Chapter 11: Accidental Touch

  Memories are always bittersweet. Pleasant ones make you feel: what a pity it's already over, and unpleasant ones still bring sorrow when recalled.

  Eileen Chang

  "Miss Han Yue, it's an honor to invite you to share the sea view." Jing Rui extended his hand with courtesy.

  Arrived, Han Yue smiled wryly, and unexpectedly didn't notice that Jing Ying had already gotten off the car. One sentence made her think for so long, it turned out she was indeed concerned about him.

  Smiling and stretching out her hand, she walked out of the car, and the scenery in front of her calmed down a lot of the annoyance in her heart.

  The azure sea is under the light blue sky, white waves crash on the reefs and splash out silver ripples, the beach shines brighter in the sunlight, the sea breeze blows on the skin, with a salty taste, warm and comfortable.

  Jing Ruo put his hands under his head and lay on the beach. Han Yue lay beside Jing Ruo, feeling very calm and leisurely inside.

  "This is what I found in high school, when I'm feeling down I come here."

  "Yeah, it's a great place, very suitable for relaxing."

  "Hey, let me out, you can't resist him anymore."

  It's okay.

  Han Yue suddenly sat up and smiled slyly at Jing Ao. Jing Ao opened his eyes, propped himself up with one hand, and asked, "What's wrong?"

  "Shall we go have a water fight?" Han Yue's eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

  "This is no good." Jing Pei lay down. The thick fog in Han Yue's eyes dissipated, and his bright pupils seemed to be truly expectant. He stretched out his hand to signal Han Yue to pull him up.

  Splashing water, suddenly remembered the scene of playing with water at that time, that boy... an unintentional smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

  "You're cheating! The game hasn't even started yet!" The little boy sat in the water with a huff, staring at her.

  "I'm going to hit you and still tell you it's a fight? Soldiers don't despise deceit, Dad said on the battlefield there aren't so many rules, winning is having skill." The adults on TV when he was little would scold him with their tongues stuck out.

  The little boy had nothing to say, stretched out his hand and let Han Yue pull him: "Well, come on again."

  The cold moon stretched out her hand to pull him up, but was pulled down instead. The little boy stood there with a victorious pose and mocked her: "You taught me that, 'a soldier never tires of deceit'."

  Han Yue pulled Jing Rong into the water, a sly smile spreading across his face as he suddenly pushed forward.

  Jing Hui subconsciously wanted to dodge, but it was too late. His clothes were soaked, and Jing Hui sat on the water's surface, laughing: "Han Yue, haven't started yet."

  Han Yue blinked and smiled: "A soldier is not afraid of deceit."

  "Alright, let's go again." Jing Yi stretched out his hand and had Han Yue pull him up.

  The cold moon was stunned, and at that time it was pulled down into the water. A little hesitant, but still stretched out a hand.

  Splash, Han Yue was pulled down into the water and sat beside Jing Yao. The two of them splashed water at each other. Finally exhausted, Jing Yao laughed and helped her up, "Haha, all's fair in love and war."

  "I didn't expect you'd resort to this too. I'm to blame for trusting you." Han Yue stood up, muttered a sentence and immediately pushed forward with force.

  "How's that? I still won."

  "See how I'll deal with you." Jing splashed water at her.

  Han Yue turned around and ran. With a stumble, Han Yue fell down, her hand touched something in the water, opened her palm, and a shell was lying on it. The snow-white shell hurt Han Yue, the smile instantly disappeared and couldn't laugh again, squatting with her head deeply buried in her knees.

  "Hey, Han Yue... come back, I have a headache."

  Be brave!

  "Are you okay?"

  "It's nothing, I'm just a bit tired. There's still something in the afternoon, so let's rest for a while and then go back."

  Jing Huan was stunned and didn't ask further questions.

  The wind blows on my body, and the cold moon gives me a chill.

  "Your clothes are all wet, you'll catch a cold. Wait a minute, there's a blanket in the car, I'll go get it." Jing Rui said and ran towards the car.

  Han Yue looked out at the vast ocean, her head feeling heavy and uncomfortable. She walked to the water's edge and bent down to wash the sand grains off her hands and feet.

  Seashell, it's you again! Why do you always suddenly appear in front of me, why are you always reminding me of what happened that day when I'm completely unguarded.

  The cold moon picked up the shell from the water, grasping it tighter and tighter, unable to let go like this. Go back, go back and you'll know!

  I shouldn't have let you out, calm down!

  No, I want to go back, I'm going back now.

  Suddenly stood up, a dizziness. Swaying back and forth, just wanting to go ashore, the line of sight gradually became blurred.

  It's very cold, a suffocating feeling. I feel like my thoughts and body are separating. Brother, what does it feel like to die?

  The basketball team is playing a practice game. Su Yitian steals the ball and prepares to shoot. Bang, the ball hits the backboard and flies out very far!

  All around, a collective gasp of air. It's not like they didn't make it in, but it was pretty pathetic. The result was an unexpected surprise for the other team members. They looked at Su Yi Tian with confusion. Su Yi Tian just stood there silently for a few seconds before leaving the court to sit down and rest on the side, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened.

