Incurable Pain

Incurable Pain | Chapter 23

“Only dogs would remember being fed yet forget being beaten; I won’t be worse than a dog.”

Most students were groggy and lethargic during the first day of school after the New Year’s “extended break”.

During the morning self-study session, Ah Mo was drooling and sleeping on the desk, and Zhou Xin was writing in his workbook. Behind his frameless glasses, his eyes looked a bit weary.

The other students either took advantage of the time before the teacher arrived to sleep soundly like Ah Mo, or they struggled to keep their eyes open while studying, stifling yawns.

The fact that school resumed on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year meant that most people were still reveling in joy and celebration with relatives and friends just the previous day, with some students even staying up playing all night…

The sudden transition to school was a stark and stimulating contrast.

Amidst these various states, Bai Xunyin was the exception.

She had just “broken up” on the last few minutes of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and yet this morning she came to school as if nothing had happened. Amidst the dreary atmosphere, her back remained straight, fully focused on memorizing English words.

The quiet atmosphere was shattered by a loud “bang” from the doorway.

The first class was Physics, taught by Mr. Li Zhonghai, who was known as “San Mao”*

*T/N: Three Strands.

He was a middle-aged man with a shiny bald head, with thin sparse strands on top, hence the nickname San Mao.

Li San Mao always had a stern face with cold eyes, and he walked in with a frown, sweeping his gaze around.

His sparse eyebrows furrowed as he sternly asked, “What time is it? Are there still students from your class who haven’t arrived?”

” Isn’t the student in the third seat of the last row, Yu Luoyin? Huh? Why isn’t he here yet?!”

By the end of his sentence, his voice was already tinged with obvious anger—

Everyone knew that Li San Mao detested tardiness, and particularly disliked Yu Luoyin.

The rest of the students were surprised. Yu Luoyin, as an impeccable “exemplary student,” was faultless in every aspect, including never being late to school.

Arriving half an hour late today and missing the entire morning self-study was indeed unusual.

Li San Mao frowned, knocking the blackboard with the teaching pointer.

“Does anyone know what’s wrong with Yu Luoyin? Why is your class monitor setting a bad example by being late?!”

Oh, right, Yu Luoyin was the class monitor.

The whole class fell into a deathly silence, and no one dared to respond.

As if in response to Li Zhonghai’s rising anger, rhythmic knocking on the door sounded, and the figure of a slim boy appeared at the door.

Yu Luoyin was wearing just his school uniform, wrapped in a layer of chilly air. His voice was low and composed as he said, “Sorry, teacher. I’m late.”

His voice was firm and resonant, leaving an impression.

The moment his voice fell, Ah Mo, who had just been woken up by Li Zhonghai’s knocking, shivered and fully awoke.

She belatedly recalled what had happened, and her big eyes couldn’t help but stare fiercely at Yu Luoyin, her teeth itched with anger.

The senseless words he spoke from a few days ago still echoed in her mind, which was a really heart-wrenching memory.

Ah Mo, as an outsider, had been upset for days. She stayed indoors during the New Year holidays and kept sending comforting messages to Bai Xunyin. Now, seeing Yu Luoyin, she was close to exploding in anger.

But the person involved seemed indifferent.

Bai Xunyin acted as if nothing had happened, diligently writing while Yu Luoyin received Li Zhonghai’s scolding.

Throughout the entire process, she didn’t spare Yu Luoyin a single glance, leaving Ah Mo, who observed her, both relieved and inexplicably worried.

The first class of the morning after their vacation began with the criticism of the usually exemplary Yu Luoyin.

After a stern sermon, Yu Luoyin walked back to his seat under the scrutiny of the teacher, his footsteps brisk.

As he passed by Bai Xunyin, the wind he stirred up lifted some stray hair by her temple. The delicate mole on her fair earlobe was particularly eye-catching.

But the girl’s expression remained unchanged, as if the passing figure was nothing but air.

Yu Luoyin’s usually clean jawline tightened involuntarily, and he sat down behind her with slightly forceful movements.

Staring at the slender and straight backbone of the girl, his pitch-black eyes were somber, almost exuding a sense of resentment.

Yesterday, as countless fireworks blossomed in the dark night sky, he received a unilateral “breakup notice,” with the reason shrouded in ambiguity.

In addition, there was the bracelet—the bracelet he had given, returned to him untouched.

He didn’t say a word, so Bai Xunyin simply dropped it on the ground and left without a second thought.

Yu Luoyin’s pride prevented him from pleading, and he even struggled to believe it, but the words Bai Xunyin had sent couldn’t make him continue to have deceptive thoughts.

“I won’t like you anymore when the sparkler burns out.”

“Let’s break up.”

After a few days of inexplicable “cold war,” a sudden declaration of a breakup occurred, and after saying it, Bai Xunyin dropped the extinguished sparkler and left without a second’s hesitation.

Her slender figure was determined and aloof.

This senseless “breakup” led Yu Luoyin to unconsciously crush the unlit sparklers in his hand, his face ice-cold.

