Chapter Four, The Preface of the Sophora Tree

Well! I am leaving!

I just ran into him and gave him an umbrella

"Why? Is it not good-looking?" Huai Xu lowered his head to examine himself, "Or do you think the one from yesterday looked better?"

No home

Loose linen pants cling to the curves of the body, perhaps hiding a tail shorter than a rabbit's within them

So, are you a man or a woman

at the same time slowed down their pace

Do you not remember?" Zhou Li was filled with confusion, not only regarding the doubts he had about Huai Xu over the past few days, but also about the questions that had accumulated in his mind over the past ten years, "What has happened to you?"

As Zhou Li approached, the girl's gaze fixed on him. She suppressed the surprise in her eyes, first furrowing her brows, and then said: "Aren't you supposed to pretend you can't see me? Why aren't you pretending today?"

Not afraid

Good

I am accustomed to that from yesterday

Hmph

A flash of lightning illuminated her face, making it appear as white as snow

Oh

Aunt Jiang, why are you out?

The rain has quickly intensified, pounding on the ground and the awnings of the low houses in the alley, creating a resonant sound, as if it were merging into one continuous downpour

Zhou Li's expression was calm: "Let them see."

Zhou Li caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking by the roadside with an umbrella. He pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Huai Xu, who was still watching him, waiting for him to ask a question, and asked: "Where do you go when it rains?"

Those eyes suddenly widened, reflecting more light

In the crowd, a glance was cast into the distance, where that person still stood beside the tree, gazing blankly at the direction where the lightning had just flashed.

Looking up, at the intersection across the street, there sat a figure on the locust tree, still slender in build, still wearing the clothes from that day. The lush locust tree was an area where light struggled to reach and where books were difficult to access, yet one could faintly see long hair dancing in the breeze

Invisible pores, devoid of any fuzz, reflect a shimmering luster under the illumination of street-side shop lights

She must possess some kind of transformative ability, right? If that is the case, it makes sense—yesterday's her and today's her are completely different. Zhou Li has never seen anyone who looks almost identical to 'them' like she does.

Then I will just take a taxi

This rain is quite heavy

Zhou Li, carrying a bag, squeezed through the crowd as he made his way downstairs. He casually glanced around but did not see his younger brother, Zhu Shuang. Without waiting, he continued on his way outside the school.

The girl let out a soft hum, and immediately broke into a smile: "Let's change the place to talk, there are people nearby watching you."

talk to you

昂

Indeed

The fragrance of the locust flowers has intensified, wafting in waves with the wind. The small white petals are blown down, only to be lifted again by the breeze on the ground

What made you want to find me today

He turned on the desk lamp, and the eye-friendly light immediately filled the tabletop. He took out a slightly damp paper from his backpack, smoothed it out, and then looked at Huai Xu: "Come in and have a seat."

I am not afraid of getting wet in the rain

Others may think that you are mentally ill

Her skin is exceptionally good

In fact, I have many questions I would like to ask you

Good

but it is too delicate

I am leaving now, my aunt has come out to look for me

So capricious

"Forget it, can you go back to how you were yesterday? I'm not really used to you like this." The other person was too beautiful, which put a lot of pressure on the newly adult Zhou Li.

Well then

Is it dusk and dawn

They are becoming increasingly numerous

Wearing shoes

Goodbye

This began to cause a sense of unease deep within Zhou Li

Where is Xiao Shuang?

For us, this is merely a shell! The girl said, "I can become whatever I want to become."

"My name is ... ... Huai Xu." The girl thought for a moment and said, "Does this mean we are acquainted now? Look, we have exchanged names."

Upon returning home, when Zhou Li finished bathing and came out in fresh clothes, there was a bowl of freshly served pig trotter soup on the table. Unlike the pig trotter soup that most people prepare, which is topped with a thick layer of oil, Aunt Jiang believed that such a preparation was too unhealthy

Zhou Li saw the light in his eyes suddenly dim, so he quickly said: "You can come find me, don't you know where I live?"

Zhou Li looked at the road surface, and began to ponder in his mind

Good!

"This is it, I won't go in anymore, lest you worry that I want to eat you."

Hmm. Huai Xu displayed a contemplative expression, "Perhaps there was, there used to be, but I do not remember."

Suddenly

As I stepped out of the school gate, the streetlights illuminated one after another

That is a girl

Oh

The girl did not respond, took two steps forward, then turned back to glance at him. Seeing that he had caught up, she continued to move ahead

Hmm... you like men, huh? Then I will also have to wait until the day and night alternate to change.

This is in the city

Thinking of this, he carefully glanced at the girl again

I do not know; I just do not remember upon waking up

The room is not large, and there are no spacious units in this community. There is a bunk bed, a bedside table, a bookshelf, a small wardrobe, and then there is the desk and chair in front of Zhou Li. Huai Xu jumped down from the window frame and glanced around, realizing that he could only sit on Zhou Li's bed, but he was wet. He had been afraid to come in earlier, worried that he would drip water on Zhou Li's floor.

Indeed, I see that you seem a bit impatient regarding those issues. Huai Xu responded quickly, "On my way here just now, I saw a girl wearing the same clothes as you being chased and bitten by a large dog!"

