Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Chapter 657: One day is like three autumns apart

The school anniversary ceremony ended with thunderous applause and cheers. Lin Bufan walked off the stage with high spirits, like a victorious general, his dazzling rainbow hair on his head. He even blew kisses to the audience, causing the students to scream again.

He had just walked to the side of the stage and had not had time to push Chen Nanxing's wheelchair when he saw Principal Kang with a dark face rushing towards him like an angry lion, grabbing his arm with astonishing strength.

"You little bastard! Come here!" Principal Kang almost gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words from between his teeth. Without saying a word, he dragged Lin Bufan to the lounge behind the podium.

"Hey, hey, hey! Old Kangtou! Be gentle! Mind your image! So many leaders and students are watching us!" Lin Bufan was dragged away with a grin on his face, and he didn't forget to turn around and shout to Chen Nanxing and Professor Wang, "Please take care of my friend! I'll be back soon!"

Professor Wang and Professor Li looked at each other, and both saw the signal that "something bad was going to happen" in each other's eyes, so they quickly trotted over to catch up.

Principal Kang slammed the door of the lounge shut, blocking out the noise outside.

"Lin Bufan!" Principal Kang turned around abruptly, his chest heaving violently. He pointed at Lin Bufan's nose, his saliva nearly spraying into his face. "You! What kind of nonsense were you spouting on stage just now?!"

Lin Bufan shrank back at the yelling, but he refused to give in. "How could I be talking nonsense? Every word I said came straight from my heart! Didn't you see how enthusiastic the audience's reaction was? The applause was practically blowing the roof off!"

"Enthusiastic? That's what you bought with your red envelopes!" Principal Kang was so angry that his hands were shaking. "Let me ask you! Where's the manuscript I gave you? Where's the manuscript I spent half the night writing for you word by word?! Why didn't you read it according to the manuscript?! Huh?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan immediately revealed a look of disgust. He pulled out the crumpled A4 paper from his back pocket and flicked it with his fingers: "That's it? Old Kangtou, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but your manuscript is... too... too that!"

"Too much of what?!" Principal Kang's eyes were as big as copper bells.

"Too official! Too old-fashioned! Too soulless!" Lin Bufan counted on his fingers, "The whole thing is full of 'warm spring breeze', 'glorious years', 'hardships endured'... what era are these lyrics from? It gives me goosebumps! The people sitting here are my junior students who are into art. Who are you trying to fool with this 1980s-era tone? I have to be responsible for them!"

"You're responsible?! You're not responsible at all!" Principal Kang nearly lost his breath. He snatched the manuscript paper and shook it loudly. "That's what being responsible is! Rigorous! Appropriate! Suitable for the occasion! Look at you! What did you say on stage? Huh? You were bragging without even thinking! What about being the best in your major? What about you accurately predicting the topic for Professor Li's class? Don't you know how you passed 'Art Theory Critique' that year?! Professor Li! Tell him! What score did he get?!"

Professor Li shuddered at being suddenly called out. He pushed his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at the furious principal and the indifferent Lin Bufan with an embarrassed look on his face. He stammered, "This...Principal...it's a thing of the past...let's...let's not mention it..."

"And more!" Principal Kang ignored him and continued to roar, "You dare let them use you as a role model?! Lin Bufan! Check your conscience! What did you do in school back then besides causing trouble, angering teachers, and making some ridiculous inventions? You skipped classes, failed courses, and almost got expelled because of a lab explosion! You're being used as a role model? Are you trying to lead them all astray and into a hellhole?!"

"Oh my! Old Kangtou, I don't like what you said!" Lin Bufan also raised his voice, with his hands on his hips: "Why can't I be a role model? I'm successful in my career now, right? I donated to the school, right? Two hundred million! Real money! I encourage them to innovate, dare to think and act, is there anything wrong with that? Are they all going to become old-fashioned like what you wrote in your manuscript?

Besides, Old Kang, I advise you to respect me a little. You know, the money hasn't arrived yet!"

Principal Kang was so angry that his face turned pale and his whole body was shaking. He pointed at Lin Bufan's nose and roared, "You little bastard! You... you dare to threaten me?! Two hundred million is so great?!"

Lin Bufan blinked and spread his hands innocently: "Old Kangtou, tell me honestly, two hundred million, isn't it amazing?"

Principal Kang was almost choked by these words. His beard was sticking up high, and his finger was trembling as he pointed at Lin Bufan. He couldn't utter a word for a long time. He turned his head abruptly and looked at Professor Li beside him, his eyes filled with pleading, "Speak up for justice!"

