When the beginning of summer was approaching, Qin Xiaosi invited all the classmates to her new home to hold a bonfire barbecue party, which was not only to celebrate her new home in S City, but also to allow everyone to relax.
Xia Chan stared at the sycamore tree outside the window in a trance, and a dark shadow fell on her head. Turning her head, she saw Qin Xiaosi handing her an invitation card.
Qin Xiaosi looked down at her, and said in an arrogant and provocative tone: "Xia Chan, are you going or not?"
"She will go." A voice behind him answered as a matter of course.
Xia Chan frowned and looked at Monet. He tilted his head and asked with a smile: "Did I say something wrong?"
She slowly turned around, looked at Qin Xiaosi, took the exquisite card and placed it on the table: "Yes."
Qin Xiaosi turned around and walked towards her seat. As soon as she sat down, several girls surrounded her and asked her questions. Qin Xiaosi chatted with them affectionately, smiling like a flower.
"Tsk, women..." Monet shook his head as if sighing.
Xia Chan said slowly, "It's the same with men."
Monet sneered, blew a breath with his lips curled, and lay down on the table, too lazy to argue with her.
After school in the afternoon, Monet asked her to go somewhere. Xia Chan agreed directly, because even if she didn't agree, he would always find a way to make her compromise.
She never thought that her relationship with Monet could be so peaceful. When he sang on the stage, she was in the audience; when he skipped classes, she took notes for him. Sometimes she was on duty late, and she could see Monet waiting for her at the school gate to go home together.
She and Monet had experienced most of the things that she had experienced with Jiang Huainan before.
This reminded Xia Chan of a plant called Xanthium sibiricum in the countryside.
She remembered that when she was very young, people would bully whoever they disliked. They would pick handfuls of cockleburs and throw them at that person. Once the stuff got stuck on clothes, pants, or hair, it would be smelly and disgusting, especially when the hair was tangled into a knot that often had to be cut off to get it off.
She thought that Monet was the annoying cocklebur that had been haunting her.
But she also forgot that at that time she loved to bully whoever she liked, just to get the attention and care of her loved one.
Liking is a kind of love, and so is hating.
That day, Monet and she took a bus for more than an hour and arrived at the foot of a mountain in the suburbs.
As the sun sets, the blurred clouds are reflected in the deep pool below the mountain, and the whole mountain is shrouded in milky white mist. Monet stares at the mountain hidden in the clouds expressionlessly, without saying a word.
He turned his head and looked at Xia Chan, with a broken dark light in his smiling eyes, and said in a low voice: "Let's go."
Xia Chan nodded.
The long footsteps can be heard on the silent mountain road .
After walking for a while, he laughed softly and said, "Are you not afraid that I will kidnap you?"
"Can you?" She pushed aside a long vine that blocked her way and followed him with her head down.
Monet continued in a low voice: "I have never seen my mother. I heard from my father that she is a very charming and romantic woman. Their marriage is a complete joke. My father is rich and likes beautiful women. My mother is young and beautiful, and she won my father's trust with sweet words. It only took them one month from dating to getting married. They were not happy after marriage. After my mother gave birth to me, I was handed over to the housekeeper. I learned all this later."
This was the first time Monet talked about his family, and it was so unbearable. Xia Chan felt a pain in her heart and didn't know how to answer.
"Maybe it's retribution." Monet's smile was a little pale. "My mother loved to play and squander her health when she was young. She liked smoking. Before the divorce, she was diagnosed with lung cancer." His tone was full of sadness.
The evening breeze blew between the two of them, feeling a little chilly.
Xia Chan's heart trembled slightly, and she asked softly, "Is your father good to you?"
"Him?" Monet said in a cold and mocking tone, "You saw the masterpiece in the music room last time. Do you think he treats me well?"
"You said the person who smashed those things was..." Xia Chan didn't continue.
Monet paused and said, "Rather than being a father and son, we have a relationship of interest. He never considered my feelings and preferences. He made me study finance, management, and other subjects since I was a child, all for the purpose of inheriting his company in the future."
