“In my senior year of high school, my childhood sweetheart fell in love with the school bully.”
“He took her to skip classes, taught her to smoke and drink, causing her grades to plummet.”
“Unable to bear seeing her degenerate, I told her parents everything when they asked.”
“From then on, she was strictly supervised by her parents.”
“On the night she and the school bully planned to elope, she was stopped by her parents and failed to keep the appointment. Unfortunately, the school bully died in an accident.”
“Later, with the matchmaking of our parents, we got married and had a child.”
“During a car accident, to protect her and our child, I was knocked flying.”
“In the last moment before my consciousness dissipated, she leaned close to my ear and said, “The daughter is not yours. I’ve never loved you. I married you just to take revenge on you.”
“In her resentful gaze, I took my last breath.”
“When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my senior year of high school, on the day the school bully asked her out.”
“1”
“Li Zhuoran, Huo Fei asked me to go out and play with him tonight. Do you think I should go?”
I stared blankly at the young and pretty face in front of me.
Suddenly, I realized that I had been reborn, back in my senior year of high school.
Seeing me in a daze, Qi Qi waved her hand in front of my eyes and complained, “Why aren’t you talking?”
Qi Qi was my childhood sweetheart.
She was a dance student, taking the path of art college entrance examination.
She had a slender figure, outstanding temperament, and excellent professional grades.
The only drawback was that her academic performance was too poor.
And I was in the top – class aiming for Tsinghua and Peking University. With my grades, I could at least get into a 985 university, striving for Tsinghua or Peking University.
At the request of her parents, I would set aside three evening self – study sessions every week to tutor her, helping her get into her dream Beijing Dance Academy.
Previously, I thought this was wonderful.
We could go to Beijing together. I would find the right time to confess my love to her, and we would get married and have children as our parents expected, becoming a real couple of immortals.
Our future was laid out in front of us. With a little effort, we could reach it.
But then, Huo Fei appeared.
“2”
Like Qi Qi, Huo Fei was also a well – known figure in the school.
He had an outstanding appearance, and his family background was a mystery.
Countless girls were attracted to him but dared not show it too obviously.
After all, Huo Fei had a bad temper, was perverse, violent, and slovenly, not taking anyone seriously.
I heard that this week, he made another English teacher leave in anger. Even the principal couldn’t do anything about him.
Yet, such a person successfully caught Qi Qi’s attention.
“I know his reputation is bad, and everyone is afraid of him. But last time I was blocked by some hooligans, he saved me. He’s nothing like the rumors. He’s really a nice person, cold on the outside but warm – hearted.”
Qi Qi propped her chin, her face like a peach blossom.
When talking about Huo Fei, her eyes lit up, as if filled with stars all over the sky.
Completely different from when she saw me.
In our previous life, on the day we got married, even her best friend cried and asked me to treat her well.
But Qi Qi, the protagonist, could maintain a neither – too – cold – nor – too – warm, just – right smile all the time. From beginning to end, her emotions didn’t fluctuate much.
Later, I learned that because she didn’t love me, she could stay calm like an outsider.
When she really loved someone, even if she covered her mouth, her love would still show in her eyes.
“3”
“Li Zhuoran, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been silent. You can’t judge people by their appearance. Don’t think I’m trying to whitewash Huo Fei. What I said is the truth!”
Qi Qi already had an answer in her heart.
Asking for my consent now was just to drag me in.
If her parents found out, she could say it was me who let her go, making me take the blame.
She had been like this since she was a child.
I was half a year older than her and always regarded myself as her elder brother.
Every time she got into trouble, I would step forward and take the blame for her. She also enjoyed my kindness to her with ease.
But now, I didn’t want to do this anymore.
Seeing me not answering, Qi Qi said in a compromising tone, “Okay, okay. I admit, I want to go. Please help me. You don’t have to do anything. Just don’t tell my parents. When they ask how the tutoring is going, just say it’s going well.”
Qi Qi suddenly got close to me, put her hands together, and looked at me with deer – like eyes, pleading, “Please, please.”
She always knew how to manipulate me.
Just as I was about to speak, there was a commotion outside the classroom.
The classmates were talking about it one after another, “Ah, it’s Huo Fei. Why is he here?!”
Huo Fei was standing at the door, with a tall and straight figure, standing out from the crowd.
Although I was also a man, when I saw this face, I had to admit that he was really good – looking.
So good – looking that it made people feel inferior.
Huo Fei leaned against the door panel and casually asked Qi Qi, “Have you decided? Are you going?”
