"Qianxue, I'll take you to meet my parents." This is what Xia Ziming said to Shen Qianxue after they had been dating for a year.
They once spent a birthday together, and now, Xia Ziming will be celebrating his second birthday at the end of his sophomore year.
Shen Qianxue was stunned for a moment, and she believed in Xia Ziming without a doubt. She believed that since he said so, there must be a proper arrangement. Shen Qianxue smiled brightly and agreed with Xia Ziming's words.
On Xia Ziming's birthday, his parents held a birthday party for him at home. The independent house of several hundred square meters was decorated very gorgeously. Shen Qianxue walked into the building in a plain dress. She was out of place here. Only Xia Ziming smiled at her.
She knew that Xia Ziming never cared about her appearance or her family background. But he and she both ignored that love might make people disregard everything, but who could stand the cold and wasted time?
Father and Mother Xia, who were holding red wine glasses to entertain the guests, were reminded by someone and turned around to look at Xia Ziming.
The two of them never cast their eyes towards Shen Qianxue from beginning to end, until Xia Ziming introduced her, then they glanced at her as if giving alms.
This glance was like pouring water mixed with ice cubes over your head.
Shen Qianxue then realized that she had mistakenly entered someone else's territory, and Xia Ziming's parents looked at her as if she were a beggar.
"Ziming, you're not going to tell us that this country girl is your girlfriend, are you?" Xia's mother's words were a little harsh. Although she saw the dissatisfaction in Xia Ziming's expression, she continued to target Shen Qianxue, "For a family like ours, it is very important to marry someone of equal status. We will not approve of you bringing someone like this back."
"It's our son's birthday. How can you say such harsh words?" Father Xia seemed to be more sensible. He stopped his wife from continuing to speak because Xia Ziming had already frowned at this moment.
Humiliated, Shen Qianxue lowered her head in embarrassment. How could she forget that she had met Xia's father and mother that summer, when they caught her and called her a thief... They were not easy to get along with. She believed in Xia Ziming wholeheartedly and didn't care about the gap between them, but she never thought that although she didn't care and Xia Ziming didn't care, there were always people who cared.
Such a gap would seem to anyone like Shen Qianxue trying to curry favor with someone powerful.
The air suddenly became cold. Xia Ziming's face turned dark and he was about to get angry, but another voice interrupted.
"Aunt Xia, I've always heard Brother Ziming mention you. Today I met Aunt Xia in person and found that she is younger and more beautiful than Brother Ziming described."
Che Xiaoman walked out from behind Shen Qianxue and suddenly intervened between the few people, praising Xia's mother as an atmosphere coordinator.
How could Xia's mother not accept such low-level flattery? But Che Xiaoman knew how to please her. She used Xia Ziming's name to flatter Xia's mother, so Xia's mother stopped mocking her and, after carefully looking at her clothes, she happily started chatting with Che Xiaoman.
Respect the clothes first and then the person. This has been a common practice for thousands of years.
Their topic gradually shifted away from Shen Qianxue. Che Xiaoman took Xia's mother's arm and talked about perfume brands, skin care brands and various luxury goods.
And Shen Qianxue, the official girlfriend, gradually weakened from the "protagonist" to the "supporting role" under the halo of Che Xiaoman, like a little maid holding up the skirt of the heroine.
They talked happily and soon talked about Che Xiaoman's parents; on the other hand, although Shen Qianxue was protected by Xia Ziming, she couldn't get rid of the sense of restraint. Shen Qianxue even thought absentmindedly that Che Xiaoman's father was the boss of a listed group company, while her father was a man who abandoned his wife. Everyone knows how to deal with this choice.
"It would be great if our Ziming could find a girlfriend like you." Compared with Che Xiaoman and Shen Qianxue, Xia's mother certainly likes Che Xiaoman more.
I just thought so in my heart, but how could I say it like that? Especially in front of all the guests. Xia Ziming's face turned blue, and he turned to look at Shen Qianxue. She bit her lower lip tightly, and a trace of embarrassment flashed across her face.
Father Xia was a shrewd man. Seeing that both of them had changed their expressions, he apologized to Shen Qianxue and said that this was just his wife's personality and he hoped Shen Qianxue wouldn't mind.
Shen Qianxue forced a smile and wanted to say it was okay, but Xia Ziming spoke first: "Then you should take good care of your wife!"
Xia Ziming threw out those words while pulling Shen Qianxue away, totally ignoring the embarrassment on his father's face.
The two walked to the second floor. Xia Ziming held her hand and walked in front. Shen Qianxue looked at his back and felt the warmth from his hand. At this moment, she had an idea that even if the whole world despised her background, as long as Xia Ziming didn't care, it would be enough.
Xia Ziming opened the balcony on the second floor. The balcony was full of colorful lights, which flickered in the night, emitting the glow of happiness. Xia Ziming held Shen Qianxue's hand and walked to the guardrail together.
"That woman's words are just too excessive. Don't take it too seriously." Xia Ziming referred to his mother as "that woman" with an angry tone.
"Actually, what she said was not wrong." Shen Qianxue did not say this, but because she did not say it, she felt even more uncomfortable. But when she looked at Xia Ziming who was sulking because of her, she tasted a hint of sweetness in her mouth.
Xia Ziming was not as forbearing as Shen Qianxue. He kept on venting his dissatisfaction: "In fact, I don't like this family at all. In my parents' eyes, I am a work of art that they have carefully crafted. I can only be trapped in a display cabinet. I can't have friends I like, and I can't have things I like."
Shen Qianxue was stunned, she looked at Xia Ziming's profile. All along, she only saw his good side, his excellence, but never saw the real him.
Shen Qianxue suddenly felt that she didn't understand him at all, so when she was in his world and truly saw his past, she suddenly doubted their relationship: Was Xia Ziming with her because he liked her, or was he with her because he wanted to rebel against his tyrannical parents?
