Chapter 9 Chapter 8: The Secret of the Birthday

The next day was the birthday of the two sisters, which coincided with the weekend. Originally, Wang Fan had to be on duty in the infirmary. The entertainment was rejected, in their words: My family has a daughter who is just growing up, and there is nothing more important than the daughter's eighteenth birthday. Originally, she planned to have a good meal with the family, but Zhi Yi insisted on inviting Gu Weizhen to invite Uncle Ji's family over.Hearing that it was Zhi Yizhi'an's birthday, Ji Peiwen's family naturally prepared gifts and came to Gu's house happily. By the time of dinner, everyone had already sat at the dining table, and Zhi An was nowhere to be seen after waiting. According to Zhi Yi, she went out early in the morning, probably to Professor Xie's place.

Several people chatted and laughed and waited for nearly 20 minutes, but Zhi'an didn't come back. Gu Weizhen was slightly dissatisfied, "This kid is so used to being wild, he doesn't even know he's back home." Wang Fan looked at Ji Peiwen's family apologetically, and asked her husband in a low voice, "How about we eat first and wait while we eat? Or the food will be cold." Gu Weizhen hesitated, Zhiyi shook her head, "No, today is also Zhian's Birthday, the birthday star hasn’t arrived yet, how can we eat first?” Seeing that the adults were silent, she stood up, “Why don’t you, Mom and Dad, sit down with Uncle Ji and Aunt Xu first, I know where Professor Xie lives, I'm going to call Zhi'an back."

"Sit down, why bother, she will come back when she wants to come back." Gu Weizhen said. Wang Fan smiled, "Let Zhiyi go." Zhi Yi walked to the door and came back again, "Um...Brother Ji Ting, come with me." "Me?" Ji Ting seemed a little surprised, he didn't speak.Zhiyi looked at him slightly embarrassed. "Ji Ting?" Seeing that his son was a little strange, Ji Peiwen called him, "Zhi Yi is still waiting for you." "...Okay." He smiled and stood up, "Let's go, Zhiyi." Xie Sinian's residence is in the East Campus, where the faculty and staff dormitories are relatively secluded, and the school specially allocated him a bungalow with a small courtyard in front and back according to his request.

It is estimated that it will take about 15 minutes to walk from the west campus where the Gu family and Ji family live to the east campus. Zhiyi and Ji Ting chose the nearest path.The two walked hurriedly, Zhi Yi lowered her head thinking about her own thoughts, and did not notice Ji Ting's special silence today. It was about to turn off the path they were taking now, make a detour, and pass through a gate to the East Campus. Xie Sinian's residence was not far behind that gate. "Brother Ji Ting..." Zhi Yi suddenly called Ji Ting. "Huh?" Ji Ting stopped in his tracks.

She struggled to twist the lace of her skirt with her hands, looked up at him, and hesitated to speak. She was wearing a light green floral cotton skirt today, and she stood there gracefully, like a new lotus in a pond in summer, with a faint and cool fragrance. He looked at her with a smile, "What's the matter, Zhiyi?" She lowered her head, looked at her toes, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's moan: "Today is my birthday, I..." The words behind her were too soft, Ji Ting couldn't hear clearly for a while, so he took a step closer to her, "Zhiyi, what did you just say?"

Zhi Yi didn't answer, but suddenly raised her head, tiptoed, and quickly pecked his lips lightly.These movements came too fast, completely out of Ji Ting's expectation, he was taken aback, and unconsciously turned his face, her soft and moist lips fell on his cheek. After she kissed him, she took a step back, only a pair of eyes were surprisingly bright on her red face.Ji Ting slowly stroked the place she touched just now with his hand, but his face was strangely pale, and he said, "Zhiyi..." Zhiyi covered her ears with her hands, closed her eyes, "Don't say anything, don't say anything, please..."

Ji Ting also closed his eyes for a short while, as if he heard a sigh of pity in the dark, when he opened his eyes again, only the joyful eyes stayed on his face.She gently tugged on his sleeve, "Let's go, we will go back when we find Zhi'an." She didn't talk to him all the way, and occasionally raised her head to meet his eyes, and smiled softly at him. As soon as he walked through the gate of the East Campus and walked into the faculty dormitory area, he saw the small door in Xie Sinian's weed-grown yard opened from a distance, and the tall and slim figure who came out was Zhi An or someone else.

Zhi An slanted his painting tools, and a slender man came out. The two of them stood on the grass and talked to each other. Although they couldn't hear what they said, it was like a harmonious picture. For some reason, Ji Ting slowed down. The two people who were facing them seemed to have finished their conversation. Zhi An lowered his head uncharacteristically. The man opened his arms and held her tightly in his arms, then lifted her face, and kiss her forehead. Zhiyi was also very surprised, she recognized the man's back, it was Xie Sinian, who was in the limelight in the art department, she couldn't believe her eyes, and looked at Ji Ting as if to prove it, only to find that Ji Ting didn't know something Time had already stopped, like a clay sculpture, looking indifferently in the direction ahead.

