"The Mortal Chapter Of Qing Zhuan" - Chapter 17

A bittersweet farewell

“Wen Wen, since it’s come to this, maybe it’s best to just leave things as they are.”

“Gao Jichang, now that Li Yuan and I have broken up, you must be the happiest person, right!”

Gao’s eyes sharpened as he looked at the cold text on his screen.

He typed back: “Xi Shiwen, if I were the culprit, given my relationship with Da Yuan Zi, you wouldn’t have even made it this far! What I want to tell you is that you fundamentally don’t understand feelings! Your selfishness, your cowardice, and your indecisiveness are the perfect reasons why you could never be with her in the end!”

“That’s enough, Gao Jichang! You don’t have to be so hypocritical! I know you’ve always liked her! Now’s your chance! What are you waiting for?”

The more Gao read his words, the angrier he got. He then swore: “Xi Shiwen! Are you even speaking like a human being! What did you learn in Jingping! You’re disgusting!”

Then, in a very uncharacteristic moment, he slammed his phone on the table to vent his anger!

The phone kept vibrating, but Gao didn’t look at it again. He tossed and turned all night, replaying the happy memories of the three of them. The thought of what happened today made him incredibly restless! He couldn’t understand why the old Wen Wen had disappeared. The person he was now was full of hostility and rebellion!

I, too, sat at my desk, flipping through the comic book he had given me. I reminisced about the past, and when I compared it to his rude and violent behavior today, my heart ached just thinking about it…

The next day in math class, my deskmate, Tang Yuheng, saw my dispirited look and nudged me with his elbow. “What’s wrong? Cheer up! The teacher is going to give a pop quiz soon! And you’re still sitting here with your eyes closed!”

I grumbled back. “It’s nothing! Quiz or not, I don’t care! It’s not like I’m going to pass anyway! The worst that can happen is another scolding!”

He sighed helplessly and looked at me. “You’re unbelievable! You’re first in the whole grade in Chinese, second in English, and worst in math! What’s your problem with the math teacher?”

I didn’t answer him and continued to lie on the desk like a frosted eggplant, wilted and lifeless.

Looking at the white moon roses outside the window, they were so similar to the white roses from back then! It’s a shame she wasn’t. Even if the appearance was similar, the essence was completely different.

A gust of wind blew the curtain directly onto my face. I struggled to get out from behind it, but because of the static, my hair stood up straight like a soldier at attention! It made my deskmate hold back his laughter with his hand over his mouth.

The bell rang for the end of class, and there was no pop quiz. The teacher looked at me and couldn’t help but laugh. “Li Yuan, are you getting a perm?”

Then, everyone in the class looked at me and burst into laughter. My deskmate started it, and the entire class followed suit. I was so embarrassed that I took my water bottle out of my desk and dabbed some water on my hair. Hao Sheng was doubled over with laughter. I took out my small mirror, looked at myself, and couldn’t help but laugh too.

When the bell rang again, the teacher pushed his glasses up and looked at us. “Alright, everyone, put your books away. Go home, review, and study. Class dismissed, kids!”

On the way home, Gao was chewing on a peach. I teased him, “What, you need a peach for every hundred kilometers you ride!”

Gao was enjoying his peach. “I have another one in my bag. Want to try?”

I nodded, and he stopped, still with the peach in his mouth, to take out a plump, pink peach from his bag and hand it to me.

“Mmm! Delicious! Gao, where did you get this peach!”

“You little glutton, my dad’s coworker sent them to him.”

Just then, Gao’s phone rang, and he put it on speaker. “Ji Chang! Are you out of school yet?”

“I’m on my way home, what’s up, Mom?”

“Your grandma is here, so we won’t be going to Yuan’s house tonight! I already called your aunt.”

Gao looked at me and replied, “Got it, Mom. I’m on my way home! I’ll be there soon, don’t worry!”

After hanging up, Gao looked at me. “You’re not allowed to be lazy tonight! Study hard. I’ll be checking on your progress tomorrow. I’m heading out! Be careful on your way home and text me when you get there.”

