After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 56
Chapter 56: The Choice
They stayed in Hangzhou for three days, visiting many scenic spots and experiencing customs and cultures different from Yonghuai.
They also sampled a variety of local and non-local snacks. Before leaving Hangzhou, they followed the recommendations of locals and bought regional specialty gifts to mail home. Then, with suitcases in tow, they headed for their next destination.
Li Ran would occasionally send them messages—sometimes reminding them to wear sunscreen and stay cool in the heat, and sometimes just venting about her workday with a sarcastic comment. Chen Mengyin would burst out laughing at her dry humor and always shared the messages with Xie Zhirou so they could laugh together.
Tang Jingxue was still incredibly busy. Her messages always came at the oddest hours—creating the amusing situation of two people both in China chatting as if they were in different time zones.
Besides that, Chen Mengyin also received a message from Xu Qing inviting them out.
It seemed like everyone had agreed to enjoy themselves to the fullest before results day—traveling far and wide, their footprints scattered across the country. Even Zheng Xixi sent her a message—a photo of Erhai Lake. She said Yunnan was beautiful and suggested bringing Xie Zhirou there sometime to try the local mushrooms.
Chen Mengyin replied to each message in turn.
Later, they traveled through several other cities in the Jiangnan region. They kissed in many places, took countless photos, and experienced many hotel beds and bathtubs.
The day before results were released, they returned to Yonghuai.
After more than ten days of travel, Chen Mengyin’s skin had tanned to a healthy wheat tone. She had also lost weight, making her bright eyes stand out even more.
Li Ran praised her for looking mature and radiant. “So valiant and spirited—just like my daughter! No surprise there.” It was unclear whether she was praising Mengyin or herself.
Chen Mengyin laughed and picked up Li Ran, spinning her around.
Then she got smacked several times before finally putting the grumbling Li Ran down.
Despite nearly two weeks under the sun, Xie Zhirou remained fair as ever. But she had lost quite a bit of weight. Her wrists looked fragile, like they might snap with a bit of force. Li Ran was distressed and made a big pot of nourishing soup that evening to help both girls regain their strength.
On the day results were released, Li Ran had to work, leaving Chen Mengyin and Xie Zhirou alone at home, sitting nervously in front of the computer.
Chen Mengyin wanted to check Zhirou’s results first. Zhirou insisted they check Mengyin’s first.
Neither would give in. After a while, they decided to settle it with rock-paper-scissors. The winner would choose whose results to check first.
Xie Zhirou agreed.
“Yay! I won!” Chen Mengyin cheered, raising her hand in triumph.
Zhirou sighed beside her. “Shouldn’t have gone with rock…”
Human joys and sorrows are rarely synchronized—while Zhirou sighed, Mengyin was over the moon. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed in Zhirou’s ID and password, then hit Enter.
What appeared on the screen was a string of asterisks.
It took a few seconds for her to register what that meant.
“Aaaaah! Top 50 in the province!!” Chen Mengyin screamed, hugging Xie Zhirou tightly. “Zhirou, you did it! Aaaaah—!”
“I know, I know. Calm down.” Zhirou was infected by her joy and hugged her back with a smile. “Now quick, check your score.”
Compared to her own results, Zhirou was more eager to see how Mengyin had done.
“Oh, come on! This is the provincial top 50 we’re talking about! Do you know how many people dream of that and never get close? Let me bask in it just a little longer!” Mengyin couldn’t control her excitement. She snapped a picture and sent it to Tang Jingxue and Li Ran, along with a cool emoji.
Li Ran responded with a thumbs up and praised Zhirou to the skies. She asked what the two girls wanted to eat—her treat.
Mengyin said they hadn’t checked her results yet and would decide after that. Li Ran acknowledged this and gave a one-minute deadline to get the score and report back.
Chen Mengyin couldn’t stop giggling at the message.
While she was still sending it, Xie Zhirou swiftly typed in Mengyin’s ID and password. When she saw the total score of 636, she finally relaxed and smiled, hugging Mengyin.
“636,” she said as she let go and quickly took a screenshot to save on WeChat. “Congrats! Now you can apply to the school and major you really want.”
Before the exam, Chen Mengyin had worried her score wouldn’t meet the minimum cutoff for her dream school. But as soon as the score and ranking were released, Zhirou knew she was safe.
Proudly, Chen Mengyin lifted her chin. “Of course! Look who taught this student! 636 was a piece of cake!”
“Don’t go saying that outside—you’ll get beat up.” Zhirou sent the screenshot to her parents and Li Ran. Li Ran was overjoyed, promising them a big feast that evening. She also scolded Mengyin for not telling her immediately after seeing the results.
Zhirou covered for her, quietly snapping a photo of Mengyin excitedly jumping around the room and sent it to Li Ran.
