The results of the high school entrance exams came out very quickly. It was June 28th. The weather was sunny and cloudless.
Zhao Zhilan knew the results would be released today so when it’s time she planned to inquire about Bei Yao's grades through her mobile phone.
Bei Yao changed her shoes on the porch, "Mom, It costs money to check the results through mobile phone. It will cost 5 yuans per subject, and we have nine subjects, so it will cost a total of 45 yuans. It's not a good deal. The teacher will also send the results in two days. It will not cost us anything."
Zhao Zhilan looked at her daughter.
Bei Yao, who was almost fifteen, was wearing a waist-length white dress with a bow tied at the back. The dress was the old dress of Bei Yao's cousin Xiao Cang. It was fifty percent new, and the hem of the skirt was stained with ink that couldn't be washed clean. Xiao Cang was slightly chubby so her clothes were too big for Bei Yao. The young girl's arms were slender, but it was specifically because the pretty girl's arms were slender and delicate which was lining out a bit beautiful and elegant flavor.
Zhao Zhilan felt a little bit distressed for Bei Yao. Her second child, Bei Jun, was only over one year old. They had to spend money on him everywhere. Her daughter was so clever and sensible that she never took initiative to ask for anything, but also helped the family to save money.
When Xiao Cang's clothes were brought over earlier, to comfort them, Bei Yao said with a smile, "I never wore a white dress when I was little, Cousin Xiao Cang's clothes are so pretty."
Zhao Zhilan pitied her first-born daughter, Bei Yao. She had poured a lot of effort into the little trouble-maker of the house, Xiao Bei Jun. It was so that whenever she was annoyed she wanted to forget and throw her second child away, and buy a few decent clothes for her daughter.
No one was as beautiful as her daughter, but they were all better dressed than Bei Yao.
Zhao Zhilan said unhappily, "Our family is not so poor that we can't afford to pay forty-five yuan, and I’ll only feel comfortable when I check your grades."
Bei Yao was aware of the heart of the parents, she softly responded, "Well, let’s check it then. I've estimated the scores, I should be able to go to the Sixth high school."
Zhao Zhilan was also supportive of Bei Yao's decision to attend Sixth high school.
Bei Yao already went to school earlier than her peers, and in Zhao Zhilan's heart, she was a child who hadn't grown up yet. Sixth high School was the closest school to home, so it was easier to take care of her, and it was also easier to come home for dinner on the weekends. If they were to be free, she could also ask Bei Licai to ride a motorcycle to give Bei Yao some delicious food.
It didn’t take long for Zhao Zhilan to find out Bei Yao's results.
She did well in the exam. According to the admission rate of the previous year's Sixth high school, Bei Yao would definitely be admitted so the whole family was very happy.
Zhao Zhilan was very excited. The daughter she had raised was going to high school in the blink of an eye.
In the evening Zhao Zhilan laid on the bed and discussed with Bei Licai, "Yaoyao is in high school now so she will have to live in the school. Her school is one and a half hours away from home, and she also has to study at night. We can't pick her up after work to go home, as usual, so let’s buy her a mobile phone."
Bei Licai was fine with it. He made a sound from his nose which was regarded as a response.
Zhao Zhilan did as she said, and she bought a beautiful flip phone for Bei Yao the next day.
Full-screen smartphones hadn’t become popular yet, and mobile phones transitioned from a sliding cover to a flip cover. It would be a few years before touchscreen phones became popular.
The new phone was pink and slippery in the hand. Zhao Zhilan's eyes were full of smiles, "The people in the mobile store said this is pretty and little girls like it. You see, do you like it?"
Bei Yao knew what her parents wanted, she smiled and said she liked it.
Bei Licai instructed, "Don't delay your studies now that you have the mobile phone ah. The mobile phone is used to make phone calls, don't let your grades decline because of this."
Before Bei Yao could even respond, Zhao Zhilan glared at Bei Licai, "You have the nerve to say that to Yao Yao. She has the best self-control in our family. Last week, who said not to watch TV, and then the day before yesterday who was it that secretly got up to watch it in the middle of the night."
"...... " It was a football match.
"Anyway, I trust Yaoyao. She won't delay her studies because of the mobile phone."
Bei Licai swallowed back what he still wanted to say.
In fact, he wasn’t that worried about Bei Yao's grades, what he was most worried about was the problem of early love. Bei Yao was too beautiful. In this age of early love, it was hard to guarantee that there wouldn’t be a bad boy thinking about his daughter. However, as a father, he was embarrassed to say this, and upon that, Zhao Zhilan protected her daughter so tightly that it was even more difficult for Bei Licai to say anything like that.
The admission results also came out in a few days. Bei Yao was successfully admitted to the Sixth high school.
Bei Yao was also very happy, after all, she reached this stage step by step by studying hard.