The surrounding discussions became louder.
“So he came to find Qi Qi. But isn’t Qi Qi going to study by herself with Li Zhuoran tonight?”
“You’re stupid. If you were to choose between Huo Fei and Li Zhuoran, of course you’d choose Huo Fei! He’s a handsome guy!”
“Boring. Not studying in senior year of high school and doing this kind of thing. They’ll regret it in the future.”
Huo Fei looked impatient. After glancing at everyone, he kicked the door panel, “Don’t you want your mouths anymore?”
Everyone immediately fell silent.
Qi Qi looked at me with pleading eyes.
I said indifferently, “If you want to go, go. I can’t control you.”
After experiencing all that in the previous life, I deeply understood a truth –
Let go of the savior complex and respect others’ fates.
Qi Qi jumped up happily and even gave me a hug.
“I knew Brother Zhuoran, you’re the best to me!”
The classmates exclaimed in surprise, “Wow!”
But Qi Qi quickly let go of me. The faint fragrance on her body still lingered at the tip of my nose.
Qi Qi had a quiet and reserved personality and was recognized as a aloof goddess. She was rarely so lively and proactive.
If it were the old me, I would definitely be overjoyed, as if I had received some great favor.
But now, I just wanted to continue pondering the finale question on the test paper.
Huo Fei’s expression changed subtly. He walked between us and quietly separated us.
“Then let’s go. Book – worm, you’re not allowed to tell her parents, or you’ll be in big trouble.”
He casually took off my glasses and threw them on the table, then curled his lips, “Tsk, you look even uglier without glasses.”
There would be no good end in contact with him, and I didn’t need to cause trouble for myself.
I put on my glasses again and said to Qi Qi, “I won’t be your shield. If you don’t want me to tutor you in the future, you can tell your parents clearly.”
Qi Qi nodded randomly in agreement and took out a lunch box from her schoolbag and stuffed it to me, “You eat both of these. Don’t waste them! My mom made them with great efforts!”
Qi Qi’s mother remembered my kindness in tutoring Qi Qi. Every day when she sent food to Qi Qi, she would also send a portion to me.
Before I could say anything more, Qi Qi ran towards Huo Fei and shouted, “Hey, wait for me!”
“4”
In the previous life, despite my dissuasion, she still went out with Huo Fei.
He took her to skip classes, causing her already not – outstanding grades to drop even further.
Qi Qi’s mother asked me the reason. I really couldn’t stand it and told her everything.
Qi Qi’s father and mother were furious and sent Qi Qi to a special cultural tutoring school, strictly supervising her.
Before the college entrance examination, they planned to elope. Qi Qi was stopped by her mother and failed to keep the appointment. And on that night, Huo Fei died in an accident.
Qi Qi wanted to commit suicide for love. The Qi family had no choice but to sell their house and accompany Qi Qi to study abroad.
Six years later, when we met again, she was already a well – known dancer, beautiful and elegant. Every smile and gesture was fascinating.
When talking about the past, she would still say with a smile, “I was too young and naive at that time. You were doing it for my own good.”
With the matchmaking of our parents, we got to know each other, fell in love, got married, and had a child.
Until a large truck came. Almost instinctively, I pushed her and our daughter away.
But when I was carried onto the ambulance, Qi Qi leaned close to my ear and said,
“The daughter is not yours. Every time you were on a business trip, I would bring a man home.
“I’ve never loved you. I married you just to take revenge on you. Do you know how I’ve been living these years? Every time I think of him, my heart hurts so much that I almost die.
“Sacrificing your life to save someone else’s daughter, Li Zhuoran, you deserve it! You killed the man I loved the most in my life. This is retribution!”
In her resentful gaze, I took my last breath.
Not only that, in the previous life, in order to save her, I got myself into trouble.
Huo Fei brought people to block me in the top – class aiming for Tsinghua and Peking University every now and then, writing “snitch dog” on my desk and test papers, and asking me to crawl under his crotch.
I refused, and he pinned me down on the podium and beat me up. I tried to fight back, but there were too many hooligans around him, and I would only be bullied even more severely.
Only when the teacher came could the farce end temporarily.
This kind of thing happened frequently.
At that time, I was just an adolescent child with a sensitive mind and little experience.
My study was greatly affected.
After the news of Huo Fei’s death came out, Qi Qi blamed all the mistakes on me.
In guilt, pain, and uneasiness, I ended the most important exam in my life.
When the college entrance examination results came out, I dropped out of the top thirty in the school for the first time and got into an ordinary, lower – tier 985 university.
