Chapter 47
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TW CW: Su***de/Blood
The instant her Moments were posted, Lu Zhiqiao's heart was raised, hanging in her throat and beating thud-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump, she pressed the phone in front of her collarbone, took a deep breath, and stared at the snowy scene outside the window.
During winter in northern Europe, the days are short and the nights are long. The sun doesn't shine until after nine o’clock. Even if it is bright, there is no shadow of the sun. At two or three o'clock in the afternoon, the sky will already be dark, starry sky appears, the dim street lights, the quiet town, and the white snow. Although the scenery is good, it is also because of its freshness that if you stay for a longer time, you will feel depressed.
When Lu Zhiqiao came to this place for the first time, she really felt fresh.The hotel she stayed in was along the street. The room layout was that the bed was next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. At night, snowflakes were falling outside, so she slept well indoors.
But at this moment, her heart could not calm down.
She wonders if Qi Yan saw the Moments she posted, if she saw it, what would she think? For a person like her who only posts work-related content, Qi Yan must be surprised when she suddenly posts a snow scene in a foreign country, which can be regarded as a daily routine related to life, right?
Will she be surprised, then start to guess, dig deep, and then find that it was only visible to her?
Lu Zhiqiao panicked. She always felt that Qi Yan was so smart that she would definitely guess it, which will immediately reveal her intention.
That can't be.
She withdrew her staring gaze, lowered her head, unlocked the screen, and clicked delete with trembling fingers, as if destroying the evidence that witnessed her sinful thoughts. She was both grateful and relieved.
But soon, she felt nervous again.
Why be so careful and think of something messy and unwarranted? It was just a picture of a scenery, she thought it looked good, so she posted it. It's just that there are thousands of people on the list, and seeing her daily life at the same time will make her feel uneasy, and QiYan is someone she trusts, so she set it to be only visible to her.
Just pretend that Qi Yan is the only one on the list.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiqiao re-edited another article with the same content as the deleted one, still choosing that only Qi Yan could see it, and this time she poked the screen heavily, posting confidently.
Then, as if her bones had been pulled out, she limply lay back and collapsed on the bed.
The phone suddenly vibrated a few times.
Lu Zhiqiao suddenly got excited, picked it up and looked at it, it was Qi Yan.
[Awake?]
[The photos are well taken and the scenery is beautiful]
Qi Yan saw it.
So fast.
Waiting for a reply?
Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips tightly, feeling a corner of her heart being poked, soft and itchy. She frowned deeply, and typed slowly to reply:
[Just got up.]
The other side replied in seconds: [Oh, so you posted it on Moments and ignored me]
Accusing tone.
With a simple sentence, Lu Zhiqiao couldn't help laughing, her tense heart relaxed a little bit, and fell back into her chest, beating steadily. Finally, she got the answer she wanted, as if everything had been settled, and she felt unprecedented peace of mind.
But it's not enough, she's still confused and doesn't know what the point of what she's doing is. Even if she got the answer, she would never take that step.
Isn't she just stringing people along for nothing?
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiqiao felt a little frustrated and irritable again, her smile gradually receded, and she continued typing:
[I happened to see a good view, so I took a picture, and I didn’t ignore you]
She is really not good at coaxing people, and the words she sends out look serious, even a little too serious. Would Qi Yan think too much? Could it be mistaken that she is angry?
Qi Yan's cautious look flashed in her mind, Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly, hurriedly clicked on the emoji bar, and sent a "cute" expression, but still felt that it was not enough, she pressed a row with her fingertips and sent it.
The six red-faced "cute" ones looked a little naive. Lu Zhiqiao felt like laughing when she saw it. She never expresses her expression when chatting with others, so she inexplicably thinks it's fun to post a few.
Qi Yan didn't reply in a second, and it kept showing that she was typing.
After a while, she received a link to a song called "Lonely Northern Hemisphere". It's a very old song, people who were born around that time may have heard it when they were young.
Lu Zhiqiao stared at the link for two seconds, then clicked in, but the prelude was not a familiar melody. The original version was sung by a male singer, while Qi Yan sang the version by a female singer.
The gentle and soft female voice, a little more affectionate, fully interprets the feeling of longing.
She listened quietly, her heart fluctuated with the gentle melody, and then she turned into a kite, floated into the sky, flew across the entire Eurasian continent, and landed in the far east at the other end. In the past, the string of the kite was held in the hands of her daughter, no matter how far she flew or where she was, she always cared about her, but now, there is one more person.
After listening to the song, Lu Zhiqiao closed her eyes and bowed her head to type with a smile on her lips.
["Lonely Eastern Hemisphere" seems more appropriate]
Qi Yan replied in seconds: [It's time to show off my ability to adapt lyrics and music on the spot]
[You really will?]
[No [Grimace]]
After a while, Qi Yan said again: [Then use my good afternoon to accompany you to breakfast]
Lu Zhiqiao smiled and replied 'okay'.
At the same time, Qi Yan curled up on the sofa with her mobile phone in her arms, looking at the long paragraph she had written in the memo, hesitated, and finally chose to delete it. Originally, she wrote a lot, including thoughts, complaints, and messy moods.
But that person is going to work, not on vacation, so it's better not to disturb her. If she needs something to say, she'll need to say it once she comes back.
Qi Yan sent Lu Zhiqiao a message "waiting for your return", and the other party said that she's about to go to breakfast, so she replied "okay" and exited the chat box. Then, clicked into Chi Nian's interface.
Now that she calmed down, she felt that her tone was not good. Her friend probably wanted to get her blessing. Though her intention was good, she didn't consider the other person's feelings, and just talked about her own opinions. In any case, her point of view will not change. Under the current social environment, most women who lose their jobs and return to their families become miserable.
She was afraid that Chi Nian would regret it in the future.
Sometimes falling in love is really harmful, but if it hurts the friendship between the two, it's not worth it.
Qi Yan sighed, pressed the voice button with her fingertips, and apologized sincerely: "A'Nian, I'm sorry, I spoke too impulsively earlier, and didn't consider your feelings..."
After talking for about a minute, Qi Yan wanted to persuade her again, but the matter is a foregone conclusion, and Chi Nian cannot be forced, after all, it is a matter between the husband and wife. She just feels helpless, this is her limitation, she can't understand, similarly, others can't understand her.