Shen Qianxue wanted to ask, but at this moment, a familiar figure walked through the front yard and walked into the first floor hall with murderous intent. The appearance of that figure was like a landmine exploding in Shen Qianxue's heart.
Soon, a sharp noise was heard from the first floor. The owner of the voice was Shen Qianxue's mother, Zhang Meiwen.
"Shen Qianxue, are you here? Come out! You are so young and you are already learning how to date. I have raised you for nothing for so many years! Shen Qianxue, come out right now and go home with me!"
Zhang Meiwen made such a fuss that the guests had already stopped talking and kept looking between Zhang Meiwen and the Xia family. More and more people gathered in the hall, and the voices of discussion became louder and louder.
When Xia's mother saw this, her face almost turned black: "Who are you? How can you break in without permission?"
Seeing this, Shen Qianxue hurried downstairs. When she reached the first floor stairs, Xia Ziming held Shen Qianxue back, not wanting her to go over. Shen Qianxue turned around, looked at him earnestly, said nothing, and pushed his hand away, walking towards Zhang Meiwen.
It was as if the embarrassing scene five years ago was being replayed, with Zhang Meiwen still at the center of the crowd, and Xia's father, mother, and Xia Ziming still among the onlookers.
But Shen Qianxue had to walk towards the center of the crowd.
When Zhang Meiwen saw her coming, she sneered at first, and when she got closer, she raised her hand and slapped her in the face.
There was a cry of surprise from the crowd. Xia Ziming wanted to step forward but was stopped by Xia's mother.
Che Xiaoman stood beside Xia's mother, speaking words of pity, while saying, "After all, she is Qianxue's mother, nothing will happen to her."
Mother Xia nodded and pulled her son behind her forcefully: "Xiao Man has said that everything will be fine."
Hearing this, Che Xiaoman revealed a barely perceptible, sinister smile at the corner of her lips.
Shen Qianxue, who was in the center of the crowd, stood there blankly, her face slightly tilted, enduring all this with a submissive attitude. The heat on her face seemed to remind her of her embarrassment at the moment.
She was used to these unreasonable beatings and scoldings, and also used to Zhang Meiwen using her as a punching bag. Who told her that she was not a boy? If she was a boy, her parents might not have divorced.
"You're in college now, you've grown independent, and you're hiding your relationship from me? I think you're just like your shameless father. You just like rich people and you pounce on them when you see them!" Zhang Meiwen's voice caused even louder discussions among the crowd. Those discussions were like gnawing ants, gnawing at Shen Qianxue's self-esteem bit by bit.
Maybe it was because dad was mentioned, or maybe it was because her self-esteem was really hurt.
Shen Qianxue lost control of her emotions and yelled at Zhang Meiwen, "Shut up!" Tears burst out as she missed her father. "What qualifications do you have to say that about my dad? If you hadn't been so aggressive, if you hadn't been so shrewish, would my dad have left? It's you who made me lose my dad, and it's you who made me a child without a father's love. You can't even live your own life well, what qualifications do you have to blame me?"
Zhang Meiwen trembled and stood there in a daze. When she came to her senses, Shen Qianxue had already run away in panic.
When they passed each other, Zhang Meiwen seemed to see the tears on Shen Qianxue's face. The discussions buzzed into Zhang Meiwen's mind. She didn't understand why Shen Qianxue would resist her. She left Xia Ziming's house in a trance.
After Shen Qianxue left, Xia Ziming was about to chase after her, but Che Xiaoman stopped him with a few words: the room was full of guests, the expressions of Xia's father and mother, and the reputation of the Xia family.
Xia Ziming was not a fool, and of course he knew what was important. Even so, after trying to smooth things over and sending the guests away, Xia Ziming still had a quarrel with his mother.
"Is this the girl you like? Do you know how much shame she brought to our family today? You are my son after all, how can your vision and taste be so low?"
In the hall, Xia's mother's words were extremely cold.
At this time, the guests had already left. Xia Ziming stiffened his neck and yelled at his mother: "Do you think I love money as much as you do? I just want to live my life according to my own ideas. I don't want you to interfere with my life!"
"Live according to your own ideas? Xia Ziming, what are you dreaming about? Your so-called life is worthless!" Xia's mother was so angry that her face turned red. She stroked her chest and panted while scolding, "Xia Ziming, you'd better think about it. Is it because you like that girl, or are you just mad at us? You are from two different classes! You are just trying to have fun now because you are not tired of it yet!"
Xia Ziming couldn't find a rebuttal for a moment. He had never asked himself these questions, and he had never thought about whether he really liked Shen Qianxue. He felt that Shen Qianxue was a very comfortable girl, and when he was with her, he would forget a lot of unhappy things. Apart from these, he couldn't find another thing about Shen Qianxue that could attract him. Shen Qianxue was not beautiful, not delicate, and her family was not well off. They didn't even have common topics.
If it weren't for the drowning accident five years ago, he and her would never have met.
They have different majors and do not attend classes in the same building. Even in school, it is difficult for them to see each other. What will they become after graduation? The topics they can talk about will gradually become less and less. By then, will they still love each other as unreservedly as they do now?
The distance between them may become farther and farther, until they can no longer see each other.
Xia Ziming suddenly felt tired and lost. He did not continue to argue, but turned upstairs and returned to his room. He needed time to figure these things out.
There are always too many frustrated people on the dimly lit streets. People with stories drink and sing in the midst of the lights and feast, and walk tiredly in the hustle and bustle of the city.
Shen Qianxue was also a frustrated and tired person. She walked aimlessly, and when she looked up, she saw the words "Baodi Engineering Construction Company" written on the outer wall of a building.
This is the company where her father works, and it is located in the best location in the city.
