Daydreaming about Me

Chapter 24

The last subject was English, and the time to finish the exam was about the same as the end of the school day. Shen Juan and Lin Yujing finished their papers almost simultaneously. As soon as Lin Yujing looked up, he also stopped writing.

Once Shen Juan finished, he stood up, handed in his paper, and left. Lin Yujing sighed, handed in her paper, and grabbed her backpack.

All the chocolates, jellies, and bread remained uneaten except for one piece of bread and a box of milk. The rest lay quietly in her backpack. She took out a packet of shelled peanuts and looked at it for a while, suddenly feeling like laughing.

“What’s the deal with peanuts for alcoholics? Are they meant to be bar snacks?”

Lin Yujing slung her backpack over her shoulder, left the school gate, crossed a street, and saw Old Li’s car at the usual spot.

She got in the car and greeted Old Li, “Hello, Uncle Li.”

“Ah, Miss Lin,” Uncle Li responded quickly, starting the car and glancing at her through the rearview mirror. “Mr. Meng is back today.”

Lin Yujing looked out the window, “Yes, I know.”

Uncle Li sighed and didn’t say anything more. The young girl was small but strong- willed, with her own temper and very stubborn.

Feeling her reluctance, the road seemed more congested than usual that evening. It took nearly an hour to get home. Guan Xiangmei was not there, and Meng Weiguo was sitting in the living room watching TV. When he saw her come in, he turned off the TV and turned around.

His expression was gloomy, and he looked very angry.

Lin Yujing felt a sinking feeling.

Meng Weiguo seemed excessively angry. She thought he hadn’t sounded this angry when they spoke on the phone at noon.

Lin Yujing cleared her throat, “I’m back.”

Meng Weiguo looked at her, “You still know to come back?”

“Didn’t you tell me to come back?” Lin Yujing said matter-of-factly.

Meng Weiguo stood up with a stern face, “Who signed the permission slip for you to stay at the school?”

“…” Lin Yujing hesitated, “My brother…”

“Why did he sign it?”

“He doesn’t want me to stay at home,” Lin Yujing said reluctantly, “We don’t get along well. We always argue, so when I told him I wanted to stay at the school, he agreed—”

Meng Weiguo took two steps forward and slapped her.

Lin Yujing reacted as soon as he raised his hand. She hesitated but didn’t dodge, just leaned back a bit, tilting her head to reduce most of the impact.

Even so, the slap landed on her face with a crisp sound.

Lin Yujing didn’t feel much pain, but her face still had a burning sensation.

Meng Weiguo pointed at her, his voice lowered, “Fu Mingxiu signed it? I called him, and he said he didn’t know about this. Lin Yujing, have I been too indulgent with you? Now you dare to lie? To deceive your father?”

Lin Yujing cursed Fu Mingxiu in her heart multiple times.

She hadn’t expected Meng Weiguo to check. She dared to lie because she thought he wouldn’t.

Being a proud person, he wouldn’t want Guan Xiangmei to know he couldn’t even control his own daughter. His anger wasn’t just about her staying at the school. He felt his authority was challenged. He believed his words should be absolute, but now she dared to lie to him.

Meng Weiguo felt his parental authority was being defied.

What a joke. A person who never fulfilled his parental duties now wanted to maintain absolute authority over his children.

Lin Yujing smirked, “How would I dare,” she looked up at him, “How would I dare lie to you.”

“What attitude is this? You lie and think you’re justified?” Lin Yujing stayed silent, standing there.

A servant came out of the kitchen and glanced over. Meng Weiguo tried to lower his voice but still sounded like thunder, “What? You’re not satisfied with me saying a few words to you? Look at yourself now, talking back to adults, lying, making decisions on your own. Is this what your mother taught you? I’m your father. Is it wrong for me to hit you?”

“My mother didn’t teach me.” Lin Yujing said. “What?”

“My mother didn’t teach me these things. No one did,” she looked at him, “You remember you’re my father now? Don’t you think it’s a bit late?”

