Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 181: The Confession of Love
According to the plan, Chu Tianyu’s group first took Li Rou home. Due to Li Rou’s father’s condition, they stayed a few more days. Seeing so many young people arrive, Li Rou’s mother took extra time off to entertain them thoroughly. She was especially grateful to Ouyang Ziyi, who felt embarrassed, but the specifics couldn’t be disclosed yet—especially since Li Rou had previously asked everyone to keep their relationship with Chu Tianyu a secret for now. After all, it was difficult to explain her relationship with Chu Tianyu to her traditionally-minded parents, as it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. Though misunderstandings were minor, her father’s health was of utmost importance. Although the surgery was successful, cancer’s tenacity and potential recurrence still threatened his life. Li Rou didn’t want any complications at this time that might worry and trouble her parents.
However, upon seeing his daughter and her many friends, Li Rou’s father was in high spirits, always cheerful. Though he didn’t speak much, his sincerity was evident, and he even helped with light chores, enjoying himself greatly. The short few days together were wonderful and joyful, especially for Chu Tianyu, Bai Lei, and Chen Qing, who praised Li Rou’s mother’s delicious cooking—such as stir-fried pork, marinated pork, and braised pork—enjoying a feast fit for men. Yet, her mother’s menu somewhat overlooked the tastes of the women, but everyone understood; after all, in her eyes, hosting guests meant serving more meat dishes they usually wouldn’t dare eat…
…
With Li Rou’s reluctant yet resigned gaze, Chu Tianyu’s group set off on their journey again. Together, the young people quickly forgot their sadness at parting. Laughter and joy filled the trip, with stops along the way, especially thanks to Bai Lei’s cheerful presence. They almost forgot Chu Tianyu’s original intention as the organizer, turning it into a pure vacation. Chu Tianyu also happily forgot to remind them, as this carefree outing was new even for him. With endless fun along the way and experiences richer than school life, and everyone spending time together, Qin Nianran gradually shed her initial shyness and fully enjoyed the trip. This might have been her first such opportunity in her life as well.
Words like carefree and joyful only at this moment allowed her to truly understand their meaning. Though she didn’t express her feelings explicitly, a slight hint could be discerned from the thawing smile on her face.
However, as the journey progressed, especially as they approached Chen Qing’s hometown, everyone became more restrained. They largely stopped staying in larger cities and instead stayed wherever they went—either in villages or roadside gas stations. Occasionally, if they took a wrong turn, they would simply spend the night in the car, truly experiencing the hardships of the journey.
Fortunately, aside from Bai Lei, the others all had the resilience to adapt to the wilderness and hardships. Chu Tianyu goes without saying. Ouyang Ziyi and Lan Yue had extensive experience. Qin Nianran and Angel were highly skilled and bold. And Chen Qing and his girlfriend were originally from here—how could they not adapt?
So, only Bai Lei truly endured the hardships. Yet no matter how tough it was, his enthusiasm couldn’t be matched! And someone like Bai Lei would never give in. No matter how hard or tired he was, no matter if he bled or cried, he would force himself to keep smiling—after all, he was a genius…
When they arrived at Chen Qing’s hometown, everyone was stunned and enchanted by the beautiful scenery, and they cheered at the novelty of the place.
But Chen Qing remained calm. Only after they had had their fill of excitement did he slowly introduce his beautiful hometown. Yet toward the end, he changed his tone and said, “This is my hometown. There are no famous sights, so tourists don’t come; no picturesque views, so photographers don’t come; and no projects to develop, so investors don’t come either. For those who have lived here generation after generation, they either stay here honestly, living off the land by farming, or go to the city to work hard, earning meager incomes and a chance to settle down in the city…”
At this point, Chen Qing paused, and his girlfriend continued, “That’s right. It is beautiful—free from the hustle and bustle of the city, with its own peace and comfort. The morning mist, the smoke from cooking, the sunset—all are so enchanting. But if you stay here for just three days, after the novelty wears off, the ignorance, monotony, and poverty here will show you another side of this rural village!”
