nucmednet Chapter 45 The Letter That Will Never Be Received Again
Chapter 45 The Letter That Will Never Be Received Again
Chen Che didn't see Bai Mu at all the morning of the second day's classes. It wasn't until after class, just as Chen Che was about to leave, that Bai Mu suddenly appeared and stopped him, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and his tone much more honest: "Chen Che, do you know Secretary Yan?"
Judging from his posture, Chen Che realized that he had been reprimanded by Yan Zhengsheng.
Good job, Comrade Yan is very efficient, he deserves praise.
Chen Che and Yan Zhengsheng didn't have any special relationship, and strictly speaking, they weren't very close.
The first time was by chance while fishing, and the second time was when I learned of the other person's identity while giving a report.
But Bai Mu didn't know that.
It's impossible to say that I'm not familiar with Secretary Yan.
He had no choice but to wear that tiger skin.
Then he glanced at Bai Mu casually and said, "You can figure out what my relationship with Uncle Yan is like yourself."
"But there's something I need to tell you."
"What?"
Chen Che patted Bai Mu on the shoulder and said, "Little Bai, remember this well: in our Civil Engineering College, if you're a dragon, you have to coil up for me; if you're a tiger, you have to lie down for me."
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, tenfold retribution—that's the thrill of battle.
Having dealt with the troublemaker, Chen Che felt much better. Unless Liang Jingru personally buffed him, Bai Mu probably wouldn't have the courage to provoke him again.
But the gloom in Sun Ning's heart had not yet disappeared. She could easily handle a minor character like Bai Mu with just a slight move.
But Sun Ning is, after all, a faculty member of the school. Whether to play it safe or be reckless, whether to report her or compromise, and how much to pay for compromise—he still can't make up his mind.
Chen Che was so engrossed in his mental struggle that he didn't hear anyone calling him as he walked down the steps past the pavilion.
It wasn't until Chen Sui called out several times that he came to his senses.
Chen Sui was dressed casually, but somehow she had gotten a straw hat and put it on her head, which mixed her young lady temperament with a touch of the playfulness of a girl next door in summer.
"I called you just now, why didn't you answer me? Were you doing it on purpose?" Chen Sui said, pretending to be angry.
"Sorry, I really didn't hear you." Chen Che forced a smile.
"Hehe, I won't hold it against you then. Look at my straw hat, I love it."
"Oh, where did you come from?"
"There's a stall outside the cafeteria selling all sorts of odds and ends. Why don't you go check it out?" Chen Sui pointed to a spot not far away, where a crowd had indeed gathered at the cafeteria entrance.
"Maybe next time," Chen Che said listlessly.
Looking at Chen Che's listless appearance, Chen Sui immediately sensed that something was wrong. Normally, no matter what, Chen Che could always crack jokes and laugh, but today he was acting very strangely.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Chen Sui asked with concern.
It's been weighing on my mind, and I feel really suffocated. I didn't want others to worry, and I thought I could fight this battle alone. But Chen Sui is a reliable comrade-in-arms who stayed up all night making PPTs with me. It seems like she's the only one I can confide in without worry.
However, I could easily guess what kind of answer she would give.
"My proposal was approved by the school, and they even allocated me a plot of land for development, located downstairs from the university's student activity center."
"Really? That's great!" Chen Sui was genuinely happy to hear the news.
"Can I go and see?" Chen Sui was a little excited. After all, she had put a lot of effort into this, and she really wanted to see what the reward for clearing the level would be.
"It's possible, but there are still some minor issues." Chen Che stopped mid-sentence.
"What's wrong?" Chen Sui asked anxiously when she heard him speaking haltingly.
"There are bad people among the crowd." Chen Che sighed, then recounted the story in as relaxed a tone as possible.
He watched helplessly as Chen Sui's expression changed from initial joy to growing increasingly serious, until it became as cold as ice.
"So? You're going to compromise with this kind of person?" Chen Sui raised her eyebrows and questioned sternly.
"Uh... I'm just considering it." Chen Che touched his nose, and seeing Chen Sui's angry expression, he suddenly felt a little guilty.
"I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely oppose this approach!"
"Seriously, is there no law or order in this school?!" Chen Sui slammed her hand on the stone table in the pavilion in anger.
Then, according to Newton's third law, his palm turned red instantly. Chen Sui gasped in pain, and it seemed like a few tears welled up in his eyes. He immediately clenched his little hand into a fist, but didn't utter a sound. He was a real man.
Chen Che knew Chen Sui's personality and hadn't expected her to react so strongly, so he comforted her, saying, "It's okay, I'll handle this."
