Five years later.
The sky was clear and the sun was warm but not scorching. It seemed that in the blink of an eye, there was no trace of winter.
The city, which was originally dull in color, began to become brighter in color, and the trees began to come alive, giving a scene of all things reviving.
This long and cold winter is finally over, and the breath of spring gradually and gently enveloped the entire city, like a gentle palm, covering the entire city with a thin veil, and then warmth arrived as expected.
The sun shines down, and the ground is golden, which is quite dazzling.
A girl in white sportswear stopped in front of a flower shop. The sunlight fell down and shone on the sign of the flower shop. The four words "Xinxin Flower Shop" seemed to be coated with a layer of golden light, which looked very beautiful.
The girl looked up at the glittering sign and walked in, smiling with a determined look on her face.
As soon as she walked into the store, the kind-looking middle-aged female owner came up to her warmly.
"Zi Xin, are you here to buy flowers again?" The owner, Aunt Yang, asked the girl in front of her with a smile.
"Yeah." Chen Zixin nodded gently, paused and said, "School is going to start tomorrow, and I want to buy some flowers so that I can take them to school tomorrow." Zixin answered Aunt Yang's question gently, and her voice was very pleasant.
She raised her face, her eyes were full of anticipation for the future, and her face was filled with surprise.
"Oh, so that's how it is. Our Zi Xin is such a great child. Jin Feng College is a very difficult school to get into. Your mother is so lucky to have raised such an outstanding daughter like you." Aunt Yang praised Zi Xin and nodded approvingly.
There was a fleeting glimmer of darkness in Zi Xin's eyes, like a star that suddenly fell, but she quickly concealed this melancholy light well.
She raised her head, and her eyes regained their original sparkle. A smile gently spread across the corners of her lips. She respectfully expressed her gratitude to Aunt Yang: "Thank you, Auntie." She said with a smile, looking very polite.
After saying that, Zi Xin turned around and walked towards the sea of ​​flowers by the window.
Before she even got close enough, the rich aroma had already filled her nostrils. That kind of refreshing aroma was so intoxicating that it was easy to get addicted to it.
Although the storefront of this flower shop is not big, the varieties of flowers inside are really complete. The fiery red roses are extremely beautiful and warm, and the strong fragrance comes in waves, which is an irresistible temptation. There are also roses in bud, which look as shy as a girl, and the romantic baby's breath is also blooming in the corner...
Zi Xin's gaze did not linger on the sea of ​​flowers for long. She walked straight to the reserved and demure Clivia in the corner, gently bent down, reached out and held the Clivia in her hands, and then walked towards Aunt Yang.
"Clivia doesn't have the scent of other flowers. Are you sure you want to bring this to school?" Aunt Yang looked at Zixin with a frown.
"Yeah." Zi Xin nodded and smiled, then handed over the money politely.
Aunt Yang took the money and glanced at the flowers in Zixin's hand, her eyes full of understanding: "Zixin, you really have a special liking for Clivia. You always choose the same flowers every time." As she spoke, she handed the change to Zixin.
Zi Xin took the change with a shy expression: "I think Clivia is very good, fresh and elegant, and looks very noble, just like a gentleman among flowers. Although it is not as bright as other flowers, it has a different kind of beauty, doesn't it?" After Zi Xin finished speaking, her gaze stayed on the Clivia in her hand, her eyes full of love that she could not conceal.
Aunt Yang nodded in agreement: "Welcome to come again next time!" Then she smiled and bowed to Zi Xin.
"Yeah!" Zi Xin nodded heavily, "Well, see you next time!" After saying that, he turned and walked out the door.
When I walked out of the flower shop, the sky outside was still clear and the breeze gently brushed my face, which was a very pleasant feeling.
Zi Xin gently closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air. The smile on her face became more intense. She looked at the Clivia in her hand and walked down the stairs contentedly.
There are rows of camphor trees on both sides of the street, standing quietly like guards. Under the sunlight, they cast mottled shadows on the ground.
Zi Xin walked quietly under the camphor tree, her steps were a little slow, as if she was thinking about something, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were thoughtful.