After I got home, Gao called me not long after. “Did you get home yet?”

“Yeah, I’m home! What are you eating, Gao?”

“You didn’t text me when you got home! I’m eating donkey meat steamed buns my grandma made! Want one?”

“I want one! Can you save one for me, hehehe!”

My mom saw my craving and teased me. “All you think about is food, hahaha!”

After dinner, my dad kept talking about donkey meat with my mom. “Yesterday, Old Wang’s donkey was sold! He made a lot of money!”

“Donkey meat isn’t cheap now!” My mom said, shelling peanuts.

“It’s not that expensive either. Actually, it doesn’t cost much to have one meal!”

I was listening with great interest. My dad looked at me with a big smile. “My dear daughter, should Dad buy some donkey meat tomorrow and make you some steamed buns?”

I nodded excitedly. “Yes, yes, I think that’s a great idea! Mom, don’t you want to try donkey meat steamed buns?”

“What’s there to try? It just tastes like donkey meat! Besides, you can buy so much pork for that money!”

My dad and I heard my mom’s unenthusiastic words, so we both got up and sat in the yard, leaving my mom alone on the heated bed in the house, shelling peanuts and watching TV.

Just then, Gao rode his bike and stopped in front of me. I looked at his wind-blown hair and then at the few layers of warm steamed buns he had packed for me. I happily hugged him. “Gao, you’re a lifesaver! You brought them so quickly! Thank you, thank you!”

Then we went back inside. My mom smelled the delicious scent and asked, “Ji Chang brought you some good food? Hahaha, come on in!”

Gao sat on the heated bed and helped my mom shell peanuts. I picked up a hot bun and put it in his mouth. “You rascal, you didn’t even want to eat it yourself, did you? Hehehe!”

My dad also took one and handed it to my mom. My mom’s face lit up. “Mmm, it’s delicious. Old man, I’ll give you money tomorrow to get some donkey meat. I’ll make some too!” She then looked at Gao. “You brought so many, did your parents even get to eat much?!”

Gao scratched his head and smiled at my mom. “They already ate!”

That night, my fourth aunt called. “Second sister, don’t let Ji Chang come back tonight! It’s too late and not safe! Grandma isn’t leaving tomorrow either, so don’t make the kids worry.”

My mom replied, “Alright, the steamed buns your mom made are so delicious! Did you guys not eat much today? I’ll have Li get some donkey meat tomorrow and make some for you to take back.”

“No, no, second sister, why would you do that! We have plenty at home!”

I leaned close to Gao’s ear and asked, “Do you really have plenty?”

Gao burst out laughing. I smiled and leaned close to my dad. “Fourth aunt is just being polite! Let’s buy more meat tomorrow and make more for them to take back.” My dad nodded, smiling at my mom…

Days passed, and soon it was the second year of middle school. We were reshuffled into new classes, but this time, a good number of my original classmates were still with me.

“Da Yuan, you absolutely have to teach me English this time! Otherwise, I’m screwed! If I don’t pass the high school entrance exam, I’ll be in big trouble! I’ll really be done for!” Liu Fangshu said, pulling on my arm and pouting.

I nodded. “Yes, I’ll teach you! But you have to study hard!” She blinked her big eyes and nodded.

It had been almost a year since I had seen him. Gao also said that ever since that last time, he hadn’t heard from him either.

The high school entrance exam was coming up, and I was throwing myself into my studies every day. When Gao came to see me, he would often tease me, “Why did you turn into a monkey? Your hair is all messy and sticking out. Here, have a peach, Monkey King, hahahaha.”

I glared at him with a disgruntled look. “Did you come here to laugh at me again? I have to do well on the math exam this time, or it will affect my grades. Hey, don’t just laugh, big brother, finish your peach and come help me with this problem!”

Gao walked over with a proud expression. “Hahahaha… Alright, alright, your master is here to help the Monkey King.”

Day after day, life was uneventful and exhausting.

