the truth
Chapter 12: The Truth
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, news of a high school reunion spread like wildfire in the class group.
Bai Ke didn't want to attend, but Lin Xiaoyu called her three times in a row, begging her to come. In the end, she agreed.
The gathering was held in a private room at a restaurant near his alma mater. When Bai Ke arrived, the place was already filled with familiar faces. Everyone was chatting animatedly about their college lives, and the atmosphere was lively.
"Bai Ke! Here!" Lin Xiaoyu waved excitedly and saved a seat for her. Lin Xiaoyu was in the English department of A University. Although they didn't see each other often after they went to college, they were still good friends.
There was an empty seat in the box, and the classmate said it was reserved for Chen Yiyu.
"I heard Chen Yiyu is back too," a boy said, "Has anyone contacted him?"
Everyone shook their heads. Li Meng sat across from Bai Ke, his eyes briefly meeting hers before quickly looking away.
Halfway through the party, Bai Ke went to the bathroom and Lin Xiaoyu followed him out.
"I have something to tell you." Lin Xiaoyu's expression suddenly became serious, "It's about Chen Yiyu."
Bai Ke's heart skipped a beat.
The two came to the open-air balcony outside the restaurant, and the cold wind of the winter night made them shiver.
"My cousin and Chen Yiyu's cousin were college classmates," Lin Xiaoyu lowered her voice, "He told me something at the party the day before yesterday."
Bai Ke listened quietly, his hands clenched unconsciously.
"When Chen Yiyu suddenly transferred schools, it wasn't voluntary," Lin Xiaoyu said with pity. "His mother locked him up at home and forced him to ask the Qiu family to pay for his father's release. His father was diagnosed with terminal cancer while in detention and needed medical treatment."
Bai Ke gasped. She remembered Chen Yiyu saying that after his father's company went bankrupt, it was Qiu Luodi's family group that took over the business and hired his father as an executive. It turned out that things were far more complicated than that.
"For his father's sake, Chen Yiyu had no choice but to ask the Qiu family for help. The Qiu family agreed to help, but on the condition that..." Lin Xiaoyu paused, "Chen Yiyu must be with Qiu Luodi."
The cold winter wind blew against her face, but Bai Ke didn't feel the cold. Her heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by something, and the pain was so severe that she could hardly breathe.
"What happened next?" she asked softly.
"Although Chen Yiyu's father was released on medical parole, it was too late for him to recover, and he passed away not long after." Lin Xiaoyu's voice choked with emotion. "During that time, Chen Yiyu was completely devastated. In his senior year of high school, Qiu Luodi went to look for him, but he was in a car accident on the way. He was seriously injured and fell into a coma, and missed the college entrance examination."
Bai Ke remembered what Qiu Luodi once said - "I have done so much for your family, and you treat me like this?" It turned out that he was referring to this incident.
"The doctor said Qiu Luodi might not wake up, so Chen Yiyu stayed with her in the hospital for a whole month," Lin Xiaoyu continued. "She eventually woke up, but she was left with sequelae and had to go to the United States for treatment and to study abroad. Chen Yiyu has always felt guilty about her."
The truth hit Bai Ke like a huge rock, stirring up a thousand waves. She finally understood why Chen Yiyu was so hot and cold towards her, why he kept in touch with Qiu Luodi, and why he carried such a heavy burden.
"Chen Yiyu never tells anyone about these things." Lin Xiaoyu sighed softly, "My cousin also happened to hear Chen Yiyu's cousin mention it when he was drunk."
Back in the box, Bai Ke's mood was still unsettled for a long time. She looked at the seat that had always been empty, and she seemed to see Chen Yiyu sitting there alone.
By the time the party ended, it was already ten o'clock in the evening. The classmates said their goodbyes and agreed to meet again next year. Bai Ke walked home alone, Lin Xiaoyu's words echoing in his mind.
Passing by that familiar park, she paused involuntarily. The scene of the first snow that day was still vivid in her mind, and Chen Yiyu's unfinished words seemed to still echo in the air.
"Bai Ke."
A familiar voice sounded behind him. Bai Ke turned around and saw Chen Yiyu standing not far away. He was wearing a black coat with a scarf casually draped over his shoulders. He looked particularly thin under the light.
"I heard that you attended a class reunion today." He took a few steps closer and spoke in a low voice.
Bai Ke nodded, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"That day at the mall..." Chen Yiyu paused, "Qiu Luodi had just returned to China, and her family asked me to spend more time with her."
"Because of guilt?" Bai Ke asked softly.
Chen Yiyu paused, he looked at her deeply, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes.
"You know everything."
Not a question, but a statement.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Bai Ke's voice trembled. "Why would you rather let me misunderstand than explain?"
Chen Yiyu smiled bitterly: "Tell you? Ask you to accompany me to carry these heavy things?"
He looked up at the night sky. The stars were sparse and the moonlight was cold.
"Before my father passed away, the only thing he was worried about was me." Chen Yiyu's voice was as calm as if he was telling someone else's story. "He told me to be strong, to take good care of my mother, and to... repay the Qiu family's kindness."
Bai Ke looked at Chen Yiyu. She finally understood how that sunny and gentle boy had become silent and forbearing under the pressure of family misfortunes, his father's death, and the debts of gratitude.
"You sent me a message saying Happy New Year that day," Chen Yiyu suddenly changed the subject, "I really wanted to reply more, but..."
"But you don't know how to face me?" Bai Ke continued.
Chen Yiyu agreed.
The cold wind blew, lifting Bai Ke's long hair. She looked at the young man in front of her who had shouldered so much, and the resentment in her heart gradually dissipated, replaced by deep heartache.
"Chen Yiyu," she said softly, "Do you still remember the poem you shared in the literature club?"
"Rain Marks?"
Bai Ke nodded. "There's a line in there—'The rain washes away the windowpanes, and also washes away the traces of time.' But there are always some things that the rain can't wash away."
Chen Yiyu looked at her, and something in his eyes was slowly melting.
"I still have the umbrella you gave me." Bai Ke continued, "Just like that rainy day, I'll always remember it."
In the distance, the New Year's bells rang, and fireworks bloomed in the night sky. The bright light illuminated Chen Yiyu's face, and Bai Ke saw the tears glistening in his eyes.
"Bai Ke," he called her name softly, as if afraid of disturbing this dreamlike moment, "I..."
This time, no one interrupted him. However, he didn't finish his sentence.
But Bai Ke was no longer anxious. She knew that some feelings did not need to be expressed, and some wounds needed time to heal.
On this night of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, they stood where the first snow had fallen, gazing at the same starry sky. The many misunderstandings of the past gradually faded, but the road ahead was still long.
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