Bypassing this topic, they can still be friends.
Unexpectedly, Chi Nian replied quickly.
[It's okay, I'm also at fault, it's just that I'm tired and anxious these days, and I'm a little moody, so don't take it to heart.]
[You are anxious because you have no bottom line. In fact, you know it very well, don’t you? ]
Chi Nian: [Oh.]
With one word, Qi Yan understood that this matter was unclear, and it was not for her to intervene.
She simply sent a red envelope over.
[Godmother reservation]
[No matter what happens in the future, as long as I can help you, just tell me. I want you to be happy too. Now that the baby is here, welcome him well]
The input method memory is "her", Qi Yan typed it out and deleted it, and changed it to "him".
Just as Chi Nian wished.
In the days when Lu Zhiqiao was away, time passed very slowly, Qi Yan counted the days on her fingers, today is only Wednesday, and that person will not be back until tomorrow afternoon. She has no class tomorrow afternoon, so she made an appointment to pick up Lu Zhiqiao at the airport, and the time passed even slower amidst the sense of anticipation.
It was not long before the beginning of spring, and the temperature was still low. After days of rain, the sun finally showed its face. It hung high in the blue sky at noon, and the washed clouds floated like cotton wool, it was very warm.
Ten minutes between classes, the corridors and the quadrangle of the teaching building were crowded with students basking in the sun.
Qi Yan came out of Class 1- 2 after class, Yang Qing followed her, the two stood outside the door and chatted about the content of the class for a while, some children basking in the sun in the corridor stood neatly, watching them from the corner of their eyes. When the two left, some stared at them generously, either curiously or probing.
On the seat by the window, Lu Wei stretched her neck to look outside, secretly took out a comic book from the drawer, and carefully covered it and started reading.
The book belongs to Wang Zheyi. He has an older sister who is in high school. He has a lot of girly manga and light novel collections at home. She was fascinated when she read it the first time. She wanted to buy one for herself, but she was afraid that her mother would scold her if she found out, so she could only secretly read it on her mobile phone.
But e-books are far less comfortable to read than paper books.
Wang Zheyi is like a treasure, every time, he brings different books, and they all suit her taste, she really likes him to death.
Hey-hey.
Not long after, the preparatory bell rang. Qi Yan and Yang Qing walked towards the office. Passing by the window, she subconsciously took a look in and saw the "daughter" sitting by the window putting away a book in the drawer.
The little girl moved very quickly, Qi Yan only saw the colorful cover, and she knew in a flash that it was a romance novel again.
She didn't bother, she had already walked to the back door, and went straight to the office with Yang Qing on her arm.
Most of the teachers in the office have gone to class, and those who have no class either sit by the window to bask in the sun, or sit at the desk to correct homework, comfortable and lazy. Qi Yan put down her things and poured a glass of water to drink. She finished her class this afternoon, so she is very free at the moment.
Yang Qing thought that the sunlight in the office was not enough, so she quietly came over and asked her to go to the playground. Qi Yan thought that there was nothing to do, and it would be boring to go home, so she agreed.
The playground is on the other side of the teaching building, and the two of them walked through the long corridor to the stairs at the other end. When they passed the second classroom, Qi Yan glanced in, and her eyes fell on "her daughter" precisely. The little girl is listening to the lecture carefully and her heart relaxed a little.
There were still three classrooms left, and suddenly there was an angry shout from the front. The thick and loud voice echoed in the ring-shaped teaching building, which was particularly clear and piercing.
"It seems to be Teacher Xu's voice." Yang Qing was startled, frowned and muttered, "He's swearing again."
After only half a month of internship, she knew that there was a fierce math teacher in the school. He was middle-aged, tall and burly, with a bad temper, and scolded students at every turn. There was a little girl named Lu Wei in the second class who suffered a lot.
Fortunately, she isn't under that kind of person.
Qi Yan also heard it, quickened her pace, the sound was getting closer and closer, she walked to the last classroom, Class 7, the window was open, she turned her head sideways, and saw Xu Shoukui standing in the group by the window like a wall By the side, holding the test paper and scolding a girl.
The girl was very thin and small, her thick bangs almost covered half of her face, she stood on the seat with her head buried very low.
Qi Yan didn't stop on her feet, turned into the stairwell with Yang Qing on her arm, and hurried downstairs.
There were a few more angry curses from behind, it was hard to hear, Qi Yan was terrified when she heard it, and when she thought of him calling her "daughter" like this, she wanted to rush up and fight with this person, every math class in Class 1-2, she's always on tenterhooks.
"Teacher Xu is terrible, he's like the dean in our school..."
Yang Qing muttered in a low voice, Qi Yan patted her arm lightly, and said softly: "Don't gossip about the right and wrongs of your colleagues. Although the school environment is relatively simple, where there are people there is a struggle, do not trust me too much."
"Yeah, I got it."
Yang Qing nodded seriously, but didn't take Qi Yan's last words to heart. She thought Qi Yan was good, and she could always feel it in daily interactions.
"By the way, sister Yanyan, you don't have class tomorrow afternoon, do you?"
"I don't, why?"
Going down to the first floor, the two of them walked out of the stairs. Surrounded by teaching buildings on all sides, it was gloomy, and the two bare trees in the middle looked lonely and desolate. Yang Qing smiled shyly: "I asked for leave, and my mother asked me to go on a blind date tomorrow afternoon. It's just right if you don't have class, so I won't be late."
"Blind date?" Qi Yan stopped and looked her up and down with wide eyes, "You're only a junior, so you're already going on blind dates?"
"My mother wants me to get married early, I just do this to appease her. I haven't played enough. How could I get married so early?"
"..."
Qi Yan felt suffocated for no reason.
She doesn't like discussing this topic very much, such as getting married or having a baby, she would get angry when she talked about it, and it would be easy to offend people. But the atmosphere that suffocates her is everywhere.
Most of the female teachers are married and have children. They usually gossip in the office and the topics never leave their husbands and children. Occasionally, there are a few unmarried and young people, since this career is stable and able to take care of their families. With no worries in finding a partner.