Tomorrow is the first day of school for Jinfeng College. It has always been my mother's wish for me to go to such a high-quality school. Now I can finally fulfill my mother's wish. I have finally lived up to her painstaking efforts. Thinking of this, Zi Xin breathed a sigh of relief. However, when she thought of the word "mother", she began to feel a little bitter in her heart, and her eyes became a little red.
Her long black hair tied behind her head was blown gently by the breeze like silk. The Clivia in her hand exuded an extremely elegant fragrance. Her gaze rested on the Clivia in her hand again. Her big eyes blinked smartly, hiding the watery light in her eyes, and then a gentle smile appeared on her lips, pure and beautiful.
She held the flower carefully in her hand, staring at the tender petals and leaves with distinct veins. She seemed to be completely immersed in her own world, so she did not notice what was happening not far ahead.
It was a tumultuous uproar—
On the sidewalk not far ahead, although people dodged, they were still hit by a group of people who suddenly ran out.
"Where is it? Where is it?" One of the men in a black suit shouted loudly to the people next to him. His face and forehead were covered with sweat, so his tone was very bad and he looked very angry.
"Boss, he's there!" A man next to the "black suit" answered respectfully. He was a man who looked a little shifty, and at this moment he was pointing his finger not far ahead.
"Chase him!" The man in the "black suit" gave orders to his men beside him without any explanation.
Under the scorching sun, this group of people ran recklessly, as if they were tracking someone who was extremely important to them, so even if they kept bumping into pedestrians around them, they didn't seem to care.
"Oh! It hurts so much!" Some pedestrians who didn't have time to dodge were knocked directly to the road. However, this group of people ran so fast that before we could see their faces clearly, only their receding backs were left.
"Damn it!" A young man in a plaid shirt was running not far ahead. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, tall, with wheat-colored skin, and very handsome. His angular face was covered with beads of sweat, and no one knew whether the sweat was due to running or worry.
His deep eyes were filled with disgust. He looked back frequently, calculating the distance between himself and the group of people behind him, but his steps did not slow down at all.
At this time, Chen Zixin was looking down at the Clivia in her hand. By the time she raised her head and noticed this situation, it was obviously too late.
Before she even had time to react, a figure flashed past her. Although she tried very hard to avoid it, she still...
"ah--"
Before Zi Xin could finish her scream, she was knocked to the ground. At the same time, there was the sound of the pot of Clivia being smashed to pieces.
At that moment, Ouyang Xi turned his head, and in the bright and warm light, he saw a girl falling to the ground, surrounded by broken flower pots and scattered soil. Then, he saw her body, which was originally tilted, slowly turn towards him...
At that moment, those beautiful and clear eyes struck his heart.
Clivia obviously has no fragrance, but at that moment, it seemed that there was some kind of elegant fragrance spreading through his nostrils. He felt deeply that his heart beat heavily at that moment.
An inexplicable feeling forced him to slow down his pace involuntarily. He wanted to stop, walk to the girl, help her up, and say sorry to her.
He really wanted to do this, because his pace had slowed down.
However--
"stop!"
The increasingly approaching shouting broke this crystal-like dream. He woke up instantly and looked up to see the group of people getting closer and closer to him.
Damn it! He cursed softly in his heart, and after casting an apologetic and fond glance at the "Clivia girl" reluctantly, he turned into the alley closest to him without any hesitation, without even having time to say sorry.
Their first encounter took place at this seemingly critical moment.
Therefore, Ouyang Xi later always firmly believed that his meeting with Chen Zixin was completely destined by fate.
Those clear eyes became something he could never give up or forget in the future.
How could this guy be like this? I have never seen such an impolite, reckless and rude boy! Zi Xin watched the boy disappear at the entrance of the alley, feeling dissatisfied.
She was really hurt by the collision. Her knee felt a burning pain and there were slight scratches on her arms. Bloodstains could be vaguely seen. Her clothes and pants were covered with dust and she looked very disheveled.
Then, Zi Xin stood up with great effort. The pain in her knee made her frown. She bumped into someone, and that guy turned around and ran away without even saying an apology. This was really excessive behavior. She muttered while looking angrily at the alley entrance where no one had appeared.
After a while, she seemed to finally remember something. She turned her eyes and her gaze fell on the broken pot of Clivia on the ground. Her eyebrows were tightly knitted. The soil had already been scattered all over the ground. The pot of Clivia had been smashed into pieces and could not be saved...
