Chapter 46: Your Memorial Day

  I stood at the gate, exchanging awkward glances with Fang Wenke and Wang Yanning.

  I know Hou Wenke too well, so in the glance he just exchanged with me, I saw his hidden thoughts and secrets. That kind of vulnerability is a result of time spent together, both good and bad.

  At this moment, I didn't know where to focus my gaze. I didn't want to see through Fang Wenke's secrets, nor did I want to penetrate Wang Ying's identity.

  Many exposures are just a momentary thing, while many heartaches can last a lifetime.

  Wang Ying's hand hovered in mid-air, I didn't extend mine to respond to her polite greeting, I always felt that this was too sudden.

  Her height is really high, and Fang Wenke matches her well. The half-palm difference in their heights makes the atmosphere feel harmonious, but I've become a live light bulb.

  It wasn't long before Zhao Jun walked back into the house with a bag of daily necessities, I took a glance at the things inside the transparent shopping bag: a pink mouthwash cup, a pink toothbrush, a pink face towel and washcloth, even a set of pink pajamas.

  It's obvious that Zhao Jun bought all these things for me. I looked down at my own shopping bag again, full of cheap goods, without any aesthetic value.

  Zhao Jun is too considerate of me, in comparison, I seem to have neglected myself too much.

  Zhao Jun was also shocked by the scene in front of him, and he had only gone to the supermarket for a while, but Fang Wenke's home had such an unexpected guest.

  Before I could even speak, Zhao Jun dragged me away directly.

  I was dragged away, and as I turned my head back to look at Fang Wenke and Wang Ying standing at the door, I suddenly remembered that Wang Ying's face seemed familiar, and her name also sounded very familiar.

  "My upper bunk is also called Wang Ying! I remembered! I saw her personal file in the counselor's office, it was her! She is the Wang Ying who has never reported to our dorm!" I suddenly shouted out loud, but at this moment, I had already been taken by Zhao Jun to a place hundreds of meters away. When I turned back, I couldn't see Fang Wenke and Wang Ying's figures anymore.

  "She is indeed our alumna." Zhao Jun said languidly, as if he too had been exhausted by the effort of this moment.

  "How did she end up in Fang Wenke's house? And why did you suddenly pull me away?"

  I seem to know what the answer is and I dare to confirm that Zhao Jun must be aware of this matter, but I just want to hear Zhao Jun tell me a bloody fact in person.

  "Do you want to hear the truth? Are you sure you can handle it?" Zhao Jun looked at me skeptically, his eyes filled with fear and doubt.

  "Go on! I'm guessing she's just an ex-girlfriend or something, am I right?" I calmly looked at Zhao Jun, but in reality my heart was already turbulent with waves. I was afraid to hear a positive answer, and I really hoped the ending would be a clever reversal.

  "Yes, Wang Ying is indeed Fang Wenke's ex-girlfriend." Zhao Jun glanced at me cautiously with his eyes, afraid that I would suddenly explode in anger. However, I restrained myself, pursed my lips and said: "And then?"

  Zhao Jun saw that my emotions were still relatively stable, so he leaned against the mottled wall of the alleyway, let out a sigh, looked up at the sky, and then began to tell me a story that wasn't very long.

  "Wang Ying and Fang Wenke should actually be considered childhood sweethearts, both families were very wealthy and they grew up playing together. Wang Ying was the acknowledged lady of their social circle, but not in the classical sense of a delicate flower. She was the kind of girl who handled things efficiently, with decisive thinking. At 16 years old, she was already helping her father manage the company's affairs, due to her extremely high IQ and mature emotional intelligence, she was basically the best among her peers."

  At that time, Fang Wenke had been following Wang Xing's butt every day since he was eight years old. Because the economic strength of both families was similar, their parents also intentionally matched them up. However, excluding the reason for the strong alliance in terms of economy, Fang Wenke really liked Wang Xing. By the time he was fourteen, it became very obvious. Originally not in the same class, Fang Wenke had his mother use her connections to get him transferred to Wang Xing's class and even sat at the same table as her. Every time they got out of class or ate lunch, Fang Wenke would buy snacks or lunch for Wang Xing. What was most astonishing was that even when Wang Xing went to the bathroom, Fang Wenke insisted on accompanying her, but only waited outside the door for her. He almost never got tired and was not bored at all.

  At that time, the whole school knew that Fang Wenke liked Wang Ying, and their relationship was also a natural fit. Wang Ying did not reject Fang Wenke, nor did she explicitly say that she liked Fang Wenke. The two naturally became a couple, and they were together for nearly five years.

  However, in the year of high school graduation and university enrollment, something unexpected happened. After the admission notice came out, although both of them were admitted to our university, Wang Ying suddenly disappeared, saying she went to Paris. Fang Wenke told me that Wang Ying fell in love with a French foreign teacher who had only taught them four lessons in their senior year, it was love at first sight. Then Wang Ying left without saying goodbye, not even reporting to the university. Fang Wenke tried every means to contact Wang Ying, even going to Paris himself, wandering around streets and alleys. Once he was cheated into a black bar and almost lost his life, later found the local police station and barely returned to China.

  Zhao Jun's words trailed off slowly, and I roughly understood the outline of this story.

  I stood with Zhao Jun on one side of the alley, accompanied by the crisp ringing of bicycles drifting by.

  Zhao Jun finished telling the story he knew, straightened up, left the mottled wall that supported him, shook off the sports suit that was not very comfortable on his body, and quietly waited for my response.

  I stared at the wall and muttered: "How did you know so much?"

  "Actually, I and Fang Wenke have been growing up together since childhood." Zhao Jun scratched his head, but never revealed that he and Fang Wenke were biological brothers.

  "So, Wang Ying is back in the country now, right?" I slowly shifted my gaze to my shoes, avoiding eye contact with Zhao Jun, hoping he could give me an objective answer without any pressure.

  "Judging from today's situation, it should be like this: Wang Ying has returned home."

  I continued staring at my own shoes and didn't respond.

  I've worn this pair of Nike sneakers for so long that I've forgotten how long it's been.

  I still remember that this pair of shoes was bought by Fang Wenke for me. At the time he gave it to me, I didn't fit well when I wore them, but after putting on a pair of insoles, they became much more suitable.

  Now, the shoelace on my right foot is untied, and there are several stains on the shoe surface that I don't know if they can be washed away, just like my heart.

  Zhao Jun looked at me with my head down and dazed, and squatted down again to help me tie up the shoelaces that I had neglected to manage.

  This is the second time Zhao Jun helped me tie my shoelaces, the first time was at the police station where they arrested my father.

  The night grew darker, and the cold wind began its nocturnal invasion, with a constant flow of cool air passing through my neck, taking away body heat.

  I was strolling along the road with Zhao Jun, unsure of where to go next. Fang Wenke hadn't called either, and everything had happened suddenly and couldn't be arranged.

  In the overly quiet atmosphere, I recalled the stunned expression on Fang Wenke's face when he saw me today. Suddenly, I understood his feelings, that kind of feeling where both sides of the heart cannot let go.

  Originally, we all have our own anniversaries.

  Zhu Yang is my memorial day, Wang Ying is Fang Wenke's memorial day.