Chapter 26

The pattering rain slid down the iron bars of the visiting room window, leaving winding streaks on the glass. Li Muxue sat on the cold plastic chair, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, waiting quietly.

When Xu Chen walked in wearing an orange vest and light blue prison uniform, Li Muxue almost didn't recognize him. In just two months, the Xu Chen who had once fought tooth and nail to protect her had become the thin, listless man with short hair before her. He walked with a slight hunch, as if weighed down by something heavy.

They stared at each other through the thick glass, the air seeming to freeze for a few seconds. Xu Chen forced a smile and picked up the intercom. Faint bruises still lingered on his knuckles. Li Muxue's lips trembled, a thousand words stuck in her throat, finally managing to squeeze out only, "Brother Chen, why were you so impulsive?!"

"Why haven't you gone to university to register yet?" This was Xu Chen's first question.

Li Muxue's tears finally broke free. Even at a time like this, he was still concerned about her.

"I went, it went smoothly. I took the day off to come back because I wanted to see you. I'm doing well, but what about your dream of going to university? What about your life? Was it worth it?!"

Xu Chen looked at her calmly, his eyes holding something Li Muxue couldn't decipher. It wasn't regret, nor sadness, but an expression of near-relief: "Muxue, I can retake the exam, I can go to university again. But if I hadn't acted that night, I would have truly regretted it for the rest of my life."

Memories flooded Li Muxue's mind like a tide. It was a July night in the height of summer, right after the college entrance exams, the air filled with the fragrance of freedom and ease. Xu Chen and Li Muxue walked side by side on their way home, discussing their upcoming university life. Xu Chen had already received an acceptance letter from a prestigious university, while Li Muxue had been accepted into the foreign language college in the coastal city, majoring in French. The future unfolded before them like a magnificent painting.

As they passed the food street, a man emerged from a roadside stall and blocked their path—Zeng Yan, a notorious scoundrel in the workers' village, a good-for-nothing who idled away his days without studying, having dropped out of junior high and spending his time on the streets. He used his silver tongue and smooth talk to prey on young women. He had been harassing Li Muxue for quite some time. That night, he had drunk quite a bit and tried to grope Li Muxue. Xu Chen instinctively shielded Li Muxue behind him, yielding once, twice. Until Zeng Yan extended his hot, sticky, sweat-soaked, dirty hand. He gestured across Li Muxue's face, about to touch her snow-white skin, and uttered those insulting words…

What happened after that was a blur for Li Muxue. She only remembered that Xu Chen, like an enraged lion, roared and charged forward... In the chaos, the sound of shattering bottles, Zeng Yan's painful groans, and her own heart-wrenching screams mingled together... When she came to her senses, Zeng Yan was already lying in a pool of blood, and Xu Chen's hands were also covered in blood.

Excessive self-defense resulting in serious injury—the court's final verdict. Zeng Yan suffered a fractured skull and brain damage, rendering him intellectually disabled. This was caused by Xu Chen hitting him with a beer bottle. Xu Chen himself paid the price with a year in prison and his entire future.

Visiting time ended quickly, and Li Muxue placed her palm on the glass, as if she could touch Xu Chen on the other side.

"I will wait for you. No matter what others say, I will wait for you earnestly. When you come out, I will help you repeat a year and help you retake the exam!"

Xu Chen finally raised her head, her eyes sparkling with that familiar light once again.

"Muxue, I don't regret it. But if I could do it all over again, I would have handled it more rationally... and wouldn't have let you get hurt..."

The rain had stopped when Li Muxue left the detention center. Gazing at the rainbow appearing on the horizon, she suddenly understood the price of love. It wasn't romantic vows or moonlit walks, but the courage to still believe in the light in the darkest of times…

The cicadas' chirping gradually faded as summer drew to a close, and autumn quietly arrived. Leaves began to turn yellow and drifted down in the wind. Through the familiar window of Xu Chen's house, the figure hunched over his studies was no longer there; only Xu Zhenguo's sighs and Luo Mei's tirade could be heard…

(To be continued)