When she first saw her father with another woman and child, she didn't feel sad or know what she had lost.
And now she stood here, knowing clearly what she had lost - she had lost a complete family.
But she suddenly wanted to see her father, to talk to him, to get some comfort from him. But it was not until she saw the family of three walking out of the office building that she realized that she had lost her father long ago.
The scene was warm as if mixed with honey, a sweetness that Shen Qianxue had never experienced in her life. It turned out that the man she called dad could also show such a doting smile. She had never experienced such a scene before. In her memory, the family of three had always been arguing about firewood, rice, oil and salt, and always arguing about why she was not a son.
She suddenly understood why her father chose to abandon them. Because no one wants to live a poor life, they all want warmth and happiness. Her father is undoubtedly living in warmth and happiness, but she and Zhang Meiwen are the shadows behind that happiness, so they were abandoned.
Shen Qianxue wanted to go up and say something to her father, but until they got in the car and left, she couldn't move a step from where she was.
After the car disappeared, Shen Qianxue started walking again. She wandered on the street for a long time, but couldn't find a place to go. She held her cell phone in her hand for a long time, but it didn't ring.
Suddenly the wind started to blow and the temperature was getting lower and lower. After hesitating for a long time, Shen Qianxue finally picked up her phone and called Che Xiaoman.
"Qianxue? Are you back home?" Che Xiaoman asked with concern.
Shen Qianxue answered truthfully that she had nowhere to go right now: "Xiaoman, can you take me in for one night?"
After Shen Qianxue explained her situation, Che Xiaoman on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman's voice appeared on the other end of the phone, and the harsh scolding broke the silence.
"Xiao Man? What's wrong? Who is that?"
Che Xiaoman replied with two words: "It's okay."
Shen Qianxue asked again: "Xiaoman, can I come to your house? I have nowhere else to go."
A sharp yelling sound came into Shen Qianxue's ears from the phone. Shen Qianxue was a little worried: "What's that sound? Xiaoman, what's wrong with you?"
The call was disconnected. Shen Qianxue held the phone, not knowing what to do. At this time, Che Xiaoman sent her a text message with her home address. Shen Qianxue thought about it again and again and decided to go to Che Xiaoman's house to take a look.
Shen Qianxue followed the address on the text message and came to a community called Renheng Star Garden.
This is a high-end villa area, and all the garden landscape designs in the community are very exquisite. The Japanese-style pavilion is built on a large fish pond, the winding tree-lined path is paved with smooth pebbles, and the antique-style street lamps are like fox fire.
The green belts in the community were very well built, and every household had a small yard, which could ensure privacy. But it was also because of these belts that Shen Qianxue lost her way. She walked anxiously in the maze-like belts, and occasionally turned around and saw a broken belt.
The two-meter-high isolation zone had a hole about one meter high, which seemed to be man-made. Shen Qianxue saw the yard of this family through the small hole. The person playing with the children in the yard was Che Xiaoman, whom she was looking for.
Che Xiaoman was playing with a child of eight or nine years old. There was a beach in the yard with large children's toys on the beach. It was obvious that the family doted on the child very much.
Shen Qianxue was about to call Che Xiaoman's name from the hole, but at this moment the little boy climbed up behind Che Xiaoman, grabbed the pole above his head, swung himself out like a swing, and kicked Che Xiaoman's back hard with both feet. Shen Qianxue gasped in surprise and watched Che Xiaoman lean forward and kneel on the beach.
Before Shen Qianxue had time to think about anything, the little boy jumped down, sat on Che Xiaoman's head, grabbed her hair, and kicked and prodded her as if she were a horse.
Che Xiaoman turned around, her sweet face turned ferocious, she stood up and pushed the little boy to the ground. The little boy was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't expect her to resist, and rushed towards Che Xiaoman again, cursing. Che Xiaoman pinched his neck and threatened him in a sharp voice: "Che Mancheng, your parents are not at home, you'd better not mess with me!"
Shen Qianxue was completely stunned by Che Xiaoman like this. She didn't know whether she should be surprised that Che Xiaoman, who looked like a princess, would be kicked and beaten by a little boy, or whether she should be surprised that Che Xiaoman would have such a murderous look.
When Che Xiaoman grabbed the boy's neck, she used her strength. Otherwise, he wouldn't have coughed while holding his neck after she let go. But the boy didn't seem to be someone who would suffer any loss. He glared at Che Xiaoman and ran back to the room. Two or three minutes later, a grandmother holding a clothesline rushed out, shouting, "You money-loser, how dare you hit my grandson?"
The yard was not big, and even though Che Xiaoman ran around the yard, she was still hit several times by the iron clothes pole. The little boy stood at the door clapping his hands and laughing. The grandmother beat the little boy and coaxed him: "My dear grandson, grandma will beat her, beat this disobedient sister to death. How dare she bully my dear grandson!"
While chasing, Che Xiaoman slipped and fell to the ground. The little boy, as if he had won a battle, picked up the water gun on the ground and rushed over, aiming at Che Xiaoman's face and "shooting". The water gun splashed colored water on Che Xiaoman's face, making her look even more embarrassed. Her anger had reached its peak, she stood up suddenly, grabbed the clothes drying pole and threw it aside . The mother-in-law stopped, snorted coldly, and took the little boy back to the room.
Che Xiaoman was the only one left in the yard, like a drowned dog.
Shen Qianxue was completely stunned by what was happening before her eyes. She didn't know whether she should continue to live at Che Xiaoman's house.
Is that Che Xiaoman? In Shen Qianxue's eyes, Che Xiaoman is the darling of fate. She has been spoiled by her parents since she was a child and has never known what "embarrassment" means. She is straightforward in what she says and often hurts others with her words, but in fact, she has no malicious intent. But what just happened completely shocked Shen Qianxue. Che Xiaoman actually lives in such a family and is ignored by her family who favors boys over girls.
