Chapter 23: An Unforgettable Apology 6

  Isn't it great to receive an apology? Why doesn't Xia Qian look happy at all? Ming Xin sat down gently across from Xia Qian: "Qian, how was it? What's the attitude of the mud?"

  "Ming Xin! I... originally didn't want to accept any apologies, and didn't think accepting apologies was enjoyable. For some reason, the feelings that had never existed before all surged out at the moment she apologized."

  "What? Has something unpleasant happened?"

  "No. Just... just when she said sorry, I suddenly felt that apologies are useless, it's just a matter of words, the hurt can't be erased with language, my accepting her apology doesn't mean those hurts will disappear from now on. They apologize, and you have to forgive, if you don't forgive, it means you're not excellent enough, not broad-minded enough, not tolerant enough."

  Ming Xin stared blankly at Xia Qianying: "Qianying! Your words make so much sense!"

  "Ming Xin! I even think that apologizing is unreasonable, it's a false social morality that fools oneself and others, a means for the strong to rule over the weak."

  "Fantastic! Too brilliant! 'Apologizing is a means for the strong to control the weak.' Fantastic, no wonder you can rank fifth, while I'm always hovering around sixtieth." Ming Xin sighed in admiration. She hated apologizing and accepting apologies the most, but how come she didn't think of these words? If only she could have thought of such a brilliant theory earlier, she wouldn't have had to apologize or accept apologies. What's the use of apologizing? If someone really wants to apologize, they can just show it through their actions, why do they need language?"

  Xia Qian Ning kept recalling the scene just now, wondering if she was too sensitive. Nai Shi Luo was indeed apologizing sincerely. But no matter what, she couldn't convince herself because she hadn't heard a hint of sincerity from Nai Shi Luo's words or tone, nor seen a hint of apology in his eyes.

  She thought an apology was just what she felt now, at least for Nishiro's apology to her: "Ming Xin, maybe I'm too sensitive and biased. Am I really that bad? Why can't I convince myself to accept her apology?"

  "Xian Ning! You're too great! Why do I hate apologizing and being apologized to? It's because I have the same feelings as you, that's why I hate it. But I've been stupidly repeating these things I hate, without ever understanding. There's no reason to refuse. But you, you only accepted an apology once, and suddenly everything made sense. Ah——, Xian Ning, this is the difference! No wonder Ming De always bullies me."

  Forgiveness and acceptance are not the same. She forgave them, but that doesn't mean she has to accept them. If apology and forgiveness were twins, Xia Xianying could only convince herself this way.

  Ming De came back from the restroom and saw Ming Xin sitting in her own seat. She was very dissatisfied: "This is mine. You sit beside me."

  "Why?" Ming Xin asked intentionally.

  "What's wrong? If you can't say it well, don't say it. Otherwise, Chinese people won't understand and foreigners will be confused. Look, my school uniform, your school uniform, can they compare?"

  "How can it be compared? They were all washed by mom."

  "But the people wearing them are different. Mine is always brighter. You're always rubbing back and forth on my seat, getting it dirty. When I sit down, my clothes get..."

  Before Ming De could finish speaking, Ming Xin picked up the textbook on Ming De's desk and threw it over, saying: "I will not accept apologies! Apologies are unreasonable social morality, they are a so-called moral that fools oneself and others! It is a means for the strong to rule the weak!"

  Ming De looked at Ming Xian's back, muttering: "Where did this crooked reasoning come from? Is it a means for the strong to rule over the weak? It seems to make some sense..."

  ——————&&&——————&&&——————

  Last night, it snowed again all night, and the morning sun was clean and refreshing. Facing a world as pure as a fairy tale, Xia Xianying no longer had the excitement she had when she first arrived, leaving only an undisguised fondness. She scooped up the snow in the courtyard and gently patted it on her face, as if doing so would make herself as white and unblemished as the snow. Ah! So cold! She quickly brushed off the snow, a self-mocking smile appearing on her face, and her footsteps also became lighter.

  As she walked out of the gate, she saw Ling Shuiyue standing outside, Xia Qian's smile frozen on her face.

  "Does seeing me make you sad? Why is your smile frozen?"

  Xia Qian Ning quickly pulled Ling Shui Yao's hand and ran towards the main road.

  "Be careful!" Ling Shuiyue's "be careful" had just fallen when the two of them fell to the ground.

  The sound of laughter echoed through the sky on a refreshing Wednesday.

  Xia Qian Ning's face was buried in the thick snow, when she lifted her head, her cheeks, nose tip, forehead... except for her eyes, almost everywhere was covered with snow, even her eyelashes were covered with snow.

  Seeing Ling Shuiyue's crisp and abnormal smile, Xia Qianjing was so angry: Why is she so unlucky? What's the point of running away? What's there to hide? Even if her mother sees her, what's the big deal? Anyway, her mother had already asked her if she believed in herself that day, and she was already very disappointed.

  "You? I fell down and you're so happy?" Xia Xian Ning pouted.

  "Mmm." Ling Shuiyue lay on the snowy ground, smiling and nodding as he took out his phone and held it in front of Xia Qinger.

  "What?" Xia Qian Ning saw her own awkward appearance and said while wiping her face: "Delete it! Quickly!"

