Incurable Pain

Incurable Pain | Chapter 7

Bai Xunyin couldn’t understand the meaning of the note Yu Luoyin had written to her.

He said he wanted her to ‘repay’ him, but the summer vacation had already started… Did she have to wait until the new semester to return this favor?

The feeling of owing a favor made Bai Xunyin very uncomfortable, and she didn’t know what to do.

Unconsciously, she would think about Yu Luoyin, and it was quite in a literal sense — thinking about how to repay him the favor.

What Bai Xunyin didn’t expect was that she would quickly run into Yu Luoyin, even before the school started again.

But this story started with Ah Mo.

This guy officially returned from the neighboring city to Linlan. She was like a local king who returned to her own territory, enjoying every moment of it. She spent her days dragging Bai Xunyin around to play and wander — she didn’t even seem to feel any pressure or awareness as a soon-to-be senior high school student.

During the day, she would pester Bai Xunyin to go out and play with her, and at night, she would go to her house to eat.

Ji Huiying’s cooking was delicious. Ah Mo used to come to her house for meals every day before, and she missed it even more during the year she was in the neighboring city.

So, these days, Ji Huiying would come up with various delicious dishes to treat her, and her smile had grown much brighter.

Watching this, Bai Xunyin couldn’t help but sigh in relief, feeling a mix of sourness and bitterness in her heart.

Ever since the ‘accident’ two years ago, the house had become incredibly quiet — no sound of her father, Bai Hongsheng, no sound of her own…

In reality, Ji Huiying must have felt very lonely.

Ah Mo’s return brought back the hustle and bustle, which also comforted her a bit.

However, this guy was just too clingy!

Right after finishing lunch, the little guy’s eyes were gleaming as she turned to Ji Huiying with a pleading look, saying, “Aunt Yingying, can you let Yinyin accompany me to the amusement park this afternoon?”

“They say Linlan has opened a new large amusement park, and I haven’t been there yet!”

… They had been playing for almost a week!

Bai Xunyin felt a headache coming in. She pressed her temple with her slender fingers and was about to refuse Ah Mo when Ji Huiying stopped her.

“Sure, go ahead.”

She smiled and picked up her bag, “Yinyin, I actually need to go to the hospital to see your dad in a bit. Why don’t you and Ah Mo go out for a walk?”

Bai Xunyin was taken aback. Looking at Ji Huiying’s gentle eyes, she slowly nodded.

After Ji Huiying left with her bag, the room fell into silence. Only then did Ah Mo put her arm around Bai Xunyin’s shoulder and asked in a hushed voice, “Yinyin, Uncle Bai… his condition hasn’t improved, has it?”

Two years ago, Bai Hongsheng had an ‘accident’ and fell from the seventh-floor rooftop. He survived the fall but became a vegetative, relying on the medical equipment in the hospital room to stay alive.

The doctors said he had a 50% chance of waking up. The other half meant that he might never wake up again.

Bai Xunyin used to visit Bai Hongsheng twice a week. Every time she saw her father’s increasingly withered and pale body, her heart would ache as if someone had twisted it.

By the time she reached the second year of high school, Ji Huiying stopped her from going. Bai Xunyin knew it was because Ji Huiying worried about her studies being affected, so she took care of Bai Hongsheng alone.

Day after day, every day.

Even Ah Mo couldn’t help but sigh, “Auntie really is devoted to Uncle.”

Yes, indeed.

They were originally like a fairy couple, harmonious and happy just like in the first dozen years.

It’s all because of…

“Yinyin, stop thinking about it.”

Ah Mo’s voice interrupted Bai Xunyin’s thoughts. She reached out and turned Bai Xunyin’s head, her big eyes blinking rapidly, “Let’s hurry up and go to the amusement park. It’ll be too late if we wait any longer!”

Bai Xunyin furrowed her brow and picked up a pen to write a question on a blank piece of paper.

[Ning Shumo, what are you up to?]

Just two days ago, she had accompanied her to that new amusement park. But now, Amo was acting as if she hadn’t been there, making everything so secretive…

“Oh, I have a brilliant idea.”

Ah Mo couldn’t help but laugh at her comment, her almond-shaped eyes looked mischievous. She asked Bai Xunyin, “Didn’t you mention wanting to find a part-time job to earn some money during the summer break? Well, let me tell you, I have a solution!”

Bai Xunyin was puzzled.

[What’s your solution?]

Bai Hongsheng’s extended stay in the hospital had gradually drained the once fairly prosperous Bai family’s savings. While they weren’t destitute, Ji Huiying was just an ordinary civil servant with limited income.

Bai Xunyin always wanted to be prepared for the future, to find a part-time job while she had the time.

But her condition made it difficult for her to even find basic jobs like working at a bubble tea shop or an internet café. How could Ah Mo possibly have a solution?

“Fool.”

However, Ah Mo seemed to be quite confident. She smiled and asked her, “Do you know that there’s no longer a stall fee for setting up a street stall?”

