Chapter 145: Accident
The sound of clinking bowls and chopsticks, and the trickling of water, echoed in the kitchen. The girl’s parents were still chatting in the kitchen. The Spring Festival Gala was playing on the TV in the living room. The lingering smell of food slowly dissipated through the open window, and the cold night wind took the opportunity to blow in. The just-right temperature in the room suddenly dropped.
He Mu Qing was only wearing thin clothes and felt a little cold. She shrunk her neck and leaned against the boy like a little kitten who liked to lie by the stove. She twitched her perky nose, her long eyelashes trembling. The boy’s fresh and warm scent made her restless heart even more agitated.
“This is not good at all. It seems to be getting more and more boring.”
She pointed to the program on the TV and stretched lazily, lying flat on the sofa. Her long, white, and round jade legs were placed on the boy’s legs without any scruples.
“There should be a skit later. The magic show hasn’t started yet. Just wait.”
Su Yu glanced at the girl. Her slightly closed eyes were filled with a hint of drowsiness. It seemed that every New Year’s Eve was like this. She would complain that the Spring Festival Gala was boring before it was even halfway through. She would rather lie on the sofa than go to sleep, and she had to stay up until the end of the program.
He put the coat that was on the sofa on the girl’s delicate white calves. His fingertips accidentally brushed against the soft flesh through a layer of flesh-colored stockings.
The girl’s body trembled, her well-defined muscle lines tensing, becoming a little stiff.
“Cough cough… this song is quite nice.” He Mu Qing closed her eyes and suddenly chimed in.
“Didn’t you just say it was boring…”
“I said the dance was boring! Who said… who said the song was boring?”
The girl covered her face with her clothes, her muffled voice coming through the fabric. She dragged out her words, her soft and gentle voice sounding like she was acting spoiled. “Su Yu, I’m so sleepy~”
“If you’re sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t stay up late.”
“No.” He Mu Qing refused outright, her tone a little childish, like a spoiled young lady in a manga. “We always watch the Spring Festival Gala together every year. We have to stay up until the end.”
Su Yu didn’t respond, silently focusing on the song and dance performance on TV. Truthfully, he found it rather dull as well. The mellifluous melodies flowed past his ears like water, leaving no lasting impression. Yet, he still cherished this lazy, comfortable moment—it felt as though something precious was within reach, if only he stretched out his hand.
Mother He came out of the kitchen and closed the half-open window. The howling cold wind was blocked outside, and the temperature in the room rose again. The air became warm and thick, as if the passage of time had also slowed down or even stopped.
“Su Yu… what’s your New Year’s wish?”
He Mu Qing swung her legs, her shoe tips hitting each other, attracting Su Yu’s attention.
“Hmm… I haven’t thought about it. But if I have to make one.” Su Yu thought for a moment and said, “I hope you can perform exceptionally well in the college entrance examination and get first place in the class… no, first place in the grade.”
“Why did you make my wish? What about me then?”
He Mu Qing lifted the clothes from her head and slightly raised her head, her light and tired eyes filled with confusion.
“Don’t you have any other wishes?”
“Then I’ll have to think again…”
“Then take your time. No rush.”
“Mm-hmm, then I’ll think about it.”
The girl nodded, her smile sweet.
Time flowed silently, and finally all the programs ended. The Spring Festival Gala, as usual, played the finale song “Unforgettable Tonight.” The familiar song echoed in the quiet living room. The hour hand was about to reach the end of New Year’s Eve. The dark night sky was twinkling with scattered stars, but they would soon be replaced by the brilliant fireworks, welcoming the arrival of the new year.
Su Yu watched as the girl stopped swinging her feet, her eyes completely closed, her slender eyelashes casting a fan-shaped shadow, her breathing steady. He was worried that the girl would catch a cold if she fell asleep like this. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Mother He rushing out of the bedroom and meeting his gaze.
“What’s wrong?” Su Yu asked softly.
