Chapter 228 : Skipping the Bill
Chapter 228: Skipping the Bill?
No one cried, and no one shouted. Though everyone felt miserable inside, they all remained calm.
It wasn’t indifference—it was a kind of habit. As if, so long as it wasn’t the departure of someone dearest to them, their emotions wouldn’t fluctuate too much. No matter how painful it felt inside, they always showed the same calm face before others.
The process went smoothly. The paper money finished burning, the incense and candles burned out, and the offerings piled up before Jiang Xia’s tombstone. It stood out among the rest—clearly a new grave.
They quietly descended the mountain and reached the foot of the cemetery.
“How did you guys get here?” Lin Mo noticed that aside from his own car, there was only an old BYD left. He recognized it—it belonged to their homeroom teacher.
“Old Class came by car. Han Xue and I each took a cab, Wang Shanshan and Li Yao shared one. When we arrived, Old Class was already here. We only walked a few steps before spotting your car—then I knew you came too,” Wan Chunlong said with a laugh.
Homeroom teacher Qin Wei also smiled and nodded. “Last night, four people asked me for Jiang Xia’s grave location. I thought I’d come early and wait for you here. If no one came by afternoon, I’d go up myself. Didn’t expect you all to come so soon—especially Lin Mo, earlier than me!”
“Well, that’s Jiang Xia’s deskmate. Who didn’t know how close they were? Of course, he’d come early,” Han Xue laughed.
The other two girls didn’t say anything, but it was clear they agreed.
Everyone’s mood seemed lighter after coming down from the mountain—at least now, they could make a few light jokes.
“Alright, let’s go find a place to eat,” Lin Mo said.
No one mentioned it yesterday—probably because they weren’t in the mood—but today felt different. After paying respects, especially doing it together, the heaviness lifted somewhat.
“Get in, I’ll take you all to the city. But I won’t join for lunch,” Teacher Qin Wei said, waving his hand. “A classmate just called me—they’re coming to pick up Jiang Xia’s belongings. I’ve got to head home.”
Before his words even faded, Old Wan had already jumped into the front passenger seat of Lin Mo’s car. The three girls thought for a second and squeezed into the backseat. Fortunately, all three were petite—otherwise, it’d have been a tight fit.
Homeroom teacher smiled.
“Well then, seems like everyone likes the new car, huh? I’ll get going.”
Lin Mo’s car was clearly brand new, and the teacher teased him for it.
“Goodbye, Teacher!”
“Bye, Old Class!”
The four inside the car lowered the windows, waving goodbye. Lin Mo smiled helplessly. “Alright, Teacher, drive safe. Let’s keep in touch.”
“You too—drive carefully, it’s raining,” Teacher Qin waved, got into his car, and left first.
Lin Mo started the car. Wan Chunlong grinned. “I wanted to ask you yesterday—when did you buy this car?”
“Buy your head, my mom bought it. I haven’t even graduated yet, and I don’t earn money,” Lin Mo laughed.
Aside from his parents, no one knew about his financial situation—not even his cousin, who only learned parts of it from Liu Rushuang.
It wasn’t that he feared others would take advantage or borrow money—it was simply that he didn’t want to talk about it. Whether life was good or not, whether rich or poor, that was his own business. Just like Sichuan Girl, who had been doing well with her social media recently—she got quite a few gifts during a livestream, yet none of her close friends ever asked how much.
They were adults now—boundaries were necessary, both for themselves and others. That way, there’d be less trouble.
“That’s what I thought. But man, a new car feels nice. Let’s play some music,” Old Wan chuckled, quickly connecting his phone to the car’s Bluetooth.
Lin Mo fastened his seatbelt and started the engine. Soon, the car filled with the melody of ‘This Farewell—Mountains High and Roads Long.’