Zhi'an and Xie Sinian ended the hug, looked up, and inadvertently saw the two who were waiting for her.She said a few words to Xie Sinian in a low voice, and Xie Sinian glanced in Ji Ting's direction. Ji Ting could see clearly that the man had a deep-lined face, which was not like people's impressions. He is as undeveloped and decadent as the artist in the past, but looks handsome and shady, and at the same time has a pride that seems supercilious, which is so similar to Zhi An. Ji Ting had no way of knowing what Xie Sinian said to Zhi An when he lowered his head, and then saw Xie Sinian walking back to the hut and closing the door in front of him and Zhi Yi.

Zhi An walked towards them with an easel on her back, she sized them up a few times, saw the blush on Zhi Yi's face and Ji Ting's numbness, she smiled and said, "Let's go, go back .” She walked in front quickly, Zhi Yi was embarrassed, trotted to catch up with her, took her hand, smiled at her cutely, Zhi An pursed her lips, her eyes were clear.Ji Ting walked behind them, facing the direction where the setting sun was sinking. When the red round submerged into the horizon behind the mountain, night would come. Back at Gu's house, Zhi'an smiled at Ji Peiwen and his wife, went back to the room to put away the painting tools, washed his hands carefully, and then sat down on the table. At this time, everyone was already seated. Wang Fan smiled and said: "Let's drink the soup first. I have stewed duck with gotu kola for a whole day to clear away the heat." Then he served soup for everyone.

