PAIN - CHAPTER 7:

Bai Xun Yin couldn’t figure out what Yu Luo Yin meant by the note he had left her.

He told her to repay him. But summer break had already begun…

Did that mean she’d have to wait until next semester to do it?

The thought of owing someone a favor unsettled her. It left her restless and uneasy.

Without meaning to, she began to think about Yu Luo Yin  not in the dreamy,

girlish way of infatuation, but literally thinking about how she was supposed to repay him.

What she didn’t expect was to run into him far sooner than that.

She didn’t even have to wait for school to start.

It all began with A’mo.

That girl had finally returned to Linlan City from the neighboring province and

behaved like a local tyrant returning to her mountain.

Every day she dragged Bai Xun Yin out to play, utterly free of the stress or

self-awareness a rising senior ought to have.

She spent her days pestering Bai Xun Yin to hang out, and

her nights eating at the Bai family’s dinner table.

Ji Huiying’s cooking was excellent. A’mo had practically lived off her food before she moved away,

and after being gone for over a year, she’d missed it desperately.

So these days, Ji Huiying tried new dishes every night to welcome her back,

her face alight with smiles that had been missing for a long time.

Watching them, Bai Xun Yin felt her heart loosen a little,

but also twist with something sharp and sour.

Ever since that “accident” two years ago, the house had fallen into a deep quiet.

Without her father’s voice, and without her own… it had become a home without sound.

Ji Huiying must have been so unbearably lonely.

A’mo’s noisy presence filled that silence, and for that, Bai Xun Yin was quietly grateful.

Still, A’mo could be relentless.

Right after lunch, her bright eyes sparkled as she turned to Ji Huiying.

Aunt Yingying, can Yinyin come to the amusement park with me this afternoon?

There’s a new one in Linlan! I haven’t gone yet!

Bai Xun Yin nearly groaned. They had been playing nonstop for almost a week.

Her fingers pressed her temples, ready to refuse, but Ji Huiying spoke first.

Go, she said with a smile, picking up her purse. I’m visiting your father at the hospital anyway.

You and A’mo should go enjoy yourselves a bit.

Bai Xun Yin froze for a moment, then nodded slowly.

When her mother left, the house went quiet again.

A’mo slipped an arm around her shoulder and whispered, Yinyin…

Uncle Bai hasn’t gotten any better, has he?

Two years ago, Bai Hongsheng had fallen from the seventh-floor rooftop an “accident.”

He’d miraculously survived, but never woke up again.

Now he was a living ghost, kept alive by machines and IV drips in a hospital bed.

The doctors said he might wake up someday… or maybe never at all.

Bai Xun Yin used to visit him twice a week. Every time she saw his body wither a little more,

her heart felt twisted, like someone wrung it in their fist.

By her second year of high school, Ji Huiying had stopped letting her go.

Bai Xun Yin knew why her mother didn’t want the sadness to eat away at her studies.

So Ji Huiying went alone.

Every single day.

Even A’mo had sighed once, saying softly, Auntie really loves him.

Yes. She did.

They were supposed to be a perfect couple, in harmony like music and

poetry, happy forever if not for…

Yinyin, stop thinking about it, A’mo’s voice cut in.

She turned Bai Xun Yin’s face toward her, eyes sparkling.

Let’s go! If we’re late, the park will close!

Bai Xun Yin frowned and scribbled on a notepad.

[What are you up to this time, Ning Shu Mo?]

She had just gone to that amusement park with A’mo two days ago.

Now the girl was acting all mysterious again.

A’mo grinned. I’ve got a brilliant idea.

Didn’t you say you wanted to find a summer job to make some money?

Well… I have a plan!

Bai Xun Yin blinked. What plan?

Her father’s long hospital stay had drained most of their savings.

They weren’t starving, but money was tight.

Ji Huiying’s government salary could barely stretch far enough.

Bai Xun Yin had been thinking of getting a part-time job anything to help.

But being mute made even simple work, like in a café or internet shop, nearly impossible.

What kind of plan could A’mo possibly have?

Silly girl. A’mo beamed, her eyes full of mischief. Did you know?

The city no longer charges stall fees for street vendors.

…What?

So, she declared triumphantly, we’re setting up a street stall!

Before Bai Xun Yin could react, she was already being dragged out the door.

A’mo had somehow found a car and her cousin to drive it.

The trunk was packed with merchandise plush toys, trinkets,

cheap prizes everything ready for a ring-toss game.

Bai Xun Yin had thought A’mo was joking. She wasn’t.

Still, wasn’t this a bit too sudden?

She grabbed her phone and typed, At least tell me your plan.

Don’t worry! We’re going to make easy money!

A’mo giggled, proudly showing off her stash.

I got five hundred light rings they’re practically impossible to land on anything!

Ten rings for one yuan, reusable! We’ll be rich!

Bai Xun Yin had her doubts.

What if someone actually wins? she wrote.

Impossible! A’mo waved her off. The rings are super light!

We’ll just place the prizes farther away.

And the stock cost less than two hundred yuan. It’s a sure profit!

A’mo came from a wealthy family losing money didn’t scare her.

The whole idea of street vending had only amused her ever since it became legal.

Before long, she had Bai Xun Yin shoved into the backseat, and they were on their way.

