Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Chapter 297 Laughter is the best disguise

A morning breeze blew by, carrying the faint scent of soap from him.

Perhaps because he was going back to school, he had just gotten a haircut. His hair was neatly cut, his sideburns were newly trimmed, and his beard was freshly shaved. His face, which looked thinner, appeared smaller, but he looked very energetic.

She stood motionless inside the courtyard gate, her voice calm and indifferent, "Good morning."

His gaze swept over her quickly from head to toe. "Are you going out? To school?"

"I... I'll take a walk." She hesitated for a moment.

"Practicing walking?"

"Ah."

He prepared to open the courtyard gate. "Shall I show you around?"

"No, I can do it myself," she said hastily, then added, "The doctor said I have to do the exercises myself; I can't always rely on others."

He listened and nodded silently.

The two of them were standing facing each other again for no apparent reason.

With only him and her, and no one else around, the atmosphere became pure and simple.

The morning breeze in spring is still a bit cool. I wonder if it's because the breeze cools down the temperature in our hearts, and the two of us sitting together also feel cool.

The tension from yesterday's game of musical chairs was gone, and the awkwardness of their bickering yet intimate interactions in the hospital a few days ago seemed to have faded away. Standing in the cool morning breeze, it seemed that all that remained between the two of them was a simple greeting of "hello."

Is this exactly what she wanted?

It was the distance she kept saying she wanted in the hospital—she even said: a good ex should be like…

She never wanted to mention that word again.

She smiled. "Are you going back to school?"

"Yes," he replied briefly and quickly.

"Then hurry up and go, don't be late." She smiled again.

Sometimes, laughter is the best disguise, capable of concealing a multitude of emotions.

"Hmm." Just like before, he would never use two words if he could express something in one.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, he heard her call from behind, "Gu Juncheng!"

"Hmm?" He turned around immediately.

She leaned against the courtyard gate and smiled calmly at him. "Thank you."

"Thank me?" He was slightly taken aback.

“Mm,” she said. “Thank you for the amulet and the notebook.”

He remained silent for a moment before saying, "It's nothing, just something I happened to be doing."

Then he walked forward.

Lin Qingping looked at the familiar street and at his back, knowing that he would walk from here to the bus stop and then take the bus to school.

Those days when she was completely devoted to him, insisting on accompanying him to the platform early in the morning and watching him board the train, are now both near and far, and have ultimately been lost in the northern winds.

I could hear him say, "It was just a side thing."

Really? Was it just a side thing? If you said the amulet was just a side thing, she would believe it, but who would believe that copying a notebook was also just a side thing?

Lin Qingping ultimately failed to walk to school by herself.

Gu Juncheng was only delayed at her doorstep for a short while when Gu Youlian came out. In the end, Gu Youlian accompanied her to the school, to her dormitory to get her books, and then to her classroom before leaving.

Gu Youlian had originally planned to pick her up at noon and in the afternoon, but Zhong Xiaoxiao was very happy to see Lin Qingping return. She was completely recovered and told Gu Youlian not to bother, as she would take care of Lin Qingping herself.

So Zhong Xiaoxiao accompanied her at noon and in the afternoon, going to the cafeteria together for lunch, returning to the dormitory for a nap together, and then attending classes together in the afternoon.

Lin Qingping found it inconvenient to stay in the dormitory like this, so she decided to go home to stay that night, and Zhong Xiaoxiao took her home.

The two walked slowly from the school towards Lin Qingping's home.

At this point, almost a month had passed since the two of them last met at the hospital, and Lin Qingping had no idea what was going on between Zhong Xiaoxiao and her lover.

But Zhong Xiaoxiao didn't intend to tell her, so she didn't ask. The two just talked about things at school.

Zhong Xiaoxiao was very sorry that her notes were all lost in that dangerous encounter.

“I have some, I keep them at home, you can see if you can use them when you get back,” Lin Qingping said hurriedly.

"Do you still have yours?" Zhong Xiaoxiao asked in surprise.

Lin Qingping didn't want to explain further, and simply hummed in agreement.

This was Zhong Xiaoxiao's first time visiting Lin Qingping's home.

She knew Lin Qingping must come from a well-off family because her roommate Lu Xiaoxue often talked about Lin Qingping, mentioning what she wore and what she used. She also knew Lin Qingping had a home in the capital, but she never imagined it was such a large home…

"Lin Qingping, I'll leave you here. If it's convenient, take the notes to school tomorrow, and I'll borrow them to take another look." Zhong Xiaoxiao stood at the door, a little timid, and dared not go in.

"It's alright, come in and sit down. There shouldn't be anyone else at home right now," Lin Qingping invited her. At this time, Zhiyuan and Xiaomai should have been taken to the shop by Gu Youlian or Sister Zhao.

Zhong Xiaoxiao entered the room hesitantly. She sat wherever Lin Qingping told her to sit, not daring to move an inch.

Lin Qingping then took the notebook out of the bookcase and gave it to her.

Because of her leg injury, she tried to save effort by passing the food across the large desk. When Zhong Xiaoxiao reached out to take it, her arm was exposed, revealing faint scars.

Lin Qingping grabbed her hand, and Zhong Xiaoxiao was so frightened that she immediately pulled her hand back and forcefully pulled her sleeve to hide her wrist.

"Xiaoxiao?" Lin Qingping exclaimed in surprise.

Tears welled up in Zhong Xiaoxiao's eyes, and she shook her head frantically. "Lin Qingping, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. I have to go back to school right away. When it's convenient for you, bring your notes to the school so I can borrow them. I have to go now, thank you!"

After saying that, Zhong Xiaoxiao ran out the door.

Lin Qingping's legs were injured, so she couldn't catch up at all.

It was only then that she realized that when they were sleeping on the kang (a heated brick bed) during the research trip, Zhong Xiaoxiao always waited for her to fall asleep before she did, not only because the clothes were worn out, but also because she didn't want her to see the injuries on her body!

If Zhong Xiaoxiao and her lover were just having relationship problems and Zhong Xiaoxiao didn't intend to tell her, Lin Qingping probably wouldn't take the initiative to care. However, since Zhong Xiaoxiao was injured, she couldn't tolerate it!

She could actually guess how she got these injuries.

Zhong Xiaoxiao was studying here peacefully, what could have caused her injury? There's only one possibility—it's related to her lover!

Having made up her mind to intervene, she took the initiative to approach Zhong Xiaoxiao the next day. However, Zhong Xiaoxiao began to avoid her.

Her legs were weak and she couldn't catch up at all. She couldn't ask for help or risk revealing Zhong Xiaoxiao's secret to a third person. She could only watch helplessly as Zhong Xiaoxiao disappeared. Two days later, the weekend arrived, and Zhong Xiaoxiao simply asked two families to let their children go home because they were sick…

Lin Qingping could only stare helplessly as Zhong Xiaoxiao hurriedly walked away with her yellow schoolbag.

And coincidentally, this weekend is Lin Qingping's birthday.

It's April again.