A Speech: Liang Xiaoqing Was Deeply Proud of Her

The bus grew smoother, and Liang Xiaoqing felt she had made the right decision, at least for the moment. She rode contentedly with Jiang Xu to the county town.

After they got off, the crowd dispersed, and a wave of biting cold air hit them. Liang Xiaoqing sneezed. "Achoo!"

Jiang Xu quickly took off her scarf and tried to return it, but Liang Xiaoqing insisted she keep it on. The two went to Jiang Xu's school first, and Liang Xiaoqing waited at the gate while Jiang Xu dropped off her suitcase. When Jiang Xu came out, Liang Xiaoqing still felt she hadn't brought enough, so she had Jiang Xu go with her to the supermarket. The warm air inside finally thawed Liang Xiaoqing out.

Jiang Xu rarely asked for anything. Most of the time, Liang Xiaoqing was the one constantly buying things for her, and Jiang Xu was so frugal, afraid she'd spend too much, that even Chen Jing sometimes couldn't bear to watch. Liang Xiaoqing had picked out a lot of things—shampoo, body wash, sanitary pads, and so on. She'd toss items into the cart while Jiang Xu took them back out.

At checkout, Jiang Xu told Liang Xiaoqing that the dorm already had all those things, enough to last.

Liang Xiaoqing always wanted to give Jiang Xu the best. She did her utmost to provide good study conditions for her, and since she didn't have much money, she could only show her care through daily life. But even these things, Jiang Xu wanted to save her the expense.

Liang Xiaoqing felt guilty, yet helpless. Jiang Xu seemed thinner again—how was she eating and sleeping at school? These worries of hers were far too trivial.

At the school gate, Liang Xiaoqing still had to catch the bus back to town, so she couldn't stay with Jiang Xu much longer.

She handed the bag to her and told her to take good care of herself.

"I'm off now, Xiao Xu."

Jiang Xu reacted much better than before, waving at her. "Goodbye, Xiaoqing jie."

This time, Liang Xiaoqing left first, and Jiang Xu watched her figure gradually disappear into the crowd.

"Jiang Xu."

A hand tapped her shoulder, and she snapped back to reality to find Chen Jing.

"Jingjing."

Chen Jing glanced in the direction she'd been looking and knew who she was watching. "Your sister came to see you off again." She couldn't help but marvel, "Your sister has such a good relationship with you. Haven't you two ever fought?"

Jiang Xu's eyes flickered. "We have. When we fight, I'm scared of her."

Chen Jing giggled. "Bullshit. Does your sister seem like the type to fight? I think you're the one who starts it..."

Jiang Xu didn't like that Chen Jing always treated Liang Xiaoqing as her sister, so she furrowed her brows and said, "She's not my sister."

Chen Jing went "Ah," then joked that Jiang Xu was an ingrate. "Your sister's been so good to you, and you say that—she'd be furious if she heard."

Jiang Xu explained, "We're not related by blood."

Chen Jing seemed to pause for a moment, then said, "But she's still very good to you."

"..." There was no room to refute that, because Liang Xiaoqing really was good to her.

Someone stood beside Chen Jing, and only now did Jiang Xu notice her. She was Chen Jing's junior high classmate, at the same high school but in a different class. Their homes were close, so they often came to school together. Her friend was about Jiang Xu's height, dressed uniquely, not wearing her school uniform properly, looking like a girl who wasn't easy to mess with. She chimed in with Chen Jing's chatter and flashed Jiang Xu a smile with white teeth. "Hi, I'm Lin Shuchang. Jingjing talks about you all the time. I'm in Class 18, separated from your class by one building." She was still smiling when she finished.

Jiang Xu felt scrutinized—that gaze was different from how other girls usually looked at her. Out of politeness, Jiang Xu greeted her. Lin Shuchang looked into the distance, as if still watching something, and casually draped her hand over Chen Jing's shoulder as she asked Jiang Xu, "So what's your relationship with that sister? She's really pretty."

Saying something like that shouldn't have mattered much, but while the speaker meant no harm, the listener took it to heart—and her intentions weren't entirely innocent anyway. Jiang Xu instinctively felt a tension, or more precisely, a sense of crisis. It was almost intuition, yet seeing how close Chen Jing and Lin Shuchang were, she wondered if she was being paranoid. On alert, she said, "A very close relationship." She didn't take a liking to Lin Shuchang, so she told Chen Jing she was leaving first. Chen Jing couldn't quite figure her out.