  It was a shot that could have gone in, but at the moment it was released, a strange sense of unease surged up, and his hand hesitated, losing its accuracy.

  "Brother, where are you uncomfortable?" Su Yixiang sat beside him and handed over a bottle of water. He noticed that the ball had an abnormal moment for an instant.

  "It's nothing, just keep practicing!" Su Yitian took a few sips of water.

  What happened next was truly astonishing, for the next four or five shots, Su Yi Tian didn't even come close, and Su Yi Xiang looked at his somewhat distracted brother with a shake of his head, it's really worrying.

  Besides, Han Yue hasn't arrived yet, it seems like today's training mission can't be completed.

  "What's wrong with Han Yue?" Ye Xue was already used to Lai Huo Ling's exaggerated reactions, and slowly closed her book in response.

  Lai Huo Ling saw Ye Xue so calm, and sat down at the table next to her with a bit of anger, muttering, "Xiao Yue said she would be back after class this afternoon, but she hasn't shown up all afternoon!"

  Yexue smiled and said: "Don't worry, it's normal if she doesn't come to class. Let's go to the playground, maybe Xiaoyue is there."

  The court wasn't just for one team to practice, but they were quite far apart, yet Su Yi Xiang saw them. As Ye Xue and Lai Huo Ling approached, Su Yi Tian and Su Yi Xiang also left the field to rest.

  "Hey! What are you looking around for?" Su Yi Xiang was somewhat puzzled by Lai Huo Ling's actions.

  "Has Yixiang ever not come back in the afternoon?" Ye Xue started to worry, after all, Han Yue had always been a person of his word, if he said he would return to class, he should have returned.

  Su Yi said: "No, I'm also waiting for Xiao Yue, why didn't she come with you?"

  "Afternoon classes didn't come, and no one answered the phone." Lai Huo Ling thought of something, "Jing Yi didn't come today either!" Lai Huo Ling looked at Su Yi Tian's indifferent face and blamed her for not speaking up: "Su Yi Tian, it's all your fault!"

  Su Yitian furrowed his brow and said lightly, "What does it have to do with me?"

  "How can you be so indifferent? Who knows who scared away the cold moon early in the morning." Lai Huo Ling didn't know why she was blaming Su Yi Tian for a friend she had just met, but she really got a bit angry.

  Su Yitian's face slightly sank: "She was going out anyway." Something happened? The uneasy feeling this afternoon was because of this. Su Yitian's eyebrows slightly furrowed, thinking that he had been overthinking these past few days.

  "Alright! Xiaoyue has just arrived and is also unfamiliar with this place. I'll make a call to ask your class teacher if she's on leave or not."

  "They are in the hospital." Su Yitian said calmly, turning around and pressing the phone before Su Yixiang could dial. The atmosphere was strange, with everyone else looking at him with weird eyes.

  The hospital? Su Yitian came back to his senses and pointed at his phone with an unnatural expression: "At the hospital, Director Jia said."

  Still so calm in the hospital! Stupid, didn't even ask which hospital it was! Su Yi Xiang shook his head helplessly, this older brother really doesn't put anything to heart, but it's rare to see him with an unnatural expression. Su Yi Xiang had no choice but to dial again and ask.

  In the ward, Jinghao sat in front of the bed, and after his unease disappeared, he felt a deep sense of guilt. Now that he thought about it, Han Yue's face was very pale early in the morning, but he had neglected it later. If he had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened.

  The IV has already been administered for two bottles, but the fever still hasn't completely subsided. She probably had a fever before, didn't she feel it herself? Jing couldn't help but reach out and stroke Han Yue's eyes. These eyes that should be clear and innocent hid so much sorrow and strength that they didn't want others to see, usually strong, now even more pitiful.

  Jing did not know whether to congratulate himself or sympathize with himself. This time, he realized how important Han Yue was to him. When he took the blanket back, there was no shadow of Han Yue on the beach. A bad premonition surrounded him instantly, and when he saw a motionless person in the shallow water area near the beach, he felt like he was going to collapse at that moment. When he picked up Han Yue from the water, he was afraid that something would happen to her, and after a frantic rescue, he confirmed that there should be no major problems, but he still couldn't put his mind at ease. He wrapped Han Yue's icy body in the blanket and stepped on the accelerator to the maximum.

  At that moment, Jing Huan's heart was suspended, and it was only then that he realized his original intention to get close had turned into constant thoughts of wanting to accompany Han Yue, protect her, and not see her get hurt. No, it wasn't from getting close that he started caring; it was from a long time ago, from the paintings of Han Yang.

  It's unknown when it became like this and didn't realize until now that I couldn't let go. Perhaps I should be grateful that I'm no longer in a state of unawareness. The only thing is, I don't know whether to be grateful that Han Yue treats me specially because of Han Yang, or to sympathize with myself for being destined to have a bumpy ride in this relationship, and even destined not to get what I want.

  Jing sighed, his emotions were probably doomed from the start.