Chapter 7, The Taste of Bone Marrow (Part 4)

Leo

Of course not, Qi Jiantang's chair slid forward, reaching Cheng Rumo's side, and leaning in said: "I know a secret, do you want to hear it?"

Cheng Rumo pushed him away a bit, "Speak properly."

After driving for a while, Qi Jiantang suddenly said: "Mr. Lu and Ru Mo were classmates in university?"

Arriving at the entrance of Jiangcheng Art College, Qi Jiantang parked the car. Yan Ziyue opened the car door and waved her phone, saying, "You must answer my call when I call you."

Miss Cheng, her long legs belong to her; what power do I have to restrict her personal freedom? Shouldn't you educate your cousin about this?

Qi Jiantang's expression was complex, "Since you are in so much pain, why provoke him now?"

Cheng Rumo felt as if she had returned to those years when the city of Jiang was drenched in continuous rain, and the dormitory was perpetually filled with a damp, moldy smell; Chongcheng was forever shrouded in dust, and the cramped, dark partitioned room was less than 10 square meters. All of this was closely tied to her emotions, which had no outlet, so that whenever Cheng Rumo recalled those times, it felt as if she were once again in that situation, her face always pale and her gaze gloomy, as if she were battling against a disease, fighting against her own despairing feelings.

Cheng Rumo silently broke free from Qi Jiantang's hand, "So don't tell me what he said, I know what he would say."

I am not Huang Shiren. May I ask you, is Lu Qiran the same classmate you mentioned to me last time

After Yan Ziyue walked away, Cheng Rumo looked at the rearview mirror ahead and said, "You two are getting close quite quickly"

Cheng Rumo became alert and looked seriously at Qi Jiantang, "What did you ask?"

Qi Jiantang sighed, "I truly understand it very clearly"

After a while, Qi Jiantang looked directly at the rearview mirror and suddenly asked, "Mr. Lu, did you have a fondness for Ru Mo during your university days?"

Cheng Rumo remained silent

I asked him if he liked you in college, and he said ... ...

Even so, he could still recall some details from the past about Cheng Rumo. For instance, there was a time when it rained, and she was late. When she pushed the door open, the cold air from outside rushed in as well. He was sitting in the front row, so he could see clearly; her hair was damp with rain, which made her features appear even more pure and clear.

Qi Jiantang chuckled, "I promise you, I will never take the initiative to contact her."

When I was young, I was frightened by someone, which made me particularly afraid of wriggling creatures like silkworms. Later, I forced myself to learn fishing; since I wanted to fish, I had to bait the hook. To bait the hook, I had to frequently come into contact with those slimy things. Cheng Rumo's gaze was somber, "This world is like this; the more you avoid certain things, the more painful it becomes. Moreover, no one will understand whether you are afraid of earthworms or snakes. They will only deliberately use these to scare you... and I," Cheng Rumo looked up at Qi Jiantang, "no longer want to be held by my soft spot."

Qi Jiantang smiled, "I dare not refuse to accept."

What was she like in college

Do not tell me! Cheng Rumo suddenly stood up, her movement so vigorous that it caused the table in front of her to shake. The indifferent expression she had before vanished in an instant, her brows furrowed tightly, and her eyes seemed to burn with a flame of pain

Soon her figure disappeared into the night, and Qi Jiantang restarted the car, heading towards the Jiangcheng Hotel

However, what can be recalled are merely trivial details. Such details, others can enumerate dozens of as well. Even the words that come to mind first to describe Cheng Rumo are just "talented" and "introverted," which are extremely ordinary descriptors

Cheng Rumo fell silent, aware that she was being somewhat unreasonable

"It is not like that," Cheng Rumo shook his head. "In fact, during our junior year, when we went to Chongcheng for an internship, I almost put this thought into action."

Lu Qiran was originally leaning back in the chair, but upon hearing Qi Jiantang's question, he straightened his body slightly and replied: "Yes"

On Friday afternoon, the group held another meeting to assign their respective tasks. Cheng Rumo had been in a bad mood and seemed somewhat distracted during the meeting. After the meeting adjourned, she was planning to leave work on time when Qi Jiantang called out to her

Qi Jiantang laughed heartily, "Look at your expressive demeanor, have you been bitten by a dog?"

