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“In the future...”
It turns out she also thought about it.
— Zhang Lurang
The night was as thick as ink, dotted with countless stars.
In the room, the hum of the air conditioner sounded especially loud in this quietness.
By the bedside, the alarm clock ticked away, emitting a steady “tick-tock” sound.
A nightmare trapped him, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t escape.
The words spoken by the person in the dream were like needles laced with poison, piercing his heart one by one.
The poison spread inch by inch, seeping deep into his bones, causing him so much pain that he could barely breathe.
— “If I had known about Ali, I wouldn’t have given birth to you.”
At that moment, the pain reached an extreme.
Zhang Lurang suddenly woke up with a start, feeling the sweat drenching his back.
He sat up on the bed, calming his emotions and regulating his erratic breathing.
Irritated, Zhang Lurang scratched his hair, got up, and prepared to go downstairs for a glass of water.
Susu, beside the bed, was awakened by Zhang Lurang’s movements, climbed up, and followed behind him.
Passing by Lin Mao’s room, he noticed that the light in his room was still brightly lit.
Zhang Lurang hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the door.
Soon, Lin Mao’s slightly hoarse voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
Zhang Lurang opened the door and walked in.
He sat down on the chair in front of Lin Mao, contemplating how to begin.
The next second, Lin Mao closed the file folder in front of him and softly said: “Your mother called me.”
Zhang Lurang’s face showed no emotion; his eyes drooped.
His spine was stiff and rigid, making him look somewhat stubborn.
His lips were pressed tightly together, pale due to tension.
Lin Mao sighed and said: “It’s good that you changed your application back.”
“Uncle,” Zhang Lurang felt as if there was a lump in his chest, suffocating and uncomfortable. “I don’t want to return to City B anymore, not even during holidays.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Mao paused while picking up his water cup.
He turned his head, quietly watching Zhang Lurang.
Noticing Zhang Lurang’s expression, Lin Mao finally softened.
“If you don’t want to go back, then don’t. I’ll help you get the necessary documents for university.” Lin Mao picked up his water cup and took a slow sip. “Just like when you studied high school here.”
Zhang Lurang was silent for a moment, emphasizing: “After graduation, I’ll earn money to repay you.”
Lin Mao was about to refuse but, upon seeing his determined gaze, instantly changed his tone.
“Ah, I’m counting on that money for my retirement. Remember to pay me back.”
Zhang Lurang nodded, stood up: “I’m going back to sleep.”
As he opened the door and was about to step out, Lin Mao’s voice came from behind.
His tone was casual, gentle, and calm.
“Not everyone is born knowing how to be a parent.”
Zhang Lurang paused his steps, gripping the doorknob tighter.
Lin Mao’s fingertips tapped the rim of the cup, pondering for a moment before saying:
“When you and Ali were young, your parents weren’t like that.”
He sighed, his tone reminiscent of someone who had been through it all.
“Vanity... such a terrible thing.”
________________________________________
After much persuasion, Zhang Lurang finally agreed to let Su Zaizai accompany him to practice driving.
Before leaving, Su Zaizai rummaged through the table, stuffed sunscreen into her backpack, and hung the mini fan from the drawer around her neck.
She went to the mirror, tied up her hair, put on long pants and a sun-protective jacket.
Then, she put on the panda-striped cap from the table and held another one in her hand.
On a weekday, the house was empty except for her.
Su Zaizai left the living room and took two bottles of mineral water from the refrigerator.
A few minutes later, she returned to the fridge and put one bottle back.
Su Zaizai picked up the parasol from the shoe cabinet and went out.
It was midsummer, and the temperature outside was stifling, almost fiery.
The sunlight fell on the trees, casting mottled and uneven shadows on the ground.
The surrounding concrete seemed to emit heat, rising in waves.
Su Zaizai looked up and saw Zhang Lurang standing under the shade of a tree.
His cheeks were flushed red, and his hair tips were damp with sweat.
He looked like he had been waiting for quite some time, but his face showed no signs of impatience.
She quickly jogged over and placed the cap in her hand on his head.
Instinctively, Zhang Lurang took it off and glanced at it, immediately frowning and coldly saying: “I won’t wear it.”
Su Zaizai turned on the fan and placed it in front of his face.
Seeing Zhang Lurang’s reluctance, she gently coaxed him: “Be a good boy and wear it, or you’ll get sunburnt.”
“...”
Zhang Lurang originally still wanted to refuse, but he suddenly noticed that she was wearing the same style of cap.
He hesitated for a moment and silently put it back on.