Shen Qianxue became more and more sad. She knew that she shouldn't have seen all this. Che Xiaoman was so proud and she would definitely not want anyone to see her embarrassed side.
After thinking about it, Shen Qianxue turned around and returned the same way.
The bus stopped at an unknown stop. Shen Qianxue got off the bus hesitantly and looked around, only to find that this place seemed to be close to the seaside park that she and Xia Ziming had been to.
The lighthouse in the distance was on, and the lights of fishing boats could be vaguely seen on the sea. Shen Qianxue was standing some distance away from the seaside park, but only because of the higher terrain could she see the sea view in the distance.
Shen Qianxue took a deep breath. At 11:30 at night, there were almost no pedestrians or vehicles on the street. Many shops around had already closed. Only the gate of an art high school was still lit.
Shen Qianxue sighed and walked aimlessly on the street, as if she had accepted her fate of sleeping on the street tonight.
In the distance is the outer wall of the Art High School. It should have been dark there, but at this moment it was illuminated by a bright light.
Under the light, a young man in black was holding something in his hand and waving it on the wall, as if he was doing something remarkable.
Under the pen of the black-clad teenager, colors brighter than the white exterior wall interweave to form another colorful world. The interwoven lines and bright colors seem to have a fatal attraction, attracting Shen Qianxue to cross the road and walk towards the wall step by step.
Shen Qianxue walked under the wall and found that the beam of light was actually projected from the LED night light on the ground.
Shen Qianxue stood silently in the darkness outside the light, looking at the young man in black who was graffitiing.
Shen Qianxue remembered him, the boy who was "made" colorful by her green tea last time. Although it had been a year since she first met him, his outfit was very special, which made Shen Qianxue remember him as soon as she saw him.
The boy who was painting did not notice there was someone behind him. He filled every detail with different pigments, constructing a grand picture of an eagle spreading its wings.
It was a unique eagle, with black wings and azure eyes. The waves behind it were like tiny pieces of silver, pouring on the blue, surging sea. It seemed like it would fly out of the wall at any moment!
At this time, the boy's cell phone rang.
"Hello? Mom, what's going on?" The boy put his phone on his shoulder, tilted his head and clamped the phone with his shoulder, while his hands were busy coloring the eagle. "Mom, I'm not running around. I'm in the apartment and I'm going to turn off the phone and go to bed."
"Mom, you and Dad should go to bed early too. I'm going to sleep. Good night. I love you." After the boy said this, he added a kissing sound at the end.
Shen Qianxue watched him drawing and lying at the same time, and couldn't help laughing for a moment.
When Shen Qianxue smiled, Song Yiming noticed someone behind him. He quickly turned around, picked up the night light on the ground, and shone it in the direction of the laughter.
Shen Qianxue in a white dress looked like a female ghost appearing at night, with long hair, standing behind someone without saying a word.
"Are you playing Sadako at this late hour?"
"I was just passing by and saw you painting here. I thought it was beautiful, so I stopped to take a look." Shen Qianxue raised her hand to cover her eyes reflexively, "Can you move the light away? You're shining it into my eyes."
"I was so scared, I thought the security guards were here." Song Yiming breathed a sigh of relief and moved the night light away. He was about to continue when he heard two more voices.
"You've been in the toilet for a century?"
"I just stopped by to buy some cigarettes. What are you doing outside? If you come out, there will be no one guarding the security booth, right?"
"It's just for a moment. It's okay."
The two security guards were talking. One of them gave the other a cigarette, and the two walked out, apparently preparing to find a place with a trash can to smoke.
Song Yiming shouted "Oops!" and then hurriedly picked up the pens and spray paint on the ground.
The sound of the security guards' conversation was getting closer and closer, and the footsteps were becoming clearer.
Song Yiming hurriedly threw the packed things into a big bucket and ran away.
Shen Qianxue was a little confused as she watched everything that was happening in front of her. At this moment, the voices of the two security guards came from behind her.
"What the hell? I just painted the walls white yesterday, and now you're doing it again today!"
"Stop right there, both of you! I'm going to take you to the police station!"
“Don’t run!”
"Two?" Shen Qianxue pointed at her nose and thought to herself, I am not in the same group with this person at all!
Unexpectedly, Song Yiming glanced at the security guard behind him, rushed up, grabbed Shen Qianxue and ran away.
"You, why are you pulling me to run?"
Song Yiming didn't answer her. Shen Qianxue looked back and saw that the two security guards obviously regarded her as an accomplice.
Now, there was nothing else to do except running away together. The key point was that even if Shen Qianxue wanted to explain, seeing the aggressive look of the security guards, they probably wouldn't believe her.
"Stop!" A security guard behind her had caught up with Shen Qianxue.
Shen Qianxue, who was somewhat exhausted, was grabbed by the wrist by the security guard behind her and dragged away.
Song Yiming turned around, and the two men pulled Shen Qianxue and started wrestling.
By running across the road, he could quickly use the terrain advantage to get rid of the person. Song Yiming wanted to run by himself, but when he looked at Shen Qianxue who was implicated by him, he hesitated for a few seconds and still did not let go. Instead, he threw his "tool of crime" to the security guard.
Seeing this, the security guard let go and blocked the attack. It was this opportunity that allowed Song Yiming to pull Shen Qianxue across the road and escape again.
The second security guard arrived late at the intersection. The two of them cursed and tried to chase after him, but were stopped by passing vehicles.
Shen Qianxue was dragged by Song Yiming and ran all the way to the innermost part of the seaside park. She felt like she had made up for all the physical education classes she had missed over the years.
"Stop, don't run anymore, I can't run anymore." Shen Qianxue used her last bit of strength to shake off Song Yiming's hand. She really couldn't run anymore. If she continued running, all her internal organs would come out of her throat.