【I was a carefree young man, who fell for a girl in her brightest years.】
【The story, not hard to tell—blushing when we met, teary when we parted. The promise to marry you—just a reckless dream of youth.】
【This farewell, mountains high and roads long, goodbye my youth, my girl. Saying I don’t love you—that’s my only lie.】
【And later, you—do you still visit the old place?】
Lin Mo kept his eyes on the road. The four others, perhaps moved by the song, all stared silently toward Jiang Xia’s resting place.
They all understood, perhaps, that unless something unexpected happened, this would be the last time they’d ever visit her together.
Each of them was a newcomer to adulthood, soon to be fully immersed in life’s grind. All they could do was come, take one last look, and keep the memory of a girl who had once appeared briefly in their lives—nothing more.
In the city, near Experimental High School, five people—two men, three women—sat around a table at a spicy stir-fry hot pot restaurant, chatting about their school days.
Naturally, Lin Mo’s appearance became a topic of discussion. The three girls were surprised, since it had been three years since graduation. Though he’d changed a lot, they were merely mildly astonished.
The one most shocked was Wan Chunlong. They’d met just last winter break—both broke nobodies back then. Now, only a few months later, Lin Mo had turned into some kind of male idol, while he was still the same poor guy. It stung worse than death.
“Bro, hiss, today’s meal’s on you, hiss~ or I’ll never get over this,” Wan Chunlong cried between mouthfuls of extra-spicy hot pot, sweat pouring down his forehead.
Lin Mo waved dismissively after sipping his soda. “No problem—it’s just a meal, it’s on me.”
Though he hadn’t graduated yet, he was already worth a few million. What was a meal compared to that?
“Then cheers to Handsome Lin!” Han Xue grinned, raising her drink.
They clinked glasses, their laughter gradually washing away the heaviness of Jiang Xia’s passing.
“Oh right,” Wang Shanshan asked suddenly, “what did Jiang Xia leave you all? I got a letter, a photo of us hugging, a comb, a doll, and some travel photos.”
At that, everyone perked up.
“About the same,” Wan Chunlong said. “A letter, a photo of us hugging, and a pen.”
When Han Xue and Li Yao shared theirs, they discovered that everyone had received a handwritten letter and a photo of them hugging. The rest varied.
Han Xue and Li Yao’s boxes included train tickets from Jiang Xia’s travels, her stationery, snacks, and a USB filled with videos—each item carrying its own story.
When they finished, everyone looked at Lin Mo. After all, he’d received an entire box full yesterday.
“Lin Mo, what did Jiang Xia leave you?” Han Xue asked.
Lin Mo thought for a moment, then smiled. “A few books, a box of candy, some of her travel photos, her graduation picture, my school uniform jacket I lost, her college entrance exam admission ticket, and some of her old school stuff.”
“Wow, that much? She really favored you. Can you send me copies of the photos later? I’d like to see them too,” Li Yao sighed.
Han Xue waved a hand immediately. “Oh, come on. Everyone knew she liked Lin Mo best—you don’t need to say it.”
“Exactly! We were deskmates—if she didn’t favor me, who else would she?” Lin Mo joked.
But his words made the three girls exchange looks.
“What? Did I say something wrong?” Lin Mo asked curiously.
The girls exchanged glances again before Han Xue smiled faintly. “You guys really are clueless. Even though Jiang Xia never admitted it, we all knew she had feelings for you.”
“Yeah,” Wang Shanshan nodded. “The way she looked at you was different. I asked her about it before, but she never confessed—just stubborn. Now… she’ll never have the chance.”
Li Yao also nodded softly. “She told me once—it wasn’t love, exactly. Just that you were special to her. I think it was that hazy kind of affection.”
Lin Mo froze, chopsticks halting midair, and fell silent.
Only Wan Chunlong looked confused. “Huh? Really? I never noticed.”
The girls sighed collectively, glancing at the silent Lin Mo. So much for emotional intelligence.
“Forget it, it’s all in the past,” Wang Shanshan said quickly.
“Yeah,” Han Xue added, “it’s just our guess. Jiang Xia never confirmed it—don’t overthink it, Lin Mo.”
The person was gone—no point reopening wounds.
