Chapter 114: Shangguan Xue'er

The heart has withered, and the tears have run dry. The sweetness of the past is too painful to revisit, yet my soul remains tethered to you. Occasionally, I wake from my dreams in a start, haunted by those unfinished sorrows. Though the past has faded like smoke, I still cannot cast off the familiarity of your face.

"Yuqing!" Xiao Lin cried out, jolting awake, only to find himself in total darkness. Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he let out a heavy sigh.

"How many times has it been now?" Ever since he broke up with Wang Yuqing, Xiao Lin had lost count of how many times he had been startled awake like this. His lack of sleep had left his spirit in a dire state. His once handsome and refined face had grown weary, and a layer of stubble had sprouted on his chin, making the young man look like a seasoned middle-aged man overnight—though a strikingly handsome one at that.

Checking the alarm clock, he saw it was only six in the morning. Rubbing his throbbing head, Xiao Lin donned the sportswear he had folded by his bed the night before, laced up his sneakers, and quietly slipped out of the house. It had been a week since the breakup, and ever since he returned from the hospital, he had made a habit of morning exercise.

"Say, Old Xiao, is our son alright? I’ve noticed his spirits have been terrible lately, and he’s been getting up so early every single day. He comes back drenched in sweat," Xu Qiaoling whispered, nudging her husband after hearing the door close.

Xiao Senior, deep in slumber, didn't hear a word and simply rolled over. Irritated, Xu Qiaoling gave him a kick. After reconciling at the Civil Affairs Bureau, the couple had gone straight to Snow Village. Xiao’s grandmother had been overjoyed, and she had spent days unable to sleep, delighted to have both her daughter-in-law and grandson back in her life. After staying for a few days, the couple had returned to Donghai, having failed to persuade the grandmother to join them for the New Year.

Upon their return, they were met with a haggard Xiao Lin. Despite their persistent questioning, he would only offer the excuse that he hadn't been sleeping well, refusing to say anything more.

Outside the apartment complex, the air in Donghai was damp, even in winter. Xiao Lin took a deep breath, the biting cold helping to clear his mind. He began to jog along the road. His route took him from his complex to a small park five kilometers away and back—a two-hour round trip that included a short rest at the park.

As he ran, beads of sweat formed on his face. Xiao Lin loved running because the physical exertion brought him a sense of tranquility, allowing him to forget his troubles. In the past, he had run at Innovation High School to forget Ma Yunrou; this time, it was for Wang Yuqing. The difference was that he wasn't trying to forget her—he was trying to stop himself from constantly thinking of that lovely, beautiful girl.

Forty minutes later, he arrived at the park and sat on his usual small wooden bench. Wiping his face with a towel, he leaned back against the cold wood, his young face carrying a sorrow that didn't belong to his years. The melodic chirping of a bird nearby caught his attention. Seeing the bird in its cage, Xiao Lin suddenly felt as though he were that very bird, stripped of its freedom. The cage trapping him was Ma Yunrou. He suddenly remembered his promise to take her shopping today. He couldn't delay it any longer; with the New Year approaching, he felt only guilt and a sense of obligation toward her. As for love—perhaps, aside from Wang Yuqing, no one could ever claim his heart again.

"Hi, we meet again!" a cheerful voice chirped.

Xiao Lin looked up to see a beautiful girl in a ponytail. She radiated youthful energy in her pink tracksuit and red-striped sneakers. Her skin was fair and delicate, and her most striking feature was her pair of bright, limpid eyes, which shimmered like water and held a hint of playful charm. Her small, pert nose twitched occasionally, adding to her mischievous air. She was an enchanting girl.

"Oh, you're here for your morning run too?" Xiao Lin replied politely. He had seen her several times over the past few days. He hadn't paid her much attention, but her bright pink outfit made her stand out in the crowd like a single red flower in a vast field.

Seeing him respond, the girl looked delighted. She extended a slender, fair hand. "Hello, I’m Shangguan Xue'er. Nice to meet you."

"Hello, I’m Xiao Lin," he said, shaking her hand.

"So, is your home here in Donghai?" Shangguan Xue'er asked, tilting her head with a smile as she sat beside him.

Xiao Lin paused, struck by the gesture. Wang Yuqing used to tilt her head exactly like that whenever they talked.

"Yes, just over at the Yiju Garden complex. Where are you from?" he asked, noting her accent.

"Oh, I’m from Mingzhu City. I came here specifically to see the ocean," she said, twitching her cute nose.

"You came here to see the ocean? Isn't your city surrounded by the sea on three sides?" Xiao Lin asked, bewildered.

"Ugh, you don't understand. The sea there isn't fun at all. The breezes are too weak. I grew up there, but I've never even seen a seagull! Your sea is so much better," she said, hands on her hips, seemingly indignant about the lack of seagulls in her hometown.

"I see," Xiao Lin murmured, falling silent.

"What? Don't you like to talk?"

"No, I'm just a bit tired from the run," Xiao Lin offered a weak excuse. His mood was poor, and he felt he had already said enough.

Shangguan Xue'er rolled her eyes at him.

"Heh, well, I should be heading home. Let’s talk again sometime," Xiao Lin said, standing up to leave.

"You’re such a bore! You’re leaving even after a beauty like me has been keeping you company," she pouted, sounding genuinely aggrieved.

"I... I really have things to do," Xiao Lin said, helplessly rubbing his nose, unsure how to respond.

"Fine, if you have to go, at least give me your phone number." She pulled out her phone, looking as though she wouldn't let him leave until she got it.

Xiao Lin weighed his options and decided to hand over his number to the eccentric girl.

"Alright, you can go now," she said, satisfied. Her sudden shift in attitude left Xiao Lin speechless. He shrugged and began to jog back home.

As he moved away, Shangguan Xue'er watched his retreating figure, her small, cute canine teeth flashing as she smiled. "An interesting boy. Haha, now I have material for my novel."

Shangguan Xue'er was the daughter of a wealthy family in Mingzhu City. She was whimsical and temperamental—wildly energetic one moment and quiet as a lady the next. She had many hobbies, though her interests were often fleeting. Currently, she was obsessed with writing a realistic, youthful campus novel, but she lacked inspiration. She had found the people around her dull, so she had been searching for someone with a real story. Seeing the handsome, melancholy Xiao Lin in the crowd had intrigued her. She noticed a depth of sadness in his eyes that made one want to linger in his gaze.

She had been intentionally crossing paths with him for days, waiting for a chance to talk. Now that she had finally spoken to him, she was certain he was a boy with a heavy heart and a maturity beyond his years. She was convinced he had a deep, hidden story to tell. By getting his number, she hoped to delve deeper into his life and finally jumpstart her writing. What she didn't realize was that Xiao Lin was not the type to share such things. He kept everything buried deep inside, and the only way to truly know him was to either win his heart or become close with his inner circle—neither of which Shangguan Xue'er had managed yet. Her novel, it seemed, would have to wait.