After slowly walking out of the somewhat dilapidated door of the small shop, Bai Ye lowered his head slightly, his right hand tightly gripping a pack of cigarettes he had just bought and a brand-new lighter.
The old lighter that had been with him for many years and was worn out, and the pack of cigarettes that he had just bought but which Xia Qingyue had ruthlessly confiscated and which he hadn't even had a chance to finish smoking, were no longer with him.
In fact, Bai Ye had long considered quitting smoking. However, a series of recent events caused a surge of sorrow in his heart that he could not resist.
Originally, he was thinking of finding a suitable opportunity to be honest with Luo Qingyan and make her completely give up her inappropriate feelings for him.
However, when Bai Ye saw Luo Qingyan's reaction at the time, he instantly understood that if he really said those words, this simple and kind girl in front of him would likely be greatly affected, and might even become despondent and have her life trajectory changed as a result.
Thinking of this, Bai Ye hesitated again and again, but in the end, he chose to bury these words deep in his heart, because he really couldn't bear to hurt such an innocent little girl.
He walked slowly to a secluded corner of the park and then stopped.
He skillfully pulled a cigarette from the pack and gently put it in his mouth.
Then, with his left hand, he picked up the new lighter. With a crisp "click," a flame quickly shot up. Bai Ye took a deep breath, brought the flame close to the cigarette butt, and with a faint red flash, the cigarette was finally lit.
Bai Ye stood there quietly, and began to exhale clouds of smoke.
Amidst the swirling smoke, his slightly tired face was faintly visible.
At this moment, it seemed that only the nicotine he inhaled could temporarily numb his sensitive and fragile nerves, allowing him to forget all his troubles and worries.
As we all know, smoking is extremely harmful to human health.
Even so, there are still countless smokers, and very few people are actually able to successfully quit smoking.
The reason for this is simply that when people face heavy life pressures, complex interpersonal relationships, and various unsolvable real-world problems, the worries and troubles accumulated deep in their hearts are too numerous and heavy.
Nicotine, a substance, can provide people with a temporary sense of comfort, helping them escape from those painful emotions.
Bai Ye sat leisurely on a park bench, a cigarette dangling from his lips. As the smoke curled upwards, he squinted, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
When he smokes, it seems that all his emotional problems are covered by the swirling smoke. At least for this moment, his weary heart can find some temporary comfort and no longer have to worry about those complicated emotional entanglements.
However, there has never been a clear answer as to how to handle his relationships with those girls.
Bai Ye, who was originally full of confidence and planned to tell them the truth, had her confidence crumble instantly after encountering Luo Qingyan.
He couldn't help but worry whether he would find himself in the same difficult situation when facing other girls.
Time passed by second by second, and before we knew it, it was almost noon.
The sunlight warmed him, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart. He glanced down at the cigarette pack in his hand; the cigarettes inside were dwindling, and in the blink of an eye, half of them were gone.
Bai Ye slowly stood up, carefully put the cigarette case and lighter into his pocket, and then gently patted his cheeks with both hands, trying to wake himself up from the brief numbness brought on by nicotine.
After all, life goes on, and running away is never the solution.
The clock struck 11, and Bai Ye realized it was time for her to go home.
There was someone at home waiting for him to cook, though it was a little embarrassing to say—the person waiting for him to come home and cook was none other than Sister Qingyue.
Of course, the saying that "a man with a family should learn to take care of his family" was just a joke. In reality, he simply didn't want to see Sister Qingyue going hungry.
Looking up at the residential area in the distance, I realized it was still quite a distance away. If I chose to walk back, I would definitely be late.
Without hesitation, Bai Ye walked to the shared electric scooter parked by the roadside, scanned the code to unlock it, straddled the seat, and sped off towards home.
The weather today is quite pleasant, not cold enough to require taking a taxi every day. This way, I can save money and enjoy the pleasant breeze.
In southern China, lunch is usually a staple food of noodles, and Xia Qingyue's hometown has the same dietary habits, with a particular fondness for noodles.
Therefore, Bai Ye decided to cook a delicious bowl of noodles for her himself.
Bai Ye rode his electric scooter to the entrance of the residential area and slowly came to a stop.
Just then, he suddenly realized a very serious problem—Sister Qingyue was extremely averse to the smell of smoke, but he had just smoked quite a few cigarettes, and the smell of smoke in his mouth must be very strong at this moment.
Thinking of this, Bai Ye didn't dare to delay at all and hurriedly walked into a small supermarket located at the entrance of the community.
After entering the supermarket, Bai Ye quickly selected and bought a box of chewing gum.
In the past, after each cigarette, he would habitually chew a piece of Wrigley's gum (￣～￣) because this would effectively reduce the smell of smoke in his mouth.
This time was no exception. He thought he would chew a piece of gum first, and then brush his teeth carefully when he got home, making sure to completely eliminate the lingering odor in his mouth.
After all, a girl's first time is often accompanied by pain, and she needs careful care and rest.
Therefore, Bai Ye deduced that Sister Qingyue was probably still lying in bed and had not yet gotten up.
So, Bai Ye carefully unlocked the door, then gently pushed it open. Like a sneaky mouse, he slowly peeked out, looking around to see if there were any signs that Qing Yue had woken up and gotten out of bed.
After confirming that he did not see Xia Qingyue, Bai Ye finally felt a little relieved.
He tiptoed into the room, a strange sense of guilt welling up inside him, as if he were a thief committing a crime.
Even though he hadn't done anything wrong, he was still so guilty.
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