The sound coming out from the phone was exceptionally clear.
Su Min rubbed the inner corners of his eyes: “No need mum. I’ll be going back to school in the afternoon. I have exams in two days and need to go back to study.”
He felt that his tone should sound normal.
“Okay then.” Mother Su fell silent for a few seconds. She then said: “It’s getting cold lately so be careful not to catch a cold. Once you catch one, you will easily get a cough and fever.”
Su Min responded: “Okay, I know.”
After a few more bouts of reminders, Su Min hung up.
The old lady was still obediently sitting there. Having been found out earlier that she was eavesdropping, she no longer dared to listen in and was just busy looking around at the neighbourhood.
Su Min stored away his phone and turned to look at her: “Grandmother do you still want to bask?”
The old lady waved her hand, “No more. No more.”
She touched her own face and then made Su Min touch it. She then said a few words that Su Min didn’t quite understand.
Su Min supported her up and continued to ask the question from earlier, “Grandmother, why did you say that it’s me earlier? Do I know Xiao Su?”
He waited nervously for the answer.
But the old lady gave him a different answer. With a blank expression she looked at him, “Xiao Su……Who’s Xiao Su?”
Su Min took a deep breath.
For the first time, he found dementia very irritating.
The old lady asked him: “Who’s Xiao Su.”
Su Min said: “Someone you know.”
“I know?” The old lady pointed at herself. She then shook her head: “I don’t know, I don’t know. Who’s Xiao Su?”
Su Min rearranged her hair that had been ruffled up by the wind and said: “I also want to know who he is.”
Based on his grandmothers’ words, it is likely that she knew Xiao Su through him but he himself didn’t remember someone called Xiao Su.
His memory clearly told him that there was no such person.
Su Min had lived with his grandmother for a period when he was younger. Although it couldn’t be said that he still retained all the memories from back then, he still had most of them.
The old lady said: “It’s okay if you don’t know.”
Su Min said: “Okay then. I’ll take you back.”
Now that his grandmother’s memories are all muddled up, it was difficult for him to get the answer he wanted. Instead, it resulted in more unanswered questions.
The old lady responded happily: “Okay, okay. Go back for lunch.”
Su Min was helpless. He tried to persuade her: “We have already eaten today. If you eat more, your stomach will hurt.”
The old lady pouted. She was taken back upstairs.
In the room, the nanny was folding up the laundry. Seeing that they’ve returned, she hurried over, “How do you feel?”
The old lady nodded her head and was guided back to her room.
A few minutes later, the nanny came back out. The moment she left the room, she ran into Su Min who was waiting by the door.
The nanny asked: “What’s wrong?”
Su Min said: “You told my mum I came over?”
The nanny was startled. Being looked at by him like that, she felt a little guilty. She nodded: “Yes, your mother told me last time before leaving to tell her if you come.”
Mother Su’s name was Su Chun Hua. Her husbands name was Su Xian Xu. They both just happened to have the same surname, so it didn’t matter which surname Su Min took.
The nanny’s salary came from Su Chun Hua and Su Xian Xu so she naturally wouldn’t say no to that request.
Su Min frowned, “Did she tell you why?”
“No.” The nanny shook her head, “She didn’t’ say anything. She just told me to let her know if you come.”
She also didn’t understand why she had to tell the mother if her son came to visit his grandmother. It was as if she was keeping him under watch.
The nanny secretly glanced at the other person and saw that he was still quite calm.
Su Min returned to his senses and said: “Thanks, I understand now. Don’t tell mum I asked you about this.”
The nanny nodded.
Su Min turned around, picked up his bag and left for school.
The final exams were spread out over a few weeks. There were even a few days between each subject.
When Su Min wasn’t busy, he helped Li Wenxin and Wang Di study for the exams.
The dormitory was heated, and Li Wenxin also liked to order food, so their study sessions were rather comfortable and exciting.
When their results came out, Li Wenxin was all excited, “Su Min, the luckiest thing to have happened to me after entering this university was the fact that I met a study god like you HAHAHAHA!”
He didn’t need to experience what it was like to fail a subject.
Su Min was very calm about this.
Because Li Wenxin was always like this come exam time.
Once all the exams were done, Su Min returned home.
He finished his final exam in the afternoon so when he got home it was already late evening. There was no sound in the house when he opened the door.
Su Min dropped off his belongings and saw that there was someone there after going upstairs.
Mother Su came out from the room. She was wearing a dark green silk scarf, “You’re back. Hurry and change your clothes.”
Su Min asked: “Change my clothes?”