Meng Weiguo was silent for three seconds, then like a lion whose tail was stepped on, he jumped up.

His face turned red with anger.

Lin Yujing thought she might get slapped again and wondered if she should dodge.

He stood by the sofa, blocked by a chaise longue. If he moved, she might be able to throw him over her shoulder or something.

This thought flashed through her mind but after 0.5 seconds, she gave up.

Probably because of the exhaustion from a whole day of exams, her brain and body were tired. She didn’t have the energy to resist or argue.

She was ready to take another slap, but Meng Weiguo suddenly stopped.

He looked past Lin Yujing, clearly taken aback for a moment, then his expression quickly returned to calm: “Mingxiu?”

Lin Yujing froze.

She stiffly turned her head and saw Fu Mingxiu coming down from upstairs. The soft carpet muffled his footsteps, and he walked over silently.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you got back?” Meng Weiguo smiled at him. “No classes at school today?”

Fu Mingxiu: “Mm.”

Lin Yujing looked at him expressionlessly.

Fu Mingxiu glanced at her, cleared his throat, and said, “I forgot earlier, but I did sign something for her.”

Lin Yujing: “…”

Meng Weiguo was stunned: “You signed for her? But when I asked you this afternoon—” “I forgot this afternoon,” Fu Mingxiu glanced at Lin Yujing again, “We had a fight earlier and don’t get along, so when she said she wanted to live on campus, I signed for her.” The plot took a sudden turn, like a roller coaster, moving so fast that Lin Yujing couldn’t keep up.

Meng Weiguo seemed just as surprised, withdrawing his hand after a moment and saying, “Ah… since you signed for her…”

“If I signed for her, then let it go. Your quarrels give me a headache,” Fu Mingxiu said impatiently. He paused and looked at Lin Yujing, “Where did you buy that lemon pie last time?”

Lin Yujing stared at him blankly, “Huh?”

“The lemon pie.”

Lin Yujing: “I…”

“I couldn’t find it,” Fu Mingxiu interrupted irritably, “Take me to buy it.” “…”

Completely confused, Lin Yujing, who had never bought any lemon pie, followed him out.

It was a damp, cold October night. Lin Yujing followed Fu Mingxiu through the backyard to a car parked at the back door.

Fu Mingxiu turned to her, frowning, “What’s going on between you and your… your dad?”

Lin Yujing finally realized that for some reason, Fu Mingxiu had changed his mind and decided to help her.

She lifted her head, “It’s just as you saw.”

“No,” Fu Mingxiu seemed puzzled, as if he’d seen something beyond his comprehension, “Does he often… hit you?”

“No,” Lin Yujing said honestly, “It’s the first time. He didn’t really care about me before.” Fu Mingxiu glared at her silently.

Lin Yujing was so cold her teeth were chattering. They stared at each other for about a minute before Fu Mingxiu suddenly said stiffly, “I’m not helping you, I just can’t stand it.”

“…”

Lin Yujing almost laughed. She finally understood what kind of person her brother was. She adjusted her expression and sweetly said, “Thank you, brother.”

Fu Mingxiu’s shoulders twitched. He pointed at her and warned, “Lin Yujing, don’t disgust me.”

“Oh,” Lin Yujing retracted her obedient expression, pressing her fingertips against the corners of her lips, “Where are you planning to take me?”

“Take you?” Fu Mingxiu sneered, pulling out his car keys, “I have things to do. Go wherever you want.”

Lin Yujing raised an eyebrow, “No lemon pie?”

“You never bought any lemon pie.”

“Then why did you pull me out?”

“If I didn’t get you out, what if he hit you again?” Fu Mingxiu waved impatiently, not wanting to deal with her anymore. He opened the car door and drove off in his sports car. The courtyard lights cast a soft, greenish glow on the grass and walls. It wasn’t fully dark yet, the sky ablaze with red clouds fading layer by layer at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Lin Yujing stood there, her fingertips still cold. She lowered her hands, the smile on her lips gradually disappearing until it was a straight line.