Song Yiming also stopped and turned back to make sure no one was chasing him. Then he breathed a sigh of relief: "Then I won't run anymore. I don't think anyone will chase me."
"Why did you go to someone else's school to graffiti in the middle of the night? You almost got me taken to the police station." Shen Qianxue held her knees and said while panting.
"Didn't you watch me draw in the middle of the night, causing me to lose a bucket of 'crime tools'?" Song Yiming also retorted while panting.
He raised his head, looked at Shen Qianxue standing under the light, and said, "You look familiar? Your name is Shen Qianxue, right?"
"How do you know my name?" Shen Qianxue was a little surprised. She had only met this boy once, and she remembered him because of the strange outfit he wore, such as the mask on his face and the gloves on his hands, but how did he know her name?
"I found your ID card during the Top Ten Singers Contest during my freshman year. I waited for you all night but you didn't come back to look for it. It happened that the window of the lost and found office was under renovation that year and the ID card has been in my house ever since." Song Yiming's breathing gradually returned to normal.
Shen Qianxue was dumbfounded. She found Xia Ziming that night, and the days that followed seemed like she was floating on a cloud. It was not until a month later that she found out that her ID card was missing, and she had no idea that someone was waiting for her there that night.
She stroked her chest to calm herself down. Just as she was about to say thank you, she felt something sticky on her hand. She put her hand in front of her eyes, squinted for a while, and suddenly exclaimed loudly: "Blood?"
Song Yiming took a look and scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "It's not blood, it's my paint." He wanted to find a wet tissue to wipe Shen Qianxue, but then he remembered that he had thrown away the bucket of tools, "I think it splashed when the security guard pushed the bucket away when I helped you escape from the security guard's control."
Shen Qianxue glared at him angrily. Song Yiming spoke quickly and said, "Although I was careless, I was also trying to save you!"
After hearing this, Shen Qianxue stopped complaining and didn't realize that it was because of him that she was being chased by the security guards.
Song Yiming pointed to the sea view villa on the beach and said, "I'm staying there temporarily. Do you want to come to my house to change into clean clothes and take your ID card?"
"Okay." Shen Qianxue nodded while adjusting her breathing. It was late at night, and she really didn't know where to go.
"Let's go." Song Yiming wanted to lead her by the hand, but just as he made the move to extend his hand, he withdrew it uncomfortably and led the way alone in front.
Shen Qianxue followed behind him, carefully lifting the hem of her skirt.
It turns out that you have to pay for what you have done.
Shen Qianxue's mind was echoing with this line from the TV series. She remembered that when she first saw him, she splashed him with paint. Unexpectedly, a year later, the person who was splashed with paint became herself.
"Hey, what's your name?" Shen Qianxue had completely forgotten why she was wandering on the streets, and also forgot the depression she had experienced before.
"You can call me Painter Song. As for my name, I'll tell you when I become famous." Song Yiming was a little mysterious. He did not tell Shen Qianxue his full name, and even after entering the sea view villa, he did not take off his mask.
What a weirdo.
This was Shen Qianxue's first thought after entering the villa, but this thought was quickly overshadowed by another thought: It's so beautiful here!
The decoration is like a medieval European palace, with a white crystal chandelier like a huge flower bud hanging from the high ceiling. Retro white carvings are distributed along the plaster ceiling and wrapped around four load-bearing columns.
Shen Qianxue looked up and saw that the master bedroom and guest room were on the second floor. If you look down from above, this villa is a circular structure, and the luxurious corridor on the second floor constitutes the interior of the circular shape.
In addition to the retro style, the decorative paintings in the house are also very special, and they all seem to be the work of one person.
"Did you draw all these paintings?" When Shen Qianxue said this, Song Yiming had already gone up to the second floor along the stairs on the left. He walked into his room, found Shen Qianxue's ID card, and then held the railing in the corridor and looked down.
"Hey, your ID card." Song Yiming threw Shen Qianxue's ID card down, and Shen Qianxue subconsciously reached out to catch it.
"Thank you." Shen Qianxue looked at her ID card. Although it had been lost for a year, the painter Song had kept it well for her.
"Shen Qianxue, right? You haven't told me yet why you didn't go home in the middle of the night and wandered around alone?"
"I..." Shen Qianxue lowered her head, feeling a little embarrassed. She couldn't tell him that she was in this situation because she was not accepted by her boyfriend's family, right?
Shen Qianxue was silent for a while, and finally gave this reason: "I had a conflict with my mother, so I ran away from home. I had nowhere to go, so I just walked around."
"Oh, it seems like she is a rebellious girl." Song Yiming said with interest, turned around and walked down the stairs.
"There is a guest room next to the second floor. You can rest there tonight. It's already twelve o'clock. Even if you haven't quarreled with your mother, I don't suggest that a girl go home alone so late at night." When Song Yiming walked in front of Shen Qianxue, Shen Qianxue saw that he was holding a large T-shirt in his hand.
"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person, nor a pervert. Apart from liking to graffiti everywhere, I don't have any bad habits. You don't have to look like you've entered a den of thieves." Song Yiming stuffed the T-shirt into Shen Qianxue's arms, then sat on the sofa in a nonchalant manner.
"The guest room has a bathroom, and there are spare towels in the closet. Go take a shower and change your skirt. I'll see if I can get the paint out."
"Thank you." Shen Qianxue was a little reserved. After thanking her, she quickly added, "You don't need to wash the skirt. It should be difficult to wash it clean."
"It's easy." Song Yiming didn't explain it in detail, but expressed his attitude with other words: "Go upstairs and take a shower quickly. This red color is a bit dazzling. Just give me the skirt later."
With heat rising on her face, Shen Qianxue ran up to the guest room on the second floor, holding the large T-shirt.
When she went downstairs, the painter Song had fallen asleep on the soft white sofa, and he seemed tired too.