Qi Yan often feels like an outsider.
But as long as she doesn't participate, doesn't interfere, and she lives her leisurely life without affecting anyone, she can bear it. Therefore, she has no particularly close colleagues, and only maintains ordinary communication with everyone. If nothing particularly disgusting happens to her, everything will be fine.
So far, she hasn't encountered anything that can disgust her.
"Well, yes, the thinking of the elders is..."
Before she finished speaking, there was a loud "bang" from behind, as if some heavy object hit the ground fiercely, Qi Yan jolted violently, her heart hit her chest, then saw Yang Qing's gaze over her, looking straight behind, slowly widened her eyes, showing a frightened expression
"Ah!" Yang Qing screamed, grabbed Qi Yan's arm suddenly, and turned her face away.
There were screams one after another upstairs, and at that moment, Qi Yan had a bad premonition in her heart, as if guessing what was going on, her straight back froze, she turned around along with her gaze slowly bit by bit.
A girl in school uniform was lying on the ground with her head tilted, her thick bangs drooping obliquely, revealing a pair of wide-eyed eyes, her body twitched slightly, and a large amount of scarlet blood spread out.
The moment she turned around, Qi Yan met her gaze unexpectedly.
The girl's immature face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were full of resentment, unwillingness and hatred, but they quickly solidified and gradually became lax, as silent as empty stagnant water.
The blood stained her school uniform, converging into a dazzling red stream, seeping into the sewer along the cracks in the floor tiles.
Qi Yan's mind buzzed, as if there were countless flies and mosquitoes flying around her ears, shielding all the surrounding sounds. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't perceive anything, just quietly looking at the girl's body lying in a pool of blood…
…
At five o'clock, the setting sun still had its afterglow.
A woman in casual home clothes stood on the balcony, opened the window, tiptoed, and reached out to close the bed sheet and quilt outside to dry. Her arms were full of cotton cloth overflowing with the scent of lavender, she turned and stepped into the living room, put it on the sofa, raised her hand to tuck the hair falling from her forehead behind her ears, revealing soft and soft eyes like apricot kernels, with black tails. Her tear mole revealing its charm.
Lu Zhiqiao came back a day early.
She got off the plane at noon, ate something casually at home, rested for a while, cleaned up in the afternoon, took advantage of the sunny weather, washed her and her daughter's sheets and quilts then took them out to dry in the sun.
She told no one.
The business trip was long, the project progressed smoothly, and the task was completed satisfactorily, so when she had time to go shopping, she brought some gifts for her daughter and Qi Yan, hoping to surprise them.
At this point, her daughter should be home—if the last class is not delayed, or if it is not her turn to be on class duty today.
Lu Zhiqiao checked the time on her phone and was about to make a call when a key rang from the door of the living room, then the door opened, and her daughter appeared behind it. She turned her head and raised a smiling face: "Niu Niu, I'm back."
"Mom?" The little girl closed the door behind her back and looked at her in surprise, "Aren't you coming back tomorrow?"
Lu Zhiqiao put down her phone, smiled and walked over to get her school bag, touched her ponytail, "Mom missed you, so she came back early."
"Hmm."
Lu Wei nodded, without saying a word, lowered her head to change her shoes.
"What's the matter, girl?" Lu Zhiqiao sensed that the child was in a bad mood, put her school bag on the sofa, and put her arms around her shoulders in concern. "Did something happen at school, huh?"
Lu Wei pouted and whispered, "Someone jumped off the building in our school today."
"Jumped off the building..." Lu Zhiqiao was taken aback for a moment, murmured and repeated, then frowned, raised her hand to caress her face, and asked anxiously, "Did you see it?"
"No, it's covered by a cloth."
Lu Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief, hugged her daughter tightly, while saying that it is okay, and kissing her forehead.
"Where's Teacher Qi? Is she off work?"
"...She was taken away by the police." The little girl said in a low voice.
"What?"
Her mind is like riding a roller coaster, it goes up and down, and just after it falls, it is thrown high again. Lu Zhiqiao's face turned pale, her mind was in a mess, and she thought about everything good and bad all at once.
Why was she taken away by the police?
Did she commit a crime?
or--
Does Qi Yan have something to do with the jumping off the building incident?
Author's Note:
Yan Yan: I'm afraid, I want Qiao Qiao to hug me. tut
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
TW CW: Su***de/Blood
The instant her Moments were posted, Lu Zhiqiao's heart was raised, hanging in her throat and beating thud-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump, she pressed the phone in front of her collarbone, took a deep breath, and stared at the snowy scene outside the window.
During winter in northern Europe, the days are short and the nights are long. The sun doesn't shine until after nine o’clock. Even if it is bright, there is no shadow of the sun. At two or three o'clock in the afternoon, the sky will already be dark, starry sky appears, the dim street lights, the quiet town, and the white snow. Although the scenery is good, it is also because of its freshness that if you stay for a longer time, you will feel depressed.
When Lu Zhiqiao came to this place for the first time, she really felt fresh.The hotel she stayed in was along the street. The room layout was that the bed was next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. At night, snowflakes were falling outside, so she slept well indoors.
But at this moment, her heart could not calm down.
She wonders if Qi Yan saw the Moments she posted, if she saw it, what would she think? For a person like her who only posts work-related content, Qi Yan must be surprised when she suddenly posts a snow scene in a foreign country, which can be regarded as a daily routine related to life, right?
Will she be surprised, then start to guess, dig deep, and then find that it was only visible to her?
Lu Zhiqiao panicked. She always felt that Qi Yan was so smart that she would definitely guess it, which will immediately reveal her intention.
That can't be.
She withdrew her staring gaze, lowered her head, unlocked the screen, and clicked delete with trembling fingers, as if destroying the evidence that witnessed her sinful thoughts. She was both grateful and relieved.
But soon, she felt nervous again.
Why be so careful and think of something messy and unwarranted? It was just a picture of a scenery, she thought it looked good, so she posted it. It's just that there are thousands of people on the list, and seeing her daily life at the same time will make her feel uneasy, and QiYan is someone she trusts, so she set it to be only visible to her.
Just pretend that Qi Yan is the only one on the list.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiqiao re-edited another article with the same content as the deleted one, still choosing that only Qi Yan could see it, and this time she poked the screen heavily, posting confidently.
