Chapter Eighteen Dinner 4

  Mingde and Ling Shuiyue sat half-reclined on a withered French plane tree in the corner of the campus, Mingde brushing off fallen leaves from his body while asking Ling Shuiyue: "Are you really hurt?"

  "My arm is a bit sore, and so are my hands." Ling Shuiyue raised his hand slightly.

  "I'm in trouble, it's not just that my face is bleeding, the key thing is that I've got a big bruise, and it's all green and purple, when will it fade?"

  Ling Shui's face and body were no less bruised than Ming De's, but the biggest difference between them was that he had never cared about his own face, while Ming De cherished his face more than anything else. So, every time they finished fighting, Ming De would sigh for many days, worried that his face would leave scars.

  "Have you seen Tang Jian today?"

  "No, when I came, I even stood at the school gate for a while, but didn't see them."

  "Be careful for the next two days."

  "I've put your birthday gift in your room. Look, yours is black and mine is pink. Hehe, I've already worn mine, how about you?"

  "You really want people to take you as a fool?"

  "What's it to you? I know who I am myself. You don't think that way too, do you?"

  "That's not it. When I see a beauty, my eyes light up, at most, I'm bisexual."

  "If I were bisexual, so would you." Speaking of beauties, Ming De thought of Xia Xian Ying again: "But to get back to the point, Yao, don't you think that ugly eight-tone is hiding himself... no, that's not accurate enough, he should be escaping something."

  Ling Shuiyue fell silent, how could he not feel that the night at his aunt's house, and when they had dinner together, was the real her, but he didn't know what she wanted to escape from.

  Mingde watched Ling Shuiyue silently, and it seemed like he was talking to himself: "Is it because people are too beautiful, with too many flies around them, or is it because they're tired of themselves and want to change their image?" As soon as he said this, Mingde felt that he was really stupid. The former might be possible, but being tired of oneself? How could that be? He had never disliked himself before. "Dislike"! Mingde's eyes lit up, and he finally found the right words to describe Xia Qianying: "Shuiyue! She must dislike herself, only people who dislike themselves would hide their strengths."

  Ming De's words shocked Ling Shuiyue, could it be that her parents' divorce would have such an impact on her?

  "Ming De, if your parents get divorced, will Ming Xin change?"

  "Are you saying that Qu Baiguai's parents are divorced?"

  "Occasionally heard from aunt and uncle in private."

  "Why didn't you say so earlier, that would have had an impact. But as for the ugly eight, I don't know how it is, but Ming Xin must be crying a lot every day and clinging to me all the time..." Ming De said this, suddenly feeling a cold wind blowing past him, he rubbed his arms with both hands, and in front of him appeared Ming Xin's tearful face asking for pocket money. He could tolerate Ming Xin extorting him, but he couldn't tolerate Ming Xin crying, he was most afraid of girls crying, that look, not to mention the pocket money, even if the other person wanted his life, he wouldn't be able to say no.

  "Absolutely! My parents won't get divorced, they won't. With Ming Xin around, they won't." It's unclear whether Ming De is affirming himself or his parents.

  Suddenly, he felt even colder and jumped down from the tree and ran towards the classroom.

  Ling Shuiyue looked at Ming De's back and also jumped down from the tree, muttering to himself: "I wonder who is beyond salvation?"

  ——————&&&——————&&&——————

  Pei Yichen slowly opened his eyes, and in a daze, he saw white, all was white. Is this what people often call hell?

  No, it's a drip, a drip, and **. He is in the hospital.

  "Dust, you're awake. You almost scared your sister to death." Pei Yiyun was holding an apple that had just been washed.

  "Why are you doing this, don't you want a sister anymore? Is your sister that detestable to you?" Pei Yiyun's tears fell pitter-patter onto the pristine white bed sheet.

  Pei Yichen silently stared at the IV drip.

  "I know you blame me, even hate me. But I didn't intentionally make things turn out this way, I..." Pei Yiyun suddenly felt like she couldn't go on, for a moment, it seemed like she couldn't convince herself, let alone Yicun.

  He didn't die and came back to life. Pei Yichen looked at his sorrowful sister, he didn't know how to face her.

  She was talking to him, saying something he didn't know and didn't want to know.

  "Yi Chen, forgive sister, just this once...this lifetime, just this once, can I?" Pei Yi Yun choked.

  He didn't want to forgive her, but he couldn't bring himself to hate her either. He was the one who knew her hardships best, and he was the closest person to her, yet because of her, he chose to give up on life.

  "Sister," Pei Yichen's voice was a little hoarse: "I won't, I won't let you get hurt again."

  He said to himself, his heart also saying: Yes, he wants life, he loves life. He wants to stand up again, he wants to make the most effort to compensate for Xianying. Compensate for Xianying? He shook his head with a bitter smile, how can he compensate, what's lost can't come back, maybe some things can, but what Xianying lost seems to be gone forever, just like he lost Xianying, and she won't come back again. Then what is the point of him living, what is the meaning of his life? His heart darkened once more.

  Sorry, sister, I couldn't convince myself, I couldn't make my life meaningful. It was you who made me see my own worthlessness, despicability. He only now realizes how dark he is, as if all the darkness in the world has converged on him alone. Before this darkness arrived, he didn't refuse, he accepted it all without hesitation.

  Pei Yiyun heard her brother say that he would never let her be sad again, and wiped away her tears: "I'll go call the doctor, you just behave."

  "Congratulations, he's recovering very well." The doctor smiled at Pei Yicun and turned to continue speaking to Pei Yiyun: "Don't worry, he's fine everywhere, his mind is also very clear. If you want to be discharged, we can process the paperwork today."

  "Really?"

  "Uh-huh, he doesn't have any other injuries, just a wrist injury, as long as he comes to the hospital on time for dressing changes, it'll be fine."

  "Thank you, doctor! Thank you, doctor!" Pei Yiyun bowed continuously to the doctor, expressing gratitude.

  ————————&&&——————&&&——————

  Ling Shuiyue's phone dropped, and she kicked the chair in front of her: "Why didn't you bring your phone?"

  How did he know she didn't bring her phone? Xia Xianying put the last book into her backpack, without even turning around: "Forgot."

  "Aunt is calling you over for dinner at her place, Snowy Aunt seems to be working overtime today."

  "Got it." Xia Xianying replied lazily. Because last time she had dinner with Yao, the time was too long and she didn't call Guan Xue in time, so Guan Xue wouldn't let her be alone at home again, saying that only after the maid arrived could she go home every day.

  Xia Qian Jing slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked out of the classroom.

  "Hey! Why aren't you going home?" Ling Shuiyue shouted from behind Xia Qianying.

  Xia Qian Ning finally turned around: "I want to tidy up the gym equipment room."

  "Why?"

  "Don't you guys take turns doing chores? It seems like there's more than just my name on the blackboard?"

  "Class monitor?" Ling Shuiyue caught up to Xia Qianying. When he came out of the classroom door, it seemed that he also saw his name, but he almost never did it because there were always two people in a group and if he didn't do it, someone else would.