Chapter 193 — A Photograph

"It's me..." Wei Zhao said.

Behind the courtyard gate there was a moment of unmistakable silence, then the gate creaked open with a groan, revealing Tang Yun's radiant face, yet with no trace of a smile on it, only a faint, cold indifference: "Come in."

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. The Tang Yun of before, though sharp toward him, had been frank and straightforward, pouting at him, stomping on his foot and the like... but today her eyes were full of cold detachment.

Kang Xiaobo noticed none of these subtleties, and followed Wei Zhao curiously into the Tang family's yard, looking at the clutter scattered about it, then pointing in surprise at one corner: "Boss, look, there's even a cherry tree?"

For those who lived in single-story houses with yards, it was common to plant things in the yard. Back in Wei Zhao's hometown almost every household did so, so he found nothing curious in it.

Kang Xiaobo had grown up in the city and naturally seldom saw such things, so he felt a little excited and puzzled.

"Yun'er, are your classmates here?" Tang's mother's voice came from inside the house. It was a very old-looking brick house whose exact age could no longer be told, built of red brick with no cement on the outside, windows sealed with plastic sheeting, and a door panel covered in mottled rust.

Yet beneath this dilapidated setting lived a girl full of sunshine, the commoner school beauty of No.1 High School.

"Mm..." Tang Yun answered faintly. In her tone there was no longer any irritation or displeasure toward Wei Zhao... she sounded entirely as if she were humoring a stranger.

"Wei Zhao is here, come in quickly!" Tang's mother came happily out of the house, and seeing Wei Zhao and Kang Xiaobo, hurriedly called out to them.

"Auntie," Wei Zhao greeted her, and entered the house with Kang Xiaobo. It was a typical old-style room. Upon entering was a small kitchen set in the entryway, then a large room opening into a smaller one, and inside the small kitchen there was yet another tiny room, which must have been Tang Yun's bedroom.

"Sit inside, quickly." Tang's mother ushered Wei Zhao and Kang Xiaobo into the room, then said to Tang Yun: "Yun'er, keep your classmates company and chat, I'll go get the barbecue things ready!"

"Oh..." Tang Yun nodded, without objecting, and sat down on a chair in the living room opposite Wei Zhao. Because the sofa was limited in size, and Tang Yun did not want to squeeze together with Wei Zhao, she sat across from him.

Tang's mother went out to busy herself, and Tang Yun said nothing, sitting on the chair with her chin propped in her hand, her eyes fixed on the floor, lost in thought.

Wei Zhao found Tang Yun's behavior today strange. From the moment he came in, her attitude toward him had been odd, as if he were a stranger. Sitting in such awkward silence was no solution, so Wei Zhao could only find a topic first: "Uncle is in the inner room, right?"

Wei Zhao heard movement in the inner room. Although the door was closed, with Wei Zhao's hearing, such a sound naturally could not escape his ears.

"My father had a work injury and cannot get out of bed." Tang Yun explained.

"A work injury? Is it serious?" Wei Zhao was startled. He had imagined all sorts of circumstances for Tang Yun's family, but he had never expected her father to be injured and bedridden.

"We are saving money, planning surgery in the second half of the year. If the surgery succeeds, he can recover." Tang Yun said faintly, as if speaking to a stranger.

"A work injury, so why won't his work unit pay?" Kang Xiaobo put in a word.

"The factory boss refuses to admit responsibility and won't pay. What can we do?" Tang Yun seemed to have already resigned herself to it. Toward the boss who refused to pay, there was only helplessness left, and no more anger.

"May I go see Uncle Tang?" Wei Zhao stood up and started toward the inner room, but Tang Yun stopped him.

"My father is resting. Don't go in." Tang Yun did not let Wei Zhao enter. Tang Yun no longer wanted any further entanglement with Wei Zhao, and naturally did not want him to go into the room. If she owed Wei Zhao any more favors, how would she ever repay them?

Tang Yun was not ignorant of worldly ways. On the contrary, her father's affair had made her and her mother endure fully the coldness and warmth of human relations, giving her a deeper understanding of the fickleness of the world.

Why should Wei Zhao help her family? Apart from herself, what else did her family have that Wei Zhao could value? In the end, when her family could not repay what they owed him, the only way to repay a debt of kindness would be with her body.

Wei Zhao only wanted to see how Tang's father's injury really was, whether surgery could be avoided, and whether there was an easier way to treat it, but since Tang Yun objected, Wei Zhao was in no hurry for the moment.

Kang Xiaobo did not want to play third wheel. While Wei Zhao and Tang Yun were talking, he stood up and walked to one side, casually looking at the furnishings and decorations in the room, when suddenly his gaze fell upon a photograph in the bookshelf.

There were three girls in the photo. One was Tang Yun, another was Tang Yun's close friend, who seemed to be called Liu Xinwen, also from No.1 High School, and Kang Xiaobo had some impression of her. However, there was yet another girl who made Kang Xiaobo's eyes light up!

Although, among the three girls in the photo, Tang Yun was undoubtedly the prettiest and most outstanding, the other girl was only slightly less so, and moreover, with her soft and delicate look, she inspired pity and affection at first sight...

Who was this person? Kang Xiaobo's mind began to stir again. As for Tang Yun, Kang Xiaobo had completely given up hope. He would be content so long as Wei Zhao could win her over, but this girl...

"This photo?" Kang Xiaobo could not help asking aloud.

Tang Yun turned her head following Kang Xiaobo's voice and saw the photo in the bookshelf. "They are my two good friends."

"I know this Liu Xinwen, she is also from our school, but this one..." Kang Xiaobo hesitated a moment. Although he felt it was somewhat impolite to ask so directly, he still asked undeterred.

"Her name is Lan Fen, a good friend I grew up playing with..." Tang Yun was clearly unwilling to say more about the matter, and after briefly introducing Lan Fen, she said no more.

Kang Xiaobo gave an "Oh," silently memorizing the name. Lan Fen, quite a nice name? Only he wondered where she went to school now? She certainly was not at No.1 High School, for if she were at No.1, there was no way he would not know.

Although it was impossible for Lan Fen to rank among the three great school beauties, she would certainly be a campus figure, and among the girls at No.1 High School, she could count as top ten.

He wanted to ask about Lan Fen's present situation, but Tang Yun seemed unwilling to speak, so Kang Xiaobo could only drop it.

Tang's mother's barbecue was brought in one after another, chicken wings roasted to perfection, giving off a tempting aroma... Tang Yun helped her mother set the barbecue on the living room table, then said coldly to Wei Zhao: "Eat..."

For the fastest updates, please read without pop-up windows.