Strawberry Pop Pop Pop chapter 12

Unable to resist Gu Nuan’s tears, and under Uncle Zhang’s persuasion, Han Yang had no choice but to get into the car. And it was during this time that Han Yang seemed to understand why Wang Sheng was so interested in the Gu family.

For him, who had grown up in a grocery store, the Gu family’s villa was like a “castle.” Han Yang stood in shock, almost dumbfounded, as Gu Nuan held his hand and led him through the front gate.

The warmth that greeted him as he entered made Han Yang feel like he had stepped into a palace, a place he could never have imagined.

He and Gu Nuan were truly from two different worlds.

At around four in the evening, Ji Mu finished work early. He drove to the villa, and as soon as he got out of the car, he heard excited voices coming from inside the house. Ji Mu didn’t know what Gu Nuan was playing with, but he quickly walked in with a worried expression.

As he pushed open the door, he was met with the sight of a huge airplane model that had been assembled. Sitting on the carpet beside it was Han Yang, wearing the sweater made by grandma Zhang, with his pants covered in lint balls. His cheeks were flushed from the warmth, and his eyes, lit by the lamplight, seemed to be showing some emotion.

“Daddy!” Gu Nuan was the first to call out. “Big brother is amazing; he put the airplane together in no time!”

Han Yang quickly concealed the emotions in his eyes and averted his gaze from the airplane.

He awkwardly stood up, not knowing where to put his hands, and looked at Ji Mu with unease, afraid that Ji Mu would be displeased with his presence.

Because Han Yang wasn’t sure if Ji Mu would welcome him to play here, he nervously grabbed his coat and backpack, which he had placed on the side.

Gu Nuan clung to his arm. “Big brother, are you leaving so soon?”

“Yeah.”

Gu Nuan said with disappointment, “will you take the airplane with you? It’s a gift, and I helped Grandpa take care of the garden in exchange for it.”

But how could Han Yang’s “home” accommodate such a large model? Even if Han Yang loved the airplane, he couldn’t take it home. It belonged to this “castle,” not to him.

He made the distinction very clear.

Han Yang declined the gift, not even bothering to put on his coat before heading outside. He was about to leave when Ji Mu called out to him, “Han Yang, is your mom at home today?”

Han Yang paused, not knowing why Ji Mu was asking this. But from the question, he could feel that Ji Mu’s attitude towards him was gentle.

Han Yang shook his head. “She’s working the night shift today.”

Ji Mu smiled slightly. “Is there dinner waiting for you at home?”

Han Yang tightly clutched his clothes and backpack, finding it difficult to speak. Tonight, he would go to bed hungry, and the emergency rations in his backpack had already been consumed. If Ji Mu offered him dinner, maybe he could have a peaceful night’s sleep.

He stood still, waiting for Ji Mu’s next words. If Ji Mu asked him to leave, he would immediately go.

Having had a childhood similar to Han Yang’s, Ji Mu understood his thoughts keenly. Plus, Han Yang was Gu Nuan’s friend, so Ji Mu intentionally went along with Han Yang’s cautious thoughts. “This is a villa area, and it’s not convenient for you to go back on your own.”

“Do you want to stay for dinner? I’ll drive you home later.” Ji Mu smiled.

Han Yang hesitated, and for the first time, he considered being away from home and accepted the invitation. “Yes.”

He also said, “Thank you.”

At 8 o’clock in the evening, Ji Mu drove Han Yang to the entrance of the residential area.

Gu Nuan was exhausted from playing all day and had fallen asleep early under the care of Gu Yuanchen. However, before he drifted off to sleep, he held Han Yang’s hand and sleepily said, “Big brother, see you tomorrow.”

A simple, ordinary phrase.

“See you tomorrow.”

No one had ever said this to Han Yang before, whether it was his classmates, teachers, or parents. It was as if all his relationships were stuck in the present and the past, with no future.

The word “tomorrow” needed anticipation, and Han Yang had never had that before, but now he felt a glimmer of it.

He looked at Gu Nuan’s hand. It was small, soft, and warm.

At this moment, Han Yang seemed to smile from the depths of his heart, as if he couldn’t hold it back any longer. His lips curved into a faint, almost natural smile. Combined with his delicate features, it looked very gentle.

Unfortunately, Gu Nuan was too tired to see it. His eyelids were heavy, and he missed seeing Han Yang’s smile.

Perhaps when people had their basic needs met—food and warmth—they would develop unrealistic desires. Han Yang held Gu Nuan’s hand and, for the first time, said such words. His voice was trembling as he said, “See you tomorrow, Gu Nuan.”

…

Just before Han Yang got out of the car, Ji Mu called out to him, “Han Yang.”

Han Yang sat still, waiting for Ji Mu to speak.

