Chapter 8: Chu Xiaoxiao, the One Who Excels at Remembering

As soon as the two returned to the club activity room, Ling Cheng eagerly started fiddling with the new equipment.

Chu Xiaoxiao was still feeling the lingering warmth in her palm. Even though it had been half an hour since they held hands, the sensation from that moment remained so vivid.

Chu Xiaoxiao felt her heartbeat, gently pressed her chest, and murmured, “What kind of strange feeling is this? My heart feels so full.”

Just then, a new message suddenly arrived on Chu Xiaoxiao’s phone.

Ling Cheng: Common Route Text One (.docx)

“What’s this?” The chat window that had been silent for several days finally lit up again. Chu Xiaoxiao asked while accepting the document Ling Cheng had sent.

“It’s the game text, just the first part. You can take a look at it. You’ll be voicing the female lead,” Ling Cheng said without turning around, continuing to adjust the equipment.

Chu Xiaoxiao agreed and started reading the story.

The common route text one roughly covered the beginning and part of the female lead’s story and setting.

Chu Xiaoxiao had only read a small part before she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Because this female lead’s mother had left her when she was young, and in high school, she was betrayed by her friends, making her withdrawn and eccentric—until she met the male lead and gained a new lease on life.

‘Isn’t this just me?’ Chu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but think.

‘This female lead must be based on me. That Ling Cheng guy likes me that much? He even investigated my high school life so thoroughly.’

‘If it were anyone else, it would feel kind of creepy.’

‘But if it’s Ling Cheng…’ Chu Xiaoxiao felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart.

As she read the female lead’s story, Chu Xiaoxiao’s thoughts drifted back to her own past.

When she was eleven, Chu Xiaoxiao’s mother had left her due to illness.

Her father, having lost his wife, grew increasingly cold and reluctant to come home. After Chu Xiaoxiao started middle school, he chose to live overseas permanently.

The only one who stayed by Chu Xiaoxiao’s side was Su Qingwan, who was only one year older than her.

Su Qingwan was both her playmate and her older sister, and in a way, even her mother.

Time passed, and Chu Xiaoxiao entered high school.

Because of her wealthy background, many girls gathered around her. Thinking she had found friendship, Chu Xiaoxiao naturally went out of her way to please “these friends.”

They were always asking her for things.

“Xiaoxiao, it’s the weekend tomorrow. I really want to hang out, but I’ve overspent this month.”

“Xiaoxiao~ my favorite singer released a new album. You’re so rich, can you help me support it with ten thousand copies?”

“Xiaoxiao, I want to go on a date with my boyfriend, but my clothes are so ugly. Can you help me?”

Faced with these requests from her “friends,” Chu Xiaoxiao never refused.

She believed that if she gave her sincere heart, she would surely get a sincere response in return.

Besides, it was only right for good girlfriends to help each other.

Until one time, when a good friend’s birthday was coming up, Chu Xiaoxiao saw a special way to celebrate in a manga.

She wanted to use this unique method to leave an unforgettable, wonderful birthday for her friend.

In her plan, she would first make an excuse that she couldn’t attend the birthday party.

Then she would voluntarily book the celebration venue and cover all expenses.

While everyone was regretting her absence,

she would hide backstage with a band, and at the climax of the party, she and the band would come out to offer her blessings to her dearest friend.

For this, Chu Xiaoxiao spent three whole months learning an instrument. Although she wasn’t a master, she could skillfully play the violin.

On the day of the birthday party, the weather was gloomy.

The entire class came, both boys and girls, except for the one who was footing the bill—Chu Xiaoxiao.

The class monitor, a girl whose looks and family background couldn’t compare to Chu Xiaoxiao’s, brought up the topic.

“That girl is so easy to fool. As long as you say a few nice words, she’ll willingly fork over the money.”

The birthday girl, Chu Xiaoxiao’s “good friend,” joined in.

“Yeah, she’s even easier to fool than my boyfriend.” After saying that, she paused, as if realizing this might not look good for her image.

“And this chick is definitely full of herself. She always thinks she’s doing us a favor, treating us like her servants. How disgusting!”

Another girl who often hung around Chu Xiaoxiao also spoke up, “Yeah, it’s a good thing she didn’t come, or else the festive mood would’ve been ruined.”

“That idiot is good enough to be our ATM. Hahahahaha!”

Perhaps the joy of ganging up on someone, of treating the prettiest girl in class like a fool, made everyone laugh in agreement.

Only Chu Xiaoxiao, hiding backstage, bit down hard on her clothes to keep from crying out loud.

She felt a stabbing pain all over. The blatant malice was like poisonous needles piercing every part of her body.

Chu Xiaoxiao helplessly grabbed her own shoulders and bit her collar. She didn’t know who she could call at this moment.

Her mother was already gone. Her only blood relative—her father—was far overseas.

And if she called him about this, he would blame her for being useless, wouldn’t he?

Back in middle school, when she had conflicts with other girls, her father would only blame her for not being able to solve the problem herself, and said that calling him wasted his time.

But that time, when she first dialed his number, she clearly heard her father laughing and chatting with a strange woman.

And her everyday support—Su Qingwan—was also in school at this time. She couldn’t keep bothering her with every little thing.

Qingwan had it hard too. She was only one year older than her, yet she had always been taking care of her.

Thinking this, Chu Xiaoxiao finally managed to stand up, leaning against the wall.

She wiped away all the tears from her face and hardened her once gentle expression.

She was going to make a scene, to burn all bridges, to shut everyone out.

After that night, Chu Xiaoxiao became alone once again.

She lost all interest in socializing. Her greatest daily pleasure was hiding in her room and reading depressing manga.

Only when she shed tears for the characters in the manga could she vent a little of the bitterness in her heart.

After a long time, Chu Xiaoxiao finished reading the story and suppressed her surging emotions.

She blinked hard to hide her tears, revealing a smile she hadn’t shown in a long time. She said softly to Ling Cheng, “Thank you. Thank you for this story.”

She left the second half of the sentence unsaid.

‘Thank you for being willing to break through the thorns to embrace me. Thank you for caring about my voice and about me as a person.’

Ling Cheng, of course, had no idea about the girl’s thoughts. His story wasn’t based on Chu Xiaoxiao at all.

“Done reading? Then come try the microphone. We don’t have much time today,” Ling Cheng said, his gaze still fixed on the game.

Seeing Ling Cheng staring at the game the whole time, Chu Xiaoxiao thought he hadn’t forgiven her.

She said to herself, ‘After all, it was my fault before. I have to make it up to him properly.’

She even thought, ‘Ling Cheng talked so much about games earlier—he must have wanted to share these things with me for a long time.’

‘And I always responded to him dismissively, trampling on his feelings.’

‘Ling Cheng, I will definitely make you like me again!’

Chu Xiaoxiao walked out of the corner that sunlight couldn’t reach. In the glow of the setting sun, she took the microphone Ling Cheng handed over.

“The story begins~”