The street returned to its original tranquility. The sun poured down, shining warmly on the asphalt road. There was a faint halo on the metal guardrails on both sides.
Everything seemed peaceful and beautiful, as if nothing had just happened.
But something has obviously changed...
It's like one person meeting another.
Or...something else.
The trajectory of destiny has intersected at this moment...
Half an hour later, Zi Xin returned home empty-handed, feeling extremely depressed and with a helpless look on her face.
This is an old house in the suburbs, which was left to her by her grandmother. Later, her mother left it to her. It is where she lived since she was a child and is her warm home.
She took the key out of her pocket, and the rustling sound was quite pleasant to her ears. Then, she slowly inserted the key into the keyhole, and after gently turning it twice, the door creaked open.
This is a house that is not very big. Although the layout inside is simple, it does not appear empty. The small house is clean and tidy, and things are placed neatly, making it look very warm.
Before Zi Xin had time to enter the room, a few "woof woof woof" sounds of a puppy came from inside the door, as if it was greeting her warmly in some unique language. Then, a snow-white, cute puppy rushed out from the door.
The puppy ran to Zixin's feet and kept wagging its furry tail at Zixin, as if trying to please its owner. Its big eyes were black and bright, like two beautiful black grapes.
"Maomao!"
Seeing this cute puppy, Zi Xin finally smiled again. She squatted down, held Maomao in her arms, stood up and walked towards the door, then closed it with a bang.
Maomao was picked up outside by Zixin the year her mother passed away. It looked dirty and pitiful at the time, so Zixin adopted it without hesitation and named it Maomao. For Zixin, Maomao is like a family member, silently accompanying her. In Zixin's heart, Maomao's existence is very important.
After dinner, Zi Xin took Maomao for a walk, which was something she must do every evening.
Taking a walk in such comfortable weather, one's mood will become brighter. Maomao, who runs outside, seems to be more lively. Usually very obedient, he now runs around happily, running excitedly in front of Zixin all the way.
"Maomao! Don't run around!" Zi Xin shouted loudly from behind, but Maomao did not stop obediently as usual, but continued to run excitedly in front.
Zi Xin was helpless. She was afraid that Maomao had really run away, so she quickened her pace and chased after Maomao. She did not notice that she had turned into an unfamiliar alley.
After a while, Maomao broke into a strange and quiet garden without caring about anything.
"Maomao, where are you? Can you please come out soon?"
For fear of disturbing others, Zi Xin stood at the gate of the garden and called out softly. However, no matter how Zi Xin called, Maomao, who had run into the garden, showed no intention of coming out.
Zi Xin was getting anxious, and beads of sweat formed on the tip of her nose. She looked around at the quiet and mysterious garden in front of her. This was a place she had never been to. The garden looked well-protected and beautiful. Zi Xin secretly guessed that it must be a garden of a rich family. She looked carefully outside the fence, but did not see any trace of Maomao, which made Zi Xin even more anxious.
"Maomao! Come out quickly, do you hear me?" Zi Xin raised her voice and called several times in succession, but there was still no sign of Maomao. She became more and more nervous, and even her breathing became heavier. Where did Maomao go? Could it be that it...had gotten lost?
Zi Xin thought about this and began to feel uneasy. She kept looking outside the fence. She clenched her fists and decided to go in to look for Maomao.
Although it was disrespectful to break into someone else's garden, Zi Xin could no longer care about that when she thought about the possibility of Maomao getting lost. She made up her mind, calmed down, reached out and gently pushed open the garden door, and walked in cautiously.
When Zi Xin walked in, she discovered that this garden was actually a different world!
When she was looking outside just now, she didn't realize it would be so big. This was really beyond her expectation! She looked around subconsciously and noticed that the landscape layout of this garden was also extremely elegant and unique. The flowers in the flowerbed were blooming warmly and beautifully. The faint fragrance of flowers kept attacking her nostrils, and the air was full of vitality and vigor. Next to the flowerbed, a small rockery stood quietly. Each stone looked very smooth, and the placement of the stones was also very sophisticated and ingenious. Seeing this, her eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe everything in front of her, and her heart was full of surprise.
Just as she was feeling surprised and curious, a handsome figure suddenly appeared in her sight.
