"Zhang Jian, you’re no man at all. For so many years, I’ve been slaving away for you, raising two kids with all my effort, and this is how you repay ?"
"Want a divorce? Dream on."
The woman’s hysterical shouting and cursing, mixed with the sounds of smashing objects, echoed through the poorly soundproofed ceiling.
"Tsk, they’re at it again upstairs. That couple, I reckon they’ve reached the end of the line."
Liu Cuifen walked out of the kitchen carrying two plates of food, long since used to scenes like this from upstairs.
"Chuchu, dinner ti."
A teenage girl in a nightgown stord out of the smaller bedroom, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"They argue every single day. It’s driving crazy."
She plopped down into the chair, grabbed a stead bun, took a big bite, and stuffed her mouth until her cheeks bulged.
"Why don’t you pack your things and stay at your aunt’s house for a couple of days? That pair upstairs is far from finished. And don’t you have to prepare for the math competition in October? Don’t let them interfere with your studies."
Lin Chuchu paused mid-bite. "Never mind, it’s too much hassle. I figure Uncle Zhang won’t last a few more days; they’ll probably get a divorce soon, and then it’ll finally quiet down."
"You don’t know your Aunt Zhou’s disposition. How could she agree to a clean divorce? Besides, it’s already—it’s just that she..."
At this point, Liu Cuifen stopped mid-sentence. Why say so much in front of a young girl?
Lin Chuchu sneered. "What’s there to hide? Wasn’t it Aunt Zhou who cheated and got caught red-handed by Uncle Zhang? How can she have the gall to refuse the divorce? She’s a disgrace to all won." Her tone was full of contempt.
Liu Cuifen shot her a glare. "You’re just a kid—what nonsense are you spouting?"
"I’m not a kid. I’m already fifteen."
"Fine, fine. But really, what was Zhou Qin even thinking? She had a perfectly good life, but she had to go ss it up. What was she after? Thank goodness An’an isn’t at ho, or she’d definitely be heartbroken."
"Heartbroken...?" Lin Chuchu rolled her eyes.
Shen You’an was nothing but a cold-blooded creature. How could she possibly feel heartbroken? She’d probably clap her hands in glee instead.
"Speaking of which, An’an is so pitiful. She finally got herself a ho, and now it’s about to fall apart again. Sigh... Such a good kid; why does she have such rotten luck..."
Lin Chuchu was thoroughly fed up. What was so special about Shen You’an? From childhood to now, every relative and neighbor—her very own mother included—had doted on Shen You’an.
Sure, Shen You’an was good at studying; she was a straight-A student. Every high school fought to have her. Lin Chuchu had spent years coming to terms with one undeniable truth: in academics, she would never surpass Shen You’an.
But so what? Only she knew Shen You’an’s true nature.
A hypocritical, cold-hearted, and selfish person.
And yet, everyone had been deceived by her.
Lin Chuchu slamd her chopsticks onto the table. "Her bad luck is deserved! She caused her own mother and baby brother’s deaths at the age of three and then cursed her father to death at five. She’s nothing but a harbinger of misfortune!"
Liu Cuifen stared at her in shock. "Chuchu, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"I didn’t make it up. Aunt Tian and her friends were gossiping about it; I overheard by accident."
Lin Chuchu shrugged helplessly.
"Chuchu, no matter what others say about An’an, you’ve grown up with her. Don’t ever say such things to her face, alright? An’an is so clever and well-behaved. You should learn from her..."
Lin Chuchu couldn’t take it anymore. She abruptly kicked back her chair and said irritably, "I’m full. I’m going out for a walk."
With that, she stord out of the house.
Just as she stepped outside, she bumped into Zhang Jian, who was coming downstairs.
"Uncle Zhang..."
Zhang Jian’s face was mottled with bruises. His neck bore several bloody scratches, and his expression was one of utter defeat.
Lin Chuchu thought of Zhou Qin’s ticulously maintained nails and couldn’t help shuddering.
That woman was downright ferocious. Just look at how she’d bullied poor, honest Uncle Zhang.
Zhang Jian looked extrely awkward. He greeted her quickly and rushed off.