Lin Shuchang said, "Your friend seems hard to get along with. How did you two end up friends?"

Chen Jing said, "She's actually really nice. She just looks cold, but she's warm to people. Plus she's got great grades—being around her gives me motivation to study."

After a moment, Chen Jing looked toward where Jiang Xu had gone, and Lin Shuchang did too. Chen Jing said, "Still, I always feel something's a bit off, especially between her and her sister."

Lin Shuchang said nothing, and the two walked into school together.

A few days before the rally, Jiang Xu was to give a speech as a representative for all senior students. As Jiang Xu's guardian, Liang Xiaoqing also had to speak at the class level, like a parent-teacher meeting.

The day she learned Jiang Xu's mock exam scores, she was overjoyed—not just because of the scores, but because Jiang Xu had voluntarily shown her the report card. First in the class, and a solid ranking in the grade. The next day, Jiang Xu's teacher called her to talk about it and asked if she, as a parent representative, could speak at the class meeting. Knowing something of Jiang Xu's family situation, the teacher took Liang Xiaoqing to be her guardian.

That was the day Jiang Xu was supposed to come home. The night before, Jiang Xu called from a public phone to say she'd be back the next afternoon. Liang Xiaoqing was delighted and said she'd pick her up, but Jiang Xu said it wasn't necessary. So Liang Xiaoqing tidied up the house thoroughly and even went to town specifically to buy snacks and such. Jiang Xu didn't actually like snacks much, but the house always needed to have some on hand.

She waited joyfully for Jiang Xu to return, and the time stretched endlessly. She thought she should have bought Jiang Xu a phone long ago. She'd had the idea before, but Jiang Xu had refused, saying it was a waste of money. Over the years, she'd spent almost everything on Jiang Xu, saving a little aside, and her savings weren't much. Since Jiang Xu insisted, she didn't bring it up again. But whenever Jiang Xu called her, she felt she really ought to buy her one. Back then, phones didn't have many functions—mostly just calls and texts.

Jiang Xu was about to graduate anyway; she should get her one.

Come evening, Jiang Xu still hadn't returned, and Liang Xiaoqing couldn't help worrying. Yang Man dropped by to chat and asked about Jiang Xu. The conversation drifted from Jiang Xu to her grades, then to her family, and then to her brother Jiang Lun, who hadn't come back in years. They brought up Jiang Daguo too, calling him a menace—he was about to be released, and she was afraid he'd cause trouble when he got out.

Liang Xiaoqing said firmly that he wouldn't. Yang Man was puzzled but didn't press further, shifting the topic to her instead. "Alright, Jiang Xu's all grown up now and doesn't need you to worry so much. But what about you? What are you going to do?" Yang Man urged earnestly, "You're thirty now. Haven't you considered..."

Over the years, Yang Man had figured out that Liang Xiaoqing didn't seem to plan on getting married. At her age, she'd already passed the prime window for finding a partner. Of course, she couldn't say that outright. By any measure—qualifications or otherwise—Liang Xiaoqing still had plenty of options on the marriage market. But Yang Man was still quietly worried for her. Liang Xiaoqing seemed to have no family. She'd never seen her go home or had relatives come to visit. Yang Man hoped things weren't what she imagined. Growing old alone and lonely was a terrifying prospect.

And Liang Xiaoqing hadn't even realized how serious this was. Yang Man was an outsider after all, couldn't interfere too much. For now, her only comfort was Jiang Xu—this child, unrelated by blood, who consumed so much of Liang Xiaoqing's mind. Sometimes Yang Man felt she was going too far, but Jiang Xu was indeed a gratifying child.

Liang Xiaoqing always avoided such topics. She fell silent for a long time.

Yang Man said, "Zhang Qing's already married. His wife had a daughter last year. Look at you..."

Liang Xiaoqing smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry. If fate brings it, I'll marry." Following Yang Man's lead, she asked about her child. Yang Man complained bitterly about her kid, but her expression betrayed her, so Liang Xiaoqing teased her for being two-faced and said she clearly adored her child.

Yang Man said, "Spoiled rotten!"

As they chatted, there was a stir at the door—it was Jiang Xu. Jiang Xu set her suitcase aside, and seeing she was home, Yang Man didn't linger. She greeted enthusiastically, "Jiang Xu's back!" and headed out, waving at Liang Xiaoqing. "I'll leave you two alone."

