Chapter 41: A Friend of Mine |
Liu Changqing felt his mind spinning.
Tadpoles? This isn’t the kind of animal you can just pick up off the street.
During summer, tadpoles could often be found near rivers. Liu Changqing remembered catching them as a kid, though they never lived long in captivity.
Well, at least I don’t have to spend money on a dog bed or a cat bed, he thought, consoling himself.
But a sudden realization hit him.
Where did she get the tadpoles? Could she have gone to the river to catch them?
The thought of little Liu Xiazhi struggling to reach the river, risking danger with just a plastic bottle in hand, filled Liu Changqing with dread.
His expression turned serious as he looked at his daughter.
Liu Xiazhi, happily showing off her tadpoles, noticed the change in her father’s demeanor. Her smile faltered, replaced first by disappointment and then by anger.
“Did you go to the river to catch these tadpoles? Don’t you know how dangerous the river is? If you like tadpoles, you can tell Dad, and I’ll catch them for you!”
“Huh?”
“Huh, what? You’re not allowed to go to the river again, got it?”
Liu Xiazhi stared blankly at her father, looking confused.
“Aren’t you okay with me keeping tadpoles?”
“Why would I be against you keeping tadpoles?” he replied, still shaken.
“The river is dangerous. What if you accidentally fell in?”
“The river?”
Catching on to the key word, Liu Xiazhi shook her head.
“I didn’t go to the river!”
“You didn’t?”
Liu Changqing froze, then asked, “Then where did you get them?”
“A classmate gave them to me.”
Hearing her answer, Liu Changqing finally relaxed.
But then another thought crossed his mind.
Was this classmate a boy or a girl?
“Did a boy give them to you?”
“Yeah!”
Cradling the bottle in her small hands, Liu Xiazhi beamed.
“He even gave me an extra one!”
Her eyes sparkled as she admired the bottle, watching the two tadpoles swim around inside.
“He said tadpoles grow into really, really cute little frogs!”
“Is that so…”
Following her gaze, Liu Changqing looked at the bottle.
He didn’t know if frogs were cute, but he did remember that they were tasty.
Tadpoles don’t take up much space. I’ll just set them aside somewhere when she’s not looking.
Since she hadn’t gone to the river, there was no reason for him to object.
Liu Xiazhi eagerly asked, “What do tadpoles eat?”
“Tear off a bit of bread and drop it in the water,” Liu Changqing advised. “But don’t add too much.”
Excited by the tip, Liu Xiazhi dashed off with her plastic bottle to fetch some bread.
Watching his daughter’s enthusiasm, Liu Changqing shook his head with a smile.
They’re cute now, but frogs? Definitely not cute later on.
By the time Liu Changqing had finished his shower, Liu Zhiyue had returned home. After greeting his father briefly, he went straight to the desk, pulled out his notebook, and began writing furiously.
Liu Changqing watched him for a moment, feeling a rare sense of pride.
When a kid is willing to study, it’s always a good thing.
Not wanting to disturb his son’s concentration, he returned to his room.
Barely a few minutes after settling into bed, Liu Changqing’s phone buzzed.
Opening it, he saw the message was from [Jun Zui Xiang Si], the mysterious benefactor he hadn’t heard from since their last awkward conversation.
At the time, Liu Changqing had feared he might have offended the wealthy patron, but the continued stream of generous donations the next day had allayed his worries.
Now, after several days of silence, the benefactor had reached out again.
The message read:
[Are you there?]
Liu Changqing frowned.
This person really doesn’t know how to chat.
He mentally labeled the benefactor as someone with “awkward chat syndrome.” The phrase “Are you there?” was practically synonymous with borrowing money—but given how wealthy this person was, Liu Changqing wasn’t worried.
He replied:
[I’m here. What’s up?]
The response came almost immediately.
[I wanted to ask you something.]
[Go ahead, I’m all ears.]
But after sending that, there was no reply for a while.
Liu Changqing sighed and set his phone aside, lying back down. He was used to the benefactor’s slow replies by now.
After some time, the phone buzzed again. Liu Changqing grabbed it lazily, opening the new message.
[A friend of mine has been struggling lately. She’s been feeling down because of someone she’s started to care about. That person often says things that upset her but also acts very kind and considerate. My friend isn’t sure what kind of feelings she has for him, and it’s been affecting her mood. Do you think she should keep interacting with him? What’s your opinion…?]
Liu Changqing’s eyebrows shot up as he stared at the lengthy message.
That’s way too long! Another rookie mistake—sending a wall of text is the second biggest no-no in conversations.
And “a friend”? Just admit it’s about yourself. What’s the point of pretending?
Despite his inner grumbles, Liu Changqing began scrolling quickly through the message.
This is going to be exhausting, he thought.
Still, the benefactor’s generosity kept him engaged.
He typed back:
[Is the guy good-looking?]
The response came promptly.
[He’s not bad-looking. He has a comforting and reliable appearance.]
[Then my advice to your friend is to take the initiative and go for it. Seize the opportunity.]
[But my friend feels shy and isn’t sure how she feels about him.]
What’s the point of asking, then?
Suppressing the urge to send his true thoughts, Liu Changqing composed a measured response:
[Life is like this—hesitation leads to missed chances.]
[But it seems like he doesn’t feel that way about my friend.]
[Trust me, as a man, I know how men think. No guy can resist a girl’s proactive approach. Just go for it boldly!]
There was a pause before the next message arrived.
[Alright, I’ll do my best!]
Then, realizing the slip, another message quickly followed:
[I mean, my friend will do her best!]
[Wishing your friend the best of luck.]
After this, the conversation ended.
Liu Changqing tossed his phone aside, closing his eyes.
A mocking smile crept onto his lips.
Ah, young people believing in love…
Thinking of his own past and the shadow of memories that lingered, Liu Changqing turned over in bed without another word.
Sometimes, the scars left by memory are impossible to erase.
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