Summation
Xia Tong had developed a bad habit of not answering Fu Jia's calls at some point. She didn't know how to deal with his constant questioning: What are you doing? Who are you with? After answering these questions, she didn't know what else to say. So their conversations always ended there, but the repetitive questioning was really annoying.
Fu Jia, already insecure about the relationship, became even more anxious and tried to hold on tighter, which only made him more annoying. Since they were in a long-distance relationship and had few other means of communication besides phone calls, he called even more frequently. Xia Tong, finally fed up, put her phone on silent. When she remembered to check it again, it had run out of battery and shut down automatically.
When Fu Jia couldn't get through on the phone, she would become extremely anxious, uneasy, and even angry. But whenever Fu Jia heard her voice coming from the other end of the line, she could no longer get angry at her.
"Xia Xiaotong?"
"I was watching a movie and my phone was on silent, so I didn't notice your call." I just watched a bit of the movie trailer online, so I guess that counts as watching the movie?
"Watching a movie? With whom?" Fu Jia immediately became alert.
“My roommate,” Xia Tong said helplessly.
"Then you should go back to school now. It's so late and there are a lot of bad people outside."
"..."
The conversations were always like this, always ending in awkward silences, and always ending the same way. When winter break arrived, Xia Tong returned without a word, and Fu Jia couldn't reach her even if she wanted to pick her up.
Inside the private room, a group of guys were having a great time, while Fu Jia sat alone, phone in hand, feeling lonely and isolated. Xi Ming, who had been playing enthusiastically, leaned against the sofa with a long-legged, slender girl on his arm and said to Di Yue in front of him, "Originally, I thought that girl was just there to dampen Fu Jia's spirits, but now it seems she's completely planning to wear him down!"
Di Yue didn't reply, but instead fiddled with the hair of the little girl beside him. The girl, who looked like a porcelain doll, observed Fu Jia's frustrated and anxious expression as he stared at his phone. This was completely different from the Fu Jia who used to be a bully, prankster, and clique-bound individual. She turned to Di Yue, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong with Brother Fu? Why has he changed so much?"
Di Yue then spoke, his smiling face resembling that of a big bad wolf: "Because I don't like anyone being more arrogant than me."
Xixi was even more confused: "Does this have anything to do with you?"
Di Yue turned his head, his slender fingers tapping his chin: "You know what? The way he acted like the whole world belonged to him was really annoying." He paused and continued, "There always needs to be someone to trample him underfoot."
===
In another shopping mall, Xia Tong wandered aimlessly. Back in her hometown, she was once again all alone. She saw pretty trinkets in the shop windows, but had no one to share them with; she heard familiar songs playing in the mall, but couldn't recall their names, and had no one to ask.
"Huiyao? What a coincidence!" Xia Tong couldn't hide her surprise and delight upon seeing that familiar figure. Although she hadn't spent much time with Fu Huiyao since childhood, every moment they spent together was joyful. She remembered their secret "Anti-Fu Jia United Front," the fairy tales they read together and shared their thoughts, and the times they secretly talked badly about Fu Jia behind her back. Although every interaction with Fu Huiyao was related to Fu Jia, it didn't stop Xia Tong from placing Fu Huiyao in the position of an important friend.
Fu Huiyao wasn't as happy to see Xia Tong; she just frowned and looked at her, asking, "Are you alone?"
Xia Tong smiled brightly: "Yes, I'm alone. Are you alone too? How about we go shopping and chat together?"
"You'd rather stay alone than let my brother find you?" Fu Huiyao questioned her with her arms crossed, looking like she was about to start a fight.
"What?" Xia Tong was a little confused. Fu Jia? How did she get involved with him?
"If you don't like him, just stay away from him, okay? Do you feel a sense of accomplishment in hurting the person who loves you by being so aloof?"
"I didn't." Xia Tong was also confused and denied it with a frown. The joy she had felt upon seeing her was immediately wiped away by her hostility.
"You still hate him deep down, don't you? Otherwise, why would you torment someone like this? Do you think my brother is having an easy time? After my second uncle found out about you and him, he whipped him with a belt so badly that he couldn't get out of bed for days. When we went to see him, he was sleeping the whole time, saying that he wouldn't feel the pain that way. He had such good grades on the college entrance exam and could have gone to the university he wanted, but because of this, he was forced to go to a military academy. You're not the only one who's hurt; my brother has suffered a lot too, okay?"
“He never told me any of this…” Xia Tong was also surprised to hear this. It turned out that Fu Jia had also suffered so much in places she couldn’t see.