And then, for a rare occurrence, he had trouble falling asleep.

He tossed and turned until late at night. And when he couldn’t bear it anymore, he sent her a message asking why. In response, he received a red exclamation mark with a WeChat prefix.

Bai Xunyin even blocked him quickly.

Yu Luoyin sneered disbelievingly, his mind racing fast—

People don’t just change abruptly without reason, something must have happened to cause such a 180-degree shift in Bai Xunyin’s attitude towards him. But what exactly happened?

It was all fine before the break, during the break…

What happened during these few days of the break?

This confusion caused Yu Luoyin’s thoughts to drift involuntarily.

As the last moments of the class approached, he stared at the girl’s back, and with a casual movement of his pen, he flicked Bai Xunyin’s ponytail.

Like a breeze passing over the surface of water, it didn’t cause even the slightest ripple.

Yu Luoyin’s eyes darkened, and he couldn’t help but laugh at himself—perhaps the nature of humans was to be curious.

He had never encountered a girl who ignored and disregarded him before, and now that he did, it felt refreshing.

From the very beginning, it was because Bai Xunyin “ignored him” that Yu Luoyin became interested in her. He had thought that after spending some time together and enjoying the sweet moments with the well-behaved girl, he would eventually get bored.

But he hadn’t expected…

He hadn’t expected that even though the girl had reverted to her “ignoring people” behavior, he still felt eager to try.

Wasn’t this just being curious? Yu Luoyin found himself ridiculous.

He maintained this rather unpleasant state of mind called “being curious” until physical education class.

Yu Luoyin endured the morning’s long torment, hesitated during lunchtime, and finally couldn’t resist walking towards Bai Xunyin—

But as soon as he took a step, he saw Ah Mo enthusiastically pulling Bai Xunyin somewhere.

Yu Luoyin couldn’t help but furrow his brows at the sight and a hint of displeasure flashed in his dark eyes.

For someone who was so focused on Bai Xunyin and had his eyes fixed on her for quite some time, the sudden appearance of Ning Shumo, tugging Bai Xunyin around, was frustrating.

Even when she went to the restroom, she followed along as if they were conjoined twins.

It made it impossible for Yu Luoyin to find an opportunity to intervene.

Fortunately, today they had a physical education class. Unlike other high schools where physical education classes were often replaced by other subjects, the physical education class at Third Middle School was rarely substituted and students were almost always urged to attend.

Physical education class was supposed to be a relaxed period for students, with little actual teaching from the teachers.

Yu Luoyin had initially planned to take advantage of this opportunity to have a “talk” with Bai Xunyin.

But to his surprise, Ning Shumo even…

Yu Luoyin’s jaw tensed as he watched Ning Shumo’s spirited chatter with Bai Xunyin, finally unable to tolerate it any longer. He raised his foot and followed them.

“Hey, Xunyin, let me tell you something! Mu Anping’s school is really amazing, they get a ten-day break! Oh, I didn’t know how different our fates can be even while being in the same grade level!”

Ah Mo lamented while pulling Bai Xunyin toward the school gate.

She then muttered, “And he actually chose to come back during this time to see us, that’s really considerate of him.”

While speaking, the two of them reached the school gate.

Bai Xunyin had been dragged along by Ah Mo throughout the entire conversation, and she didn’t have much room to express her opinion.

But she also didn’t really mind.

Whether it was Mu Anping or someone else, if they were here, they were here.

She didn’t see a reason to keep avoiding them.

While Bai Xunyin had previously felt some tension with Mu Anping, they were still friends after all. They had grown up together and hadn’t seen each other in a few years, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t meet again.

Moreover, after experiencing what real “heartbreak” felt like, Bai Xunyin realized that her past misunderstandings with Mu Anping weren’t really a big deal.

Many things that had seemed earth-shattering at the time, upon reflection, were really just layers of dust on paper, nothing more.

Everything followed a cycle, with no exceptions.

So when they stood in front of Mu Anping, and he looked at her with anticipation and called her “Xunyin,” Bai Xunyin smiled calmly.

When she smiled, it was always gentle and serene, with a touch of sincerity in the corners of her eyes and lips. But Mu Anping couldn’t help but feel that something was different this time.

However, before he could fully comprehend it, Ah Mo looked at her watch and exclaimed, “Alright, no need for pleasantries. Our physical education class is about to end. Mu Anping, are you going back today? If not, let’s hang out tonight.”

“The three of us haven’t had dinner together in a couple of years, right?”

Upon hearing this, Mu Anping hurriedly nodded and agreed, “I’m not going back. I’m only returning to Linhai tomorrow.”

Bai Xunyin listened quietly and didn’t express any objections, so Ah Mo and Mu Anping agreed to meet up later that evening.

Five minutes before the start of their physical education class, Mu Anping left.

While Ah Mo was pulling Bai Xunyin back to the classroom, she massaged her fingers the whole way, muttering softly, “Mu Anping is really strange. Why does he keep coming back to see us lately? Oh wait, he’s actually just here to see you.”