“Isn’t the parent group chat for your class still not disbanded? Your teacher just sent a message, saying that they are raising donations. A parent of a child in your class has committed suicide…”
“Who…” Su Yu’s heart trembled. It was hard for him not to associate the two sensitive words “suicide” and “donation.” He tried his best to keep his expression unchanged, but his voice was still a little shaky. Unease, like a poisonous snake, wrapped around him, its wet and soft tongue flickering. Its tough and powerful body tightly gripped his body, and a terrible sense of suffocation welled up in his chest. His heart pounded.
“Who is it?”
“It’s the girl in your class who always gets first place. The very pretty one. I saw her when I went to your parent-teacher conference. Her name is Xia… Xia Qian Ge. Her mother seems to have committed suicide.”
“Xia… Qian Ge.”
Su Yu felt his vision blur. The outlines of the objects in his sight became indistinct. He covered his throbbing temples. The living heart in his chest was beating violently, pulling at his nerves, a raw pain. He murmured the name, “Xia Qian Ge…”
“Are you okay?”
He Mu Qing was woken up by his voice. She took her legs off him and forced her sleepy eyes open, staring at his flustered and helpless expression, her voice full of worry.
“I… I’m fine.”
His thin lips were bitten a little white. He forced a smile and shook his head. The memory and the cold reality had an irreversible deviation, which made him fall into a baseless self-doubt. If a different timeline from his previous life had really occurred, and he was the only variable, then the source of the matter must be him.
Xia Qian Ge’s mother had committed suicide? Why had he never heard of such a thing in his previous life? Because of him? Or was it just a small accident? No… it must be because of him.
Su Yu slowly stood up. He grabbed the festive red couplets on the table, a forced smile on his lips. “It’s getting late. I’ll be going now.”
“Oh, you’re leaving? Then go back and get some rest early. You have nowhere to go during the New Year. Remember to come over for dinner.”
“Okay.”
He Mu Qing watched as Su Yu walked to the door. The boy bent down with some difficulty and silently changed his shoes in the entryway. He tied his shoelaces very tightly, the blue veins on the back of his fair and slender hands bulging. But it couldn’t hide his pale and weak, dejected expression.
Her cherry-pink, moist lips were bitten white. She was really happy today. How could a third-year high school student who stayed up late to review every night be sleepy?
She had made a clumsy excuse to get closer to the boy. Even now, the fresh and sunny scent of the boy still lingered on her body. The Spring Festival Gala was not boring at all. She wished there were hundreds or even thousands more programs, and that the hands of the clock would stop. Then… then she could spend a little more time with the boy. But…
It was this name again… Xia Qian Ge. This name was like a heavy mountain pressing down on her, ruthlessly depriving her of all her courage.
He Mu Qing suppressed the sob in her voice and asked with the last bit of her strength, “Where are you going? Didn’t you say you don’t like her anymore? And it’s really late. Can’t you not go?”
“I…” Su Yu looked up at the girl. He lied without any reason. “I’m going back to sleep. I’ve been sleepy for a long time.”
“Mm-hmm, then go back and get some sleep early. She’ll get through it. At worst… I’ll go and see her with you tomorrow.”
He Mu Qing nodded heavily and immediately squinted her eyes and smiled brightly, as if she had believed his casual lie without any hesitation. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year.”
Su Yu went out the door. He walked down a few steps and then looked up at He Mu Qing, who had not yet gone back. “Good night.”
“Yeah, good night.”
After saying good night to each other, He Mu Qing really went back into the house. The door, which was covered with small advertisements, was then heavily closed. The crisp sound echoed in the quiet and cold corridor.
Su Yu lowered his gaze and slowly walked downstairs. Every step he took seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He walked to the door of his house, took out the key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. The door opened with a sound. He looked at the deep darkness in the house. The night wind blew through the hall, and it was bone-chilling.
He stared blankly for a while, then slammed the door shut. The spring couplets in his hand were wrinkled. He let out a breath and ran downstairs.