Chen Qing nodded and added, “We’re not saying this to belittle our hometown. We’re simply saddened by its poverty and lack—not only in material terms but also spiritually. Once you’ve settled in our home, I’ll take you to a minority village not far from here. After seeing it, perhaps you’ll get some clues to the answers you’re looking for! My girlfriend and I have decided to return after graduation. We’ve taken too many detours before and never really knew what we truly needed inside. We didn’t know how to find a place that truly belongs to us. Now we finally know the answer.” Hearing Chen Qing and his girlfriend’s words and feelings, everyone felt as if a string in their hearts had been strummed, stirring emotions that took a long time to calm down.
At this moment, Chen Qing and his girlfriend, unlike their humble and gentle demeanor on the road, spoke endlessly with emotional intensity, giving everyone a new perspective on them. Perhaps only here, in the place where they were born and raised, could they have free dreams and unrestrained spirits!
……
When they arrived at Chen Qing’s village, they were received even more warmly than at Li Rou’s home. All the aunts and uncles came—first to see Chen Qing’s girlfriend, and second because they heard he had brought many classmates home. They rushed over with food and supplies such as chicken, duck, fish, and dried goods from the mountains, ready to welcome them.
This was actually a custom in the mountains and a sign of the locals’ hospitality, but it also reflected the region’s material scarcity and poverty. Since no single family could afford to host guests alone, whenever someone had guests, everyone would contribute their best things to ensure a generous welcome.
At this point, the bags prepared by Ouyang Ziyi proved very useful. Perhaps because Ouyang Ziyi often engaged in outdoor activities and knew the local conditions, she brought items that the villagers urgently needed or lacked. After distributing gifts and exchanging presents, seeing the villagers’ simple and sincere faces, holding what they considered extremely valuable gifts, everyone was overjoyed. They never expected to gain such rewards that day; their hearts were filled not with joy, but with weight.
Dinner was lavish, with many dishes that everyone had never eaten before. Chen Qing also ate heartily, his cheeks puffed out, despite his father constantly staring at him as if to say, “You little rascal, why aren’t you sensible? Serve the guests first!” But Chen Qing didn’t care about that. Eating home-cooked food gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth. It seemed that by chewing and swallowing this happiness, he could swallow away all the grievances he had suffered at school that semester and the shock from that incident, never having to think about them again. As he ate, tears began to fall from Chen Qing’s eyes uncontrollably. His girlfriend, seemingly sensing his mood, joined him involuntarily, her eyes red,lowering her head mechanically eating her food… After dinner, Ouyang Ziyi and Lan Yue went to check the car, while Bai Lei took Chen Qing to visit some fellow villagers, claiming he wanted to talk to a few acquaintances, and even brought a notebook with him. He also dragged Angel along, saying he wanted her to give him some lively language lessons. Thus, only Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran remained in the room. Chu Tianyu knew this was Ouyang Ziyi’s arrangement. Although Qin Nianran had gotten along fairly well with everyone else, she remained cold and distant toward Chu Tianyu, rarely speaking to him. So Ouyang Ziyi hoped to use this opportunity for Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran to have a proper talk about how their relationship should develop—whether to stay or part—and make a decision. “Are everyone gone?” Qin Nianran suddenly looked up at Chu Tianyu. “Pretty much, just the two of us left!” Chu Tianyu replied. “They’re quite good at creating opportunities. It seems it’s time to resolve things between us, so as not to disappoint those who care about you!” Qin Nianran said in her usual tone. Her directness left Chu Tianyu speechless, not knowing how to express himself. “Just speak straight. Tell me your thoughts so we can avoid beating around the bush. It’s not only confusing for us but also causes unnecessary worry for others…” After saying that, Qin Nianran stared straight at Chu Tianyu, unflinching. Seeing her determined gaze, Chu Tianyu knew it was time to make a decision. Instead of rushing to answer, he thought carefully—though “thinking carefully” wasn’t quite accurate; it was more like organizing his thoughts, as he had been pondering this issue all along. “May I ask you a question first?” Chu Tianyu suddenly asked, his eyes gleaming.
“Say it!” Qin Nianran replied briefly and firmly.
“Since you can join us on this trip this time, can you tell me why?” Chu Tianyu asked.
“Sure…”