Let the kite in my hand fly a little farther.If I release it completely,will I be able to leave with it, carried away by the wind?
Chen Qiao Luo was discharged from the hospital after three days, but he was back to skipping classes as usual. I heard rumors that someone had seen him working at an auto repair shop in the city.
Although we were friends, I knew next to nothing about his life. He claimed he skipped school to chase after girls, but what I was hearing now seemed completely at odds with his words.
After school, I went to that auto repair shop. From a distance, I saw him crouched down, fiddling with tools, his head lowered. I had never seen this side of Chen Qiao Luo before—his hands were covered in grime, and the sun had left streaks of sweat on his face.
A wave of shock swept over me. I stood there, rooted to the spot, for quite a while before mustering the courage to walk over.
"Chen Qiao Luo," I called softly from behind him.
He turned to look at me after a moment. He seemed surprised to see me there, hesitating before asking, "Zhu Yun Hao, what are you doing here?"
"I…" The words stuck in my throat for a few seconds before I managed to ask quietly, "Didn’t you say you were chasing girls? What are you doing working here?"
Hearing my question, Chen Qiao Luo looked a bit uncomfortable. He stood up, meeting my gaze, and replied, "I have my reasons, Zhu Yun Hao. You wouldn’t understand."
This version of him was completely different from the one I knew. Swallowing the bitterness rising in my chest, I bit my lip and said, "Fine, let’s say I don’t understand. But Chen Qiao Luo, I hope you’ll tell me about things like this in the future. After all, we’re friends."
He froze for a moment, then broke into a smile, his usual teasing tone returning. "Zhu Yun Hao, can you stop being so poetic? It doesn’t suit you. Be a bit fiercer—that’s more like your style."
Sure enough, serious conversations didn’t suit us. The sadness in my heart was quickly replaced by amusement at his words. I shrugged off my backpack and threw it at him, scolding, "Chen Qiao Luo, you’re impossible!"
"Yes, yes, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t upset the great Miss Zhu," he said with a grin.
"Good that you know," I snorted. "When do you get off work? I’ll treat you to something good."
"Probably in a bit over an hour," he said after checking the time. "Why don’t you wait at the cold drink shop next door? I’ll join you when I’m done."
"No way. I’ll wait here and even help you out." I shrugged again, determined.
"Come on, you? Help out? Don’t ruin me," he said, laughing.
"Don’t believe me, huh?"
With that, I grabbed a hammer and started helping him. Despite his repeated attempts to stop me, I refused to back down.
We didn’t leave the repair shop until after six.
By then, I was drenched in sweat from all the work. We agreed to meet an hour later at the night market near the school, so we both went home to shower and change.
On the way back, I couldn’t stop thinking. Chen Qiao Luo skipping school to work like this was no solution. I didn’t know why he was doing it, but he was still a student. Skipping school for so long would only lead to trouble. We were so close to graduating—if he kept this up, he wouldn’t be able to get into college.
Worry surged in my heart like a tidal wave.
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