Unremovable scars
The chill once entwined Li Mengyao's heart like vines, and she once thought that her parents' love had vanished in the wind.
Since life is about to end, why not break free from constraints and do those things that are buried deep in our hearts but that we have never dared to try before?
However, when the frenzied tide receded, leaving only the cold mudflats, she looked down and realized with shock that what she had done was nothing but absurdity that could not be called "human affairs".
Her disappearance from home shattered her parents' world; they were frantic, like ants on a hot plate, and desperately begged the neighbors to help them search.
A kind old woman finally found her on the street corner and quickly helped her up from the cold ground, her voice full of worry: "Child, go home quickly, your parents are going crazy with worry!"
Li Mengyao was taken home.
The sound of the door lock turning had barely been heard when her parents rushed in like a whirlwind, trembling with relief, and pulled her tightly into their arms.
The mother's cheeks were already soaked with tears, and she choked out, "You scared us to death..." The father also took off his usual stern armor and held his daughter tightly in his arms, his arms a guardian that had been lost and found again.
The younger brother walked over quietly, carefully presented her with a birthday cake with candles on it, and whispered, "Happy birthday, sister."
"Birthday?" Li Mengyao repeated blankly, and then, belated memories flooded her mind like a tide.
Scalding tears burst forth unexpectedly, flowing freely. She realized she had never been abandoned; that deep love had always surrounded her, never leaving her.
However, the shadow of terminal illness and the overwhelming resentment towards the injustice of fate blinded her and dimmed the selfless brilliance of her parents.
After that birthday, her parents took her and her younger brother on a short trip.
Surrounded by unfamiliar scenery and her family, she was happier than ever before, finally letting go of her anxieties and experiencing for the first time the hidden beauty of the world.
Meanwhile, another scene on campus was equally eye-catching.
Whenever the bell rang, Wan Xiaoyi would be like a startled deer, the first to rush out of the classroom, her figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor, and no one knew where she was going.
"Why do you always run away? Is something important?" Qi Xu couldn't help but ask, pulling Wan Xiaoyi back as she was about to escape again.
"Nothing, I just felt the classroom was too stuffy." Wan Xiaoyi hurriedly gave her answer, quickly broke free, and disappeared out the door again.
Xu Sheng came looking for her several times, but the outcome was always the same—she would escape quickly, leaving him without even a trace.
For a whole week, he didn't even have a chance to explain.
Whenever Wan Xiaoyi left her seat, it became an opportunity for Hao Nan to get closer to Qi Xu.
He would naturally sit in that empty seat, either chatting casually or asking for help with his studies.
Qi Xu showed no annoyance; on the contrary, he always responded patiently. In this seemingly ordinary exchange, the flame of hope in Hao Nan's heart was quietly rekindled.
The faint scar on his cheek hadn't fully healed yet. Qi Xu silently took a band-aid from the drawer and handed it to him.
"Why didn't you talk to me that night?" Hao Nan took the band-aid but didn't put it on immediately. He just held it in his palm, paused for a moment, and lowered his voice, "Will you... blame me?"
Qi Xu looked away: "I have no right to demand that everyone respond to me. I was just asking, so you don't need to feel guilty."
She didn't want to delve into what happened that night or that noon. The emotions she had finally managed to calm down were now returning with a bittersweet feeling.
His gaze quietly fell on her earlobe. It had scabbed over and was healing well.
He remembered the pair of silver butterfly earrings he hadn't yet given away in his pocket and asked softly, "Will you... get your ears pierced again in the future?"
"I really want to," she said, subconsciously reaching out to touch her earlobe. She pinched it lightly with her fingertips, wincing in pain. "But I'll have to wait until it's completely healed."
Do you still have the medicine?
"Hmm." She took the tube of ointment out of the drawer, preparing to apply it herself. "By the way, how much did these medicines cost? I'll pay you back."
Hao Nan paused for a moment, then shook his head: "No need, it's just a small matter between friends, no need to make a fuss."
"I don't really like owing people money," Qi Xu insisted.
Not wanting to put her in a difficult position, he had a sudden inspiration: "Then... it's my birthday in a few days, can you give me a gift instead?"
"what do you like?"
At this moment, Hao Nan had already skillfully squeezed the ointment onto a cotton swab and moved closer to her: "Let me do it. You can't see it yourself, so you can't spread it evenly."
His voice was soft, with an undeniable gentleness.
"Myself..."
“Let me do it,” he interrupted her, the cotton swab already carefully approaching her earlobe. “You can’t see it.”
