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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Eighty: Everything Cannot Go Back
After finishing the call, Zhang Qiu and several Brothers were all very excited about the good news, especially Yao Yu. On the phone, Yao Yu expressed his grievances to Zhang Qiu, saying that his mother scolded him for not studying properly and meddling in other people's affairs. Now that he could return to school and continue classes, his mother would surely be happy.
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Qiu couldn't help but recall the dream he just had. Everything in the dream was so clear and real that it was hard for Zhang Qiu to forget. He thought it would be a good opportunity to invite her out to have fun. Once he thought of it, he acted on it and dialed Wang Jinghan's number.
When the call connected, Wang Jinghan said, "Where are you? How come you have time to call me?"
Zhang Qiu replied with a smile, "I'm at home. I just had a dream about you. So, I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight."
"Dinner sounds good. Then tonight, tell me about your dream."
"Sure."
Wang Jinghan added, "I'm at work right now, so I won't chat for long. Let's meet after I get off."
"Okay." After hanging up the phone, Zhang Qiu leaned back on the bed and felt a cool sensation coming from his fingers. He looked down and saw the White Tiger quietly lying there. Zhang Qiu secretly rejoiced that it must have slipped from his hand to the pillow while he was asleep; fortunately, it didn't fall to the ground since it was a family heirloom. Moreover, the Earth was waiting for him to save it; he couldn't do without the White Tiger.
To avoid such a tragedy from happening again, Zhang Qiu threaded the White Tiger onto a red string and wore it around his neck. At first, the White Tiger felt cold against his skin, but gradually its temperature matched that of his body. Unlike other pendants that felt heavy on him, wearing the White Tiger didn’t give him that sensation at all.
Zhang Qiu checked the time; there was still plenty of time before Wang Jinghan got off work, so he took out a notebook to study vocabulary. Having a good sleep was already enough rest for him. If it weren't for having come back to reflect on himself, he wouldn't have this privilege; this could be considered a blessing in disguise. At school, getting such a long sleep was simply a luxury.
However, imagined beauty always falls short of harsh reality. While studying vocabulary, Zhang Qiu soon fell back into slumber. In his dream, he was still holding the notebook and studying vocabulary. Vaguely, it seemed like there were classmates around him; yes, this was during morning self-study. The teacher sat at the podium while students recited aloud. Suddenly, Zhang Qiu jolted awake, and the illusion vanished as he found himself surrounded by his books.
Zhang Qiu woke up in a sweat, breathing heavily and feeling extremely thirsty. He hurried to find something to drink. After quenching his thirst, he felt much better. Checking the time, he realized it was almost time for Wang Jinghan to get off work. Zhang Qiu sighed in relief, grateful that he had woken up early; if he had slept through, it would have been quite embarrassing.
Zhang Qiu walked to the mirror, tidied up his messy hair from sleeping, and smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes before heading out. As he rode his Electric Vehicle, the breeze instantly refreshed him.
When Zhang Qiu arrived at the county hospital, Wang Jinghan had not yet finished work. He sat down nearby, playing on his phone while waiting for her. Nowadays, Zhang Qiu rarely parted with his phone. There were too many things going on; if something important happened and he couldn't find out in time, it could be a serious issue, especially at this critical moment.
When it was time to get off work, Wang Jinghan came out of the duty room in a fresh outfit. She wore a khaki trench coat, blue jeans, and brown snow boots, with earmuffs on her head, making her look even more lively and adorable.
Zhang Qiu smiled and stood up, saying, "What do you want to eat? Today it's my treat."
"If you're treating me, then I need to think carefully," Wang Jinghan tilted her head in thought and said, "How about spicy shrimp? I haven't had it in a long time. I know a place that makes it really delicious."
"Sounds good."
Wang Jinghan also took her Electric Vehicle and rode alongside Zhang Qiu on the way. She asked, "Why didn't you go to school again?"
Zhang Qiu forced a smile and replied, "Just reflecting at home. But it's okay; I'll be back in class tomorrow."
"Why are you reflecting again? Did you do something wrong?" Wang Jinghan recalled that this was already the second time Zhang Qiu had reflected this month. He seemed like such an honest guy; how did he suddenly become so prone to trouble?
"It's still about that incident; Liu Xiaolong found someone from our school to deal with me again..." Zhang Qiu candidly shared the details with Wang Jinghan.
"Why aren't you talking?" Zhang Qiu looked at Wang Jinghan, who appeared deep in thought.
"Are you planning to go down this road until the end?" Wang Jinghan looked directly at Zhang Qiu, her big eyes filled with concern.
Hearing this from Wang Jinghan, Zhang Qiu suddenly laughed and said, "Going down this road until the end is quite an apt description. The situation has developed to this point, and there are many things I didn't anticipate. I'm just a student, after all—going to school, taking exams, working, starting a family; that was supposed to be my life. But now everything has changed. I can't go back to the way things were before. No matter what the future holds, I can only keep moving forward. There's no way back..." As Zhang Qiu spoke, his gaze drifted into the distance, as if he could see his past there. Unaccountably, he felt a wave of desolation.
"I understand," Wang Jinghan nodded. "I just hope nothing happens to you. This society is very complicated; being able to live a stable life is actually quite good."
Zhang Qiu smiled and nodded, thinking about something but unable to voice it. He had originally lived a stable life, but a series of unexpected events had forced him step by step to where he was now. The harsh reality had repeatedly told Zhang Qiu that stability often meant being bullied everywhere. To live with dignity, one could only keep climbing higher. Only when you are strong will people respect you; if you are as weak as an ant, no one will care about your situation.
After a while, Wang Jinghan pointed at a shop by the street and exclaimed, "Here we are! This is the place; it's so delicious."
Following Wang Jinghan's point direction, Zhang Qiu realized it was Spicy Shrimp. He had always wanted to try it while learning guitar at the Earthly Music Store across the street but never got around to it even after finishing his lessons. Now coming here with Wang Jinghan felt like a way to make up for that past regret.
The two entered the restaurant and were guided by a server to their seats. The server brought the menu, and Wang Jinghan took it and said, "I'll have a chicken wing pot." She then smiled and handed the menu to Zhang Qiu, saying, "You can order the dishes."
Zhang Qiu took the menu and selected several items. Wang Jinghan exclaimed in surprise, "You like the same things I do."
"Really?" Zhang Qiu was also pleasantly surprised. "That's great!"
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