Whose youth isn't capricious

Chapter 8 Never Be Apart

In the car, I held back my tears. Outside the window, Haicheng was ablaze with lights.

I had studied in Haicheng for three years at university. I thought I had already integrated into this city.

But I was wrong. I'm still myself, and Haicheng is still Haicheng.

The bustling Haicheng, as before, has no place for me.

Those urbanites still look down on me, just like Sister Lan does.

I'm poor and over - ambitious, actually thinking of pursuing Sister Lan. She is so beautiful and noble. How could she take a fancy to me?

When I arrived at school, I couldn't hold back anymore. I squatted by the roadside and burst into tears, burying my head in my arms.

That night, I didn't return to the dormitory. Instead, I lay on the lawn of the school, feeling the wind and shedding tears.

I was infatuated with the feeling of being with Sister Lan, missing her lips and her body fragrance. Just thinking that all these had gone away from me made my heart ache so much that I could hardly breathe.

At night, I didn't feel cold. I just stared blankly at the stars all over the sky. If time could go back, I would never hug or kiss her again. I would rather be an ordinary friend with her and watch over her quietly. That would be enough.

During those days, I was like a soulless person. I didn't go out to work and just lay in bed all day.

I degenerated. I didn't shave my beard or wash my face. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes were hollow, like a walking corpse.

Later, I thought a lot about my parents and my future.

At that time, I just wanted to graduate as soon as possible, find a job, and marry an ordinary wife.

After having a child, I would bring my parents to the city to take care of them in their old age and spend my life in an ordinary way.

I no longer wanted to take risks. Pursuing illusory love would only hurt myself more, and no one would show sympathy.

I tried to get out of the pain but found that I was lost. I couldn't find the way back, nor could I be the person I used to be.

I thought that if I wasn't afraid of making my parents sad, I would rather die.

I was poisoned by Sister Lan, and there was no cure.

After more than a week, I forced myself to cheer up.

I shaved my beard, changed my clothes, and then went to the Work - Study Department to find a part - time job.

I worked desperately, trying to stop myself from thinking about her. But every night, when the stars all over the sky lit up, my eyes would shed silent tears.

That day was Saturday morning. I was sleeping hazily when I heard my phone ring.

I fumbled for the phone and took a look. I was immediately breathless. It was Sister Lan, Sister Lan's call.

I gasped, unable to believe my eyes. I wanted to answer so much, but my hand hung in mid - air and couldn't come down for a long time.

The harm Sister Lan brought me was too deep. It almost became my nightmare.

I loved her, but I was afraid of being hurt again.

At that time, I was in a very contradictory state of mind.

How I wanted to hear her voice and bicker with her, but my hand firmly pressed the reject button.

I wouldn't be stupid again. The taste of being tortured by love, once is enough.

But Sister Lan called again. I closed my eyes, shed tears, and hung up forcefully.

Sister Lan still kept calling. I could hardly control myself. This bad woman, why does she always torture me like this?

Gritting my teeth, I turned off the phone.

That day, it started to drizzle.

I didn't go out to work. Instead, I walked alone on the empty campus.

I didn't hold an umbrella. The rain hit my face and body. It was cool and comfortable.

I walked past the playground, past the teaching building...

I walked past the place where I used to play ball. The scene of Sister Lan cheering for me was vivid in my mind.

I didn't know how long I walked. When I felt tired, I walked back.

When I reached downstairs of the dormitory, I was soaked through.

I took off my coat, bared my arms, and went up the stairs.

When I entered the corridor, from a distance, I saw her, that woman like a nightmare.

Sister Lan was sitting on the ground, with her back against the door of our dormitory, hugging her knees and staring blankly.

She had lost weight. Her face was a bit pale, her eyelids were swollen, and she had lost her former vitality.

Looking at her, my heart ached. I walked over, and our eyes met.

Sister Lan stood up, leaning on the door, and looked at me resentfully. Then she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.

She hugged me tightly and bit my shoulder hard.

I also hugged her tightly, closed my eyes, and felt Sister Lan's body temperature.

"Wang Yu, why didn't you answer the phone? Do you know you scared me to death?" Sister Lan beat my back, crying and complaining.

I said you didn't want me anymore, so why should I answer the phone?

"Just because I said I didn't want you, you ignored me? Why are you so thin - skinned? Couldn't you pester me and pursue me shamelessly?"

I wiped my tears and asked her ecstatically, "Sister, can I? Can I really pursue you? I thought you didn't like me."

"You stupid i***t, you big bad guy! How could I not like you? You've driven me crazy. I've fallen in love with you, become infatuated with you. What should I do?" Sister Lan cried, and her tears dropped on my shoulder.

I cried and said, "Sister, I love you too. I almost died without you."

"Me too. I feel my heart ache terribly when I can't see you. You bad guy, you big bad guy! Why did I meet you? You've driven me crazy!"

I said, "Sister, do you love me? Do you really love me?"

