Chapter 193 — A Photograph
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"My dad is resting. You'd better not go in," Tang Zhi said, refusing to let Wei Zhao enter. She no longer wanted any entanglement with Wei Zhao, so naturally she did not want him going into the room. If she owed Wei Zhao yet another favor, how could she ever repay it?
It was not that Tang Zhi did not understand the ways of the world. On the contrary, her father's misfortune had made her and her mother endure the fickle warmth and coldness of the world, giving her a deeper understanding of how people's attitudes shift with fortune.
On what grounds would Wei Zhao help her family? Apart from herself, what did her family have that Wei Zhao could possibly value? In the end, when her family could no longer repay his kindness, the only way to settle the debt of gratitude would be with her own flesh.
Wei Zhao merely wanted to see how serious Tang Zhi's father's injuries actually were, whether surgery could be avoided, and whether there was an easier way to treat them. But since Tang Zhi objected, Wei Zhao was in no particular hurry.
Kang Xiaofeng didn't want to be a third wheel. While Wei Zhao and Tang Zhi were talking, he got up and drifted to the side, idly looking around at the furnishings and decor of the room. Suddenly his gaze fell on a photograph tucked inside the bookshelf.
There were three girls in the photograph. One was Tang Zhi. The other was Tang Zhi's best friend, seemingly named Liu Xinlan, also from No. 1 Middle School — Kang Xiaofeng had a vague recollection of her. But there was yet another girl who made Kang Xiaofeng's eyes light up.
Of the three girls in the photograph, Tang Zhi was unquestionably the most beautiful and the most striking, but the other girl was only a shade behind her. Moreover, she had a soft, delicate look about her — the kind that stirred a man's protective instincts at first glance.
Who is this girl? Kang Xiaofeng's mind began to stir with new excitement. As for Tang Zhi, he had already given up entirely — as long as Wei Zhao could win her over, he'd be content. But this girl...
"This photograph?" Kang Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask.
Tang Zhi turned her head at the sound of Kang Xiaofeng's voice and glanced at the photograph in the bookshelf. "They're two of my good friends."
"I know this Liu Xinlan — she's from our school too — but this one..." Kang Xiaofeng hesitated. Though he felt it was somewhat rude to ask so directly, he pressed on, unwilling to give up.
"Her name is Lan Zhi. She's been my good friend since we were little..." Tang Zhi clearly didn't want to say much about it. She offered only the briefest introduction of Lan Zhi, then said no more.
Kang Xiaofeng said "oh" and silently committed the name to memory: Lan Zhi. Not a bad-sounding name. He just wondered where she was attending school now. Definitely not No. 1 Middle School — if she were, there was no way he wouldn't know.
While Lan Zhi couldn't possibly be ranked among the school's top three beauties, she would certainly be a campus celebrity, easily placing among the top ten girls at No. 1 Middle School.
He wanted to ask about Lan Zhi's current situation, but Tang Zhi didn't seem willing to talk about it, so Kang Xiaofeng could only drop the matter.
Tang Zhi's mother brought the barbecue in, one batch after another. Roasted chicken wings, giving off a tantalizing aroma... Tang Zhi helped her mother arrange the barbecue on the living room table, then said to Wei Zhao in an icy tone: "Eat..."