Chapter 261: Farewell, Humiliation
Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Farewell, Humiliation
Little Red Carp was feeling wistful. She wouldn’t be able to see that cool, handsome boy anymore.
Mr. Huang had already been discharged, so he wouldn’t be coming to the hospital anymore. And as his grandson, the boy wouldn’t be coming either.
After helping Hua Yusen wash up and reading him the newspaper, Zhao Nuanyue left with Little Red Carp.
As they passed the lawn, only a single boy with a serious expression was sitting on a bench.
Little Red Carp had been listless, and at first, Zhao Nuanyue didn’t know why. But when the little girl saw Leng Che, her face broke into a wide smile. It was only then that Nuanyue understood: she’d been unhappy all morning because she was thinking about his Furong Cake.
Little Red Carp wriggled out of Zhao Nuanyue’s arms and trotted over to Leng Che. "Brother Che," she asked with a smile, "I thought you weren’t coming!"
"I thought you weren’t here either. I was just about to leave!" Leng Che smiled back and handed her an exquisitely wrapped box of pastries. "This is Furong Cake, my absolute favorite. It’s delicious. And there’s Lotus Seed Paste, which is also really good."
"Thank you! Where’s the old grandpa?" Little Red Carp asked, taking the box. She looked around, not seeing the familiar old man.
"My grandfather has been discharged," Leng Che said. "It’s a shame I won’t be able to see you anymore. And one last thing—I want to tell you that you’re actually very cute and pretty. You’re not silly or childish at all."
Little Red Carp couldn’t have been happier to hear that.
"You’re not silly or childish either, Brother Che," Little Red Carp said with a giggle. "We’re friends. My name is Zhao Hongli. What’s your full name? When I grow up, I’ll come find you and we can play."
Leng Che smiled and patted the little pigtail on Little Red Carp’s head. "My name is Leng Che," he said. "I’ll remember you, Zhao Hongli!"
"You have to remember! Don’t you forget," Little Red Carp said with a laugh. She glanced at the Furong Cake and Lotus Seed Paste in her hands and decided it wasn’t right to take a gift without giving one in return. She took off the seashell necklace she was wearing. "This will keep you safe. I’m giving it to you!"
Seeing that it was just a seashell and nothing valuable, Leng Che accepted it as a simple gift exchanged between children. He reached out and took it. "Thank you," he said. "I like it a lot."
With that, he started to put it in his pocket instead of around his neck.
Little Red Carp wasn’t happy about that. "The Furong Cake you gave me is going to get eaten," she protested. "So of course you have to wear the necklace I gave you."
"Uh..." Leng Che froze for a second, then chuckled and put the necklace on. "Alright, I’ll wear it."
"Don’t take it off. It’s a very good thing," Little Red Carp instructed him. "It can keep you safe."
"Okay, I’ll keep it on," Leng Che promised, smiling down at Little Red Carp.
Just then, one of the guards beside Leng Che prompted him, "Young Master, it’s time for us to head back."
"Okay." Leng Che nodded. "Goodbye, Little Red Carp!"
"Goodbye!" Little Red Carp waved, watching as Leng Che got into a car and left the hospital.
’A friend I just made, and now he’s gone.’
Seeing Little Red Carp looking downcast, Zhao Nuanyue asked, "What’s the matter, Little Red Carp?"
"Brother Che left," Little Red Carp said, crestfallen. "Now I have no one to play with."
"Then I’ll play with you." Zhao Nuanyue hugged her. "How about I take you to play?"
"But you have to work, take care of Hua Yusen, and study. It’s a lot of work," Little Red Carp said softly, shaking her head. "I don’t want to make you even more tired."
’It was true, just as Little Red Carp said. Zhao Nuanyue was busy every single day, with no time to play with her.’
’This couldn’t go on. I have to think of something!’
"Little Red Carp, do you want to play with other kids?" Zhao Nuanyue asked. "Like back in Nianqiao Village, where there were lots of children and everyone played together."
"Yes, yes! I’d love that!" Little Red Carp nodded eagerly. "I love playing with other people."
"That’s great!" Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "After the New Year, how about I enroll you in preschool? It’s full of kids, so you’ll have plenty of friends to play with, won’t you?"
"Oh my gosh, is there really such a magical place?" Little Red Carp asked, surprised. "But wait, aren’t the schools all closed? How can there still be a preschool?"
"Because a lot of parents both have jobs, there’s no one to look after the kids. So, many people send them to preschools to be looked after," Zhao Nuanyue explained. "There are lots of children there. If you want to go, I’ll take you to check it out after the New Year."
"Okay!" Little Red Carp nodded, incredibly excited.
Zhao Nuanyue pushed her bicycle, with Little Red Carp sitting on the rear rack.
Since the road was fairly empty, Zhao Nuanyue was going quite fast. But then a green jeep coming from the opposite direction spotted her, immediately swerved to cut her off, and blocked her path.
Fortunately, the bicycle’s brakes were good, and Zhao Nuanyue managed to stop in time to avoid a collision.
Zhao Nuanyue got off the bike. Little Red Carp, sitting on the back, was steady and didn’t fall.
’Who the hell is this?’ Zhao Nuanyue wondered. ’They drive like a maniac!’
Just then, a tall woman with delicate features stepped out of the vehicle.
The woman leaned against the car, looking at Zhao Nuanyue with disdain.
’Well, well. An old acquaintance.’
Guo Dongmei!
Guo Dongmei was riding high right now, while she was just an apprentice at Immortal Grass Hall. ’Forget it,’ she thought. ’Sometimes you have to know when to swallow your pride.’ Deciding not to clash with Guo Dongmei, Zhao Nuanyue started pushing her bicycle away to go around her.
"Well, if it isn’t the flower of Nianqiao Village! Back in Jincheng City, are we?" Guo Dongmei had seen Zhao Nuanyue’s sharp tongue in action before and had driven over specifically to humiliate her. She hadn’t expected Nuanyue to simply avoid the confrontation and swallow her anger.
Seeing Zhao Nuanyue avoid her and ignore her made Guo Dongmei feel like she had blocked the road for nothing, making a fool of herself.
Zhao Nuanyue said nothing, simply keeping her head down and continuing to walk forward.
"You know, some people are like pathetic little dogs, eagerly snatching up things I’ve thrown away. But here’s the thing, the Hua family still won’t approve. They’re just not willing to accept certain people," Guo Dongmei said with a mocking laugh. "Trying to marry up and become a princess... that doesn’t work out for everyone. The Hua family looks down on you, even with Hua Yusen in a vegetative state. So why don’t you just go back to Nianqiao Village and be a country bumpkin for the rest of your life."
’Endure.’
’I have to endure.’
She had no father to shelter her, no powerful family to back her. At this moment, she was weak. Zhao Nuanyue silently vowed that one day, she would crush Guo Dongmei under her heel and release the fury she felt today.
"Heh, I bet your stepfather doesn’t even know you’re back, does he?" Guo Dongmei had clearly investigated Zhao Nuanyue’s background and knew her situation well. "That Zhao Jinghai is pretty dumb. If he sold his daughter a few more times, maybe he could finally make his dreams come true."