"Yeah." Sister Lan nodded vigorously.

I pressed my face against Sister Lan's cheek and cried out, "Sister, say you love me. I want to hear you say it with your own mouth!"

"I love you! I love you! I love Wang Yu, the narrow - minded man!" Sister Lan wailed, trembling constantly in my arms.

"Sister, shall we be together? Never be apart again, okay?"

"Never be apart, and we can't be apart." Sister Lan cried.

I still couldn't believe it and said, "Sister, you won't leave me because I'm poor, right?"

Sister Lan punched me and said, "Silly boy, I don't mind."

We hugged tightly, afraid of losing each other. Our arms were numb, but we still didn't want to let go.

Later, Sister Lan said, "Let's go to your dormitory. Standing here is killing me. My legs are about to break."

I said okay and then fumbled to open the door. Sister Lan walked in, and I said sheepishly, "It's quite messy."

Anyone who has lived in a boys' dormitory knows that during holidays, it's no different from a pigsty. Plus, I had been degenerating in the previous days, so our dormitory looked like it had just been ransacked by two pigs.

Sister Lan stopped crying, raised her foot, kicked the wine bottle on the ground, and complained, "It's really messy."

I said, "Let's go out and find a place to sit. Don't stay here."

Sister Lan ignored me and went to the balcony to get a broom and started cleaning.

I said, "Sister, stop. I'll clean it up later."

Sister Lan pouted and said crossly, "Later? When is later? If you don't clean it up, it'll become a garbage dump."

After saying that, Sister Lan casually threw me a rag and ordered a bit seriously, "Work with me."

"Of course! There are only two of us. Who else would I work with if not you?" Sister Lan said without hesitation.

Suddenly, Sister Lan's face turned red. "You little rascal, you dare to flirt with me!"

We cleaned while joking around. Sister Lan was very meticulous, overly clean, as if she had a cleanliness fetish.

"Wang Yu, there's still some dust on this table. Wipe it again!"

"Wang Yu, the floor you mopped isn't clean. Rinse the mop and mop it again."

"Wang Yu, look at how messy your desk is. Things are everywhere. It makes me feel annoyed just looking at it."

I said, "Sister, this is a boys' dormitory, not a five - star hotel. It's almost okay."

Sister Lan didn't agree and said, "What about a boys' dormitory? People still live here, don't they? If people live here, they should pay attention to hygiene!"

Actually, our dormitory was already very clean, but Sister Lan was still nitpicking.

After working for a while longer, Sister Lan really couldn't find any more faults. She pursed her lips and said, "Well, it can barely be lived in."

I was as tired as a dog, sitting on the table and gasping for breath. Sister Lan pointed at my forehead and said cutely, "You, you clearly haven't done any housework before."

I smiled, grabbed Sister Lan's hand, and gently stroked it in my palm.

A blush appeared on Sister Lan's face. She said shyly like a little girl, "What are you doing? You're being naughty again!"

I said, "Sister, I want to kiss you."

"Bad guy!" Sister Lan gently hit me and said, "We just finished working. We're all dirty. Wait until after we take a bath."

I couldn't wait and said, "Then I'll take a bath right now."

Sister Lan pulled me and said, "Don't take a cold shower. You might catch a cold."

I said, "It's okay. I'm used to it. I have a good physique and won't get cold."

Sister Lan still wouldn't let me go and said, "Doesn't your school have a bathhouse? Go there to take a bath. I'll go too."

"Okay, let's go right now."

She sat down and fanned herself with my thing. I poured her a glass of water, and Sister Lan gulped it down.

I said, "Sister, why did you drive me away that night?"

Sister Lan put down the glass, was silent for a moment, and then smiled and said, "I was being willful and just wanted to drive you away."

I gave her a disdainful look and said, "I'm not a three - year - old child. You must have had a reason to drive me away."

Sister Lan shook the fan, stopped talking, and stopped smiling.

When she was unhappy, I felt bad too. I apologized, "Sister, I won't ask anymore. Don't be angry."

Sister Lan picked up the glass again and took two gulps of water.

"Xiaoyu, I love you. I love you very much and cherish the time with you."

I took Sister Lan's hand and said, "I know. I love you very much too and can't live without you at all."

Sister Lan stroked my face and looked at me tenderly. "Xiaoyu, some things are predestined. If one day, I can't be with you anymore, will you miss me?"

I cried, feeling that Sister Lan was about to leave me again. Like a child, I lay on Sister Lan's shoulder and hugged her tightly, saying, "Sister, we must be together and never be apart!"

Sister Lan wiped my tears, but she herself was crying uncontrollably. "You're still a child. There are many things you don't understand."

I said, "I'm not a child. I've grown up. I understand everything. I love you and you love me. That's enough."

"Yeah, I love you, and you love me. I'm so happy. I won't leave you. We'll never be apart!" Sister Lan hugged me tightly, giving me infinite tenderness.