As the night gradually darkened, a little light flashed in his eyes: "That was when I fell in love with rock music. When I was upset, I would close the door and sing with the speakers turned up, regardless of him banging on the door and yelling outside. I fought and made trouble just to tell him that I would not give in. The more I did this, the more he hated everything I liked. He originally wanted to continue to force me. But later..." He lowered his eyes and smiled self-deprecatingly, "Never again..."
Xia Chan murmured, "Have you reconciled?"
"You'll know later." He looked up and smiled.
Her heart suddenly became uneasy.
After walking a long distance on the mountain road and climbing a slope, the view in front of us became wider and we found that it was actually a cemetery.
Surrounded by lush pines and cypresses, the cemetery is shrouded in a solemn and eerie atmosphere under the night sky, which makes people awe-inspiring. Tombstones of all sizes standing there make people feel a chill on their backs.
Xia Chan asked, not knowing what was going on: "What are you doing here?"
"Are you scared?" He laughed.
She said disdainfully: "If I'm afraid, I won't come."
Monet said nothing, but stared at the misty twilight for a long while, and his eyes gradually regained clarity.
"Today is my birthday and my mother's death anniversary."
He spoke softly, and Xia Chan was frightened. When she came to her senses, Monet had already walked straight towards the third row of tombstones, and Xia Chan hurriedly followed him.
He stopped in front of the seventh tombstone. Due to the dim light, the photo on it was not very clear, but Xia Chan could guess from the facial contour that it was a stunning beauty.
Monet stood with his back to her, like a stone statue, motionless.
Xia Chan broke the silence: "Why didn't you bring a bouquet of flowers?"
He replied sullenly, "She likes flowers. But I don't want to give them to her."
"Ah?" Xia Chan couldn't figure out what he meant.
"She doesn't deserve it." His tone was full of hatred.
Crows were calling in the distance, the whistling wind was blowing across a desolate area, and the quiet space was filled with a cold and lonely atmosphere.
They stayed in the cemetery until it was almost dark, then they went down the mountain and took a car back to the city. On the way, Monet didn't say a word, leaning back in his chair tiredly, looking at the starry sky outside the car window. He looked very fragile and sad.
"Happy birthday."
A gentle voice rang in his ears, and his lifeless eyes gradually showed a hint of warmth, and a smile appeared on his originally cold and pale face.
He said, "Thank you."
It was already eleven o'clock when she got home. Lying in bed, Xia Chan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She searched the Internet for the mountain she had visited and clicked through the introductions one by one. Finally, a relieved smile appeared on her face .
Dujuan Mountain, also known as Flower Mountain, has flowers that bloom like flaming red morning glow. When the wind blows, petals fly all over the mountain. From a distance, it looks like people's endless thoughts and blessings.
Thinking of this, she looked at the endless deep blue night sky outside the window, gazed at the stars flickering in the sky, and suddenly wanted to know what was at the end of these layers of darkness.
Can those who have disappeared in the infinite universe still feel the care and concern of those who exist?
Monet, you often say that I say one thing and mean another, but aren't you the same?
You say you hate someone, but in your heart you still love the person who brought you into this world, right? No matter how cruel fate is, you still learn to forgive.
The next day was Saturday, and Xia Chan went to the place written on Qin Xiaosi's invitation card. When she walked out of the door, Monet was leaning on a black motorcycle, looking at her with a smile.
"Axia, good morning!" He greeted while holding a helmet in his hand and chewing gum, looking like a completely different person from yesterday.
Xia Chan looked at his equipment. Monet said proudly, "If you want to praise me for being handsome, just say it. I don't mind."
"Yeah, handsome." She nodded, looked at him suspiciously, and asked worriedly, "You won't get caught, right?"
"Don't worry about it." Monet made a shooting gesture to her forehead and asked her to get in the car.
She went to get another helmet, but Monet got it first, put it on her, and patted her head reassuringly: "Let's go!"
The sun only showed half of its face, and the sky was full of magnificent colors. Monet drove against the wind, he drove fast and steady, Xia Chan pulled his clothes and was not afraid.
When passing Xiangxiu Road, looking at the lush green plane trees receding into the distance, she suddenly thought of Jiang Huainan. They had once ridden their bicycles here, swimming freely like nimble fish.
