“It’s my fault! I should have kept Jiran’s photo on the desk, visible. I shouldn’t have locked it away…” Yu Xiaoying wiped Qin Na’s tears. “It’s all my mistake, deceiving myself by locking everything in a drawer.” She hugged Qin Na tightly, not letting her see her tears. “It’s okay, if the photo is gone, don’t blame yourself.”
Qin Na pushed Yu Xiaoying away, crying and shouting, “How can I not blame myself? I know about your relationship with Jiran. You’ve never removed the scar on your left temple. I ruined everything, so why are you comforting me?”
“Nana!” Yu Xiaoying looked at the blurry Qin Na through tearful eyes. “Without Jiran, I still have you…”
“She tried to smile. ‘Even without a photo, Ji Ran’s appearance will always be in my heart; I will never forget.’
‘Is it really the only one?’ Qin Na asked hopefully.
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘Because we never thought we would be apart.’
Who would take a photo of someone they see every day?
Qin Na softly collapsed to the ground, holding Yu Xiaoying tightly, who was quietly shedding tears until the sky had darkened.
Suddenly, Geng Yuoyang stood angrily at the warehouse door. ‘What are you doing?!’ he asked furiously, noticing the two sitting on the ground, covered in dust. He had been searching everywhere for her after she disappeared from the hospital.
He strode over and pulled Yu Xiaoying from Qin Na’s arms. ‘What are you doing?’ She was dirty and the bandage on her head was blackened.
‘Come with me,’ he demanded, grabbing her hand.
‘I can handle the wound myself!’ Yu Xiaoying shook him off.
‘Woman, don’t test my patience!’ Geng Yuoyang’s face darkened.
‘Xiaoying,’ Qin Na intervened, ‘you should go. I’m clumsy and might hurt you.'”
I didn’t tell Jun Feng about your injury because I don’t want your family to worry…”
“I can go to the school infirmary,” she hoped.
“Miss,” Geng Yuoyang replied with a sarcastic smile, “Do you think the school is open just for you? Do you know what time it is?”
“Yes, Xiaoying, just go. Now Song Chu… uh, I mean…” Qin Na stumbled.
Yu Xiaoying looked at her, both angry and amused, “Am I such an unwanted person that I should refuse someone’s kindness?”
“Well…” Qin Na blushed.
Geng Yuoyang laughed, knowing she was holding a grudge.
“Let’s go.” Resignedly, she followed him.
Geng Yuoyang’s home was empty.
“They went to buy things.”
“Oh.” Strange, her own engagement party, and her fiancé and his brother went shopping?
Yu Xiaoying sat quietly while Geng Yuoyang changed her bandage.
He removed the bandage from her head, “Miss, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d have thought you were in a pigsty.”
Looking at the dirty bandage, Yu Xiaoying smiled.
“What are you looking for?” Geng Yuoyang asked casually.
Her feigned strength diminished.
“A photo,” she lowered her eyes.
“Is it important?” Geng Yuoyang paused.
“It’s a photo of Ji Ran, just that one,” Yu Xiaoying’s voice quivered.
Geng Yuoyang frowned. Ji Ran!
That guy again.
Anger rushed to Geng Yuoyang’s head, and he blurted out, “Is a dead person so important to you? No wonder Song Chu left you. What man would want a woman whose mind is full of a dead person?” Immediately regretting his jealousy-filled words, he felt embarrassed.
Yu Xiaoying’s face burned. Geng Yuoyang’s words slapped her, leaving her breathless. Too shocked to notice the jealousy, she stared at him for a moment, stood up, and trembling, grabbed her bag to leave.
Geng Yuoyang quickly put down what he was holding and tried to stop her. Smiling, he said, “I was just joking. Why are you taking it so seriously?”
Not wanting him to see her tears, Yu Xiaoying responded coldly, “Leave me alone.”
“Xiaoying,” Geng Yuoyang urged, hugging her from behind, “I’m sorry, I was just impulsive.”