Mother Su rearranged her hair: “It’s your cousin’s birthday tonight. Since you’re home, let’s go and celebrate it together with her.”
Su Min only remembered now.
Before his exam period, Su Ying had called him. He was however busy studying for the exams at that time, so he responded with a few words and had completely forgotten what the call was about.
He didn’t really need to change his clothes.
Su Min directly went over with Mother Su.
***
There were many people at Su Ying’s place.
There were groups of boys and girls and they were filled with energy. Being exposed to their liveliness, even someone like Su Min wanted to join in.
When everyone arrived, they got ready to eat the birthday cake.
At this time, it was nine o’clock in the evening. After finishing her wish, Su Ying personally cut up the cake for everyone.
Su Min stood at the window and looked out at the high-rise buildings outside.
Su Ying wearing a birthday hat came over with a plate of cake, “Cousin, what are you doing there?”
Su Min said: “Nothing much.”
Su Yin said, “Today’s my birthday. Did you get me a present?”
Su Min wanted to say that he didn’t have anything he could buy on his way back, but he had managed to buy something on his way here, “Yes.”
“I like this present.” Su Ying opened it and smiled: “But I want something else.”
Su Min pinched her nose, “The birthday girl is the boss today. Tell me what you want. I’ll do my best to satisfy you but don’t take it too far.”
Hearing this, Su Ying was pleased.
She ran off and then ran back with something in her hand, “This, this.”
Su Min received it and saw that it was a poster.
The words “Ghost Ship” was written in large letters across this poster along with a dark background and a faint image of a ship in the distance.
The release date of this movie just happened to be today.
The cinema probably took into consideration the fact that he had exams and didn’t call him this time, so he didn’t know that a new movie was released.
But now it was already night and a lot of people had probably already watched it. Su Min asked: “Where did you get this? It looks pretty scary.”
“I specially went out of my way to get it.” Su Ying moved over and whispered: “I really, really want to watch a horror movie. Can you take me to watch one?”
Cinemas did not allow people her age to watch holographic horror movies alone because it was too dangerous.
But it also wasn’t a good idea bringing her parents along.
Su Ying pleaded: “Just this once okay?”
Su Min folded up the poster and asked: “There are ghosts in horror movies. Are you sure you’re not afraid of ghosts?”
Su Yin said: “Not afraid. You don’t have to worry about me. I have done my research and this movie isn’t that scary.”
She had worked very hard in order to watch a movie.
Su Min rubbed her head, “Let me think about it.”
Although she didn’t like the thought of possibly becoming bald from excessing rubbing, considering the benefit that was associated with it, Su Ying didn’t avoid it
While she chatted with the adults, Su Min called the person in charge of the cinema and asked if junior high school students were okay.
The person in charge said: “You can watch the movie together, but it cannot be done alone. The child must also be ascertained that she doesn’t have any heart diseases.”
Su Min said: “Okay, I understand.”
The supervisor then said: “Mr. Su, are you coming? Do you need me to arrange it for you? There is only one session left for tonight.”
Su Min hesitated for a moment, “Okay then.”
Very quickly, the cinema sent him a text. Because it was almost time for the movie, tickets could no longer be purchased online.
The cinema sent over two tickets.
Su Min walked over to Su Ying, “We can go. Get ready now. The next session is about to start.”
Su Ying was excited: “Okay, okay.”
Su Min went outside and waited for her.
Su Yin changed her clothes and also took off the atrocious hat from her head. She ran out and said: “I told them you’re taking me out shopping and they all agreed.”
Su Min asked: “Did my mum ask anything?”
Su Ying thought for a moment, “Yes, but I lied my way through it.”
Su Min was just casually asking and didn’t expect her to really ask about it. Even since the incident back at his grandmother’s he felt that something was strange.
Su Ying asked again: “Can we see your boyfriend this time?”
Su Min: “…….I don’t have a boyfriend yet.”
Su Ying was shocked, “After all those kisses and hugs, you’re still not official? You two are so slow.”
Su Min glanced at him, “I didn’t expect you to know so much at such a young age. Dating?”
Su Ying shook her head and said: “Brother, don’t worry. I definitely won’t drag you down. I’m very clever and I’m regarded as the great god in escape rooms. I even have a detective brooch as proof.”
Su Min didn’t feel reassured.
Escape rooms and horror movies were different.
Su Ying said: “Don’t underestimate me. Let me enjoy the horror movie alone this time. You can go have fun with your date. I have already researched, and this entire movie is set at sea. No matter what you do, no one will know.”
Su Min: “………You’re pretty amazing.”