This had always been a regret in my heart.
And this time, I must get into Peking University.
God gave me a chance to restart my life, so I will go all out.
“5”
The next time I saw Qi Qi was in the corridor of the gymnasium.
I had just finished my PE class and was told by the teacher to put away the sports equipment.
Qi Qi was wearing a cheap leather coat, with a row of metal ear clips on her ears and exaggerated smoky makeup on her face.
I hadn’t seen her for a long time.
The art class and the top – class aiming for Tsinghua and Peking University were separated by two floors. If she didn’t come to me, generally, we wouldn’t meet.
And I was busy studying recently and really had no interest in those true or false gossips.
Seeing me, Qi Qi skillfully put a cigarette into her mouth and exhaled smoke.
She looked no different from a street girl hooligan.
How could I forget that she always thought this was cool.
Qi Qi’s father and mother had only this one daughter and were very strict with her.
Qi Qi had been a good girl since she was a child.
But sometimes, when she heard the sound of the street racers downstairs, she would stretch her head to look down and then sincerely sigh, “So cool! This is what youth should be like!”
Deep in her heart, there had always been a rebellious self.
And the appearance of Huo Fei was like a small piece of sodium thrown into calm pure water, igniting and shining.
This violent reaction disrupted her mood, making her no longer suppress her true self.
Seeing these students dressed like hooligans, the monitor beside me was obviously stunned and shrank back behind me.
The conversation about the math competition questions stopped abruptly.
I gave her a reassuring look and said, “Monitor, you can go back to the class and rest first. There aren’t many things. I can carry them back to the equipment room by myself.”
The monitor looked at me gratefully, then at the unfriendly hooligans, and after a moment of hesitation, still said, “It’s okay. We’d better go together.”
Qi Qi impatiently “tched”.
The hooligan behind her quickly said, “Don’t you see our sister – in – law has something to say to him? Be sensible and get out of here!”
Qi Qi curled her lips, seemingly very satisfied with this kind of words.
I said to the monitor, “It’s okay. Monitor, you can go first. I’ll solve that competition question for you before the evening self – study.”
After the monitor left, Qi Qi raised her eyebrows and asked me, “Li Zhuoran, I heard you’ve been getting close to a girl recently. Is it her?”
Last week, we changed seats, and the monitor became my deskmate.
She entered our class with the last place in grades. Although her foundation was a bit weak, she was very diligent. God always treats diligent people differently.
My grades were a little better than hers, so she often asked me questions. Sometimes, even when we met in the cafeteria, she would come up and ask me to answer them.
But this kind of thing, I didn’t need to explain to Qi Qi.
So I said, “It has nothing to do with you. Ask your friends to make way. I’m in a hurry to go back to class.”
Qi Qi said somewhat complainingly, “How can it have nothing to do with me? We grew up together! How could you fall in love without telling me?”
“I have to say, your monitor is just a little fatty. If you’re with her, you’ll be ashamed to take her out in the future! I really don’t know what you see in her.”
She wrinkled her nose, looking very disgusted.
“Of course, if you find a girlfriend as beautiful as me, I certainly won’t stop you.”
She blew a puff of smoke at me, smiling flirtatiously.
Caught off – guard, I was severely choked and bent over, coughing up a lot of tears.
I have asthma, and inhaling such irritating smells can easily trigger an attack.
Qi Qi clearly knew this, yet she still did it.
She laughed heartily along with those hooligans.
It suddenly occurred to me that Qi Qi had always known I liked her.
So in the previous life, she used this as a weapon to take revenge on me.
How foolish I was to think that she had truly fallen in love with me and recognized my kindness.
After a while, I managed to say,
“The monitor is very nice and smart. Appearance isn’t the only criterion for judging a person.”
“She and I are just ordinary classmates. Not everyone’s youth is solely about love.”
My words were rather blunt.
Qi Qi’s expression changed. She threw away the cigarette butt and said, “Li Zhuoran, you’re so boring!”
She kicked over the plastic bucket filled with equipment, and badminton balls rolled all over the floor.
As if still not satisfied, she stepped on the badminton balls and walked past me.
The hooligans followed suit.
I stood there, looking at the flattened badminton balls on the ground, feeling rather disheartened.
What kind of person had I fallen in love with before?
“6”
Time in senior year of high school passed quickly, and soon it was time for the first mock exam.
Soon, I could test the results of my hard work during this period.
I rushed to finish my dinner and had just walked a short distance from the cafeteria when I met Qi Qi.
