Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 542: 461 Decision_1

"Is that so?"

Unexpectedly, the teacher didn't react with the anticipated anger.

Upon hearing Huai Shi's plans, there was confusion at first, then astonishment, and ultimately a very calm expression of understanding. There was none of the frustration with his lack of fighting spirit or rage about efforts gone to waste.

Instead, it was Huai Shi who was stunned.

"What's wrong, with that incredulous look on your face?" the teacher asked. "Although I think this decision is a bit abrupt and not very rational, I can also imagine how much courage it must have taken for you to come and talk to me about these things... I wouldn't get angry with you without even hearing you out."

"Teacher, I'm sorry," Huai Shi lowered his head.

"I am indeed a bit angry, but I can understand your thoughts."

Ai Ting picked up her teacup, took a sip, and after a long silence, she sighed softly. "Even if art possesses great allure, it is ultimately no match for things more tangible and heavier. Huai Shi, art floats in the clouds. However, there will always be those who cannot adapt to a drifting life and choose to be more grounded in reality instead.

"From your words, I can feel your thoughts and determination. After all, you are the one who has invested the most effort over these years. Even if I get angry now, it is you who will have to face this pain.

"You've made your choice, and though as your teacher I feel helpless, I can only approve."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "But as your elder, I have to ask one more time—Huai Shi, have you really thought this through?

"Giving up the cello.

"Giving up the devotion from childhood until now, a bright future, and a path destined for brilliance, to choose another field you don't understand.

"Even without a thought as to where it might lead you.

"The future is uncertain.

"Facing the world alone.

"Have you really thought this through?"

"I haven't thought it through completely, but I've decided I want to make this choice," Huai Shi nodded seriously.

Ai Ting asked again, "Is there no room for change?"

"Honestly, I think I'll most likely regret it in the future," Huai Shi sighed. "But if I were to play the cello for a lifetime, I think I would definitely regret that too, wouldn't I? Teacher, I find it difficult to walk either path with a clear conscience. If it were before, knowing I could walk into Vienna, into the Golden Hall with pride, I would've been overjoyed even in my dreams.

"But now, for some reason... I dream of other things, some... things unrelated to the cello."

After a long silence, the young man looked up, staring at the teacher in front of him. "Upon waking, I ask myself why I don't feel satisfied, but I can't find the answer myself.

"If you think it's just a flight of fancy, just some silly thoughts, then I'll toss aside these silly thoughts and never think about those messy things again in my life.

"If you think there's even a little bit of reason to my decision, my heart will be much more at ease."

Ai Ting fell silent, saying no more.

After a while, she slowly shook her head. "As your teacher, I don't know how to answer your question, Huai Shi. You know, aside from some achievements in music, I am good for nothing else; I have no advice to give you. You have to decide for yourself."

"Then... as a mother, Teacher?"

After a long silence, Huai Shi suddenly looked up, locking eyes with the woman before him. "In my heart, I've always regarded you as my mother... I know it's shameless to say so, but other than you, I don't know who else to turn to for advice."

Ai Ting was stunned. She watched the young man before her in a daze until he lowered his head in defeat, at which point she couldn't help but laugh.

She couldn't help reaching out and pinching his cheek. "After all these years, Huai Shi, I never imagined that one day I'd hear you call me that... Truth be told, it makes me both happy and sad."

She felt gratified by the young man's reverence, yet helpless in the face of his rebellion.

"As your teacher, I can't give you an answer; if I were your mother, I still couldn't answer this question." Ai Ting slowly shook her head, yet she couldn't help but hug Huai Shi tightly. "But as a mother, how could I not support my child's decision?"

She said, "No matter what decision you make, I will bless you, Huai Shi—even though we're not related by blood, you have long been a part of my family, no different from Little Qing."

In astonishment, Huai Shi closed his eyes and gently hugged her back.

He couldn't help but want to cry.

"Thank you," he said, rubbing his eyes.

Huai Shi had made his decision.

「...」

In the end, it was not the teacher who was the angriest, but Ai Qing, Huai Shi's older schoolmate.

After Huai Shi told her that he had decided to give up the cello, she stopped talking to Huai Shi, treating him as if he didn't exist whenever they met in the morning or evening.

Regarding this, the teacher felt helpless and said it was Huai Shi's own burden to bear.

The school teachers also found it incomprehensible. This was especially true when Huai Shi, despite having a bright future already mapped out for him, suddenly dropped the cello in the second half of his senior year to catch up on academic subjects.

Frankly, they looked at the boy as if he were an idiot.

What was he thinking?

