be. It was really good, but the ending left a lot unresolved.”

“Oh? It’s raining.” She stood up, feeling large raindrops on her face, and wiped them away with her hand.

Wind and rain swept into the corridor, so Pu Chen and Zhao Shu returned to the classroom, ending their discussion about the novel.

By noon, the rain had intensified, and the wind was howling.

Pu Chen and Qin Yu were eating in the cafeteria. The incident of her crush diary being discovered and Qin Yu confessing in public had spread throughout their grade. From the moment she entered the cafeteria, she received countless stares, while the storm outside drew less attention.

Sensing her discomfort, Qin Yu reassured her, “You’ll get used to it by next week. Don’t worry too much. It’s not about whether you can speak well or not. Even if you could, they’d still look at you.”

Pu Chen was doing her best to adapt: “I’m much better than yesterday.” It was true.

Qin Yu said, “Then let’s aim to be even better tomorrow than today.”

Zhao Shu picked up an extra pair of chopsticks and put some untouched crystal shrimp from her tray onto Pu Chen’s plate, “Eat more and grow taller.” She used this to distract Pu Chen.

Pu Chen said, “That’s enough. You keep it.”

She joked, “Even if I eat shrimp every day, I probably won’t grow any taller.”

Zhao Shu replied, “A good mood helps you grow. Look at me, always carefree. How else would I grow this tall?”

Peng Jingyang, either intentionally or not, chimed in, “That’s because you’re heartless.”

Zhao Shu glared at him and kicked him under the table, warning him to watch his words.

Then, her phone vibrated. Seeing the sender’s profile picture, she glanced at Peng Jingyang before opening the message.

Peng Jingyang had messaged on WeChat: “I was helping you distract Pu Chen. Did you leave your brain at home?”

His second message was: “If my leg gets injured, will you take responsibility?”

Zhao Shu replied: “Don’t worry. If you can’t find a wife because of this, I’ll take you in. My family isn’t short on money to support you.”

Peng Jingyang, annoyed, deleted the chat and decided not to argue with her.

Suddenly recalling something, he turned to Qin Yu and said, “This morning, I saw Aunt Qin’s car.”

Qin Yu nodded, thinking, I saw my mom’s car too.

Zhao Shu, puzzled, asked, “What are you talking about?”

Qin Yu replied, “Nothing.”

He clearly didn’t want to elaborate.

Zhao Shu shrugged, not pressing further.

Pu Chen, having eaten quickly, put down her chopsticks and started drinking her soup.

The rain hadn’t stopped. She glanced out the cafeteria window at the dark clouds looming over the city, making it hard to tell if it was day or night.

They each had an umbrella, but with such strong wind, using one or not made little difference.

After eating, they grabbed their umbrellas and headed to the cafeteria door.

Pu Chen walked in front.

As they walked, Qin Yu took off his school jacket.

Zhao Shu teased him, “Are you planning to put your jacket over your head? Looks like your hairstyle is really important.”

Qin Yu handed her the jacket, saying, “In a moment, tie this around Pu Chen’s waist to keep her school pants dry. Wet pants stick to your skin and are uncomfortable.”

Zhao Shu clicked her tongue three times, happily accepting his jacket. She glanced sideways at Peng Jingyang.

Confused, Peng Jingyang asked, “Did I offend you?”

Zhao Shu rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Peng Jingyang looked at the jacket in her hand. Qin Yu and Pu Chen’s relationship justified him helping her stay dry. He and Zhao Shu, on the other hand, were just mismatched childhood friends.

After an intense internal struggle, he finally took off his jacket and tossed it to Zhao Shu: “Zhao, I’m in debt to you from a past life!”

Zhao Shu smirked, took his jacket, and jogged to catch up with Pu Chen.

At the cafeteria door, the cold intensified.

Pu Chen opened her umbrella and turned to look for Qin Yu. He was still behind her, while Zhao Shu approached, “Chen Chen, let me tie this jacket around your waist.”

Pu Chen, puzzled, took out her phone to type a message. By the time she finished, Zhao Shu had already tied Qin Yu’s large school jacket around her waist, securely covering her down to her knees.

“Is this Qin Yu’s jacket?” she asked Zhao Shu.

Qin Yu said, “Let me do it.” He took a cloth to wipe the water dry, turned the stove back on low heat, and prepared a bowl of cold water to keep on hand.

Qin Mingyi stood there with her arms crossed, not saying a word.

The kitchen’s steam dissipated, but neither of them spoke.

Qin Yu served the dumplings, poured a dish of vinegar, and brought both to the dining table.

Qin Mingyi also sat down at the table. The matter was now out in the open, and an explanation was necessary.

As a mother, she certainly didn’t want her son to date someone like Pu Chen, as Pu Chen’s life trajectory was destined to be different from Qin Yu’s. However, she didn’t plan to intervene. Teenagers’ love comes and goes quickly; there’s no need to break them up forcibly, which would only provoke rebellion and be counterproductive.

Once they realized their incompatibility after dating, they would naturally break up.

So even though she saw her son’s unusual looks and actions with Pu Chen that morning, she didn’t plan to expose them.

Who knew Qin Yu would act unpredictably?

Qin Mingyi knew her son’s stubborn nature well. He wouldn’t respond to harshness. She prided herself on being an open-minded parent: “Mom still considers herself an open-minded parent. Love should take its course. As long as you have your boundaries, your dad and I won’t interfere much.”

Qin Yu drank the last sip of water from the bottle, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating dumplings.

His mother had temporarily compromised. He understood her concerns. She feared that too much control would lead to rebellion, causing him to give up on his studies in frustration. So she had no choice but to go along with him for now.