Then, as if her bones had been pulled out, she limply lay back and collapsed on the bed.
The phone suddenly vibrated a few times.
Lu Zhiqiao suddenly got excited, picked it up and looked at it, it was Qi Yan.
[Awake?]
[The photos are well taken and the scenery is beautiful]
Qi Yan saw it.
So fast.
Waiting for a reply?
Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips tightly, feeling a corner of her heart being poked, soft and itchy. She frowned deeply, and typed slowly to reply:
[Just got up.]
The other side replied in seconds: [Oh, so you posted it on Moments and ignored me]
Accusing tone.
With a simple sentence, Lu Zhiqiao couldn't help laughing, her tense heart relaxed a little bit, and fell back into her chest, beating steadily. Finally, she got the answer she wanted, as if everything had been settled, and she felt unprecedented peace of mind.
But it's not enough, she's still confused and doesn't know what the point of what she's doing is. Even if she got the answer, she would never take that step.
Isn't she just stringing people along for nothing?
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiqiao felt a little frustrated and irritable again, her smile gradually receded, and she continued typing:
[I happened to see a good view, so I took a picture, and I didn’t ignore you]
She is really not good at coaxing people, and the words she sends out look serious, even a little too serious. Would Qi Yan think too much? Could it be mistaken that she is angry?
Qi Yan's cautious look flashed in her mind, Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly, hurriedly clicked on the emoji bar, and sent a "cute" expression, but still felt that it was not enough, she pressed a row with her fingertips and sent it.
The six red-faced "cute" ones looked a little naive. Lu Zhiqiao felt like laughing when she saw it. She never expresses her expression when chatting with others, so she inexplicably thinks it's fun to post a few.
Qi Yan didn't reply in a second, and it kept showing that she was typing.
After a while, she received a link to a song called "Lonely Northern Hemisphere". It's a very old song, people who were born around that time may have heard it when they were young.
Lu Zhiqiao stared at the link for two seconds, then clicked in, but the prelude was not a familiar melody. The original version was sung by a male singer, while Qi Yan sang the version by a female singer.
The gentle and soft female voice, a little more affectionate, fully interprets the feeling of longing.
She listened quietly, her heart fluctuated with the gentle melody, and then she turned into a kite, floated into the sky, flew across the entire Eurasian continent, and landed in the far east at the other end. In the past, the string of the kite was held in the hands of her daughter, no matter how far she flew or where she was, she always cared about her, but now, there is one more person.
After listening to the song, Lu Zhiqiao closed her eyes and bowed her head to type with a smile on her lips.
["Lonely Eastern Hemisphere" seems more appropriate]
Qi Yan replied in seconds: [It's time to show off my ability to adapt lyrics and music on the spot]
[You really will?]
[No [Grimace]]
After a while, Qi Yan said again: [Then use my good afternoon to accompany you to breakfast]
Lu Zhiqiao smiled and replied 'okay'.
At the same time, Qi Yan curled up on the sofa with her mobile phone in her arms, looking at the long paragraph she had written in the memo, hesitated, and finally chose to delete it. Originally, she wrote a lot, including thoughts, complaints, and messy moods.
But that person is going to work, not on vacation, so it's better not to disturb her. If she needs something to say, she'll need to say it once she comes back.
Qi Yan sent Lu Zhiqiao a message "waiting for your return", and the other party said that she's about to go to breakfast, so she replied "okay" and exited the chat box. Then, clicked into Chi Nian's interface.
Now that she calmed down, she felt that her tone was not good. Her friend probably wanted to get her blessing. Though her intention was good, she didn't consider the other person's feelings, and just talked about her own opinions. In any case, her point of view will not change. Under the current social environment, most women who lose their jobs and return to their families become miserable.
She was afraid that Chi Nian would regret it in the future.
Sometimes falling in love is really harmful, but if it hurts the friendship between the two, it's not worth it.
Qi Yan sighed, pressed the voice button with her fingertips, and apologized sincerely: "A'Nian, I'm sorry, I spoke too impulsively earlier, and didn't consider your feelings..."
After talking for about a minute, Qi Yan wanted to persuade her again, but the matter is a foregone conclusion, and Chi Nian cannot be forced, after all, it is a matter between the husband and wife. She just feels helpless, this is her limitation, she can't understand, similarly, others can't understand her.
Bypassing this topic, they can still be friends.
Unexpectedly, Chi Nian replied quickly.
[It's okay, I'm also at fault, it's just that I'm tired and anxious these days, and I'm a little moody, so don't take it to heart.]
[You are anxious because you have no bottom line. In fact, you know it very well, don’t you? ]
Chi Nian: [Oh.]
With one word, Qi Yan understood that this matter was unclear, and it was not for her to intervene.
She simply sent a red envelope over.
[Godmother reservation]
[No matter what happens in the future, as long as I can help you, just tell me. I want you to be happy too. Now that the baby is here, welcome him well]
The input method memory is "her", Qi Yan typed it out and deleted it, and changed it to "him".
Just as Chi Nian wished.
In the days when Lu Zhiqiao was away, time passed very slowly, Qi Yan counted the days on her fingers, today is only Wednesday, and that person will not be back until tomorrow afternoon. She has no class tomorrow afternoon, so she made an appointment to pick up Lu Zhiqiao at the airport, and the time passed even slower amidst the sense of anticipation.
It was not long before the beginning of spring, and the temperature was still low. After days of rain, the sun finally showed its face. It hung high in the blue sky at noon, and the washed clouds floated like cotton wool, it was very warm.
Ten minutes between classes, the corridors and the quadrangle of the teaching building were crowded with students basking in the sun.
Qi Yan came out of Class 1- 2 after class, Yang Qing followed her, the two stood outside the door and chatted about the content of the class for a while, some children basking in the sun in the corridor stood neatly, watching them from the corner of their eyes. When the two left, some stared at them generously, either curiously or probing.
On the seat by the window, Lu Wei stretched her neck to look outside, secretly took out a comic book from the drawer, and carefully covered it and started reading.