Jiang Xu politely said, "Hello, Teacher Yang." Yang Man acknowledged her, closed the door, and the room dimmed for a moment before Jiang Xu turned on the light. Liang Xiaoqing came over to help with her luggage and asked, "Why so late today?"

"I caught the last bus, so I got back a little later." Jiang Xu slipped into her slippers, walked inside, and set her backpack on the sofa. She had only two days off, but there was a lot in her bag. She stretched her sore shoulders.

Liang Xiaoqing had already carried her suitcase into the room.

"Hungry? I made fish soup specially today."

Jiang Xu said, "Starving." She walked over to the dining table on her own.

Liang Xiaoqing hadn't just made fish soup—she'd also gone to town at dawn to buy fish, pork, and wonton wrappers, and made wontons from scratch. Her cooking had improved a lot; she'd learned quite a few tricks from Yang Man. The fish soup had turned a milky white, and Liang Xiaoqing had tasted it earlier—it was savory and not fishy.

She turned on the stove, waited for the soup to boil, dropped in the wontons, and let them cook for a while. She ladled out a bowl for Jiang Xu first, sprinkling a bit of chopped scallion on top. It looked presentable. She brought it over with both hands and set it in front of Jiang Xu, then pressed her hands to her ears because the bowl was too hot.

The weather hadn't fully warmed up yet, especially at night when it plunged. A hot meal would warm the stomach. Steam kept rising, the soup a pure white, and the aroma was fresh and fragrant. Liang Xiaoqing smiled. "Eat while it's hot."

Jiang Xu nodded, picked up her spoon, and took a small sip. It was still a bit hot, not easy to swallow.

Liang Xiaoqing ladled herself a bowl and sat down beside Jiang Xu, eating together. She brought up the rally.

"Your teacher contacted me to speak as the parent representative for your class."

Jiang Xu paused for a moment, taking small bites of wonton. "It's fine if you don't go."

Liang Xiaoqing ate faster than Jiang Xu. She slurped a mouthful of soup. "I'll go."

Jiang Xu paused again, remembering the conversation she'd overheard at the door between Yang Man and her. She didn't want to hear Liang Xiaoqing answer like that—she was growing more and more afraid. Time was truly too long, and she hadn't fully grown up yet. Hearing such things left her feeling powerless. In her heart, she couldn't wait to grow up quickly.

Growing up meant she no longer had to suppress her thoughts, and growing up would let Liang Xiaoqing see her feelings for what they were.

She finished the last sip of soup in her bowl and suddenly said, "Xiaoqing jie, I'll take care of you in the future."

Liang Xiaoqing was clearing the dishes and turned around.

Jiang Xu said, "No matter what you become, I won't abandon you. You gave me the chance to study, gave me a life without worry. In my heart..." Jiang Xu looked at Liang Xiaoqing seriously. "You're already my family."

So don't have those worries, don't get married.

Liang Xiaoqing was startled. "You heard that?"

"..."

A mist gradually rose in Liang Xiaoqing's eyes—she was moved, not because blood ties were the only bond, but because Jiang Xu was grateful and said she'd take care of her. For some reason, she almost teared up. Very, very early on, she'd planned to just live quietly like this on her own.

She didn't want anything in return from Jiang Xu. She only wanted this girl's future to be better.

But Jiang Xu didn't know what she'd said wrong to make Liang Xiaoqing's eyes red. Her heart thumped wildly, afraid the other might notice something. She went over, took the empty bowls from Liang Xiaoqing's hands, and went to wash them.

That anxious feeling lasted until bedtime.

After that incident, Jiang Xu never asked again to sleep with Liang Xiaoqing. Liang Xiaoqing slept on her bunk bed as usual, leaving the big bed for Jiang Xu. She'd always said she wanted to replace the bed, but after all these years, she still hadn't. Jiang Xu lay in bed, thoughts racing, sentimental, her mind wandering everywhere.

She turned over, facing away from Liang Xiaoqing, listening to her own breathing in the night.

"Xiao Xu."

Jiang Xu stiffened.

Liang Xiaoqing didn't know if Jiang Xu was asleep. She was just lying on her side, facing Jiang Xu's bed, saying contentedly, "Thank you."

The person in bed stayed still for a long time. Liang Xiaoqing, drowsy, gradually sank into sleep. She thought Jiang Xu had a bad habit of eavesdropping on conversations—she wondered just how much she'd heard... She felt a little worried and uncertain about the future... Her thoughts were actually simple... She just wanted Jiang Xu to get into college and finish her studies in peace.

...