"Uncle Zhang." Lin Chuchu called after him and hurried to catch up.
Without turning, Zhang Jian replied hoarsely, "What’s the matter?"
"Uncle Zhang, I have so math problems I don’t understand. I want to ask An’an—do you know where she is?"
"An’an went to stay with so distant relatives in the countryside for the sumr. I’m not sure when she’ll be back. Why don’t you give her a call?"
With that, he walked off without looking back.
Lin Chuchu frowned instinctively as she watched Zhang Jian’s retreating figure.
She had Shen You’an’s phone number, but she had never used it.
From childhood to now, Shen You’an had always overshadowed her. How could she possibly feel at ease?
Especially after the high school entrance exam results ca out. Shen You’an ranked first in the entire city, courted by prestigious high schools one after another. Lanya High School even offered a million-yuan scholarship. Shen You’an’s na had beco a legend in a ten-mile radius.
In comparison, her own performance seed lackluster.
A prestigious school like Lanya High only reserved 1% of its spots for regular students, and those went to superstars like Shen You’an.
Her own grades were just enough to get her into Wende High School.
But she felt deeply unwilling. They had grown up together; what gave Shen You’an the right to attend Lanya while she could only go to Wende?
If she could secure a high ranking in this October’s national math competition, she might still have a chance to enter Lanya High School.
This sumr, while Shen You’an was off having fun, she was burning the midnight oil, studying relentlessly. She refused to believe she would lose to Shen You’an in the math competition this ti.
~
Zhang Jian, weighed down by gloom, bought a few bottles of beer at a roadside store and sat on the curb, drinking to drown his sorrows.
The more he drank, the more despondent he felt.
He thought back to when his brother-in-law was still alive. His brother-in-law, a teetotaler due to his profession, often scolded him for drinking to cope.
As a man, he should shoulder his responsibilities. Using alcohol to numb his pain was the most cowardly form of escape.
"Brother-in-law... do you know how outstanding An’an is?"
"Brother-in-law, why did you leave An’an behind all alone?"
As he reminisced about his late brother-in-law, a sudden thought hit him like lightning.
He pulled out his phone and called An’an.
No one picked up. Zhang Jian figured she was probably asleep—it was late, after all, and An’an had always kept a strict schedule.
Forget it; he’d remind her tomorrow instead.
He blad himself—his marital troubles over the past few days had made him forget sothing so critical.
As the alcohol took hold, Zhang Jian dozed off by the roadside, leaning against the flower bed.
The early morning mist draped itself over the small town, and as the sun began to rise, the fog gradually dissipated, unveiling a new day.
Passersby hurried along, wrinkling their noses at the drunkard sprawled by the flower bed, avoiding him as they passed.
Then, the cellphone in the drunkard’s pocket started ringing urgently, but there was no reaction from him.
On the second ring, a spotless, white sneaker stepped through a muddy puddle.
Bending down, a pair of pale, slender fingers reached into the drunkard’s pocket and retrieved the phone.
"Hello."
A warm, youthful voice, slightly raspy, carried a unique clarity as it drifted over the line.
In the distance, the rising sun slowly parted the mist, dispelling the darkness and bringing light back to the world.
Shen You’an frowned slightly and glanced at the phone.
It was indeed her uncle’s number.
Then why was a stranger answering it?
"You’re An’an, right? The phone’s owner is drunk and passed out on the roadside. He can’t take your call right now. What’s your relationship to him?"
The boy’s warm voice was brimming with patience.
Shen You’an’s breath hitched montarily, but she quickly steadied herself, replying word by word, "He’s my uncle. Please help take him to the hospital. Soone will co shortly. May I have your na and contact information?"
The boy chuckled softly. "Don’t worry; he’s just asleep, nothing serious. But to be safe, I’ll take him to the hospital anyway."
"My na is Rong Xianning. Oh, and I’m not a scamr."
Rong Xianning?
The na struck a familiar chord with Shen You’an, as though she’d heard it sowhere before.
For so reason, the boy’s voice seed to carry a magical pull, stirring her heart and leaving it in turmoil.
Both the voice and the na evoked a strange sense of déjà vu.
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