Chapter 1 / Section 7: The Scars

In the instant the raindrops fell, he realized with a start that the beauty of the world did not seem to be closely connected to her. The tenderness she gave him had quietly transformed into a source of nightmares.

Haiyang suddenly appeared beside Jing Moran, whose distraught appearance was unforgettable and aroused suspicion. Jing Moran touched Haiyang, feeling a slight fear, while Haiyang held his hand tightly.

"Let me go, I need to go back, evening self-study is about to start," Jing Moran said urgently.

"Have you seen Xiong Yingguang? I've been looking for her all day and haven't found her." He asked with a hint of anxiety.

“I’ve never met her, you can’t pin your hopes of finding her on me,” Haiyang replied calmly.

However, Jing Mozhan dared not mention that he had just argued with Mu Xinghe and had left Xiong Yingguang with his father, allowing him to violate her. He had been too afraid to speak out, his heart weak and unable to bear the immense blow.

"Jing Moran, you already know that you and Xiong Yingguang can't be together, don't you?" Haiyang's voice carried a hint of inquiry.

Jing Mo Ran remained silent, his fists clenched, cold sweat pouring down his face. He couldn't sever his relationship with Xiong Ying Guang, yet he couldn't let go of his guilt towards her.

"Brother Haiyang, I'm sorry... I'm sorry to Xiong Yingguang." Jing Moran murmured softly, tears streaming down his face like a river, his emotions completely out of control.

He wanted to stop it all from happening, to restore her to her former self, but his cowardice became his Achilles' heel. In the end, he let go of his obsession with her. He had admired her life, but she was only a brother to him, with whom he shared no blood relation, nothing more.

"Don't cry, tell me what's wrong," Haiyang said anxiously, trying to comfort him.

“Brother Haiyang, Xiong Yingguang is no longer clean.” Jing Mozhan’s voice trembled.

"What? Say it again!" Ocean exclaimed incredulously.

"Xiong Yingguang was assaulted by my father." Jing Moran finally revealed the truth.

Haiyang stared wide-eyed, finding it hard to believe what he was hearing. Yet the truth was clear: although Jing Tongyu and Xiong Yingguang were not related by blood, such actions had caused Xiong Yingguang immense harm.

Jing Mo Ran tried to salvage their broken relationship, but only received the consequences of his own actions. He admitted he loved her deeply, but couldn't break through this taboo. Although they weren't related by blood, he could only watch her from afar.

"Jing Moran, do you know? Xiong Yingguang has always liked you, her non-blood-related brother. She rejected Lu Xiyao's pursuit and care for you. Why can't you turn back and satisfy her?" Haiyang tried to persuade her.

"But if I do that, people will look down on me, and it's immoral." Jing Mo Ran was filled with inner struggle.

"Don't forget, you're not related by blood. I know you saved Xiong Yingguang in that fire, so why don't you admit you like her too?" Haiyang's words carried a hint of encouragement.

Unrequited love ultimately only brings self-inflicted consequences. They are two monsters of the same kind, disliked and rejected by everyone. Being together will only bring them closer to death. He simply couldn't suppress his feelings for each other in the face of death.

"Ocean, can I really be with Xiong Yingguang?" Jing Mo Ran asked with her last glimmer of hope.

“You are not related by blood, so don’t be afraid of the world’s ridicule. You can be with her,” Haiyang answered firmly.

"But I can't do it!" Jing Moran said, then turned and ran. Haiyang reached out, but could no longer stop him. His resolute determination left Haiyang powerless to stop him.

Haiyang lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and the thick smoke seemed to conceal untold secrets. He wasn't a model student in the traditional sense, and he was at a loss when it came to matters of the heart. He had once loved someone, but that person was long gone.

He removed the cigarette from his lips, his profile still exuding a unique handsomeness in the setting sun.

He planted the seeds of suffering himself, and he nurtured them. Why was he so vicious, always enjoying tearing other people's families apart...?

"Come out now, you don't need to hide anymore, I know where you are." Haiyang's voice was deep and calm.

The figure slowly emerging from the alley behind was someone Haiyang didn't want to look at. Because those unforgettable memories would instantly overwhelm him, eroding every inch of his skin until he was reduced to rotting remnants.

"You still remember me," the figure said softly.

"Of course I remember. How could I forget that vixen-like stench you carried? Yan Xinhe, no, it should be Yan Xinyu now." Haiyang's tone was laced with sarcasm.

"Are you still blaming me?" Yan Xinhe asked.

"Blame? Miss Yan, what right do I have to blame you? You are indeed ruthless, wanting to replace your twin sister. Yan Xinhe, the person I love is no longer alive. Are you at peace now?" Haiyang's voice was filled with pain.

"Haiyang, I'm not back this time to relive old memories with you, just to catch up." Yan Xinhe, dressed in a pure white dress, looked exceptionally beautiful in the sunlight. She gazed intently at Haiyang, her eyes filled with reluctance to let go of the past.

"Go away. Didn't you harm people enough three years ago?" Haiyang said coldly.

"How much longer are you going to protect Xiong Yingguang? Your sister is already dead, why are you still not awake? Xiong Yingguang is not your sister, she is just a substitute, how much longer are you going to treat her as Haiyuan..." Yan Xinhe's words pierced the ocean like sharp blades.

The moment those words left his lips, the ocean's self-deception instantly transformed into pain, spreading along his nerves throughout his body.

He knew she was gone, but he longed to see her again, even if only as a substitute. He accepted this self-deception, for it offered a small measure of relief to his heartache.

The flowers bloomed, and he knew she would come, but his spring would never bring that promised day with her. He would buy her her favorite snail rice noodles and Lao You rice noodles. But every time he habitually bought two bowls, he found himself alone. She was long gone, and he could only ease his longing by seeing Xiong Yingguang; she had become her substitute.

"Why can't you be a little more sensible? Have you forgotten your sister?" Yan Xinhe questioned again.

“Yan Xinhe, shut up. I haven’t forgotten. I’ve never forgotten. I just don’t like the fact that I still have to dwell on memories of her when she’s around. You know, I miss her all the time. I used to…” Haiyang’s voice trailed off as his thoughts struggled between memories and reality, and a wave of heartache washed over him, uncontrollable.