Until that day, our teacher announced, “The school has invited a science genius from Haizhi Middle School in Jingping City to give a motivational speech to our middle school students tomorrow. Each class will be organized to go listen.”

The students started buzzing. “A genius? A science genius?”

“Sigh! People are really different!”

“Who is it? Who is the speaker…”

The teacher showed us his profile. When I saw who he was, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was him…

When I got home that night, Gao and I were both stunned. I never thought that in less than a year, he would become a science genius at Haizhi Middle School in Jingping.

Gao’s mouth hung open. “That’s incredible. He’s a part of high society now, unlike us, country folk. He’s the elite, sigh…”

I thought to myself, “No matter what, as long as he’s focusing on the right things, there’s still hope for him! At least in my eyes, you should do what’s appropriate for your age. We’re already from different worlds. He has his own circle now, and I have my own path to walk. But what am I going to do tomorrow?”

The next day, we arrived at the auditorium to listen to the speech. My heart was not in turmoil; it was filled with embarrassment.

I heard my childhood friend from the next class, Sun Lian, say, “Let me tell you guys, do you know who the speaker is? He’s my Da Yuan’s childhood friend. I’ll tell you a little secret, he and Da Yuan once had an epic love story…”

I heard a few girls whispering, “Really? Oh my god! No wonder she cut her hair before. She must have been cutting off all her worries!”

“Ah, that’s such a shame. The relationship between their families affected their generation. That’s so tragic. It feels like something out of a novel!”

Listening to their gossip, I felt incredibly annoyed.

Then, the boy in front of me (his name was Weng Yuan, and he was very good at science. We got along well, and sometimes when Gao was busy, he would teach me. So, I called him ‘Master’.) saw that my face looked pale and asked me, “Disciple, are you okay?”

I nodded and said, “I’m fine, Master. Let’s get ready for the speech!”

Weng Yuan turned his head and asked again, “Are you really okay?”

I replied blankly, “Yes, don’t worry, Master. Turn back! It’s about to start!”

As applause erupted, I watched him walk toward the stage. Under the spotlights, he looked even more radiant than before, like a big star.

A girl from the next class next to me asked, “Is that your first love, Xi Shiwen?”

I glared at her, and she immediately closed her mouth.

At that moment, I felt incredibly awkward.

To avoid being seen by him, I kept my head down the whole time, but the thing I was afraid of eventually happened.

The nosy vice principal insisted that the person with the lowest math score from each class in our grade go up on stage to ask the genius questions and seek advice on how to study.

For others, this was a great opportunity, but for me, it was pure torture!

When it was our class’s turn, I just wanted to quietly go up without drawing attention, but reality gave me a big slap in the face!

I heard the vice principal announce loudly, “We all know that our top Chinese student, Li Yuan, is terrible at math. It’s so serious. Today is a golden opportunity. The science genius is here. Li Yuan, you come up here!”

My face flushed red. At that moment, I felt like my head was a boiling kettle. I looked at our teacher for help.

He also looked at me with a red face. “Don’t be stressed. Go.”

I nodded helplessly and looked around for Gao.

The vice principal yelled again, “Li Yuan, hurry up! Don’t dawdle!”

I had no choice but to go up to the stage. My whole body was stiff, completely numb. As I went up the steps, I stumbled and almost fell. He quickly came over and helped me.

Then, there was an uproar from the audience, and my face felt even hotter. Only I knew that this guy was probably ecstatic inside!

I looked down and said, “Thank you!”

He replied casually, “You’re welcome!”

After everyone was on stage, the vice principal had us draw lots to determine the order for asking questions.

I thought to myself, “The first one! The first one! The first one! Let’s get this over with quickly!”

I went to draw and ended up with the last spot. My heart felt a surge of frustration, but there was nothing I could do. I sat on the side waiting, with a look of despair on my face. But this guy decided to make a joke out of me.

He walked over to me, looking down at me condescendingly. “I heard you’re the top Chinese student, so I’m sure your comprehension is very good, right? Then why don’t you explain the literal meaning of this problem!”

I looked at his arrogant expression and ignored him.

