NOVEL WEB Chapter 98 - Trick
After deciding on their destination, Liu Meng and YouYu made some brief preparations before stepping out of the house and leaving their home.
This was YouYu’s first outing since Liu Meng brought him back to her home. Walking along the street, his gaze darted around, taking in the surroundings with curiosity.
Unconsciously, this slowed their walking pace.
Noticing his behavior, Liu Meng paused momentarily. Realizing that YouYu had been cooped up at home for quite some time, she smiled apologetically and said,
“Sorry, YouYu, you’ve been stuck at home lately… It’s been a while since you’ve gone out.”
“I didn’t consider that before. My bad.”
“Huh? No, it’s really not a big deal. At least you got me a phone, right? You’ve got work to focus on, so it’s understandable,” YouYu replied, shaking his head as he momentarily stopped his “observations.”
“Is that so…”
Liu Meng didn’t immediately accept his explanation, her mind drifting to something he had mentioned earlier:
[Staying here all day is just too boring. I’m not someone who can handle idleness…]
She sighed and said, “YouYu, once we’re done with everything today, I’ll take you to some other places.”
“The park… the mall… or anywhere else you’d like to go. Just let me know, and I’ll go with you.”
“Oh! But only if you listen to me and behave yourself.”
As she spoke, Liu Meng’s train of thought wandered off-track, and she began to nag, seemingly unaware of her shift in tone.
Hearing her words, YouYu couldn’t help but feel like Liu Meng was treating him like a child!
…
Fortunately, her nagging didn’t last long.
As she continued talking, YouYu quickened his pace, prompting Liu Meng to follow suit. Soon enough, they arrived at their destination—the gates of Rainbow High School.
Having left relatively early, they were greeted by the sight of students crowding around the school gates. The throng was so dense that it resembled a packed mass of humanity.
Traffic officers stood at the front, maintaining order and directing the flow of traffic.
Taking in the scene, Liu Meng scanned the area across from the school gates and found a spot that would offer a good vantage point. Turning to YouYu, she said,
“YouYu, there are too many people here. I spotted a good spot over there—let’s head there instead.”
“Otherwise, we won’t be able to see anything.”
“Alright.”
Nodding, YouYu followed Liu Meng toward the location she mentioned. Although it was only about ten meters away, reaching it was no easy task.
The morning rush made it challenging to navigate the crowd, and it took them over five minutes to get there.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t force their way through; rather, they kept getting separated by the flow of people. Each time, Liu Meng would stop, worriedly call out for him, and cause YouYu to hesitate, unwilling to move too far ahead.
Eventually, however, they reached their destination.
“These students are as energetic as ever…” YouYu remarked, watching the bustling crowd.
“Yeah, it reminds me of my own school days,” Liu Meng said with a wistful smile.
After observing the scene for a moment, she turned to YouYu and asked,
“So, YouYu, does this jog any memories?”
“Hmm… I only remembered bits and pieces of my school days. That’s all I can recall.”
“Well, it’s hard to say for sure. The gates are blocked by all those students, so we can’t see much anyway.”
Liu Meng sighed and looked around. Spotting a place to sit, she walked over and motioned for YouYu to join her.
“Let’s sit here and wait for a bit. There’s no need to rush. Besides, standing around in this heat is exhausting.”
“That’s true,” YouYu agreed, sitting down beside her.
Watching him settle next to her, Liu Meng glanced at the students flooding into Rainbow High School and curiously asked,
“By the way, YouYu, I don’t think I’ve asked much about your past… You’re 18, right? Only two years younger than me. Shouldn’t you still be in school?”
“Oh, I do remember why I’m not in school anymore,” YouYu said after thinking for a moment. He spread his hands helplessly and explained,
“At that time, my financial situation was dire. Without money, I couldn’t continue my education. I had no choice but to find another path.”
“Couldn’t your parents have helped you? I’m sure they would’ve supported you if you asked.”
“You’re right, but… they’re no longer in this world,” YouYu replied with a wry shake of his head.
Liu Meng froze.
“…I’m sorry, I didn’t know about your parents…”
After a long pause, she finally spoke in a soft voice.
“It’s okay. I’m used to it by now. It’s not a big deal.”
Liu Meng fell silent at his response. She avoided looking at him, instead fixing her gaze on the school ahead. She didn’t know what to say in the face of inadvertently reopening an old wound.
So, silence filled the space between them.
They sat there for a long while, watching until the school’s bell rang to signal the start of class.
“YouYu, have you remembered something now?”
“……”
YouYu didn’t answer her. He kept staring blankly at the school in front of him.
He continued to stare, on and on, until someone appeared in his line of sight. It was only then, as though snapping out of a trance, that he finally reacted, speaking in a low, somber tone:
“Sorry, Liu Meng. I couldn’t remember anything.”
“I see…” Liu Meng pressed her lips together and spoke in a gentle tone.
“Then let’s head to another location.”
“There’s no need to rush, right? We still have time. Maybe visiting other places will spark something.”
“Or, we can take a break and come back here later.”
“…Alright.”
Swayed by her suggestion, YouYu sighed and stood up. Seeing him rise, Liu Meng followed suit and walked beside him as they headed toward their next destination.
Unbeknownst to them, their actions hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Was that… YouYu just now?”
“But who’s that blonde woman with him?”
“Or… was I imagining things?”
Breathing heavily, WuYue paused as she prepared to park her bike. After hesitating for a moment, her slow steps turned into a sprint as she ran toward the spot where the two figures had disappeared.
However, when she arrived, there was nothing there.
It was as if they had vanished like illusions.
Everything seemed to be a trick of the mind.