There were more than a dozen people playing in the room. When Liang Xia ran in from the balcony crying, everyone heard her crying and saw her staggering figure as she ran.
Later, Jian Yingfei rushed to the balcony and beat Tang Cheng.
Jiuqiu defended Tang Cheng and gave Jian Yingfei a lesson. Tang Cheng stopped Jiuqiu, covered his half-bruised face, and said, "It's okay, let him beat you."
Jian Yingfei cursed fiercely: "Bah! Beating you will dirty my hands."
After saying that, Jian Yingfei ran out to chase Liang Xia.
Jiuqiu asked Tang Cheng: "What's going on?"
Tang Cheng gently wiped the blood flowing from his nose and said calmly: "I told you everything."
Jiuqiu was stunned for a while: "What..."
Yes, he said everything, both what he should and shouldn't have said.
A few minutes ago, Tang Cheng felt a dull pain in his heart when he saw Liang Xia's smiling face. It was not his fault that he had not liked Liang Xia, but it was absolutely wrong to keep it from her and use her.
So Tang Cheng turned his head away, sighed, and whispered: "Liang Xia, the person I like... is not you..."
Liang Xia still had a smile on her face, but tears were falling uncontrollably. She asked, "Who... who is that?"
Also, why, even though you clearly don't like me, you have been willing to stay with me for so long, be nice to me, and even say a few ambiguous love words to me occasionally? Why?
“Liang Xia…” Tang Cheng couldn’t bear it, he clenched his fists tightly, his eyes red, “I’ve always liked Jiu Qiu… I was with you only because I wanted to use you to get closer to Jiu Qiu… From the first time we met, the person who has lived in my heart… has always been Jiu Qiu… I’m sorry, Liang Xia… I’m sorry…”
Several blows hit Liang Xia mercilessly at the same time. Liang Xia felt cold all over, as if all her strength had been drained away. She turned her head in a daze and asked, "What did you say..."
"I'm sorry." Tang Cheng said.
The muscles on Liang Xia's face were twitching. There was astonishment and anger in her eyes. She asked repeatedly, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry, Liang Xia! But..." Tang Cheng raised his head suddenly, tears of guilt sliding down his face, "But what I said is the truth..."
"The truth?" Liang Xia suddenly laughed. She stood up and pointed at Tang Cheng. Her body was a little unsteady, tears streaming down her face. "The truth is... the truth is... for the past ten years... you have been lying to me and using me! All your kindness and gentleness to me was just to use me to get close to Jiu Qiu! You have never liked me, right..."
"Liang Xia, calm down." Tang Cheng tried to pull Liang Xia's hand, but Liang Xia angrily shook him off. Liang Xia wiped her tears and forced herself to calm down: "Does Jiu Qiu know?"
Tang Cheng lowered his head and said slowly in a hoarse voice: "Liang Xia... Jiu Qiu knows... Jiu Qiu has also endured a lot for you..."
Hahaha! Jiuqiu endured a lot for her?
Sure enough, in Tang Cheng's heart, he was nothing, Jiuqiu was everything!
Liang Xia took two steps back and said self-deprecatingly: "Yeah...you like her, and she likes you. It's my existence that has prevented you two from being together. I'm the sinner! I'm the most guilty person! Tang Cheng! I hate you so much!"
She couldn't stay here any longer. Liang Xia had lost all her weapons and armor in this battle that wasn't even a battle, and was completely defeated... How could she still have the dignity to stand here?
Liang Xia left this place desperately. After she rushed out, she ran fast on the empty road. This house is located in the suburbs, some distance away from the city.
"Liangxia! Lin Liangxia!" Jian Yingfei chased after her, hugged the dazed Liangxia, and asked anxiously, "Liangxia, what's wrong with you?"
Liang Xia sobbed and her body went limp. Jian Yingfei quickly hugged Liang Xia, watching her cry and bury herself in his arms, clutching his shirt with both hands. Before long, his shirt on his chest was hot and wet.
