“The blind owner didn’t lose his sight because he smoked all year round. It is because he had cataracts. It was not serious at all, but then he has the great pressure under his shoulder to send his two sons to school, so he was reluctant to spend money on his treatment. He never went to see a doctor and then he smoked all year round that it became serious little by little.” 

 

“It was not easy to make a decision to go under an operation, but when he finally did, his son had gotten into an accident. His 13-year-old child decided that it was a good idea to jump off the sixth floor. Can you believe it? Although he did not end up dead, his leg sure got broken. Do you think the couple was sad because of what happened? They only have their tears to wash their faces every day. It was just the worst.” 

 

Yang Yue sighed. “I do not know the whole story, but this person’s life is just, ah! If he can take care of his business then he should’ve taken care of himself too. Imagine how much more delicious food he could make when he could make everything this tasty while cooking without sight, right?”

 

Both Zhuo Luo and Yu Ziguo were on the verge of crying after hearing Yang Yue’s story. They nodded desperately with the red tints around their eyes.

 

Meanwhile, Lu Qi Feng and Jian Songyi could not help but set their eyes on Bai Huai. Bai Huai’s expression looked no different. He still looks calm and indifferent as usual.

 

After slowly eating what was on his plate, he wiped his hands and stood up: “I’m going to the bathroom.”

 

With that, he went to the bungalow.

 

When Yang Yue saw him leaving, he swallowed a few pieces of meat in his mouth with great effort, and then shouted at his throat, “The bathroom is upstairs. Don’t let it out anywhere if you couldn’t find it!”

 

By the time he finished, Bai Huai had already come out of the bungalow and went straight to the stairs. Maybe he had just asked the landlady for directions, or he might want to go somewhere else.

 

Jian Songyi looked at his back for three seconds and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

 

Every time Bai Huai was in a bad mood, he would be like this, as if nothing had happened, but he would leave by himself, and it was not until he was adjusted that he appeared again.

 

When Jian Songyi thought of this, he could not help but be a little upset. “I’m going to the bathroom too.” He then stated before standing up.

 

Jian Songyi walked faster than normal, making long strides each step he goes just so he could catch up to Bai Huai. “Are you going to the restroom and not come back? Then you’d tell me that you have diarrhea and you needed to go as soon as possible? That it is convenient not to see other people until you feel fine?”

 

Bai Huai paused.

 

Jian Songyi then took a deep breath. “Bai Huai, I am seriously telling you now. I am angry.”

 

Bai Huai slowly turned around and looked down at Jian Songyi.

 

He was already five centimeters taller than Jian Songyi, but he looks like a giant to him now as he had advanced two steps on the staircase already. Bai Huai is so much taller than Jian Songyi and had the need to tilt his head up, showcasing his sharp jawline upward. It was enough to make him look aggressive.

 

“Bai Huai, I am really pissed.” He insisted, his voice sounding a bit colder than usual.

 

Bai Huai lowered his eyes: “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have lied to you that it’s alright.”

 

“I’m not fucking mad that you lied to me.” There is a bit more dryness in the cold voice, “I am angry that every time something happens to me, you are there, but when something happens to you, you just want to carry it on your own every time.”

 

“The last time that you went to Beicheng for the exam, you obviously met Wang Hai. Lu Qi Feng saw you and Wang Hai in an argument back then, but you didn’t say a word to me. You didn’t even see anyone for two fucking days. I mean, I understand that we didn’t have a good relationship back then so it’s all good…” Jian Songyi trailed off.

 

“…But this time? I am obviously asking you, but you still won’t say anything about it. And you’re even planning to pay the whole bill before disappearing into thin air! Is that right? Do you even regard me as your friend?”

 

“Bai Huai, you didn’t do anything wrong from beginning to end. You are also a victim. Why on earth do you have to blame yourself? You even went to Beicheng for three years? “

 

“For three years, I didn’t see you. You didn’t even call or message me on WeChat. You didn’t even dare reply to my messages for New Year greetings, and then you’re just suddenly going to pop back into my life as if nothing happened. What do you think should I think? How can I not be angry? How can I not hate you?”

