Tears: Would You Send Me Back?

For a moment, Jiang Xu opened her eyes, the familiar scent filling her nose, Liang Xiaoqing's hand steadying her waist.

Holding the position too long would only tire Liang Xiaoqing. Besides, Jiang Xu had noticed that Liang Xiaoqing wasn't particularly fond of physical contact.

She'd already made a bad impression; she didn't want to make it worse.

The feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, impossible to recapture.

The night breeze ruffled her hair gently. After sunset, the air turned colder, strands brushing against Jiang Xu's cheeks, tickling her face. Her mood sank, and then she felt a light touch on her head—Liang Xiaoqing's hand, patting her hair.

"What's wrong?" Liang Xiaoqing's words drifted on the wind.

Jiang Xu couldn't help but squint at the tender touch. She'd thought Liang Xiaoqing was utterly disappointed in her, yet here she was, asking so gently if something was the matter.

Liang Xiaoqing lifted her head, and by the light of the flashlight, she could make out the expression on Liang Xiaoqing's face.

Some confusion, some worry, and a little... tension.

Jiang Xu figured she must have misread. Yang Man's words had repeated in her mind all day, and she could recall Liang Xiaoqing's solemn expression as she stayed silent, as if weighing what Yang Man had said.

In that moment, Jiang Xu suddenly realized that Liang Xiaoqing wasn't as invincible as she'd imagined. She had her own struggles, just as Wang Cai could only bear things silently.

"It's nothing." Jiang Xu shook her head and kept walking.

Liang Xiaoqing, though, felt a strange unease swelling in her heart.

Jiang Xu's guess was right—she'd been restless all day because of Yang Man's words. She didn't know what to make of Jiang Xu. According to Jin Xiao, Jiang Xu was doing well in her studies. And today, she'd keenly noticed that Jiang Xu seemed out of sorts, staying silent the whole way.

Liang Xiaoqing wanted to say something, opened her lips, but Jiang Xu had already walked far ahead, so she gave up and hurried after her, reminding, "Slow down, the road ahead is dark."

She held the flashlight, caught up with Jiang Xu, and took her hand. Jiang Xu stopped, and Liang Xiaoqing turned to look at her, catching the glistening sheen in her eyes.

Liang Xiaoqing's heartbeat quickened, and she masked it by looking ahead: "...With the flashlight, we can both see the way."

"..."

After passing the narrow path between the fields, they reached a flat, open road, and Liang Xiaoqing walked alongside her. When they reached the dormitory building, Liang Xiaoqing tried to let go.

The walk had warmed her hand; holding Jiang Xu's had even made her palm slightly damp. But as if guided by instinct, she didn't release Jiang Xu's hand—instead, she led her up the stairs.

It was only when she needed to find her keys that she let go. This time, Jiang Xu didn't follow her into the room as she usually did. Liang Xiaoqing went in first, and Jiang Xu stood at the doorway. Turning back, she couldn't make out Jiang Xu's expression: "Xiao Xu..."

Jiang Xu stirred.

Liang Xiaoqing paused and said, "...Come in."

"..."

Then came the sound of Jiang Xu's footsteps entering the room. Liang Xiaoqing had changed into her slippers, and Jiang Xu, standing behind her, had somehow changed into hers too, and said in a low voice, "Sister Xiaoqing, I'll go wash up first."

"...Okay."

The sound of water echoed from the bathroom soon after. Liang Xiaoqing let out a breath of relief, went into the bedroom, changed into a set of loungewear, and sat on the edge of the bed, unsure what to do. The mattress bounced slightly under her weight. She ran a hand through her hair, her brows furrowed.

Her emotions were being stirred by Jiang Xu.

She could sense Jiang Xu pulling away, but she didn't know why Jiang Xu was upset, and Yang Man's words had made her feel a bit guilty toward Jiang Xu.

After thinking it over and finding no clarity, she decided to just set it aside.

That was how Liang Xiaoqing was—she never fixated on things. Problems were just left to sit; they'd resolve themselves when the time came, no need to invest too much energy.

She handled many things that way, but perhaps in Jiang Xu's case, she was investing too much.

Yang Man wasn't entirely wrong—at its root, it was just her meager sense of sympathy acting up. As an outsider teacher with no connections, her youthful drive had carried her here, but she had no idea whether she could truly help Jiang Xu, or whether that help could continue.

