The boy’s smile was gentle like the spring breeze, making her forget to cry for a moment. Lin Yixun tried hard to recall, how did she respond to him back then?
"So what if I’m crying? It’s none of your damn business!"
Lin Yixun suddenly let out a laugh. She had been so wild and bossy back then, like a female bandit. Even Xing Yi had suffered under her, and she wondered what he felt at that time.
Lin Yixun never expected that even such dusty memories could be remembered so clearly; even Xing Yi’s gentle smile was fresh in her mind.
As she laughed, tears started to fall "plop, plop" continuously.
It turned out that she had met him years ago, but back then, her whole heart was occupied by someone else, leaving no space for Xing Yi.
But, if she had met Xing Yi a little earlier, would things have turned out differently?
The aunt next to her saw Lin Yixun crying so sadly and gently patted her shoulder. "Girl, what’s the matter? Are you facing some difficulties? Did you quarrel with your boyfriend?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yixun felt as if her heart was being wrung painfully. She covered her mouth hard but said nothing.
"It’s normal for young people to have arguments. You’ll make up soon, don’t be too sad," the aunt comforted her.
Lin Yixun turned her eyes to the aunt beside her. After a long time, she heard her own hoarse voice, "Auntie, I lost my boyfriend."
"How could you lose him?" The aunt frowned and then smiled to comfort her, "No worries. If you lost him, just find him again, won’t you?"
Lin Yixun’s tears flowed even more fiercely. But the person she lost could never be found again.
When Lin Yixun got off the bus, she was almost exhausted. But she had to pretend to be strong in front of Lin’s mother, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Xiao Xun, why are you back so early today? Where’s Xing Yi?"
"Mom, Xing Yi has been very busy with work lately, and he has to work overtime tonight."
"No wonder he hasn’t come to see you these days."
"Mom...he has his own things to do, how could he be around me every day?"
"What do you mean ’be around you or not’? When young people are in love, they’re always stuck together. That’s how it is on TV; a day apart feels like three years, right?"
Lin Yixun couldn’t take Lin’s mother’s questions any longer. She stiffly turned her back to her, offering only a view of her back. "Mom, what do you want to eat tonight? I’ll go to the cafeteria to get it for you."
"Don’t try to change the subject. You keep evading me. Did you and Xing Yi have a fight?"
Lin Yixun’s eyes suddenly reddened. She was somewhat relieved that her back was to Lin’s mother. Struggling to open her mouth, she said, "Nothing happened. Mom, I’ll go get the food now."
With that, she walked towards the door without looking back.
Lin’s mother watched her back and shook her head. It seemed likely that she had quarreled with Xing Yi. This daughter of hers had become more and more silent over the years, always keeping her thoughts to herself and never actively sharing her feelings with her.
As Lin Yixun walked out of the hospital room, she could no longer control her tears. She wiped her cheeks forcefully, but her mind was filled with Xing Yi’s gentle face. Even now, she couldn’t accept Xing Yi’s death.
Suddenly, the ringing of her phone in her bag interrupted her thoughts. It was a call from Ouyang Hao. The man’s carefree voice soon came through from the other end of the line.
"What are you doing, wooden block? It took you so long to answer my call."