She grabbed my arm, “Here you are! Li Zhuoran, help me!”
Instinctively, I tried to break free, but she held on even tighter.
“The exam is coming soon, and I haven’t studied anything. If I do poorly, I’ll be in big trouble! My mom will definitely send me to a closed – door tutoring school!”
“How can I meet Huo Fei then? I’ll die without him.”
“Brother Zhuoran, please help me. Give me your notes. I promise I’ll study hard!”
There she was, looking pitiful .
She seemed to be certain that I wouldn’t refuse her.
I said straightforwardly, “Didn’t you say you don’t need my tutoring anymore? So I haven’t taken many notes recently.”
This was true.
I had memorized all the key points in my mind and kept consolidating them while doing exercises. There was no need to waste time writing notes.
Moreover, the notes I wrote for myself were extremely concise, skipping steps, and she might not understand them.
Joy flashed across Qi Qi’s face, “It doesn’t matter. As long as you’re willing to help me. I’m in a hurry for the notes. You can stay up all night to organize them. One night should be enough.”
“Give them to me tomorrow, got it? Otherwise, there won’t be enough time, and I’m afraid I can’t memorize them all.”
Before coming to me, she had already planned how to take advantage of me.
I shook my head, “I can’t help you. Staying up all night would make me lack energy for the whole week, affecting my exam state.”
Seemingly not expecting me to refuse, Qi Qi furrowed her beautiful brows, and her voice involuntarily became shrill.
“How can you not stay up all night?! When you promised to tutor me, didn’t you also stay up to organize notes for me? Why can’t you do it now?!”
She took it for granted.
As if I should be at her beck and call and tolerate her without limits.
I made it clear, “That was before. You wanted to study before. But now… I don’t want to waste my time.”
Qi Qi glared at me angrily, pointed at my nose, and cursed,
“Fine, so you can study well. Big deal! I’m telling you, not many people with good grades become bosses!”
“You have such a low EQ. You want to succeed? Dream on!”
She couldn’t hurt me at all.
What could be more hurtful than the words she said in the previous life?
After throwing out the harsh words, she deliberately slowed down when she left.
She was waiting for me to catch up, waiting for me to make peace, waiting for me to say I was willing to organize the notes for her.
Just like many times before, I actually called out to her.
Qi Qi turned around, folded her arms across her chest, looking confident.
I continued, “Oh, by the way, you haven’t told your parents that the tutoring has been canceled, right? If you don’t say it, I will.”
“But I’m not good at lying. If they ask me why, I might let something slip.”
Hearing my words, Qi Qi’s face turned livid, “Damn it, Li Zhuoran, you remember this!”
Her gaze was as if she wished she could kill me.
But I didn’t care anymore.
Between her and my future, I chose the latter. I should have realized this earlier.
“7”
After the evening self – study ended, as soon as I left the school gate, I heard the roar of a motorcycle.
Huo Fei, carrying Qi Qi, stopped steadily in front of me, blocking my way.
Following them were a group of colorful hooligans.
I asked, “What’s the matter?”
Huo Fei glanced at me but didn’t answer. He just took out a cigarette box from his pocket, and immediately a hooligan came up to light it for him.
He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, chin raised, “You made my girlfriend angry? Four – eyes, you’re really bold.”
Qi Qi hugged his waist, looking triumphant, “Li Zhuoran, say you’re sorry, and also, stay up all night to tutor me these few days. Then I’ll ask my boyfriend not to pursue this.”
This was really asking for too much.
I never thought she could be so shameless.
Perhaps she had always been like this.
It was just my love that gave her a shiny golden glow.
I sighed softly, “I don’t want to cause trouble. But Qi Qi, I’ve always kept your affairs a secret. If I tell your parents, can you still be so carefree?”
The smile on Qi Qi’s face froze.
I continued, “You know how much your parents dote on you. If they find out that you’re hanging out with hooligans and dating in school, will you be able to go out in the future?”
Huo Fei looked disdainful, “So what if they know? Worst case, I’ll visit my father – in – law and mother – in – law. With such an excellent son – in – law like me, they should be happy!”
What a confident statement.
Qi Qi threw the cigarette box at me, furious,
“You really think I care about your notes! Book – worm! I have my own way. Just you wait!”
“Honey, let’s go!”
Huo Fei made a fist gesture at me from afar, then left with a large group of people.
That night, Qi Qi’s mother called me, “Xiaoran, thank you for tutoring Qi Qi these days. You have good grades, and with the college entrance examination coming up soon, you should spend more time on yourself.”
