CEG Chapter 9

Jiang Muping said to Cheng Yan, “I wouldn’t call it force, being asked to go to an art exhibition with an old classmate.”

 

“But I’ll misunderstand it .”

 

In Cheng Yan’s eyes, the relationship of old classmates has always been dispensable. If they had not met on a blind date before, his life would never have intersected with Jiang Muping again.

 

He had no memories worth recalling from the past, and he had long lost contact with his former classmates. He was lucky to have such an excellent “old classmate” as Jiang Muping, but Cheng Yan did not need an “old classmate”, so everything Jiang Muping did as an old classmate was meaningless.

 

Cheng Yan’s life trajectory was completely different from Jiang Muping’s from the very beginning, so this encounter was like an accident.

 

“What’s the misunderstanding?” Jiang Muping asked.

 

“I misunderstood that you had further thoughts about me.”

 

“So, do you have any further ideas for me?”

 

This sentence sounded like a confession, but Cheng Yan knew it was just a question.

 

Cheng Yan didn’t deny it immediately, but said ambiguously, “I don’t know.”

 

Jiang Muping was talented and handsome, and with the filter of high school, it was no surprise that Cheng Yan had a crush on him. Cheng Yan had never been in a relationship before, and Jiang Muping seemed like a perfect partner in every way. However, Cheng Yan was too rational, and his ideas were too self-centered and absolute.

 

He unilaterally denied any possibility of a relationship between him and Jiang Muping, so he didn’t want Jiang Muping to create hope.

 

The invitation to go to the art exhibition together slightly shook Cheng Yan’s rationality, but the conversation between Jiang Muping and Li Sizhi just now brought him back to reality.

 

Cheng Yan knew that he was no longer young. He was used to being alone, but he did not enjoy it. Especially after meeting Jiang Muping, he realized that he had been living alone for so many years, chasing the rest of his life alone.

 

Maybe this is how people are. When they are used to something, they can tolerate everything, but once the flow is broken, they will become at a loss.

 

“I don’t know.” Cheng Yan said again.

 

There was a moment of silence between them until Jiang Muping said, “Tell me when you know.”

 

Cheng Yan looked up at him.

 

“The exhibition is about to close. Do you want to stay and watch for a while longer?” Jiang Muping asked him.

 

“Um.”

 

The two of them wandered around until the exhibition closed. Jiang Muping was about to take Cheng Yan back to school to get the car, but Cheng Yan said to him, “Can you take me back to the studio to get something first? since I can go home directly from the school instead of going back to the studio .”

 

“Okay.”

 

This was Jiang Muping’s third time to come to Cheng Yan’s studio. The door of the studio was translucent. When the assistant girl inside saw the familiar car, she immediately stuck her head out to look.

 

Cheng Yan closed the door and got out of the car. He heard someone calling him from behind. The voice was deep and a bit old, “Xiao Yan.”

 

Cheng Yan turned around and saw the person coming and called out, “Uncle Lin.”

 

Jiang Muping glanced at the rearview mirror, where half of a man’s body was reflected.

 

“How are you doing recently?” Lin Jianmin still had that polite smile on his face.

 

Cheng Yan said, “I’m doing fine. How about you?”

 

“I’m fine. I’m here on business and just happened to come see you.” Lin Jianmin glanced at the person sitting in the car, “Who is this?”

 

“My friend,” Cheng Yan said. “He’s Ah-jing’s teacher, Professor Jiang.”

 

Lin Jianmin was a little surprised, “Really?” He hurried to the window and nodded repeatedly to Jiang Muping in the car, “Hello, Jiang Laoshi, I am Lin Weijing’s father.”

 

Jiang Muping nodded, “Hello.”

 

Cheng Yan asked Lin Jianmin, “Uncle Lin…what brings you here?”

 

“Huh?” Lin Jianmin turned around quickly. “Nothing, I just stopped by to see you.”

 

Lin Jianmin turned his head back and said, “Teacher Jiang, is our Ah-Jing doing well in school?”

 

College isn’t high school, so Jiang Muping wasn’t sure how to answer this question. He answered truthfully, “I’m his teacher. I don’t take many of their classes, so I don’t know much about Lin Weijing.” He paused, then added, “He gave me a paper a while ago that had some interesting ideas.”

 

“Really?” Lin Jianmin smiled proudly. “We’ve never had to worry about this kid’s studies since he was little. When he said he wanted to apply to City University to study law, he actually got in. His mom and I really didn’t worry about him at all…”

 

Lin Jianmin kept talking, and the topic always revolved around Lin Weijing. In fact, he was not so talkative when facing Cheng Yan. It was to Jiang Muping that he opened his mouth.

