32 - I'll take you home

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The summer vacation was over and the third year of high school arrived as scheduled.

Wei Ruxia's senior year was very fulfilling, and her level had much more room for improvement than Luo Tang’s, so she had a lot of new things to learn every day.

Wei Ruxia was very busy, and her father was also very busy. In addition to his domestic tour, the international tour also began. In her first semester of her third year, Wei Ruxia only saw her father a few times, and even the number of video calls that connected were declining. Her father felt a little guilty for spending so little time with her, but Wei Ruxia didn't think too much of it. She was only worried that her father's body wouldn’t be able to cope with such a high-intensity work schedule.

After experiencing the hot summer and cool autumn last semester, they ushered in their winter vacation in the wet and cold winter. During the vacation, Wei Ruxia didn’t go on tour with her father. Firstly, due to the location of her father's tour stops becoming uncertain she wasn’t recommended to go. Secondly, school started in March, and the college entrance exams were only three months away and she wanted to fight hard until the end.

After entering the third year of high school, her grades continued to show her strength, and finally stabilized in the top eight of the class. Wei Ruxia was an ordinary person, but she was very driven and would do her best to achieve her goals.

Compared to her headaches every day, Luo Tang was much more relaxed. After the third year of high school, because of the appearance of repeat students, his school ranking dropped twice. After the final exam, he returned to the top three in the school.

Luo Tang was the legend of Ancheng No. 1 High School, no school bully could rank so high. Regarding this matter, the whole No. 1 High School, except for Wei Ruxia, thought he was magical.

Wei Ruxia travelled to school and home with Luo Tang and knew how he studied. Sometimes learning wasn’t just a matter of studying hard, but finding an entry point. Finding the correct entry point, and then working hard from there often yielded twice the result with half the effort. She was able to improve her grades quickly, but this fact was inseparable from Luo Tang's methods. Luo Tang was a very transparent and intelligent person. He only needed a little effort to get a good ranking. Unlike her, who even if everything was explained to her, she still had to work hard.

After getting out of the remedial class, the two of them took the subway home. It was nine o'clock in the evening and Wei Ruxia was so tired that she was leaning on the subway. She opened her eyes wearily, watching Luo Tang solve problems that she didn't know how to solve three times over.

"Why did you go to the remedial class?" Wei Ruxia asked seriously after watching Luo Tang solve a problem. The problem was a very niche question, Wei Ruxia tried it just to make her mind more flexible but she really wasn’t suitable for flexible problems, and she couldn't solve them.

Luo Tang held the pen in his left hand to do the questions and placed his right behind the back of Wei Ruxia's head against the carriage wall. Hearing her ask, he raised his eyes to look at the smile in the girl's eyes and moved his fingers slightly, holding her hair as he said, "Then tomorrow you can go by yourself."

He was a very awkward person, and rarely said much, but Wei Ruxia understood him, and knew what he wanted to express from his words.

He meant that he only went to the remedial classes to accompany her.

Her hair was connected to her scalp and the movements of his gentle fingers soothed her fatigue. Wei Ruxia smiled and said, "I don't have to go tomorrow."

It was the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month and tomorrow would be New Year's Eve. A new year would soon begin. This year’s New Year was very different from the previous. She would be eighteen years old, and the first day of the New Year was now the anniversary of her grandma’s death.

Looking at the smile in Wei Ruxia's eyes, Luo Tang gradually pulled away. He handed the test paper to Wei Ruxia and asked, "When will Uncle Wei be back?"

Although her grandma's death day was sad, she still had her father.

Wei Ruxia smiled again, she was very happy to see her father. They hadn’t seen each other for about half a year. She took the test paper and smiled while doing the questions, "The plane comes in tomorrow afternoon."。

Her father was in Australia for his last performance and he would be on the plane as they spoke.

After getting off the subway, the two went home while chatting. Yang Shuru prepared fruit and yogurt for the students, as after they got home they would continue to study for another hour.

Luo Tang had never studied so late before, these study habits were all created by Wei Ruxia. After Wei Ruxia came, his progress also improved by leaps and bounds. Seeing the two children improving steadily, Yang Shuru felt relieved and happy.

As Wei Ruxia ate a mouthful of yogurt, her cell phone rang. When she saw the caller ID on the screen and she smiled, then nodded with Yang Shuru, got up and walked outside. When she reached the door, Wei Ruxia answered the phone.

