Chapter 615: Chapter 615: College Entrance Exam Top Scorer (2)_1 Chapter 615: Chapter 615: College Entrance Exam Top Scorer (2)_1 Up front, Shu Jie and Ruan Jian|guo chatted from time to time, Ruan Jie occasionally threw in a comment, but only Xiu Xi beside her was quiet throughout.
Ruan Jiaojiao didnât pay it much mind, as her little companion had always been quiet and reticent, but when she inadvertently looked back once, she saw him staring at her hand.
She leaned closer, looking along with him, but couldnât find anything amiss and could only ask, âXiuge, what are you looking at?â
Xiu Xi lifted his hand, the young manâs hand wasnât large, but it was well-defined, slender, and fair, which Ruan Jiaojiao found nice as well. She said, âXiuge, your hand is also pretty.â Saying so, she reached out to pinch it, then pouted with a hint of regret, âMy hand is not pretty, itâs too chubby.â
âNot at all, itâs pretty,â Xiu Xi said, and turned his hand to hold her plump little hand tightly.
ââŠâ Ruan Jie.
He silently glanced at his own large hand, which wasnât as dark as Ruan Jian|guoâs, but it was big, with large bones and joints⊠he quietly put his hand behind his back.
The small temple Ruan Hao had found on the outskirts had been so obscure that not many people knew of it, and Ruan Jiaojiao and the others had asked for directions all the way there.
However, as they neared the village and asked a man for directions, they learned of some startling news.
Ruan Jian|guo knew how to deal with people; he got out of the car and offered the man a cigarette, then started chatting. The man didnât hold back and blurted out, âWasnât there a massive flood two summers ago? The temple got flooded, and there were only a few monks to begin with. Some drowned, and the rest left.â
In an era with underdeveloped transportation, a few deaths in a minor temple flood wouldnât cause a stir, so naturally, Ruan Jiaojiao and her family wouldnât have heard about it.
Upon hearing this news, the Ruan family was stunned, especially Ruan Jiaojiao, whose face turned pale with the news.
Shu Jie also looked unwell, having not anticipated such an outcome. She had intended to pay her respects properly to the monk this time, as Ruan Jiaojiao hadnât suffered any nightmares in the past two years and had been living peacefully and happily.
The whole family had almost forgotten about those past fears and nightmares.
This visit was supposed to be about fulfilling a vow.
Theyâd never imagined it would end like this.
After saying goodbye to the man, the Ruan family headed home. On the way back, the atmosphere in the car was eerily quiet. Ruan Jian|guo caught a glimpse of his daughterâs somewhat pale face through the rearview mirror and deliberately tried to lift the mood with a laugh, âHahaha, your elder brother must have finished his exam by now, waiting for us to bring him food. We better hurry up.â
In reality, they had left the examination site barely an hour ago, and it wouldnât be possible for it to have finished so soon.
Ruan Jiaojiao knew he was trying to comfort her and forced a smile, but her heart still felt heavy, as if someone else had suffered a calamity on her behalf⊠she couldnât quite describe the feeling.
All she could do was to look up at Shu Jie and ask, âMom, has she come back?â Without naming anyone, everyone understood who âsheâ was, while Ruan Jie was confused.
âNo, Jiaojiao, donât worry, she hasnât come back,â Shu Jie reassured her. Over the years, she had been keeping a close watch on the Feng family, fearing they might suddenly return, but there had been no news of them coming back even after two years.
Ruan Jiaojiao nodded slightly, feeling a bit relieved. She leaned back in her seat and relaxed her body. Beside her, Xiu Xi took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, to which she responded with a smile.
By the time the Ruan family arrived at the examination center with meals from a restaurant, they had not mentioned the minor detour that occurred in between.