Chapter 41: The Little Boy, the Icy Kiss
After Qin Jia finished speaking, her gaze dimmed. “Our families were close. His parents even thought about having me marry into their family as a daughter-in-law. At first, I looked down on him—I thought there was something wrong with him. But after four years in college, I slowly came to like him. I felt the idea wasn’t bad at all. Unfortunately… he already had someone he liked.”
At this point, she cast a complicated glance at Nan Xun.
Nan Xun felt uneasy under her gaze and said stiffly, “Qin Jia… my condolences.”
Qin Jia sighed. “You tell me—he was so young, right at the height of his career. How could he just be gone like that?”
Nan Xun couldn’t help feeling a little wistful as well. He really was too young.
“Little Eight, why is it that all the prodigies in this world die in car accidents? Look at me—back when I was alive, I also died in a car accident. Sigh… Fu Yu and I really are birds of a feather.”
Little Eight was asleep. Otherwise, it would definitely have snapped back, ‘The hell kind of prodigy do you think you are?!’
“Bai Mo, how exactly did you get the news?” Qin Jia suddenly asked. “You disappeared for so many years, and City A is so big—it’s not easy to find someone. Could it be that you’ve still been in touch with other classmates all these years?”
Nan Xun froze for a moment and answered honestly, “Someone did call me. He claimed to be Fu Yu. But since Fu Yu has already passed away, it was probably just someone playing a prank.”
Qin Jia frowned slightly. “A prank? Even if someone wanted to play a prank, they’d have to know your contact information first. I’ve been trying to find news about you all these years and never could. How could a prankster find you so easily?”
Nan Xun fell silent for a moment, then said thoughtfully, “Maybe it wasn’t Fu Yu. Maybe I just misheard.”
Qin Jia stared at her for a long time but didn’t pursue the topic further.
She picked up her phone, pulled up her contacts, and deleted Fu Yu’s number. With a trace of sadness, she said, “From now on, this number will never get through again…”
Nan Xun glanced at the string of digits and suddenly felt they looked familiar. She quickly pulled out her own phone and checked her call history from a few days ago.
With just one look, a chill ran down Nan Xun’s spine—the number that had called her had the exact same last digits as the one Qin Jia had just deleted!
How could it be Fu Yu’s phone number?!
“Bai Mo, what’s wrong?” Qin Jia asked when she noticed Nan Xun’s odd expression.
Nan Xun shook her head and said it was nothing.
Maybe that prankster had used Fu Yu’s phone to call her…?
Nan Xun had a strong feeling that this wasn’t something she should think too deeply about. She quickly forced herself to stop and went back to whatever she was doing.
The gathering ended, and everyone left one after another.
When Nan Xun was finally the only one left, she cursed under her breath. She had taken a taxi there—now, in this middle-of-nowhere place, where was she supposed to get a cab?
In the end, she borrowed a bicycle from the farmhouse owner and prepared to ride it back.
More than ten kilometers—damn it, she’d be riding until nightfall!
Nan Xun hurriedly pushed the bike out, but wasn’t paying attention and bumped into a little boy.
The boy wore a white T-shirt and denim shorts. His large eyes were clearly defined in black and white, his lips thin and lightly pressed together, making him look like a delicate porcelain doll.
He held a bunch of wild chrysanthemums in his hand, looking up quietly at Nan Xun.
Nan Xun recognized him—he was the owner’s youngest son. Earlier she’d seen the kid running around with a bunch of wild boys, catching crickets, lively as could be. He wasn’t this quiet before.
The child’s delicate face was expressionless, and his large eyes held no emotion at all—only a dead stillness.
Nan Xun smiled awkwardly and quickly asked, “Little brother, did I hurt you just now? I’m sorry, okay?”
The little boy didn’t say a word.
Nan Xun crouched down to his level and said with a bright smile, “Let big sister show you a magic trick! Look—ta-da! A piece of chocolate!”
She handed the conjured chocolate to the chubby little hand.
He lowered his head to look at the chocolate, then raised his head to look at her. Those clear black-and-white eyes made Nan Xun feel as though she saw a hint of something profound in them.
Confirming that she hadn’t hurt him, Nan Xun reached out and rubbed his fluffy head, then pushed her bike away.
After walking several steps, she couldn’t help but glance back.
He was still looking at her quietly, but his vivid red lips curved into a faint smile.
Nan Xun’s own lips curved up as well. She even bragged to Little Eight in her heart, “I knew it—once I step in, even the most difficult kids are no match for me.”
Little Eight, deep in slumber, naturally gave no response.
The little boy walked over slowly, step by step, his movements steady—nothing like the bouncy skipping of an ordinary child.
He handed the wild chrysanthemums to Nan Xun.
Nan Xun said, “Are these for big sister? Thank you.”
The boy didn’t say anything, only looked at her quietly.
Looking at that delicate little face, Nan Xun smiled slightly, crouched down, and leaned in to kiss it.
The boy tilted his head just a bit, and she ended up kissing his bright red lips instead.
A wave of cold instantly spread from her lips straight to her heart, so cold that Nan Xun couldn’t help shivering.
She patted the little radish head and said, “It’s so hot out—why are you so cold? Don’t play around too long. Remember to go home early. If you catch a cold, your parents will worry.”
Nan Xun placed the flowers the little boy had given her into the bike basket, then rode away, wobbling unsteadily—the mountain road was really hard to navigate.
She hadn’t gone halfway before the sky darkened.
Nan Xun glanced back and suddenly saw several burial mounds scattered across the fields. Just then, a chilly gust of wind blew past.
She shivered, feeling uneasy.
She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but as Nan Xun pedaled, it began to feel heavier and heavier—as if the bicycle’s back seat had suddenly gained… the weight of a person.
Startled by her own thought, Nan Xun immediately pedaled harder, picking up speed.
The night wind seemed strong—and cold. A chill lingered around her, refusing to dissipate. Fortunately, it was summer, and such cool wind felt oddly refreshing.
“Hey—”
“Hey—”
Suddenly, Nan Xun heard someone calling out from behind her, again and again, as if calling her name.
Instinctively, she started to turn her head—but halfway through, she abruptly forced herself to turn back.
Don’t look back. Don’t look back.
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Panicked, she pedaled for a long while, accompanied by the chirping of crickets and croaking of frogs, until she finally reached the city.
Nan Xun took a shower, then lay sprawled on the bed.
Suddenly remembering something, she went downstairs again and took the wild chrysanthemums out of the bike basket.
After all, they were a gift from such a cute little kid—it wouldn’t be right to just throw them away.