“You’re right,” Yu Xiaoying said, trying to pry his fingers apart. “I’ll always have that dead person in my heart. That dead person is really important to me,” she cried, “Song Chu chose correctly. At least Lin Yichen loved him wholeheartedly, not like me, with a scarred face. Of course, no one wants me.” She broke free, pleading, “Please don’t bother me anymore!”
“Who says no one wants you!” Geng Yuoyang embraced her again, burying his head in her hair. “I want! I want! I want!”
“Let me go!” Yu Xiaoying kicked and hit him.
“I won’t let go!” He held her tightly to his chest, comforting her. “I was just joking. How could you think no one would want you?”
Already exhausted from the day’s events, Yu Xiaoying kicked and hit for a while before giving in. She lay helplessly in Geng Yuoyang’s arms, surrounded by silence, quiet enough to hear his strong heartbeat.
After a long pause, she said, “Geng Yaoyang…”
“Hmm?”
“Please let me go. I’m so tired.”
“I know you can’t forget Ji Ran.” Geng Yaoyang’s voice was serious. “Song Chu said he was perfect. No matter how perfect, he is still nothing.” His dark eyes looked determinedly at her. “I, Geng Yaoyang, will definitely defeat him!”
“You can’t do it. Even I can’t. Stop trying, Geng Yaoyang.”
“Alright!” He carefully examined her wound. “If your scar becomes too obvious, wouldn’t I be a sinner for generations?” He gently pulled her to sit and began treating her wound.
Yu Xiaoying finally regained some rationality. The day’s emotional ups and downs left her too exhausted to think further, quietly letting Geng Yaoyang treat her.
By the time the bandaging was finished, it was almost 11 PM.
“Rest here for the night,” Geng Yaoyang suggested kindly, seeing her fatigue.
“I want to go back to school,” she answered coldly, saying nothing more.
He looked at her, unable to overcome her stubbornness.
Geng Yaoyang resignedly picked up the car keys. By the time they reached the school gate, Yu Xiaoyao had fallen asleep. Gazing at her stubborn little face, Geng Yaoyang slowly leaned in.
“What are you doing!” Yu Xiaoyao suddenly opened her eyes.
Geng Yaoyang awkwardly pulled back, “What was I doing? Kissing you, of course!”
Yu Xiaoyao ignored him, got out of the car, and walked straight into the apartment, leaving Geng Yaoyang frustrated.
A week flew by, and Xuebuki Zhizi’s engagement banquet was approaching.
Qin Na sighed at Yu Xiaoyao all afternoon. “Are you really going to Xuebuki Zhizi’s engagement banquet looking like this?”
Yu Xiaoyao looked at herself in the mirror like a wounded person, walked to the window, opened it, and let the wind blow through her messy curls. “What should I do?” she pondered. Although she could use band-aids instead of gauze, it was still very obvious.
“Let’s do this! Dye your hair back and style bangs in front,” Qin Na suggested, looking at her with concern. “Are you willing?”
This was Yu Xiaoyao’s hairstyle before her second year of high school—a period that had become an unspoken taboo for everyone.
Yu Xiaoyao turned around, offering a relaxed smile. “Is there anything worse than how I look now?”
“Xiaoyao,” Qin Na said sympathetically, “You really look… very… ugly right now.”
Yu Xiaoyao’s confidence shattered on the spot.
…
Her hair, now grown to her waist, was dyed back to its natural black, straightened, and flowing softly. Bangs cut just above her eyebrows perfectly covered the scar.
“Miss, you look really good; it suits your temperament!” the hairstylist said.
Yu Xiaoyao looked at herself in the mirror. If her eyes weren’t so full of gloom, if she could still be carefree like Ji Ran, and laugh foolishly when no one was around, she would resemble the Yu Xiaoyao from high school.
This wasn’t so bad. Some things, even if not mentioned by family and friends, must eventually be faced. At least she looked better than before. Remembering Qin Na’s words, Yu Xiaoyao sighed. Was she really getting uglier?
