Chapter 234 — Mother Tang's Misunderstanding

"Then... I'll be going?" Tang Zhi still felt a little too embarrassed to face Wei Zhao. Her near-crazed behavior a moment ago had left her burning with shame.

"I'll walk you home." Wei Zhao locked the car and got out with Tang Zhi.

Looking at Tang Zhi, whose clothes had been shredded into strips, Wei Zhao simply pulled off his own school uniform and held it out to her. "Wear mine?"

Tang Zhi hesitated, but did not refuse. It had been fine in the car just now, but back here in the shantytown, if anyone saw her dressed like this, there was no telling what they would think.

Tang Zhi took off her torn uniform and handed it to Wei Zhao, then quickly slipped into his.

For that one instant as she changed, Tang Zhi was wearing nothing but a fitted camisole, and Wei Zhao's heart stirred again. An eighteen-year-old girl, already perfectly developed—who would have thought a run-down place like the shantytown could bring forth a beauty like Tang Zhi.

Compared with Gu Mengyao's somewhat lean figure and Shen Yushu's overabundant curves, Tang Zhi's figure was the most balanced of them all, and he had no idea how she had grown up this way. Wei Zhao thought to himself.

Tang Zhi was wearing Wei Zhao's school uniform. Though the men's and women's styles differed, in the dark it was hard to tell much; it simply looked a little loose on her. Dressed, she turned her head and saw that Wei Zhao was actually bare-armed, with nothing at all on his upper body, and she froze. "You..."

"Summer's almost here, and it's not even hot. It's fine." Wei Zhao smiled indifferently.

"Then... you wear mine?" Tang Zhi felt touched, and at the same time deeply embarrassed.

"Wear yours?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. Never mind whether he could even fit into it—the fresh, intoxicating scent of the girl that clung to the fabric would be enough to bewitch him.

"Then at least drape it over yourself. You'll catch a cold." Tang Zhi also realized that her clothes would never fit Wei Zhao. It was true that in summer, plenty of bare-chested men in the shantytown sat around in groups playing cards and eating, and Tang Zhi was used to that.

But it was only spring now. Though the weather had already grown somewhat warm, who went around bare-armed at this time of year? Anyone who saw him would take him for a madman.

Wei Zhao, who could ask for nothing better, draped Tang Zhi's clothes over himself. The intoxicating fragrance on the fabric grew even stronger, and his thoughts began to wander. Somehow, he reached out and caught Tang Zhi's small hand...

"Ah..." Tang Zhi was caught off guard when Wei Zhao suddenly seized her hand, and her whole body went rigid. She wanted to pull away, yet felt a sudden reluctance. Her palm was instantly soaked with sweat, and her breathing turned rapid and uneven.

It was the first time Tang Zhi had held hands with a member of the opposite sex... or rather, the second. The first time had been when Li Erlǎn had been pestering her and Wei Zhao had pulled her onto the bus at the station. But that time she had not thought anything of it. This time... it felt as though electricity were coursing through her whole body, nervous and thrilling.

Was this... what first love felt like? Tang Zhi was bewildered, her mind a complete blank, and let Wei Zhao lead her by the hand, walking slowly forward.

The two walked shoulder to shoulder in silence, down the old alleyways of the shantytown, like a pair of lovers heading home together at night.

Only when they were nearly at her home did Tang Zhi snap back to her senses. She did not know where the strength came from, but she flung Wei Zhao's hand away and lifted her head. "I... I'm almost there. You... you should go back."

"Since I've come this far, a few more steps won't hurt." Wei Zhao smiled and kept walking.

"Oh..." Tang Zhi thought, what do you mean, a few more steps won't hurt? If he walked her all the way like this, and her mother happened to see, she would definitely get the wrong idea. But... was it really a misunderstanding?

As they drew closer, they found Tang Zhi's house brightly lit, even the lamp in the courtyard turned on. Tang Zhi was puzzled. Her family was always frugal—why would they light the courtyard lamp for no reason?

Another two steps closer, and she saw her mother standing at the courtyard gate, anxiously looking around. Without thinking, Tang Zhi called out, "Mom—"

But the moment the word left her mouth, she somewhat regretted it. Wei Zhao was still right beside her! Though they had already let go of each other's hands, being together this late at night... Originally, Tang Zhi had meant to have Wei Zhao hurry off the moment he saw her to the door, so that her mother would not see him. But now...

"Yun'er, you... you're back!" Mother Tang, catching sight of Tang Zhi suddenly, was both startled and overjoyed. "You scared me to death! You're finally home..."

"Huh? Mom, what are you doing..." Tang Zhi was a little baffled at the sight of her agitated mother.

"You didn't go to the hospital after school, and you didn't come home either. I asked Liu Xinlan, and she didn't know where you were. I was worried sick. I went to the police, and they said you hadn't been missing long enough... Ugh, there was nothing I could do but stand here and wait! At least I've waited you back!" Mother Tang rattled on, then suddenly caught sight of Wei Zhao beside Tang Zhi and froze, looking a little awkward. "So you were out having fun with Wei Zhao... It's fine, it's fine. Next time you go out, just give your mom a call. You had me worried half to death..."

"Mom, I wasn't out having fun..." Tang Zhi was deeply embarrassed and explained instinctively.

Wei Zhao sighed. He wanted to stop her, but it was too late. If Tang Zhi told her what had happened tonight, it would frighten Mother Tang out of her wits. He had meant for her to just go along with her mother's assumption, but that was impossible now.

"All right, all right, so you weren't out having fun. You went to study together..." Mother Tang seemed delighted that her daughter was with Wei Zhao, and the worry that had clouded her face a moment before vanished completely.

"Mom... I..." Tang Zhi was at a loss for words at her mother. How could she say that?

"Hm? Yun'er, your clothes?" Suddenly, Mother Tang's gaze fixed on the school uniform Tang Zhi was wearing. This was definitely not her daughter's uniform! She saw her daughter in that uniform every day; did she not know it? This one looked similar from a distance, but the cut was a little different, and most of all, it was one size too big for her daughter!

Whose clothes was Tang Zhi wearing? Then she turned and looked suspiciously at what Wei Zhao had on, only to see a school uniform torn into strips... Looking closely, wasn't that her daughter's?

Mother Tang was instantly alarmed. "Yun'er, you and Wei Zhao... you two..."

After all, her daughter was wearing Wei Zhao's clothes, and Wei Zhao was wearing her daughter's clothes. Could the two of them have... Mother Tang's heart gave a violent lurch as some unpleasant thoughts came to mind.

She approved of her daughter going out with Wei Zhao, but that didn't mean she approved of them getting involved too early. Mother Tang was no fool, and she knew all too well what had happened to Xiaofen.

"Mom, don't let your imagination run away with you..." Tang Zhi could tell from her mother's expression that she had gotten the wrong idea. She shot Wei Zhao a glare. "Aren't you leaving?"

"Ha, I'll be going then. Goodbye, Auntie." Wei Zhao knew that Tang Zhi probably had things she couldn't say to her mother with him there, so he made to take his leave.