…???

“So,” Amo decisively concluded, “I’ve decided that the two of us are going to set up a street stall!”

Ah Mo was the type to act on her whims. She finished speaking and dragged Bai Xunyin outside.

This girl somehow managed to get a car from somewhere and got her cousin to help drive it. In the trunk of the car, there were already prepared items for the stall — a bunch of dolls and small trinkets. It was obvious that they were planning on running a ring-toss game.

Bai Xunyin thought Ah Mo was just speaking casually, but she hadn’t expected her to be so prepared.

However, going to set up a street stall without any preparation… would that work?

She quickly held back the energetic Ah Mo and typed on her phone.

[Tell me about your plan.]

“No worries, we’ll definitely make money!”

Ah Mo laughed and introduced the ‘treasures’ in her car trunk to Bai Xunyin, “I’ve got five hundred lightweight rings. They won’t be able to catch anything with these. Think about it, one yuan for ten rings, and they’re recyclable. Making money is as easy as pie!”

…

But Bai Xunyin always felt that running a business wasn’t as simple as Ah Mo made it sound.

She couldn’t help but ask.

[What if all the items are successfully caught?]

“How’s that possible!”

Ah Mo widened her eyes, making a firm declaration, “These rings are really light, and when the time comes, we’ll just set the items a bit further away. Who could catch them all? Besides, I spent less than two hundred on these junk items. You can rest assured, it’s definitely a profitable deal.”

Ah Mo came from a well-off family. She was the kind of girl who wasn’t afraid of losing money.

After street stalls were legalized recently, she found them ‘fun.’ To her, everything about earning money through business was just a cover — she was in it for the fun.

After saying this, Ah Mo paid no attention to Bai Xunyin’s worries and hurriedly pushed her into the back seat of the car.

On the way, she continued to reassure herself, “I bought more than fifty different items, and they’re all big things. Who could catch everything so perfectly? If someone really does, I’ll call them ‘brother’!”

…

However, Ah Mo hadn’t expected to have such a narrow perspective. There really were ‘talents’ who could get a hundred percent success rate.

Ah Mo’s cousin drove the two girls to the designated area at the amusement park where they could set up their stall. He helped them arrange the items and then left.

These two girls, who were doing business for the first time, suddenly felt at a loss. Standing beside the stall in the midst of the crowd, they had no idea what to do.

Should they shout? But somehow, they couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

“Yinyin.”

Ah Mo’s face turned red as she held Bai Xunyin’s hand and sought help, “What should we say?”

Bai Xunyin didn’t know either.

She found Ah Mo’s impulsive behavior both amusing and exasperating.

But they couldn’t let the items and rings they bought go to waste.

After thinking for a moment, Bai Xunyin stepped forward and shook two rings, using her body language to ‘shout’ without words.

Seeing this, Ah Mo quickly joined in and helped shake the rings.

A mosquito-like tiny voice emerged from their throats, “Catch, catch the rings… One yuan for ten rings…”

Under the blazing sun, these two slender and graceful girls stood among the crowd, shaking rings. Their exposed limbs in short sleeves and skirts were fair and slender. With their delicate waists and petite figures, they were far more alluring than those who had grown tired of the ring-toss game long ago.

Before long, some boys actually came over to buy the rings.

The game might be fake, but the approach was genuine.

Ah Mo took the money with a smile on her face. With her eloquence, it wasn’t a problem to deal with those boys in just a few words.

However, Bai Xunyin felt uneasy.

She disliked dealing with others, especially strangers- especially men. Their presence felt like sticky, uncomfortable heat in the air — it made her restless and suffocated.

Just then, an abrupt shout broke her unease.

“Bai Xunyin!?”

It was a surprised and delighted male voice. Bai Xunyin was taken aback and turned her head in surprise. She saw Lu Ye’s face, his smile revealing two small tiger teeth.

And… there were several other boys and girls with him. Bai Xunyin quickly noticed Yu Luoyin among them.

What a coincidence, and what an unlucky one.

Yu Luoyin was dressed in a casual linen-colored t-shirt and beige pants. He looked simple yet stylish. Just his presence seemed to cool down the air around him.

However, Bai Xunyin felt a bit awkward.

She didn’t want to run into anyone she knew while awkwardly setting up this street stall.

Although she wasn’t close to these people, the only one she could have a conversation with was Lu Ye standing in front of her.

Bai Xunyin took a deep breath and forced a calm smile at Lu Ye, treating it as a simple greeting.

At this point, Ah Mo managed to extricate herself from the two men who had approached her and quickly ran over to Bai Xunyin’s side.

She looked cautiously at Lu Ye, sizing him up from head to toe. “Yinyin, do you know him?”

Bai Xunyin nodded. With her bangs lightly swaying as she moved, she looked delicate and obedient.

Yu Luoyin watched from a distance and had an inexplicable feeling, like wild horses were running free in his heart.