Qi Qi must have said something bad about me.
Most likely, she said I was too busy with my own studies and didn’t care about her.
Obviously, it was she who didn’t want to study, yet she shifted all the blame to me.
But it didn’t matter anymore. Since that’s the case, in the future, no matter what happens, her parents can’t blame me.
Her affairs were completely none of my business.
The first mock exam ended soon, and the school gave us a half – day off, which was rare.
I took a nap at home. After dinner, I rushed to the evening self – study.
As soon as I entered the classroom, I heard someone say, “Have you heard? Qi Qi and Huo Fei were caught cheating! The school is going to call their parents!”
So this was what Qi Qi meant by “having her own way”.
The continuation, “Guess what happened next? Qi Qi actually knelt down to the grade director, asking him not to tell her parents! Huo Fei thought she was embarrassing and kicked the door and left!”
Someone asked, “And then?”
“And then, the grade director actually didn’t pursue it!”
Another person exclaimed, “Damn, is this even possible?”
“After all, she’s so beautiful, has a good figure, and cried so pitifully. Who could resist? The grade director is also a normal man.”
I really couldn’t stand it anymore, “Watch your mouth.”
That male classmate sneered, “She doesn’t like you, yet you’re still protecting her. Li Zhuoran, do you think you’re really affectionate after being a licking dog for so long?”
He spoke very rudely, causing laughter all around.
“I’m not protecting anyone. I’m just stating the facts. Although modern society is more inclusive, you can’t talk nonsense.”
This person usually liked to show off. Being refuted by me, he suddenly lost his temper, “Li Zhuoran! Are you looking for a fight?”
“A gentleman uses his words, not his hands. If you can’t win an argument, you resort to violence. You’re really a despicable person.”
Having worked in the workplace for several years, in terms of being sarcastic, none of these high – school students could compare with me.
At this time, the monitor suddenly shouted, “The grades are out!”
Immediately, everyone rushed over and surrounded the monitor, squeezing tightly.
The monitor said helplessly, “Give way. Let me paste the grade list first, and then you can check it yourself.”
I also wanted to see it, but I couldn’t squeeze in.
Better memorize some words and wait until they were all done checking.
The monitor walked up to me and handed me a note. On the note was clearly my grade.
“I copied it for you. It’s a small effort. Li Zhuoran, you’re amazing! Ninth in the grade!”
Ninth in the grade!
You know, in my previous life, my best grade was only eleventh.
Indeed, as long as you charge forward wholeheartedly, there will definitely be rewards.
I stretched a long stretch and then continued to bend over the desk, writing quickly.
“8”
Half a semester passed quickly.
Time seemed to be on a fast – forward, and it was a bit overwhelming for me.
My dad flipped through the grade report and exclaimed, “Sixth in the grade. Not bad, son. If you keep this up, getting into a C9 university should be no problem.”
I nodded, “I’ll keep working hard.”
My goal was Peking University, and I still needed to work harder.
My mom said, “It’s a pity about the Qi family’s girl. She was just diagnosed with depression. She has no interest in studying at all, and her grades have dropped significantly. Her parents are wondering if they should let her take a break and take the exam next year.”
Depression?
She was really good at finding excuses for herself.
I said, “If she takes the exam next year, this year’s school exam results for the Beijing Dance Academy will be invalid.”
Qi Qi had been learning to dance since she was a child.
Countless days and nights, countless bruises, and countless times she shed tears but still persevered in the dance studio.
She had aimed at the Beijing Dance Academy since she was a child, determined to get into this top – tier dance institution.
In that midsummer when the cicadas were chirping loudly at the age of sixteen, we agreed to go to Beijing together, to the most prosperous city, to see the most beautiful scenery in the world.
But unfortunately, that day would never come.
I would still strive to fly to a bigger and broader world.
As for her, I couldn’t care less.
My mom sighed, “Yes, no one knows what the situation will be like next year, whether she can get in or not. Xiaoran, you and Qi Qi are the best friends. Her mom asked you to talk to her more and help her relieve stress.”
I directly refused, “I can’t help.”
I wouldn’t interfere in her affairs anymore.
She had to taste the bitterness of life herself.
I didn’t want to have anything to do with Qi Qi, but she came to me on her own initiative.
On the weekend, while my parents were out, she knocked on my door.
“Aren’t you the best to me? Brother Zhuoran, please help me.”
It was the familiar opening line.
She only remembered me when she was in trouble.