Unexpectedly, Chen Sui suddenly looked up, her eyes resolute, and said, "Chen Che, I'm going to take care of this! I can't stand seeing such a despicable thing happen right under my nose!"
Chen Che was taken aback. "Are you the world police, Bazelgeuse? Why are you meddling in other people's business?" he asked. "What's wrong with you?"
Chen Sui took a deep breath and changed the subject, asking, "Chen Che, have you ever heard of the New Concept Writing Competition?"
"I've heard of it. That essay competition is pretty amazing; it's helped a lot of people become celebrities."
This includes, but is not limited to, Guo Jingming, a literary giant and representative writer of youth-themed melodramatic literature, who vividly depicts the clichéd youth of a small group of people, filled with melodramatic plots such as abortion, love triangles, and self-harm with purple clay teapots.
"Yes," Chen Sui nodded, then continued, "I won a second prize once."
"Oh, that's really amazing, truly impressive," Chen Che exclaimed. He had never heard Chen Sui mention this before.
Indeed, human relationships are like the butterfly effect; even the same people can have different outcomes due to different encounters and ways of getting along.
"Guess what happened next?" Chen Sui asked, blinking.
"Hmm..." Chen Che pondered for a moment, then said, "You discovered your talent for writing, but you regret not dropping out of school decisively to become a professional writer and editor."
He started a magazine, became a race car driver, and eventually started making movies. His works were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, making him a winner in life and reaching the pinnacle of success.
"It's all the fault of exam-oriented education that ruined you. You should have had such a brilliant and splendid life, shouldn't you?"
Chen Sui fell silent, rolled her eyes speechlessly. Being with him was like this; she was always listening to his nonsense, but it was also surprisingly relaxing. Her anger from earlier subsided a bit, and the throbbing pressure in her forehead lessened considerably.
"Later, I received a letter from a girl in a mountainous area," Chen Sui continued.
"Oh!" Chen Che nodded in sudden realization. When communication networks were not yet developed, writing letters was the most common way of communicating.
Even now, people can communicate instantly by making a phone call or sending a message, which is a huge convenience that infrastructure development has brought to life.
But though words are few, feelings are deep. Even now, some people still retain this romantic habit, writing "seeing this letter is like seeing you in person" on paper. How much emotion is contained in those folded pages and smudged handwriting?
"And then?" Chen Che pressed, now genuinely curious.
"She said she went to a primary school in the mountains. Once, her father brought this magazine back for her, and she immediately became engrossed in reading it. She loved it so much that she picked up her pen and wrote a letter to me."
"I still remember the first letter; the handwriting was crooked and messy," Chen Sui said with nostalgia.
"But sincerity shines through the words."
"Later I wrote back, encouraging her to study hard and try to see the outside world as soon as possible, because it is another world."
"Then she replied not long after. She thanked me for my reply and encouragement, saying that she thought her letter had been ignored and that her classmates were laughing at her for doing something useless."
She even praised my handwriting, saying it was beautiful, and now she's practicing by copying my characters.
"So when I wrote a reply, I also sent her a few calligraphy practice books."
"And so, we kept in touch for several years, and she successfully entered junior high school."
"Oh, and then what happened?" Chen Che listened with great interest. It was a story full of positive energy and hope, about two girls who were close, cherished each other, and worked together to create a future.
Chen Sui's expression immediately turned somber, and then, with a hint of regret in her voice, she still managed a smile as she said, "After that, I didn't receive any letters from her for a long time."
"what?"
"Actually, I can understand it. Even the closest relationships will eventually cool down," Chen Che comforted her.
"I wish it were really like that." Chen Sui sniffed, her eyes looking like they were about to sweat, but finally smiled with relief.
"Later, it took me a long time to receive another letter from her."
"But it wasn't written by her, it was written by her father."
As soon as he spoke, Chen Che had a bad feeling and hesitated. "What about her?"
"She has passed away." Chen Sui said calmly.
"One day it was raining heavily, but she still went to school as usual. However, a mudslide from the mountain washed away the bridge she was crossing."
"Later, the local government released an investigation report, which pointed out that the tragedy was caused by two factors: firstly, the construction company cut corners and used substandard building materials, failing to meet the design requirements; and secondly, the supervisor issued an acceptance report in violation of regulations."
Chen Sui continued talking to herself, while Chen Che listened silently without saying a word.
"So, I think..."
"If everyone adheres to their principles and bottom lines, does what they should do, remains steadfast and uncompromising in the face of temptation, and exposes such despicable acts to the light of day, wouldn't this kind of thing not happen?"
"So, I won't pretend I didn't see what happened to you," Chen Sui said earnestly.