Chapter Twenty-Nine: Like Family

Once again, I was defeated by Goddess Su’s innocence. In my view, that was already her pursuing you, okay? Do you have any idea how many young girls are waiting for men to take the initiative, even if to her, this is a perfectly normal thing...

"A goddess is a goddess, after all..." I took the beef noodles from the server and pushed them toward Xiao Ya, signaling her to eat first.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Su Xuefei seemed quite dissatisfied with my comment, pouting as she retorted.

I shook my head, deciding not to explain. I had realized that the gap between us was not something that could be easily bridged. No matter how eloquently you describe your feelings, and no matter how immersive you make your story, she would never be able to truly grasp the perspective of someone from a different social class.

Before long, my own bowl of beef noodles arrived. We fell into a brief silence. For me, at least, there was nothing to talk about other than burying my head in the noodles. For someone like me, who had just officially suffered a heartbreak, no topic could pique my interest—unless Luo Qing suddenly called to tell me that everything she said earlier was a lie.

Just as I reached this thought, my phone actually rang! Unfortunately, it wasn't mine...

"This is Xuefei. Who is this?" Su Xuefei’s tone was incredibly gentle. I felt a surge of doubt—was she always this gentle when answering calls from strangers?

"Hehe, I’m just teasing you. I’m actually having noodles with Yang Chen right now," Su Xuefei laughed playfully, then lowered her voice intentionally, "I’ll call you back in a bit, okay? Be good."

After hanging up, Su Xuefei immediately returned to her previous state, eating her noodles in small, delicate bites as if nothing had happened.

Though I was curious about who had called, I couldn't be bothered to ask. After all, it was her private business; as an outsider, I had no right to interfere in her life.

Within a few minutes, I finished my bowl of noodles and began to watch, with a sense of boredom, the two beauties—one big and one small—slowly savoring their meal.

My inner composure was crumbling. Even when eating noodles, Goddess Su was so elegant. Her movements were light, not a drop of soup splashed or spilled, and she didn't make a single sound. I even started to wonder if she was a descendant of some British royal family. Her every movement while eating seemed like a scene from a work of art, as if she had undergone professional training.

Perhaps feeling uneasy under my prolonged gaze, Su Xuefei put down her chopsticks. Whether from the heat or shyness, her fair, delicate face flushed slightly as she looked at me: "Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're pretty," I said casually. Su Xuefei’s already rosy cheeks turned completely crimson. She looked away, embarrassed, and turned her attention to Li Xiaoya instead.

Li Xiaoya, noticing Su Xuefei looking at her, also put down her chopsticks and asked in her innocent, childish voice, "What’s wrong, Big Sister?"

"Are the beef noodles good?" Su Xuefei smiled and asked.

"Yes!" Li Xiaoya nodded vigorously, seemingly wanting more, and picked up her chopsticks again.

"Feifei, I might leave Yichun in a few days. When that happens, you should go find Qin Xiaomo to hang out with. I haven't been able to sort out my own affairs lately, and I really haven't had time to take you around much... I’m truly sorry." I sighed, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag before turning my head to exhale the smoke.

"You’re leaving? Where are you going?" Su Xuefei looked at me, surprised. "How come I never heard you mention this before?"

"It was a last-minute decision." In truth, I had been pondering this ever since I hit the road: should I continue to stay in this city that left me heartbroken and demoralized? It had destroyed my love and dissipated my ideals, leaving behind only a group of people I couldn't bear to leave—Sister Shi Yu, Sister Ke Wen, Ye Zi...

From a naive kid fresh out of school to someone who now knew a little about the various facets of society, I owed it all to these brothers and sisters who had always helped and supported me. When it came to goodbyes, it was these deep, inseparable bonds that I found hardest to let go of.

"Then what about your cold drink shop?" Su Xuefei asked after a moment of thought.

"I’m giving it away. I won't be a boss anymore... though I never really felt like one to begin with." I took deep drags from my cigarette, deciding to transfer the shop to Yang Xiaoyu’s name. Even though it seemed absurd, it wasn't actually a problem. I had essentially started from scratch; the money had been lent to me by Sister Shi Yu. Although I had been paying it back for months, I still owed her a significant sum, which would be covered by the future funds of "Xun."

Besides, I felt at ease leaving "Xun" to Yang Xiaoyu. Over the past six months, I had come to understand that she was a kind and diligent girl. It was only now that I finally understood why Sister Rose had called her a "weirdo" back then. It was precisely because of her purity and kindness, combined with the fact that she lived alone, that she was easily bullied or deceived in society. Sister Rose’s words were merely a disguised way of protecting this lovable girl.

"Oh." Su Xuefei didn't seem to find anything particularly special about that; she just nodded and looked out the window, saying nothing more.

