If You Could Hear My Heart

Xu Chaomu felt pretty uncomfortable inside, but no matter how bad he felt, face mattered. He wouldn’t go, and she couldn’t force him.

Then again, being the eighth from the bottom really was embarrassing.

But what of it? Even if he were the top student in his class, Shen Chi wouldn’t necessarily go.

She lifted her little face, glared at Shen Chi puffing with anger, grabbed her backpack strap and walked out the door without looking back.

What a self-inflicted snub!

Old Cheng had been waiting at the door for a while. Seeing Xu Chaomu arrive, he opened the passenger door for her.

Only after Xu Chaomu left the Shen Family did Shen Chi start the car and head off to the Li Group.

By the time Xu Chaomu got to school, the sports field was already set up. Today was the parent-teacher conference for the entire sophomore year combined with an awards ceremony, and it was bustling with activity.

There were plenty of banners along the way, saying “Warm Welcome” and the like, as well as colorful balloons flying high in the air.

The weather today was exceptionally nice, with clear skies and wispy clouds. Blue skies were dotted with swallows and doves, adding vibrant life to the scenery.

Xu Chaomu thought it would be great if it rained later.

How beautiful! Hmph…

The sports field was big and beautifully decorated. One could tell that a lot of effort had been put into it. The surroundings of the field were decorated with picked flowers in pots—orchids, irises, red clusters… Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple colors adorned the field, making it look like a splendid garden.

There were many students in the entire sophomore class; the auditorium couldn’t fit everyone, so the parent-teacher conference and award ceremony were held on this vast sports field.

The stage was set up early, complete with microphones, tables, awards…

everything was lavish and comprehensive.

Chairs were also prepared on the sports field, row upon row, with no end in sight. If one was lost in the crowd, it was like being engulfed by the ocean, utterly untraceable.

Xu Chaomu felt this ceremony had nothing to do with her.

She was thinking that if it rained later and everyone got drenched like drowned rats, she would calmly take out her raincoat and put it on…

Gracefully blossoming in the rain.

Hmph…

Thinking this way, she was much happier and hummed a tune as she walked toward the classroom.

No sooner had she stepped into the classroom than Yu Weiwei blocked her way, “Chaomu, check the time; you almost arrived late again.

“Being late is to show respect for the bed!” Xu Chaomu declared with a raised chin, blustering nonsensically with a straight face.

“…” Yu Weiwei’s mouth twitched.

Xu Chaomu leisurely walked into the classroom, put her backpack down, and took out her homework and textbooks.

“Chaomu, who from your family is coming for today’s parent meeting?” Yu Weiwei heard that Xu Chaomu and her brother lived on their own, with no one else to depend on, and that her brother seemed to be a construction worker.

However, she couldn’t figure out how Xu Chaomu knew Li Beiting.

Perhaps Xu Chaomu’s brother was working on a construction site for the Li Group.

Sometimes when Xu Chaomu accidentally annoyed some little tyrants, people would say she was an orphan with no parents, living with a brother who couldn’t find a wife. Or even worse, they’d suggest Xu Chaomu might be an illegitimate child found on the street and taken in by her brother.

Every time she heard these things, Yu Weiwei would defend Xu Chaomu.

In the beginning, Xu Chaomu would argue back with a flushed face, but later she couldn’t be bothered to respond.

“No one’s coming.” Xu Chaomu said while packing her backpack.

“Your brother is that busy? The class monitor just tallied up the numbers, and

it seems like most students’ parents are coming!” Yu Weiwei rested her chin on her hands as she looked at Xu Chaomu.

Yu Weiwei had never met Xu Chaomu’s brother, but he seemed to be really busy.

It made sense; he had Chaomu to support, after all. How could he not work hard to earn money?

“Most? Doesn’t that mean there are students whose parents aren’t coming? Weiwei, look at us—we’re not getting any awards or recognitions. Having parents over would just be embarrassing.” Xu Chaomu added, pulling a silly face.

She and Yu Weiwei were neck and neck: one was ranked eighth from the bottom and the other, seventh from the bottom.

“You’ve got a point there,” Yu Weiwei said, scratching her head sheepishly. “So, how are you going to handle the parent meeting later?”

“Handle it as I usually would, sneak out and watch a movie.”

“I can’t do that. My dad is coming! If I sneak out, he’ll break my legs.” Saying this, Yu Weiwei stuck out her tongue in all seriousness.

“Didn’t we agree to share our blessings and face our troubles together? How can you leave me alone in the movie theater? Think about it, if I go alone, what if I run into human traffickers? Look at me, I’m quite the cutie, huh? If the traffickers take me deep into the mountains and force me to marry some old and ugly man, what if..

Xu Chaomu trailed off, she lowered her head and deliberately sniffed, looking troubled.

Usually, after she said something like this, Yu Weiwei would pretend to wipe away tears with her sleeve and say with a sniffle, “That’s so sad. A heartbreaking story. Chaomu, I’ll accompany you to the movie theater. I’ll definitely go with you. If they’re going to kidnap anyone, it’ll be us together.”

But today, Yu Weiwei shrugged, “I can’t. My dad really will kill me; ranked seventh from the bottom, he almost blew the roof off in anger. If I run away, I’m done for. Chaomu… so I guess you’ll just have to take a trip with the traffickers. You’re so clever, you’ll definitely escape. Go for it, I believe in you, I have faith in you, I value you, 1—”

“Shut up, I’m not talking to you anymore!” Xu Chaomu puffed up with frustration and turned her head, picking up her book to work on the problems.

Just then, the class monitor came over and knocked on Xu Chaomu’s desk, “Xu

Chaomu, it’s time to sign up.”

“Sign up for what? Are we registering for a marriage? I’m not interested in you, that’s for sure.” Xu Chaomu retorted.

As soon as she spoke up, Yu Weiwei covered her mouth and chuckled.

“It’s about today’s parent meeting,” the class monitor said, irritated, his mouth twitching as he pushed up his glasses, “Who from your family is coming?”

The class monitor wasn’t well-versed in Xu Chaomu’s family affairs, only knowing she seemed to rely on her brother, and they were quite poor, which was why she usually only wore her school uniform. Her brother had never come by. and of course. Xu Chaomu was always ranked at the bottom.

Her brother must have felt disheartened.

“No one.” Xu Chaomu didn’t even look up.

The class monitor wasn’t surprised by this response; it was exactly what he expected. So many times when registering, Xu Chaomu’s answer was always

the same: “No one.”

So, the class monitor nonchalantly scribbled on the paper while asking,

“What’s the excuse this time? Is your brother sick from moving bricks? Or is he hiding because he’s too handsome and being chased by women?”

These were all excuses Xu Chaomu had come up with before, and the class monitor remembered them.

But so what if they were made up? As long as they didn’t look too absurd… well, he admitted, actually they were quite outrageous.

“Oh, my brother went on a blind date. You see, his date this time is quite outstanding, can farm dozens of acres, planting all sorts of crops, corn, purple sweet potatoes, sorghum. She can also raise animals—but raising chicks and ducklings is too basic; I heard she keeps penguins! Penguins! Impressed or what? Jealous? Envious? So my brother values this match a lot, he set out early in the morning..”