Xiao Qi received a phone call from her dad in the evening, and she was surprised to hear him excitedly describing his day's experiences.
In her memory, her dad was always quiet and didn't speak much, giving the impression that the weight of life was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe. It was uncomfortable.
Thinking about the fatherly love that was as heavy as a mountain, it truly felt like a massive mountain with love, but more often than not, it brought pressure. It made her constantly want to work harder, to do better, and to be even better.
She had never heard her dad speak with such a light-hearted tone before. It seemed like he had gained a lot of confidence.
Even when her dad did well in bamboo weaving and received praise, causing prices to go up, it didn't seem to make him as happy as he was today.
Xiao Qi had a faint feeling that the Beginner's Lucky Card played a certain role. Being someone who had long suffered from ridicule and disdain, even her own mother would mock and taunt him. Then one day, he suddenly discovered that he was very lucky and also received favor. It was as if his mindset had suddenly changed and elevated.
People who have long been treated unfairly, even if they receive a bit of goodwill, will burst forth with great enthusiasm.
It's like a wild grass sprouting from a crack in a rock. As long as it receives a drop of water, it seems to grow vigorously.
Listening to her dad's rambling on the phone, repeating some things twice, he kept saying, "That student's parent you met at the cultural center is really nice. I didn't expect that the person you encountered there, who teaches you Japanese, is actually your teacher. They are a very kind person and didn't hesitate to help..."
It wasn't until her mom snatched the phone away that he stopped.
"Nan Nan, there's nothing much happening here. Take care of yourself. It's getting cold, so wear warm clothes and drink hot water, avoid drinking cold water. The clothes you bought fit your dad perfectly, and the bag you got me is too expensive. Don't spend money on us in the future. Buy whatever you like for yourself."
Then the phone was snatched away by her dad, and he continued to ramble on for a while.
After hanging up the phone, her ears were buzzing, and her heart felt warm.
Xiao Qi continued running. Even though the marathon was over, running had become a daily routine. It felt like running was her personal restart button every day. After finishing her run, her thoughts became much clearer.
She returned to the dormitory to take a shower.
On weekends, her roommates were all busy with their own things. The tea art club that Yunshu was in seemed to suit her taste, and they even went out for a club dinner in the evening.
Wei Cheng was busy with the film club's weekend movie screenings, so she went to work there.
Mier had taken her camera and went with the external liaison club to the city. She hadn't come back yet.
They all reported their whereabouts in the dormitory group chat, naturally, it felt like home.
In the end, Xiao Qi was the only one left in the dormitory.
She didn't go to the evening self-study session today. Being alone in the dormitory, it was a good time for her to write her English speech. She could practice reading it out loud, and it didn't matter if she read it loudly.
As she read and revised her speech, she just couldn't seem to be satisfied with what she wrote.
It felt difficult to move others with an article that couldn't even move herself.
She always felt a bit adrift lately.
Xiao Qi lay on the bed for a while and opened her phone, but she didn't know who to contact.
Recently, life has been going smoothly, and she has forgotten the embarrassment she felt when the college entrance examination ended. She has also forgotten the difficulties and choking of her childhood at home, as well as the embarrassment and inferiority she felt when she saw Liu Shaowei after graduating from high school.
It's not good to be too immersed in the past. One should look forward, but sometimes forgetting the past and losing touch with oneself makes her feel unsettled, as if floating in the air without solid ground.
After carefully sorting out her emotions, she got up and rewrote a speech.
After finishing it, she decided to wait for her roommates to come back and let them be the audience. She calmed down again, spent half an hour writing, and then started reviewing the lessons she learned last week. The dormitory light was on with an added desk lamp. Xiao Qi, the young girl, sat up straight, reading books and doing homework, time flying by...
In the opposite dormitory, Su Li went to the hospital to visit her friend. She was shocked to see her friend's miserable condition. Although she didn't have any disfigurement, three ribs were broken, and she lay there like a rag doll. If she hadn't made a foolish decision to watch Su Xiaoqi's interview program, she would probably be the one lying in the hospital now.
She still felt lingering fear.
Back in the school dormitory, she wanted to say something to Su Xiaoqi. Seeing that the lights were on in their dormitory and it seemed like Su Xiaoqi was alone, she saw her coming in and out, but Su Li usually didn't visit other people's rooms, and she felt embarrassed to go now.
After hesitating for a while, she rummaged through her own pile of snacks and realized that they were all opened. Then she unplugged the electric kettle she bought and took a cup, knocking on the door of Room 606.
Xiao Qi thought her roommates had returned, so she got up to open the door, but she didn't expect to see Su Li holding a cup.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need?" Su Li spoke.
"My electric kettle is broken, and I don't have hot water to drink." Su Li said.
Xiao Qi: ...
She inexplicably found Su Li a little cute. Normally, she seemed cool and unapproachable. She almost wanted to ask, "So you also drink hot water?"
She opened the door, let Su Li in, and poured hot water for her.
Surprisingly, Su Li sat down with the hot water and didn't leave immediately.
Xiao Qi: ...
She hadn't interacted with Su Li before, and she felt that it wouldn't be easy to get along with her. But they were classmates, and Xiao Qi couldn't just ignore her.
And Su Li actually took the initiative to ask her what she was doing.
Xiao Qi took out the speech she had just written and handed it to Su Li.
Su Li's English was also very good, and she spoke fluently. She often traveled abroad, but she didn't seem like someone who enjoyed studying.
Su Li read the speech, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
In this speech, Xiao Qi wrote about her own growth experience.
Su Li choked up and asked, "Did you really not drink milk until the first year of junior high? Did you not know that the bottled water you drank for the first time contained water?"
Xiao Qi nodded.
"I was born in such a place."
But Su Li's tears flowed even more.
This Su Xiaoqi, who had experienced the worst treatment, had the most kindness in her heart.
Su Li drank the boiling water in his hand and unexpectedly burst into tears, startling Xiao Qi. He quickly poured her another cup.
After finishing the drink, Su Li left without saying anything further.
But then, a mechanical voice echoed in Xiao Qi's ear, "The host's positive and proactive attitude towards life has moved those aimless, purposeless classmates who live in a state of lethargy. As a reward, the host has been granted a ten-day Empathy buff."
Xiao Qi: ...
Aimless, purposeless, living a state of lethargy... What on earth is this?
Su Li's choice of words was peculiar. What kind of family could raise a child like this...