  Ling Shuiyue hastily put her phone into her bosom: "Why? Didn't you like your own ugly self?"

  "Is this ugly?"

  Ling Shuiyue smiled: "Why not? But there's another 'embarrassing' word. However... it's what you wanted yourself. When you see me, you run away, so just run, why hold my hand?"

  "You... you didn't run on purpose, did you? You wanted me to fall down, didn't you? What are you doing standing in front of someone's house so early?" Xia Xianying lightly kicked Ling Shuiyue's leg.

  "Monster! Do you want me to become a cripple in the future?"

  Xia Qian Cheng hesitated for a moment, and the body that had just stood up knelt down in front of Ling Shui Ye's legs again, stretching out her hand but not knowing what to do: "Does it hurt? It's all my fault, I..."

  Ling Shuiyue slowly sat up, took off her gloves, and gently wiped the remaining snow from her face: "Fool! There's nothing that can't be run away from. I'm just afraid I'll become a cripple...... You're all clean now, your hat is too......" Ling Shuiyue swallowed back the sentence 'You will return to that mp4 man's arms', stood up and brushed off the snow on her body.

  Xia Qian Ning was very obedient, following behind Ling Shui Yue and stood up, imitating Ling Shui Yue's movements to brush off the snow on her body. In fact, she hadn't heard what Wen Nuan was saying at all. Her whole person was still stuck in the moment when Ling Shui Yue wiped the snow off for her, as if the warmth brought by that touch wasn't warmth, but... Don't think nonsense! Xia Qian Ning shook her head, and the pom-pom on her hat wobbled.

  "Are you not going to school? Are you just going to stand here and shake back and forth?"

  "What's wrong with you? Are you dizzy or something? Can't even stand still..."

  "Being able to say something like that means you're still conscious. If you don't leave now, it'll be too late!" With that, Ling Shuiyue stretched out his hand.

  Xia Qian Ning put her hand into Ling Shui Ye's palm without hesitation: "Where is your driver?"

  The smile that had just stopped on Ling's face crawled back up and he pretended to be natural: "I'm going back."

  Xia Wenning also pretended to be nonchalant: "Did the doctor allow you to walk such a long way?"

  "I just can't run, I didn't say I couldn't walk."

  Two people walked hand in hand in this world as white as a fairy tale. Almost at school, Xia Qian condensed her footsteps: "Hmm... Yao... I have something to say..."

  Looking at Xia Qian's hesitant expression, Ling Shuiyue was very expectant: "What is it?"

  "Hmm... Your legs aren't very convenient either. We can see each other at school every day, no... I mean... it's us, from now on, even at school..."

  "If you think we're too close and showy at school... if you don't like it, we can keep a distance, but outside of school..." This cheating incident also made Ling Shuiyue think that he was worried that if he got too close to the ugly eight, something else strange would happen.

  "Ah!" Ming De flew over from the side and hugged the two of them: "You ugly monsters! I thought you were dead!"

  "Let go!" Ling Shuiyue pried open Ming De's hand on Xia Qianying's shoulder: "Don't take the opportunity to sneak attack Chou Baigui!"

  "How could I possibly launch a sneak attack? In broad daylight, under the clear blue sky, with everyone watching and cars and horses passing by, how could I possibly launch a sneak attack? Who would dare to launch a sneak attack?" Ming De deliberately said: "You two are together every day, not to mention going to school together. It's been a long time since we've gone to school together."

  "No...no, it's not like you said, we just happened to run into each other." Xia Xianying hurriedly clarified.

  "Who believes?"

  Ling Shuiyue patted Mingde's shoulder, living up to his reputation as a sworn brother: "Ugly eight! I'm the one who picked you up from your house. You can't lie like that!"

  Ming De was shocked: "Yao! Are you still the Yao I know? You'd actually do something as outdated and rotten as picking up your girlfriend from school?"

  Xia Qian Ning lowered her face, which was as red as a crimson cloud, and didn't dare look at Ming De.

  Time slipped away unnoticed, passing in the gaze that watched the snowflakes dancing in the sky, and in the fingertips that brushed against your ear.

  ——————&&&——————&&&——————

  Tomorrow is Christmas, coinciding with today's weekend, Ling Shuiyue made an appointment to go to the Ice Sculpture Park with Muxue to see the ice sculptures.

  Leaving the city. Xia Wenjing had a deeper understanding of snow. Words like "pure white" and "white vastness" couldn't describe it, that kind of visual impact was impossible to put into words. The silver trees in the distance had tree trunks that were blacker than black, weren't they usually green or brown? How could they be so black, yet still so striking in this white world. That black didn't even make people feel tired of it.

  The world of the same color is more vast and distant than usual, as if you can see the horizon at a glance. Quietly, Xia Qian condensed her breath carefully, afraid that her own breathing would disturb this pure fairyland.

  Ling Shuiyue knew that Xia Qianying would definitely be moved by this vast white world. He sat quietly beside her, saying nothing, so she could thoroughly indulge in this ice and snow decorated world.

  The roughly forty-minute journey seemed all too brief for Xia Qianying and Ling Shuiyue.

  As it was still not officially open for business and it was daytime, there were almost no tourists in the park, only a few sculptors working silently, extremely quiet.