Gu Weizhen glanced at Zhi'an who seemed nothing had happened, frowned, and couldn't hold back after all, he said to Zhi'an: "You still know how long we have been waiting for you with your Uncle Ji's family? Do you have to ask someone to invite you?" You?" Zhi An took a sip of the soup and said indifferently: "You can eat first, why wait for me?" "What are you talking about, what day is it today? I really don't know where you are fooling around?" Her attitude angered her father, Gu Weizhen slammed the chopsticks on the table, Zhiyi flinched in fright, but Zhian Drink the soup as if you didn't hear anything. "Dad, don't say it so harshly, Zhi'an just went to Professor Xie's house to learn painting, and forgot the time for a while." After recovering from her senses, Zhiyi hurriedly explained to her sister. Gu Weizhen waved his hand at Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, don't speak for her." He said to Zhi'an again, "Let me ask you, did you really study so hard at Xie Sinian's house?" Zhian raised his head, "What do you want to say?" "What do I want to say?" Gu Weizhen sighed, "It's fine if you study hard, but did you hear what other people in the school said? Xie Sinian's reputation is already in a mess, and you, a girl, are always with him What does it look like together." Zhi An sneered: "I don't care what others say? Only people with dirty thoughts think dirty of everyone." "You are not afraid of what others will say, but we still have to face. If we say it, others will only say that my Gu family has no tutor." Gu Weizhen said angrily. Ji Peiwen hurriedly said: "Weizhen, don't say such things to the child, I believe that Zhi'an is studying painting wholeheartedly." Unexpectedly, Zhi'an put down the spoon in his hand, and said with a sneer, "It's not been a day or two since I don't have a tutor. There's no way. Who told you that you can give birth or not?" "What did you say?!" Gu Weizhen jumped up. "Weizhen, forget it, today is the child's birthday." Wang Fan held him back. Zhi Anteng stood up, "Forget what, whose birthday is today? Thank you for not changing your expression." Wang Fan's usual reserved expression suddenly changed drastically, "What nonsense are you talking about?!" Zhi An leaned back on the high-backed dining chair behind him, "You know what I'm saying!" "You..." Wang Fan's exquisite face was bloodless, "You are just... You look like a human being, a ghost or a ghost, and you still have the face to talk back. Do you see what is on your neck?" As soon as the words came out, almost everyone's eyes focused on Zhi'an's neck, which was exposed in the air. On the healthy and smooth skin, there were a few purple spots dotted impressively. Zhi'an also looked at his neck suspiciously, it was still faintly red yesterday, but he didn't expect it to be the color of bruise today. Ji Ting's face suddenly turned white, Zhi An didn't look at him, she stroked her neck and said, "Who knows what this is." Wang Fan sneered, got up and walked back to the room. When she came out again, she was holding a small round object, one side of which was shining with silver light. She gently placed it on the dining table, and said to Gu Weizhen: "This is I found it in the DVD player in the living room at home last night, should I show it to you to see what your daughter is studying at home. " Gu Weizhen was confused, and then his expression slowly became stiff, no one spoke anymore, even Ji Peiwen and his wife had a premonition of something, and they stopped talking in embarrassment. From the moment the DVD was put on the stage, Ji Ting knew that the situation was too bad to turn around. He lost his soul yesterday, and he didn't even remember that the DVD was still in the machine.Now that the matter has come to this, he is not afraid anymore, he stood up, took the disc, "Uncle Gu, this is..." Zhi'an snatched the thing back from his hand, broke it into two with force, and sternly said: "Don't talk too much if it's none of your business, I don't want you to intercede for me." She handed over the damaged disc Throwing it away, he smiled at Gu Weizhen, "So what, your daughter is like this, who told me that I was born a villain?" As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Weizhen slapped her hard on the face. He pointed at her, trembling, unable to say a word.Wang Fan was already in tears, supporting her husband, only shook his head, and said nothing. Zhi'an was beaten to the side by Gu Weizhen, she didn't cover it, she turned her head after taking a breath, and said with a smile: "Hit it, you should regret that you didn't strangle me when I was born, lest I live in this world." The world, as it is now, reminds you of the ugly things you have done every day, so that you have had a thorn in your heart for eighteen years, and you will never be at peace." After she finished speaking, she swept the tableware in front of her to the ground, and rushed out of the house amidst the sound of shattering. "Zhi'an!" Zhiyi called out to her younger sister's back, how could she be called back.Zhiyi was anxious and in pain, "Dad, Mom, even if there is something wrong with Zhian, she is still your daughter!" She had never spoken to her parents so loudly before, but she couldn't care so much at this moment. Silence, she shook her head, got up and chased out. She didn't expect that Ji Ting's movements were faster than hers, the two ran downstairs, Zhi'an could no longer be seen in the night, and when they were about to cry without tears, Ji Ting grabbed her hand and ran forward.After running for a while, I arrived at a fork in the main road of the campus, and felt Zhiyi's panting, so Ji Ting slowed down. Zhiyi gave Ji Ting a grateful look, without him accompanying her, she must be at a loss.I don't know if it was because of the running just now, but his fair and soft face looked strangely red under the street lamp, and the hand holding her arm was covered in sweat. "I saw her." Zhi Yi looked to the left, and she could vaguely see Zhi An's thin figure. Ji Ting was overjoyed, and pulled Zhi Yi again and chased after her. It seems that they are following, Zhi An's footsteps are getting faster and faster, and Zhi Yi's breathing is getting faster and faster. Seeing that the school gate is not far from the corner in front, she feels that if she keeps running like this, she will not be able to breathe at all. up.Ji Ting let go of her hand, "You are here, I will go after her." Zhiyi bent down, supported her knee with one hand, pressed her abdomen with the other, and cried in the direction of Zhi'an in front of her: "Zhi'an, are you ignoring me?" I don't know if he heard her words, but Zhi An's pace slowly slowed down, she turned her head around the corner, Ji Ting couldn't see her expression clearly in the night, only felt that the shadow was drawn by the street lamps to be extraordinarily lonely . Zhi Yi straightened up reluctantly, ran over a few steps at a time, and firmly held Zhi An's hand. At this time, Ji Ting did not come too close. He stood silently two meters away, looking at the two sisters. . "Where are you going?" Zhi Yi hadn't opened her mouth yet, tears were already streaming down her face. "You let go first." Zhi'an didn't cry, her face was numb. Zhi Yi shook her head: "I won't let you go, you come home with me." She had an inexplicable premonition that if she let go, Zhi An would not come back after leaving, and this feeling terrified her. Zhian sneered, "That's your home, it was never mine." Zhiyi's face was full of tears, "I don't know what you are talking about, I only know that you are my sister, you can't go, it's so late, where can you go?" "Anywhere is better than going back to that place." "I admit that my parents may be partial, but Zhi'an, they are your parents after all, they gave birth to you and raised you, so what can't the family talk about?" Zhi Yi begged with her face up. Zhi An's tone began to freeze slowly, "Parents? They only have one daughter in their eyes, and that person has never been me." "But apart from them, there are still people who love you." Zhiyi lowered her head and sobbed. "Who loves me, Zhiyi, only you, only you love me, but that's not enough." She said every word, and then began to slowly break away Zhiyi's hand. "If this is not enough, what else do you want, as long as I have I can give you, Zhi An, don't go, please! Ji Ting, hold her!" Feeling my hand from Zhi An's arm Slowly pulling away, Zhiyi burst into tears. Ji Ting looked at Zhi'an like a clay sculpture, without saying a word or moving, he just looked at her, biting his lip, the distant headlights flickered on and off, reflecting a kind of ghostly look on his face. strange calm. "Zhiyi, I'm sorry, you can't give me what I want. Let go...I let you go!" Zhian pulled out his hand forcefully, and Zhiyi lost her balance under the reaction force, and she ran quickly just now After walking for a while, his legs became weak, he staggered, and fell to the ground. Zhi An looked at Zhi Yi who was sitting on the ground crying, gritted his teeth, turned around and left, just two steps forward, two car lights that were so strong that people couldn't open their eyes came towards them, Zhi An hid He squinted his eyes and turned his face sideways. Before he could react, he saw a van rushing obliquely and out of control from the other side of the corner. In that one-thousandth of a second moment, Zhi'an turned around, she only knew one thing, Zhiyi still fell to the ground, she saw Zhiyi's eyes widened violently due to the sudden change, she rushed over, She has to pull her back, must pull her back!If you can't hide from her, stay with her. Zhiyi's hand was right in front of her eyes, Zhi'an even felt the temperature of her fingertips for a short while, the car was coming with a dazzling light, Zhi'an closed her eyes, and a huge force pulled her To one side, she fell into a warm place, and everything that followed was blank in her mind. I can't recall, and I can't bear the blankness of recall.