Chapter 4

Si Chun could hardly believe what she had just heard.

The girl before her was still wearing Jiarui’s uniform—a white T-shirt and short gray skirt. Her black hair fell obediently around her shoulders, while tears welled in her deep blue eyes and spilled down her cheeks in large drops.

The girl said nothing more. She merely watched Si Chun in anxious silence, waiting eagerly for an answer.

Si Chun felt as though the young Ling Yan’s tears were breaking her heart. Without thinking, she moved around the dining table, sat beside her, and pulled her into an embrace.

Tears dampened Si Chun’s shoulder. She gently patted the girl’s back and comforted her softly. “All right. I’ll talk to my mom.”

This was not a child’s naïve idealism. Si Chun knew that she and her mother were capable of caring for another person, and she also knew Ling Yan’s character and integrity.

Besides, Ling Yan truly was living in a terrible environment. Si Chun could hardly imagine how much suffering she must have endured at home to cry like this, clutching the helping hand offered by a stranger as though it were her last lifeline and refusing to let go.

“Wipe your tears first, then finish eating, okay?” Si Chun handed her an entire packet of tissues, then returned with a bowl of egg-drop soup. “You need to [bailiantales.com]fill your stomach before you’ll have the strength to deal with anything.”

Worried that Ling Yan might be too upset to eat, Si Chun took a couple of bites herself, then secretly glanced at her twice.

The girl chewed slowly, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she gradually finished the meat skewers with the soup. The compartment of her tray containing vegetables was soon empty, and even the extra rice Si Chun had deliberately served her was completely gone.

The sight left Si Chun both relieved and heartbroken.

The Ling Yan of the future suffered from a chronic stomach condition. Sometimes, after an exhausting day or whenever she was in a bad mood, she would return home unable to eat. She would take a few bites of vegetables before putting down her chopsticks, and she could manage only a small portion of rice.

Si Chun had once contacted a classmate from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and asked them to examine Ling Yan. But whenever Ling Yan became busy, she could not even remember to take her medicine. Her treatment was constantly interrupted and resumed, until it ultimately came to nothing.

Now that she had returned to their youth, when everything was only just beginning, Si Chun was determined to get to the bottom of what had happened and find out whether Ling Yan’s stomach condition could be prevented in advance.

She patiently waited until Ling Yan set down her bowl and chopsticks before asking, “What about tonight? If you…don’t want to go back tonight either, you can stay at my house. We have a guest room.”

No relatives ever visited their home. After her divorce, Ms. Si Jiao had completely severed ties with all the awful people in both her own family and her former husband’s family. She had gone far away and even changed her full name, refusing to let anyone disturb the peaceful life she shared with her precious daughter.

But Si Jiao had still believed that they should have a guest room. If she someday made a very close friend, or her daughter brought a dear friend home in the future, they could not very well squeeze into the same bed. So when the faculty housing was renovated, she had specifically asked the workers to set aside a guest room, and they always kept fresh sets of bedding at home.

The girl froze, then asked timidly, “Can I really?”

Her deep blue eyes blinked in disbelief, looking like vivid sapphires.

Resisting the urge to rub the little kitty’s head, Si Chun nodded solemnly. “Mm-hmm! Of course you can!”

She accompanied the young Ling Yan to walk around the running track and digest her meal. Once she judged that enough time had passed, she brought her back to her mother’s office.

As expected, Teacher Yu and Ling Yan’s uncle, Ling Decai, were both there.

The moment he saw Ling Yan, the man hurriedly said, “Yanyan, it’s about time we went home. Your younger cousin’s schoolwork…”

“I’m sorry, Uncle, but the school nurse said Ling Yan has injuries on her body and hands. I’m worried about her, so I hope she can come home with me and stay for one night to settle her nerves. We also have medicine at home,” Si Chun immediately interrupted. “Don’t worry, Uncle! Ling Yan is very sensible. She won’t cause our family any trouble.”

Ling Decai froze but still insisted, “Thank you. I appreciate your kindness, but we’re Yanyan’s family. We’re related by blood, so naturally, she should come home with her uncle. That’s the only way she can receive better care…”

“That’s not right.”

