Hello, Old Times Chapter 49

Chapter 49: The Protagonist’s Game

Yu Zhou Zhou smiled as if she was dreaming. The large rock in her chest had been taken out by Chen An and thrown far away into the horizon just like that.  She could even hear it splash into the river.

After all, she was still scared of walking down a path no one believed in. However, now that Yu Zhou Zhou knew that Chen An had walked down this path before and had passed through the shadows, why wouldn’t she believe in it?

“Could it be just this?”

Chen An’s lips curved up, not letting Yu Zhou Zhou immerse herself in the sudden joy any longer.

“What?”

“Are you unhappy just because of this?”

Yu Zhou Zhou suddenly felt a piece of feather lightly brush across her heart.

She had a lot of sad stories that can be used to comfort others but there were two that couldn’t be used.

She had a lot of troubles that she needed to ask the deities for help with but there were two that she wouldn’t ask.

Perhaps Chen An was only casually asking but his unintentional question that prodded further made Yu Zhou Zhou feel very emotional.

Can I tell you deity?

She was still hesitating when she heard the black dog behind her whimper a few times and run forwards. The dog sled stall owner noticed and hurriedly went over to meet them.

The stall owner seemed to be worried that Chen An would want a refund so he apologized endlessly with a smile and even kicked the useless greyhound, perhaps in hope that their anger would be relieved by seeing this. Chen An waved his hand and told him it was okay and Yu Zhou Zhou added in, “you’re not allowed to bully him” before turning and leaving under the flattering smile of the stall owner

“Did you see,” Chen An shook his head, “Being a dog isn’t easy.”

There were more and more visitors around and lines started to form for the ice slide. The lively, bustling atmosphere woke Yu Zhou Zhou from the heroic aura of the deity world and she started thinking about a lot of practical issues. Chen An never studied Maths Olympiad nor attended a top middle school but he was Chen An after all.

“…Not only do I not know Maths Olympiad, I haven’t learnt English in advance either, I…” Before she had even finished speaking, she suddenly saw Chen An smiling scornfully.

“Learning middle school content while in elementary, learning high school content while in middle school and even muddleheadedly going through some university course content while doing competitions…Why do we have to start running in advance? Doing tomorrow’s things today and doing the day after tomorrow’s things tomorrow, what’s the hurry for? Are you rushing to die then get reincarnated earlier?”

Yu Zhou Zhou was shocked scared. Chen An’s tone was still soft but it carried a strong sense of cynicism. She had never seen this side of Chen An before, he was like an angry teenager who disdained everything. He was frowning slightly as he stared into the distance, thinking about something.

Yu Zhou Zhou pulled his sleeve and Chen An restored his smile. He patted her head, “Did I scare you?”

“No,” Yu Zhou Zhou shook her head, “Well said.”

—

It was Yu Zhou Zhou’s first time eating pizza. They were so cold in the ice amusement park that they almost couldn’t talk and finally, when they reluctantly left the park, Chen An suddenly asked if Yu Zhou Zhou had eaten pizza before.

At the time, pizza stores had just entered the city and just like the KFC back then, all the children yearned for it.  When Yu Zhou Zhou started to like KFC, her mum used to bring home wicked wings and mashed potatoes every night until she wanted to throw up.

In terms of material possessions, her mum did her best to compensate her and Yu Zhou Zhou could feel it.

Everyone around them were lightly cutting their pizza with knives and forks but when their cream pizza arrived, Yu Zhou Zhou reached out with her hand to grab a piece, pulling along thick cheese strands that were extremely tempting.

Chen An however, smiled.

“Do you like to use your hands too?”

“What’s wrong?” Yu Zhou Zhou looked around at her surroundings only to realize that she was the only one who was eating pizza with her hands. She somewhat embarrassedly put down that triangular piece.

“…This is how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles eat…”

Chen An laughed extremely happily and also reached out to grab a slice with his hand, “You’re so right.”

People eat when they’re sad because the stomach and heart are very close. Once one is full, the their warm stomach will occupy the position of the heart so that their heart won’t feel so cold and empty.

“Zhou Zhou, are you not taking the entrance exam for the Shanghai Music Affiliated High School?”

“I don’t want to take it,” Yu Zhou Zhou’s mouth was stuffed with onion rings. Her mood was a lot better, and she became more candid in her speech, finally acting like a little child. “I think there’s no point.”

“No point?”

“I don’t like it. I like playing the cello but I don’t like it that much. I… I’m unable to explain.”

“What do you want to do then?”

Yu Zhou Zhou sucked on a finger and looked into the distance as she considered in seriously, “I don’t know. I really don’t know. However, I hope that one day, I can allow my mom to stop working so hard and I can earn lots and lots of money then buy a super big house. Then, we can become like before. I also want…also want…” I also want others to stop looking down on me, I never want to see Teacher Yu, Zhou Shen Ran and Ling Xiang Qian again and I never…

Yu Zhou Zhou was stunned. With her finger still in her mouth, she sat in a daze for a while. When she raised her head, she saw Chen An’s gentle gaze. When she said her wishes, she didn’t have too many emotions but now seeing this type of gaze, her nose became very sore.