His movements were extremely gentle; the cotton swab, carrying a slightly cool ointment, was precisely applied to the edge of the ear piercing.
Qi Xu suddenly remembered that he had a small mirror, so he quickly took it out and held it up to look at his earlobe.
In the mirror, his profile was clearly reflected, close to mine, with his lowered eyelashes and focused expression; every subtle movement revealed his care.
A slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, tinged with a wistful sigh that she herself was unaware of: "You're so gentle... You must have grown up in a very happy family, right?"
Hao Nan paused almost imperceptibly in his wiping motion. He sensed the sadness hidden deep within her words.
He didn't answer immediately, but focused more intently on completing his tasks, carefully putting away the cotton swabs and ointment.
Then, he raised his eyes and looked sincerely into hers: "Gentleness isn't necessarily related to family. It's something that flows naturally when you feel the kindness and love of the world."
She sensed his kindness, and this realization gave Hao Nan a quiet sense of confidence, as if his silent efforts had finally been recognized.
Hao Nan's gaze inadvertently swept over her oversized school uniform jacket, and he asked with some confusion, "Why is your school uniform... so big?"
Qi Xu looked down and immediately felt embarrassed: "Ah! I...I think I wore the wrong school uniform today. This is...yours?"
Seeing her at a loss, Hao Nan couldn't help but chuckle. His laughter was clear and cheerful, with the straightforwardness of a young man.
His laughter was too arrogant, and Qi Xu's face flushed slightly, with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance. She reached out and pinched his arm lightly as a warning.
Outside the classroom, Xu Sheng stood silently, his gaze fixed on Qi Xu and Hao Nan through the glass window.
Watching Hao Nan's actions, he felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling mixed with relief: "This kid... has finally figured it out, and his methods... are quite impressive."
The quiet corner of the library became Wan Xiaoyi's temporary refuge.
She just wanted to escape all the troubles related to Xu Sheng. She randomly picked up a book from the tall bookshelf and was just getting into "Wan Xiaoyi".
A soft call was like a thunderclap, startling her so much that her hand trembled and the book fell to the ground with a thud.
She looked up in horror and saw the face that had haunted her nightmares – it was Li Mengyao.
She wasn't wearing a school uniform, but rather casual clothes, and carrying a small handbag.
Li Mengyao bent down, picked up the book from the ground, and handed it to Wan Xiaoyi, her gaze calm and composed: "I'm here to apologize. For everything I did to you before."
Wan Xiaoyi's gaze was fixed on the book, and her body subconsciously shrank back.
The scene of being bullied that day is still vivid in my mind. Fear, like cold vines, instantly tightened around my heart and cannot be easily erased by an apology.
The book stubbornly remained in Li Mengyao's hands. She wasn't annoyed; instead, with a knowing look and a hint of barely perceptible guilt, she gently placed the book back on the shelf, then turned and left silently.
Wan Xiaoyi stared blankly at the book that had been put back in its place until the sharp sound of the school bell shattered the silence.
She snapped back to her senses and sprinted toward the classroom.
At the corner of the stairs, a familiar hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Wan Xiaoyi! We really need to have a serious talk!"
Xu Sheng's voice was urgent and weary.
She flung his hand away as if burned, her voice cold and resolute: "I don't want to talk to you! Not now! Not ever!" Before she finished speaking, she rushed into the classroom.
Xu Sheng stood frozen in place, feeling a sense of helplessness and frustration stuck in his chest.
He understood that the root of all this lay with him. It was his failure to manage the relationship that caused her harm, and ultimately, he would have to bear all the blame.
Li Mengyao's parents completed the withdrawal procedures for her.
She returned to the classroom, packed her belongings, and left the place that had filled her high school life.
Time flowed silently, and Li Mengyao's condition eventually deteriorated rapidly, like an avalanche.
On a quiet afternoon, she closed her eyes, her face serene, with no regrets.
The laughter from her journey, the sweetness of her birthday cake, the warmth of her parents' embrace, her brother's innocent blessings... all the beauty and deep love she experienced in the world have become eternal stars in her heart.
Carrying this profound happiness in her heart, she calmly journeyed towards another unknown world.
Li Mengyao has completely disappeared from everyone's sight.
As soon as the school bell rang, Wan Xiaoyi didn't even wait seven minutes. She packed her schoolbag as quickly as possible, wanting nothing more than to escape immediately.
However, as soon as she rushed to the classroom door, she caught a glimpse of the figure she least wanted to see.