"Of course he won't mention this to you. How could he bear to offend you now? People are all made of flesh and blood. My brother wasn't born for you to play with like this. Please forgive him, thank you!" After saying that, Fu Huiyao turned and left, truly showing that she was breaking off all ties with her.
Xia Tong, now alone again, stood there speechless. Had her actions truly reached the point of being universally condemned? Hadn't Fu Jia endured even more? He had done so much for me, how could I possibly hate him? She just hadn't yet figured out how to face him, but this time it seemed she had been thinking for far too long.
When she stepped into the room at the mansion, Fu Jia, who had been sitting listlessly on the sofa, immediately stood up. Although she was clearly happy to see her, her first words were accusatory: "Why didn't you answer my calls?!"
Xia Tong knew he would be here, so she came specifically to apologize. However, the barrage of questions that came with him made her feel even worse, as she had just been criticized. So she stared at Fu Jia in silence.
Fu Jia was also furious, displaying her usual arrogance and becoming even more aggressive: "Didn't you hear me asking you a question?!"
Xia Tong held back for a moment, then turned around, squatted down to change her shoes, and prepared to leave: "I'll talk to you again when you've calmed down."
Just as she finished changing her shoes and was about to get up, a hot body pressed against her from behind and hugged her. The tone had changed from her previous anger and frustration, and she just whispered, "Don't go, let me hug you, I'm angry."
Xia Tong suddenly felt heartbroken. When all the people she loved with all her heart left, only Fu Jia stayed by her side and suffered so much for her. She suddenly couldn't understand her past self. What was there to avoid? Fu Jia wasn't a monster, just a child who didn't know how to love. She would force others to eat her favorite candy, but she couldn't win their affection.
When you complain and lament that others have let you down, aren't you also letting others down?
Xia Tong lowered her head and patted his arm that was holding her, signaling him to let go, but Fu Jia stubbornly tightened his grip on her even more.
"I was wrong." She could only turn her face to the side and stroke Fu Jia's cheek as she leaned against her back. "Please don't do this, okay?"
Fu Jia looked up at her in confusion, his dark eyes fixed on her face, filled with doubt and unease. Xia Tong turned around and knelt in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing closer to him: "It was my fault, I won't do it again, please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
"What?" Fu Jia was incredulous when she heard her words, staring into her watery eyes like a puzzled child.
Xia Tong hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and kissed his cheek: "Let's make up, okay?" As she kissed him, his body stiffened for a moment, as if he didn't know how to respond. But he immediately reacted, lunging at her like a ferocious beast.
When he pushed her head, causing it to hit the door, Xia Tong instinctively pushed him back. She was fed up with his lack of restraint; she wasn't a puppet without the ability to feel pain. Fu Jia, who had been pushed away, looked up at Xia Tong with an expression that seemed to accuse her of breaking her promise.
But then he went over and started licking and biting him, completely unconcerned about being pushed away. Xia Tong was speechless and pushed him again. What's the rush? I haven't even finished my declaration of reconciliation!
This time, Fu Jia took the initiative to release her, silently staring at her as if giving her a chance to choose. Xia Tong blinked, not yet understanding what he meant, but Fu Jia regretted it. What democracy? What if she changed her mind again?! So Fu Jia picked her up from the floor and carried her into the inner room.
Once Xia Tong was placed on the large bed, she realized what he meant. She still felt a sense of fear about such things. The shame and trauma of being caught disheveled by Madam Fu that time resurfaced in her mind.
Fu Jia knelt before her and placed her hand on his heart: "Don't be afraid of me, okay?"
In truth, Xia Tong was no longer afraid of Fu Jia; to her, Fu Jia was far too easy to control. What she feared was something else entirely, something that had once brought her shame, something she had lied to countless times when her ex-boyfriend questioned her about it.
She looked into Fu Jia's sincere eyes, and saw only a small reflection of herself in them. She could feel his strong heartbeat in her hand; how could she possibly refuse?
As Xia Tong lay on the bed, her consciousness fading from Fu Jia's kisses, only a vague voice of doubt echoed in her mind: I came here to make peace, so how did it turn into offering myself?
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To those of you reading elsewhere, please come back often! My site's been deserted these past few days, and I'm feeling quite lonely! Actually, what makes me even lonelier is that I bought a can of fruit but can't open it—not even my dad can! I'm just sitting here staring at the can every day, feeling incredibly melancholic. You all know what the next chapter is about, so please be as discreet as possible!
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