At that moment, her heart seemed to be suddenly grabbed by something, and it was beating rapidly!
A young man in a white shirt stood there quietly, as if he was alone. He stared at the scenery in front of him in a trance, his eyes like black glass flashing with a faint light, and his hair as black as ink jade fluttering slightly in the wind.
He just stood there silently, but she felt the loneliness deeply, as if he would always stay in a corner alone, melancholy and lonely like this, refusing to talk to others, refusing to get close to others, and even... not letting others have the slightest chance to enter his heart.
The light of the setting sun fell through the branches, quietly and gently enveloping the tall and thin figure. Under the setting sun, the shadow seemed to be inlaid with a circle of brilliant and dazzling halo. The sunlight reflected on his clean and tidy white shirt, shining with a soft light, the short hair as dark as the night, and the perfect and delicate profile made people unconsciously intoxicated.
At this moment, the air was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard. It seemed that everything around him was disappearing bit by bit, and all the scenery became a pale and blurred background. In the whole world, there was only her staring at him infatuatedly, and him with an indifferent face and silence.
The wind blew softly, brushing against Zi Xin's cheek. The strands of hair on her forehead were gently blown up by the wind, somewhat covering her delicate face. But she seemed to be unable to sense anything, just looking at him, silently looking at him.
It seemed that in her eyes, he was the only perceptible existence.
After a long time, the young man seemed to finally realize something, and he turned his head quietly.
suddenly--
His long and beautiful fingers trembled slightly inadvertently.
In the fragrant air, the wind blew gently across his cheeks, blowing her long eyelashes, and her big, charming and clear eyes flashed, like the clearest spring water. And his eyes were as deep and beautiful as a lake.
Zi Xin felt that his heartbeat was almost beyond the load his heart could bear.
Yes, her heart was filled with tension. It seemed as if her heart no longer belonged to her and no longer obeyed any of her instructions. A strange feeling was slowly enveloping her whole heart...
This feeling carried an inexplicably powerful force, forcing her to cover her heart with her right hand, trying to calm herself down in this way. She carefully adjusted her breathing to make it look less rapid and nervous.
At this moment, there was an eerie silence in the garden.
Zi Xin seemed to feel the air condensing, which made her feel a little suffocated. Everything was so quiet, so quiet that she could even feel her own rapid breathing.
“Woof woof woof!”
Suddenly, the barking of a puppy broke the quiet atmosphere.
Zi Xin finally came back to her senses after a long period of daze, and hurriedly calmed herself down. Then, she saw a puppy running .
"Maomao, who told you to run around? Don't you know your sister will be worried?"
When Zi Xin saw Maomao, he quickly squatted down and gently stroked Maomao's little head with his hand. His tone was reproachful, but his eyes were full of pity.
"Woof!"
Maomao seemed to have sensed Zixin's rebuke, so he kept wagging his tail at his owner, looking as if he was trying hard to please him. His little head was lowered, and his big eyes looked very innocent.
Maomao's cute and playful look made Zi Xin burst out laughing.
"Okay! I forgive you! Don't run around next time, okay?" Zi Xin said softly. Her beautiful eyes were curved with smiles, like a beautiful crescent moon.
“Woof woof woof!”
Maomao seemed to have received forgiveness and pardon from his owner, and he instantly became lively again.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
The boy's voice suddenly sounded. As expected, the voice was cold and distant. Even in such warm weather, it still made people shiver unconsciously.
"I... I am..." Zi Xin raised his head and stuttered a little because of nervousness.
She calmed down for a moment, paused, and then continued what she had just said: "I came here to look for my puppy. I'm very sorry. I know it is extremely rude to trespass like this, but I... I... I have to..." Her tone was respectful and she looked at the boy in front of her with an apologetic look.
"Puppy?" The boy interrupted her, narrowed his eyes slightly and walked towards her.
At this moment, Zi Xin certainly didn't know that this young man was Xia Boran, who would be bound to her from now on.
He walked towards her in the backlight, amid her slightly surprised expression, her increasingly rapid breathing, and her increasingly intense heartbeat, he walked towards her indifferently and calmly, and his whole body seemed to be filled with holy light, and that dazzling light shot straight into her eyes, leaving her with no escape.