She wasn't genuinely virtuous; she'd had her share of base thoughts. Like when she was first assigned to this rural middle school, she'd felt resentment. But the students here, who struggled so hard to study, had moved her, and her sympathy had flooded over like an uncontainable river.

At the root of it all, she was just a teacher who could only do so much.

In Shuiqing Town, Liang Xiaoqing had endured her two hardest years.

Shuiqing was no longer just a place, and the children studying weren't just students. Liang Xiaoqing seemed to have made a decision in her heart—at least everything was still within her control.

She got up and walked over to the desk, switched on the lamp, glanced at Jiang Xu's spot beside her, and then pulled out her work notebook from her bag.

She'd been using this notebook since she started working, and she treasured it, always pulling it out to jot things down.

As usual, she flipped to the page recording Jiang Xu's individual grades and wrote down this time's scores. Except for the shockingly poor math score, the fluctuations in her other subjects were still within a controllable range; the worst was still English.

In the countryside, with poor educational resources, weak English was a common issue.

When she finished writing down the last subject's score, Liang Xiaoqing stared at the numbers, lost in thought, and soon noticed something off.

The math score was just too low. She had asked Jin Xiao, who said Jiang Xu's math foundation was weak but she was quick-witted and in good academic shape. Even Yang Man, though she disapproved of Liang Xiaoqing taking Jiang Xu in, had told her Jiang Xu was doing well in her studies.

Maybe it was a slip on this exam, maybe the math paper was a bit difficult, or maybe Jiang Xu just wasn't in the right state this time... Liang Xiaoqing slipped into a pattern of reasoning.

Stepping back, she thought of many possibilities.

Could a single result justify judging a student? Clearly not; that would be unfair to them.

Liang Xiaoqing let out a long sigh of relief, suddenly realizing she wasn't as steadfast as she thought. All those promises she'd made to Jiang Xu—she'd sworn them. She couldn't give a student hope and then crush it herself. She felt the weight settling on her shoulders; she had taken these things too lightly.

By the time she'd sorted her thoughts, Jiang Xu still hadn't come out of the bathroom. A simple wash shouldn't have taken this long.

"Almost done, Xiao Xu?" Liang Xiaoqing called toward the bathroom, but there was no answer.

Jiang Xu usually didn't act like this. Whenever she called, Jiang Xu would respond—like a timid little kitten that would come running at the slightest call, always answering.

Liang Xiaoqing immediately headed over, her heart racing with worry.

The bathroom door wasn't shut, cracked open just a sliver, and the light was off.

Her heart tightened: "Xiao Xu, are you in there?"

"..."

Her voice rose: "Xiao Xu..."

"..."

No response.

Liang Xiaoqing could only push the door open and step in quickly: "Jiang Xu!"

It was pitch dark inside. Moving from the bright light into darkness, Liang Xiaoqing felt a slight dizziness, but still, she didn't hear Jiang Xu's answer.

"Jiang Xu..." She took a deep breath, looking around in the dark, but found she couldn't see a thing.

The bathroom was small, almost cramped. Liang Xiaoqing took a few steps forward and pulled open the curtain, revealing a small shower stall. A sliver of light leaked in from the window, and once her eyes adjusted, she spotted a figure huddled in the corner by the faint glow.

She stood against the wall, and when their eyes met, Jiang Xu shrank back even more. But it was a corner—where could she go?

"..." After a long moment, Liang Xiaoqing spoke first, "Xiao Xu..."

"..."

"You scared me to death..."

Liang Xiaoqing let out a breath of relief, sensing Jiang Xu's gaze on her.

"What are you doing in here?" She tried to soften her voice, feeling a pang of regret.

She'd been too anxious just now, imagining all kinds of accidents, and most of all, she feared Jiang Xu might have slipped away without a word.

"..."

Liang Xiaoqing took two steps forward and stood in front of Jiang Xu.

The light between them dimmed as she blocked it out, and Jiang Xu stayed silent, sullen.

Liang Xiaoqing sighed: "Weren't you supposed to wash up?"

"..."

Still silent.

Thankfully, Liang Xiaoqing's temper wasn't too quick, and when it came to Jiang Xu, she always had an excess of patience and a gentleness she couldn't quite explain.

After all, no matter how sympathetic she'd been before, she'd never gone so far as to let a student live in her home.

"Come on, let's go out first." Liang Xiaoqing reached out and took Jiang Xu's hand, leading her out. Her heart was uncertain, but Jiang Xu was obedient, following her without a question.