He turned back and continued his lecture. “A problem that even the top Chinese student can’t understand… What’s the point of being the top Chinese student then? I guess it’s just a title! So now, I’ll explain this problem to everyone…”

Sitting in the audience, Gao looked at me with a worried expression. I, too, felt uneasy, as if I were sitting on pins and needles.

He walked around the stage, holding the microphone and speaking casually. “I just analyzed the solution to this problem for everyone. Now, I’ll give you a problem, and you can all try to understand the meaning of it.”

With that, he started giving the problem. When I saw it, my mind went blank, and I felt even more annoyed and wanted to get off the stage. However, our teacher shook his head at me, so I could only stay on stage.

Five minutes passed, and our genius began his performance. He walked over to me again, as if it were a routine. “Li Yuan, why don’t you share with everyone your understanding of this problem?”

I stared at him blankly and said, “Sorry, I don’t know.”

He asked coldly, “Did you not listen to what I just said?”

“I’m not interested in math right now! And I’m not interested in what you’re saying either! If I want to learn, someone else will teach me! I don’t need you to worry about it!”

The vice principal saw the tension between us and quickly came over to mediate. “Da Yuan’s math is notoriously bad at our school. Don’t make it hard on her, let’s have another student solve it, student Xi.”

He stood in front of me. It had been a year, and he had grown even taller. With his straight face, he said, “It’s because she’s bad at math that she needs to solve it. That way I can figure out what the problem is and help her fix it!”

He then stared at me coldly, and I turned my head away and said, “I don’t even know the formulas, so I don’t know where to begin. You’re a genius, why don’t you just teach everyone directly! Why do you have to be so persistent about me solving this problem! Don’t you feel like you’re wasting time!”

Our eyes met, and the air between us became icy. We were in a stalemate for dozens of seconds before he finally went back to the blackboard and started solving the problem.

After a while, the vice principal came over and asked, “Da Yuan, how was it? Did you learn Xi’s method?”

I nodded and replied, “Yes.”

This guy then gave another problem, walked over to me, and said, “Since you got it, try to do another problem on the spot.”

I heard my childhood friend, Sun Lian, and the people next to her whispering, “Wow, look, look! It’s the story of a genius falling in love with me! It’s so exciting…”

I looked at his smug face and wanted to cuss him out, but since there were so many people, I had to hold it in.

The problem in front of me was just as annoying as he was. I picked up the chalk and wrote the steps on the blackboard. I finished it in no time.

The vice principal praised me. “Da Yuan, you really have a knack for learning. Look, you can even apply what you’ve learned and solve problems backward. Not bad, not bad.”

I knew he did it on purpose. If you learn this method, you can solve any problem of this type, and you can also work backward for similar problems. This guy is so hard to figure out! He’s both arrogant and considerate. Maybe he knew my math wasn’t great and was afraid I would fail the exam, so he taught me a classic problem from previous years.

After solving the problem, I quickly returned to my seat. Our teacher gave me a thumbs-up. “Nice, you solved it well. Keep it up.”

I nodded. After sitting down, my ‘Master’ turned around and said, “As expected of my good disciple, you learn so quickly.”

But at that moment, I wasn’t in the mood to listen to his speech anymore. My mind was filled with the memories of that year. I don’t know how long it was before the speech ended. The students around me swarmed the stage to ask for his chat ID, add him as a friend, and take pictures with him.

I sat there, frozen, trying to calm myself down. My ‘Master’ came over and shook me. “Yuan, let’s go.” I nodded. We walked toward the door. When I turned back, my eyes met his. I quickly turned back around and walked toward my classroom. When I got back to the classroom, I heard everyone gossiping about my past with him…

The study hall felt incredibly long, long enough for me to replay all of our memories. The pen in my hand stayed on the math problem I had just solved, never moving. A gentle breeze blew in, and I finally came back to my senses. I looked up at the clock on the wall; it was already six o’clock. Then, the dismissal bell rang, and everyone rushed to pack their bags and go home.

