Chapter 37

The sunlight was harsh.

Yun Huizhi walked along, camera slung over her shoulder, following behind her mom and little sister.

Her sister was discussing with their mom what gifts to buy for her paternal grandparents to bring back. Yun Huizhi deliberately slowed her pace, hanging back a few steps.

That was a family that didn’t belong to her. Standing nearby, just listening, felt incredibly awkward.

It also made her a little sad, because she didn’t have the good fortune to buy gifts for her grandmother anymore.

Her grandmother had left her, more thoroughly than anyone else, never to return.

She walked slower and slower. Her mother stopped, turned around, and asked gently, “Tired? Let’s find a shop and get something to drink.”

“Okay.”

Towards her mother, deep in her heart, Yun Huizhi harbored a primal longing—to be close, to act spoiled, to be unreasonable like a child.

But she couldn’t. It had been over a decade since she had been close to her mother, let alone act spoiled around her.

Her mother was now someone else’s mother.

Yun Huizhi could relax around her aunt, but not with her mom.

And naturally, not with her dad either.

In front of her mom, she could still manage her temper and display a proper degree of obedience and respect. But towards Yun Yong, she had far less patience.

Because her dad’s personality clashed with hers, and he owed her much more.

Her mother, in her eyes, had simply found her own happiness. That was only natural.

But speaking on a deeper level, neither parent felt that important to her now. Dispensable.

Because back when they divorced, neither of them had considered taking her with them. She had been a burden.

The kindness they showed her now felt more like compensation, given now that they had the means.

Mended clothes, no matter how carefully patched, were never the same as they once were.

Even if the surface looked undamaged, there had to be traces of the repairs hidden on the inside.

Because of their unspoken farewells, for a very long time, Yun Huizhi had no sense of security. Saying she didn’t resent them would be a lie.

The love her grandmother gave her had helped her regain her confidence and let go of those grudges.

She had told Chu Ruoyou about her insecurity. She had said she hated leaving without saying goodbye. Under the influence of alcohol, she had shown vulnerability in front of Chu Ruoyou, expressing her deep unease about farewells.

She believed Chu Ruoyou understood her.

Because when she had described her dream to Chu Ruoyou, Chu Ruoyou had said she was very lonely. Even though she hadn’t thought so herself, in that instant, it had struck a nerve.

And when she had cried in front of Chu Ruoyou, Chu Ruoyou had also said she wouldn’t leave.

So for things to go so inexplicably wrong like this—she couldn’t stay calm and detached. She couldn’t completely not blame Chu Ruoyou.

Before leaving, Chu Ruoyou had asked Little Zhang two questions: one, how long she had been staying at the inn; two, whether her aunt was the inn owner.

Upon later reflection, Yun Huizhi realized that Chu Ruoyou asking such things likely meant she had already sensed, earlier on, that she wasn’t so short on money.

That afternoon, Chu Ruoyou had also abruptly asked if she had ever lied, saying she’d trade secrets with her.

At the time, that topic had seemed so out of the blue. It wasn’t that Yun Huizhi hadn’t sensed anything, but subconsciously, she had been too afraid to think too deeply about it.

She had been too preoccupied with hiding her own guilt and confirming Chu Ruoyou’s feelings to give it proper thought.

Before Chu Ruoyou arrived, all she had done was put away her luxury goods. In their daily interactions, she hadn’t deliberately acted poverty-stricken to uphold her persona.

Performing too realistically might be convincing, but she hadn’t wanted to be a complete fraud, nor had she wanted to attract unnecessary pity.

She had felt that even if Chu Ruoyou pointed it out directly, it wouldn’t matter. If Chu Ruoyou asked her outright, she wouldn’t panic.

She had money. She had never lacked money. So what?

Who said someone with money couldn’t play at being a tour guide and a lover to experience life?

And besides, did the inn being owned by her aunt automatically negate her supposed poverty?

Maybe she was just living under someone else’s roof, trying to earn some money through her own efforts to save up.

Why did Chu Ruoyou assume she had lied?

What reason was there to leave without a word because of this, as if the bond between them had never existed?