Professor Li pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his face serious, and nodded solemnly: "President, objectively speaking, two hundred million...it is indeed remarkable."

Principal Kang's eyes widened instantly, and he turned to Professor Wang on the other side in disbelief.

Professor Wang coughed quickly, avoiding President Kang's fiery gaze, and muttered softly, "Old Kang...we have to be reasonable...to be able to donate 200 million...that's even more remarkable..."

"You...you guys..." Principal Kang looked at the two people who had "rebelled" on his left and right. He was so angry that he almost fell backwards. He held his chest for a long time to calm down. It seemed that he finally found an impeccable point to exert force. He slapped his thigh suddenly, and his voice changed with anger:

"Good! Good! Good! Two hundred million is amazing! Donating two hundred million is even more amazing! I won't bother with you about all this for now!" Principal Kang was panting, his finger almost poking Lin Bufan's nose: "Let me ask you! You spoke so much on the stage! You talked about everything from heaven to earth, from ancient times to the present, you gave out red envelopes and boasted about cows! Why, from beginning to end, didn't you even say a word of thanks to the school or to me?! Huh?! You ungrateful little bastard! Where's your conscience?! Did a dog eat it?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan's eyes widened immediately, revealing an expression even more shocked and aggrieved than Principal Kang's. His voice rose eight octaves, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Old Kang, please stop slandering me! Am I, Lin Bufan, the kind of person who would be ungrateful?"

Principal Kang was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, his finger almost poking Lin Bufan's nose: "What's the matter? You look like you think I wronged you?!"

Although Lin Bufan didn't say anything, his wide eyes were filled with grievance and unwillingness as if to say "Isn't it?" His head was slightly raised, and his colorful hair revealed a sense of stubbornness.

"Okay, okay! You don't believe me, right?" Principal Kang turned his head sharply and looked at the two "witnesses" beside him: "Professor Wang! Professor Li! Both of you testify for me! Didn't this kid just say a word of thanks to the school or the teachers on the stage?!"

Professor Wang pushed up his glasses, avoiding Lin Bufan's threatening gaze, and said in a low but clear voice: "Bufan... well... the principal is right, you really... didn't mention it."

Professor Li quickly nodded in agreement, his tone a bit helpless: "Yes, Xiaolin, from the moment you came on stage to the moment you left, you thanked heaven, earth, and your fellow students, but... um... you forgot to thank the one you should have the most."

Lin Bufan's expression instantly changed from "discontented" to "unbelievable." He muttered to himself, "Impossible... How could I not be grateful? Even if I don't thank Old Kangtou specifically... I would definitely thank the school... This doesn't fit with my character of repaying even a drop of kindness with a spring of water..."

Upon hearing this, Principal Kang flew into a rage, his voice rising sharply: "You little bastard! What did you just say? I worked so hard to train you..."

Seeing that Principal Kang was about to lose his temper again, Lin Bufan immediately changed his attitude, clasped his hands together, and sincerely admitted his mistake, but he still looked a little bit like he wanted a beating: "I was wrong, I was wrong! Old Kang, no... it should be Principal Kang. Every mistake is my fault! I wasn't... I was so excited to see my alma mater and so enthusiastic to see my junior classmates that I accidentally forgot the most important thanks. Please be magnanimous and don't be angry with me!"

"Well, Principal Kang, don't worry. I will definitely make up for this thank you! And I will make it a big one! When I get back, I will immediately post a special statement online—yes, on Douyin—to express my sincere, heartfelt gratitude for your hard work and selfless care for me! I promise it will be sincere and touching, so that the entire internet can see your greatness, Principal Kang, and my gratitude!"

Then, without waiting for Principal Kang to say anything else, Lin Bufan glanced at his phone and suddenly shouted, "Oh no! Oh no! I almost forgot, I have a very important cross-border video conference to attend. It involves a multi-million dollar project! Mr. Kang, Aunt Wang, Aunt Li, I'm leaving first! Let's talk later!"

As he said this, he turned around and was about to run away, his steps were very fast.

After taking a few steps, Lin Bufan seemed to suddenly remember something. He stopped abruptly, turned around, and shouted to Principal Kang, who was still trying to figure out what was going on and hadn't fully reacted, "Oh, right, Mr. Kang! I almost forgot something! In a few days, next Wednesday, my company will be promoting a new movie, and our school will be the first stop! Remember to arrange a venue for me in advance and make it grand! Red carpet, flowers, enthusiastic junior and senior students... nothing can be missing! You have to show off! This is a great opportunity to honor our alma mater, our principal!"

