After he arrived at the car at a fixed point and carefully poured the chili sauce into several small bottles in the safe, he finally smiled with relief.
“Big brother, let’s go,” Xiao Yu said, knocking on the car window from outside.
“Are we back? Let’s go,” Guo Xuyang agreed, got out of the car, and gave the driver’s seat to Xiao Yu.
“You want me to drive again?”
“What? You don’t want to?”
“No, I’m afraid of being caught driving without a license,” Xiao Yu said worriedly.
“It’s fine, I’m here, drive with peace of mind. Do you know where the Experimental Middle School is?”
“I know the general location, but I don’t know the specific place.”
“Turn on the navigation. With high-tech things, you don’t need to rack your brain.”
“Navigation isn’t always accurate. I heard from my classmate that her parents took her on a trip, and they wanted to go to a scenic spot, but the navigation led them to a dead end on a country road. It took a lot of effort to get back, and they didn’t get to see the scenic spot.”
“That’s indeed quite tragic. We’re in the city, it should be fine. Besides, don’t you know the general direction?”
“Yeah. Then I’ll check,” Xiao Yu said, turning on the navigation and setting the best route.
“Here, take this.” Guo Xuyang took out his phone and handed it to Xiao Yu.
“Is this for me?” Xiao Yu was overjoyed.
“What? You don’t want it?”
“I do, I do. Thank you, big brother.” Xiao Yu snatched it away.
“This phone number was registered with my ID. If you feel it’s inconvenient, you can re-register one with your ID.”
“I know,” Xiao Yu said without looking up.
“This phone has a GPS tracker, so I’ll know wherever you go.”
“Huh?” Xiao Yu finally looked up. “Big brother, you’re not going to tie me down with this phone, are you?”
“I have that intention. I need to know where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing.”
“Then I don’t want it.” Xiao Yu handed the phone back to Guo Xuyang.
“Are you sure you don’t want it?” Guo Xuyang didn’t take it but asked with a smile.
“This way I have no freedom at all.”
“I won’t bother you, I just need to know your movement trajectory. Do you have any secrets you can’t tell me?”
“Not really.”
“Then why are you afraid of me knowing where you’ve been?”
“I, I…”
“It’s alright, just say it boldly.”
“If I go to a classmate’s house, will you know too?”
“Male classmate or female classmate?”
“Of course, it’s a female classmate. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Why can’t you tell me if you go to a female classmate’s house?”
“I just feel I won’t have freedom.”
“When you get to the experimental high school, it won’t be as free as your previous school. You need to know that freedom is relative; you gain some things and inevitably lose some things. Actually, I’m not buying this phone to tie you down, but for your convenience. I originally planned to turn off all data, leaving only the calling function. It was the sales associate who recommended this phone. It can prevent addiction to games, it allows me to know your whereabouts, and it’s also convenient for you to use the internet. Of course, if you don’t want it, I can give you a bank card, which will also be convenient for you to withdraw money.”
“You’re not trying to tie me down?”
“Do you think I’m like those perverted teachers at your school?”
“Most of our teachers are good, only a few are not.”
“Why did your sister let you go to a private school back then?”
“I don’t pay tuition at the private school. Because I study well, the private school scouted me, which can lighten the family’s burden. You know, my sister had a tough time before. Her clothes are all work uniforms, she doesn’t have any clothes she can wear out.”
“Isn’t she always working?”
“Yes, but her salary is very low. Because she’s young and has no experience, she’s always bullied.”
“Is that so? How many students are like you in the school?”
“When I first came, there were about ten. But then several left one after another, and now there shouldn’t be more than five. Most of them are from families with not-so-good conditions, just like me. The learning atmosphere in this school isn’t very strong. Teachers only focus on their own subjects and usually leave after class. My homeroom teacher is quite good to me, but she had a baby last year, so she doesn’t pay much attention to class matters.”
“So, transferring schools was the right choice.”
“When I have unclear questions and go to ask the teachers, most of them are good, but a few like to touch me inappropriately.”
“Which teacher?” Guo Xuyang frowned upon hearing this.
“Never mind, I’m planning to leave anyway, and I won’t have anything to do with these people in the future. I won’t talk about it.” Xiao Yu was afraid that if she said it, Guo Xuyang would go looking for trouble with them.
“Being kind is good, but you must resist when you need to. Otherwise, they’ll think you’re easy to bully, and they’ll push their luck, constantly testing your limits, and in the end, you’ll be the one who suffers.”
“I know. I won’t let anyone bully me anymore. Anyway, with you here, I’ll tell you if anyone bullies me.”
“No problem. As long as you study well, I’ll handle everything else.”
“You’re really not buying this phone to tie me down?” Xiao Yu asked, looking at the phone in her hand.
“How many times do I have to tell you for you to believe me? If you don’t believe me, give me the phone.” Guo Xuyang made a move to take it, but Xiao Yu quickly snatched it back.
“Then I’ll keep it. Anyway, we’re not allowed to turn it on at school, so I can only play with it on the way.”
“Let’s go, stop dawdling, hurry to the school to check in. See what other textbooks you need, and let the teachers there help you get them all.”
“That would be best. Big brother, can you give me some money now?”
“What do you need money for?” Guo Xuyang asked, looking into Xiao Yu’s eyes.
“My backpack is also broken, and I want to buy a new one.”
“How much?”
“Thirty is fine, it doesn’t need to be too big. I can just keep my books in the classroom.”
“Thirty?” Guo Xuyang was surprised that Xiao Yu didn’t even have thirty yuan in change.
“Yeah. Or twenty is fine, it’s the drawstring backpack type, but it breaks easily, not as sturdy as the thirty yuan one.”
“How much pocket money does your sister usually give you?”
“Ten yuan, enough for lunch. It depends on what shift she’s working. If she has a morning or evening shift, she’ll give me ten yuan for food. If she can come back for lunch, she’ll give me five yuan, in case I get a flat tire on my bike.”
“Have you ever complained about your sister?”
“No, I just feel that my sister has a hard time. That’s why I want to study hard and earn a lot of money in the future for my sister to spend, so she doesn’t have to suffer anymore.”
“If I gave you all the money you wanted, would you still study hard?”
“Of course, I would. My goal is to become a scientist exploring the stars. But the first thing I need to do is fill my stomach and ensure my sister lives a life free from worry about food and clothing. My parents passed away early, and my sister has been raising me all along. I owe her a great debt of gratitude.”
“Xiao Yu, I feel you’re really special.”
“I sometimes feel special too. People like nice clothes and food, but only I am full of curiosity about the unknown domain of deep space, as if someone is calling me from there.”
“Perhaps your past life was an alien,” Guo Xuyang said with a smile.
“Perhaps, perhaps I’m a fallen princess from some galaxy who ended up on Earth,” Xiao Yu also chuckled.