Su Zhimeng has always been a very independent woman.
She rarely makes demands of her parents.
She dislikes troubling her parents, or rather, in some ways she feels like a burden to them.
Her father and mother divorced when she was young.
The father left with nothing, and the mother was later given custody of the child.
She used to not understand how her parents' relationship had broken down.
As she grew older, she realized that nothing can be forced. The affection her parents had shown her was just an act for her.
My mother remarried soon after the divorce.
Her stepfather was a gentle and kind man who treated her like his own daughter, and she thought she could accept it.
But she could never let go of her biological father.
Her father would visit her often, and her mother never stopped her, nor did her stepfather.
Her father still loved her very much, and every time he saw her, he would bring her something she liked.
The mother's love was divided in two due to the rebuilding of the new family and the arrival of her younger sister.
She knew her mother still loved her, but she always felt a little awkward about that love.
Today is her birthday, and her father invited her out for dinner. As always, her father was gentle and caring about her every little thing.
Her habits and way of dealing with people were also learned from her father.
From a young age, she hoped to become a person like her father—knowledgeable, kind, and gentle.
Her father hesitated before saying goodbye.
She asked her father why.
Her father remained silent for a moment, then finally confessed to her:
"Mengmeng, Dad is planning to remarry. It's to a woman he used to be friends with."
Su Zhimeng paused for a moment, then smiled broadly and said:
"Dad, congratulations!"
The father expected his daughter to object, but she didn't: "Don't you care?"
Su Zhimeng's smile was as bright as the stars: "Dad, I know you've always chosen not to remarry because of me. Now that you've come to your senses, I'm naturally happy for you."
The father believed it to be true and happily married her, his second wife.
The father remarried a divorced woman with a child.
Su Zhimeng silently wished her father well.
This was her father's promise to her: "Mengmeng, even though Dad is remarrying, Dad will still love you and won't neglect you just because he has a new family."
She naturally believed her father's words; in her eyes, he was the most trustworthy person.
But I felt empty inside.
The love that originally belonged exclusively to the father seems to be divided up again!
She repeatedly tried to persuade herself to let go of the past.
My mood, however, was like a swinging clock, impossible to calm.
She felt that the world had become somewhat gloomy, even though she used to have loving parents.
But both her parents were starting their own families, and she felt out of place with them.
No matter how good her stepfather and mother were to her, she could never forget the conversation between her parents that night.
She felt like an outsider, a soulless being left with only a body in the mortal world.
It was a cold day, but she didn't forget that she still had to work.
When I arrived at the store, it was the same familiar junior from my school.
I bet I look terrible right now.
As she guessed, the junior's hesitation about whether to speak was written all over his face.
The younger student asked her why, and said that she should come to him if she had any difficulties.
Su Zhimeng just smiled and didn't want to bring her troubles to him.
She's a senior, how could she let her juniors worry!
After finishing her work, she walked her usual route home.
She had never felt the sky was so dark, or the surroundings so cold.
She wandered aimlessly, somewhat reluctant to return to that home.
She knew her mother, stepfather, and sister would be waiting for her at home, waiting for her to blow out the birthday cake, but her thoughts were in turmoil.
The junior student rushed up to her, his face flushed and seemingly indescribable.
Finally, he took out a scarf and a small cake from behind his back.
"Happy birthday, senior."
For a moment, her mind went blank.
The hidden emotions of not wanting others to notice were suddenly released.
She could no longer suppress her grief; all she wanted to do was cry.
She uncontrollably threw herself into Bai Ye's arms.
...
Bai Ye's mind was blank; she hadn't expected her senior to react so strongly.
Could it be that the senior was touched? That can't be! She has so many suitors and receives countless gifts; she wouldn't be this happy after receiving one, would she?
It's said online that women are made of water, and even the gentlest angelic senior can cry endlessly.
In addition, this is the evening rush hour, so there are still a lot of pedestrians coming and going.
Those who passed by undoubtedly looked at them with strange eyes.
Most people probably think Bai Ye is a scumbag who starts relationships and then abandons them, bullying girls and betraying their feelings.
Bai Ye felt both helpless and desperate. The girl in his arms looked so vulnerable; how could he bear to push her away?
He didn't know what his senior had gone through; all he knew was that at this moment, he was her only support.
Time passed, and Su Zhimeng seemed to have cried herself to sleep. Gradually, her sobs subsided, leaving only traces of moisture in the corners of her eyes.
She lost her composure, appearing so vulnerable in front of her junior. She was clearly a senior and should have set a good example, but instead she acted so weak.
Once she regained her senses, Su Zhimeng was filled with shame and embarrassment.
But... my junior's embrace felt so warm and reassuring.
She gently pushed Bai Ye away, her face flushed and filled with apology.
"I'm sorry, junior, I lost my composure."
Bai Ye wanted to scratch his head but realized he was holding things in both hands, so he could only awkwardly say, "It's okay, senior."
Su Zhimeng then asked in confusion, "Junior, how did you know it's my birthday today?"
Bai Ye didn't know how to answer, so she could only evade the question: "Haha, I have some inside information, I don't know if it's accurate. It's mainly to thank you for taking care of me, senior, so please accept it."
Su Zhimeng rubbed her hands behind her back, somewhat hesitant. During the day, many people gave her gifts, but she only accepted gifts from a few close friends and refused all the others.
She pursed her lips, her face flushed, and for a moment she didn't dare to look at him, remembering her earlier lapse in composure.
Seeing this, Bai Ye felt a little disappointed. Was this a rejection from her senior?
"Don't you like this scarf, senior?"
Su Zhimeng quickly shook her head. Her junior cared about her so much, and she was afraid of hurting him by not accepting his kindness: "No... but I wonder if this will cost you money."
Bai Ye shook her head: "No, senior, I'm working too, I don't need that."
Su Zhimeng ultimately accepted the gifts from Bai Ye, but made a small request:
"Junior, can you eat cake with me?"
Bai Ye was taken aback: "Of course."
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