After pushing open the door and walking around the spiral staircase made of navy blue marble, I saw the spacious and bright hall, where I met my mother.
My mother always gets up early. She thinks the air in the morning is fresher and breathing more is good for health.
When I came down, my mother was sitting in the living room drinking tea as usual, wearing a black dress and pearls, and next to her sat a gloomy-looking Elsie.
Obviously she was forced to get up early again. There were thick dark circles under Aisi's sunken eyes. She stirred the teacup beside her reluctantly with her fingers. She glanced at me sideways, turned her head away, and yawned a few times when her mother wasn't paying attention.
Aixi inherited her outstanding looks from her mother. They both have almond eyes with deep double eyelids, but I have thin single eyelids.
Because I am not my mother's biological child.
I don’t know if it was because of the cold air that came in through the open door, but I couldn’t help but shiver. I lowered my head and called her carefully, “Mother.”
All along, I have been accustomed to calling her "Mother" instead of "Mom" like Aisi, because I stubbornly believe that "Mother" is just a title, and "Mom" is the one who gave birth to me and loves me.
Yes, I was an orphan. I lived in an orphanage in another city before I was six years old. After I was six, I came here and became the adopted daughter of the Ai family.
At that time, my mother really loved me. She dressed me up as a beautiful little princess in various ways. She told me stories every night until I fell asleep. She would always bring me along when she went out for tea with friends, and would happily show off to the people around her: “This is my little angel…”
Of course, I wasn’t as annoying as I am now.
It is said that I was smart, clever, and cheerful at that time. I liked to hold up my scribbled sketchbooks in front of adults like presenting a treasure in hopes of seeking praise.
At that time, she affectionately called me "baby" and "little angel"; and I called her "Mom".
How nice it would be if time stopped at that moment.
Unfortunately, everything that happened later still happened.
So, my relationship with her became what it is now.
At that time, we didn't know that a little life named Aisi would be born.
At that time, I still called my mother "Mom".
Until one day, the atmosphere at home became unusually festive, and everyone was in high spirits, but everyone looked at me with strange and evasive eyes.
I only realized later that that look was pity.
That night, my mother and father came home very late. I hadn't fallen asleep yet, so when I heard the noise, I went to my mother's room with my picture book as usual and begged her to read a story to me.
The door of my mother's room was ajar, and I heard her talking to my father in the sweet voice that I was familiar with.
I originally wanted to pretend to be a little white rabbit and jump into the room like I used to, but when I heard my mother say my name, I stopped for some reason.
Through the half-open door, I heard my mother say, "Send Banxia back to the orphanage? Send her away tomorrow."
Then the father's hesitant voice said, "This..."
Where does the power come from?
I didn't shed a single tear at that time, probably because I subconsciously understood that everything I got after leaving the orphanage was just a dream. Since it is a dream, there will always be a time to wake up.
No tears, no resentment, only fear .
Fear was like a sharp claw that gripped my neck, making it hard for me to breathe. I stood outside the door trembling, holding my breath as I waited for the two people in the room to pronounce their verdict on me.
"I already have our own child in my belly, why do I still keep her around? Send her away tomorrow. Whenever I see her, I remember how embarrassed I was when people laughed at me for not being able to have children."
"We have already signed the adoption agreement. If we go back on our word now, we will probably get criticized. After all, we are both well-known people."
"Then tell me, what should Banxia do?"
"Just keep it for now." The father lowered his voice to please the mother, "Just think of it as raising a cat or a dog. If you like, play with it. If you don't like it, just throw it to the servants and don't worry about it. Anyway, we don't need to save that little money."
Later, I could no longer remember all the details about that night. I only remember that it was snowing heavily that night. I was lying on my little bed, staring at the white world outside the window, and finally I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
I comfort myself that even a false dream is always better than reality.
The next day, I became what Aisi described.
What does it look like? Have you ever seen a less favored animal trying to please its owner carefully?
That's about it.
I am so cautious only because I am too greedy for the warmth I once received.
The warmth my mother had once given me gradually turned into silence and indifference. It was probably from that time that the fragments of the little stone in my vague childhood memories became clearer and clearer.
Because he is the only one who always gives me warmth.
Glancing at me, my mother raised her head and looked at me with the same cold eyes as always.
My mother's white, round fingers moved to the envelope on the coffee table, picked it up, and threw it to me.
I took it nervously, my heart hanging in my throat, waiting for my mother to speak.
"Ai Xi said that he wants you to transfer to Baisha College, which is closer to Baisha Primary School where he studies. The driver can pick you up and drop you off at the same time. The school is close, so Ai Xi won't have to wait too long for you. Moreover, the high school and middle school departments of Baisha College have the same class start and end times as the primary school."
After my mother finished speaking calmly, my heart instantly settled down. I tried hard to suppress the joy in my heart and looked at my brother who was sitting next to me with gratitude.