The young girl wasn’t naive, and she had a clear understanding of things.

Bai Xunyin looked at her with helplessness, took out her phone, and began typing, “Don’t let him come over anymore.”

However, before she could send the message, a shadow suddenly loomed over her.

Before she could look up, Ah Mo’s gentle voice turned icy, and she asked sharply, “Yu Luoyin, why are you here?!”

Bai Xunyin’s finger above her phone involuntarily flinched. She raised her head and met the intense gaze of Yu Luoyin.

The expression in Yu Luoyin’s eyes wasn’t the same as the baffled one from last night. Now, it carried a hint of mocking.

“Bai Xunyin, there are some things I want to ask you.”

Yu Luoyin suppressed his impatience and pretended to be nonchalant, his voice carrying a gloomy anticipation, as if a storm was about to break out. “Come over for a moment.”

“Why would she do that?”

Ah Mo couldn’t tolerate it any longer and furrowed her brows. Her eyes were filled with disgust as she scolded, “Yu Luoyin, you really have no shame!”

But at this moment, Yu Luoyin saw no reason for Ah Mo’s hostility. A trace of coldness flashed in his eyes, and he hesitated for a while before suppressing it—

There was no need to argue with a girl.

He just stubbornly stared at the indifferent Bai Xunyin, repeating, “Come over.”

“You…”

Bai Xunyin held Ah Mo back before she could speak, shaking her head slightly to signal her to stay quiet.

Then she looked at Yu Luoyin with calm and unruffled eyes and stepped forward.

Her icy gaze made Yu Luoyin’s breath feel like ice was seeping into his pores amidst the damp air. In an instant, Yu Luoyin felt his heart contract.

Without saying a word, he followed her.

Walking one after the other, they entered the left section of the teaching building, through a safe passage rarely visited by anyone, as if it were a secret base.

“Is this your reason for breaking up?”

Once they reached a quiet spot with no one around, Yu Luoyin couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke, his tone tense.

“Because of that guy?”

He thought of how he had followed her to the school gate, only to see Bai Xunyin having a seemingly enjoyable conversation with Mu Anping, and he felt a momentary sense of defeat.

Yu Luoyin found all of it ridiculous, as an extremely unfamiliar emotion controlled him, causing him to do things he wouldn’t normally do.

While his exterior remained refined and sophisticated, a subtle arc formed at the corner of his lips, unable to suppress the cold sarcasm in his words.

Unintentionally, the veins on the back of Yu Luoyin’s hand protruded as he stared at Bai Xunyin’s cold smile.

“Bai Xunyin, are you blind?”

Could the guy who looked at Bai Xunyin with obvious fervent affection even be compared to him?

Even though Yu Luoyin wasn’t particularly showy at school, his inherent pride remained unchanged.

Bai Xunyin was momentarily taken aback, but then, looking at Yu Luoyin who was clearly suppressing his anger, she unexpectedly laughed.

The curve of her lips held a hint of irony, causing Yu Luoyin to freeze for a moment.

He couldn’t help but ask, “What are you laughing at?”

Bai Xunyin was laughing because he was right. She indeed couldn’t see clearly.

If she could see clearly, how could she not understand Yu Luoyin’s true nature before and end up falling for him uncontrollably?

[Yu Luoyin, why are you so angry?]

Bai Xunyin took out her phone and typed on her notes.

[Aren’t you done with your acting yet?]

One day of pretending was enough for her; she genuinely didn’t understand how Yu Luoyin managed to “persist” for so long.

After typing, Bai Xunyin finally saw the surprised expression on Yu Luoyin’s face. She felt as if she had achieved what she wanted.

He was like a bottomless well, eternally calm, cloaked in a facade of nature, and it was extremely rare for him to reveal a trace of genuine emotion.

[A game that starts with a bet. You don’t need to take it so seriously.]

Bai Xunyin typed each word meticulously.

[You don’t need to continue with the rest of the acting either.]

[I won’t be fooled.]

[Only dogs would remember being fed yet forget being beaten; I won’t be worse than a dog.]

Before, when Yu Luoyin had accompanied her home, she had seen the same stray dog several times while riding her bicycle.

The big yellow dog was probably kept by the restaurant owner nearby, and she had noticed it being driven out of the yard by the owner the first time she saw it—lonely and abandoned.

By the third time, however, the dog was lying in front of the restaurant, seemingly guarding it, with a bone by its side. The sight of the bone made its mouth water.

“Dogs are like this; they can be easily fooled by a little bit of sweetness.”

Bai Xunyin clearly remembered Yu Luoyin’s faint smile at that moment. He casually commented, “Things that remember meals but not beatings.”

It was a small incident, but for some reason, Bai Xunyin remembered Yu Luoyin’s expression from back then particularly clearly—probably because of his excessively clear and brutal rationality.

Now, it seemed that in Yu Luoyin’s eyes, there might not be much difference between her and the stray dog on the roadside.