~
It was the middle of July in the summer. Bei Yao turned on her new phone. She had just finished her shower and her hair was half-dried and dripping wet behind her. Hua Ting had a mobile phone in the second grade in junior high and she gave her contact number to Bei Yao. Bei Yao first saved Hua Ting’s number in her phone, and then found Pei Chuan's number. Their families were better off than the Bei family, so they all got their phones earlier than Bei Yao.
Bei Yao got Pei Chuan's number long ago, it was given to her by Uncle Pei. However, because Jiang Wenjuan bought that phone for Pei Chuan so Pei Chuan rarely used it. Bei Yao wasn't sure if she could get through to Pei Chuan, so she took a chance and made the call.
The evening breeze of the summer night blew the curtains of the young girl's window, and the flowers in front of her window had long been replaced by roses. The pink and white flowers gently swayed in the summer breeze, a waiting voice of "beep..." came from the phone.
He picked up the phone, "Hello? Who is this?"
The voice changing period of the teenager had already passed, and now his voice was low and mellow, and it sounded like a cello tone played carefreely. Bei Yao, who was lying on the bed bare feet, remembered that she hadn't seen Pei Chuan for a long time. She said softly, "I'm Bei Yao."
On the other side of the phone, Pei Chuan's hand that was casually wiping his hair froze.
The towel was still on his short black hair, and he was startled for a moment when he heard the long-lost voice. Almost subconsciously, he repeated in a low voice, "Bei Yao."
"Mhm!" She smiled and answered.
The sweetness of the girl's voice came through the phone, he didn't have the heart to continue to wipe his hair anymore. His eyebrows were tinted with irritation.
Greenery in the community was pretty good, and countless annoying mockingbirds and cicadas were calling tirelessly on the trees. He didn't know whether it was frustration caused by helplessness or another emotion, "What's wrong with you again?"
Such impatient words were actually said without a hint of impatience. So much so that Bei Yao still said in a soft voice, "I wanted to tell you some good news. I got into the Sixth high school! It's my new phone, a reward from my mom."
The warmth that had gradually gathered stars in his eyes was suddenly shattered by coldness.
‘Sixth high school ah......’
"Pei Chuan, why aren't you talking. Are you still listening?"
"Yeah." He said lightly, "Congratulations."
Bei Yao didn't feel anything strange in the slightest and continued, "We can go together when school starts."
He opened his mouth and realized he couldn't say anything, and finally, he could only say, "I'm going to bed."
Pei Chuan hung up the phone, wiped his hair down, and took off his prosthetics following the stated steps. Then he coldly looked at his repulsive stump and pulled a thin blanket to cover them.
She still didn't know that he and she wouldn't go to the same school.
Pei Chuan didn't fall asleep. He took out his phone and found a map of C city on the internet. The Third high school was a ten-minute drive away from the Sixth high school, it was both near as well as far.
The length of the map on his phone was less than a knuckle, but the reality was a harsh and cruel distance.
He turned off his phone and closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep.
~
In August, the hottest time of the summer, Zhao Zhilan and Zhao Xiu came back from playing mahjong and sighed heavily.
Bei Licai took the task of taking care of Bei Jun for a day. And he was so crushed by this kid that when he saw Zhao Zhilan's return, he hurriedly stuffed his son into Zhao Zhilan's arms.
When Bei Jun went to his mother's arms, he didn't make trouble anymore. Now seeing him so obedient and well behaved, Bei Licai looked even angrier.
Zhao Zhilan didn't pay attention to the mood of the father and son, she said, "When I went to play cards today, I didn't expect to know another thing. Zhao Xiu said that two days ago she saw officer Pei and another woman shopping in the mall. The two of them were very close, holding their arms in arms. The woman was about thirty-four or thirty-five, and she looked quite good."
Bei Yao just pushed the door open when she heard such words, and she was stunned.
Because of past memories, Bei Yao knew earlier that Pei Haobin would find a stepmother for Pei Chuan. But what she never expected was that Pei Haobin and Jiang Wenjuan divorced so late than the past life, while his second marriage was so early.
In the living room, Zhao Zhilan continued, "What sorts of evil have they both done of their relationship ah. If Pei Chuan knew that his parents who have just divorced have already started a new family, that child would probably be sad to death."
Bei Licai, who had always spoken neutrally and loves to be peaceful, also sighed this time.
‘Yes, let alone a teenager, I'm afraid that even adults can't stand the repeated blows.’
"Zhao Xiu told me that Officer Pei used to be enthusiastic only about his career before and did not take much care of his family. This time after walking on the thin line of life and death, he realized the importance of family, which is why......" She abruptly stopped talking when she saw Bei Yao at the entrance of the room. "Yaoyao, you......"