Just then, Li Yao suddenly slapped her forehead. “Oh! I just remembered—once, Jiang Xia asked me what kind of flowers boys liked. I said roses. On our last day, I saw her sneak out when you left class, grab your Chinese textbook, and hide in the washroom writing something in it for ages. If you haven’t checked, go look!”
Lin Mo froze, then stood abruptly. “You guys finish eating—I’ve got to go. We’ll meet again sometime.”
He grabbed his car keys and ran out into the rain. The three girls exchanged smiles, while Wan Chunlong blinked in confusion.
“What? He just ran off? He didn’t even pay—skipping the bill?”
Then he noticed the three girls staring straight at him.
“Hey, he skipped out, and you’re all just gonna let that slide? Wait—don’t tell me you expect me to—oh, damn it~~”
Lin Mo didn’t think twice. He sped through the rain, tires splashing water along the nearly empty streets, and soon arrived home.
Breathless, he dashed upstairs and burst into his room under his mother Zhou Min’s shocked gaze, rummaging through his cabinet.
Luckily, he’d kept all his old schoolbooks—he hadn’t, like others, sold them off on the last day of school.
“Son, what are you looking for?” Mom Zhou Min asked curiously.
“High school textbooks, Mom—do you remember where you put them?” he asked without looking up.
“In the far-right cabinet. I sorted them once. The box you’re going through now’s from middle school,” she reminded him.
Lin Mo quickly opened the right cabinet, dragged out a big box, and flipped through the books one by one.
Finally, in his Chinese Textbook (Second Volume), he found what Li Yao mentioned. As he turned the pages, his fingers suddenly stopped.
Pressed between them were a few faded rose petals.
The book was open to “Jinse” (The Brocade Zither), full of his handwritten notes—and right in the center was a sticky note.
【You once said, if not for the rush of exams, Chinese might be the most beautiful subject.
I don’t know what you like, but I think—boys like flowers too.
You said you’ve never received any flowers, so let me be the first.
I love rainy days. If one day I’m no longer here, then whenever it rains, that means I’ve come to see you.
If you want to know I’m there, snap your fingers toward the sky.
If lightning flashes and thunder follows—then that’s my reply.
Happy graduation, your deskmate—Jiang Xia.】
Holding the book, Lin Mo sat on his bed, dazed—shocked, and quietly delighted.
They said most men only receive flowers once in their lives—on the day they die. He thought he’d be the same. But it turned out someone had already given him his first bouquet.
Though the petals had lost their color, joy still welled up within him. He pulled out his phone, took a photo, and couldn’t stop his legs from shaking with excitement.
Looking up at the sky, he raised his hand and softly snapped his fingers.
A second later—a flash of lightning split the clouds, followed by thunder three seconds later.
At that moment, Comrade Old Lin came out of his room, seeing his wife standing at their son’s doorway. “What’s going on, dear?”
“I don’t know—your son came home and started tearing the room apart,” she said.
Old Lin took a few steps forward and called out, “You alright, son? Need a hand?”
A gust of wind blew through the window, scattering the rose petals across the room. Lin Mo turned back, smiling through the breeze. “It’s okay, Dad, I’m fine.”
He hadn’t cried when he learned of Jiang Xia’s death. He hadn’t cried when collecting her belongings, or when reading her letters and watching her videos. He’d thought himself indifferent—but now, tears filled his eyes without him realizing it.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze—the petals swirling in the air, the pages rustling in the breeze, and the young man’s tear-filled gaze.
He finally understood. The girl who once asked him for flowers had secretly given him her own.
Perhaps the girl with the dimples feared he’d regret never receiving flowers, or feared he’d grieve after her passing. So she borrowed today’s rain to give him lightning and thunder as her reply.
Lin Mo knew it was coincidence—but in that instant, he wanted to believe it was her. That she really came back. That the scattering petals were her final farewell.
In her own way—by giving him flowers—she helped him accept that a friend had completely left his life today.
As if guided by fate.