He suddenly heard the silent girl speak softly. “None of that is right.”

“The three of you are the real family, aren’t you?” Ling Yan lifted her eyes, her loose black hair partially obscuring them. Her voice remained calm, but her words showed no mercy. “I’m a cash cow, a free tutor, and a troublesome burden you can’t easily discard. The only thing I’m not is your blood relative.”

“Uncle, children aren’t like grown-ups who understand all the rules. They aren’t as bold, and they aren’t as good at keeping secrets. Since we’re family, for the sake of preserving your reputation in front of outsiders, I think it would be better if certain things weren’t explained too clearly. Don’t you agree?”

Her beautiful eyes turned cold, filled with an indifference and contempt that did not belong to someone her age.

Ling Yan no longer had any intention of showing this family the slightest courtesy.

They knew she always listened to her family. They also knew that she had just lost her parents, making her particularly desperate for familial affection and care, and that her [bailiantales.com]sense of gratitude left her unable to resist them. Yet they had taken advantage of all this to suppress and control her psychologically in every possible way.

They exploited her excellence while fearing that she might become too outstanding. So they broke her wings, belittling her and manipulating her with endless insinuations until they trapped her alive within a walled prison.

How could a twelve-year-old child who had not yet emerged from overwhelming grief possibly have anticipated such schemes?

She had no one beside her to confide in. The words and actions of her classmates, teachers, and family repeatedly stabbed at her, constantly insisting that everything was her fault.

But all she had wanted was justice for herself and a stable environment in which to study. She only wanted to remain, from beginning to end, the outstanding student and good child her parents had hoped she would become while they were alive.

“The child has clearly suffered a severe fright. It’s perfectly understandable that she wants to stay somewhere she feels safe,” Teacher Yu said solemnly, taking over the conversation. She then looked at Si Jiao, who had been listening from the side. “Teacher Si, would that be convenient?”

“Of course,” Ms. Si Jiao replied without hesitation. “Our home is close to the school. It’s only two streets away, so there’s no need to worry about being late tomorrow. She can have breakfast at school.”

“Then Ling Yan will go home with you tonight.” Teacher Yu nodded, then turned toward the man who had fallen silent. “Mr. Ling, I hope your family will seriously consider transferring this outstanding child to another class. I’ve taught for thirty years, and I would never allow school bullying to occur in my class. You can rest assured if you entrust your child to me.”

Ling Decai could certainly see that the two teachers were working together. But when he remembered his son tearfully complaining that “Sister called me useless” and said he would “rot at home and mooch off his parents for the rest of his life,” he hesitated briefly before agreeing.

His elder brother’s daughter was nowhere near as easy to control as he had imagined. Her remarks about being a “cash cow” and his “reputation” made cold sweat break out across his skin. He felt the same bone-chilling dread as if a water ghost had set its sights on him.

He even suspected that Ling Yan had already discovered he had paid several idle, delinquent underachievers to deliberately pick on her.

In theory, an obedient child barely into her teens would learn to rely on her family after encountering a few setbacks outside and being knocked down hard enough.

Yet this stubborn brat could neither be coaxed nor coerced, and her little tongue might as well have been dipped in poison. Instead of becoming dependent on him, she had left him unable to save face in front of outsiders.

After perfunctorily exchanging a few polite remarks, Ling Decai hurried out of the office as though fleeing.

“Let’s go. Ask the evening self-study teacher for leave.” Si Jiao patted Si Chun’s shoulder. “We need to go home and prepare a room for Ling Yan. And…you have something you want to discuss with Mom, don’t you?”

No one understood a daughter better than her mother. After seeing Si Chun take such attentive care of a transfer student and even take the initiative to invite her home for the night, Si Jiao could roughly guess what she would hear once they returned home.

Precisely because she had raised Si Chun by herself, she understood better than anyone how difficult it was to raise a child and what challenges came with adding another mouth to the household.

