Cloud Girl Chapter Twenty-Five
Xu Xiaomeng traveled through mountains and rivers, only to unexpectedly encounter the life of such a person.
Although there were years when he went with the flow, he knew that her vision did not change with anyone, which is why he was deeply fascinated by the tranquility that he had never possessed.
He knew that she was like a wild grass that grew from the foot of the mountain, and then grew into a tall tree with sparse branches that stretched into the sky.
During this time, she endured countless hardships and the tearing and cracking of her skin to create her divine consciousness—precious, yet difficult to understand.
Just as she struggled to communicate normally and lived such a difficult life, she refused his invitation to face life together—a rejection of him, the only lifeline reaching out to her, in a way that was utterly incomprehensible.
There were a few moments when Xu Xiaomeng had an evil thought: he must hate her to death.
He used to live in that simple fishing village, where the warm sunlight comforted him every day, and he had a loving mother. Now he's in this cold, gloomy mountain valley, living a hard and earnest life every day, unremarkable but fulfilling...
Who would have thought that in the end, falling in love with someone like her would break his heart, and he would even begin to doubt everything he had done in his life, almost completely denying himself.
But isn't Chen Nanyi the same?
Xu Xiaomeng thought to herself, was it because of her family and the actions of certain people that she had to live such a presumptuous, devout, and humble life?
She probably has unspeakable pain in her heart, which is why she acts this way; otherwise, a normal person wouldn't need to be so calculating every day.
Living in such a family, although it might not be outwardly apparent, her future was perhaps already doomed because of that environment.
Everything is just an unsolvable problem in life.
Chen Nanyi's health deteriorated after she returned from her short-term self-cultivation trip.
After she had barely cleaned the house and made all the plans, she wanted Chen Yiwen to come back so that the three sisters could spend their last moments together.
Unexpectedly, a problem arose when she called Chen Yiwen to come back—Chen Yiwen said she couldn't get away for the time being and didn't plan to come back to find her first.
Since her internship at Lu's company and the subsequent argument, Chen Nanyi had become quite quiet. Adding to this, Chen Yiwen inadvertently brought up the matter of Chen Nanyi "tricking" her about medical expenses—"Hmph, you're not in a rush to go to the hospital! If it were true, would you be so nonchalant?"
Ever since that time when Chen Nanyi overheard Chen Yiwen talking about this on the phone, she became increasingly angry and communicated with her even less.
After hearing that Chen Yi couldn't make it back in time, Chen Nanyi had no desire to explain to her, nor did she care about spending the last moments together. She simply said that she would leave Chen Yijing at the stationmaster's house and ask her to pick her up later.
However, despite having made good plans, some trouble arose when taking Yi Jing to the stationmaster's house.
When Chen Nanyi lied and said she was going on a trip and wanted to leave Chen Yijing at her house, the station chief's expression wasn't good. He hesitated for a while, probably wanting to refuse.
Chen Nanyi knew in her heart that with the birth of her grandson, she probably wouldn't be able to take care of Chen Yijing anymore.
But she pretended not to know and didn't say anything. She just took out all the money she had and gave it to Chen Yijing—far more than the cost of Chen Yijing staying for a few days—and begged her again.
The station manager hesitated for a moment before putting it away, then smiled slightly, ushering Chen Nanyi into the living room and exchanging a few words of concern, telling her not to follow other girls' lead and lose weight, "You've become too thin now..."
Chen Nanyi forced a smile, waved her hand, glanced at Chen Yijing who was squatting in the corner by the door playing with her fingers, and turned away immediately, forcing back her tears.
On her first day lying in the hospital bed, Chen Nanyi didn't actually fall asleep.
The pale moonlight shone on her empty, open eyes, and tears from the corners of her eyes soaked her pillow.
After undergoing one last check-up and confirming that she indeed needed surgery but could not afford the exorbitant cost, she wrote a letter intending to send it to Xu Xiaomeng as a final memento.
I thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anything to write, so I just wrote the title and left it blank.
Instead, she left Chen Yiwen a string of origami cranes and instructions for Chen Yijing on how to live, such as not eating too much salt and not running too fast, down to the smallest detail.
Sitting under the bushes in the garden, Chen Nanyi planned to return to her ward later, then changed her clothes and left.
She could travel anywhere and disappear, she just didn't want to live under the sky where she once breathed so deeply.
After finally climbing the stairs, panting heavily, I was surprised to see Xu Xiaomeng's familiar figure in black, white and blue stripes pacing back and forth at the door of the ward.