 

But Jiang Muping didn’t say much, just listened silently, so Lin Jianmin gradually calmed down and stopped talking endlessly.

 

“Have I delayed you?”

 

Jiang Muping shook his head.

 

“I won’t bother you anymore. You’re busy.” Lin Jianmin turned to Cheng Yan and said, “Xiao Yan, I’m leaving first.”

 

“Well, take care of yourself.”

 

Cheng Yan went into the studio to get his things and returned to Jiang Muping’s car. Jiang Muping started the car and drove towards North City University.

 

Halfway along the way, Jiang Muping asked, “Lin Weijing’s father?”

 

“Um.”

 

“Adoptive father?”

 

Cheng Yan turned his head and glanced at Jiang Muping.

 

“Lin Weijing told me,” Jiang Muping said, “but sorry, I was the one who asked him about it.”

 

“Why did you ask that?”

 

“Curious, I was curious why you suddenly disappeared before the start of senior year.”

 

Cheng Yan was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, a strange feeling that he couldn’t quite explain. Jiang Muping remembered that he had left school during his junior year of high school. It seemed Jiang Muping had more memories of Cheng Yan than he’d(CY) imagined.

 

“I dropped out of school.” Cheng Yan’s tone was flat and his voice was still hoarse.

 

Jiang Muping hummed softly, “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“Class monitor.” Cheng Yan suddenly called out, taking both of them back to that summer twenty years ago.

 

It was late summer, the beginning of his second year of high school, when Cheng Yan transferred from out of town to Jiang Muping’s school. He spent only a brief winter and spring there, leaving again when the following summer arrived.

 

“What?” Jiang Muping smiled.

 

“I remember I used to call you that.”

 

“Well, I thought you didn’t know my name.” Jiang Muping said in an accusing tone, “You’d never call me by my name.”

 

Cheng Yan didn’t want to tell Jiang Muping that he didn’t dare to call him, and he didn’t even dare to say a few more words to him.

 

He was really very self-deprecating at that time, and in the name of self-deprecation he hurt many people unintentionally.

 

Cheng Yan’s biological father was a gambling addict and alcoholic. Before his father died, Cheng Yan spent his childhood moving countless times. He had no fixed place to live and wandered around with his mother, who could only swallow her anger, moving from one city to another again and again.

 

Unfortunately, his poor mother never got rid of his father until her death.

 

Cheng Yan’s biological father drank himself to death, leaving behind a mountain of debt that crushed his mother. Cheng Yan suspected his mother favored his younger brother more, otherwise she wouldn’t have left Cheng Yan alone. Without a word, she jumped into the river, holding the four-year-old Lin Weijing.

 

Cheng Yan calmly recounted the past, “They rescued my brother, but my mother didn’t survive.

 

“My mother passed away and my family had no source of income. I couldn’t afford to go to school, so I dropped out.”

 

Cheng Yan had good grades in high school and was very hardworking. Although he had behavioral flaws, he studied very hard because he always wanted to break free from his poor situation, change his fate, and end his mother’s suffering, but his mother didn’t give him the opportunity.

 

After reuniting with Jiang Muping, he often wondered if he had finished high school well and, if he was lucky, gotten into a good university. Would his life be closer to an outstanding person like Jiang Muping? Would his most youthful years be more memorable?

 

“Then I raised my brother for two years, but couldn’t afford it anymore, so I sent him to live with his current parents.” Cheng Yan’s Adam’s apple moved, and he turned to look out the window. “He doesn’t blame me, though.”

 

Cheng Yan’s tone was light and casual, but each word carried a weight. Jiang Muping knew that he must have omitted many details in his narration.

 

“He has no reason to blame you,” Jiang Muping said. “Under such circumstances, placing him with a family capable of raising him is the best option.”

 

Jiang Muping heard Cheng Yan’s breathing getting heavier. Cheng Yan was silent for a long time, still looking out the window, “If I could have afforded to send him to school, I would definitely not have made him take the last name Lin.”

 

 

 

 

 

_______________________________________

 

 

 

 

My heart aches for baby Yanyan (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠).      He has suffered so much! Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh today chapter was quite sad. Can’t wait to explore more of their past….. And it seems there are implications of Yanyan liking muping back then, I’m excited for the upcoming events!!!

Write down your thoughts on the comments!!