Chapter 1301: Chaoyang

The two of them also exchanged mailing addresses. Not until Lin Chen got off the train did Chaoyang feel the seat suddenly much more spacious. Most of all, he was worked up with excitement—he was about to see Jing Chu. The girl he thought about day and night, the girl he loved down to his bones.

He knew his master and the others all said he behaved humbly, but he didn’t see it that way. She was the one he held on the tip of his heart; in matters of feelings, there’s no such thing as higher or lower. He didn’t feel that made him lowly.

Chaoyang’s heart was going up and down like this. He liked that girl so much, but he didn’t know if, when he showed up like this, he’d be able to see surprise on her face.

In his heart he kept imagining how he wanted her to react when he saw Jing Chu.

By the time he got off at the county station, it was already past eight in the evening. He walked down the road with big and small bags, his mood all stirred up.

Lv Beiguang’s home wasn’t exactly close to the train station; even for Chaoyang it took forty minutes on foot.

That night, after the four of them finished dinner, they were still sitting around chatting together.

It was all Lv Beiguang talking about things from when he was young. The two kids had already asked about their mother, but since Lv Beiguang and their mother had only lived together for a bit over a year, no matter how you turned it over, it was still those few things.

So most of the time, it was about his childhood.

They were just getting ready to go to bed when they heard knocking at the door. Father and son went out together to open it.

Seeing Chaoyang standing outside the door, the two of them were both stunned for a second.

"Uncle Lv, Guodong, I’m not going home for the New Year—I came here to spend it with you."

Lv Beiguang burst out laughing and took the bag from Chaoyang’s hand. "That’s great, come in quick."

"Chaoyang, it’s so good you could come." Guodong also took the bag from his other hand.

The two women inside had also heard the voices outside. With a smile on her face, Li Xue immediately got out of bed.

She might be an introverted girl, and of course she was happy to have Guodong with her, but she still wanted some family around.

Jing Chu got out of bed as well, and the two of them went out, meeting them just as they were coming in.

The first person Chaoyang looked at was the girl he’d been dreaming of.

Jing Chu was actually quite happy that Chaoyang had come.

She wasn’t especially resistant to the opposite sex or unwilling to deal with them, but Chaoyang was an exception.

He always quietly stayed by her side, and he didn’t have that kind of inappropriate gaze toward her. The two of them could talk and actually enjoy the conversation.

"Second Brother, this is great. You’re here for New Year." Li Xue was a little excited. She wasn’t familiar with this place at all; she really was somewhat uncomfortable.

"Yeah. It’s already snowed twice back home, and it’s still overcast these days. I was afraid I’d get stuck on the road, so I decided to stay and spend the New Year here."

There really was a smile on Jing Chu’s face—she was happy he’d come, right?

"Chaoyang, welcome."

"Thank you, Jing Chu." The person he’d pined for day and night was standing right in front of him like this, slim and neat, smiling as she welcomed him. Chaoyang felt his heart was practically soaring.

Lv Beiguang had long known this kid liked his daughter. But Jing Chu’s attitude had always been fairly flat. Chaoyang was also a solid, honest boy, so he’d never said anything.

"Second Brother, I’ll go make you something to eat. How about some noodle soup?"

"Sure. I’ll eat anything."

"Chaoyang, I’ll go warm up the bedding for you. You’ll stay in my room." Lv Beiguang said, standing there.

"Sorry to trouble you, Uncle Lv."

"What’s with the polite talk? Just treat this like your own home."

Guodong went to help his wife, so at that moment, the only ones left in the room were Chaoyang and Jing Chu.

"Jing Chu."

"Chaoyang, how are Aunt Jiang and the others?"

"They’re all doing fine. It’s just Aunt Yang wanted to come back with me, but she was afraid we’d get stuck on the road too, so she’s a bit down."

"Heh. Her, I really don’t know what she’s thinking.

How’s everything at home?"

"I’m not sure either. Xing Xiangzhang said my dad and the others would be going to a meeting in the next couple of days. I’ll go make a phone call then.

I’m not going back this year—my mom will definitely be worried."

"Of course. My sister-in-law isn’t home either; Auntie definitely won’t be happy."

"But my eldest sister-in-law is home this year, so my mom’s mood should be a bit better.

Jing Chu, these are fabrics I bought for you and Xue in the Capital, from the Overseas Chinese Store. I asked—they’re enough for each of you to make a top."

Chaoyang took out more than half a bolt of woolen cloth from his bag and laid it on the kang.

"These are shoes I got for you. The salesclerk there said they’re foreign-made, very comfortable to wear.

And this is a scarf—they said it’s wool. And a hat."

Chaoyang took things out one by one until they covered almost the whole kang; practically everything was for Jing Chu.

Lv Beiguang had originally intended to come in, but when he heard the two of them talking, he decided to give Chaoyang a chance. So he didn’t go in.

"Chaoyang, why did you buy so many things for me?"

Chaoyang hadn’t expected Jing Chu to ask him like that. He peeled open a piece of chocolate and handed it to her.

"When I went to the Overseas Chinese Store and saw these things, I just felt they were all suited to you.

My head was full of you at the time, so I bought them."

Jing Chu stared straight at Chaoyang. Even though the electric light was dim, she could see his expression clearly.

Chaoyang was looking at her the same way. He knew this was his chance, so he looked at her and said, "I like you. My heart is full of you. So I want to give you all the good things."

Jing Chu frowned a little. She didn’t dislike Chaoyang; he was also the only boy she thought was decent. But when it came to liking someone, she honestly had never given it any thought.

"What do you like about me? My looks?"

"I like everything. Even your bad temper—I like that too. I think girls should be like that." At this point Chaoyang could no longer worry about whether the time or place was right; this time he had to make his feelings clear.

Jing Chu kept looking at him. "But I don’t like you. I don’t know what it feels like to like a boy."

When Chaoyang heard the first half of that sentence, his heart sank, but the second half gave him hope again.

"Jing Chu, I’m not telling you this to force you or put pressure on you. I just want you to know how I feel.

You’re still young; maybe you don’t know that kind of feeling yet. I can wait, as long as you give me a chance to stay by your side."

Out in the doorway, Lv Beiguang felt even more satisfied with Chaoyang. His daughter was naturally slow when it came to feelings; having someone who could accommodate her and love her—that was her blessing.

"Chaoyang, I’m not going to give you any promises. If I meet someone I like in the future, that wouldn’t be fair to you."

Chaoyang gave a wry smile. "I know. But if that day really comes, I won’t blame you.

So I hope you’ll give me a chance. Give me a chance to stay by your side."

Jing Chu frowned. "That wouldn’t be good for you. It might hold you back. Maybe some good girl will just get missed because of it."

"It’s fine. In my eyes, no other girl can compare to you."