Su Zaizai handed him the umbrella and couldn’t help complaining: “It’s really hot. I’ll wait until winter to learn driving.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lurang’s expression turned unpleasant again: “That’s why I told you not to come.”
“But learning with you isn’t the same as me learning alone,” Su Zaizai innocently replied.
“How is it different?”
Su Zaizai didn’t answer his question.
Watching the fan blowing on his face, she suddenly brazenly said: “If you don’t accompany me when it’s my turn to learn driving after accompanying you now, you’ll be heartless.”
“...”
“The kind of heartlessness that drives one insane.”
Zhang Lurang didn’t want to talk and silently walked beside her.
A few minutes later, Su Zaizai suddenly felt a bit downcast.
“Why didn’t you tell me that fairies don’t need a conscience?”
Zhang Lurang: “...”
________________________________________
When they arrived, Zhang Lurang selected the car he usually used based on the license plate number given by the instructor.
The two walked side by side.
Just as Su Zaizai was about to sit in the front passenger seat, Zhang Lurang made her move to the backseat.
“It’s too sunny in the front; sit in the back.”
She didn’t resist much, hesitantly asking: “Rang Rang, are you driving by yourself? Isn’t the instructor sitting beside you? Won’t something happen...?”
Zhang Lurang tapped his index finger on the steering wheel and honestly replied: “I drove by myself on the first day.”
Upon hearing this, Su Zaizai widened her eyes in disbelief: “This coach is too much!”
Her expression looked so angry that she seemed ready to immediately confront the coach.
Zhang Lurang opened his mouth, about to stop her, when he heard her indignantly say: “No way! I definitely can’t learn here when it’s my turn!”
“...”
He silently closed his mouth, fastened his seatbelt, pressed down on the clutch pedal, shifted gears, and moved into first gear.
Zhang Lurang practiced seriously for a while.
After half an hour, he stopped the car and glanced back.
Seeing Su Zaizai idly playing with her phone in the backseat, occasionally looking at the scenery outside, her usually talkative mouth tightly shut, not making a sound to disturb him, Zhang Lurang turned his attention back and restarted the car.
This time, when he reached the bend, he suddenly spoke: “Help me check if the right wheel has crossed the line.”
Hearing Zhang Lurang’s words, Su Zaizai happily smiled and quickly moved to the right window, peeking out.
“It crossed.”
Zhang Lurang immediately stopped the car and turned to look at her.
Seemingly dissatisfied with her response, he said sternly: “Be serious, don’t talk nonsense.”
Su Zaizai was baffled: “It really did cross...”
Zhang Lurang unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over with one hand on the passenger seat, and looked outside.
Seeing that the rear tire had indeed crossed the line, his body stiffened, and he slowly sat back down.
After a long moment, Zhang Lurang quietly resumed practicing without saying a word.
This time, it was Su Zaizai who couldn’t hold back: “Rang Rang, is this the result of your week of practice?”
He pretended not to hear.
“How about,” Su Zaizai carefully suggested, “we hire a driver in the future?”
Zhang Lurang turned the steering wheel, pretending not to care.
“...Stop talking.”
Su Zaizai ignored him and sighed: “Suddenly reminded me of when I taught you how to ride a bike.”
“...”
“Didn’t I say I wasn’t thinking about touching your waist back then?”
“...”
“How could I not have thought about it? I couldn’t resist.” Su Zaizai mimicked her thoughts at the time: “Wow! The little slim waist is exposed!”
Zhang Lurang really didn’t want to hear her talk about this anymore.
He pondered, trying to think of something to change the subject.
Leaning back against the headrest, Su Zaizai grinned and added mischievously:
“At that time, I thought to myself, if I didn’t touch it, it would be such a waste of your good looks.”
“...”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Zhang Lurang’s face grew warm, and unable to help himself, he turned around and scolded softly: “Su Zaizai!”
Su Zaizai shamelessly grinned, unafraid.
“Your wife is in your car! Drive well!”
A vein throbbed on Zhang Lurang’s temple, and he stopped talking.
After a while, the phone on the passenger seat rang.
Su Zaizai reminded him: “Rang Rang, your phone is ringing.”
Zhang Lurang stopped the car and picked it up.
It was his mother.
He suddenly remembered what Lin Mao had said a few days ago.
Zhang Lurang pursed his lips, without a moment’s hesitation, and hung up.
Soon, he turned to look at Su Zaizai.
Fragments of sunlight fell on him, a soft halo spreading around him.
Su Zaizai yawned, her eyes misty as she lazily looked at him.
Unable to help himself, Zhang Lurang curved his lips slightly and said:
“Let’s go home.”
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