" Liang Xia... stop crying..." Liang Xia was crying so hard that she could hardly breathe, and Jian Yingfei felt very distressed.
"I want to go home... go home..." Liang Xia said sobbing.
Jian Yingfei said hurriedly: "Okay, I'll take you home, don't be sad, I'll stay with you."
Liangxia was still crying, tears streaming down her face.
Jian Yingfei carried Liang Xia on his back and ran towards the city, saying, "Liang Xia, Liang Xia, don't cry. I'm with you. Don't cry."
As soon as the two people left, Jiuqiu ran out of the house.
In the empty wilderness, Jiuqiu held back her tears and looked around for Liangxia, but Liangxia was not there.
Jiuqiu bit her lower lip and tried hard to control her emotions. But in the end, she couldn't hold it back and broke down crying, shouting hoarsely: "Liangxia - Liangxia ah -"
Liangxia was no longer here. Jiuqiu wiped the tears from her face with her sleeves and shouted helplessly, "Liangxia - I'm sorry... where are you... Liangxia -"
Jiuqiu cried loudly, she slowly squatted down, hugged her knees, buried her head in them and cried. In her life, she had never cried so painfully.
She hated Tang Cheng, and she hated herself even more. Why did she hide it from Liang Xia and not take the initiative to tell her everything? It's been ten years. If Tang Cheng wanted to like Liang Xia, he would have liked her a long time ago...
It's all her fault. She was so wrong.
All the friends who came had left and dispersed, only Guan Linxiu was still on the balcony with Tang Cheng. Tang Cheng stood on the balcony, looking at Jiuqiu squatting on the ground crying, with no expression on his face.
Jiang Han was the last one to leave. He walked very slowly, his eyes always on Jiu Qiu.
However, his gaze was indifferent, just like a bystander.
Walking to Jiuqiu, Jiang Han still said in a cold voice: "If you do something wrong, you should make up for it, right? What's the point of crying?"
Jiuqiu slowly raised her head, still crying. She looked up at Jiang Han, and Jiang Han looked down at her, his expression colder than a glacier.
Jiuqiu has rarely seen people like Jiang Han in his life. He can put on a cold and preachy face in the face of other people's great sadness.
Jiang Han just left these words and strode away.
A stronger wind blew on the empty road. It was summer, but Jiuqiu felt the biting cold...
Jian Yingfei accompanied Liang Xia on the bus back to her home in Yuncheng.
As soon as Liangxia returned home, she locked herself in the house.
Liangxia's mother and Jiuqiu's mother looked at each other, not knowing what had happened. Jiuqiu's mother ran to knock on the door and asked, "Liangxia, what's wrong? What happened?"
Liang Xia curled up on the ground, biting her fist and crying.
The two mothers couldn't make up their minds and could only worry.
Not long after, Jiuqiu ran in with red eyes. Seeing the two helpless mothers in the living room, she asked anxiously, "Where is Liangxia? Auntie, is Liangxia back?"
Liangxia's mother walked to her daughter's door, knocked, and called out, "Liangxia, Jiuqiu is here to see you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Xia's scream was heard from inside: "I don't want to see her! Let her go away--" Liang Xia's voice frightened Jiu Qiu so much that he shivered and tears streamed down his face.
Liang Xia's mother was angry, slammed the door, and said, "What are you doing, kid? You're so fierce! Who owes you anything?"
"All of you go away! Stop bothering me!" Liang Xia was close to mental collapse.
Jiuqiu hurried over and took Liangxia's mother's hand, crying softly: "Auntie...Auntie, don't blame Liangxia, it's my fault..."
Liangxia's mother glanced at Jiuqiu's mother, and both of them had confusion in their eyes.
Jiuqiu walked to the door, put his palm gently against the bedroom door, and said softly: "Liangxia... I'm sorry... I'm leaving now, but I really didn't mean to hurt you... I never..."
Jiuqiu had been restraining her feelings because she had promised Liangxia that she would not fall in love with the boy she liked. But she had never thought that forcing a person who did not like Liangxia to her would really hurt her...