Chen Nanyi had no choice but to step back and press herself against the corner wall. She felt a little flustered and confused, but she couldn't think straight. She just looked down and silently watched the crowds coming and going downstairs in the hospital building, her mind wandering aimlessly.
A moment later, a shadow suddenly fell across the narrow corridor.
Chen Nanyi looked up and suddenly realized that Xu Xiaomeng had walked up to her.
She looked at him quietly, as if it were the first time she had ever seen him.
Xu Xiaomeng stood in the shadows, her expression obscured, but her aura was no longer as sinister as when he last left her house.
Chen Nanyi took a step forward, and the sunlight immediately pierced her eyes. She closed her eyes and saw bright red blood flowing on her thin eyelids.
Suddenly, a thought popped into her head: Xu Xiaomeng is studying medicine, so maybe she should ask him for help. It's just a pity that she doesn't know if he will refuse her.
Probably not, but what I did was really foolish—I offended them and then wanted their help…
Before fainting, Chen Nanyi clutched her burning stomach, which was a result of her inability to eat, and thought to herself in silence.
Chen Nanyi, who had lost track of time, suddenly woke up to find Xu Xiaomeng holding her hand in her arms, fast asleep on the bed.
Her mind was still a little fuzzy, but she didn't want to have too much contact, so she quickly and slowly withdrew her hand—unexpectedly, this still woke him up.
Xu Xiaomeng rubbed her eyes, sat up straight, and then looked at Chen Nanyi.
His eyes no longer held the same clear, unwavering purity; instead, he appeared much more profound and reserved, exuding a different kind of mature charm.
He paused for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
After a while, he spoke solemnly, "I heard from the stationmaster that you left Yijing at her house for a trip. But when Grandma Yao came to the hospital yesterday, she said she saw someone who looked a lot like you—"
Xu Xiaomeng looked at Chen Nanyi, hoping she could be more compassionate and explain.
But Chen Nanyi remained unmoved.
So Xu Xiaomeng could only continue to lower her head and pull at the corner of the snow-white bed sheet, "...It's all my fault. I thought you were slacking off in your PE exam or dieting like other girls, which is why I was hot and cold towards you and kept misunderstanding you... And I'm a doctor, with such long arms, yet I never thought it was a congenital heart condition. I only remember you drying my hair."
Xu Xiaomeng lowered her head as she spoke, her voice becoming somber.
Chen Nanyi remained silent, not uttering a word, because she always felt that the person in front of her looked like Xu Xiaomeng, but she wasn't.
His thoughts still seemed well-intentioned; it was true that he would blame everything on himself, but it was rather strange for him to say such things all at once. So she remained motionless.
Xu Xiaomeng couldn't hold back any longer. He reached out, holding a crumpled piece of paper, and glared at her angrily.
Chen Nanyi always kept her things in good condition, so it took her a while to recognize that it was the letter she had written Xu Xiaomeng's name on.
Chen Nanyi narrowed her eyes, her anger at discovering her secret instantly overshadowing her shame. She looked at him coldly, snatched the paper, and was about to get out of bed and leave.
Xu Xiaomeng held her down as she struggled, disregarding the other patients in the ward, and pressed her down on the bed. She whispered in her ear, her warm breath carrying an undeniable pressure.
“I’m right here, you can just tell me! Or do you simply not want to live? You see your illness as a burden, so you decided to leave without even asking, which is not fair at all!”
Xu Xiaomeng's voice suppressed immense anger, yet she held back from lashing out. However, her next sentence revealed a sense of despondency and deathly stillness, as if it were the end of the world.
"How could you... how could you let me learn to love someone but not allow me to love you back, and then let your death tear my heart apart?"
Xu Xiaomeng lay on her body, tears streaming down her face, hugging Chen Nanyi tightly, only sobbing, "Do you really want to live your birthday like a death anniversary?"
Chen Nanyi was stunned by the sudden crying and didn't react for a moment.
Although she knew he was worried about her, she couldn't help but feel ashamed and indignant after hearing those words—like the feeling of complete insecurity of wearing white clothes, having her secrets exposed—especially when a patient next to her overheard and said impatiently, "Why would a little girl like you think of doing something like this?"
This made Chen Nanyi even more upset—she never liked being the center of attention, nor did she like being interfered with in any way.
She silently guarded her secret to preserve her dignity, but he made everything she had painstakingly done seem so ridiculous.
Even if she tells him, what can she do? What can he do?
She had absolutely no desire to live, or if she did, it was only a tiny bit, and even that tiny bit was only based on favorable circumstances.
Because her fragile heart was not strong enough, her body was also powerless to support the hopeless reconstruction of the ideal world in her heart.