Now it seems that things and people have changed.
"What are you thinking about?" Monet's voice was muffled in his helmet.
Xia Chan laughed, opened one arm, and looked crazy: "Think about the wind, think about the future, think about happiness--" she shouted loudly.
"Crazy woman." Monet cursed with a smile and reminded her loudly, "Hold me tight, don't fall off."
Her body was suddenly pulled forward by inertia. She screamed and clutched the clothes on both sides of his waist tightly. Her heart was not restrained by anything, and she felt comfortable and at ease.
So this is the freedom that Monet talked about.
She liked this feeling very much. Not having to think about anything, not having to do anything, just growing old with the wind, how nice it was.
About an hour later, they arrived at their destination.
Monet found a place to park the motorcycle, and looked at the villa in front of him with Xia Chan. The villa was built on the mountain, a white European-style building with three floors, a yard in front, and a cobblestone road as wide as a car leading to the gate.
Monet shrugged his shoulders nearby: "Capitalism, it's really rich."
Xia Chan raised the corner of her mouth and said, "How sour, isn't your family the same?"
Monet hurriedly shook his head: "That's different. It's not mine, it's my father's. I'm poor."
Xia Chan laughed dryly and walked inside side by side with Monet.
Most of the classmates have arrived, and those who know each other are greeting each other. There is a swimming pool and lawn behind the villa. The barbecue grill and bonfire materials are ready, just waiting for the night to come. The lobby on the first floor is the main venue. The door is decorated with perfume roses. Flowers and balloons are placed everywhere in the hall. There is a long row of guest tables in the middle, with cakes and drinks on them. There are servants busying around.
"Hey?" Monet's gaze passed Xia Chan and fell behind her.
Xia Chan turned around suddenly and saw Jiang Huainan walking in from the door. He was wearing a well-tailored swallowtail evening dress, holding a bunch of lilies in his slender white hands, and his leisurely pace made him look somewhat noble.
It was the first time she knew that Jiang Huainan looked so handsome in a suit.
"Brother Huainan, you are here."
Qin Xiaosi walked down the spiral staircase on the second floor with her skirt fluttering, her pink gauze skirt swaying with her steps. She walked past Xia Chan in her high heels, and when she looked up, she saw Qin Xiaosi bumping into Jiang Huainan's arms.
Xia Chan walked over and wanted to say hello.
But she didn't expect an accident to happen at this time. She heard someone screaming "Be careful" in a trance. Xia Chan only felt a shadow covering her head. The next second she was pulled into the arms of a man who rushed over. He protected her head with one hand and held her waist with the other hand and rolled to the ground.
With a "bang", the crystal glass of the chandelier hit the marble floor, making a crisp sound.
"Jiang Huainan, how are you?" Xia Chan looked at him in panic with a frown on his face and painful expression. His eyes were deep and dark, reflecting her fear.
He smiled and assured her that everything was fine.
"Asha!"
"Brother Huainan!"
I heard two people shouting at the same time.
Her body was suddenly pulled away. Qin Xiaosi hugged Jiang Huainan's arm, trembling all over: "Are you okay? Where are you hurt? Huh?"
"It's okay, I'll take a break." Jiang Huainan calmly pulled out his arm, slowly stood up, dusted himself off, and walked to the sofa next to him.
Monet helped Xia Chan up, away from the broken glass, and carefully checked if she was okay. Xia Chan's eyes followed the slowly moving figure, whose left leg walked a little strangely.
Was he injured? Was he seriously injured? Her heart was in a knot.
"Doctor! Call a doctor!" Qin Xiaosi collapsed on the ground, his sharp cry echoing in the hall, and the students watching swallowed their saliva.
Immediately, someone came running over in a panic to clean up the debris.
A girl in the same class saw that Qin Xiaosi's arm was scratched by glass fragments and kindly went over to bandage her arm. Qin Xiaosi raised his hand and waved it hard, yelling, "Get out of here!" The girl was so scared that she took a few steps back, her face full of grievance.
