Chapter 7: The Teenager Who Climbed into the Yard from Outside
She walked to the dressing table and sat in front of it. Then, she squeezed the medicated ointment onto her fingertip and applied it on her face. The initial burning sensation disappeared and turned cool once she applied the ointment that smelled faintly of mint. Lin Chu massaged the ointment until it was fully absorbed into the skin before lying down on her bed listlessly.
At this point, she was overwhelmed by anger and disdain towards Cheng Ziming that she was unsure whether if she had truly moved on from him.
She met him during her freshman year of university. At that time, he was a junior in University A. They dated for four years until she graduated from university. Cheng Ziming got a job right after he graduated, and he had to work harder due to his lack of experience. He was busy with his job most of the time so naturally, they spent lesser time together.
She used to call him on the phone and never once doubted him when he told her he was too busy to talk to her. However, there was nothing unusual with him when she spoke to him on the phone or even when she met him in person. He still spoke gently, always telling her how glad he was to have her by his side.
“What have I done to deserve such a caring and considerate girlfriend like you. You’re not like the other girls who get mad easily when their boyfriends are too busy to spend time with them. You’re understanding, and other men would do anything just to have someone like you. Chu Chu, I swear I’ll be good to you.”
Later on, he appeared with Lin Yuwen in front of her. Lin Yuwen proudly introduced him as her boyfriend and announced their engagement to the family.
Lin Chu was in disbelief for a moment. She thought it was a huge misunderstanding.
However, Cheng Ziming responded, “Lin Chu, in addition to love, there are more important things for a man like his ambitions and his future. In my opinion, men who gave up on their dreams and future for love are cowards. I’m not a coward, and I can’t give you what you want. I wouldn’t have failed you if you were the legitimate heiress of the Lin family, but you aren’t and I’m sorry. I love you, but I can’t marry you. They said first love is unforgettable, and you will forever remain a memory of the purest love I’ve ever had. The relationship between me and Yuwen is complicated and intertwined with personal gains, it was unlike the relationship we shared. I’ll cherish this memory forever. Humans are destined to make all sorts of compromises and sacrifices for survival. I chose to sacrifice love. I’m sorry.”
The purest love was of no match in the face of materialism.
Lin Chu sneered when he said that. She already bid goodbye to her four-year relationship. Perhaps it was not even love at all. How could it be love when it could be easily sacrificed for materialism…
Somehow she dreamed of her orphanage life before she turned seven, she dreamed of the boy she had met when she was six years old in the backyard of the orphanage. The boy was crawling into the yard from outside.
He wore a V-neck blue plaid sweater on top of a white shirt and a pair of uniform pants that looked like suit trousers. He looked good in it, but he was also very ungroomed.
By the time he climbed over the wall, he was a mess. He stared at her with his black eyes, she was completely mesmerized because she had never seen such beautiful eyes before.
“I don’t want to go home now that everything’s changed,” he said. “You mustn’t tell anyone that I’m here.”