My ‘Master’, a few other students, and I stayed behind to clean up. After we finished, I went to take out the trash. Suddenly, I saw a figure at the end of the hallway—it was him! I guessed he was waiting for me. I turned around to go back, but he called out, “Yuan Zi!” He walked over to me and looked at me in confusion. “Why is your math so bad now!”

I looked at his big, clear eyes, which were the same as before. “I don’t like math, so I didn’t study it! What does that have to do with you, young master Xi!”

I was about to leave, but he suddenly frowned, grabbed my arm, and stared at me angrily. “Li Yuan? Don’t you have anything to say to me!”

Hearing this, I shook his hand off and looked at him helplessly. “Xi Shiwen, what do you want! This is endless!”

He walked toward me, cornering me against the wall. “Li Yuan! I’ve liked you for so many years! And you won’t even give me one chance! Why! Is it because Gao Jichang is better at school than me and has represented the school in all kinds of competitions since we were kids? I’m a genius now too! Why do you still treat me like this!”

I looked at him in disbelief, and tears streamed down my face. “What are you talking about? What does this have to do with Gao? Why do you think that? Why do you never look at yourself to find the reason? If it weren’t for your rudeness back then, would we have come to this point?”

He looked at me with conviction. “Liking someone and kissing them is a natural expression of deep feelings! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that!”

I nodded, sneering at his scary face. “Right, right! You big city people have so many tricks up your sleeve. A commoner like me can’t afford your love! So, please, young master Xi, don’t bother me anymore! From now on, you go your way, and I’ll go mine. Goodbye for good!”

He looked at my retreating back and angrily went back to his grandparents’ house, where they had already prepared a feast, waiting for him to come home. His parents and grandma were serving dishes from the kitchen. His aunt was mixing a cucumber salad. When she saw him, she said, “You’re back, Wen Wen. Go wash your hands and eat.”

He nodded, listlessly holding his bowl. His dad kept putting food on his plate. His grandpa saw his sullen face and asked, “What’s wrong! Why do you look so unhappy!”

He looked down and said, “Yuan Zi and I had a fight again today!”

His grandpa’s smile vanished, and he asked seriously, “Did that girl come to you? What did she say to you? Don’t be swayed by her! What kind of future can her dad, a small village doctor, have?”

Wen Wen angrily threw his bowl. “Grandpa! In your eyes, is fame and fortune really that important?! Yuan Zi and I have been through so much together! We’ve faced life and death, shared hardships, and experienced the best parts of our childhood together! Grandpa! Do you know! How hard I worked to get back to her! Do you know that after all these years, she could have been my wife! But how can you be so snobbish!”

His grandpa scolded him angrily. “What kind of spell did that girl cast on you! How can you not forget her!”

Wen Wen gave a bitter smile and looked at him. “She rejected me today, completely! She said that from now on, you go your way, and I’ll go mine, and goodbye for good! Are you happy now? Are all of you happy now!”

With that, he ran back to the inner room and locked the door. His aunt and mom looked at each other and sighed. “Okay, let’s eat first. Dad, you’ve worked all day, let’s eat first. We can talk about everything else later! Let Wen Wen calm down first, and let’s all calm down. Come on, everyone, let’s eat…”

After I got home, I hid in my room, thinking about what had happened today. My dad looked at my mom in confusion. “What’s wrong with her? She’s not even eating the potato cakes?”

My mom called Gao’s house to ask what happened. After dinner, Gao rode his small bike to my house. My mom, who was sitting under the grape trellis, asked him, “What’s wrong with her, what happened?”

Gao saw my dad there and didn’t feel comfortable talking about Wen Wen and me. He just said simply, “Da Yuan didn’t do well on the math test at school today and got looked down on, so she’s in a bad mood. She didn’t even talk to me after school. Auntie, it’s okay, don’t worry about her!”

My dad heard this and felt that it wasn’t a big deal, so he went to our neighbor’s house to chat.

My mom and Gao were left to talk to me. After my dad left, my mom asked, “Did Xi Shiwen come back?”