Shen Qianxue didn't have the heart to wake him up, so she had to put the white dress she had changed on the coffee table. She wanted to go back to the guest room to sleep, but when she turned around, she looked back at him and then covered him with an air-conditioned quilt.
The next day.
When Shen Qianxue woke up, it was already very bright. The light from outside the floor-to-ceiling window shone faintly through the white lace curtains.
When her memory came back to her, Shen Qianxue straightened her hair and prepared to go downstairs to say hello to Painter Song before leaving. However, the whole house was very quiet, as if she was the only one there.
Shen Qianxue didn't dare to look for it in the bedroom on the second floor, so she prepared to go downstairs and wait. When she reached the first floor, she saw an easel next to the sofa. The easel was filled with paint, and the colorful acrylic paint exuded a unique smell.
"Where is the person?" Shen Qianxue wondered, her eyes inevitably falling on the easel.
The sketch paper on the easel did not have a painting on it, but a short paragraph was written on it:

Shen Qianxue:
Your dress can't be washed clean because it's painted with acrylic paint, so it can't be turned back to white. However, I drew some pictures for you, and it looks much better than a white dress. I guess the dress will be dry when you wake up, so I hung it on the coffee table. Oh, by the way, don't look for me all over the house, I've already gone out to buy paint, just close the door when you leave the villa. I hope we won't be "colorful" when we meet next time.
Song Dynasty Painters

After reading Painter Song's message, Shen Qianxue picked up the skirt on the coffee table.
The white skirt is painted with bright and colorful flowers, which adds a lot of vitality to the plain white skirt.
Very special and very beautiful.
This was Shen Qianxue's first impression when she unfolded her dress.
This may be her first unique dress, which has shed its plain white color, like a phoenix reborn from the nirvana, returning from the clouds.
Shen Qianxue put on the brand new dress. She stood in front of the mirror for a long time and felt that her mood became beautiful because of the dress.
"Thank you, Painter Song." Shen Qianxue smiled at herself in the mirror, shook her skirt, and walked out of the sea view villa.
After that day, time sped up. Shen Qianxue did not receive Xia Ziming's call, but received Che Xiaoman's care a few days later.
"Qianxue! Where did you go that night? Why didn't you come to my house?" Che Xiaoman asked worriedly.
"I..." Shen Qianxue hesitated to speak. She wanted to say that she went, but if she did that, she would have to tell Che Xiaoman that she saw everything that happened between Che Xiaoman and her brother.
Shen Qianxue looked at Che Xiaoman worriedly. Thinking about the image she had always established in front of her, she subconsciously felt that it would be better not to say anything: "I took the wrong bus and was taken to the Seaside Park by bus."
Che Xiaoman asked hurriedly: "Didn't you go find Xia Ziming?"
For some reason, Shen Qianxue heard some urgency in her tone. Shen Qianxue shook her head and replied: "No, I met her on the beach later..."
Hearing Shen Qianxue say that she didn't go to find Xia Ziming, Che Xiaoman seemed relieved and was no longer interested in what she said next: "That's good."
"What?"
Che Xiaoman hurriedly changed her words: "I mean, you are sad when encountering such an embarrassing thing, and Xia Ziming feels bad too..."
Speaking of this, Shen Qianxue fell into a depressed mood again. Yes, it was Xia Ziming's birthday party after all. He must have been embarrassed to encounter such a thing. There must be a reason why he didn't come to see me, right?
Shen Qianxue comforted herself, but after that her contact with Xia Ziming became almost non-existent. She panicked and tried to take the initiative to contact Xia Ziming, but the result was not satisfactory.
The exam week was over, and the holiday was announced. Everyone packed their bags and went home. Shen Qianxue applied for school accommodation. She didn't want to go home and face Zhang Meiwen, so she made an excuse that the school arranged an internship and she would not go home.
She wanted to spend this time with Xia Ziming, so she happily called Xia Ziming: "Ziming, I'm staying at the school, you will..."
"I'm busy," the person on the other end of the phone said. "I'm going to do an internship."
The innocent Shen Qianxue answered foolishly: "Then we can also meet on the weekend."
Xia Ziming said, "Weekend? Do you know where I'm interning? It's in Shanghai. If you want to see me, take the high-speed train to come find me."
"Oh." Shen Qianxue heard the indifference in his tone, but still answered carefully, "Okay, wait for me. I will come to you when my part-time salary is paid."
Xia Ziming's tone softened a little on the other end of the phone, but only a little: "Well, whatever you want."
But Shen Qianxue was unable to go to Shanghai to find Xia Ziming. Even after the holiday ended and school started again, the two were unable to agree on a time.
Time ran fast, leaving no time for those who were strolling. It whistled and soon it was the final exam week of the third year. The two of them were neither hot nor cold until the day the exam ended. After the exam, the two went to the beach they had been to before. Shen Qianxue tried hard to find common topics, while Xia Ziming either couldn't keep up the topic or suddenly fell silent. Although several months had passed, they seemed unable to get over the embarrassment of that day.
Later, Che Xiaoman became the one who knew Xia Ziming like the back of his hand. Because Che Xiaoman and Xia Ziming's classroom were separated by only a corridor, she often told Shen Qianxue about Xia Ziming's private actions.
Until one day, Che Xiaoman couldn't help but persuade: "Qianxue, I think you two are so lukewarm, it's better to break up."
"Qianxue, have you heard that Xia Ziming went to a bar with his friends recently? It's the kind of bar with a lot of beautiful women. Didn't he tell you?"
"Qianxue, I think the Zheng Sheng who pursued you before is pretty good. He has been single since freshman year and loves you wholeheartedly. How about you consider it?"
Che Xiaoman always reminded Shen Qianxue from time to time that a short pain is worse than a long one, and always brought back some negative news for Shen Qianxue.
