After coming to this decision, the knot in Shen Yu’s chest finally loosened.
He thought about it, but in the end, he did not tell Tang Li about the matter with Lei Yumeng.
Coupled with the preparations for the opening of two dessert stores recently, Shen Yu was rushing between the company and the two stores. He was so busy that he quickly forgot about Lei Yumeng.
During this period, Elder Shen inquired about his progress with Jenny Yang. Shen Yu did not want to deceive Elder Shen, so he answered truthfully that he and Jenny Yang were not suitable for each other.
Not only that, he had also just taken in Tang Li, and at this juncture, falling in love is not conducive to the growth of his child. He didn’t want to give Tang Li a reason to feel insecure.
Hearing this, Elder Shen was unexpectedly silent for a long time, and then sighed helplessly.
You certainly have a point in saying that.
Elder Shen said,
But you can’t delay your life for a child, can you?
Shen Yu smiled and said,
Regardless, my fate does not lie with Miss Yang. Besides, I’m still young enough that I don’t worry about finding someone.
All right.
Elder Shen paused and said,
Then at least come over for a meal sometime. I haven’t seen you for almost a month.
Shen Yu had been deceived many times by Elder Shen with such an excuse. Originally, he would go because he wanted to talk with Elder Shen about the past and try to dig out some information about the original Shen Yu.
However, every time he stepped in the door, he would be greeted by a blind date that Elder Shen had set up for him.
Over time, Shen Yu developed psychological shadow.
So of course, he refused Elder Shen automatically.
Chestnut is not in good health, and since he just begun school it must be very stressful for him right now.
Elder Shen was stunned and said,
Come alone then.
Shen Yu spoke straightforwardly,
That’s not possible. As a parent, I must accompany my child.
Elder Shen:
…
Elder Shen tried to persuade him for a long time but seeing that Shen Yu was determined to be resolute and unmoved, he could only gradually let the topic go.
The fact that Elder Shen had reached this point in life is enough to prove that he is not a fool, at least in some ways he knows more than the muddled Shen Yu.
That night Tang Li suddenly had a stomachache. He was rushed to the hospital by Shen Yu, yet he was able to school the next day.
Elder Shen, who got the news at that time, felt that something was wrong.
He didn’t think about it much before. Even though he knew that Tang Li had even stabbed his uncle before, he only thought that Tang Li had been stimulated by his parents ‘death and that’s why he became so irritable.
After the death of Tang Jian, he persuaded Shen Yu to accept Tang Li. The only purpose was that they had the same experience and could live together and heal each other.
Now, however, Elder Shen finds that perhaps Tang Li is not as simple as he thought.
At this moment, he suddenly regretted sending Tang Li to Shen Yu.
Shen Yu was not even a little wary of Tang Li, and even really took him as his own child to raise. He only hoped that Tang Li would not go astray under Shen Yu’s guidance.
Elder Shen shook his head.
Somehow, he had a bad feeling.
–
After Shen Yu confessed his thoughts to Elder Shen, he thought that his relationship with Jenny Yang would be over.
As a result, who knows what Elder Shen said to Jenny Yang, but Jenny Yang, who had been quiet for a long time, found Shen Yu again.
But this time, instead of inviting him to go to a painting exhibition or to eat as she did last time, Jenny Yang simply said that her friend had given her a painting, but she wasn’t able to fully appreciate it, so she decided to send it to Shen Yu.
Naturally, Shen Yu wanted to refuse immediately.
Unfortunately, before he could even utter a word, Jenny Yang seemed to have guessed what he was going to say. She quickly added,
I have sent the painting to your house. Remember to check it.
Shen Yu was shocked:
… How do you know my address?
Jenny Yang gave a sly smile and said,
Even if you have several properties under your name, it’s already and open secret in the upper circle.
Shen Yu:
…
At five o’clock in the afternoon, when Shen Yu came home from the company, he learned from Aunt Chen that a well-packaged delivery had been received at the security guard’s office this afternoon, and it looked like a painting.
Shen Yu asked Aunt Chen and others to move the painting to the living room and found that the painting was not only beautifully packaged but was also more than two meters (6ft 5in) in length and width.
So long as you think with your brain, you can also guess that the price of this painting is not cheap.
Shen Yu had a headache. He raised his head to the ceiling with a sigh and did not speak for a long time.
Aunt Chen saw the situation and asked carefully,
Sir, should we put this up or open it now?
Send it back to the return address.
Shen Yu decided,
The sooner the better.