Gao’s eyes widened, and he looked at my mom in disbelief. He gave her a thumbs-up and said, “Auntie, you’re a mind reader! How did you know he came back?”

My mom took a piece of watermelon and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly. “I know my stubborn daughter. Besides that boy, who else could make her so angry!”

Gao told my mom what happened at school today. My mom listened and said, “See, I told you! That little thief from the Xi family is so bad. He’s so full of himself! What does he think my daughter is? My daughter would marry you before she would marry that little thief from the Xi family!”

This made Gao laugh. He kept agreeing and said, “Auntie, don’t worry, I, Gao Jichang, will definitely treat Da Yuan well! I will never let you down, hahaha!” Then he ate three or four pieces of watermelon in a row.

My mom was amused. “You, you, you talk as if it’s real. Besides, is my daughter worried about not getting married? A girl that beautiful, just standing there, is lovable! I’m not going to let that little thief from the Xi family get away with it!”

Not long after, Gao came to my window and knocked. I looked up and saw his big grin. I looked at him helplessly. “Alright, Gao, why are you smiling like an idiot by yourself? Come in! Did my mom call your family?”

“No, I just saw you were not in a good state today. After dinner, I had nothing to do, so I came over to check on you. Mainly, I was worried you would do something reckless!”

I threw a bottle of Wangwang Milk at him and pretended that nothing was wrong. “What could I possibly do? I’m doing great!”

Gao made a beautiful catch in the air and took a sip. “This milk is really good. Oh, by the way, I heard there’s a circus show in town tomorrow. I’ll take you and your aunt to see it. It’ll help you relax from all the studying. What do you say, my genius?”

I almost choked on my water. “Okay, Gao, you rascal, who are you calling a genius? But, Gao, the exam is coming up soon, you have to help me review, or it’s going to be difficult!”

Gao raised an eyebrow and patted his chest. “Leave it to your brother! It’s no big deal!”

“Hey, Gao, how about this? You ask your aunt if you can move in with me starting tomorrow to tutor me until the exam is over. What do you think? I’ll provide you with food and a place to stay. Just help me pass math.”

Gao put on an air of superiority and cleared his throat. “Ahem, I don’t know about that. Men and women should not touch. We’d be living together.”

I immediately patted his shoulder. “Haha, you rascal, what are you thinking?”

“Just a little joke, see? You took it so seriously. Alright, I’ll talk to my mom about it.”

The next day, the three of us arrived at the circus gate. Gao told us, “Wait for me, I’m going to buy three bowls of popsicles!”

My mom and I watched the staff preparing and the acrobats with their animals.

“Wow, that elephant is so big! Look, my dear daughter!”

“Yes, Mom, and look at that monkey, he can do a backflip…”

Gao ran over with three bowls of popsicles. “Come on, Auntie, Da Yuan, I already saved us a spot in the front! Let’s go!”

The night sky was filled with stars. They shone brightly like tiny diamonds, each one exuding its own charm. The last time I saw such bright stars was when I was a child, catching stars with him.

As more and more people came to the circus, it was a sea of people. I just went to buy three ice creams and couldn’t find my mom and Gao anymore. The circus was held in the community center, which was very big and crowded. It was hard to find them, and with all the cars coming and going, it was impossible to find them in this vast sea of people. As I focused on searching for them, a child with a dog ran past me. The leash was too long, and with so many people, I wasn’t paying attention and tripped. I fell to my knees with a thud, and my ice cream fell all over the ground.

At that moment, a woman rushed over and apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I’ll take you to sit down and wipe the dirt off your leg and put some medicine on it. It’s summer; we don’t want it to get infected.”

With her help, I hopped to the flower bed on the side of the road. This woman was not very pretty, but she was very charming, especially her big, clear eyes, just like his.

As I was wondering who she was, I heard a familiar voice. “Auntie, Auntie, where are you?” I smiled helplessly, thinking, “Speak of the devil. He’s so persistent. How can I run into him everywhere?”

