CH 4

When school started again, I was in my third year of middle school and Xu Jiamu started his last senior year. Our chatting time gradually decreased but occasionally we would still chat a few times during the holidays. This kind of online friendship continued until the second semester.

I was a little surprised when Xu Jiamu replied almost immediately.

Huangfu Tie Niu: “Not doing my best.”

I frowned; why was he talking nonsense.

He rejected my WeChat call, I called again, he hung up and I called again. The situation was ridiculously similar to when my parents were arguing that night.

He finally picked up in the end.

“Cuihua, leave me alone, I really don’t want to take this exam.” I have never heard him sound this depressed before, I got angry when I heard this sentence.

“Xu Jiamu, what nonsense are you saying! Just tell me what happened.”

He stayed silent for a long time before finally telling me what happened. He told his parents at dinner that he wanted to choose the foreign language major and wanted to go to Shanghai. His parents did not agree, and pushed him to choose the computer science major, saying that it is better for his future.

His anger erupted as soon as he heard it. They had obviously agreed with his decision when they talked about it before how could they change their decision at this moment. Then after arguing and reasoning with them without success, he simply ran out.

I took a deep breath and felt for the first time that he was actually really childish.

“Xu Jiamu, are you sick?”

“You don’t want your future just for such a trivial matter?”

“What about all those years you spent going to school? Are you going to let all that effort go down the drain? Your parents don’t agree with your choice so you’re going to make sure they don’t get their wish too?  Are you that childish? Can’t you wait until the exam is over to discuss which major you’re choosing again? And plus, don’t you still have a month to make them change their decision?”

The other end of the phone was silent, and he probably realized that his impulsiveness has gotten him into a difficult situation, he’s probably thinking about what to do now.

“Listen to me Xu Jiamu, go home right now. it’s already too late to review anything, just go to sleep first. Get up early tomorrow and read your notes then.”

I heard the rustling of the fabric from his end.

I listened to him in silence as he walked home, neither of us spoke, only when we were about to hang up did I hear his voice.

“Don’t you think it’s romantic?”

“It’s so romantic.”

After the graduation ceremony, I asked Xu Jiamu where he was. He told me to wait for him for a while, saying he’ll be there right away. I stood at the school gate and watched my former classmates leave the school gate, and my eyes became sour.

“Little school tyrant!” It was Xu Jiamu calling me.

When I turned around, he was already in front of me.

“Here you are.” Xu Jiamu handed me something, it was a cup of milk tea.

I looked at him in surprise, “Why did you buy this for me?”

“Didn’t you say that you haven’t had milk tea for a long time because you were studying and didn’t have time to go out to play?”