Ah?
Aunt Chen blinked blankly. She obviously didn’t understand why Shen Yu did this. She just bowed her head and said,
Okay, I’ll send it right away.
When Aunt Chen contacted the courier to pick up the painting, Shen Yu received another face time call from Jenny Yang.
Isn’t it beautiful?
Jenny Yang’s words were filled with laughter, and she said happily,
I guessed you might like it.
Shen Yu was silent for two seconds and said frankly,
I didn’t open the package. I’ll send it back to you in later.
…
Now it’s Jenny Yang’s turn to be silent. She didn’t seem to have expected Shen Yu to be so decisive. Suddenly she raised her voice and cried.
Are you really not interested in me at all? Even if I just give you a simple gift, you return it in such a hurry.
Shen Yu:
… I’m sorry.
Don’t tell me you’re sorry.
Jenny Yang was emotional, and her voice was crying.
You can say anything to me, but don’t say sorry. I don’t want to hear that word.
Shen Yu thought for a moment and before helplessly opening his mouth again:
… my apologizes. [1]
…
Jenny Yang could not resist bursting into a smile. She did not know whether she was really amused by Shen Yu’s words, or whether she was only afraid of losing face and was pretending to calm by smiling.
Although you have been so cold to me, I still like you.
Shen Yu has nothing to say.
He found that Jenny Yang was not much better than the girls who came to the dessert shop in his past life to hang around him.
Jenny Yang, seeing Shen Yu silent and unconcerned, she said to herself,
This is the first time in my life that I have actively pursued someone of the opposite sex. I don’t want to end up failing my first time. Won’t you give me a chance? If, after a period of time, you still don’t have any feelings for me, then I promise I will not disturb you anymore.
Shen Yu was almost speechless:
I can’t be responsible for your feelings.
Jenny Yang immediately said,
I don’t need you to take responsibility. I just want a chance.
Shen Yu still said,
I’m sorry…
After that, he did not give Jenny Yang any more time to speak. He hung up the phone directly. Then he blocked Jenny Yang’s mobile phone number and deleted her on Weibo. The whole set of actions was completed in less than a minute.
Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief…
After putting away his cell phone, he prepared to return to the living room.
Unexpectedly, as he turned around, he unexpectedly met a cold pair of eyes.
Tang Li, who was picked up by Uncle Zhang from school, appeared behind him at some point. The little villain was still carrying his schoolbag on his shoulder. He stood upright. There was a blank expression on his little face. Only his eyes were very hot.
As if to see through Shen Yu’s soul.
Shen Yu was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground with his mobile phone.
Fortunately, he responded in time. After quickly calming down, while half helpless and half blaming, he asked,
When did you come back? I didn’t hear you walk in.
In the past, the little villain would have run up to Shen Yu like a puppy.
But at this time, Tang Li still stood still and kept a certain distance from Shen Yu. He gradually narrowed his eyes and calmly said,
I have footsteps, but your attention is not here.
Shen Yu thought Tang Li’s words were strange, but he didn’t think much about them.
The little villain is too precocious.
He is also good at hiding his inner feelings.
Even if Shen Yu tried hard to guess, he would not be able to guess the correct answer. It would be better to wait for the little villain to open his mouth on his own initiative.
Are you hungry? Aunt Chen is already preparing dinner.
Shen Yu steered his wheelchair to Tang Li and tried to touch his head, but the little villain suddenly turned his head away.
Shen Yu was stunned.
The raised hand was held stiffly in midair.
Tang Li did not speak or explain. Instead he opened his beautiful phoenix eyes and looked directly into Shen Yu’s eyes.
Shen Yu pulled up the corners of his mouth and forced a smile. He awkwardly retracted his hand and whispered,
What’s wrong?
Tang Li asked directly,
Who were you calling just now?
A friend.
Shen Yu knew that Tang Li did not like Jenny Yang and was afraid that Tang Li would overthink, so he gave a vague answer.
Which friend?
Tang Li asked.
Shen Yu:
A friend you don’t know.
Tang Li asked again,
What’s their name?
Shen Yu:
…
He had never seen such an aggressive attitude from Tang Li, but Shen Yu’s previous guess was confirmed by the reaction of the little villain. Even though he had already made a promise, Tang Li still felt insecure, fearing that he would be abandoned after Shen Yu brought a girl home.
Shen Yu suddenly felt heartache and reached out to pinch Tang Li’s face.
This time Tang Li didn’t dodge any more, and Shen Yu pinched his face.
