When Fei Chuan visited Bei Sangyun’s house to convince her to return to school, he saw the hatred in her eyes. It was the same hatred he saw in the eyes of the kids back in the capital.
When she accidentally pushed him into the mud, Fei Chuan couldn’t react in time. He hadn’t yet recovered from the impact of witnessing that intense hatred in her eyes.
Ah...he hurt someone again.
He didn’t intend it, and he didn’t want to, but he hurt Bei Sangyun. Based on his previous experiences with the other kids in the capital, the reason then must be because he was excelling more than her.
And other kids didn’t like that.
He thought she was different. But in the end, she was just a child too.
Fei Chuan returned home with a downcast expression.
The first friend he ever wanted hated him so much that she stopped doing what she wanted the most - going to school. He still remembered that little girl whose eyes would shine every time she answered the teacher’s question.
But those sparkling eyes looked at him with hatred.
That night, he got sick, and his illness relapsed. It took him three whole days before he woke up with a clear consciousness.
And the first thing on his mind was to tell Bei Sangyun that he wouldn’t come to school anymore.
Since Bei Sangyun hated him and was not attending school because of him, then he would drop out. The school was pointless for him anyway. His knowledge was already advanced, and he could enter a higher grade level if he wanted to.
But Bei Sangyun must return to school. The top rank, the admiration of students and teachers—all of it should rightfully be hers again.
Grandma Pei was stunned.
She wasn’t sure how to reply for a while and just tucked Fei Chuan into his blanket, "When you get much better, I’ll tell you."
"...Why couldn’t you tell me now?"
"It is important to worry about yourself first. When you get much better, Grandma will tell you everything."
The medicine’s effect was taking place, and Fei Chuan’s eyes grew drowsy. Amidst his sleepiness, he wondered why his grandma was not telling him now.
****
Two days later, Fei Chuan understood why Grandma Pei hadn’t answered him right away.
He glanced up at his teacher, stunned. "...She dropped out?"
The teacher felt uncomfortable explaining, but she tried her best to soften the matter, "Her grandma came three days ago and officially dropped her out. She said that Bei Sangyun wouldn’t come here anymore because she would no longer be living here."
Bam!
His gift for Bei Sangyun - his supposed apology gift consisting of her favorite books and snacks - fell down. He ran out of the classroom and went to the building where the middle schoolers were.
He saw Cheng Li and his friends playing during their lunch break.
The young boy held his knees as he took a break to catch his breath. He had never run this fast before, and it took him a lot of energy just to come here.
Cheng Li also saw him and ran towards him, "Young Master! Why are you here?"
Fei Chuan grabbed Cheng Li’s clothes, "B-bei...Sang-ng yun..did she...le-leave the village?" He asked between breaths.
Cheng Li’s expression became stiff. It was the kids beside him who answered Fei Chuan,
"Young Master, that Bei Sangyun must have felt so ashamed after what she did to you. The whole village is mad at her. She is so young but very despicable. How dare she push you to the ground! It’s better that she’s gone now; she won’t be able to harm you anymore."
Fei Chuan’s hold on Cheng Li’s clothes loosened as his expression turned from shock to extreme anger. His adorable little face grew cold as he asked the boy beside Cheng Li, "Why is the whole village mad at her? What did you tell them?"
At that time, the only ones present were him, Bei Sangyun, and these kids who led him to Bei Sangyun’s house. Bei Sangyun did not push him on purpose, but in other people’s eyes, it might have appeared differently.
He had gotten sick that night and did not know what kind of rumors spread after that.
The boy was confused why Fei Chuan was angry at him, but he still conveyed what happened, "Everyone learned that Bei Sangyun’s attitude towards you at school is bad. And after what happened, everyone learned of her true face. Don’t think too much about her, Young Master, what’s important is she has now left the village."
Fei Chuan clenched his little fist and glared at the speaker, "If Bei Sangyun truly left, don’t ever let me see your faces again."
The kid was stunned, not understanding how he offended this great young master.
Cheng Li, who understood the gravity of the situation, followed after Fei Chuan. "Wait, Young Master! Please don’t misunderstand us."
Fei Chuan stopped in his tracks. "Misunderstand? Then tell me why Bei Sangyun left?"
Cheng Li, this young teenager, couldn’t think of an answer. In the face of a less than ten-year-old Fei Chuan, he felt a lot of intimidation.
Fei Chuan narrowed his eyes disdainfully, "You can’t even think of anything. Don’t ever come to me again."
Cheng Li paled. "Young Master, I wasn’t with them that day. I wasn’t the one who spread the rumors!" Cheng Li only realized what happened when the rumors were already circulating around.
How could he stop it when it had already spread?
"Please don’t exclude me! I am your friend!"
Fei Chuan’s clothes were forcefully grabbed, and he was stopped in his tracks. His body was a lot smaller and shorter than Cheng Li’s, so with this sudden pull, he almost fell. Fortunately, Cheng Li immediately caught him.
Fei Chuan pushed his hand away. Like an aloof young master, he scrutinized Cheng Li with superiority, "A friend? Didn’t you only want to be friends with me because you thought you’d have a lot of benefits? Just because I allowed you once doesn’t mean I can forgive you and forget this. You lost your chance."
Cheng Li had never been so ruthlessly judged by someone like this before. It especially hurt coming from a kid five years younger than him.
But unlike the others who only thought of Fei Chuan as a rich kid from their neighborhood, Cheng Li thought of him as someone he could have a deep connection with and helped him come to the capital.
Cheng Li clenched his fist, "What should I do then to make you forgive me?"
Fei Chuan glanced at him with contempt, not befitting for a child, "If you can convince her to return here and fix those rumors, then I might give you another chance. But do so before me."
Fei Chuan had no plan to leave this to someone as useless as Cheng Li. He called his driver to pick him up from school.
He visited Bei Sangyun’s house again, but this time, he met Grandma Bei.
****
A/n: Cheng Li, the childhood friend that Grandma Pei had found back then for Fei Chuan. The leader of the kids and also the chess champion in their town.
For clarification, Cheng Li is five years older than Bei Sangyun and Fei Chuan. Most of the children who were Fei Chuan’s playmates were older than them, as Fei Chuan couldn’t hold a conversation with kids his own age, except Bei Sangyun.