Li Ran saved the photo, saying it was perfect and asked for more of her daughter’s silly moments in the future—it was the best cure for work stress.
Zhirou glanced at the still-giddy Mengyin and chuckled, agreeing to the request.
Not long after the results were released, Zhirou’s phone and WeChat exploded with messages and calls. Everyone wanted to congratulate her or ask about her future plans.
She replied to a few close friends but got tired of the questions and turned off her phone, tossing it aside.
Mengyin also received a wave of congratulatory messages. She happily replied to them all. Halfway through, Tang Jingxue called, asking why she couldn’t reach Zhirou.
“Too many people called her. She got annoyed and shut her phone off.” Mengyin switched to speaker mode. “Auntie, did you see the message I sent? Zhirou made the top 50! She’s amazing!”
Zhirou sat beside her, listening as Mengyin bragged, occasionally chiming in when her parents spoke.
Tang Jingxue was in a great mood, praising both girls and promising to cover their next trip. “Go have fun, don’t worry about the money.”
Mengyin happily accepted.
…
That chaotic afternoon ended with Li Ran storming home and taking them out for a feast.
Although Chen Lin couldn’t make it back, his wallet did.
He was the last in the family to hear Mengyin’s results. During the score release, he was stuck in a meeting, buried under a mountain of data and eye-watering PowerPoints.
He managed to sneak a peek at his phone after the meeting and saw her message.
He was thrilled, sending several voice notes praising both girls. He also said he’d cover the cost of the feast and told them to eat as much as they liked.
Just a few minutes into the chat, he was pulled into another meeting and had to end the call in a hurry.
That night, Li Ran dressed up beautifully and took her two daughters to the best restaurant in Yonghuai.
She handed them the menu and told them to order whatever they wanted—no need to hold back.
Mengyin smirked at the prices and said, “Well then, I won’t be shy!”
She and Zhirou spent a while giggling and whispering over the menu, picking dishes that looked delicious—and expensive.
“A few days from now, when you’re filling in your college choices, don’t rush,” Li Ran reminded them. “Research the job prospects of each school and major. Don’t just chase the popular ones, okay?”
She still thought Mengyin would go into a STEM field—maybe chemistry or biology.
She’d imagined a lot of possible futures for her daughter—but never guessed that Mengyin had already decided to become a criminal investigator like her dad.
When she eventually found out, she didn’t speak to Mengyin for days.
One police officer in the family was already enough. Now a second one? Were father and daughter planning to leave her to guard the home alone?
Mengyin tried to comfort her: “But you’ve still got Treasure and Fortune (the cats) with you! And being a police officer is great—serving the people!”
Li Ran gave her a sharp look. “Talk’s cheap. Let’s see how you handle the military discipline at the police academy without quitting.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t drop out.” Mengyin knew Li Ran was just worried and reluctant to let her go.
Since she was born, they had never been apart for more than a month.
Now that she was heading to the police academy, their next meeting might not be until Chinese New Year.
“I’ll video call you every day. As long as you don’t get tired of me, I’ll call as long as you want,” she said.
Li Ran didn’t buy it.
Every day? More likely, those video calls would be for Xie Zhirou. No way Mengyin could go that long without seeing her.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t dare take up your precious time,” Li Ran replied sarcastically.
Mengyin laughed awkwardly and gave her a shoulder massage to calm her down.
Li Ran closed her eyes and let her enjoy it, trying not to overthink.
“Oh right, your score might not be enough for the Capital Public Security University, right?”
Mengyin laughed nervously and admitted she was aiming for the police academy in the northeast instead.
“What about Zhirou then?” Li Ran asked.
Mengyin went quiet.
She knew Zhirou would most likely choose a finance-related major at B University. Zhirou had told her she didn’t plan to pursue postgraduate studies. She wanted to help lighten her parents’ burden—she didn’t want to see them constantly exhausted by work.
Zhirou also knew that Mengyin had long made up her mind about going to police academy. They respected each other’s choices—even if it meant a long-distance relationship for quite some time.
“She knows I’m going to university in the northeast,” Mengyin said, hugging a pillow and sitting beside Li Ran. “We’ll figure out ways to see each other. Besides, with today’s technology, if I miss her, I can always video call.”
From the northeast to the capital was just over 700 kilometers—an hour and a half by plane.
If they wanted to meet, even if they were across the Pacific, they’d find a way.
Li Ran teased her: “Weren’t you just saying you’d video call me every day? Now it’s all about Zhirou again?”
Blushing, Mengyin said, “We can have a group call!”
Li Ran firmly declined: “No, no, no. I’m too old to be subjected to your lovey-dovey displays.”
“Well, since you’ve both decided, then go ahead. Do what you really want to do—don’t leave behind any regrets.”
“Mm. Thanks, Mom.” Mengyin turned to hug her, eyes growing misty.