The day of the rally was rainy, the sky overcast. It was the first major ceremony in these students' lives, and almost no one paid attention to the weather. Liang Xiaoqing had arrived in the county town the night before and stayed at a hotel.

Entering this role was a strange and solemn feeling. She hadn't slept well all night, excited. Near dawn, she'd dozed off briefly, then was immediately jolted awake by her phone alarm.

Liang Xiaoqing got up and put on light makeup. She rarely wore makeup; in her memory, she'd worn it most during college because the atmosphere influenced her. Later, when she was with Jiang Tang, she'd put it on her too, but Jiang Tang didn't like makeup. Only on formal occasions would she apply a little herself, as a sign of respect.

Likewise, Liang Xiaoqing took this occasion very seriously. She hadn't worn makeup in years and was out of practice—just a simple stroke on her brows and some lipstick. Fortunately, her skin was nearly flawless; a light layer of foundation already made her look good. Liang Xiaoqing had fair skin and no bad habits in her routine, having taken good care of her body over the years. Her skin had a healthy, glowing sheen. She looked at herself left and right in the mirror, thought she looked fine, and quickly picked out a navy blue trench coat and jeans to pair. It made her look not too out of place, yet still fairly formal.

She left half an hour early. The hotel wasn't far from the school. As she walked, her nerves grew tighter. The thought of speaking on the podium as Jiang Xu's parent sent a flutter through her heart, like returning to her first days on the job.

She'd stood at a podium many times, long past the age of timidity, but being recognized as Jiang Xu's parent was a first. She wore appropriate clothes and harmonized makeup, trying again and again to calm her nerves on the way to school. The closer she got, the more people surrounded her. Strangers, yet all sharing the same identity—they were parents. Because of that, they seemed to share a common hope, chatting about their kids' grades and sighing that the children had grown up and reached senior year, this urgent stage.

Parents needed to be their children's strong backing.

Liang Xiaoqing was pushed forward by the crowd. A woman younger than she struck up a conversation; the ones there weren't necessarily fathers or mothers, could be other relatives. A woman a few years older chatted with her, saying she was too young to be the mother of a senior student. Liang Xiaoqing said she was Jiang Xu's sister.

The woman said she was the child's aunt; the parents were working as migrant laborers elsewhere and couldn't get back anytime soon. She sighed as she spoke. "On such an important day, at least one of them should come back."

Liang Xiaoqing agreed.

The woman asked about Jiang Xu's grades, and Liang Xiaoqing proudly said they were decent.

Everyone crowded early at the school gate, chatting with one another. Liang Xiaoqing noticed a flower shop by the roadside. Back then, there weren't many individual businesses, and a flower shop was unusual, but few people bought flowers. They weren't cheap and weren't practical either.

Yet Liang Xiaoqing felt the urge. She walked into the shop—it was small, with flowers packed into every corner, some she recognized, some she didn't. The owner, rare to have a customer, enthusiastically asked what she wanted. The shop was aged, lit by a dim yellow light.

Liang Xiaoqing saw roses, carnations, and other flowers she couldn't name, a riot of colors that dazzled the eyes.

She remembered the first time she'd received flowers: after she and Jiang Tang had officially gotten together, Jiang Tang gave her a big bunch of daisies. She'd been both surprised and moved then. Firsts in life tend to be remembered forever.

Liang Xiaoqing had loved that bunch of daisies, keeping it at home until the flowers withered, unwilling to throw them away. Jiang Tang had said she'd give her many more flowers in the future.

Memories flickered past her eyes one by one as Liang Xiaoqing looked over every flower in the shop. Something inside her eased, slowly warming into a rush of heat. A bright yellow caught her eye. She ordered a bouquet of sunflowers—facing the sun, growing upward, a bright future. The meaning was always good. Just a few blossoms, nothing flashy.

When she came out, some people saw her holding the bouquet, found it novel, and went to the shop to buy flowers too. Before long, the shop owner was grinning ear to ear.

From the bustling crowd, someone squeezed out and called to Liang Xiaoqing, "Sis, next time you come buy flowers, I won't charge you!" The seller was a young girl, seemed about the same age as the students at the school.

Liang Xiaoqing responded with a "Okay." The sunflowers against her chest glowed brightly, lighting up her face. Her mood lightened considerably. Soon the school gate opened, and Liang Xiaoqing went in with the crowd. Jiang Xu was in Class 20, so she walked along the teaching building, already imagining how she'd feel seeing Jiang Xu. There were many people. Jiang Xu's class was on the third floor, at the far end of the corridor. Before deciding to attend the rally, she'd already been to two of Jiang Xu's parent meetings.