Her heart sank. She immediately turned back, slipped out the back door, rushed to the bicycle shed, hopped on her bike, and pedaled hard, wanting nothing more than to get home as quickly as possible.
As Xu Sheng watched her flee without hesitation once again, his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the suffocating pain almost suffocating him.
Ultimately, he chose to express all his apologies and explanations in writing.
He wrote a long letter of apology, but hesitated whether to have Qi Xu deliver it, as it seemed insincere.
As Qi Xu and Hao Nan walked out of the classroom side by side, they ran into Xu Sheng, who was lingering outside the door.
"Looking for Xiao Yi? She left a long time ago," Qi Xu said.
Xu Sheng subconsciously stuffed the note he was clutching back into his pocket, concealing his inner struggle, and only managed to squeeze out a dry, curt "Um... I know. Be careful on your way."
Hao Nan keenly noticed his subtle action of hiding the note: "What's up?"
"It's nothing, I'll be going now." Xu Sheng turned around hurriedly, his apologetic figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.
In the bicycle shed, Hao Nan pushed out his bicycle and said to Qi Xu, who was carrying several books, "Aren't you tired of carrying them? Put them in the basket."
After she put the book away, he patted the back seat, his smile particularly bright in the sunset: "Get in, I'll see you off."
Qi Xu cautiously took a half step back: "No! Your car... is too dangerous." He still vividly remembered the last experience.
Hao Nan chuckled softly as he recalled that accident: "Last time was purely a coincidence, an accident. Come on up, this time I guarantee it'll be absolutely safe."
“If you cause any more trouble,” Qi Xu glared at him, a warning in his eyes, “I won’t believe any of your nonsense anymore!”
"Yes, ma'am." He smiled smugly, watching as Qi Xu carefully settled into his seat. The wheels turned slowly, initially quite smoothly.
After riding for a while, he deliberately gave the handlebars a light shake as if he were being mischievous. Qi Xu subconsciously grabbed the school uniform at his waist and pinched his arm in retaliation with his other hand.
"Ouch—that's really strong, it's all bruised." Hao Nan exclaimed dramatically.
"Who told you to keep acting like a jerk?" Qi Xu retorted irritably.
Just then, Hao Nan suddenly slammed on the brakes! Caught off guard, Qi Xu was thrown forward by inertia, her arms instinctively wrapping tightly around his waist.
Hao Nan's body stiffened instantly, his cheeks flushed crimson at a visible speed, and he coughed awkwardly a few times.
"What are you up to now?" Qi Xu's eyes were filled with anger. Just as he was about to let go, he suddenly felt his body tense up even more. He followed his gaze and looked over.
Not far ahead, a middle-aged couple were watching them with smiles and meaningful looks in their eyes.
"Cough... My dad, my mom." Hao Nan's voice was extremely low, almost squeezed out from his throat.
Qi Xu felt a surge of heat rush to his head. He didn't know whether to let go or pull his arm around his waist. He froze on the back seat, wishing he could disappear on the spot.
Seeing their embarrassed expressions, Hao's mother couldn't help but laugh so hard she bent over. She beckoned to Hao Nan, "What are you standing there for? Come here!"
Hao Nan pedaled stiffly, slowly riding up to his parents, his voice tense and unnatural: "Why...why are you here?"
Mr. and Mrs. Hao looked past their son and landed with great interest on Qi Xu, whose cheeks were flushed in the back seat.
Mr. Hao spoke first, breaking the delicate atmosphere: "Oh, your mother and I came out for a walk and stopped by to see you."
Hao's mother then chuckled and teased, "Looks like we've come at the wrong time."
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie." Qi Xu greeted them with feigned composure, struggling to get off the bus.
"Don't get down, don't get down." Mother Hao quickly waved her hand, her smile warm. "It's only right that Hao Nan takes you home."
Mr. Hao looked at Qi Xu with gentle eyes and couldn't help but praise, "What a fair-skinned, quiet and gentle girl."
Hao's mother extended a warm invitation: "You must come to Auntie's house to play when you have time!"
“Yes,” Mr. Hao immediately replied, “Uncle will cook you something delicious; I have many of my specialties!”
Seeing that Qi Xu was embarrassed and at a loss, Hao Nan quickly came to the rescue: "Mom and Dad, weren't you going for a walk? Go quickly."
"Alright, alright!" Hao's mother understood immediately, and took Hao's father's arm. "Then you young people can chat for a while, we'll head back now."
Before leaving, she turned back and winked at Qi Xu, her smile full of joy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