Shen Qianxue listened without saying a word. In fact, she was at a loss. She didn't know what role she played in this relationship. When she was with Xia Ziming, she always felt inferior. She didn't dare to question anything Xia Ziming did. She became more and more timid and trembling. Even when she heard that Xia Ziming had fallen in love with someone else, she didn't want to think too much.
Shen Qianxue often dreams that when she was in love with Xia Ziming, Xia Ziming suddenly disappeared, and Zhang Meiwen suddenly appeared. She cried in panic in the darkness, but no one helped her. Even after waking up from the dream, she was still uneasy, as if the nightmare had not ended, but was still playing out in her life.
During holidays and weekends, Shen Qianxue worked at a KFC near the school. Although Xia Ziming often told her to find him when she had troubles and not to go through it alone, Shen Qianxue was unwilling to take a penny from Xia Ziming. She didn't want to be the kind of girl who dated Xia Ziming for money.
But because of her stubbornness, she and Xia Ziming drifted further and further apart.
"Ziming, do you no longer like me? Have you fallen in love with someone else? If so, please tell me, I will leave and will not bother you." Shen Qianxue finally said this on Christmas. Xia Ziming's indifferent attitude made her feel very anxious and at a loss.
Rather than going on like this, it’s better to make everything clear and return to being strangers.
Xia Ziming did not answer yes or no, he just lowered his head and kissed her forehead, then held her in his arms.
"Qianxue, I have been thinking a lot about the future recently, but the more I think about it, the more confused I become. I don't know how I should move forward."
"Then don't think about it. Don't think about anything." Shen Qianxue raised her head, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips.
Zheng Sheng, who happened to be passing by, caught a glimpse of this scene. He opened his mouth, but stopped himself from speaking. He turned around and walked into the department store with A Zhao.
Xia Ziming came and went in a hurry, but because of his brief visit, Shen Qianxue maintained a good mood for the whole afternoon.
When getting off work, Shen Qianxue saw Zheng Sheng, who seemed to have been there for a long time. He was standing outside the KFC door, motionless.
"Mr. Zheng?" Shen Qianxue was a little surprised. She looked at Zheng Sheng who was standing against the glass door.
Zheng Sheng was different from two years ago. He had become more mature and steady, but his face seemed to be covered with a layer of dust. When he looked at Shen Qianxue, his expression was a little complicated.
Shen Qianxue walked towards him and asked, "Do you want to order food or..."
"I came to find you." Zheng Sheng's face still turned red when he said this.
Shen Qianxue opened the door and said, "It just so happens that I'm off work, let's talk while we walk."
Zheng Sheng and Shen Qianxue walked side by side. After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Qianxue, do you know who Lin Miao is?"
"Lin Miao? Are you talking about the pretty girl in the Finance Department? The one with long hair and a smile that looks a bit like Liu Yifei?"
"Yes, it's her." Zheng Sheng nodded, as if he didn't just want to ask Shen Qianxue if she knew her, "Then you, are you still dating Xia Ziming?"
"Well, we are still dating, but we are both a little busy and don't see each other often." Shen Qianxue said this with some hesitation, but she quickly raised her head and looked at Zheng Sheng in confusion, "But does my knowing Lin Miao have anything to do with my relationship with Xia Ziming?"
"Oh, no, it's okay. I just couldn't find a topic to talk about at the beginning, so I just found a new one. I heard that you had a fight and broke up some time ago, and I thought my chance had come, so I wanted to sound out the situation, haha." Zheng Sheng suddenly smiled awkwardly, as if he was hiding something.
"We, haven't, haven't broken up yet. Zheng Sheng, you're a good guy, but I just don't like you." Shen Qianxue stopped and the atmosphere became very awkward. She was always serious, so serious that people couldn't help but laugh.
"Qianxue, how long can a person like another person?" Zheng Sheng lowered his head and sighed, "I think my love for you should come to an end, right? I will be going abroad to study soon, and I think we will probably never meet again in the future, right? Even so, I still hope that you can always be happy."
"I will be happy."
"Qianxue, happiness is like glass. Although you never notice it, it does exist. The proof is that if you change your viewing angle a little, the glass will reflect light, asserting its existence more eloquently than anything else." Zheng Sheng's sudden emotion made Shen Qianxue feel very strange. After a while, Zheng Sheng smiled and put his hand on her head again, "This is a line from "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion". I memorized it because I like it very much."
Shen Qianxue looked at him with some confusion.
"I just want to tell you that true happiness is invisible and hard to touch. So, you probably haven't really understood the definition of happiness yet." Zheng Sheng smiled and walked on the chilly road with Shen Qianxue.
Not far away, a pair of cold eyes flashed with anger. The owner of those eyes was holding a Christmas gift in his hand. He tightly grasped the gift bag and finally turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
Soon after the start of the senior year, Zheng Sheng disappeared from everyone's sight. The news of his study abroad spread quickly, but the first person to know about it seemed to be Shen Qianxue. Even A Zhao learned about it from a phone call after he left. The class talked about it for a while, but no one mentioned it anymore.
"Qianxue, Xia Ziming cheated!"
When Shen Qianxue received Che Xiaoman's call, her mind went blank. Then Che Xiaoman's words reminded her of Zheng Sheng, who was hesitant to speak when he said goodbye to her.
"Xia Ziming is dating Lin Miao from the same class."
So Zheng Sheng asked Lin Miao because he knew about Xia Ziming and Lin Miao? And he hesitated again and again, and finally chose not to tell her?
The phone slipped from Shen Qianxue's hand, and she fell into a long blank. She looked around blankly, subconsciously trying to find a safe place, and because of this, she happened to see Xia Ziming and Lin Miao walking on the tree-lined path.