Jiang Xu's grades had improved after the subject tracking. That was the first parent meeting, and Jiang Xu hadn't told her. Liang Xiaoqing was teaching junior third then and was busy; and by the time of the second parent meeting, Jiang Xu still hadn't mentioned it. Liang Xiaoqing only found out because the teacher had called her.

That was when she realized Jiang Xu hadn't told her about the parent meetings. For a moment, her heart felt sour. She didn't know why Jiang Xu hadn't told her, guessing at every possible reason. She thought a lot—maybe their relationship was drifting apart; Jiang Xu was boarding at the county high school while she was at home busy with junior third, without much energy to look after Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu was a sensitive girl. Maybe it was because of her attitude, or because of what she'd said before that had hurt Jiang Xu's pride. Liang Xiaoqing didn't think it was a bad thing; Jiang Xu needed to focus more on her studies.

The teacher said over the phone that Jiang Xu's grades were excellent, telling her in detail about Jiang Xu's situation in class, saying she was a promising student, and asking if she could come to the parent meeting, urging her to pay more attention to Jiang Xu, give her more care, and come to the meetings if she could...

Being a teacher herself, Liang Xiaoqing knew what it meant. She felt guilty toward Jiang Xu again and resolved to attend the parent meeting. Not just that—she would attend every parent meeting from then on.

That was what she thought, but she didn't know how to say it out loud. She needed to tell Jiang Xu at some point, but Jiang Xu only came home a few times a month, and the words she'd rehearsed never came out. As the meeting drew near, she decided she'd just tell Jiang Xu when she got there.

She remembered wandering the school for a long time before finding Jiang Xu's class. The room was spacious and bright. Students greeted her at the door and led her to Jiang Xu's seat—third row against the wall. The classroom was big, each student at a single desk. She looked around but didn't see Jiang Xu. The parents attending had nearly filled the seats, though there were few young ones; most must have been grandparents or relatives of the students.

The students all stood at the back of the classroom, chatting in small groups, noisy. It was still hot back then. She'd dressed up for Jiang Xu's parent meeting too. She turned and looked at the students behind, and with one glance knew Jiang Xu wasn't among them. She went back out and asked the two student greeters at the door where the restroom was.

The restroom was at the other end of the corridor, around a corner. There were many people along the way. She walked, searching for Jiang Xu. Actually, she didn't need to use the restroom—she was looking for Jiang Xu. When Jiang Xu was upset, she'd hide in the restroom. It sounded a bit funny, but it wasn't baseless, because that's how she was at home.

If no one came for her, she could stay in the restroom all day. Jiang Xu thought she only did it at home, but at Qing Middle, there was a small platform outside the restroom. In summer, it was covered with creepers, a stretch of green, and few people went there.

Liang Xiaoqing had discovered it by chance: after lunch, Jiang Xu wouldn't go to the classroom to nap but would stay there. She'd talked to Jiang Xu about it, and it wasn't a big deal, just little things in her eyes, but to Jiang Xu, those worries were enormous.

After their talk, Jiang Xu gradually broke the habit, but at home, she still did it.

Reaching the restroom at the end of the corridor, Liang Xiaoqing felt she was being silly—this wasn't Qing Middle, and it wasn't home either. She turned back, disappointed, but at the corner, she spotted a figure.

Tall and slim, hair tied in a low ponytail. She walked over and found it was a narrow little balcony where a fresh breeze occasionally came through, brushing Jiang Xu's hair.

Jiang Xu was hunched over the railing, staring at something below. Even from her dejected silhouette, it was clear she wasn't happy. And it was rather dangerous.

Liang Xiaoqing had a hunch that it had something to do with her. She'd overestimated Jiang Xu, or thought of her as too cold. She should have known—Jiang Xu was warm beneath a cold exterior; she seemed not to care, but she cared deeply.

She approached cautiously. "Xiao Xu." She recalled that since Jiang Xu had started high school, she'd been deliberately keeping a distance, and Jiang Xu probably felt it. How could she have thought Jiang Xu wouldn't be sad if she didn't attend the meetings? It wasn't that the child was too understanding—it was that she'd never paid attention to Jiang Xu's feelings.

Jiang Xu's back stiffened, and she turned around. Liang Xiaoqing saw her incredulous eyes and knew she'd guessed right.