Liangxia didn't say anything else. Jiuqiu's hand slipped from the bedroom door. She turned around weakly and staggered out of the house.
"Oh..." This was the first time Liangxia and Jiuqiu had quarreled in eighteen years. Liangxia's mother rubbed her forehead, feeling a little headache.
Jiuqiu's mother consoled him and said, "Let the child solve it himself."
The person who tied the bell must untie it, so it’s best for them not to interfere.
After Jiuqiu and her mother returned home, Jiuqiu just sat there blankly, crying.
Jiuqiu's mother wondered when her strong and brave daughter had ever cried like this.
Jiuqiu's mother sat down to comfort Jiuqiu and talk to her.
Jiuqiu told her mother the whole story while sobbing. Her mother hugged her and said earnestly, "Silly child, you did nothing wrong. You just wanted to do good for Liangxia and forgot to consider the consequences. It's normal for Liangxia to be angry with you. Don't be too sad. When Liangxia calms down, we will go find her and explain it to her, okay?"
"But...will Liangxia still care about me?" Jiuqiu leaned in her mother's arms and asked worriedly.
"Yes...that child will pay attention to you."
Jiuqiu closed his eyes, feeling so tired. Growing up is so tiring...
However, that summer, Jiuqiu never saw Liangxia again.
Every time Jiuqiu went to visit Liangxia, only Liangxia's mother was there. Liangxia's mother said that Liangxia had found a summer job outside and came home very late every day.
Seeing Jiuqiu's lost look, Liangxia's mother said distressedly: "Jiuqiu, Liangxia will be fine after a while, don't take it too seriously."
"But Auntie, when have you ever seen Liang Xia be so stubborn and resolute?"
Liang Xia had a very good personality since she was young. She had lost her temper when she was with Jiu Qiu in the past. But every time, Liang Xia would take the initiative to act coquettishly and ask for forgiveness from Jiu Qiu, and then the two of them would reconcile immediately. But this time...
This cold war lasted too long...
It was so long that Jiuqiu felt as if she would lose Liangxia.
By the end of August, Jiuqiu still hadn't seen Liangxia, but she met another person - Tang Cheng.
Tang Cheng came to Jiuqiu's community to find her downstairs and begged her for a long time before Jiuqiu agreed to meet him.
As soon as they met, Jiuqiu didn't give Tang Cheng a good look.
"What are you doing here?"
"See you." Tang Cheng looked a little depressed.
"I'm nothing to see, you can go back." Jiu Qiu said, turned around to leave, but Tang Cheng grabbed his wrist.
Jiu Qiu slowly turned his head and said in an almost pleading tone: "Tang Cheng, I beg you, don't come to me...Haven't you hurt me enough?"
Oh, harm her?
Tang Cheng's mouth corners suddenly turned up coldly. He let go of his hand and asked, "Lu Jiuqiu, I didn't hurt you. You brought this upon yourself."
Jiuqiu opened his eyes wide, furious: "Tang Cheng! It's because of you that Liangxia and I became like this!"
"Just because of me, all because of me?" Tang Cheng's tone was calm, but every word in his words was like a sharp knife stabbing Jiuqiu's heart, "Don't you have any responsibility? I don't like Liangxia, you already knew it, but you still created opportunities for us everywhere. Do you know that your behavior is stupid, not only hurting my heart, but also Liangxia's heart. Lu Jiuqiu, shouldn't you be honest with Liangxia and tell her that the boy she likes doesn't like her, but likes her good sister? But Lu Jiuqiu, you don't dare, you are too cowardly!"
"Pa——" A loud slap landed on Tang Cheng's face, and Jiu Qiu raised his voice and said, "Shut up!"
There were five finger marks clearly imprinted on Tang Cheng's face, but he did not frown.
After a long while, Tang Cheng slowly said: "Lu Jiuqiu, I know that things have come to this point, and there will be no possibility between us. It doesn't matter, I came here this time to say goodbye to you. You are so timid... You dare not admit in your life that you have loved me for as long as Liang Xia has loved me..."