I looked indifferent and was about to close the door, “I still have test papers to do. Go back.”
But she forcefully inserted her arm into the door gap.
I had no choice but to let her in.
As soon as she sat down, her tears fell.
“I’m pregnant.”
The glass in my hand, which I was holding a water cup with, shook, and it shattered on the ground.
“Brother Zhuoran, I don’t have money for an abortion. You know my parents watch me closely. I use all my pocket money to buy cigarettes, and now I don’t have a penny.”
“Lend me a few thousand yuan. I’ll definitely pay you back later.”
I told the truth, “I don’t have any money either.”
Qi Qi grabbed my arm, her eyes full of tears, “You must be able to think of a way! You’re so smart!”
I shook my head, “I can’t.”
She stood up angrily and accused me,
“We grew up together. How can you bear to see me in such pain?”
“I know. Are you hating me for choosing him instead of you? But Brother Zhuoran, feelings can’t be forced. I’ve always regarded you as my brother, my favorite brother.”
She was really overthinking.
I wasn’t that petty.
I just knew too well the consequences of helping her.
I asked, “Does Huo Fei know you’re pregnant?”
Qi Qi rubbed her hair irritably.
“He doesn’t know! Why should he know?! I’ve been so good to him. I gave him the most important thing of mine, and he actually wants to break up with me!”
“I want him to regret it! I want him to know that he killed his own child with his own hands!”
I was a bit speechless, “Read less unnutritious novels. He won’t regret it.”
“If I were you, I would seek help from my parents.”
Qi Qi glared at me fiercely, “I knew you had bad intentions! If my parents know, I’ll be beaten to death! How can I be with Huo Fei properly in the future?”
“If you don’t help me, I’ll find a way myself! Li Zhuoran, I’ve seen you clearly. You’re heartless! All these years we’ve been playing together, I might as well have fed them to the dogs!”
After saying that, she left without looking back.
With a loud “bang”, the door was slammed shut by her.
She didn’t even give me a chance to persuade her.
Forget it. You can’t wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.
“9”
Later, I heard about what happened from my mother.
When the hospital called, Qi Qi’s mother was shopping with my mother.
Qi Qi had a big accident during an abortion in a small clinic.
The small clinic was somewhat conscientious and immediately called 120. But the situation was serious, and finally, the doctor had to remove her uterus.
When Qi Qi’s mother received the call, she could hardly stand.
Outside the operating room, she wailed, “Our Qi Qi has always been so good. How could this happen?!”
Qi Qi’s father asked me about the relevant situation.
I was silent for a while, then replied, “I’m sorry, uncle. I’ve been busy studying recently and haven’t seen Qi Qi for a long time.”
“You know, our classes are far apart.”
After such a big thing happened, it would seem too heartless if I didn’t go to visit Qi Qi.
After her condition stabilized, I went to the hospital on a rest day.
Just as I walked to the door of the ward, I heard Qi Qi ask, “Does Huo Fei know I’m in the hospital? No, he surely doesn’t know. If he knew, he wouldn’t not come.”
Qi Qi’s mother cried silently.
Qi Qi’s father smashed his phone and cursed, “You’re still thinking about him even in this situation! What on earth is in your head?!”
Qi Qi looked at the ceiling, her face pale, and didn’t answer.
I put down the cordyceps and fruit basket in my hands and said to them, “Uncle and aunt, let me talk to her. You go have a meal first.”
As soon as Qi Qi’s parents left, the calm in the ward was broken.
Qi Qi was emotional and wanted to throw a pillow at me.
Before she could throw the pillow, she was in so much pain from the large movement that tears streamed down her face.
After a long while, Qi Qi said resentfully, “I don’t want you to see me! Now that I’m like this, you’re satisfied, right? If it weren’t for you not helping me, would I be like this?”
“Li Zhuoran, it’s all your fault!”
I peeled an apple for her.
She took it and then threw the apple out of the window in front of me.
I wasn’t angry. These were just childish tricks.
“I don’t have the habit of laughing at others’ misfortunes. I told you to tell your parents earlier. But you didn’t take my advice. Now, you’ve brought this upon yourself.”
“Huo Fei is already with another dance student, who is your friend.”
“They’re together all day long. The whole school knows about this.”
Qi Qi gritted her teeth and said, “That shameless bitch! She even steals her friend’s man!”
I couldn’t help but sigh.
But she shouted,
“I just had a fight with Huo Fei. He’s just trying to make me angry on purpose! He won’t like anyone else!”