Ten minutes later, the hall was cleaned. Jiang Huainan sat on the sofa, and Qin Xiaosi asked him timidly how he was.
Fortunately, he was not seriously injured. He was just scratched by the corner of the fallen chandelier and suffered some minor skin injuries. No bones or muscles were broken. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
When night fell, the atmosphere became lively. The bonfire party was held on time at 7 o'clock. The food on the table was also rich. There was an open-air bonfire burning on the lawn, and there were colorful lights hanging around. Some people were setting off fireworks, some were playing truth or dare, and some were dancing. The unpleasantness caused by the previous chandelier incident seemed to have passed.
Xia Chan had no close friends, Ella was not around, and Monet had diarrhea and went to the bathroom. She walked away from the noisy crowd, walked along the edge of the swimming pool, and sat on a swing next to the pavilion.
It is very quiet here. There are clusters of begonias at your feet. The flowers are in clusters, and the fragrance comes with the wind.
"Are you happy?" Qin Xiaosi's cold voice came from behind. She stood on the stone steps of the glass back door of the hall, looking at Xia Chan.
Xia Chan turned around and met her unfriendly gaze.
She walked down the bright stone steps step by step, the dim light cast on her resentful face: "Brother Huainan is so nervous about you, are you happy?"
"I don't understand what you mean." Xia Chan replied with a frown.
"Who would believe that?" Qin Xiaosi raised her red lips, smiling sarcastically, "I chose the European-style crystal chandelier in the hall. It looks gorgeous and beautiful. At that time, the designer said it was too heavy and posed a safety hazard. I didn't listen. They couldn't persuade me to install it, and I didn't expect that something bad would happen."
Xia Chan said calmly: "It didn't hit me today, but maybe it will hit someone else someday."
"Right! It would have hit someone anyway. If it killed me, I'd have plenty of money to pay for it!" Qin Xiaosi's face was distorted by excitement and looked a bit scary. She smiled viciously, "What a pity...why didn't I kill you?"
Her heart felt like it was hooked by iron claws and she could hardly breathe for a moment. Xia Chan looked at Qin Xiaosi in disbelief. She must have never guessed that such vicious words would come from the mouth of a girl who had nothing to do with her.
"It would be great if I could smash you to death. This way, you won't make Brother Huainan worry, you won't seduce him, and I won't see with my own eyes how much he cares about you." Qin Xiaosi smiled at Xia Chan, with madness in his cold eyes. "Do you know how my heart ached when he pushed me? I was scratched, and I was hurt! But he only has you in his eyes! It doesn't matter if my hand is broken, my heart is hurt!"
Xia Chan looked at the eerie Shura-like face in front of her, not understanding how such a beautiful appearance could have such an ugly soul.
"Don't compete with me. Because..." Qin Xiaosi slowly approached Xia Chan, and the two of them were trapped in the dark shadows of the trees. She bent down and uttered a few words coldly in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "I will destroy you."
Having said this, she stood up straight and walked towards the lawn along the edge of the swimming pool as if nothing had happened.
The feeling of depression disappeared with her departure. Xia Chan looked palely at Qin Xiaosi as he walked out of the shadow of the trees, into the lights, and into the crowd, laughing and talking, as if he was wearing an exquisite human skin mask.
Everything that just happened seemed like an illusion, but Xia Chan was certain that Qin Xiaosi was not joking.
She returned to the hall like a puppet. Monet frowned and waved his hands in front of her eyes: "Did you see a ghost? You look so lost."
Xia Chan said in a hoarse voice: "Let's go back."
Perhaps it was because the confusion and fatigue revealed in those eyes were so heartbreaking that Monet didn't ask anything and just said okay.
Sitting on the motorcycle on the way back, Qin Xiaosi's harsh words still echoed in her ears. She felt as if her whole body was soaked in ice water, extremely cold. The night wind blew on her face, and her heart ached as if she was about to lose something.
At night, she dreamed that she fell into a bottomless pit. The surroundings were airtight and there was only unreachable darkness when she stretched out her hand.
People's intuition is often eerily accurate.
It is like a bridge leading to the cold prison deep in fate. Once you step on it, there is no way back and there is no recovery.