"Hey, Dad."

When Luo Tang heard her say ‘Dad’, he raised his head and glanced at her back. Yang Shuru looked at him and wondered, saying, "If your Uncle Wei is coming back tomorrow, shouldn’t he be on the plane right now? Maybe he came back early? Or... didn't get on the plane? If that’s so, he won’t make it in time for New Year's Eve."

Before Yang Shuru finished speaking, Luo Tang stood up and left the dining room.

After the two of them ate, they would study in Luo Tang's room. Wei Ruxia was on the phone, so he went directly to his room. As Luo Tang passed by, Wei Ruxia's phone call was also coming to an end.

"Don't bother Auntie Cai, I'll be fine at home."

After Wei Ruxia said this, she heard her father say something. After hanging up the phone, Wei Ruxia turned her head, and when she saw Luo Tang standing next to her, she pulled her lips together and said to him.

"My dad is too busy, he won't be back for the Spring Festival."

Wei Zishan hung up, the phone screen was still on, and the wallpaper on it was clearly visible. It was the photo taken by Wei Ruxia with her grandma under the climbing rose in Yizhen. It was sent to him by her grandma before she died.

He rubbed his left hand on the screen twice, and the woman standing next to him looked at him and asked, "Why didn't you tell her?"

The phone screen turned black, reflecting Wei Zishan's haggard face. He glanced at himself and replied faintly, "I can handle it."

Wei Ruxia was sitting on a chair in front of Luo Tang's desk. There was a light on the desk, but the light wasn't bright and the girl's face was covered with half in shadows, hiding her expression.

Luo Tang looked at her face and pursed his lips. "It's a pity."

Hearing him, Wei Ruxia seemed to be amused and smiled helplessly.

As she was smiling, the young man got up and walked towards her. Wei Ruxia looked up at him, Luo Tang's eyes were hidden in the shadows, making him appear a little unreal.

"Since Uncle Wei doesn't have the time..." Luo Tang's eyebrows were narrowed, and his eyes under his eyelashes were clean and clear. He looked at Wei Ruxia and said softly, "Then you can stay with me during the Spring Festival."

Wei Ruxia, who looked up at the young man, gradually raised her eyebrows.

The Spring Festival was a celebration for the whole family. Since Wei Ruxia didn't want to trouble Cai Xinpei who Wei Zishan had arranged to stay with her, she naturally didn't want to trouble Luo Tang, so she immediately refused.

Luo Tang didn't care about her refusal and turned around and told Yang Shuru. Yang Shuru called Wei Zishan without saying anything. After Wei Zishan agreed, Wei Ruxia went to the Luo family mansion with Luo Tang and his family the next day.

Luo Tang's father was an only child, and Luo Tang was also an only child. As a result, the entire house was only Luo Tang's direct family and his grandparents. In addition to Wei Ruxia.

This was the first time Wei Ruxia had met Luo Tang's grandparents. The two elders were very kind and lovely, and very friendly to Wei Ruxia. They reminded her of her grandma and she quickly put aside her restraint and embarrassment.

Although she'd only made mochi balls, Wei Ruxia had spent the Spring Festival in Ancheng before. After eating the New Year's Eve dinner and watching the Chinese New Year Gala, it was almost 12 o'clock in the morning, and Wei Ruxia participated in the making of dumplings with Luo Tang and his family.

Her first time wrapping one, it wasn’t very good. Wei Ruxia stood next to Luo Tang's grandma Chen Zhenshu, who stacked up the wrapped dumplings. Chen Zhenshu glanced at it with a smile, and said, "Not bad, better than Luo Tang's dumplings."

Luo Tang, who was standing next to her, didn't care when he heard his grandma's complaint. He handed another ball of mochi to Wei Ruxia and watched her wrap it again.

"I didn't wrap it well either." Wei Ruxia said bashfully.

Luo Tang's grandmother was as elegant and kind as her grandmother was, but she had a more open personality than Wei Ruxia's grandmother. Chen Zhenshu was born in a scholarly family, but she was a soldier and before retiring, she was working in military weapon research and development.

"Hahaha." Chen Zhenshu laughed, and replied, "After you’ve done it once you can do it again, they will be better next year. Although, this time next year, you’ll both be in university. By the way, which school do you want to attend? Do you know?"