No one’s that accurate, A’mo bragged. If someone manages to win everything,

I’ll call him brother!

Turns out, the world is full of surprises.

A’mo’s cousin dropped them off outside the new amusement park,

helped set up their uneven stall, then drove off.

The two girls stood there, nervous and lost among the crowd.

Should we shout? A’mo whispered, face red.

Bai Xun Yin gave her a helpless look. For someone who’d insisted on coming,

A’mo sure lost her courage fast.

But they couldn’t just waste the effort.

Bai Xun Yin picked up two plastic rings, shook them in her hands, and

began waving to passersby. She couldn’t shout,

so her gestures did the talking.

A’mo joined in, forcing out a tiny voice. Ring toss! Ten rings for one yuan…

The afternoon sun was harsh. Two slender girls in short sleeves and

skirts stood among the crowd, pale skin glowing against the light.

They looked far more eye-catching than the toys they were selling.

Soon enough, a few boys wandered over. The game was just an excuse to flirt.

A’mo chatted easily, taking their money with a grin.

Bai Xun Yin, on the other hand, felt like she was sitting on needles.

She hated small talk especially with strange men.

Their stares made her skin crawl, like heat pressing against her chest, sticky and suffocating.

Then a familiar voice broke through the noise.

Bai Xun Yin!?

She froze.

Lu Ye stood a few steps away, grinning, two little tiger teeth flashing when he smiled.

And behind him… Yu Luo Yin.

What a coincidence. Or maybe, what bad luck.

Yu Luo Yin was dressed casually in a pale linen shirt and beige pants, the picture of calm.

Somehow, even the air seemed cooler around him.

Bai Xun Yin’s cheeks burned. She had no desire to be seen like this flustered, out of place,

trying to sell rings on the street.

She forced a polite smile toward Lu Ye, pretending calm.

A’mo quickly left the boys she’d been talking to and hurried to her side, eyeing Lu Ye warily.

Yinyin, you know him?

Bai Xun Yin nodded, her loose hair brushing against her cheeks.

The soft motion was almost painfully gentle.

From a distance, Yu Luo Yin felt his heart waver.

Lu Ye looked around the stall. Are you two… selling things?

Yeah. So what? A’mo shot back immediately, lifting her chin.

We’re earning money, not begging.

Lu Ye blinked. Fierce girl.

Yu Luo Yin stepped forward, standing beside him directly across from Bai Xun Yin.

His dark eyes lowered, and though he spoke to Lu Ye, his gaze lingered on her.

When you see classmates doing business, shouldn’t you show some support?

Bai Xun Yin felt that gaze, heavy as shadow.

She looked down quickly, focusing on the tips of her shoes, pretending not to care.

Lu Ye caught the hint and smiled.

We’ll take a hundred rings, he said.

A’mo’s eyes lit up. Ten yuan!

She scooped up a pile of rings and handed them over.

Lu Ye passed them to Yu Luo Yin, who met Bai Xun Yin’s

startled eyes and smiled faintly before stepping forward.

No way Yu-ge’s going to play ring toss? Li Yuan, watching from behind, snorted.

What’s next, shooting balloons? He’s bullying that poor mute girl!

Yu Luo Yin’s aim was legendary. At the shooting arcade, he never missed a target.

Now he was using that skill here?

Cruel.

The girls nearby whispered. Who are they? Why is Yu-ge talking to them?

Li Yuan glared at them. None of your business.

At the stall, Yu Luo Yin flicked his wrist, the rings glinting in the light.

Each throw landed perfectly, encircling a prize with effortless precision.

Bai Xun Yin stood frozen, watching him.

Under the sunlight, the tall boy and the pale,

quiet girl made an oddly perfect picture their silhouettes almost matching.

Ten minutes later, every single prize on the stall had been won.

The crowd gaped. A’mo was speechless. Only Yu Luo Yin’s friends looked unsurprised.

Ten yuan. That was all it took for him to wipe out their entire stock.

You A’mo started, fuming, but Bai Xun Yin quickly caught her arm and shook her head.

He hadn’t broken any rules.

They’d simply lost.

Still… they hadn’t earned a cent and had lost over two hundred yuan in goods.

Now they had to hand-deliver the prizes to the very person who’d ruined them.

Trip after trip, Bai Xun Yin carried the items dolls, combs,

hair clips  over to Yu Luo Yin’s group. The sight of the boys holding

such girly trinkets was almost comical.

Yu Luo Yin just watched quietly, smiling faintly, making no move to help.

Li Yuan and Lu Ye exchanged looks, arms full of stuffed bears.

Yu-ge, are you seriously calling this chasing a girl? This is cruelty, not courtship!

Yu Luo Yin only laughed softly, eyes following Bai Xun Yin’s every movement.

They didn’t understand.

Sometimes you had to let someone lose a little before they could remember you.

Just like that day in the rain if she didn’t suffer a little,

how could she ever remember who had helped her?

That girl looked gentle, but her heart was made of ice.

And Yu Luo Yin had already decided if he was going to get close to her,

then he’d make sure Bai Xun Yin remembered him completely.

So deeply that she could never forget, even if it hurt.

And later, just as he wished, she never did.

The name Yu Luo Yin became carved into her bones

a memory that ached every time she breathed.