 

“It’s not easy for me to be mad at you right now, but you’re doing it all over again. When I think about it, you used to lock yourself in your room the whole day and night just because of that stupid thing. You didn’t say a word to me for two to three weeks. And before I know it, you left. You were gone without even saying goodbye. I was fucking bored waiting for you and then you just left me alone in a blink of an eye.”

 

Jian Songyi breathed 

 

“…So if something happens to you in the future, will you stop thinking about hiding without even talking to me? Just inform me if you are unhappy today, if you were unhappy yesterday, or if you feel like you’re going to be unhappy tomorrow. Just please tell me and let me fucking coax you.” Jian Songyi lets out another deep sigh before turning around to look over at the withered vines clustered around the iron fence.

 

Bai Huai looked down at Jian Songyi.

 

His beautiful eyes were a little red from his overflowing emotion. Jian Songyi’s hands are resting against his hips while his chest rapidly goes up and down while he is mindlessly kicking stones impatiently.

 

He is really angry. 

 

Bai Huai suddenly felt a lot of pain in his heart. A sharp piercing pain kept striking his heart one after the other. He always thought that Jian Songyi hated him ever since just because of his temper and his limelight. He did not expect that Jian Songyi would be mad at him because he left without leaving a proper farewell.

 

He has been nothing but selfish. He had misunderstood everything.

 

Bai Huai only knew about his loneliness and his unspeakable bitter love for someone that would never happen. He only thought about his confusion and struggling, but he had never realized that a certain someone would miss him if he left him alone in Nancheng.

 

He always felt that Jian Songyi would be fine for he has everything: lovely and loving parents, many and lively kind-hearted friends, countless people who like and adore him. He thought that he has so many people who cherishes him that it doesn’t matter if he lost one. 

 

Bai Huai doesn’t talk to Jian Songyi about many things, but it’s not because he doesn’t care for him. It’s all because he cherishes him too much that he doesn’t want him to feel burdened about it. To him, Jian Songyi is an innocent child that he shouldn’t scar. If he could, he would not share the dark corners of the world. He would do everything he can for him to stay under the sun and the bright light of happiness.

 

But it ended up that it was not the case and he failed.

 

Bai Huai never regretted leaving Nancheng so much as he does now.

 

He dared not imagine the fact that after he left, Little Songyi would hide under his blanket alone as he wanted to make a phone call. How Litlle Songyi must’ve mentally debated whether to call him or not to demand a reason why he left and when would he come back. That he always thought for a long time and canceled again and again until dawn.

 

He couldn’t dare thought the scenario after Jian Songyi send out the holiday greeting. The way he would wait and stay on WeChat to wait for his avatar to light a red dot on its corner, so they can start talking about their past and the good ol’ times. 

 

He also dared not tell Jian Songyi that he had avoided Jian Songyi so much because he had differentiated into an Alpha. And the fact that he had chosen to leave not because of the accident, but because of Jian Songyi’s inexplicable mind that the others exposed him in that accident.

 

Bai Huai is aware that this may or may not boil down to the fact that he loves Jian Songyi so much, and his words are probably just from the standpoint of a best friend he grew up with. But no matter what position it was, Jian Songyi never lied to him. Their relationship is different from the others. For three years Bai Huai owed Jian Songyi, he didn’t know how to give him a proper explanation nor ask how to make him forgive him. He could ask for forgiveness for the rest of his life and it may not still be not enough.

 

For a while, Bai Huai opened his mouth slowly, his voice deep and gentle: “I am sorry. It’s all my fault. I won’t leave nor avoid you anymore. I always coax you, so can you coax me too by giving me a hug?”

 

The afterglow of the setting sun is scattered on the withered vines, and it is said that only when the old and withered branches are broken will a new green grow next spring.

 

Add as the time passes by: year by year, it only gets better and better. 

 

 

 

……….

NOTE: I’ve made changes since I’ve just recently figured out that Yang Yue is indeed a man. From this chapter to those that are going to follow, he would be addressed as ‘he’. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.

 

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