“Why is there only your mum?”

His words were like a knife, gentle but with a sharp edge.

Yu Zhou Zhou raised her head and gulped four or five times. Chen An’s gaze was firm and encouraging.

She put down her fork and wiped her mouth then took a deep breath.

“Because I indeed only just have a mum.”

…Finally, she said it out.

—

It was the first time in Yu Zhou Zhou’s life that she had fully and calmly told someone about herself. Her mum and dad were lovers when they were young but her dad married the daughter of a wealthy family with strong background. Her mum though, still persisted in giving birth to her – or to say, it was because it was too late and too dangerous to have an abortion.

Actually, she wasn’t too clear about the matters back then. She pieced it together from the words her mum and ‘dad’ had said while quarrelling, the rumours and gossip of the neighbours and the “regret” and “constant thoughts” her mum spoke of while crying and hugging her drunkenly.

 Hence, she could only told tell Chen An of how they were unwilling to play with her, how Lin Yang was implicated by her and Maths Olympiad – she was bad at Maths Olympiad, not just because she was stupid but more so because she anxiously wanted to reach the sky in a single bound and do the very best. She wanted it to be like the cartoons where there would be a big reversal and she would trample all the villains under her feet and have a bright ending.

She didn’t cry though.

“Actually, I’ve always really wanted to get revenge on them. I want to become really, really good. I hate them.”

Hate can make someone become strong.

“However, I’m too dumb. I thought that once I became committee member of the young pioneer’s and learnt cello, they’ll say that I am talented but, I realize now that it’s useless.”

Chen An didn’t say anything the entire time. Only a long time after Yu Zhou Zhou turned silent idd he lightly hold her hand.

“Zhou Zhou, let’s play a game.”

“Mn?”

“Let’s play the protagonist’s game.”

“The protagonist’s game?”

“It’s about the type of protagonist who is ridiculed, despised and framed by many people. Then, they fall off a cliff and no one knows whether they are alive or dead or where they are. However, there is always a cave under the cliff and inside the cave, there is always a secret cheat. Once he returns to jianghu, everyone will discover that the protagonist has already become number one in the world, unmatched…”He seemed to have come embarrassed by his own words so he laughed, “It’s this kind of game.”

Yu Zhou Zhou seemed to understand but also didn’t seem to understand.

“Go to a school where no one knows you and draw a new starting line for yourself. Without anyone interfering, you can run faster. Three years time is enough for you to become a little heroine.”

Yu Zhou Zhou felt like a window had been opened in front of her and she was able to see a different world. The days can be lived this way, anger and hatred can also be dissipated this way.

Plus, he actually knew that she was a heroine.

Yu Zhou Zhou smiled. It had been a long time since she smiled so happily and she could see her eyes like moon-shaped crescents appear in Chen An’s eyes.

“Mhm,” Yu Zhou Zhou nodded passionately, “I will definitely be able to clear this game!” She thought about it then said, “I’ll also get into your Zhenhua school!”

In the end though, she still added without confidence, “…the Zhenhua entrance exam…doesn’t have Maths Olympiad right?”

Chen An burst into laughter and patted her head. Yu Zhou Zhou scratched her nose embarrassedly and suddenly thinking of something, raised her head to ask, “But what if there is no cave and secret cheat under the cliff? What if I fall to death?”

Chen An stretched out his little finger and hooked it onto hers, “Zhou Zhou, I’m your secret cheat.”

Mhm, Yu Zhou Zhou smiled, I believe you.

Outside the door of grandma’s house, Yu Zhou Zhou waved goodbye but was stopped by Chen An.

“Zhou Zhou, I wanted to give this to you for a long time but I forgot to every time I saw you and always thought that there’d be another chance in the future. This time, I finally remembered.”

Yu Zhou Zhou received over a thick envelope and opened it dubiously.

It was a photo of a little girl standing on the stage alone. She held a big trophy in her arms and the smile on her face was unimaginably bright.

Yu Zhou Zhou seemed to have forgotten that she used to smile like this.

“That time during your story competition, I originally was going to take pictures of Shan Jie Jie with the camera but she didn’t win any places and stood on the stage with a depressed face so I didn’t take any of her and the entire roll of film was dedicated to you. After the photos came out, I wanted to give them to you but I kept forgetting. Perhaps it was because I thought the photos were too cute and wanted to keep it for a few days longer.”

Yu Zhou Zhou’s eyes were a little wet. She lightly used her finger to stroke that little girl in the photo.

“Zhou Zhou, in the future, you have to smile like you did in the photo.” Chen An leaned down and looked at her, “You have to smile that brightly in order to look good.”

Yu Zhou Zhou put the photo back into the envelope and passed it to Chen An.

“Keep it. If you like it then keep it.”

Chen An was surprised, “Don’t you want it? Your smile is so pretty in the photo.”

Yu Zhou Zhou shook her head then looked up and revealed a smile that was even brighter than in the photo. Under the gentle light of the setting sun, traces of a beautiful teenage girl appeared.

“Keep it as a souvenir,” She said, “As for me… You see, I can just look into the mirror.”