“It’s just a minor operation. Don’t think I’m pitiful! Youth is for squandering. I don’t regret it!”
“Pity yourself. You study all day long, and I don’t see you living a happier life than me!”
Her tone was so firm.
But why did I seem to see tears in her eyes?
“10”
I quickly put this matter out of my mind and continued to devote myself to my studies.
Qi Qi had parents who loved and cared for her. It wasn’t my turn to worry about her.
Even my mother was very surprised, “Didn’t you like Qi Qi the most? After such a big thing happened, you seem like nothing happened and didn’t even go to the hospital to see her much.”
So my feelings were that obvious.
“I do feel sad, but she’s already eighteen. She should be responsible for her choices. Being sad for her won’t change anything.”
The direction of fate is actually hidden in our choices.
But every time, Qi Qi made the wrong choice.
What’s more regrettable is that she didn’t stop in time but chose to keep making mistakes.
Now, she couldn’t blame anyone.
My mother then let out a sigh of relief, “I was worried that you’d be impulsive and get yourself involved. Now it seems you’re much more sober than I thought.”
This happened in the previous life, but this time, it was impossible to happen again.
My mother sighed, “It’s really strange. She was such a good child. How could she become like this?”
A month later, Qi Qi was discharged from the hospital.
When I went out to take out the trash, I happened to see Huo Fei shouting and cursing at her door,
“Who cares? Don’t think I don’t know. She’s become a woman who can’t have children!”
“I’m telling you, even if you force me to marry her, I’ll still find someone else to have children for me!”
“Sue me? It was your daughter who came onto me and let me sleep with her! “
After this incident, Qi Qi’s father made a scene at the school.
Huo Fei was finally expelled from school and really became a useless hooligan.
It could be considered that he got what he deserved.
He saw me and said with a smile, “Four – eyes, you live right across the street. Why don’t you marry her? It’ll be convenient for us to communicate in the future.”
He leaned close to my ear and said, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t marry her. Anyway, she can’t get pregnant, so you don’t need to be responsible. Just play with her like I do and throw her away when you’re tired.”
I finally couldn’t hold back and threw a punch.
Huo Fei spat, “Damn it. I was kind enough to teach you how to take advantage, and you dare to hit me!”
He fought all year round, and his punches were fast and fierce.
I was quickly knocked to the ground.
Huo Fei cursed while hitting me, “Who doesn’t know your little thoughts? If you like Qi Qi, just go for it! What kind of good guy are you pretending to be now?”
Just as I was about to smash him with a wine bottle from the trash bag, there were cries of surprise from the Qi family.
Qi Qi’s mother fainted.
Her health was already poor, and she had been overworked during this period. Being enraged by Huo Fei, she was directly sent to the hospital.
There was a commotion.
When I came to my senses, Huo Fei had disappeared. He was afraid of taking responsibility.
Fortunately, Qi Qi’s mother was not in serious condition.
Later, I heard that that night, when Huo Fei was driving back at a high speed, he had a car accident. By the time the ambulance arrived, he was already dead.
His death was tragic. His face was beyond recognition.
I knew this day would come sooner or later.
Qi Qi cried heart – rendingly and wanted to see Huo Fei for the last time.
Qi Qi’s father and mother locked the door and wouldn’t let her out.
But Qi Qi climbed out of the window at night, lost her footing, and fell from the second floor.
With this commotion, her old injury hadn’t healed, and she also hurt her leg.
She was completely confined to the hospital.
“11”
It was not until after the college entrance examination that I learned that the Qi family had moved away.
And I got into Peking University as I wished.
The next time I saw Qi Qi was ten years later when I went on a business trip to another city.
Every time I went on a business trip, I would bring gifts for my wife. This time was no exception.
Just as I walked out of the mall, I heard someone shouting angrily, “How can you be worthy of me? To pay off the mortgage and car loan, I’m so frugal that I wish I could split one yuan into two . I haven’t bought new clothes or shoes for a year! But you saved money to buy a bag for your mistress! Twenty thousand yuan! That’s twenty thousand yuan!”
The woman was shouting hoarsely, attracting many people to stop and watch.
Out of curiosity, I glanced to the side and was surprised to find that she looked familiar.
It was Qi Qi.
I almost didn’t recognize her.
She was wearing a loose white T – shirt and jeans. Her figure was slightly plump, her hair was messy, and she looked unkempt.
She was questioning the short and fat man, “How can you be worthy of me? I’ve given so much for this family and for you. But you have a mistress outside!”