Because of Jian Chen, I urgently wanted to transfer to Baisha College, but I knew that if I told my mother about this, she would definitely not agree, so I could only ask Ai Xi for help.
Sure enough, as soon as Aisi said it casually, her mother agreed readily.
"Old Liu is honking the horn outside. It's getting late. I should leave." Aixi pretended not to notice the look I gave him, jumped off the sofa with a haughty expression, and said in a condescending tone.
The mother came over with a smile on her face and wanted to help Aisi take the schoolbag outside, but Aisi impatiently blocked her way.
The little boy who used to stay in his mother's arms and act like a spoiled brat all day long has reached the age to learn to be independent.
My mother was not angry, she just looked at him with pity, which suddenly became cold when it accidentally swept over me.
"You can go too! I've already completed the formalities, so go report today!"
I nodded, bowed respectfully to my mother, and then quickly chased after Aisi.
My mother has always been very efficient. I didn't expect that I could go to Baisha College today just after I asked Aixi to help me transfer schools yesterday.
It seems like I haven't been as happy as I am today for a long time.
The car stopped abruptly on the side of the road. When I got out of the car, a head immediately popped out of the back window and said to me with contempt, "Ai Banxia, ​​a 'combination of devil and beast' like you who plays so hard that you don't know why, but whose grades are so good that both humans and gods hate you, suddenly landed in Baisha College. How can those proud little peacocks in Baisha College who are so self-righteous all day live?"
Aixi likes to talk in an adult tone. Every time he acts like an adult, if his mother is not around, I can't help but reach out and pinch his face and tease him: "Little brat, can't you be a little more cute? You have so many tricks!"
"Hmph." Ai Xi fiercely brushed my hand away. Her porcelain-like face immediately turned red. She glared at me and said, "Being cute can't be eaten. Be careful at school. Girls can be very scary when they get jealous. I don't want you to cry to me when you get bullied one day."
"Ha, you think I'm like you!" I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Although my brother sometimes speaks harshly, I can clearly feel that he cares about me.
If there is anything worth cherishing in that magnificent yet cold and desolate home like a ghost tomb, it is only Aisi.
"I'm not a little kid like you, so I won't cry." I said with a smile, reaching out to touch Aixi's black hair.
Unfortunately, that smile lasted less than a second before it faded away.
I saw Jian Chen.
A young man with narrow phoenix eyes sat upright in the passenger seat. A "white Wrangler" sped past me, bringing up a gust of wind.
If Aisi hadn't pulled me in time, I think I would have been knocked down by the rearview mirror of the White Wrangler.
When I came back to my senses, the Wrangler had already gone far away. Under the crimson sky, I only had time to see the beautiful girl sitting behind Jian Chen turn sideways and glance in our direction casually and lazily.
For a long, long time, I couldn't take my eyes away from the place where the white dot disappeared.
I don't want that at all.
Ai Banxia has always claimed that she would never give up easily. However, even though I struggled with all my might, I couldn't look away, as if the "white Wrangler" that had long disappeared from my sight was a huge spider web, and I was a bug trapped in it, unable to break free or escape.
The gradually warming wind in March in City C seemed to suddenly become biting. I wrapped my school uniform tightly around me, sniffed hard, and pretended to be calm as I shouted to Ai Xi who had been standing beside me: "It's so cold, so cold, so cold."
I thought Ai Xi would turn around and laugh at my fake coquettish voice, but he said nothing. He just held my hand tightly, looked at me sincerely and said, "Sister..."
I was stunned. Most of the time, Ai Xi called me "Ai Banxia" and occasionally called me "sister", but he never called me "sister".
The single -syllable word "jie" coupled with the unique soft and sticky pronunciation of people in City C is so corny that it makes people sick. Since childhood, Aixi has shown great disdain for this title. No matter how soft and hard I try, I can never trick him into calling me "jie". But now, he is willing to call me "jie", which makes me a little surprised and inexplicably sad.
I know he is worried about me.
"Hey, kid!" I looked at him sideways and joked, "Which girl did you mess with again? Do you want me to help you deal with it?"
Ai Xi ignored me, looked at me seriously and said, "Don't provoke Jian Chen."
"It seems to be too late." I reached out to ruffle Aisi's short hair and smiled aimlessly.
"Ai Banxia! Don't think I don't know why you want to transfer to Baisha College." Ai Xi raised her voice, looking very disappointed. "But do you know what kind of person Jian Chen is?"
Facing Aisi's worried face, I could only shake my head and smile bitterly.
As a result, Aisi ignored me, sat back in her seat angrily, closed the window, and coldly asked the driver to drive away.
Looking at Aisi who left childishly, I pursed my lips helplessly.
Actually, Aisi, although I don’t know what kind of person Jian Chen is, I know what kind of person Xiao Shitou is, and that’s enough.
Aisi, don't worry about your sister. You are very strong and you won't cry.