Yun Huizhi couldn’t understand. Or rather, she could understand the reasons, but she couldn’t accept Chu Ruoyou’s way of handling it.

To promise and then go back on it was a vile thing to do.

If leaving was purely because of this, then there was a glaring contradiction:

Chu Ruoyou had also left her a sum as “tuition.” What was that all about?

Yun Huizhi puzzled over it endlessly without reaching an answer.

A few nights ago, a sudden thunderstorm had kept her awake. In her gloomy mood, a guess had surfaced:

The tuition money was deliberately left by Chu Ruoyou to make a point, to humiliate her!

It served her right for being full of lies.

[You pretended to be a broke student selling your company, so here’s an extra fee for that service.]

She imagined Chu Ruoyou’s internal monologue.

This wasn’t vilifying Chu Ruoyou. Chu Ruoyou’s personality was exactly like that. If she knew she’d been deceived, she would definitely express it somehow.

Strangely, thinking this way only made her miss Chu Ruoyou more.

She liked that cold, sharp edge in Chu Ruoyou, that aura that warned people not to mess with her—which was exactly why she wanted to mess with her.

She pretended her mood was the same as always, going about her business, secretly nurturing her discontent.

But the fact that she missed Chu Ruoyou couldn’t be changed. Every night, hugging the pillow Chu Ruoyou had slept on, her heart felt sour and bitter, with the occasional faint sweetness rising to the surface.

As the longing grew thicker and thicker, so dense it clouded normal reasoning, she began to have other speculations.

Maybe Chu Ruoyou’s two questions were just casual, a red herring.

Chu Ruoyou hadn’t seen through her at all. She had genuinely, sincerely left tuition money for her, and then fled in a panic.

Why flee in a panic?

Could it be because she had fallen for her?

Yun Huizhi started getting narcissistic again. She looked in the mirror. A girl as fresh-faced and beautiful as her wasn’t easy to find. Leave this place and you wouldn’t find another.

This was obvious.

Chu Ruoyou must have been happy with her. After all, the daily payments weren’t cheap. A whole half-month in this crappy little town—who would stay that long?

She had even confessed during that time. Chu Ruoyou hadn’t agreed, but she hadn’t brought herself to leave, either.

Then later, she had promised to stay in touch, to wait for her in Xiacheng, to take her to the temple to pray for academic success, and to sponsor her studies.

If that wasn’t “like,” then what was? Yun Huizhi wasn’t stupid, nor blind.

So Chu Ruoyou must have panicked, right? Taking the opportunity while she was out with a friend to quietly slip away, because she couldn’t bear to face her.

Unable to say goodbye face-to-face, afraid she would cry again and she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

It was possible.

Before talking to Teacher Liu Fu, Yun Huizhi had oscillated between these two theories daily.

If Chu Ruoyou had left in anger because of her lies, then she needed to explain. She might even chase after her and plead for reconciliation.

If Chu Ruoyou had left because she developed real feelings and feared the uncontrollable consequences, then she could only respect Chu Ruoyou’s current choice.

She couldn’t just rush over and bother her, adding to her troubles.

Yun Huizhi had told her mom she wanted to be a teacher. After saying it, she hesitated and said she needed to think more.

Pursuing someone who left without a word—it wasn’t wise.

But from Liu Fu, she had discovered that Chu Ruoyou was also a big liar. Full of lies.

She had never had a failed marriage. Her family was actually worried about her being single at her advanced age. As for the “ex-husband’s sexual dysfunction,” that was pure nonsense—a cover for her own lack of bedroom experience that nearly gave her away.

Since they were both liars, Yun Huizhi felt much better. Neither owed the other anything, really.

She would pay the money back anyway.

Before Yun Huizhi could fully digest this revelation, she saw the photos Chu Ruoyou had posted.

Posted, then deleted. Her intention was abundantly clear.

Yun Huizhi let out an internal Hmph.

Chu Ruoyou was conflicted too, wasn’t she?

What was the meaning of those photos? Did she want to treat her to crayfish again?

Catching a glimpse of this fleeting nostalgia from someone so heartless should have been a happy thing. And indeed, Yun Huizhi did feel giddy for a while.