You don’t need to know her name because she’s not a very important friend anyway.
Shen Yu said,
Maybe we won’t even see her again in the future.
Tang Li nodded as if he understood what Shen Yu meant.
On the other side.
After Jenny Yang was hung up on, she stared at her cell phone for a long time. She did not dial Shen Yu’s number again until it was confirmed that Shen Yu had deliberately hung up his phone.
As a result…
The other line was busy.
After Shen Yu’s decisive refusal, she wouldn’t be narcissistic enough to assume that Shen Yu was calling her.
She was stunned for a moment. She quickly dropped the call and continued to dial the number again.
Seven or eight times in a row, all of them are busy tones.
Jenny Yang’s face grew green and her hands were shaking with anger. Although she really didn’t want to admit it, she had to admit that Shen Yu had blacklisted her cell phone number.
At the same time, he also blocked he Weibo account.
Jenny Yang just couldn’t figure it out. She was so persistent, so how could Shen Yu remain indifferent?
Even a man of ice should be melted by her, right?
From childhood to adulthood, Jenny Yang was like the existence of a legendary fairy to those around her. Even now, you cannot count the number of people who are pursuing with both hands, but still, she prefers Shen Yu.
After all, only Shen Yu has the qualifications to be her other half.
Jenny Yang thought about it, but she didn’t want to give up. So, she called Elder Shen and gently advised him to persuade Shen Yu again.
After listening to her, Elder Shen was silent for a long time. Finally, he let out a long sigh and said,
Little Yang, it’s not that Grandpa Shen doesn’t want to help you. That day I made my words very clear to him. It’s just, Little Yu has a stubborn temper. If he truly doesn’t intend to do something, even if I broke my mouth, he won’t change his mind.
But Grandpa Shen…
Oh, stop talking.
Master Shen interrupted her directly.
It’s no use telling me these things anymore. This irresponsible old man can’t influence Little Yu’s decision.
Jenny Yang:
…
Since Elder Shen said so, Jenny Yang is too thin-skinned to continue.
She thanked him in a low voice and waited for Elder Shen to hang up.
That night, Jenny Yang was lying in bed, but she could not sleep.
She thought about a lot of things, then sat up, took the cell phone from the bedside table, and dialed Shen Yu’s cell phone number. Still a busy tone.
It seems that Shen Yu really is trying to alienate her.
Jenny Yang’s face was so blue that she could not help gripping her cell phone. She was somewhat resentful and helpless, but more so she was unwilling.
Is emotion such a thing which has the reason to give up when it’s told to?
She has been passive emotionally for more than 20 years, only willing to take the initiative once, and this is also about her future life trajectory. If she married into the Shen family, those sisters who despise her would never dare to say anything again.
Thinking of this, Jenny Yang, who was thinking of giving up, lit up a fire of hope in her heart.
Then she decided…
Go to Shen’s house in person!
She can’t give Shen Yu another chance to hang up his phone.
—-
Two days later.
Jenny Yang just heard about Shen Yu’s schedule from Elder Shen.
She spent two hours putting on delicate makeup, wearing a newly purchased luxury brand coat, and stepping into eight-centimeter stiletto heels. After she was prepared, she asked her driver to take her to Shen Yu’s home.
Meanwhile, Jenny Yang hadn’t forgotten to bring the painting sent back by Shen Yu.
She intends to give the painting to Shen Yu personally.
If Shen Yu had to face her in person, it wouldn’t be so easy to return the painting.
An hour later, Jenny Yang arrived at Shen Yu’s villa.
The first time she came here, she thought she would be able to get in directly, but before her car got to the underground parking lot, she was stopped by the guard at the gate.
Jenny Yang slowly rolled down the window, and with a gentle and polite smile on her beautiful face she said,
Hello, I’m looking for Mr. Shen Yu of the Shen family.
The security guard has long become accustomed to uninvited men and women such as Jenny Yang showing up. The guard walked to the window expressionlessly and asked,
Have you notified the owner?
Jenny Yang was bewildered.
What did you say?
Does the owner know you’re coming?
The security guard looked at Jenny Yang’s reaction and knew that he had guessed right and was too lazy to waste his time on the woman.
You can call the servants of the Shen family and have them call me so that I can let you in.
Hearing this, Jenny Yang felt embarrassed.
If she did call Shen Yu, he might even explicitly tell the security guards not to let her in.
And more importantly…
Shen Yu has blocked her cell phone number! Just how can she call him?