After shouting, without waiting for Principal Kang to explode, Lin Bufan immediately put the oil on his feet, pushed Chen Nanxing's wheelchair, and ran towards the school gate. His speed was comparable to a 100-meter sprint. His colorful hair bounced up and down as he ran, which was particularly eye-catching.

Principal Kang watched Lin Bufan's rapidly receding figure, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air. A breath caught in his chest. After a long moment, he stomped his feet and roared towards the deserted area, "Lin Bufan! You bastard! You're ordering me around again! And you dare to run! Just wait for me!!!"

Professor Wang and Professor Li, trying to suppress their laughter, quickly stepped forward, one on each side, to offer comfort: "Calm down, Principal, calm down... After all, the donation is real... Film promotion is also a good thing... Prestige... Our school still has some prestige..."

……

Lin Bufan pushed Chen Nanxing, the wheelchair almost sending sparks flying as he whizzed through the crowd of people leaving the venue. His colorful hair left a dazzling rainbow trail in the setting sun.

"What do you think? Wasn't my speech today awesome?" Lin Bufan shook his head proudly, and a few strands of colorful hair almost brushed Chen Nanxing's face.

Chen Nanxing smiled weakly, but his voice was stronger than that of the morning: "Handsome...but Principal Kang's face...doesn't look very handsome..."

"Oh! Old Kangtou is really touched! He's just like that, his face gets red and his neck gets thick when he gets excited. You'll get used to it!" Lin Bufan waved his hand nonchalantly and pushed the wheelchair into a secluded path: "Come on, I'll take you to a good place. It's much more interesting than listening to those old men chanting!"

Lin Bufan didn't head back to the hospital. Instead, he wandered off into an alleyway in the old city. The evening breeze carried the aroma of cooking smoke, and Chen Nanxing curiously gazed at the quaint courtyard gatehouses and pomegranate trees jutting out from the walls on either side.

Finally, the wheelchair stopped in front of a humble shop with a shabby lantern hanging on it. An enticing sweet aroma wafted from the shop.

"Grandpa Zhao, the same old rules, double sugar and extra red beans!" Lin Bufan shouted inside with familiarity.

A spirited old man with white hair poked his head out from the inner room. Seeing Lin Bufan's hair, he scolded with a smile, "Hey! Isn't this our Lin boy? Do you think you'll lose a few teeth this time?" After his eyes fell on Chen Nanxing in the wheelchair, the old man paused and smiled a little softer: "Wait, it will be ready soon."

Soon, two steaming bowls of almond tofu, piled high with ingredients, were handed out. The tofu, as white as jade, trembled, doused with glistening candied osmanthus and covered with candied red beans.

"Try it. Grandpa Zhao's ancestral cooking is a thousand times better than the nutritious meals in the hospital!" Lin Bufan stuffed a bowl with a small spoon into Chen Nanxing's hand, then he picked up the bowl and took a big sip of the sugar water, squinting his eyes in satisfaction.

Chen Nanxing scooped up a spoonful, which was sweet but not greasy. The fragrance of almonds and the rich aroma of osmanthus melted in her mouth, finally bringing some color to her pale face.

After dessert, Lin Bufan pushed Chen Nanxing to a nearby park. As the lights came on, he rented an electric boat and slowly drifted across the lake. The evening breeze blew across the water, bringing a slight chill. Chen Nanxing wrapped himself tightly in his blanket, watching the distant city lights reflected in the shimmering waters. He remained silent for a long time.

"Actually...after I got sick, I never thought I could be like this again..." Chen Nanxing suddenly whispered, his voice shattered in the waves: "It's like stolen time."

Lin Bufan rarely responded, but simply accompanied him quietly. It wasn't until night fell completely and the stars filled the lake that he turned the boat around and said, "Let's go. If we don't go back, someone will get angry."

……

At the hospital entrance, the streetlights lengthened Xu Hongdou's anxious figure. She paced back and forth, phone pressed to her ear, brow furrowed. She dialed the same number over and over, only to receive the constant, "The subscriber you dialed is currently unavailable."

When she looked up for the Nth time and finally saw the figure pushing the wheelchair and with colorful hair that was still eye-catching in the night staggering towards her, her heart suddenly dropped, and was immediately replaced by anger.

She almost rushed over.

Without giving Xu Hongdou a chance to speak, Lin Bufan rushed forward, hugged her tightly, and kissed her loudly on the cheek: "Rose! It feels like a long time since we last met. I miss you so much!"