My Life with Narration

Chapter 541 - 532: So Unwilling!

"Du Qiang, did you and that girl Jiang Yu have a fight? When I saw her yesterday, she was in really bad shape. I even mentioned you to her, and her expression was like she was in pain!"

In a fast-food restaurant by the entrance, Teacher Guo asked Du Qiang.

"Teacher, we were never really together," Du Qiang said with a bitter smile.

"What? Not together? That can’t be! Back in high school, didn’t you always give her your meals? I could tell Jiang Yu had feelings for you. How come you two weren’t together? I thought you both got together after the college entrance exams," Teacher Guo said with surprise, smiling all along, completely unaware of Du Qiang’s feelings at that moment.

"Nothing like that happened, Teacher. But how did you know about our situation back then?" Du Qiang asked confusedly. Though all their classmates knew about it, why would the teacher be this informed?

"I was your homeroom teacher. What didn’t I know? You students thought you were being discreet with your relationships, but we teachers could see everything clearly. We just couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. Besides, back then, Jiang Yu’s family conditions weren’t good. Since you were willing to help her, of course, I wouldn’t stop you, especially since your grades weren’t dropping. Why would I interfere?" Teacher Guo spoke with ease, making Du Qiang blush.

It was a bit embarrassing. He was a detective now, but there were times when others could see right through him.

Su Qing and Li Zijun, on the other hand, were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"By the way, Du Qiang, what are you doing now?"

Upon hearing this, Du Qiang quickly coughed twice, "Teacher, I’m now a police officer here in Jiangcheng City. These two are my colleagues."

"Wow, a police officer! Well, that makes sense. If I’m not mistaken, you did apply for the police academy, right? Impressive, you’ve made something of yourself!" Teacher Guo praised Du Qiang continuously upon hearing about his stable job and status as a civil servant, making him a bit embarrassed.

Seeing the two didn’t intend to stop, Su Qing and Li Zijun exchanged a glance. Then he spoke up, "Ahem, Teacher Guo, you mentioned you saw Jiang Yu yesterday? To be honest, we’re looking for her. Could you tell us more?"

At these words, Teacher Guo was taken aback, then carefully asked, "Du Qiang, did Jiang Yu... get into trouble?"

"No, Teacher. As you can see, we’re not in uniform. It’s just that I haven’t been able to reach her lately, and her family is having some issues. I’m worried she might not be thinking clearly and want to get in touch with her."

"Issues?"

"Yes, her mother... passed away!"

Upon hearing this, Teacher Guo let out a heavy sigh and said helplessly, "That girl Jiang Yu... she’s great in every other way, it’s just her fate that’s too hard.

But now that you mention it, I do recall something. Yesterday when we met, she looked unwell, often absent-minded. I thought it was just work pressure. She said she missed school and wanted to visit. Du Qiang, do you think Jiang Yu might not be thinking straight?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a narrative cue sounded in Su Qing’s mind:

[Jiang Yu has lost the courage and hope to live, bidding her final farewell to herself and the world]

Suddenly, Su Qing paused, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. What is this? How come young people nowadays can’t handle things, thinking of giving up at the slightest provocation?

But he had no right to blame them. After all, if he were in Jiang Yu’s situation, he might not have the motivation to live either.

The real fear is getting stuck in a mental rut. Once you’re in, who knows what rash decisions might follow?

His peculiar behavior was noticed by Li Zijun beside him, who gently patted his arm, signaling with his eyes to inquire if he was alright. In the end, he shook his head to indicate he was fine, though there was a new urgency in his gaze.

"We don’t know, we’re looking for her too. Teacher, did she tell you where she’s staying yesterday?" Du Qiang asked.

"No, I didn’t get that from her. She had a backpack with her, and I couldn’t tell if she had just returned from out of town or if she was planning to leave."

Half an hour quickly passed with no concrete leads from Teacher Guo, who still had to return to teach. After exchanging contact information, their meeting ended.

"Stop eating, let’s go quickly. I have a bad feeling about this!" Su Qing suddenly stood up, speaking in a deep voice.

Both of them were puzzled.

"What’s wrong? What’s happened?" Li Zijun asked.

Su Qing furrowed his brows, "I’m not sure, I can’t say for certain. I just have a bad premonition. From Teacher Guo’s description, I just feel like Jiang Yu..."

He didn’t finish, but both of them knew what he meant.

"Then what should we do? Think of something, Su Qing, you’re the smart one, come up with something!"

After spending so much time with Su Qing, who didn’t like using his brain much, Du Qiang had come to trust Su Qing’s decisions implicitly.

Because over the past few months, even when they couldn’t understand Su Qing’s decisions at the time, they were always proven right in the end, so the habit had formed gradually.

"Du Qiang, don’t worry. This is just a guess," Li Zijun quickly interjected, then said to him:

"Since you feel this way, do you have a plan? Any plan will do."

Evidently, Du Qiang wasn’t the only one who trusted him.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, "Near the stadium, let’s search. We’ll split up."

"Where should we search?"

"I don’t know. Just look around, there’s no other way. Oh, send me a picture of her. You have one, don’t you?" Su Qing looked at Du Qiang.

"Yes, yes, I’ll send it to you now."

"Send it to me too."

The three of them didn’t even finish their meals. They immediately took out their phones, opened the map, and divided the areas among themselves.

Actually, Su Qing wasn’t sure if this would work, but it was the only thing he could think to do.

The three split up at the gate of the No. 2 High School, heading in different directions towards the stadium, keeping an eye on everyone they encountered on the way.

"Ma’am, have you seen this girl?"

"Sir, have you seen this girl?"

"Hello, may I ask..."

Each of the three searched this way. In hindsight, they should’ve printed a missing person poster.

Meanwhile, in the park near the stadium, a thoroughly wrapped-up girl sat on a bench.

Unlike her usual flashy attire, she wore the cotton jacket from her high school days with a dowdy-looking hat and a pair of cotton gloves in her hands. They might not look good, but they were warm.

There was an empty bottle on the bench, cigarette butts littered the ground, and in her arms, she held a plastic box wrapped in floral cloth — her mother’s ashes.

"Mom, I won’t do that kind of work anymore. Mom, I’ve paid back some of the money we owe, but I really can’t handle the rest. Mom, I don’t know if it’s because you’re gone, but this winter feels so cold; Mom, you used to hold me, now I’m holding you; how do you feel, is it warm in my arms?

Mom, I miss home, but we don’t have a home anymore. I want to go back to that summer night, listening to the cicadas, watching you and Dad chat with the villagers.

I miss the dirt path in the village; when it rained, the mud would cling to my shoes, making it hard to move, and I even miss our leaky mud house when it rained.

I still remember, we couldn’t afford umbrellas or raincoats, and you tied the corner of a fertilizer bag onto my head so I could happily go to school.

I used to envy city folks not needing rain boots when it rained; growing up, I began to miss the smell of wet earth. Take your time; after all these years, I’m so tired. I’m afraid I won’t find my way home!"

As Jiang Yu caressed the box in her hands, it felt like holding her mother’s hand, she whispered softly.

Then she looked up at the night sky. The weather was nice tonight, the sky full of stars. She thought of a boy again, and with a soft, bitter smile, she murmured:

"I don’t want to give up!"

...