The book belongs to Wang Zheyi. He has an older sister who is in high school. He has a lot of girly manga and light novel collections at home. She was fascinated when she read it the first time. She wanted to buy one for herself, but she was afraid that her mother would scold her if she found out, so she could only secretly read it on her mobile phone.
But e-books are far less comfortable to read than paper books.
Wang Zheyi is like a treasure, every time, he brings different books, and they all suit her taste, she really likes him to death.
Hey-hey.
Not long after, the preparatory bell rang. Qi Yan and Yang Qing walked towards the office. Passing by the window, she subconsciously took a look in and saw the "daughter" sitting by the window putting away a book in the drawer.
The little girl moved very quickly, Qi Yan only saw the colorful cover, and she knew in a flash that it was a romance novel again.
She didn't bother, she had already walked to the back door, and went straight to the office with Yang Qing on her arm.
Most of the teachers in the office have gone to class, and those who have no class either sit by the window to bask in the sun, or sit at the desk to correct homework, comfortable and lazy. Qi Yan put down her things and poured a glass of water to drink. She finished her class this afternoon, so she is very free at the moment.
Yang Qing thought that the sunlight in the office was not enough, so she quietly came over and asked her to go to the playground. Qi Yan thought that there was nothing to do, and it would be boring to go home, so she agreed.
The playground is on the other side of the teaching building, and the two of them walked through the long corridor to the stairs at the other end. When they passed the second classroom, Qi Yan glanced in, and her eyes fell on "her daughter" precisely. The little girl is listening to the lecture carefully and her heart relaxed a little.
There were still three classrooms left, and suddenly there was an angry shout from the front. The thick and loud voice echoed in the ring-shaped teaching building, which was particularly clear and piercing.
"It seems to be Teacher Xu's voice." Yang Qing was startled, frowned and muttered, "He's swearing again."
After only half a month of internship, she knew that there was a fierce math teacher in the school. He was middle-aged, tall and burly, with a bad temper, and scolded students at every turn. There was a little girl named Lu Wei in the second class who suffered a lot.
Fortunately, she isn't under that kind of person.
Qi Yan also heard it, quickened her pace, the sound was getting closer and closer, she walked to the last classroom, Class 7, the window was open, she turned her head sideways, and saw Xu Shoukui standing in the group by the window like a wall By the side, holding the test paper and scolding a girl.
The girl was very thin and small, her thick bangs almost covered half of her face, she stood on the seat with her head buried very low.
Qi Yan didn't stop on her feet, turned into the stairwell with Yang Qing on her arm, and hurried downstairs.
There were a few more angry curses from behind, it was hard to hear, Qi Yan was terrified when she heard it, and when she thought of him calling her "daughter" like this, she wanted to rush up and fight with this person, every math class in Class 1-2, she's always on tenterhooks.
"Teacher Xu is terrible, he's like the dean in our school..."
Yang Qing muttered in a low voice, Qi Yan patted her arm lightly, and said softly: "Don't gossip about the right and wrongs of your colleagues. Although the school environment is relatively simple, where there are people there is a struggle, do not trust me too much."
"Yeah, I got it."
Yang Qing nodded seriously, but didn't take Qi Yan's last words to heart. She thought Qi Yan was good, and she could always feel it in daily interactions.
"By the way, sister Yanyan, you don't have class tomorrow afternoon, do you?"
"I don't, why?"
Going down to the first floor, the two of them walked out of the stairs. Surrounded by teaching buildings on all sides, it was gloomy, and the two bare trees in the middle looked lonely and desolate. Yang Qing smiled shyly: "I asked for leave, and my mother asked me to go on a blind date tomorrow afternoon. It's just right if you don't have class, so I won't be late."
"Blind date?" Qi Yan stopped and looked her up and down with wide eyes, "You're only a junior, so you're already going on blind dates?"
"My mother wants me to get married early, I just do this to appease her. I haven't played enough. How could I get married so early?"
"..."
Qi Yan felt suffocated for no reason.
She doesn't like discussing this topic very much, such as getting married or having a baby, she would get angry when she talked about it, and it would be easy to offend people. But the atmosphere that suffocates her is everywhere.
Most of the female teachers are married and have children. They usually gossip in the office and the topics never leave their husbands and children. Occasionally, there are a few unmarried and young people, since this career is stable and able to take care of their families. With no worries in finding a partner.
Qi Yan often feels like an outsider.
But as long as she doesn't participate, doesn't interfere, and she lives her leisurely life without affecting anyone, she can bear it. Therefore, she has no particularly close colleagues, and only maintains ordinary communication with everyone. If nothing particularly disgusting happens to her, everything will be fine.
So far, she hasn't encountered anything that can disgust her.
"Well, yes, the thinking of the elders is..."
Before she finished speaking, there was a loud "bang" from behind, as if some heavy object hit the ground fiercely, Qi Yan jolted violently, her heart hit her chest, then saw Yang Qing's gaze over her, looking straight behind, slowly widened her eyes, showing a frightened expression
"Ah!" Yang Qing screamed, grabbed Qi Yan's arm suddenly, and turned her face away.
There were screams one after another upstairs, and at that moment, Qi Yan had a bad premonition in her heart, as if guessing what was going on, her straight back froze, she turned around along with her gaze slowly bit by bit.
A girl in school uniform was lying on the ground with her head tilted, her thick bangs drooping obliquely, revealing a pair of wide-eyed eyes, her body twitched slightly, and a large amount of scarlet blood spread out.
The moment she turned around, Qi Yan met her gaze unexpectedly.
The girl's immature face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were full of resentment, unwillingness and hatred, but they quickly solidified and gradually became lax, as silent as empty stagnant water.
The blood stained her school uniform, converging into a dazzling red stream, seeping into the sewer along the cracks in the floor tiles.
Qi Yan's mind buzzed, as if there were countless flies and mosquitoes flying around her ears, shielding all the surrounding sounds. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't perceive anything, just quietly looking at the girl's body lying in a pool of blood…
…
At five o'clock, the setting sun still had its afterglow.
A woman in casual home clothes stood on the balcony, opened the window, tiptoed, and reached out to close the bed sheet and quilt outside to dry. Her arms were full of cotton cloth overflowing with the scent of lavender, she turned and stepped into the living room, put it on the sofa, raised her hand to tuck the hair falling from her forehead behind her ears, revealing soft and soft eyes like apricot kernels, with black tails. Her tear mole revealing its charm.