The security guard had already waited for half a day but didn’t wait any more for Jenny Yang’s reply. He jeered as the corners of his mouth rose and waved,
Okay, you go out, don’t stand in the way.
Wait a minute!
Jenny Yang grit her teeth and said,
Do you have a video phone here?
A minute later, Jenny Yang told the driver to pull over. She got out and followed the security guard to the security booth.
When she dialed the Shen’s video phone, Jenny Yang was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She took a deep breath and stared at the black screen as the phone remained unconnected.
What should she say to Shen Yu later?
She didn’t know if Shen Yu would waiver after talking to Elder Shen
Jenny Yang’s thoughts were tangled up, when suddenly, she noticed that the original dark screen, was filled with a delicate small face.
It’s the Tang kid!
He seems to be called Tang Li.
Jenny Yang was shocked by the sudden appearance of his face and subconsciously stepped back two steps.
After regaining her composure, she quickly painted on a kind smile and said in a softly voice,
Chestnut, I’m Sister Yang, is Brother Shen Yu at home?
Tang Li looked at her with a dead expression. His phoenix eyes were half closed; his pupils were like a knife instantly staring at Jenny Yang.
It was a strange sensation, but even as an adult who has experienced the storms of life, when Jenny Yang was being looked at by a child, a chill went up her spine.
Now it was no longer just her illusion, she really felt the child’s hostility towards her.
Just when Jenny Yang thought that Tang Li would not answer her, she heard the other side say,
Brother Shen Yu has gone out and has not come back yet.
Well…
Jenny Yang was disappointed as she didn’t expect Shen Yu to be out.
Did you come to see big brother Shen Yu?
Tang Li crisply asked, the clear and melodious boy’s voice and his face covered with a layer thin ice formed a sharp contrast.
Yes.
Jenny Yang said,
I have something to talk about with your brother Shen Yu.
Tang Li showed a strange expression, and then raised his lips and laughed,
Do you want to come in and wait? It seems inconvenient to wait outside.
Janie Yang was overjoyed, naturally she wouldn’t miss this opportunity. She nodded her head and said,
Okay.
Tang Li said,
Wait for me at the security booth. I’ll come pick you up now.
Jenny Yang laughed so hard that you could not see her teeth [2].
Thank you, Chestnut.
Tang Li laughed even more brilliantly:
You’re welcome, Aunty.
[3]
The smile on Jenny Yang’s face froze instantly:
…
Tang Li didn’t seem to see Jenny Yang’s sudden green face, and quickly hung up the video phone.
Janie Yang sighed and rubbed her eyebrows with some irritation.
Sure enough, she couldn’t like that child…
Fortunately, Shen Yu only temporarily took the child in. He should not keep him in the Shen family for a long time. If she and Shen Yu really succeeded as a couple, they would not need such a child in the family.
Jenny Yang called the driver and sat in the security booth and waited.
As a result, the wait was more than an hour.
Jenny Yang was looking at the autumn scenery for a long time, but still she did not see Tang Li. She was impatient to wait and dialed the video phone seven or eight time, but no one answered them.
Jenny Yang nearly collapsed, but also gradually understand -that demon child was making a fool of her!
Letting her wait for so long in vain, in fact, this demon child didn’t intend to come to pick her up!
Jenny Yang, who was finally aware of this, began trembling in anger.
Her whole face was as black as the bottom of the pot. She gritted her teeth and cried out the name of Tang Li.
She knew it!
That child is absolutely terrible!
At the age of 10, he even dared to pick up a knife and stab his uncle. Just how good can such a child be?!
Perhaps his so-called stomachache that night was also deliberate.
No…
She can’t watch Shen Yu be cheated by such a demon. She had to let Shen Yu clearly see the bad nature of that child.
—-
December.
The weather was getting colder and colder.
Although the sun is shining today, the wind was still cold enough to send shivers up the arms of the people walking outside.
Shen Yu excused himself to go to work and instead went to the mall with Uncle Zhang.
In three days, it will be the eleventh birthday of the villains.
As early as a week ago, Shen Yu ordered Uncle Zhang and Aunt Chen to start preparing for the event. They bought a lot of things to decorate. They piled them all up in the warehouse, ready to wait until that morning when Tang Li went to school before they began to decorate the home.
As Shen Yu himself liked the quiet, and he knew that the little villain is not a lively person, he did not intend to invite people to the birthday party, even Grandpa Shen is not on his list.
He, Aunt Chen, Uncle Zhang, and other servants are enough.