Zhou Li turned around and walked out of the alley, quickening his pace while protecting his backpack, and soon caught up with Aunt Jiang. By this time, his hair was already completely soaked.

Zhou Li turned around and said: "My home is very close"

But now, for some reason, he often sees them

"Not really," the girl added, "Don't be deceived by my appearance."

I enjoy staying in the trees, and sometimes I go inside the houses to avoid the rain. There are many houses here that do not close their doors at night, hehe. In any case, no one can see me, and I am not afraid of the cold

He did not dare to sit, so he leaned against the ladder of the bed and began to observe Zhou Li's room

That group of people walked past Zhou Li, glancing at his school uniform: "It's raining, why aren't you going back!"

Huaixu turned his head to take a glance and closed his mouth

The floor reflects light in a reverse manner, appearing quite valuable

Zhou Li felt somewhat dazed. When the green light turned on, he slowly walked over, occasionally glancing at the branches.

I have gotten used to it

Zhou Li raised his head to look at her: "How did you... become a girl?"

Li Nan shouted after Zhou Li: "Zhou Li, are you walking or riding a bike? Do you need me to help you borrow an umbrella from the students in the dormitory?"

The alley is somewhat dark, with a red sign for 'Peach Blossom Internet Cafe' brightly illuminated in the center. Aside from this, most of the light comes from the windows of the buildings on either side. A few stray cats are gathered near a pile of garbage, seemingly in a meeting, while several stylish young men with dyed hair are squatting at the entrance of the internet cafe, smoking. Both the stray cats and the young men occasionally glance this way, their movements surprisingly similar.

Heavy rain is imminent

Zhou Li did not respond

In his impression, they used to be much fewer in number, even in the mountains, he could hardly see them once, so he only needed to pay a little attention to avoid any intersection with them

At this moment, the wind is blowing outside, making it particularly cool, and occasionally a flash of light appears on the horizon

Good

Zhou Li, how about you

Zhou Li was too lazy to explain to her

The girl did not venture deep into the alley; she only walked a few meters before leaning against the wall.

I am afraid

Zhou Li looked at the girl, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Have you always looked like this?"

This word left Zhou Li momentarily stunned, as images of them crawling out from the earth surfaced in his mind, with crooked tombstones standing nearby, only to be followed by a sunflower that obliterated this terrifying scene

The skin tone is quite fair, but not excessively so.

Oh ... ...

Zhou Li enjoys eating the white radish in the soup

Is it like yesterday

Zhou Li shuffled into his room wearing slippers. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a figure sitting on the window frame, this time facing him, with its head tilted to look at the rain outside. The cool, damp air from the rain was blown in by the wind

Zhou Li shook his head

What is your name

I have prepared pig trotter soup for you, adding white radish. When you return, take a shower first. I told Xiao Shuang to wait for you to wash up first, as you are more important at this moment

No

You asked! Huai Xu's eyes lit up, "I will tell you everything I know!"

Waking up

"Oh, how did you end up behind me?" Aunt Jiang handed him her umbrella and opened another one for herself

At this moment, the group of young men squatting at the entrance of the internet café in the distance stood up, but instead of going upstairs to enter the café, they headed in this direction

Rest early

Zhou Li looked at the girl's neck from behind, and only at such a close distance did he notice the differences between her and others

The girl jumped down again, her movements were very agile

Zhou Li sensed that the person in front of him genuinely wanted to talk to someone, to have a simple conversation with another person

"Aren't you afraid that I will eat you?" She firmly believed that Zhou Li was afraid of being consumed by her the day before yesterday

Then I will go back to write the exam paper

It seems that small raindrops have already begun to fall from the sky

The evening self-study session ends at 9 o'clock, and it is completely dark outside.

After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Perhaps it is time for me to make a new attempt."

... ...

Zhou Li walked to the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down

As he approached the community, he suddenly stopped in his tracks

"You didn't see me, did you? I only realized it was you after I had walked past, and hurriedly ran back," Zhou Li said helplessly. "You don't need to come out specifically to pick me up. It's just a short distance, and getting a little wet in the rain is nothing. If it rains heavily, I can just make a trip."

"You have come!" Zhou Li said, somewhat surprised

I have no home

Soon, the two of them arrived at the entrance of a slightly less crowded alley. It was not significantly less crowded; it simply lacked streetlights and shops, making the lighting somewhat dimmer

Only after they walked out of the alley did Zhou Li say: "It's going to rain, aren't you going home?"

Zhou Li's parents divorced when he was very young, due to his grandparents' obsession with continuing the family line. He went to live with his father. His current home is a blended family, and Aunt Jiang is his stepmother. She also brought along a younger brother named Zhu Shuang, who is only one year younger than Zhou Li and is currently studying in the second year of high school at Yan Cheng Middle School.

The rain has intensified, and everyone is taking taxis, but there aren't enough cars. Moreover, the college entrance examination is approaching; what if one catches a cold and develops a fever from getting soaked in the rain? Aunt Jiang said, glancing at his hair, "Look, your hair is all wet; quickly dry it with your clothes."

Goodbye