I watched him walk toward me, feeling utterly speechless! When he saw me, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh. I felt so awkward, scratching my head, adjusting my clothes, and tucking a stray hair behind my ear. It felt like I made over a hundred fake movements in less than a minute. I pretended to be busy to avoid looking at him and ease the awkwardness.

Then, his aunt turned to him and said, “Wen Wen, your little nephew tripped this girl with his dog leash. Her knee is badly scraped. I’m going to put some medicine on it, but your little nephew is crying so loudly, and he won’t go with anyone but me. He’s so annoying.”

I thought to myself that his aunt’s words were spot on. He was an unlucky child. The Xi family was a factory for unlucky children; it was one wave after another, each stronger than the last.

He bent down, tilted his head, looked at me, and licked his lips slightly. He chuckled and squatted in front of me. As his face got closer, I felt like my face was a boiling kettle again.

He raised an eyebrow and said in a helpless tone, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, sigh… It’s true, the more you try to avoid someone, the more you can’t! What should we do about this? Hmm? Yuan Zi, what do you think we should do?”

I looked down and said in a serious tone, “Go away. I’ll do it myself. I don’t need to trouble you, young master Xi.”

He held my knee and poured a bottle of cold water over it. It was so cold that I reflexively pulled my knee back, but he pulled it back toward him. Then he gently wiped it with a tissue and applied the purple medicine. Finally, he bandaged it with his aunt’s white silk scarf. Besides the initial cold shock from the water, the rest of his actions were very gentle.

I scratched my head awkwardly. “Thank you. I’m fine now. I have to go find my mom and them.”

But my leg was still wobbly. I tried to stand up and almost fell again. He didn’t say anything but looked around and then just picked me up. I struggled to get down, but he looked at me coldly. “Don’t move. I’ll take you home.”

My heart screamed, “Oh my god, are you trying to kill me, big brother? Taking me home! You’re afraid no one will see you, aren’t you! Can’t you have less drama, big brother!”

I told him, “Um, can you put me down? I need to find Gao and my mom. They’re watching the circus inside. They’ll be worried since I haven’t gone back for so long! Please put me down. You really don’t have to take me home!”

He ignored me and carried me straight toward the river. I asked, “Where are you taking me? It’s so late. Aren’t your family looking for you?”

“They’re watching the circus; they don’t have time to worry about me. Besides, this is where I grew up. How could I get lost? What do they have to worry about?”

I felt like I was punching a cotton ball, it didn’t hurt or itch. I couldn’t help but say, “You might not be worried, but my family is. Put me down, I want to go back and find my mom! I’m telling you, if you don’t put me down, I’m going to get mad! Xi Shiwen! Put me down! Hurry up and put me down! Do you hear me…”

He sighed helplessly, walked to the river, stopped, and dropped me on the ground. I wasn’t ready and was thrown to the ground, which probably made my knee bleed again. The white silk scarf was now stained with bl00d.

“Xi Shiwen, are you crazy! Are you trying to kill me! Couldn’t you have told me you were going to put me down!”

He frowned, his face red, and sneered. “No, no, didn’t you ask me to put you down? Is it my fault that you weren’t ready?”

After he said that, I had no words to retort. I hobbled toward home. Suddenly, he asked from behind me, “Do you hate me that much now?”

I froze. For some reason, tears fell and reached my mouth. The taste was the same as before, still so bitter. I ignored him and continued to move forward, one step at a time. He couldn’t hold back his anger anymore and quickly walked in front of me, blocking my path.

I wanted to say something, but it felt like my throat was on fire, and I couldn’t speak. Tears just kept falling. When he saw the tears on my face that I hadn’t wiped away, his clear eyes turned red again.

We looked at each other for a long time without saying a word, only sighing and crying. He lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry… my dad broke my phone, and he took out the SIM card. They took away my phone and deleted all of you…”

I asked in confusion, “All of them? Your old friends?”