The rest of the preparations are almost ready, but Shen Yu’s gift to the little villain and the birthday cake are still missing.
Shen Yu has never been innovative in choosing gifts. In the past, when his friends and classmates celebrated their birthdays, he sent red envelopes directly to those people so they could buy their own birthday gifts.
However, this method cannot be applied to the little villain.
Shen Yu thought about this matter for several days, and he went to four or five shopping malls in succession. Finally, he asked Uncle Zhang to send him to a well-known custom jewelry store.
This jewelry store only receives VIP customers. Fortunately, the Shen family has a good reputation. Even if Shen Yu is not a VIP customer, the staff warmly welcomed him into the shop.
Under the introduction of the staff, Shen Yu selected a gold pendant with the appearance of Tang Li in mind. The image of a mouse was temporarily designed and painted on by the painters. After three days of urgent processing, the finished product will be sent to the Shen home on the evening of Tang Li’s birthday.
When he paid the deposit, Shen Yu was almost blinded by the string of zeros on the bill.
Fortunately, he kept calm and waved to Uncle Zhang to pay by swiping his card.
Later, Shen Yu and Uncle Zhang went to the cake shop again.
They carefully selected a three-layer fruit cake with a blue whale leaping out of the water. Shen Yu thought about it and asked the baker to add a sentence in the blank area of the bottom layer of the cake.
By the time Shen Yu and Uncle Zhang arrived home, it was eight o’clock in the evening.
The deep night sky is permeated by seemingly nonexistent starlight, a shallow crescent moon hung in the horizon, a film of light moonlight covered the quiet land.
The night breeze blew slowly, and the coldess immersed itself in the bone marrow.
It looks like it’s going to snow.
Shen Yu went back to his bedroom and took a hot bath.
As soon as he had dried his hair, he heard Aunt Chen knocking at the door:
Sir, dinner is ready.
Shen Yu, sitting in his wheelchair, opened the door and asked,
What about Chestnut?
Young master Tang Li went back to his room after dinner. The English teacher is giving him an extra lesson online.
Aunt Chen laughed.
No wonder Master Tang Li did so well in school. After all, he worked so hard in private.
Shen Yu nodded happily:
That’s good.
Watching children grow…
How can it be bad?
Shen Yu’s exigent can’t be contained, it was a kind of
my child’s first growth
satisfaction.
Before going to bed, Shen Yu went to Tang Li’s bedroom door in his wheelchair. He hesitated for half a day, but he still couldn’t help knocking on the door.
It would be bad to disturb the study of the little villain.
Shen Yu didn’t know if the little villain remembers his own birthday is in three days.
Shen Yu remembered everything he had prepared secretly with Uncle Zhang and Aunt Chen and began to look forward to the reaction of the little villain when he got home from school. He hoped that all he had done would make the little villain get rid of his past resentments sooner.
-
In a twinkling of an eye, it was Tang Li’s birthday.
Shen Yu, who had always loved lounging in bed, got up early and watched Uncle Zhang drive Tang Li to school. Then, he and Aunt Chen got busy.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, a strange number appeared on Shen Yu’s mobile phone.
It was the bakery staff who had brought over the birthday cake.
Shen Yu asked Aunt Chen to go to the security booth to get the cake, and then continued to decorate the living room with the servants.
At that moment, Shen Yu’s cell phone, which was placed on the tea table, rang again. He handed the decorations to the servant and picked up the cell phone. He found that it was another strange call.
Although Shen Yu never told his personal number to outsiders, there were still a few unwanted calls in his daily life.
Usually, Shen Yu would choose to ignore it directly. However, he thought that maybe the cake delivery staff had changed their mobile phones and were trying to call him.
So, he answered the phone and said,
Hello.
An unexpected silence from the other side of the line lasted for a long time before a slightly hoarse middle-aged male voice rang out:
Hello, is this Mr. Shen? I’m Lei Yumeng’s father…
…………….
Tang Li is a child with a quick mind.
Despite Shen Yu’s intention to hide it, he had already guessed what Shen Yu was going to do today.
Moreover, the door of the warehouse was never locked up. So, he could easily see what Shen Yu, Uncle Zhang and Aunt Chen had prepared by sneaking into the warehouse to look around while others were not paying attention.
Nevertheless, Tang Li still pretended to know nothing. He forcibly suppressed the joy that almost overflowed from his chest and followed Uncle Zhang to school as if nothing had happened.
Tang Li is in a very good mood.