She had nowhere to go.

After standing for a while, she walked out the back door. She had only eaten a bit of bread and milk since breakfast, and her empty stomach started making its presence felt. Lin Yujing realized she hadn’t even taken off her backpack.

She took out a piece of chocolate, unwrapped it, and ate while walking. The sky grew darker, the streetlights casting warm yellow circles on the marble pavement. She hopped from one light circle to the next, heading towards a familiar 7-11 about thirty meters away.

Lin Yujing finished her chocolate, threw the wrapper in a trash can, and entered the 7-11 to buy a box of curry chicken udon.

She sat at a window-side table, unpacked her meal, and started eating. Halfway through, she looked up at the bustling street outside, feeling a bit sad.

Like a rural worker in the city who got fired and had their wages withheld, unable to pay rent and kicked out by the landlord, now sitting in a convenience store eating a boxed meal with their only belongings—a bag of peanuts.

She sighed, lowering her head to eat her udon.

“Chime”—the automatic door of the convenience store opened, and the cashier greeted sweetly.

Lin Yujing didn’t look up, but saw someone walk in and stop beside her.

She turned her head and looked up.

Shen Juan stood there, expressionless.

“…”

Lin Yujing still had a piece of udon in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed, then said, “Ah.”

She thought about apologizing to Shen Juan since she had stood him up for lunch and chased him away. It seemed normal for him to be upset.

“What are you doing here?” Shen Juan asked, looking down at her.

“I…” Lin Yujing poked her half-eaten curry udon, “Having dinner.”

Shen Juan: “Aren’t you staying at school?”

Lin Yujing opened her mouth.

She didn’t know how to explain and didn’t want Shen Juan to know about Meng Weiguo. Before she could speak, Shen Juan frowned and asked, “What happened to your face?” “…”

Lin Yujing hesitated, “It’s complicated and hard to explain—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

Shen Juan suddenly leaned in, his face close, eyes narrowed, looking at her face.

His skin was pale, eyes long and black, with dense lashes casting shadows, his eye corners slightly upturned.

Lin Yujing held her breath for a moment.

The next second, Shen Juan straightened up, his voice cold, “Who hit you?”

Lin Yujing licked her lips, looking at him quietly, not speaking.

Shen Juan stared at her for a few seconds, his jaw tensing slightly, as if grinding his teeth. “Alright.” He nodded, turned, and left the convenience store.

Lin Yujing felt a mix of relief and emptiness.

She blinked, turned back, and slowly resumed eating.

Looking up, she almost choked.

Shen Juan was standing by the 7-11 window, leaning against the wall, smoking silently while looking at her.

They stared at each other through the glass for five seconds.

Shen Juan exhaled a puff of smoke, flicked off some ash, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

“…”

Lin Yujing really wanted to say, “Why don’t you just come in and fight me? This is so frustrating.”

She had been hit at home and now faced a cold attitude. What was this? Why treat me like this?

I didn’t stand you up on purpose.

Do you think I wanted this?

I wish Meng Weiguo would never come back.

Why am I so unlucky to have such parents?

She took a deep breath, threw her chopsticks on the table, and walked out.

“Chime”—the door opened. She walked towards Shen Juan, her steps determined. Stopping in front of him, she looked up, “Let’s fight.”

Shen Juan paused.

Lin Yujing quickly said, as if hiding something, “You got stood up, you’re upset, I’m upset too. We’re both unhappy. Let’s fight. It will solve everything.”

Shen Juan looked at her, stunned.

“I’m so frustrated, I could jump off a building,” Lin Yujing sniffed, her eyes red, “Will you fight me or not? If not, I’ll find someone else.”

Shen Juan silently watched her for a few seconds, then sighed, “Alright.”

He raised his hand, his cool fingertips touching her moist eyes, “I’ll fight you however you want. Just don’t cry.”

Author’s Note:

Shen Juan: Darling, you choose the place. Maybe the bed? (Just kidding)