“Do you want to leave this home?”

As soon as he said this, Han Yang looked at him in confusion.

After thinking it over, Ji Mu decided to communicate with Han Yang about the decision he had discussed with Gu Yuanchen. “There’s a private school in the neighboring city with excellent education, and it offers boarding facilities. You can also stay there during holidays. If you’re willing, I can sponsor your education there, including tuition and living expenses, until you graduate from college. If your grades are outstanding, I might even sponsor you through university.”

He paused and reached for a paper bag from the passenger seat, containing several exercise books.

Ji Mu unfastened his seatbelt and handed them to Han Yang, who was expressionless. “You don’t have to rush to answer me; take your time to think about it.”

“…” Han Yang remained silent.

“I heard from Xiao Nuan that you like doing exercises. I picked out some exercise books; I don’t know if you’ll like them.” Ji Mu gave the exercise books to Han Yang. “My phone number is written in the first book. When you’ve made up your mind, give me a call, and I’ll contact your mom.”

Perhaps this was the first time Han Yang had heard Ji Mu speak so much to him.

In Han Yang’s eyes, Ji Mu had always been cold. Apart from showing smiles to Gu Nuan and Gu Yuanchen, he rarely displayed any emotions and seemed icy.

The car was warm, and surprisingly, Han Yang shivered. He held the paper bag containing the exercise books and couldn’t make a decision. His heart was pounding faster and faster. Finally, he nodded calmly and prepared to get out of the car.

But at that moment, Ji Mu said to him, “You’re still a child; don’t always suppress your pheromones. It’s not good for your health.”

Han Yang pursed his lips and took a while before saying, “I don’t like it.”

After saying this, Han Yang prepared himself for being asked why he doesn’t like it. However, to his surprise, Ji Mu didn’t intend to ask. He simply said, “I didn’t like my pheromones when I was a child either.”

“Why?” This time, it was Han Yang who asked the question.

“It used to make me feel miserable,” Ji Mu said, turning to the side. “Pheromones are something you can’t get rid of. Since you can’t avoid them, you have to learn to accept them.”

It’s not about liking them; it’s about accepting them.

At Han Yang’s age, even if he was smart, he probably couldn’t fully understand Ji Mu’s words.

He silently got out of the car, closed the door with just the right amount of force.

Ji Mu sat in the driver’s seat and didn’t fasten his seatbelt for a long time. He watched Han Yang’s figure until it disappeared into the dimly lit distance. Then, he lowered his head to finally fasten his seatbelt.

But within a few seconds—

Pitter-patter—

There were the sounds of a child running frantically, which were exceptionally clear in the night.

These footsteps were louder than the morning dewdrops falling on the lake, urgent, panicked, and lost. Accompanied by shallow gasps, white mist formed in the air.

Under the streetlight, Han Yang stood there, clutching the bag tightly, his teeth chattering. He didn’t move at all in front of Ji Mu’s car.

At that moment, Ji Mu saw his younger self in Han Yang’s eyes.

The desire to escape, the impulse to break free regardless of everything else—it was an approach to freedom that came even before the body, making any thoughts seem insignificant in the face of hope.

Han Yang’s eye rims turned slightly red, and his moist appearance seemed to freeze in the winter. He clenched his teeth and his fists. When he faced Ji Mu as he got out of the car, he blurted out, “don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying to you.”

“You really want to help me leave this place.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll keep covering my tuition and living expenses.”

“If you’re worried, afraid I’ll stop halfway, I can write you a commitment letter.”

“When I get to college, it will cost a lot of money.”

“It’s okay, I’m very wealthy.”

Han Yang wiped his eyes hastily, the back of his hand wet. From start to finish, his tone was not questioning. He was certain, and he hoped Ji Mu was certain too.

Ji Mu approached him, bending down slightly to meet Han Yang’s gaze, who was not very tall at the moment.

If Han Yang rejected Ji Mu, then his future life would have nothing to do with Ji Mu. Similarly, as Gu Nuan’s dad, Ji Mu would cut off any contact between Han Yang and Gu Nuan for the safety of the child.

But clearly, Ji Mu wanted Han Yang to have a new chance in life. “Opportunities like this don’t come by often, Han Yang. You should seize this chance.”

With a simple sentence, Ji Mu held Han Yang’s innermost feelings tightly, kneading and twisting them repeatedly. Han Yang didn’t know whether to trust Ji Mu or what the future would look like.

He was confused and yet eager. In the end, he concluded the conversation with a question, “I don’t know why you want to help me. Is it because of Gu Nuan? But I haven’t known him for very long.”

All of this was too sudden for Han Yang.

Ji Mu didn’t answer that question. He stood up, speaking gently. “It’s getting late. Go home. Contact me once you’ve made up your mind.”