He raised his head and looked at me seriously. “Yun Hao, I know you care about me, but trust me—I can tell right from wrong. Maybe Lei Zi didn’t leave the best impression on you yesterday, but that’s just because he’s straightforward and bold. Over these past few days, I’ve learned a lot from him. Do you know what my only goal is right now? It’s to pay back the debt my family owes to Gu Yu’s family and give my mom a better life as soon as possible.”
Hearing those words from him made my heart ache. Chen Qiao Luo had always been a devoted son, and I knew he was willing to do anything for Aunt He Pei. But was this really the right path?
I sighed, wanting to say more, but he cut me off. “Zhu Yun Hao, I know what I’m doing. Don’t say anything else. Since I’ve already decided to do this, I won’t give up halfway.”
Looking at him, the words I wanted to say stuck in my throat. Everyone has their own obsessions, something they cling to and refuse to let go of, even at great personal cost. For Chen Qiao Luo, that obsession was Aunt He Pei. He was willing to do anything for her, even if it meant harming himself.
Perhaps he already knew that Lei Zi wasn’t a good person, but he chose to sink deeper anyway.
I didn’t say anything else and instead silently drank bottle after bottle of beer with him. Perhaps we were both still growing up, unable to fully understand the complexities of life just yet.
Even though I worried about him, I knew that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t get through. At this point, Chen Qiao Luo was consumed by his own demons—not ones created by Lei Zi, but ones born from within himself.
* * *
Lei Zi started showing up outside our school regularly to wait for Chen Qiao Luo. Every time I saw him, I felt an instinctive dislike.
But it was different for Chen Qiao Luo—he seemed satisfied with his current life. In his words, it was “fulfilling.” Lei Zi often took him to evening parties, which Chen saw as opportunities to expand his network. He believed that following Lei Zi would help him carve out a future for himself.
But what he seemed to forget was that he was just a high school kid who hadn’t even graduated yet. How could those people truly take him seriously or view him as anything other than a pawn?
I didn’t burst his bubble. I watched as he immersed himself in his fantasy. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to pull him back—it was that I knew my words would have no effect. All I could do was be there for him when he eventually fell, ready to offer comfort.
I felt guilty for failing Aunt He Pei’s trust, but I was powerless.
Lei Zi had now become a part of our lives, a forbidden topic I couldn’t bring up. Occasionally, Li Zi would ask me about Lei Zi, curious about what he did, but I always stayed silent. Li Zi was a sweet, innocent girl, untouched by the harsh realities of the world, and I didn’t want to expose her to its darker sides.
* * *
One day, Tong Xiao Tian reappeared after being absent for a while. Every time Li Zi and I left school, we would see him waiting nearby, alongside Lei Zi. Unlike before, Tong Xiao Tian seemed to have learned his lesson—he didn’t dare provoke me. Instead, he would follow us quietly, keeping his distance.
Several times, I turned around to scold him, but he always brushed me off casually, so unlike the fiery, impulsive boy he used to be. Li Zi, however, grew increasingly curious about him. She often turned back to look at him, and one day, when he didn’t show up for some reason, she seemed distracted and restless all the way home.
It didn’t surprise me when their feelings for each other deepened—it was only a matter of time. What I hadn’t expected was how quickly it happened. Not long after the day Tong Xiao Tian disappeared, Li Zi, blushing and shy, confided in me that he had confessed to her again. This time, though, she wasn’t flustered or scared like before.
Seeing her glowing with happiness, I felt a warm current flow through my heart. I thought, Li Zi is lucky. At least she has someone like Tong Xiao Tian, waiting for her so sincerely.
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