The heavy stone in her chest slowly settled. At least Jiang Xu's attitude gave her something to hold on to. As she walked, she planned how to ask Jiang Xu what was wrong.

And how to comfort her.

It wasn't much different from raising a child, but Liang Xiaoqing was far too new to it.

Back in the bedroom, Jiang Xu quietly trailed behind her.

"Did something happen at school? You can tell me... or is it about the exam results? You're not satisfied?" Liang Xiaoqing turned around. "If that's it..."

She froze.

The lamplight filled every corner of the room, leaving nowhere to hide.

Jiang Xu hadn't cried in front of her before. But now her face was streaked with tears, glistening droplets like little crystals shimmering at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away when she noticed she'd been seen, turning her gaze elsewhere, keeping her usual cool expression.

Jiang Xu might have been good at pretending to be mature, but Liang Xiaoqing knew her temperament. She suddenly remembered the first time she'd seen her, kicked so hard, and how Jiang Xu hadn't cried.

She'd been covered in bruises then.

Compared to her peers, Jiang Xu was already quite strong. Liang Xiaoqing finally understood why she had brought her home.

She'd visited many students' homes, but none like Jiang Xu, who never uttered a word no matter how she was treated—a girl not yet grown, prematurely bound to her home.

A domineering father, a weak mother, and parents who rarely ever considered her. Jiang Xu was like a flower cut down before it could bloom, silently coping with everything at home.

Liang Xiaoqing felt a sharp sting in her chest—a subtle sensation that would be negligible if she didn't pay attention, but one she couldn't ignore.

She didn't know why Jiang Xu was crying; maybe she herself had caused it. A child this strong wouldn't easily show her vulnerability.

"...X-Xiao Xu." She tightened her grip on Jiang Xu's hand, her words stuttering. Whatever had caused this no longer mattered; all she cared about was that Jiang Xu was crying.

She didn't want this child to cry. All her earlier weighing meant nothing now, and she felt guilty for having even entertained such thoughts.

"...It's my fault." She shouldn't have harbored those poor thoughts, nor wavered about this child. She apologized to Jiang Xu, "I...I..." at a loss for words.

Jiang Xu's eyes grew redder, her lashes trembling as she met her gaze, and big teardrops rolled down one by one from the corners of her eyes. Liang Xiaoqing grew even more flustered, wiping away Jiang Xu's tears in a panic.

Her hands moved gently despite her racing heart, and the sting spreading from deep within her grew clearer. Liang Xiaoqing frowned, at a loss.

She felt no anger toward Jiang Xu for this sudden burst of emotion.

Yang Man had said that sometimes, when kids misbehave, even if they cry, you'd be furious.

She wrapped her arms around Jiang Xu, hoping it would offer some comfort. Her chin rested atop Jiang Xu's head, and she tilted her head slightly, her lips close to Jiang Xu's ear.

"Talk to me. Tell me what happened." She was so focused on Jiang Xu's state that she failed to notice how intimate the gesture had become.

"I'm so worried about you, Xiao Xu..." Liang Xiaoqing instinctively held her tighter, "Did someone bully you at school?"

"..."

"If it's about the grades, you don't need to worry." Liang Xiaoqing steadied her breathing. "One failure doesn't decide the final result, nor does it negate the effort you put in along the way. What matters most is learning from it so you don't repeat the same mistakes next time."

She slipped into her teacher mode, comforting Jiang Xu like she would any student, since nothing else seemed to be troubling her—it was most likely the exam.

That was her guess.

But Jiang Xu suddenly asked, "Would you send me back?"

Her voice was faintly hoarse, clearly from crying. Held tight in Liang Xiaoqing's embrace, she wiped her tears, burying her face in Liang Xiaoqing's hair, her soft words brushing past her ear.

Silence.

Still, silence.

She could hear Liang Xiaoqing's breath, warm against her ear, and felt her embrace tighten even more. She didn't mind it. Her hands curled loosely around Liang Xiaoqing's waist, her fingers playing with the strands of hair that hung loose down her back.

She felt the warmth radiating from Liang Xiaoqing, her own heartbeat quickening, pounding against her chest. She was afraid Liang Xiaoqing might feel it.

Thankfully, she didn't.

Liang Xiaoqing shifted, her cheek brushing against Jiang Xu's ear: "No, I won't."