"Big Brother, where are you going?" Li Xiaoya, having finished her noodles and downed the soup, wiped her mouth with her small hand and looked at me with her large, beautiful eyes.

"Big Brother is going to a place very, very far away. Would you like to come with me?" I smiled and reached out to touch Li Xiaoya’s cute cheek. I was just saying it casually; how could I really take a child away with me? It would be better for her to stay with Goddess Su, where she would at least have food and clothing. With me, she would only return to the kind of life I lived before, scavenging to survive.

But Xiaoya, unaware of my thoughts, asked Su Xuefei quite seriously, "Big Sister, are you going with Big Brother too?"

What shocked me even more was that Goddess Su actually replied: "Of course. I haven't been on a trip in a long time, either."

"Oh, oh! If Big Sister is going, then I’m going too!" Li Xiaoya laughed happily and gently hugged Su Xuefei’s soft frame, acting spoiled.

After paying the bill, the three of us stood in front of the noodle shop, feeling the cool breeze, neither of us speaking.

"Um, Goddess Su?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you take Xiaoya back to rest for a while? Look, the kid has been running around outside with us all day; she’s tired." Seeing Li Xiaoya stifle a yawn, I quickly seized the opportunity.

"Xiaoya, are you sleepy?" Su Xuefei held Li Xiaoya’s fair little hand and asked softly.

"I’m not sleepy!"

I felt a wave of embarrassment. This was what they called "murderous intent hidden within gentleness"—it was impossible to defend against.

"Alright, Goddess Su, where do you two want to go? I’m treating today. Since I’m leaving anyway, I might as well play the host for once and be a 'tycoon'." I headed toward the curb, turned back to wave at Su Xuefei and Li Xiaoya, and gave a bitter smile.

"Actually, you should be the one to say where you want to go. After all, you have more emotional attachment to this place than we do."

I nodded in agreement and hailed a taxi, heading straight for the Small Stone Bridge in the west of the city.

Stepping out of the taxi, I walked onto the stone bridge and looked at the frozen water, deep in thought. This place held the purest memories of my past few years. Whether it was the time I spent with Zhang Jiaxin, or later with Zhao Ke Wen and Shi Yu, we had unforgettable memories here.

There was no longer any shimmering water, nor the sound of their laughter, yet I remained the same dejected figure. Everyone else had changed; only I remained alone, wandering upon this gray, stone bridge.

Su Xuefei walked onto the bridge behind me and followed my gaze to the cold, rigid ice below. She asked softly, "It must be beautiful here in the spring, right?"

I nodded in response, "Yes, it is. It’s like another world. People row boats, others fish; the mornings and evenings always hold different, yet equally beautiful, scenery."

Su Xuefei gazed at the lake with longing, as if she had made a decision. She said to me, "Yang Chen, when the ice melts, let’s come back here!"

I couldn't bear to refuse Su Xuefei’s small request, but I knew that this departure might mean I would never return. My parents were waiting for me back home, and no matter what their plans were, it was time for me to live a grounded life. I no longer yearned to be someone extraordinary, nor did I intend to struggle a lifetime for a fictional love. Perhaps, for me, this was more like a form of liberation.

Su Xuefei took out her phone, tapped on it a few times, then jogged up to a stranger, whispered a few words, and nimbly ran back. She said to me, "Yang Chen, let’s take a photo together. Xiaoya, too."

The stranger held Su Xuefei’s phone, glanced at Su Xuefei, who was standing tightly against us, and nodded with a smile, preparing to take the picture.

I forced a bitter smile. I didn't know if this was some method of healing or what, but it pulled me back to reality just as I was beginning to drift into a void.

"Yang Chen, smile! Don't look so miserable, you don't look handsome at all!" Su Xuefei glanced at me and pouted, dissatisfied with how I was reacting to her sudden whim.

"Alright." I tried my best to stretch my lips into a grin. Just smile, right? I promised not to cry, okay? Who has ever seen someone who just went through a breakup being asked to smile for a photo!

The shutter clicked, and our photo was captured. Su Xuefei skipped over to thank the stranger repeatedly, then returned happily with the phone, admiring the photo of the three of us huddled on the small stone bridge.

"Yang Chen, your smile is too stiff!" Su Xuefei held the phone out to me. Although I wasn't keen on seeing the result, in a daze, I saw my own expression... it did look a bit dull!

In the photo, Su Xuefei and I were standing very close. Li Xiaoya, holding Su Xuefei’s small hand, stood between us. Their smiles were so pure and radiant; only my expression looked too artificial and insincere.

Looking at the photo, I had an illusion: the three of us looked like a happy family on a winter outing. Su Xuefei and I were like a couple who had lived together for years—ordinary, perhaps, but our life wasn't monotonous—and Li Xiaoya was our cute daughter, who would grow up to be as beautiful and moving as Goddess Su.