On second thought, her daughter was older now, so it's not like she couldn't hear such gossips. Thinking this, Zhao Zhilan put Bei Jun down and said to Bei Yao, "If Yaoyao has time then open up and talk to Pei Chuan more. That child is quite pitiful."
The one-year-old Bei Jun didn't understand anything, and like a little ball, he stumbled to jump into the arms of his beautiful sister, "Sister!"
The voice was so loud that Bei Yao immediately recovered. She hugged him, and after some time she went back to her room.
The small writing book with secrets was dusty in the box.
Bei Yao blew off the dust and flipped it open again.
For the first time, she reflected on what this notepad really meant to her. No one could understand this feeling. Because after rebirth, her mind was trapped, so she could only grow up like a normal child. The memories that came out a little more with each passing year, were like someone had forced them on her, which often made Bei Yao feel unreal. However, the small written paragraph was a letter from her future self to her present self.
It has been almost fifteen years, and she still couldn't see through it.
‘Treat your parents well’ she understood.
But who was ‘Huo Xu’?
‘Pei Chuan is so good, why does my future self call him "The devil"?’
She followed her instincts to be kind to Pei Chuan, but she was not able to use her childish mind to tamper with his life.
What did he do to be called by the code name "Devil"? Was it related to his current broken family?
Bei Yao told herself to be calm.
She had been living a very real life, and wasn’t tied to the extra memories, or living as an arrogant person. Her memories were scattered and fragmented, and she could only take one step at a time.
However, Bei Yao didn’t expect that Pei Chuan would give her a really big surprise at the beginning of the school year.
~~
At the end of August, Pei Haobin had established a romantic relationship with Jin Xiaoqing.
Jin Xiaoqing said, "I have a daughter. She is one year younger than your son and is quite obedient. If we do get together in the future, she will definitely have to live with us. Will your son mind?"
Pei Haobin frowned embarrassedly.
However, the woman's lost expression shook him, and he said, "I will treat your daughter as my own. Xiaochuan was lonely since childhood, and because of my career, he lost his legs. I hope you can be more tolerant of him. I will go and speak to him." The next moment he held the woman's hand and said, "Don't worry. Previously, I used to ignore my family because of my career, which led to today's situation. In the future, you and the children will be the most important people in my life."
The woman was coaxed into laughter by him, "Of course, I believe you."
Pei Chuan, who was far away from home, also laughed.
This was the first time he smoked. He held a "Chinese" cigarette between his fingers. It was quite expensive in the early '00s. It was his first time so it made him choke and cough.
However, while listening to their conversation, he had already finished three cigarettes.
He learned everything fast, including smoking.
He was not as uncomfortable as the first time he was abandoned. At this time, he was even very calm while remotely destroying the program on his father's phone. The phone screen dimmed in Pei Haobin's pocket.
Pei Chuan casually pressed the lighter.
He said that the lies of the world couldn’t escape from him. So, why did his parents have to try them one by one?
Pei Haobin accompanied a woman to a coffee shop for the first time. But instead of taking his mother, he was affectionately facing another woman who was his "love at first sight".
Pei Chuan thought it was funny, so he really laughed.
In the mist of smoke, he threw the cigarette butt and stomped it out.
Now he wouldn’t need a father, a mother, a family, or a lover in the future, so he would naturally live an easy life. In the past, he longed for family and had always let himself live like a normal child, not skipping grades and obeying the teacher’s instructions. But he suddenly realized that all of this was ridiculous. Who was he doing this for?
They all would still be gone, and what he cherished, he kept losing it all the time. No matter how tightly he held it, even if he had a superior IQ and strong fists, he couldn't keep it to his side.
Supporting himself at the age of fifteen was difficult for others, but it was very simple for Pei Chuan.
If he was willing, he could even provide a good old age for his father. However, the growing fury and despair deep in his heart told him that it would be the last mercy if he didn't end his life for him.
Pei Chuan pressed on the lighter, the firelight illuminated his indifferent eyes.
Fortunately, he was going to the Third high school, or else Bei Yao would be terrified, right? She had such a cheerful and timid temperament, she always detested people like him the most.
‘This kind of good girl is destined to have nothing to do with me in this life.’
*
On September 1, it rained again like every year at the beginning of school. Bei Yao held an umbrella and protected her schoolbag, and called Pei Chuan, “I’m at the bus stop but didn't see you."
Pei Chuan sat with his legs crossed in a taxi, looking at the slender and beautiful figure of the young girl from afar.
Light rain pattered and countless passersby looked back at her. The delicate young beauty with a soft temperament looked fragile and easy to break. He twitched at the corner of his mouth and smiled, "I lied to you. Are you stupid? Who the hell wants to go to Sixth high school with you anymore. I love to be by myself. I'm leaving early."