"Mm, now our grades are pretty stable. Luo Tang and I chose our universities." Wei Ruxia replied with a smile. With her current rank, she couldn’t go to the same university as Luo Tang. But there was a university next to Luo Tang's chosen one that she could get into if she worked hard.

"Always together, you are usually together every day, and have already discussed everything in advance." Yang Shuru wrapped the dumplings, and spoke with a smile, her eyes narrowed in content.

Wei Ruxia smiled with Yang Shuru, but she didn't take her words seriously. On the other side, Luo Tang, who was next to her, raised his eyes to look at his grandma and mother and then lowered his head to continue making dumplings.

Before she had met Wei Ruxia, Chen Zhenshu's impression of her was only based on what she heard from talking with Yang Shuru. Now that she had met the child, Chen Zhenshu liked her more and more. Through Wei Ruxia's appearance and personality, she felt a taste of her own youth.

"That’s great." Chen Zhenshu said emphatically, "You two should work hard together and grow up together. Such a relationship is the most beautiful."

Wei Ruxia agreed with Chen Zhenshu's remarks, she laughed, and looked up at Luo Tang next to her. Luo Tang was looking out the window and said, "They’re starting to set off fireworks."

It wasn’t quite midnight, but someone nearby had started to set off fireworks. After hearing what Luo Tang said, Wei Ruxia turned her head and looked out the window. A firework exploded in the sky. With a ‘bang’ the burst filled her eyes.

Wei Ruxia remembered last year, there were fireworks too, and this boy was also standing beside her then.

Luo Tang patted the rice flour off his hands, then stretched out his hand to grab Wei Ruxia, and said as he walked, "Let’s go to the corridor to see."

The young man stretched out his hand to hold hers with great ease, but Wei Ruxia felt the tension in his slightly cool palm. Holding hands, they could feel each other's temperature and heartbeat. Wei Ruxia followed Luo Tang and gradually laughed.

She spent sixteen years with her mother, her seventeenth years with her grandma, and her eighteenth with Luo Tang.

This year was different from the previous years.

After this year, they would be eighteen years old, and would have grown up in a real sense.

Luo Tang led Wei Ruxia to the window in the corridor. The view from the large window was wide, and the fireworks that bloomed merged with the dark night sky, like a meteor shower.

The bell outside the villa rang, and the heavy and dignified toll struck twelve times. The new year had arrived.

Before the two of them had let go, Wei Ruxia looked at the fireworks outside the window, and when the bell died down, she smiled and squeezed Luo Tang's fingers. His fingers were slender and well-proportioned, and it was very comfortable to pinch.

"Happy New Year."

"Yeah." The boy responded with a smile in his eyes.

"The fireworks are so beautiful." Wei Ruxia said with emotion, "I just made a wish."

"What did you wish?"

"I'll tell you after the college entrance exams."

The winter vacation for their third year of high school was short and hurried. On the fifth day of the first month, the students were called back to school to continue their education. There were only three months left, and the entire senior building was filled with tension and depression.

The music, physical and culture classes were taken over by teachers of other subjects, and Hu Yinyin was no longer in the mood to line up for barbecue bibimbap anymore. The students studied like marionettes, feeling tired and anxious. Everyone was either admitted to a university or not, but all of them were affected by the atmosphere and mood.

In this atmosphere, the three-month period felt both long and short. And after being compressed into a constant state of stress, they finally ushered in the college entrance exams.

A few days before the college entrance exams, Wei Ruxia received a call from her father. The content of the call was the same as usual. He was worried about her and apologised. He broke his promise again and couldn't come back to accompany her for the college entrance exams.

In fact, last month or even during the Spring Festival, she already had a premonition that this would happen. When she really heard what her father said, Wei Ruxia seemed to have lost a piece in her heart.

Although she didn’t mention it, it didn’t mean she didn't want it. She hadn't seen her father for the last three terms. In fact, she didn't really care whether he was with her during the college entrance exams, she had just wanted to take advantage of the occasion so that she could see him again.

For the three days of the college entrance exams, the weather was sweltering and difficult. Yang Shuru who accompanied her and Luo Tang to the exams.

On the first day, Yang Shuru took care of the exam candidates very seriously and attentively, but after three days, Luo Tang and Wei Ruxia were managing, and it was Yang Shuru who was a little bit anxious.

The three of them had just returned from school and Yang Shuru parked the car and went straight to the bathroom beside the living room, vomiting violently.

