My Mom's Blind Date Calls Me Senior - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I almost rushed after them.

My mom held me back with all her strength.

“Zhixia!”

My eyes were so red I could barely see. I shouted into the bus, “Liang Yan, get down here!”

Liang Yan didn’t look back.

He rushed to the last row and pushed my future self toward the door.

The water inside the bus had already risen to their knees.

Liang Jianzhang grabbed his shoulder, as if trying to drag him back again.

“You are a Liang.”

“You should stay with me.”

Liang Yan looked at him.

“I stayed with you for twenty years already.”

His voice was hoarse.

“Uncle, the ones who should get off are them-not a new scapegoat.”

My future self struggled, shoving at him.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

I only saw her suddenly lift her head and look at me.

Through the rain and the crowd, she mouthed something to me.

Call him.

I understood almost instantly.

The anchor.

The memories of the living.

I pushed my mom away and rushed to the police cordon.

“Liang Yan!”

Inside the bus, his movements faltered.

I shouted until my voice nearly tore.

“Liang Yan, you don’t owe Liang Jianzhang your life!”

Rain struck my face. I couldn’t tell whether it was rain or tears.

“You’re the person I picked up from under the bridge when you were twenty-six.”

“You don’t put scallions in your porridge. You act tough even when you have a fever. Your ears turn red when you call me by the wrong title.”

“You said you knew the way, but honestly, the navigation app was more reliable than you.”

Many people on the platform turned to look at me.

I didn’t care about embarrassing myself.

“Liang Yan, I remember you.”

“Come back.”

For one instant, the water holding him in the bus slackened.

My future self seized the chance and shoved Liang Yan outward.

He stumbled and fell off the bus.

I rushed over to catch him, and the two of us crashed onto the wet ground together.

He landed on top of me, so heavy I could barely breathe.

The first thing I said was, “You’re so heavy.”

He froze for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

And as he laughed, tears fell.

I saw that my future self was still on the bus.

The doors began to close.

I scrambled up, wanting to run over.

But she shook her head.

Behind her, the passengers got off one after another.

They walked toward their families on the platform, their bodies slowly fading in the rain.

Some hugged their mothers.

Some touched their children’s heads.

Some simply stood before their loved ones and said an “I’m back” that was twenty years late.

In the end, only Liang Jianzhang and my future self remained on the bus.

Liang Jianzhang knelt beside the driver’s seat, as if all his strength had finally left him.

My future self walked to the door.

She looked at my mom.

“Mom.”

My mom covered her mouth.

“Yes.”

Tears fell from my future self’s eyes, but she smiled and said, “In the future, don’t always peel shrimp for her. She’ll get lazy.”

My mom nodded through her tears.

“Okay.”

Then she looked at me.

“Xu Zhixia.”

My voice caught in my throat. “What?”

“Don’t be afraid of growing old.”

I froze.

She said, “And don’t be afraid of being separated from the person you love.”

“Just remember.”

The doors closed little by little.

I shouted, “Then what about you?”

She smiled.

“I’ve been remembered too.”

The next second, the bus lights went out.

The entire bus was like an old painting washed away by rain, slowly scattering before the Jiugang Platform.

After the fog dispersed, only an old work badge remained on the ground.

On it was a photo of my future self.

Name: Xu Zhixia.

Identity: Echo Station Volunteer.

There was a line of words on the back.

[Thank you for not getting on the bus.]