Huai Shi himself didn't know what the hell he was thinking.

But what's done is done... Well, it wasn't quite done, but he had no intention of turning back now.

Enduring a headache, he opened the academic textbooks he had been neglecting for so long.

He braced himself to face the mountain of books and sea of questions.

It was a half-year sprint, and the days were incredibly full.

As expected, he didn't perform too well on the exams.

He barely made the cut for a second-tier university.

A far cry from the original outcome.

On the day the results came out, Huai Shi wasn't too surprised. Fu Yi, on the other hand, felt it was a shame for him.

"If you had just stuck to playing the cello, you would be in Vienna by now." In the milk tea shop, the Teenage Girl, enjoying the air conditioning, couldn't help but shake her head in resignation. "So, do you regret it now?"

"Why do I feel like you're more upset about this than I am?" Huai Shi sipped on his milk tea and looked up at her. "Wait, why do I sense that you're actually quite schadenfreudic about this?"

"I am your good brother, how could you think that of me?" Fu Yi widened her eyes at him, a look of feigned tragedy on her face, but when her large eyes blinked, she looked so cute it was hard to suspect her of any dark thoughts.

She started to play cute again, trying to bluff her way through.

"Forget it," Huai Shi shook his head and sighed.

"But honestly, I think it's good that you're not going to Vienna," Fu Yi said softly. "It's so far away, and you're still so young. What if you get caught in a crackdown in the red-light district? You wouldn't have a good brother to bail you out, would you?"

"The red-light districts there are legitimate industries, thank you very much!" Huai Shi rolled his eyes, then realized he'd fallen into her trap again. "When did I ever say I was going to the red-light district?"

"I'm just worried about you," Fu Yi chuckled and changed the subject. "Where do you plan to apply?"

"With this score... maybe I'll stay in Jinling. How about Jinling University of Technology?"

"What major?"

"I've thought about it. Metallurgy. How's that?" Huai Shi said.

Fu Yi was stunned for a moment, unable to comprehend. "From cello to metallurgy, isn't that a bit of a leap? What's going on in your head?"

"Nothing much. I just didn't know what to apply for, so I went with something that interests me."

"Okay then..." Fu Yi made a long, drawn-out sound and then fell silent.

But just before parting, she suddenly gave him a gentle hug.

She had plans arranged by her family, whereas Huai Shi was heading off to Jinling, and they were uncertain when they might see each other again. She couldn't help feeling melancholic.

Huai Shi didn't think much of it. After seeing her off under the stern gaze of Assistant Director Fu, he turned and went home.

The days that followed were uneventful.

Submitting his university preferences, waiting for the notice, then starting the subsequent preparations.

Before long, Ai Qing set off for Vienna.

However, her teacher stayed behind, making a special trip to take Huai Shi to the university in Jinling. This only deepened Ai Qing's resentment towards Huai Shi. After fulfilling all the responsibilities of a guardian, Ai Ting even forcibly left Huai Shi with fifty thousand yuan.

Ai Ting smiled at him. "You've already called me 'Mother,' so why shouldn't I give you some money? If you don't want it, then I won't give you any more in the future. It's up to you how you want to make money, but just keep this amount."

After that, without giving Huai Shi a chance to refuse, she drove away.

This left Huai Shi standing alone at the university entrance, gazing after his departing elder with mixed emotions. He'd wanted to say something several times, but ultimately couldn't catch up and lost the chance.

There wasn't much left to say anyway.

She had done her best to send Huai Shi on the path he chose.

Now it was time for him to face his university life.

This was the path he had chosen himself.

There was no room for regret.

So, he had to muster his courage.

He took a deep breath, turned, and walked onto the campus, ready to embrace the rest of his life.

Then he saw the person leaning against the flowerbed, smoking.

"This is what's good about university; no one cares if you're a model student anymore." The girl named Fu Yi sat on top of her suitcase, sizing up his astonished expression. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You... you..." Huai Shi was at a loss for words.

"Truth be told, I didn't do so well on my exams either," Fu Yi tilted her head and grinned. "I choked... I only managed to fall to the level where I can keep you company."

Huai Shi was stunned for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Fine then. You are my good brother, after all."

"Use a different word." Fu Yi waved her hand and raised her eyebrows. "I'm not too fond of that term anymore."

Not too far away, in the hall where freshmen were paying fees, Assistant Director Fu stuck his head out angrily, glaring ferociously at the entrance at this little vixen who had lured his daughter away.

And so, amidst awkward laughter, Huai Shi could only look up at the sky innocently, praying he wouldn't be struck down on the spot.

「...」