When Yang Shuru ran to the bathroom, Wei Ruxia also hurried over. Yang Shuru hugged the toilet and vomited while Wei Ruxia patted her back, looking at her uncomfortably, her heart felt very distressed.

"Auntie, are you okay?" Yang Shuru retched for a long time but didn't vomit anything. She didn't eat much for lunch. It had been so hot over the three days of the exams, and she had been taking care of her and Luo Tang personally throughout the whole process. Wei Ruxia felt that she should be much more tired than them.

"I’m okay." Yang Shuru raised her hand and waved, and then retched again. She was a little relieved and said to Wei Ruxia, "Just a little heat stroke."

In fact, this wasn’t the first time Yang Shuru had vomited, she also saw her retching last week. But for the last three days she had been fine, and Wei Ruxia thought it was all right.

Wei Ruxia was worried. Luo Tang came in with water. His mother was pale as he handed the water to her. After watching her drink two mouthfuls, he frowned and asked, "Did Dad take you to the doctor?"

"Ah." Yang Shuru was a little helpless, she was much more comfortable now after vomiting. After being helped by Wei Ruxia to stand up, Yang Shuru smiled indifferently and said, "I went to see one the first time I vomited, there was nothing wrong at all. If you don't believe me, you can ask your grandpa."

Luo Tang's grandfather used to be the dean of Ancheng Central Hospital. If anyone in the family had any physical problems, he would be the first to be informed by the hospital staff.

Yang Shuru's expression gradually recovered, and the two children felt relieved when she said this.

She pulled Wei Ruxia and Luo Tang out into the living room. They had just finished their college entrance exams, and she was also relieved. On the way back, listening to the two of them chatting about the questions in the exam, it seemed that both of them did well.

Putting down the cup, Yang Shuru took the tissue that Wei Ruxia had handed over and wiped the corners of her mouth, and smiled, "How do you feel? ‌After the exams, what do you want to do and where do you want to go?"

It was really only when Yang Shuru mentioned it, that Wei Ruxia realized that they had in fact completed their college entrance exams. Time had passed unconsciously, and she still felt like she was dreaming.

She hadn't spoken yet when Luo Tang glanced at his mother and said to Wei Ruxia, "Go pack your luggage."

Wei Ruxia was stunned by his sudden arrangement. She returned to her senses, looked at Luo Tang's back that was already heading towards the stairs, and asked, "Why am I packing my luggage?"

Luo Tang didn't stop. He walked to his room while petting A’Mang who was coming up beside him and he said, "You'll know when you go."

Yang Shuru would never get tired of the interaction between the two kids every day. She had only expressed that the feelings of young girls in the rainy season were really pure and beautiful. Yang Shuru wasn’t at all worried about their arrangements for the summer vacation. At the end of the day, Luo Tang was already an adult since March, and Wei Ruxia would also have her birthday on the 15th of this month. An adult was an adult, and they could do whatever they wanted to do.

"He has always been mysterious, you’ll adapt eventually." Yang Shuru said with a smile.

Yang Shuru's ‘eventually’ was so meaningful that Wei Ruxia's heart moved. She looked up at Yang Shuru and at her expression, her cheeks hot.

With such sudden travel plans, Wei Ruxia thought Luo Tang had arranged a short trip, so when she stood in front of the green train, Wei Ruxia was stunned. She glanced at the boy next to her, her heart pounding.

The boy was wearing a black baseball cap with a clean and beautiful profile. He raised his eyes slightly, and a pair of dark and clear eyes appeared under the brim of the baseball cap, with a reassuring smile in his eyes.

Luo Tang said, "I’ll take you home to see your mother."

Her eyes flushed suddenly, and Wei Ruxia laughed.

The author has something to say:

Tangtang: I remember everything you say.

Don't worry, father won't desert, and Luo Tang's mother is fine.

Okay, well, the college entrance examination is over, it's so fast.

Sorry, little late, I slept in...I know most people don't read this immediately after I upload and don't care but I'm just sad cuz I finally got back to midday releases for a bit there. le sigh~

Thank you Loni for the ko-fi! I dropped 30 landmines on the author, I think the math works out~

Also, I took a screencap of the transactions for Jen and Loni because...I dno, credibility or something, hahaha~

The 1000 is the cost of grenades which is x10 landmines and the characters next to the 'wap' (winky face) is the author's name.