Lu Zhiqiao came back a day early.
She got off the plane at noon, ate something casually at home, rested for a while, cleaned up in the afternoon, took advantage of the sunny weather, washed her and her daughter's sheets and quilts then took them out to dry in the sun.
She told no one.
The business trip was long, the project progressed smoothly, and the task was completed satisfactorily, so when she had time to go shopping, she brought some gifts for her daughter and Qi Yan, hoping to surprise them.
At this point, her daughter should be home—if the last class is not delayed, or if it is not her turn to be on class duty today.
Lu Zhiqiao checked the time on her phone and was about to make a call when a key rang from the door of the living room, then the door opened, and her daughter appeared behind it. She turned her head and raised a smiling face: "Niu Niu, I'm back."
"Mom?" The little girl closed the door behind her back and looked at her in surprise, "Aren't you coming back tomorrow?"
Lu Zhiqiao put down her phone, smiled and walked over to get her school bag, touched her ponytail, "Mom missed you, so she came back early."
"Hmm."
Lu Wei nodded, without saying a word, lowered her head to change her shoes.
"What's the matter, girl?" Lu Zhiqiao sensed that the child was in a bad mood, put her school bag on the sofa, and put her arms around her shoulders in concern. "Did something happen at school, huh?"
Lu Wei pouted and whispered, "Someone jumped off the building in our school today."
"Jumped off the building..." Lu Zhiqiao was taken aback for a moment, murmured and repeated, then frowned, raised her hand to caress her face, and asked anxiously, "Did you see it?"
"No, it's covered by a cloth."
Lu Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief, hugged her daughter tightly, while saying that it is okay, and kissing her forehead.
"Where's Teacher Qi? Is she off work?"
"...She was taken away by the police." The little girl said in a low voice.
"What?"
Her mind is like riding a roller coaster, it goes up and down, and just after it falls, it is thrown high again. Lu Zhiqiao's face turned pale, her mind was in a mess, and she thought about everything good and bad all at once.
Why was she taken away by the police?
Did she commit a crime?
or--
Does Qi Yan have something to do with the jumping off the building incident?
Author's Note:
Yan Yan: I'm afraid, I want Qiao Qiao to hug me. tut
TW CW: Su***de/BloodThe instant her Moments were posted, Lu Zhiqiao's heart was raised, hanging in her throat and beating thud-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump, she pressed the phone in front of her collarbone, took a deep breath, and stared at the snowy scene outside the window.During winter in northern Europe, the days are short and the nights are long. The sun doesn't shine until after nine o'clock. Even if it is bright, there is no shadow of the sun. At two or three o'clock in the afternoon, the sky will already be dark, starry sky appears, the dim street lights, the quiet town, and the white snow. Although the scenery is good, it is also because of its freshness that if you stay for a longer time, you will feel depressed.When Lu Zhiqiao came to this place for the first time, she really felt fresh.The hotel she stayed in was along the street. The room layout was that the bed was next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. At night, snowflakes were falling outside, so she slept well indoors.But at this moment, her heart could not calm down.She wonders if Qi Yan saw the Moments she posted, if she saw it, what would she think? For a person like her who only posts work-related content, Qi Yan must be surprised when she suddenly posts a snow scene in a foreign country, which can be regarded as a daily routine related to life, right?Will she be surprised, then start to guess, dig deep, and then find that it was only visible to her?Lu Zhiqiao panicked. She always felt that Qi Yan was so smart that she would definitely guess it, which will immediately reveal her intention.That can't be.She withdrew her staring gaze, lowered her head, unlocked the screen, and clicked delete with trembling fingers, as if destroying the evidence that witnessed her sinful thoughts. She was both grateful and relieved.But soon, she felt nervous again.Why be so careful and think of something messy and unwarranted? It was just a picture of a scenery, she thought it looked good, so she posted it. It's just that there are thousands of people on the list, and seeing her daily life at the same time will make her feel uneasy, and QiYan is someone she trusts, so she set it to be only visible to her.Just pretend that Qi Yan is the only one on the list.Thinking of this, Lu Zhiqiao re-edited another article with the same content as the deleted one, still choosing that only Qi Yan could see it, and this time she poked the screen heavily, posting confidently.Then, as if her bones had been pulled out, she limply lay back and collapsed on the bed.The phone suddenly vibrated a few times.Lu Zhiqiao suddenly got excited, picked it up and looked at it, it was Qi Yan.Awake?The photos are well taken and the scenery is beautifulQi Yan saw it.So fast.Waiting for a reply?Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips tightly, feeling a corner of her heart being poked, soft and itchy. She frowned deeply, and typed slowly to reply:Just got up.The other side replied in seconds: Oh, so you posted it on Moments and ignored meAccusing tone.With a simple sentence, Lu Zhiqiao couldn't help laughing, her tense heart relaxed a little bit, and fell back into her chest, beating steadily. Finally, she got the answer she wanted, as if everything had been settled, and she felt unprecedented peace of mind.But it's not enough, she's still confused and doesn't know what the point of what she's doing is. Even if she got the answer, she would never take that step.Isn't she just stringing people along for nothing?Thinking of this, Lu Zhiqiao felt a little frustrated and irritable again, her smile gradually receded, and she continued typing:I happened to see a good view, so I took a picture, and I didn't ignore youShe is really not good at coaxing people, and the words she sends out look serious, even a little too serious.Would Qi Yan think too much? Could it be mistaken that she is angry?Qi Yan's cautious look flashed in her mind, Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly, hurriedly clicked on the emoji bar, and sent a "cute" expression, but still felt that it was not enough, she pressed a row with her fingertips and sent it.The six red-faced "cute" ones looked a little naive. Lu Zhiqiao felt like laughing when she saw it. She never expresses her expression when chatting with others, so she inexplicably thinks it's fun to post a few.Qi Yan didn't reply in a second, and it kept showing that she was typing.After a while, she received a link to a song called "Lonely Northern Hemisphere". It's a very old song, people who were born around that time may have heard it when they were young.Lu Zhiqiao stared at the link for two seconds, then clicked in, but the prelude was not a familiar melody. The original version was sung by a male singer, while Qi Yan sang the version by a female singer.The gentle