Shen Qianxue picked up the phone on the ground, and like all the heroines in the movie, she called Xia Ziming: "Ziming, I suddenly want to see you, can you come to see me?"
At this time, the two men walked into the school coffee shop. When they reached the door, Lin Miao suddenly sprained his ankle and fell towards Xia Ziming.
Xia Ziming, who was standing at the entrance of the coffee shop, first hugged Lin Miao before answering Shen Qianxue's question: "I'm having dinner with friends now. I'll find you later."
Shen Qianxue watched as his hands wrapped around Lin Miao's waist, supporting her body. The scene was extremely beautiful, but it was like a thorn that pierced deeply into Shen Qianxue's eyes.
"What friends are you having dinner with? Can I go?"
"It's a group of boys. It would be a bit awkward if you came. What's wrong?"
Shen Qianxue remained silent and did not answer. Eventually, the call was hung up. She stared at the door of the coffee shop, holding the phone tightly, without responding. No one responded to her.
Should she just barge in?
"Love means, if I don't believe in you, then it's useless for me to believe in anything else."
The lyrics that suddenly entered her ears almost broke her psychological defenses.
Can she trust him?
Shen Qianxue returned to the dormitory in a daze. When Che Xiaoman came to find her, she thought only a short while had passed, but it was already nine o'clock in the evening.
As soon as they entered the door, Che Xiaoman pulled Shen Qianxue out without saying a word.
"Xiao Man, what are you doing?"
Che Xiaoman pulled her along, saying as they walked: "Lin Miao often goes to the gym with her bestie to exercise. She must be there at this time. Qianxue, you can take this opportunity to ask her in person!"
Shen Qianxue opened her mouth to say no, but was forcibly dragged by Che Xiaoman into the gymnasium.
There were more people here than expected. Looking in the direction Che Xiaoman pointed, Lin Miao immediately stood out from the crowd. Shen Qianxue immediately thought of escaping, but Lin Miao had already seen them and even waved at Shen Qianxue.
Che Xiaoman regarded this as a provocation and forced Shen Qianxue to walk over.
Lin Miao slowly raised his head: "Finally here?"
Lin Miao was not at all confused by this sudden visitor, she was already prepared, but before she was ready, Che Xiaoman raised her hand and slapped her in the face.
The loud snapping sound attracted a lot of people's attention.
Che Xiaoman pointed at Lin Miao and yelled, "Did you know that Xia Ziming has a girlfriend? How dare you get so close to him!"
Lin Miao covered her face, then raised her head and looked at Shen Qianxue who was as shocked as she was. Shen Qianxue looked weaker than she thought. Her boyfriend had fallen in love with someone else, but she was panic-stricken and didn't know what to do, and asked others to stand up for her. How could such a girl be worthy of Xia Ziming's coldness and dominance?
Lin Miao closed the book in her hand and stood up from her seat. She was taller than Shen Qianxue and Che Xiaoman, and with the height of her high heels, she was almost 1.7 meters tall. She raised the corners of her lips slightly, revealing a charming smile: "Xia Ziming likes girls who are dependent on him enough, and likes girls who are as beautiful as me. You are Shen Qianxue, right? I remember Xia Ziming said that you are a girl with no special features and no understanding of romance. Girls like you are too shameless to bring to meet friends."
Shen Qianxue was so angry at these words that she trembled all over: "You knew Xia Ziming had a girlfriend, why did you still pester him?"
Che Xiaoman couldn't stand this kind of provocation and pushed Lin Miao forward. Lin Miao staggered back a step and shook off Che Xiaoman's hand, finally making Che Xiaoman step back a little.
Lin Miao turned his head and cast his gaze towards Shen Qianxue: "Because I know what I want. I date Xia Ziming because he has a good family background. Shen Qianxue, I am not like you. You are timid and worried about gains and losses. You should fight for the things you like, and you should use some means to snatch the people you like. After all, people only focus on the results. No one cares about the process."
As Lin Miao spoke, she slowly approached Shen Qianxue. Shen Qianxue was oppressed by her momentum and had no choice but to step back step by step until her heels touched the edge of the stairs.
"Xia Ziming is dating you only because you saved him before. Your relationship is just because you are young and ignorant. You are confronting me now only because you don't want to face the facts!"
"Don't say anything more!" Shen Qianxue yelled, and slapped Lin Miao in the face when she lost control of her emotions.
It was this slap that caused Shen Qianxue to lose her balance. Lin Miao's first reaction was to fight back, but when he found that Shen Qianxue was out of breath, he instinctively reached out to pull her back, but Che Xiaoman grabbed her back first.
Shen Qianxue, whose emotions were out of control, hadn't reacted yet when she saw Lin Miao, who had lost his balance due to the excessive movement, falling down the stairs with a look of horror on his face.
Shen Qianxue reached out to grab Lin Miao, but only touched the corner of her clothes.
As Lin Miao fell to the ground, Shen Qianxue saw Xia Ziming appear on the other side of the stairs. Xia Ziming's eyes were full of disbelief and anger. Following his line of sight, Shen Qianxue saw her raised hands.
"It wasn't me...I didn't push her..."
Shen Qianxue shook her head blankly. She didn't know how much Xia Ziming had seen, but when she looked into Xia Ziming's eyes, she fell into unprecedented panic.
“Miaomiao?”
Xia Ziming's voice trembled, he rushed over and carefully half-lifted Lin Miao. Lin Miao turned around, feeling the pain and wetness on her face, she trembled and touched her cheek, a palm of blood.
“Ahhh—”
The portable mirror in Lin Miao's pocket fell and shattered during the fall. Almost all the fragments on the ground pierced her face. Lin Miao's proud face was now covered in blood and could not be seen in its original appearance.
The wailing sound echoed in Shen Qianxue's ears. Xia Ziming looked up and gave her a last deep look without asking her for any explanation.