At least for these few high school years, he and Pu Chen wouldn’t need to sneak around anymore. They wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught by his mother, allowing him to spend more time with her, and she could focus on her dream university.

As for the future, he’d deal with his mother after graduating high school and entering university.

—

The next day, the rain had cleared, leaving puddles in the alley and scattered leaves blown down by the storm.

The puddles reflected the blue sky, white clouds, and the wires in the alley.

Qin Yu stood on the curb, looking down at the alley reflected in the puddle. A gust of wind caused ripples, shattering the reflection. When the wind calmed, the reflection reappeared.

Qin Yu had been standing there for over ten minutes when Pu Chen finally arrived. He looked at her and asked, “Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?”

She had stayed up late studying and didn’t sleep until half past midnight.

Of course, Pu Chen didn’t tell the truth: “Do I? I didn’t notice.” She handed him his breakfast.

Pu Chen was so focused on watching Qin Yu and talking to him via text on her phone that she didn’t notice the puddle at her feet. Her right foot had already stepped in, and her left foot was about to follow. Qin Yu, with his sharp eyes and quick reflexes, swiftly lifted her with one arm and carried her over the puddle.

Once they reached the higher ground in the middle of the street, Qin Yu put her down.

Pu Chen steadied herself by holding onto Qin Yu’s shoulder, her feet on the ground, but her heart still floating. When he lifted her, her mind buzzed, and her heart almost leaped out of her throat.

Qin Yu asked her, “Are your shoes wet?”

Pu Chen shook her head. Her sneakers had thick soles, so even if they were slightly wet, she couldn’t feel it at the moment. Her mind was filled with the image of him lifting her.

The strength in his arms, his unique, pleasant scent brushing past her nose—it left her unable to think, forgetting to breathe, feeling detached from her body.

She couldn’t speak, so her silence seemed natural and perfectly timed.

Qin Yu finished his breakfast and looked back at her: “Pu Chen.”

Pu Chen’s mind snapped back, and she caught up with him in a few steps.

Qin Yu told her, “Don’t stay up late. Just follow your routine. Work hard for two more years, and you’ll get into the law university. I’ll be busy in my second year with competitions. In the third year, I’ll have more time and will help you with your studies. Don’t worry, you won’t fail.”

Pu Chen was concerned that after the second-year split into different classes, they might not be in the same class. How would he help her then?

“If we aren’t in the same class?”

Qin Yu paused for a few seconds and said, “We’ll find a way.”

As they spoke, they walked out of the alley.

Reflexively, Qin Yu scanned the passing cars for his mother’s license plate. Coincidentally, at the same place and time, he saw her car.

Was it fate or just bad luck?

Qin Yu waved at the car through the windshield to greet his mother. The reflective glass made it hard to see her expression.

Pu Chen glanced at the car—a white Bentley with a local license plate, an expensive vehicle.

Qin Yu turned to Pu Chen and said, “That’s my mom’s car.”

Pu Chen: “…”

A wave of palpitations swept over her. Qin Yu noticed her nervousness and comforted her, “It’s okay, my mom knows I like you.”

Pu Chen widened her eyes, finding his words so casual, as if saying, “Finally, it’s a sunny day.” But she was stunned, staring at him blankly, feeling like her legs were made of lead.

Qin Yu pulled her book bag across the street, saying, “My parents fell in love early too. They wouldn’t say anything to me. My grandparents want to video chat with you every day, but I stopped them. They know you can’t talk, it’s okay, you don’t have to be so nervous.”

In the car, Qin Mingyi watched as his son grabbed Pu Chen’s backpack. He almost embraced Pu Chen as they crossed the zebra crossing. At the school gate, he was just as bold. Qin Yu was pulling her across because Pu Chen wasn’t obeying, but Qin Mingyi saw it as him being too arrogant, completely disregarding her as a mother. She had said no matter whether he was in a relationship or not, he still challenged her patience like this.

Starting the car, Qin Mingyi called He Junshuo.

It wasn’t even 6:30 in the morning yet, and He Junshuo had landed in Beijing a few hours ago, jet-lagged. He had just fallen asleep when Qin Mingyi’s call woke him up. “What’s up?” he asked patiently. He wouldn’t have answered if it were someone else’s call.

Hearing his indifferent tone, Qin Mingyi was furious. He didn’t take her seriously at all. Irritated, she said, “Your son is in love, deal with it yourself!” She didn’t want to say another word to him. Without waiting for He Junshuo’s response, Qin Mingyi hung up.

He Junshuo was puzzled. After a moment of clarity, he understood what Qin Mingyi meant, blaming himself for not caring about his son. There were no restrictions on when his son could fall in love. Love was not something one could control subjectively.

Qin Mingyi had told him before that if their son liked someone in high school, as long as their son had boundaries, she wouldn’t interfere much. He didn’t need to say anything, and even encouraged his son to get a girlfriend. Qin Yu had liked Pu Chen since the Spring Festival, and now he finally confessed.

So He Junshuo transferred twenty thousand yuan to Qin Yu, with a message: [“For your love fund, buy some study materials and review with Pu Chen, import chocolates, if anything is missing, let me know, I’ll prepare it for you. Also: I’m glad you don’t care about others’ opinions, and have the courage to face a girl who can’t speak. I wish you all the best.”]

Qin Yu looked at his father’s transfer and message. It should be his mother who called his father to tell him about him and Pu Chen, and his father gave him a little gift after knowing about it. It would be fake to say he wasn’t moved. This was probably one of his father’s few virtues.

He accepted the money and replied: [“Thanks, Dad.”]