But after calming down, she felt a bit angry. That night, she pathetically shed a couple more tears.

Chu Ruoyou truly was a notorious bad woman. She did whatever she pleased, leaving Yun Huizhi’s mind in total chaos.

After crying and drying her tears, Yun Huizhi stroked her half of the only Polaroid photo of them together, faces pressed close, both smiling.

To make the color stand out nicely, they had both put on vivid lipstick.

“I don’t care if you want to see me or not. I’m going anyway. I’ll annoy you to death. Let’s see you bully me again.”

After resting at the dessert shop and returning to the inn, Yun Huizhi was still absent-minded. She asked Little Zhang and found out that Liu Fu’s family had already checked out and left.

She sighed.

Little Zhang said, “Now you’re sad every time someone leaves.”

“You’re wrong. If you leave, I’ll definitely be cheering.”

Yun Huizhi spat venomously.

“Unfortunately, you won’t get the chance to cheer.”

In the evening, Yun Huizhi’s little sister came over to cling to her, saying she wanted to ride on the back of her bicycle and go for a spin, and also wanted to visit the night market for snacks.

“Don’t bring Mom.”

There were only the two of them in the room, but the girl still whispered in Yun Huizhi’s ear.

So, Yun Huizhi went to ask.

Yun Huizhi’s mom usually didn’t let her youngest out of her sight for a second, but this trip, she wanted to bring Yun Huizhi back to Xiacheng. She also hoped Yun Huizhi would build a stronger bond with her little sister.

So, she agreed.

As if granted amnesty, the two sisters hopped onto the bike joyfully and escaped the adults.

The little sister sat on the back, hugging her tightly, which warmed Yun Huizhi’s heart.

The little girl asked softly, “Sis, what’s your relationship with the big brother at the front desk?”

“So young, and already a little gossip.”

Yun Huizhi laughed but still answered seriously. “Just normal friends. He’s boring as hell. I don’t think much of him, and he doesn’t like how much I talk.”

The little girl seemed thoughtful and said, quite maturely, “No common language—that’s a no-go. Then does Sis have someone she likes?”

“Did Mom tell you to ask?” Yun Huizhi felt helpless.

“Nope. But I heard her ask Aunt that question, so I got curious too.”

Yun Huizhi smiled. She wanted to test how trustworthy her little sister was. “I’ll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret. Can you do that?”

“Absolutely!”

“I have someone I like in Xiacheng. She might like me back, or she might not. I’m not sure. Tell me, should I go bother her? Would that count as harassment?”

This was the kind of thing adults hesitated to give advice on, let alone a child.

But Yun Huizhi felt like talking to her.

The girl said to her, “If you’re not sure, Sis, then go find out. If you don’t take the initiative to find out and you’re the one feeling anxious, then you’re the one at a disadvantage, right?”

“Ah Yun, how are you so smart?” Yun Huizhi whistled.

“I saw it in a movie. So whenever I have a fight with a friend, I’m always the one who apologizes first. If I stay mad, I’m the one who suffers.”

Yun Huizhi felt that sometimes, adults really weren’t as clear-headed as kids.

They ate and drank until nightfall. The little girl patted her round little belly. “So happy. Mom usually says stuff is dirty and I can’t eat it. I was so hungry for it.”

“Just don’t get diarrhea, or I’m dead meat.” Yun Huizhi ruffled her hair.

Singing, the sisters returned to the inn, planning to share a bed and whisper little secrets.

But then, joy turned to disaster.

They were already in the courtyard when Yun Huizhi, busy looking at the moon, lost control of the bike’s weight. It suddenly toppled over.

Trying to hold onto the little girl, she couldn’t steady herself and fell to her knees. Her leg scraped up, a patch of wound that drew blood.

Thankfully, it didn’t happen while riding on the road, so the fall wasn’t too hard, nor the pain too bad.

It was just that her delicate skin made the injury near her knee look somewhat ghastly.

Having an injury and not selling the misery—that would just be dumb.

She decided to test the waters. On the way to treat the wound, she posted a photo of the injury online.

[Wuwuwuwuwu, car accident, hurts so much.]