This child is not someone worth pursuing, and I advise you not to set your sights on her. Moreover, she has a fierce mother; whatever you do to her, just wait for the rest of your life to have someone at the company building every day holding a banner cursing you, hoping you get hit by a car or bitten by a dog on your way home

"Looking just as reserved and flirtatious as you, could it be that you are also a Capricorn?"

You kept me here just to ask these questions

Cheng Rumo returned to his seat and glanced at him, saying, "Don't make me work overtime this week."

Qijian Hall smiled and said, "Yesterday I sent him back and asked him a question"

Qi Jiantang was also taken aback, reaching out to tug at her sleeve, "Like ink..."

Cheng Rumo did not look back, raising her hand and giving a gentle wave

Then he ... ...

Qi Jiantang glanced at her through the rearview mirror, and said nothing more. The three people in the car each harbored their own thoughts; Cheng Rumo sat quietly with her arms crossed, gazing out the window; Lu Qiran observed Cheng Rumo from the corner of his eye; Qi Jiantang focused on the road ahead, occasionally checking the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Qi Jiantang was taken aback

The car arrived at Cheng Rumo's home. Cheng Rumo got out of the car and glanced inside, where Lu Qiran was quietly watching her. Cheng Rumo softly said, "Goodbye," closed the car door, and turned to walk into the building.

Qi Jiantang reached out and covered Cheng Rumo's hand, softly saying: "This is not your fault"

Cheng Rumo's expression was sullen, "It's almost like being bitten by a dog."

What was she like in college

Do not play word games; if she takes the initiative to approach you, would you not accept it with half-hearted reluctance?

Qi Jiantang seemed somewhat skeptical, but merely smiled.

For instance, sometimes when sitting in front of her, one can hear the sound of her sneaking chocolate during class, or her quietly chatting with her roommate. Furthermore, it is common to encounter her on the road; she is always alone, wearing headphones and walking with her head down, and his greetings are often easily overlooked by her

Qi Jiantang called out to her from behind: "Hey! Are you just leaving like this?"

What distinguished her from other girls and made him remember her was her gaze

Cheng Rumo stood like this for a moment, the emotions swirling in her eyes gradually calming down. "Back then, I asked a friend of Lu Qiran whether he had a girlfriend—he was very low-key and never discussed such matters with anyone," Cheng Rumo looked out the window, her voice somewhat cold and desolate. "His friend replied to me: 'He and his girlfriend have a very good relationship; I advise you to give up this thought as soon as possible.' I didn't know how to explain it; I was reflecting on whether I had been too obvious, to the point that everyone could see it. In fact, my sense of morality absolutely does not allow me to interfere in someone else's relationship. Later, I heard some rumors and often there were people who deliberately made a fuss when I was talking to Lu Qiran—I was working on a teamwork project at that time, and Lu Qiran was in my group."

Lu Qiran has always felt that memories are not particularly reliable. Due to the long passage of time, one inevitably tends to exaggerate the exact circumstances of the past. Moreover, as the world changes and times differ, it is even more inappropriate to analyze past situations with the current mindset. The act of recalling is always too subjective. And once it becomes subjective, it is bound to be biased.

Qi Jiantang also stood up, looking at Cheng Rumo, "Rumo, I think you are overthinking. You do not know that Lu Qiran has a girlfriend, so this matter is not your fault"

During that time, I was extremely afraid of encountering Lu Qiran on the road, and even more afraid of meeting his friends. Throughout my entire junior year, his friends looked at me with strange eyes. I had begged him not to tell Lu Qiran, but I thought he must have broken that promise. Cheng Rumo's voice grew heavier as she continued, "Not long after this incident, there was a class where my roommate and I sat behind a seat that had a bag on it. I knew that it was Lu Qiran's bag, but I thought nothing of it, as he had sat in front of me more than once or twice. However, this time, when he entered and saw me sitting behind, he picked up the bag and moved it forward one row—I couldn't help but let my thoughts run wild, because afterward, he almost always sat in the front row. It was very obvious that he was avoiding me. I felt pain, and even more, I felt shame. Liking someone should clearly be a joyful thing, but this sense of shame lingered on. It was as if someone was pointing at me and saying, 'Look, this person wants to be a mistress.'

Lu Qiran's voice was calm: "She is not much different from when she was in university."

Qi Jiantang turned the steering wheel and said with a smile, "Beautiful lady, give me your number; I can't possibly refuse, can I"