and soft female voice, a little more affectionate, fully interprets the feeling of longing.She listened quietly, her heart fluctuated with the gentle melody, and then she turned into a kite, floated into the sky, flew across the entire Eurasian continent, and landed in the far east at the other end. In the past, the string of the kite was held in the hands of her daughter, no matter how far she flew or where she was, she always cared about her, but now, there is one more person.After listening to the song, Lu Zhiqiao closed her eyes and bowed her head to type with a smile on her lips."Lonely Eastern Hemisphere" seems more appropriateQi Yan replied in seconds: It's time to show off my ability to adapt lyrics and music on the spotYou really will?No GrimaceAfter a while, Qi Yan said again: Then use my good afternoon to accompany you to breakfastLu Zhiqiao smiled and replied 'okay'.At the same time, Qi Yan curled up on the sofa with her mobile phone in her arms, looking at the long paragraph she had written in the memo, hesitated, and finally chose to delete it.Originally, she wrote a lot, including thoughts, complaints, and messy moods.But that person is going to work, not on vacation, so it's better not to disturb her. If she needs something to say, she'll need to say it once she comes back.Qi Yan sent Lu Zhiqiao a message "waiting for your return", and the other party said that she's about to go to breakfast, so she replied "okay" and exited the chat box. Then, clicked into Chi Nian's interface.Now that she calmed down, she felt that her tone was not good. Her friend probably wanted to get her blessing. Though her intention was good, she didn't consider the other person's feelings, and just talked about her own opinions. In any case, her point of view will not change. Under the current social environment, most women who lose their jobs and return to their families become miserable.She was afraid that Chi Nian would regret it in the future.Sometimes falling in love is really harmful, but if it hurts the friendship between the two, it's not worth it.Qi Yan sighed, pressed the voice button with her fingertips, and apologized sincerely: "A'Nian, I'm sorry, I spoke too impulsively earlier, and didn't consider your feelings..."After talking for about a minute, Qi Yan wanted to persuade her again, but the matter is a foregone conclusion, and Chi Nian cannot be forced, after all, it is a matter between the husband and wife. She just feels helpless, this is her limitation, she can't understand, similarly, others can't understand her.Bypassing this topic, they can still be friends.Unexpectedly, Chi Nian replied quickly.It's okay, I'm also at fault, it's just that I'm tired and anxious these days, and I'm a little moody, so don't take it to heart.You are anxious because you have no bottom line. In fact, you know it very well, don't you? Chi Nian: Oh.With one word, Qi Yan understood that this matter was unclear, and it was not for her to intervene.She simply sent a red envelope over.Godmother reservationNo matter what happens in the future, as long as I can help you, just tell me. I want you to be happy too. Now that the baby is here, welcome him wellThe input method memory is "her", Qi Yan typed it out and deleted it, and changed it to "him".Just as Chi Nian wished.In the days when Lu Zhiqiao was away, time passed very slowly, Qi Yan counted the days on her fingers, today is only Wednesday, and that person will not be back until tomorrow afternoon. She has no class tomorrow afternoon, so she made an appointment to pick up Lu Zhiqiao at the airport, and the time passed even slower amidst the sense of anticipation.It was not long before the beginning of spring, and the temperature was still low. After days of rain, the sun finally showed its face. It hung high in the blue sky at noon, and the washed clouds floated like cotton wool, it was very warm.Ten minutes between classes, the corridors and the quadrangle of the teaching building were crowded with students basking in the sun.Qi Yan came out of Class 1- 2 after class, Yang Qing followed her, the two stood outside the door and chatted about the content of the class for a while, some children basking in the sun in the corridor stood neatly, watching them from the corner of their eyes. When the two left, some stared at them generously, either curiously or probing.On the seat by the window, Lu Wei stretched her neck to look outside, secretly took out a comic book from the drawer, and carefully covered it and started reading.The book belongs to Wang Zheyi. He has an older sister who is in high school. He has a lot of girly manga and light novel collections at home. She was fascinated when she read it the first time. She wanted to buy one for herself, but she was afraid that her mother would scold her if she found out, so she could only secretly read it on her mobile phone.But e-books are far less comfortable to read than paper books.Wang Zheyi is like a treasure, every time, he brings different books, and they all suit her taste, she really likes him to death.Hey-hey.Not long after, the preparatory bell rang. Qi Yan and Yang Qing walked towards the office. Passing by the window, she subconsciously took a look in and saw the "daughter" sitting by the window putting away a book in the drawer.The little girl moved very quickly, Qi Yan only saw the colorful cover, and she knew in a flash that it was a romance novel again.She didn't bother, she had already walked to the back door, and went straight to the office with Yang Qing on her arm.Most of the teachers in the office have gone to class, and those who have no class either sit by the window to bask in the sun, or sit at the desk to correct homework, comfortable and lazy. Qi Yan put down her things and poured a glass of water to drink. She finished her class this afternoon, so she is very free at the moment.Yang Qing thought that the sunlight in the office was not enough, so she quietly came over and asked her to go to the playground. Qi Yan thought that there was nothing to do, and it would be boring to go home, so she agreed.The playground is on the other side of the teaching building, and the two of them walked through the long corridor to the stairs at the other end. When they passed the second classroom, Qi Yan glanced in, and her eyes fell on "her daughter" precisely. The little girl is listening to the lecture carefully and her heart relaxed a little.There were still three classrooms left, and suddenly there was an angry shout from the front. The thick and loud voice echoed in the ring-shaped teaching building, which was particularly clear and piercing."It seems to be Teacher Xu's voice." Yang Qing was startled, frowned and muttered, "He's swearing again."After only half a month of internship, she knew that there was a fierce math teacher in the school. He was middle-aged, tall and burly, with a bad temper, and scolded students at every turn. There was a little girl named Lu Wei in the second class who suffered a lot.Fortunately, she isn't under that kind of person.Qi Yan also heard it, quickened her pace, the sound was getting closer and closer, she walked to the last classroom, Class 7, the window was open, she turned her head sideways, and saw Xu Shoukui standing in the