At that moment, there seemed to be the most dazzling particles of light flashing in front of Zi Xin's eyes. The light flickered and danced brightly, like the most expensive and rare gem in the world, with an irreplaceable power that went straight into people's hearts.
He walked slowly against the light, his tall and thin figure becoming clearer and clearer in the setting sun, as if covered with a soft and mysterious halo. It was not until he stood in front of her that she could finally see his appearance clearly.
At this moment, Zi Xin suddenly felt that she had fallen into a beautiful dream...
The wind blew gently, and the petals on the ground were blown up as well. The petals were like elves full of vitality, circling around them non-stop, as if they were dancing the most beautiful dance in the world, which made people intoxicated and obsessed.
She felt that she was really immersed in this beauty. She had a strong sense of unreality and dizziness in her heart. Everything before her eyes really looked like a beautiful and moving dream.
A crystal-like dream that cannot be broken...
She stared blankly at the boy in front of her, carefully adjusting her breathing, as if afraid that the slightest sound would affect the quiet air around her. Her body was trembling slightly due to excessive nervousness, and her palms were full of sweat due to the excessive nervousness just now.
Looking into his deep eyes, she realized after a while that she didn't seem to have answered his question, so she nodded gently: "Yes."
She looked at him silently and could already feel the cold temperament emanating from him. He was both noble and unapproachable, yet filled with an inexplicable and extremely fatal attraction.
However, he, who was so beautiful and indifferent, suddenly appeared without any warning at this unexpected moment, like a prince, and broke into her heart, leaving her unable to escape...
However--
When his gaze moved to Maomao, Zi Xin easily read the disgust in his eyes. She clearly saw that his brows were frowned in an instant and he immediately turned his gaze away.
It smells disgusting and full of resistance.
Such a look made Zi Xin feel inexplicably hurt. The feeling was like being pricked by needles, causing waves of subtle and sharp pain to spread in her heart.
"I..." Zi Xin rubbed the corner of her clothes nervously, and her bright eyes dimmed instantly. She didn't know what she should say at this moment, so she could only use "I'm sorry" to express her apology at this moment.
She knew that these three words were pale and powerless, but at this moment, she really didn't know what she should do to reduce his disgust.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was truly sincere, and her big eyes were shining brightly.
Xia Bairan looked away and unexpectedly met Zi Xin's gaze. Her clear and bright eyes were instantly reflected in his eyes, as clear and spotless as spring water.
It was a look that could never be forgotten.
It seemed as if a strange feeling was spreading in his heart, catching him off guard.
"I'm sorry." Zi Xin was still apologizing. She bit her lips tightly, her whole face flushed red with embarrassment. She didn't dare to keep her eyes on his face, for fear of seeing that painful look of disgust again.
Therefore, she missed the fleeting soft light in Xia Boyan's eyes.
The atmosphere suddenly became as quiet as before, with only the sound of the wind whistling in my ears and the singing of birds on the branches.
Flower petals gently fell in front of his eyes, but Zi Xin didn't dare to look up, as if he was using this method to cover up his inner panic at the moment.
"No need to apologize anymore."
In fact, it should have been a gentle remark, but coupled with Xia Boyan's cold temperament and his slightly frowned brows, it looked impatient, and Xia Boyan suddenly felt a little annoyed.
Zi Xin was even more panicked at this time.
Run away! As soon as this thought came to her mind, she immediately decided on her action. She quickly bent down, picked up Maomao, turned around and ran out of the garden. Therefore, she didn't notice that when she turned around and left, Xia Bairan's brows were getting tighter and tighter, and he raised his hand slightly towards her.
After a while, the garden became quiet again.
The place where Zi Xin had just stood was now empty, as if she had never been there, with only the gentle wind dancing among the branches of the tree. Xia Bairan stared at that place in a trance.
The bright light in his eyes just now gradually disappeared, and there seemed to be an imperceptible sense of loss in his heart, spreading bit by bit.
She left without even saying hello, and she left as suddenly as she had appeared. He was caught off guard. His brows furrowed even more tightly, and his steps involuntarily moved in the direction she left...
Unfortunately, when he reached the railing, there was no trace of her outside the empty railing.
The lost light in his eyes gradually grew bigger, and even the hands hanging beside him unconsciously clenched little by little. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but the feeling of loss in his heart became stronger and stronger...