The morning star in late autumnstands at the crossroads.You turn back step by step,realizing how far time has traveled.
The next time I saw Chen Qiao Luo was beneath the city bridge. A few days ago, Li Zi had dejectedly told me she’d lost a cherished bracelet there. Today, with nothing better to do, I happened to pass by and thought I might try to find it for her.
Over time, my relationship with Li Zi had transformed drastically. Without Chen Qiao Luo, my life had gradually been filled by her presence. We would go shopping together, and she would excitedly show me her collection of celebrity posters.
As I bent down, searching for Li Zi’s bracelet, the meowing of a cat snapped me out of my thoughts. Following the sound, I found a few newborn kittens nestled under the bridge. Their mother was nowhere to be seen, and their constant cries suggested they were hungry.
Seeing this, I quickly swung my schoolbag to the front. If I remembered correctly, Dad had packed some bread and milk in it this morning. Sure enough, upon opening the bag, I found what I was looking for.
I tore the bread into small pieces and placed it in front of them, then poured some milk into my cup lid and slid it over. It wasn’t long before the kittens shuffled over and began eating.
I watched them with great interest until the sound of footsteps behind me broke my focus. Turning around, I saw Chen Qiao Luo standing there.
It seemed neither of us had expected to see the other here. Just like me, he froze in place.
By my count, it had been almost a month since I’d last spoken to Chen Qiao Luo. Now, seeing him again, I noticed he had grown much thinner. His once refined face was gaunt, giving him an air of despondency.
Time felt as though it had stopped.
I don’t know how long passed before I heard his soft voice:
“Zhu Yun Hao, long time no see.”
Indeed, it had been a long time.
A sudden wave of sadness surged through me, and my nose stung as I fought back tears. Lowering my head so he wouldn’t see me like this, I only looked up again when I felt more composed. Even so, my words were sharp:
“Well, isn’t this a surprise! How gracious of Young Master Chen to still remember me. I thought after all this time, you’d have forgotten who I even was.”
My sarcastic tone made him frown slightly. Looking at me, he said:
“Zhu Yun Hao, there’s no need for you to be so prickly.”
“Then stop listening if you can’t take it,” I retorted defiantly.
The boy in front of me—someone I once thought would be my closest friend—had shown how fragile our friendship truly was in the face of time.
Seeing my attitude, Chen Qiao Luo didn’t bother arguing further. With a curt “Suit yourself,” he walked past me.
Only then did I notice the bag of food in his hand, seemingly bought specifically for the kittens.
I watched as he crouched down, gently petting them, and a strange warmth surged in my chest.
The kittens’ cries eventually brought me back from my thoughts, and Chen Qiao Luo stood up beside me.
“Let’s go,” he said softly.
As I stood, my legs—numb from crouching too long—gave out. Just as I thought I was about to fall, a firm hand caught me.
“Be careful,” he said.
His indifferent expression irritated me. Shaking off his hand, I shot back with a sneer:
“Thank you for your concern, Young Master Chen, but whether I live or die has nothing to do with you, does it?”
Chen Qiao Luo glanced at me, his voice calm as ever:
“Suit yourself.”
What a “suit yourself.”
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