He nodded. “My dad didn’t want me to have any more contact with the people from before, afraid that I would come back to find you, so…”

I interrupted him. “Okay, don’t talk about the past anymore. It’s over; what’s the point of bringing it up again? We both have our own lives now. We shouldn’t always live in the pain of the past! Your dad did the right thing, and your grandpa was right, our family is just a small village doctor. If we were together, your life would probably only have one path! But if you establish a foothold in the big city and see a broader world, your life will have countless possibilities!”

Wen Wen held my hand tightly and said, “No. If my life is without you, it’s like a night without a moon! To me, even if I’m successful, even if I have countless choices, what’s the point? I’ll still be aimlessly wandering in the dark! Without you, how can the colors of life blossom? What’s the use of those so-called choices?”

I pulled my hand away and looked at him calmly. “Life in this world is like a short journey. No one can be with anyone forever. In our lives, there will be many passersby who come and go, but everything is predestined! We can’t decide who comes and goes. We can only choose to cherish the time they were with us! So, don’t be sad. Our worlds are fundamentally different. Even if we break through the constraints and force ourselves to be together, we won’t end up well! It’s better to just let nature take its course…”

Wen Wen blinked his tear-filled eyes and looked at me with a bitter smile. “Maybe you’re right! Next to you, I seem so childish. I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through this past year! Since you’ve already let go, I should learn to do the same! But, I’ll still say this: meeting you in this life was a gift from God! And not being able to be with you just means I don’t have that luck! Yuan Zi, promise me that no matter how cold our relationship gets in the future, you will never give up on your future! Your life will definitely be amazing, don’t give up on yourself easily, okay? Just like how I found out your math is this bad!”

I lowered my head and scratched my nose. “Okay, I promise you! You also have to live well, study hard, and find the right person who truly understands you and is blessed by your elders. And also, forget about me! Wen Wen…”

Under the moonlight, a crystal tear rolled down his handsome face. It was the last time I would ever wipe away his tears. He smiled faintly. “Yuan Zi, this is the last time I will ever cry for you. You have to take care of yourself from now on! Maybe we’ll never see each other again, but I still want to tell you that liking you was the happiest thing in the world! You have to be well, okay? Li Yuan, you idiot!”

I looked at his tearful face, and my vision blurred. Those warm hands I remembered from my memory wiped away my sadness for the last time.

We came to the cat’s grave. Wen Wen picked a bouquet of flowers. “Mimi, from now on, I might not have much time to come see you. You have to reincarnate soon and be reborn into a good family!”

I pulled the weeds around the small mound and patted it. “Mimi, it was a blessing to have met you in this life, and I regret losing you! If there is a next life, I want to meet you in a different way and be the one to protect you! Okay?”

The evening breeze blew gently, and the crescent moon on the willow tree was also leaning slightly. The clear river water flowed gently, and we sat back to back on the soft cattails from our childhood…

(Narration) They couldn’t change reality. Even if they felt wronged, what was the use? This was fate, a winding road that couldn’t be described. With their imminent separation, the two of them sat back to back on the soft cattails, just like they did when they were young, telling each other about the misunderstandings and regrets that made them laugh and cry over the years. Every word was filled with sadness and helplessness. The two of them lay on the grass, counting the stars and recalling their childhood fun, when they suddenly looked at each other and smiled, as if they had thought of something…

“Yuan Zi, let me catch stars for you one last time. After tonight, maybe we’ll really never see each other again.”

“Okay. Let’s relive our childhood memories one last time. Wen Wen, I wish you ‘may you ride the winds and cleave the waves, and set your sail to cross the sea.'”

Wen Wen rubbed his red eyes and looked at me. “Then I wish you, Yuan Zi, ‘do not worry about having no bosom friends on your journey, for in this world, who does not know you…'”

(Narration) In the quiet night, the cicadas chirped, and the water lilies rested peacefully on the water, listening to the beauty of the night. Under the vast starry sky, the clear river water reflected the sparkling stars, and the two young figures appeared once again under this starry sky. The bright moon still leaned on the willow tree, eavesdropping on their laughter, just like it did back then. In the long river of life, the memories they shared will undoubtedly be the most unforgettable memories of their lives…