Liang Xiaoqing had done many things she regretted in her life, but the truest thing she'd ever done was coming to Jiang Xu's parent meeting.

Remembering those days, Liang Xiaoqing curled the corners of her lips. She found her way to Jiang Xu's seat with ease and sat down. The other parents had mostly arrived by now; this time, more were young—they must have felt this rally was important too and given it high regard.

The students had already lined up on the field. In the classroom, the teacher briefly explained the rally's schedule to the parents, then led them to find their children. The parent meeting would be held after the rally.

The field was packed. The rain seemed to have stopped, but the sky was still gloomy, and a damp wind hit with a chill. The music from the speakers was so loud the ground vibrated underfoot. Liang Xiaoqing went with the crowd to find Class 20's formation. Her eyes swept through the crowd. The students looked toward the cluster of parents, all searching for their loved ones. Liang Xiaoqing occasionally met a student's gaze, then quickly looked away. The student lines stood neatly, and many students were tall; amid them, Liang Xiaoqing looked like she hadn't grown up.

Row after row, her gaze fixed on someone. She quickly walked up behind them and patted their shoulder. "Xiao Xu." Jiang Xu wore the sky-blue high school uniform and seemed to have grown a bit taller—Liang Xiaoqing had to look up slightly to see her face. Her back had the youthful air of an eighteen-year-old girl, and the casually tied low ponytail looked lovely. Liang Xiaoqing recognized her at once.

Jiang Xu turned and grasped her hand, her eyes shining bright with joy. "Xiaoqing jie. You came."

Noise surrounded them, and Liang Xiaoqing kept getting bumped by passersby. She didn't quite catch what Jiang Xu said, but reading her lips, she said, "I'm here." She couldn't hear herself either.

"Ah!" Liang Xiaoqing was suddenly knocked into Jiang Xu. She felt an arm tighten around her waist. Amid the clamor, she made out Jiang Xu's words: "Xiaoqing jie, are you okay?" Warm breath brushed her ear. It was a real hug. She struggled a little, as if she couldn't break free, but then the hand around her waist let go, and she drew back slightly from Jiang Xu, just enough to see her face clearly.

Fair skin glowed, eyes large and bright. In her pupils, there seemed to be only her.

She pushed the sunflowers into Jiang Xu's hands. "Here, take these. Good meaning, good luck."

Jiang Xu took the flowers hesitantly, looked at Liang Xiaoqing's face, then at the flowers. Her face looked even more radiant against them, cheeks flushed. "Thank you, Xiaoqing jie."

Liang Xiaoqing thought, it's just a bouquet—was Jiang Xu moved? She suddenly remembered Yang Man saying Jiang Xu was a grateful child, so she could only chalk up Jiang Xu's expression to being touched. She wanted to pat Jiang Xu's head but found she could no longer reach it. Such an affectionate, natural touch hadn't happened with Jiang Xu in a long time, and Liang Xiaoqing didn't plan to overstep, so she squeezed Jiang Xu's hand instead.

The music stopped, and the school's flag bearers marched stiffly to the platform. A loud, solemn voice came over the broadcast: "Everyone, stand."

They played "March of the Volunteers," and all the parents and students watched the rising flag and sang the national anthem. No other sound on the field but the singing.

The song ended, and school leaders began to speak. After a while, they formally announced the rally had begun.

The ceremony required each person to take an oath. All the students spoke with fervor. Only after the oath did the classes, one by one, walk through the Scholar's Gate, with parents accompanying them.

The ground was wet, confetti fell everywhere, and with cheerful music, Jiang Xu held Liang Xiaoqing's hand and walked forward. She tilted her head to look at Liang Xiaoqing and felt a sense of security. Liang Xiaoqing's face was full of smiles, bits of colored paper piling on her head like flowers crowning her. Jiang Xu tightened her grip on the bouquet, feeling perfect happiness in this drizzling weather.

She thought Liang Xiaoqing would never abandon her, just as she stood on the podium as the parent representative, her voice powerful, her eyes full of her. After finishing, Liang Xiaoqing bowed to the students and parents below. "Here, I wish all senior students success in the exams and a bright future!"

Then came thunderous applause.

Chen Jing sat beside her, saying enviously, "Jiang Xu, your sister spoke so inspiringly. She must be really proud of you."

Really?

On the podium, Liang Xiaoqing, in her light makeup and proper clothes, smiled, finished her speech, came down, and slowly walked toward her.

For a moment, Jiang Xu truly felt that Liang Xiaoqing was deeply proud of her.