So it just so happened that the alarm clock her mother had left in her heart rang, reminding her that it was time to go see her mother and leave this world—she couldn't think of a more satisfactory choice than accepting it.
And what else did he want her to do?
When Chen Nanyi woke up again, for some reason, there was a scar on her chest.
The doctor explained that Chen Yiwen, who rushed over, signed the surgical consent form for her and then said nothing else.
Chen Yiwen sat by the hospital bed, her eyes brimming with tears, blaming Chen Nanyi for not telling her about her illness. As for their previous agreement, they both seemed to have avoided it.
Chen Nanyi had called Chen Yiwen to ask her to come back because she originally planned for the three sisters to spend a few days together, but Chen Yiwen kept making excuses, so Chen Nanyi gave up on the idea.
But now, lying in the hospital bed, Chen Nanyi looked at the glamorous Chen Yiwen and couldn't help but feel sad. She thought to herself, if it weren't for the surgery, she probably wouldn't have been able to see her even for the last time.
Therefore, Chen Yiwen's words of concern saved face and served as an explanation for what had happened before. However, Chen Nanyi was too lazy to pay attention to her and simply said that she was tired before coldly closing her eyes to rest.
In fact, they are well aware of many things.
After Chen Yiwen sensed that Chen Nanyi's heart was no longer with her, she gradually distanced herself from her, only taking care of her in a perfunctory manner.
After staying there for less than two days, Chen Yiwen said he had to go back to a neighboring city to help Lu Bo develop a new project.
Chen Nanyi didn't react much and let her be.
Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, she left Chen Yijing a sum of money for living expenses, enough to last her for about a semester. Chen Nanyi naturally accepted it without a word.
However, Xu Xiaomeng, who had only been a "flash in the pan" before, also disappeared. Chen Nanyi, who had no one to take care of her, was in great inconvenience. She was unable to take care of many things on her own and was also thinking about other things, so she was quite listless.
But she was born not to bother others, and she would only ask someone to bring in some food when she was starving.
However, even on those rare occasions, she always felt awkward, as if she were confessing her loneliness and helplessness to others, so she was very resistant to it.
After Chen Nanyi finally recovered, she quickly picked up Chen Yijing from the stationmaster's house and settled her in.
After completing the six-month leave of absence procedures at the school.
Chen Nanyi then discovered that, both inside and outside the school, news was everywhere about Xu Xiaomeng's return to the Lu family and her upcoming engagement to Liu Shixi, the only daughter of Liu Yuge, who was also the CEO of a large corporation.
When Chen Nanyi first heard the news, she felt a slight pang of sadness and pain in her heart.
But she always viewed life with the worst eyes, and besides, it was she who rejected him in the first place—although this added a bit of resentment and disappointment, she managed to suppress it well in her heart.
The only change is that she, who used to dislike exercise, now tries her best to exercise to maintain her health because her body is in poor condition.
Small Theater
Liu Yuge took the final exam for the elective economics course Public Relations Theory, with Chen Nanyi accompanying her; the exam results were not included in the class grade.
Liu Yuge's public relations courses have always emphasized practical application. He would spontaneously create challenging problems of his own making, and Chen Nanyi was the first to take on the challenge.
Liu Yuge walked in from outside, looking quite wealthy, and said to Chen Nanyi, "Waiter, bring one of each of your best dishes."
According to Liu Yuge, the main test was yet to come. He planned to leave without saying anything, or perhaps keep track of the expenses. It would depend on Chen Nanyi's adaptability.
Unexpectedly, Chen Nanyi said calmly, "Excuse me, sir, our rule here is that you pay first and then we serve the food."
"Are you worried I don't have money?!" Liu Yuge's tone turned cold, as if she was addicted to this kind of cosplay.
“No. It’s just,” Chen Nanyi looked up at him, “that if you already have the money, then paying first is fine, isn’t it?”
Liu Yuge's eyes widened in anger, and her plan to avoid paying fell through.
Then, Liu Yuge, furious, waved her hand, and the next student came up to serve the dishes. The picky Liu Yuge seized the opportunity to give him a good scolding.
Then one after another, one after another, like the waters of the Yangtze River, flowing endlessly. Amidst the surging river, only Chen Nanyi, this little seedling, stood firm...
When asked why Chen Nanyi is so strong, she would definitely answer, "Just read the books! Otherwise, how could I have experienced so much if I stayed on the mountain every day?"
Xu Xiaomeng said earnestly, "I can testify that she attracted me with her eloquence and her scholarly, ascetic air."
Chen Nanyi, "What a load of rubbish..."
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