group by the window like a wall By the side, holding the test paper and scolding a girl.The girl was very thin and small, her thick bangs almost covered half of her face, she stood on the seat with her head buried very low.Qi Yan didn't stop on her feet, turned into the stairwell with Yang Qing on her arm, and hurried downstairs.There were a few more angry curses from behind, it was hard to hear, Qi Yan was terrified when she heard it, and when she thought of him calling her "daughter" like this, she wanted to rush up and fight with this person, every math class in Class 1-2, she's always on tenterhooks."Teacher Xu is terrible, he's like the dean in our school..."Yang Qing muttered in a low voice, Qi Yan patted her arm lightly, and said softly: "Don't gossip about the right and wrongs of your colleagues. Although the school environment is relatively simple, where there are people there is a struggle, do not trust me too much.""Yeah, I got it."Yang Qing nodded seriously, but didn't take Qi Yan's last words to heart. She thought Qi Yan was good, and she could always feel it in daily interactions."By the way, sister Yanyan, you don't have class tomorrow afternoon, do you?""I don't, why?"Going down to the first floor, the two of them walked out of the stairs. Surrounded by teaching buildings on all sides, it was gloomy, and the two bare trees in the middle looked lonely and desolate. Yang Qing smiled shyly: "I asked for leave, and my mother asked me to go on a blind date tomorrow afternoon. It's just right if you don't have class, so I won't be late.""Blind date?" Qi Yan stopped and looked her up and down with wide eyes, "You're only a junior, so you're already going on blind dates?""My mother wants me to get married early, I just do this to appease her. I haven't played enough. How could I get married so early?""..."Qi Yan felt suffocated for no reason.She doesn't like discussing this topic very much, such as getting married or having a baby, she would get angry when she talked about it, and it would be easy to offend people. But the atmosphere that suffocates her is everywhere.Most of the female teachers are married and have children. They usually gossip in the office and the topics never leave their husbands and children. Occasionally, there are a few unmarried and young people, since this career is stable and able to take care of their families. With no worries in finding a partner.Qi Yan often feels like an outsider.But as long as she doesn't participate, doesn't interfere, and she lives her leisurely life without affecting anyone, she can bear it. Therefore, she has no particularly close colleagues, and only maintains ordinary communication with everyone. If nothing particularly disgusting happens to her, everything will be fine.So far, she hasn't encountered anything that can disgust her."Well, yes, the thinking of the elders is..."Before she finished speaking, there was a loud "bang" from behind, as if some heavy object hit the ground fiercely, Qi Yan jolted violently, her heart hit her chest, then saw Yang Qing's gaze over her, looking straight behind, slowly widened her eyes, showing a frightened expression"Ah!" Yang Qing screamed, grabbed Qi Yan's arm suddenly, and turned her face away.There were screams one after another upstairs, and at that moment, Qi Yan had a bad premonition in her heart, as if guessing what was going on, her straight back froze, she turned around along with her gaze slowly bit by bit.A girl in school uniform was lying on the ground with her head tilted, her thick bangs drooping obliquely, revealing a pair of wide-eyed eyes, her body twitched slightly, and a large amount of scarlet blood spread out.The moment she turned around, Qi Yan met her gaze unexpectedly.The girl's immature face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were full of resentment, unwillingness and hatred, but they quickly solidified and gradually became lax, as silent as empty stagnant water.The blood stained her school uniform, converging into a dazzling red stream, seeping into the sewer along the cracks in the floor tiles.Qi Yan's mind buzzed, as if there were countless flies and mosquitoes flying around her ears, shielding all the surrounding sounds. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't perceive anything, just quietly looking at the girl's body lying in a pool of bloodAt five o'clock, the setting sun still had its afterglow.A woman in casual home clothes stood on the balcony, opened the window, tiptoed, and reached out to close the bed sheet and quilt outside to dry. Her arms were full of cotton cloth overflowing with the scent of lavender, she turned and stepped into the living room, put it on the sofa, raised her hand to tuck the hair falling from her forehead behind her ears, revealing soft and soft eyes like apricot kernels, with black tails. Her tear mole revealing its charm.Lu Zhiqiao came back a day early.She got off the plane at noon, ate something casually at home, rested for a while, cleaned up in the afternoon, took advantage of the sunny weather, washed her and her daughter's sheets and quilts then took them out to dry in the sun.She told no one.The business trip was long, the project progressed smoothly, and the task was completed satisfactorily, so when she had time to go shopping, she brought some gifts for her daughter and Qi Yan, hoping to surprise them.At this point, her daughter should be homeif the last class is not delayed, or if it is not her turn to be on class duty today.Lu Zhiqiao checked the time on her phone and was about to make a call when a key rang from the door of the living room, then the door opened, and her daughter appeared behind it. She turned her head and raised a smiling face: "Niu Niu, I'm back.""Mom?" The little girl closed the door behind her back and looked at her in surprise, "Aren't you coming back tomorrow?"Lu Zhiqiao put down her phone, smiled and walked over to get her school bag, touched her ponytail, "Mom missed you, so she came back early.""Hmm."Lu Wei nodded, without saying a word, lowered her head to change her shoes."What's the matter, girl?" Lu Zhiqiao sensed that the child was in a bad mood, put her school bag on the sofa, and put her arms around her shoulders in concern. "Did something happen at school, huh?"Lu Wei pouted and whispered, "Someone jumped off the building in our school today.""Jumped off the building..." Lu Zhiqiao was taken aback for a moment, murmured and repeated, then frowned, raised her hand to caress her face, and asked anxiously, "Did you see it?""No, it's covered by a cloth."Lu Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief, hugged her daughter tightly, while saying that it is okay, and kissing her forehead."Where's Teacher Qi? Is she off work?""...She was taken away by the police." The little girl said in a low voice."What?"Her mind is like riding a roller coaster, it goes up and down, and just after it falls, it is thrown high again. Lu Zhiqiao's face turned pale, her mind was in a mess, and she thought about everything good and bad all at once.Why was she taken away by the police?Did she commit a crime?or--Does Qi Yan have something to do with the jumping off the building incident?Author's Note:Yan Yan: I'm afraid, I want Qiao Qiao to hug me. tut