Jiuqiu looked a little painful, but she quickly hid it and said, "Sorry, from now on, I don't like it anymore."
"Haha..." Tang Cheng smiled weakly and said, "What does it matter? I've never gotten it either..."
The broken heart was cut open again, and blood kept pouring out. Jiuqiu pursed his lips tightly, looked up at the sky, and tried not to let the tears fall.
Tang Cheng let out a long sigh and said, "Goodbye, Lu Jiuqiu. I hope we can meet again." After that, he turned around and prepared to leave.
However, the moment he turned around, he saw Liang Xia standing not far away...
Jiuqiu also saw it.
Liang Xia, a tall and thin woman, was wrapped in cool clothes, and her eyes were as cold as a glacier. She heard everything that was said just now. But Liang Xia didn't even look at them, and just passed by them.
Jiuqiu and Tang Cheng felt the strangeness and alienation emanating from her body.
Jiuqiu didn't dare to call Liangxia from beginning to end. He just watched her walk into the community and her figure disappeared around the corner.
The three of them may never go back.
But what is there to go back to?
Those beautiful memories are all fake.
Early September, at the train station in Yuncheng.
Liang Xia was walking in the crowd, dragging a light blue suitcase. Beside her was Jian Yingfei, who had come specially to see her off.
Liangxia is going to Jiang City, which is a ten-hour drive from Yuncheng.
"Liangxia." At the entrance to the station, Jian Yingfei was still reluctantly reminding him, "You are alone over there, you must take good care of yourself."
Liang Xia smiled and said, "I'm an adult now, I can take care of myself."
Jian Yingfei was still worried and said, "I...I will come to find you after I register at school."
"Jian Yingfei." Liang Xia lowered her head slightly and said, "You...just give up..."
Jian Yingfei looked dazed when he heard this: "I don't dare to ask for anything, Liang Xia, I won't say anything to embarrass you, and I won't do anything to embarrass you, but please don't push me away, at least, we are still friends."
"I know that in my heart, you are already my friend." Liang Xia smiled at Jian Yingfei, her smile was sincere and pure.
Liang Xia will never forget the day when Jian Yingfei took her home and kept comforting her along the way: "Liang Xia, don't cry, we will be home soon."
She will also never forget the days when she worked as a part-time worker during the summer vacation, washing dishes with her hands soaked in water every day. Jian Yingfei stayed at her aunt's house in Yuncheng, bought her rubber gloves, and escorted her home when she got off work at around 11 o'clock every night.
Liang Xia knew that Jian Yingfei was the "flying angel" and also knew Jian Yingfei's feelings.
She was very touched that Jian Yingfei did not force her to give him an answer.
Liang Xia reached out her hand, grabbed Jian Yingfei's arm and said, "I hope you can meet a girl who likes you in school. By the way, study hard."
"Yes! I will!" Jian Yingfei nodded and said, "Call me if you need anything. Don't think too much. All my help to you is out of friendship."
Afraid that Liang Xia would feel uncomfortable, Jian Yingfei repeatedly emphasized the word "friend".
Liang Xia smiled and said, "I know. I won't think too much about it." After that, she put away her smile and said to Jian Yingfei, "Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Jian Yingfei said.
This time we are parting, and I don’t know when we will meet again.
Liangxia is in Jiang City, a ten-hour drive from Yuncheng.
Jian Yingfei still stayed in Nanshi and went to a university invested by his father.
Jiuqiu went to Haicheng, which was a five-hour drive from Yuncheng and a twelve-hour drive from Jiang City.
Tang Cheng, no one knew where he went, and Jiuqiu and Liangxia didn't care where he went.
A group of people left Yuncheng, and another group came. But in the streets and alleys, there was no longer the figure of Jiuqiu and Liangxia visiting and playing around everywhere.
Yuncheng didn't seem to have changed much, but somehow, some subtle changes seemed to have occurred.
Maybe there are fewer laughters and the clouds are no longer white...
Maybe, the people who left their stories behind have all grown up and left...