“Bai Xunyin, you guys are…?”

Lu Ye glanced around at the rings and hesitated. “Running a street stall?”

“Yes, what’s wrong?” Ah Mo didn’t like Lu Ye’s expression, and she raised an eyebrow on White Xunyin’s behalf.

“What’s wrong with running a stall? Can’t we earn money on our own?”

…

Why is this girl so fierce?

Lu Ye looked at Ah Mo’s strong-willed appearance, not knowing what to say.

“Lu Ye.” Yu Luoyin stepped out of the crowd and stood beside Lu Ye, facing Bai Xunyin on the other side. His gaze lowered slightly, his eyes fixed on her, but his teasing words were directed at Lu Ye beside him.

“Meeting a classmate while doing business. Isn’t it impolite not to show support?”

Bai Xunyin was sensitive to the attention of others and naturally noticed Yu Luoyin’s gaze on her.

But she didn’t dare to meet his gaze with those inky-black eyes. She lowered her head like an ostrich, staring at the tip of her shoe — as if she didn’t care about anything they were saying.

However, Yu Luoyin’s words made Lu Ye understand what he intended. Lu Ye smiled and turned to Ah Mo. “Beauty, let’s buy a hundred rings.”

Supporting a classmate was a must.

“A hundred?” Ah Mo’s eyes lit up. Without even counting, she handed a bunch of rings to Lu Ye. “Ten yuan!”

After Lu Ye bought the rings, he handed them to Yu Luoyin, who had a slight smile on his face as he accepted them amidst Bai Xunyin’s slightly stunned gaze.

Then, he casually walked over to the stall.

“Seriously? Yu-ge wants to play this?” Li Yuan said with a chuckle, looking somewhat sympathetic as he glanced at Bai Xunyin.

“Why are you bullying the little mute girl?”

Yu Luoyin was known for his accuracy in shooting games and never missing a shot. Yet, he was here to play ring-toss?

Wasn’t that a waste of his talents?

That’s bullying, right? Indeed.

“Li Yuan.”

A girl who had come with them saw Bai Xunyin and Amo and curiously asked, “Who are those two girls? Why is Yu-ge talking to them?”

“Tsk.” Li Yuan glanced at her irritably. “Why do you care?”

The girl was retorted and had to close her mouth, reluctantly giving up her curiosity.

Her gaze, however, couldn’t help but drift over there.

Beside the stall, the tall and slender young man’s fingers were long and his movements graceful. With the rings in his hand, he tossed them casually and accurately onto the items in the frame.

Beside him was a girl wearing a white short-sleeved skirt, her skin as fair as ivory. Seeing Yu Luoyin successfully catch three rings, her clear eyes widened slightly in surprise.

From a distance, the two of them, from their height and build to their demeanor and appearance, were astonishingly well-matched.

Just like… a perfect couple.

In less than ten minutes, they used up all one hundred rings, and everything on the stall was caught by Yu Luoyin.

Not just Bai Xunyin and Ah Mo, even the onlookers were amazed. Only the few friends who had come with Yu Luoyin didn’t find it surprising.

This was really going too far. Spending less than ten yuan and taking away all their ‘business’ capital.

“You!” Ah Mo was about to explode with anger, but Bai Xunyin grabbed her arm —

She held onto Ah Mo tightly and shook her head gently.

If someone used the rings within the rules to catch everything, they couldn’t get frustrated.

But… they didn’t earn a single cent, and on top of that, they lost over two hundred yuan. Now they had to help transport these things over to Yu Luoyin’s side.

Bai Xunyin pulled the reluctant Ah Mo back and forth within the stall, making multiple trips, until they moved around fifty items to Yu Luoyin’s friends for them to take away.

Ah Mo had bought dolls, combs, hairpins, and various trinkets- and a group of big guys holding these items looked rather comical.

Yu Luoyin watched from the side the whole time, his lips curled into a faint smile. He had no intention of helping.

People who were slightly aware of the ‘situation’ were left speechless. Lu Ye and Li Yuan each held a bunch of dolls, teeth gritted as they asked, “Yu-ge, do you usually pursue someone like this?”

Bullying a small girl like this… wasn’t this a rather extreme way of showing interest?

Yu Luoyin glanced at Bai Xunyin, who was moving like a little soldier, and his smile deepened.

Lu Ye and the others really didn’t understand the concept of ‘push and pull.’

Just like last time when they moved tables and chairs in the rain, if Bai Xunyin didn’t suffer a little loss, how could she remember his good deeds?

This girl might seem docile, but she was actually quite indifferent.

Since Yu Luoyin had decided to get close to her, he wanted Bai Xunyin to remember him ‘completely’ and etch his presence into her bones… someone she couldn’t forget.

In the end, he got exactly what he wanted.

Bai Xunyin would never forget those three words — ‘Yu Luoyin’. It was deeply ingrained in her bones, and even thinking about him would make her ache.