But when she heard that Ling Yan’s parents had died unexpectedly the previous month, that the uncle’s family who had adopted her lacked integrity, and that they had an ignorant younger son with no interest in studying, Si Jiao also wanted to give the girl a helping hand. She did not want to stand by and watch such a promising child fall into the same situation she herself had once endured.

–

Sitting in the car on the way to Si Chun’s home, Ling Yan gazed at the night scenery outside the window, still somewhat dazed.

…Just like that, she had followed Si Chun home during their youth.

In Ling Yan’s eyes, Si Chun and her mother were both exceptionally, exceptionally kind people.

When she and Si Chun had first confirmed their relationship three years ago, Ling Yan had gone home with her once and met Ms. Si Jiao, the familiar music teacher from her middle school days.

If there was anything Ling Yan remembered fondly about Zhiting No. 3 Middle School, it was Teacher Si Jiao—earnest, forthright, and flamboyant, like a slender ray of moonlight illuminating her bleak life.

Only Teacher Si had cared about her condition. She would even approach Ling Yan [unauthorized copy]after class and ask whether she felt unwell and needed to visit the school nurse.

Whenever Ling Yan performed well in class, Teacher Si would also be the first to applaud. She never held back her praise, telling Ling Yan how wonderful she was and pointing out every one of her strengths.

After recognizing each other again that year, Ling Yan had thought that she was fortunate fate had allowed her to encounter both the greater and the lesser moon.

But she was destined to be a bottomless abyss, and the moons should not shine upon her forever.

“Are you in the habit of eating a late-night snack?”

Si Chun’s voice pulled Ling Yan out of her thoughts. “Whenever I come home after evening self-study, I eat something, read for a while, and then go to bed. Mom always prepares food for me.”

Ling Yan had almost started shaking her head when she suddenly remembered all those nights in the future when Si Chun had specially prepared stomach-friendly late-night snacks for her. No two meals were ever the same, and Si Chun had always catered to her tastes. After hesitating for a few seconds, she asked, “Could I have noodle soup with a fried egg?”

Si Chun’s eyes curved with her smile. “Of course! We still have some tomato soup base at home. It’s only seasoned with salt, but the tomatoes Mom bought are naturally sweet and tart, so it tastes really good. If you like it, shall I add some for you later?”

Ling Yan had eaten the tomato soup base Si Jiao made several times before. Hearing this, she could not help swallowing. She instinctively looked toward the read the original at bailiantales.com young Si Chun, but the image that flashed through her mind was the smiling face of Si Chun, her girlfriend.

The longing she had suppressed for more than half a month suddenly surged and churned within her heart, catching Ling Yan completely off guard. She stared blankly at the young Si Chun, frozen in place.

Entangle herself with her.

Hold her tightly once more.

Shamelessly remain by her side, day and night. Even if she pierced Si Chun with her thorns or drowned her, it did not matter…

“Ling Yan?”

Like a cultivator in a fantasy novel on the verge of succumbing to an inner demon who suddenly heard a calming Buddhist chant, Ling Yan abruptly came back to her senses and escaped the state that had been dragging her down into the mire.

“…I’m sorry. I was only thinking about what I should say to my uncle and aunt, and how I can retrieve all the money my parents left me,” she murmured.

In the past, she had craved familial affection and a real family far ​read the original at bailiantales.com​too desperately. When she turned eighteen, she had actually agreed to let her uncle and aunt amend her parents’ will, personally surrendering the inheritance her parents had left her.

Yet all she received in return was their merciless decision to throw her out of the house.

She had been unbelievably foolish.

Fragments of words accompanied the memories that quietly surfaced in her mind. Ling Yan could almost hear the laughter woven through the demons’ whispers.

The next instant, something soft and warm suddenly covered the back of her hand.

“We can take our time and make a long-term plan for all of that. Right now, you only need to think about escaping.” Si Chun held the hand beside her and leaned close to her ear, soothing her softly. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here! Mom and I will catch you!”

Warm breath brushed into her ear, completely drowning out the vicious words that had surfaced within her heart. They transformed instead into the impassioned calls from their future moments of pleasure—

“My dearest, dearest Ling Yan.”