Even when faced with several girls who often pestered him, he was not as cynical as before.
At noon, Tang Li and his two classmates were eating in the dining hall when they suddenly saw a boy who loved to gossip running over in panic. He was panting, looking around and yelling,
Not good!
A lot of people looked around.
Tang Li bowed his head and concentrated on his meal. There was no reaction from the little villain.
Instead, the classmate sitting next to Tang Li urgently said,
What’s wrong? Speak quickly!
The male classmate patted his chest and slowly breathed, then turned his eyes to Tang Li, and anxiously opened his mouth:
Lei Yumeng cut her wrist in the bathroom to commit suicide and was sent to the hospital by her teacher.
Hearing this, the people around him burst into nervous chatter and turned their eyes to Tang Li.
Tang Li, who had been eating all this time, finally responded, but still, he did not show any panic or worry. Instead, he frowned impatiently, looked up and asked the male classmate,
When did it happen?
The male student answered,
Just before the first class this morning.
Tang Li:
Is she all right?
The boy shook his head.
I don’t know that. I heard that the toilet lid was covered with blood. While Lei Yumeng was being carried away by her teacher, the blood on her hand dripped all the whole time.
Tang Li said lightly,
Oh.
Then, keep eating.
Others saw Tang Li’s indifferent attitude, so they dared not continue to talk about this topic.
With a sigh, the boy touched his nose embarrassingly and turned quietly away.
Although Tang Li didn’t care about it, the heavy news had spread all over the elementary and middle school by the afternoon, and even the middle schools far away heard the news.
Before the end of school, the information passed to Tang Li was more complete.
It is said that Lei Yumeng was bullied for a month by several middle school girls who dragged her to the small playground almost every day for two beatings. At first, the girls only kicked a few times, and then it developed to the point of slapping her ears and burning her arms with cigarette butts.
Lei Yumeng’s head teacher knew what was happening to her, but for this year’s excellent class moral and his own evaluation, the head teacher chose to ignore it.
Deeply bullied, Lei Yumeng did not dare to seek help from the outside world. She could only bear it silently. Until this morning, she decided to commit suicide by cutting her wrist in the school bathroom.
As for the reason why Lei Yumeng was bullied
There are also divergent opinions.
Only the students in Tang Li’s class knew the whole story. They thought that Tang Li would be affected by it, or they would be called to the office by the head teacher for accountability.
However, when the bell rang, Tang Li was like a normal person, and with an air of composure, packed up his schoolbag and got up to walk out of the classroom.
After a long and murmured argument, one of Tang Li’s classmates carefully asked him,
Are you going to the hospital to see Lei Yumeng?
Tang Li looked straight ahead and asked in a strange way,
Why should I go to see her?
The classmate said,
She was bullied by those girls after she started clinging to you…
Tang Li turned his head to his classmates and fixed his black eyes on them without any emotion. He pulled up the corner of his mouth and said,
What does that have to do with me? Did I let those people bully her? Or did I let her commit suicide?
…
The classmate was stared at by Tang Li. He opened his mouth and could not spit out a word.
Tang Li looked at his classmate’s fearful face and suddenly squinted and laughed,
Do you know what kind of person is the most stupid?
The classmates dared not ignore the:
… Who?
The chilling voice of Tang Li rang out:
Parrots who repeat things without thinking.
Subconsciously, the students retreated, swallowed their saliva, and watched Tang Li turn and walk away. Only then did they breathe in relief, with cold sweat dripping down their backs.
Tang Li trotted out of the school gate and soon found Uncle Zhang’s car.
Thinking of Shen Yu, who was waiting for him at home, Tang Li felt that his depression had been swept away. He was like a happy bird, bustling into the car.
Uncle Zhang.
Tang Li cried in a clear voice.
However, Uncle Zhang did not respond as respectfully as before. Instead, he looked at Tang Li in a very complicated way through the rearview mirror and gave a low-pitched hum.
Tang Li immediately noticed something was wrong. He blinked blankly and asked in a low voice,
Uncle Zhang, what’s wrong?
Nothing.
Uncle Zhang took back his gaze and slowly started the car.
When we return home you can ask that again.
[1] When he originally says,
I’m sorry
he uses 对不起, which only means
I’m sorry
. But the second time he apologizes he uses 抱歉, which can mean
pardon me
as well as
sorry
and is a bit less formal and gentler in tone.
[2] Meaning her teeth go in and out of view with the movements of laughter. I think…
[3] He’s calling her aunt instead of sister, implying she old.
