A cold, emotionless voice drifted from her lips.
Bai Yueming felt an unprecedented sense of oppression wash over her entire body. “I am.”
Yin Han Sou took a sip of the coffee in her hand.
Not sweet enough.
No matter how much sugar she added, it still tasted bitter.
…
It seemed nothing could compare to that ordinary, plain soy milk from this morning.
…
Yin Han Sou slid a note over. “I’ve heard your story. Since you helped Yun Hui before, I thought I’d lend you a hand this time as well.”
Bai Yueming was momentarily stunned. She took the note and glanced at it, her face filled with shock. “You… know?”
“I only have one condition: take care of my little girl when I’m truly unable to. If you can do that, this note is yours. If you can’t, then I’m sorry—it doesn’t belong to you.”
Bai Yueming stared at the note in her hand, her heart churning with turbulent waves.
…
Barbecue Shop.
Meng Yao and Yun Hui ate heartily. By the time they left the barbecue shop, their mouths were smeared with unwipeable red stains.
“This barbecue shop is pretty good!” Yun Hui said, wiping her mouth with a tissue.
Meng Yao lifted her head proudly. “Of course! Don’t underestimate my ability to scout out good places. Whenever you eat out with me, you never end up disappointed.”
Yun Hui: “You could write a food guide! Especially for people like me who love eating but can’t find good places!”
Meng Yao smiled confidently. “Once I’ve eaten my way through Haicheng, I’ll definitely write a food guide!”
Rubbing her stomach, Yun Hui had just stepped through the school gate.
The entrance was sparsely populated that afternoon, easing her social anxiety a little.
After walking only a few steps, she saw Bai Yueming approaching her.
“Yun Hui, Meng Yao.” Upon seeing the two, Bai Yueming quickened her pace.
Meng Yao was puzzled. “Huh? Yueming, are you looking for us?”
Bai Yueming waved at Yun Hui. “Yun Hui, come here!”
Confused, Yun Hui walked over to Bai Yueming.
“Your ‘sister’ is our new roommate…”
Yun Hui’s eyes widened. “Wh-what? Sister Han Sou?”
“Yes.”
Sister… came looking for me!
Meng Yao curiously glanced at the two. What big secret were they plotting now?
After whispering for just a few moments, Yun Hui’s face turned as red as an apple.
How strange… Are they hiding something from me?
Before Meng Yao could react, Yun Hui spoke up first. “Meng Yao… I… I’m heading back to the dorm first!”
Meng Yao nodded. “I’ll stroll around for a bit. I ate too much.”
Watching Yun Hui scamper back to the dorm, Bai Yueming’s smile only grew wider.
Yun Hui’s shy demeanor was just too amusing.
Bai Yueming raised an eyebrow. “Meng Yao, the new roommate is Yun Hui’s… close friend.”
Huh?
“Close friend?”
Bai Yueming suppressed a laugh. “Yes, a very close friend. Didn’t you know? Think about why we saw them together at the restaurant before. Was it really just a painter and model relationship? Think carefully—Yun Hui even slept at her place. If they’re not close friends, what are they?”
If they’re not a couple, what are they?
Meng Yao pondered thoughtfully. “Oh, right, no wonder we haven’t seen much of her lately. She’s probably been sticking with her close friend. Back in middle school, I used to share a bed with my close friend every day. But later, we ended up in different schools, so we don’t hang out much now.”
Bai Yueming rolled her eyes inwardly at Meng Yao. This girl was so dense—she’d managed to twist her words into a perfect little ball.
Since when does one blush when meeting a close friend? It’s normal for friends to exchange a playful jab or two when they meet…
“Alright, you should go for your walk now. I need to visit an old friend somewhere else.”
Meng Yao combed her ponytail while looking at her phone screen: “Go ahead. After all, I’m the only one in the dorm with a partner—someone to keep me company~”
At this, Bai Yueming couldn’t help but chuckle.
She was the only one in the dorm with a boyfriend.
“Hey, hey, hey? Are you jealous of me? Laughing so loudly.”
Bai Yueming looked down at the “loli” beneath her: “Alright, I’m so envious of you. Go stroll around your track. I really have to go now.”
Meng Yao left.
Yueming opened her phone. The wallpaper was a photo of two girls embracing and kissing.
The photo captured a young, love-struck Yueming and her “girlfriend.”
Seven years… almost time for her to be released.
She stood alone in her world, waiting for another person for seven years. Without any other attachments, she waited wholeheartedly for seven years.
Every year, she would send letters, recording all the good and bad things she had experienced over the years on paper to send to her in prison.
When she was younger, she loved science, and everything she did followed strict logic. But even rigorous propositions can have paradoxes.
She discovered she had fallen for a girl she shouldn’t have.
When a cup shatters, it’s never just one corner that breaks.
When they were together, she had told Bai Yueming that if she had the ability, she would definitely apply for the Chinese Language program at Haicheng University because there was a professor there she greatly admired. Her home was filled with his famous works, and during self-study periods at school, she would open that thick book to read.
In her eyes, language was the most beautiful gift heaven had given to humanity.
There are too many things in the world that don’t go as planned—so many that even the heavens can’t count them all.
Bai Yueming, who loved science, ultimately resolutely applied for the Chinese Language program, going against her own aspirations—she wanted to fulfill the “out-of-reach” dream of the person she loved.
For this, she repeated two years of study, almost fighting her way through to barely make it into Haicheng University.
It wasn’t until she arrived at the university that she discovered the professor she admired had already retired from Haicheng University, and she had already lost the love of the person she held dear.
Fear of the unknown isn’t scary; the most terrifying thing is actually time.
They say true love is eternal, but the arrows shot by Cupid are immediately eroded by time…
Who can be sure that what has befallen them is true love?
She scrolled through her contacts and found a familiar yet unfamiliar number.
“Uncle Zhang, can I visit her in a few days?”
“Yueming, she doesn’t want to see you.”
Bai Yueming paused for a moment: “I want to see her. It’s only once a year…”
“Child, even if you go and the visitation application is approved—she still won’t see you.”
Bai Yueming spoke gloomily: “Uncle Zhang, could you do me a favor? Just tell her it’s her family coming to see her… Please…”
The person on the other end was silent for a long while: “You need to understand, your relationship is already on the verge of breaking. If you do something this extreme now, I don’t know what she might stir up.”
“Originally, she was supposed to be released next year, but after seeing you once, she went back and got into a fight with an inmate, adding a few more months to her sentence.”
…
“I really miss her… I have a way. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her…”
I miss her so much… so much that it overwhelms all reason.
“What can you do? Don’t you know what her family situation is like now? Her parents see you as nothing but bad luck…”
“There’s an older sister willing to help me… please, Uncle Zhang… I really want to see her.”
The man on the other end fell silent for a long moment. “Can I trust you?”
Bai Yueming: “Nothing will go wrong this time, I promise…”
“Alright, then I’ll help you with the paperwork first.”
Hearing Uncle Zhang’s words, Bai Yueming’s anxious heart finally settled.
Finally… I can see her.