In my memory, Qi Qi had never been so embarrassed, let alone cursing in public.
In the previous life, she was a dancer, always elegant and beautiful.
After marrying me, although my salary wasn’t extremely high, I would buy her whatever she wanted.
She didn’t even do housework because I felt sorry for her.
At that time, I always thought that I married her to make her happy and shouldn’t let her worry about such trivial matters all day long.
Who would have thought that she would treat me like that?
Facing Qi Qi’s accusation, the man firmly protected the woman behind him, “Don’t say such harsh words. She’s not a mistress! She’s the mother of my child!”
The woman’s belly was bulging high, and it seemed that she was about to give birth.
Qi Qi immediately flew into a rage, pounced on the man, hitting and scolding him, “You bastard! Wang Qi, you’re really a bastard! You promised me we’d be DINKs!”
“DINKs! You can’t have children yourself, but you can’t stop me from being a father, can you? You deserve it! If you hadn’t been so promiscuous when you were young, how could you have lost your uterus? It’s only me who’s willing to marry you!”
The man ignored her crying and took the pregnant woman into a taxi.
Qi Qi tried to open the door, but was pushed away.
She quickly got up, took off her shoe, and threw it at the taxi with all her might, shouting, “We’re getting divorced!”
This sentence seemed to have used up all her strength.
After saying that, she slumped to the ground, looking dazed.
I picked up her shoe and took out a tissue from my pocket, then handed them to her.
She looked up and said “Thank you” in a hoarse voice.
When she saw me, she was surprised. After hesitating for a while, she still asked, “Li Zhuoran?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
I originally planned to find a coffee shop to chat with her about our recent situations, but she wanted to take a walk.
So, we walked along the riverbank with our backs to the sunset.
I asked her, “Do you still dance?”
“No, I can’t dance anymore. My leg injury back then… was quite serious.”
The daily necessities, the toil and rush, had worn out the light in her eyes and left fine lines at the corners of her eyes.
After being apart for so long, there was only estrangement and silence between us.
After a long time, Qi Qi asked me, “How are you?”
I told her the truth, “Pretty good.”
I had a stable and well – paid job, bought a villa with full payment, and entered marriage with my wife from campus. Our relationship was harmonious, and we would travel together in our spare time to see the world.
My life was comfortable yet full of challenges, and I was very satisfied.
Everything was as I had envisioned when I was young.
Qi Qi smiled bitterly, “That’s good.”
Her eyes moved to the bag in my hand that I had just bought.
I explained with a smile, “It’s for my wife. She likes buying bags, colorful bags, to match her various styles of clothes.”
She murmured, “It looks more expensive than the bag my husband bought for his mistress.”
I didn’t say anything.
It really wasn’t in line with my self – cultivation to kick someone when they were down.
“I’m not afraid to make you laugh. I thought my future would be smooth sailing. I would marry the man I loved, have a career I loved, and I would buy a lot of bags and clothes, and go out every day dressed beautifully.”
“But in a blink of an eye, it’s now.”
“Looking back on these years, it seems that my life took a sharp turn for the worse after I turned eighteen. These years, I’ve been pushed forward by fate, married an ordinary person, and lived an ordinary life. Gradually, I’ve become the kind of person I used to dislike the most.
How did it end up like this?”
When she said these words, her voice was very soft. I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or to herself. The gentle breeze by the river carried away her sigh. I thought of a passage by Shi Tiesheng, organized my words, and said:
“There was a beautiful girl who picked up a gun on the road. At that time, she was young, ignorant, and fearless, and she fired a shot ahead.
When she turned thirty, life had smoothed out her edges. One day, when she was walking on a street, she suddenly heard a faint wind sound behind her. She turned around – – the bullet fired at the age of eighteen hit right between her eyebrows.”
Qi Qi fell into a long silence. I think she understood. I looked at my watch: “It’s getting late. I have to catch a plane. There are people waiting for me to go home.” Before getting into the car, I heard a choked voice from behind: “I regret it, Li Zhuoran. I really regret it.” I looked back through the rear – view mirror. Qi Qi was still standing there, motionless. The dim light above her head enveloped her, casting a gloomy shadow on the ground. I don’t know how long it took before she finally squatted down, covered her face, and burst into tears.
Life is a series of multiple – choice questions. Unfortunately, in that fateful multiple – choice question, she made the wrong choice. If Qi Qi could meet her eighteen – year – old self, what would she say? I think it would probably be – – “
“You’re at the best time of your life. So, please study hard and write your own brilliant life story.”
The End –
