Her retreating figure gradually faded into the darkness that enveloped the night, until it completely disappeared, leaving behind only a beautiful memory for herself.
“She’s gone…”
A feeling of incompleteness lingered.
Damn it, why was she so shy?
It would have been great to just walk up and say something, or ask for contact information… hmm, well, that was just wishful thinking.
She hadn’t dared before, and even now, though changed, she still didn’t dare.
Cowards don’t deserve chances.
“Awooo,” turning around, no longer looking at the Baozi Shop, Su Xiaoxiao took big bites of the steamed bun, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.
“So good~”
At last, the pale little face showed an expression of happiness.
With that, holding the steamed bun, she took a bite, then walked a few steps, moving forward on the way home.
She had come empty-handed, but now she had a few steamed buns—how wonderful.
As she walked, the roads around her grew narrower, the light dimmer.
Su Xiaoxiao was forced to free three fingers to hold her cellphone, using its light to illuminate the path ahead.
The pitch-black environment blended with the sky, turning into a “canvas” on which the content depended entirely on each person’s thoughts.
For those thinking about work and the future, the canvas would show money and dreams.
For those thinking about games, images of fighting monsters and leveling up would appear.
But on her canvas appeared the beautiful black-haired girl from earlier.
To put it bluntly, it was a fantasy.
She probably wouldn’t forget her for a while, and just thinking about her made her blush and feel warm.
Was this the Prophecy of Love at First Sight…?
No, it was merely desire.
Besides, her heart already had a sense of belonging; it couldn’t be changed so easily.
Su Xiaoxiao tried hard to recall the appearance of Xiao Li from the School.
“What’s going on,” she thought.
Because of work, she hadn’t seen Xiao Li for a long time, and now her mental image of her was growing vague.
It was all because of her parents before…
No, it should be Su Zhikang (her father’s name).
Forget it, it was all in the Past Life.
What use was there in hatred now?
“Awooo,” she tried to persuade herself not to think about it anymore, to quickly forget the person she had seen earlier at the Baozi Shop.
But the more she tried, the more her mental canvas slowly painted the beautiful girl’s gestures as she bought the buns, and the gentle smile she had given her when leaving.
Ugh, forget it!
Halfway through her second steamed bun, her stomach felt somewhat better.
Rubbing the now quieter belly, the girl looked up at the distant Starry Sky and the Moon that shone much brighter than when she had left.
Their light reflected softly on her.
“So beautiful.”
Entering the narrow path, people grew sparse.
The quiet night, walking alone in the dark and windy street, made her a little scared.
“Shh, so cold…”
The evening breeze gently blew her slightly flushed cheeks, bringing a hint of chill and loneliness.
“Stop overthinking, there’s not a single soul here, what’s there to be afraid of.”
Su Xiaoxiao comforted herself.
After becoming like this, her thoughts had grown more delicate than before.
For example, the people who had just passed by, or the customers buying things at the shop when she was begging for work—the way they looked at her was direct and unmasked, their desires exposed without any disguise.
And she had noticed it all.
Recalling the scenes from the Past Life during those mixed doubles matches, all the arguments and anger were over money.
Sigh…
The night, the suddenly appearing beautiful girl, the uncomfortable gazes, the tragic past experiences—these four things merged into a strange emotion inside the girl.
“Awooo.”
Eating the soft steamed bun, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly formed a conviction in her heart.
She was going to make money—big money—and support herself! Yes, that was the feeling.
“Hm, keep it up, Su Xiaoxiao!”
The girl silently made her decision.
No matter what hardships, nothing would break her.
She returned home with excitement in her heart.
Clang.
“Finally home.”
Her legs were numb.
Click~
The first thing Su Xiaoxiao did upon entering was turn on the light because it was far too dark outside.
After closing the door, she carefully placed the two Paper Currency left from buying the buns on the only small cabinet in her room.
Then, not knowing what else to do, she sat foolishly on the bed.
Right, tomorrow was School again.
“I really want to chat with Xiao Li.”
Thinking of the brilliant smile Xiao Li had shown while chatting with others, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile herself, envying the girls who could talk with her.
And so, in this somewhat old little room, the stunningly beautiful girl was foolishly smiling at the air.
No, she couldn’t think so beautifully.
Tomorrow, after spending this two Paper Currency, she would be hungry.
Thinking about having nothing to eat made Su Xiaoxiao wish time would just stop, but in her heart she also looked forward to seeing Xiao Li whom she had longed for day and night at work—quite a contradiction.
During the month since her Retirement from School, she had lived miserably—sweating profusely morning and afternoon, having a grand meal at noon, and being bruised and beaten at night, scolded countless times.
Back then, she had thought how wonderful it would be to return to School—not because she liked studying, but because she felt it was the only Haven.
“So hot…”
The sensitive feeling of heat brought Su Xiaoxiao’s thoughts back to the small room.
Wearing her School Uniform inside was definitely hotter than outside.
And thinking only made it worse.
“Feels like I should take a bath.”
Slowly taking off her School Uniform, she felt a few little droplets on her neck—the crystallization of hard work.
The girl’s body still carried a faint milky scent.
“If I take a bath…”
Before, she would try to wash as long as possible because that was where she could avoid attacks.
But now…
“I haven’t tried washing with my eyes closed yet. I’ll try that later.”
Throwing her cellphone onto the bed, she hesitated before walking to the cabinet.
Su Xiaoxiao lifted her slender jade-like hand and opened it.
There was no choice of clothes or pants, only two sets of School Uniform.
And some underwear…
“Oh, white ones.”