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墨書 Inktalez
"That's the best news I've heard!" Zhu Hui laughed, feeling relieved as she shamelessly took the ice water back from his hands and gulped it down again.
"Just keep that wallet as a memento!" Yang Qianfan said, lowering his head and shyly chuckling, his face turning even redder.
"What memento? I sold that wallet yesterday, and I got a pretty good price for it!" Zhu Hui replied, grinning with pride.
"What? You sold it?" Yang Qianfan exclaimed, nearly losing his balance on the flowerbed in shock.
"Of course! What do I need a wallet for? I have no money to put in it."
"Do you even know what that wallet represents?"
"Of course I do. That wallet represents three thousand dollars, enough for Liao Chengwei to stay in a nice place for several nights," Zhu Hui said, recalling the scene from yesterday when she sold the wallet. She couldn't help but feel excited. "The guy who bought it was so nice. When he heard that I was selling it to help my classmate, he paid three thousand dollars for it!"
"You fool! You sold it for three thousand and you're grateful? Do you know that he could resell that wallet for at least ten thousand?" Yang Qianfan gritted his teeth, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment towards Zhu Hui.
"Really? That wallet is worth that much?"
"Of course! I bought that wallet from a friend for thirteen thousand. Do you think he made a profit or a loss buying it from you for three thousand?"
"What can I do now? I've already sold it. You can't expect me to go find him and buy it back!"
"That's not necessary. I just hope this experience teaches you something so you won't get fooled again while helping others count their money."
Zhu Hui couldn't help but laugh at his annoyed expression. Just then, a young couple walked by with a child who looked about seven or eight years old. The child was adorable, with chubby cheeks resembling freshly steamed buns. He was playing with a yo-yo, but since he was quite short, he had to tiptoe each time he threw it to avoid letting it hit the ground. Zhu Hui watched the boy intently for a long time until he disappeared from her view.
"What are you staring at like that?" Yang Qianfan asked, unable to contain his curiosity at her strange expression.
"I wasn't looking at anything, I was just watching that boy."
"Watching that boy? You—don't tell me you have a thing for children!"
"You’re the one with a thing for children!" Zhu Hui shot him a glance. "I was just thinking about the yo-yo he has in his hand."
"What’s so fun about a yo-yo that it’s worth thinking about?" Yang Qianfan replied dismissively.
"Can you play with a yo-yo?" Zhu Hui suddenly asked.
"Of course! I used to be an expert at it. I must have broken at least a thousand yo-yos at home. But after I started middle school, I stopped playing with them because I became obsessed with basketball."
"Really? You’re so lucky," Zhu Hui said, looking at him with a smile, her eyes filled with envy.
"Lucky? Looking back, I think I was incredibly immature back then."
"The reason you think your past actions were immature is because you once had them."
"Had them? What do you mean?"
"Sigh—" Zhu Hui looked at him and let out a long sigh, trying to suppress her laughter. "You wouldn't understand the bittersweet feeling of wanting something but never being able to get it. That feeling is called regret."
"Only a fool would regret not being able to get a yo-yo!"
"That's right, I'm that fool," Zhu Hui said with a sad smile. "Back then, my biggest wish was to have my own yo-yo, but unfortunately, that wish has never been fulfilled."
"It seems your outlook on life and values are indeed quite different. Your ideals are so grand, just wanting a single yo-yo," Yang Qianfan teased her with a laugh. "If everyone in the world were like you, I bet the United Nations would disband."
“Although it was just a yo-yo, it left an indelible mark on my childhood memories,” Zhu Hui reminisced, a wistful smile creeping onto her face. “I remember wanting my grandmother to buy me one, but she refused to get it for me. Eventually, I resorted to threatening her, rolling around in front of her, crying and throwing a tantrum until I wouldn’t get up from the ground.”
“Did your grandmother eventually buy you one after all that fuss?”
“Of course not. If she had bought it for me back then, I wouldn’t have any regrets now.”
“It seems you really have a narrow mind.”
“What can I say? The size of my wallet directly determines the size of my heart. If I had a wallet like yours that costs thirteen thousand, I’d probably be just as vain as you are now—indulging in pleasures, chasing after brands, and infatuated with the school beauty. It’s my territory; I call the shots.”
“Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you saying I’m shallow?” Yang Qianfan shot her a glare and playfully tapped her head, unable to suppress a laugh.
Zhu Hui covered her head but said nothing, her eyes sparkling as she offered him a heartwarming smile.
“Did you ever resent your grandmother for being so stingy with you?” Yang Qianfan couldn’t help but ask again.
Hearing his question, Zhu Hui shook her head and laughed. “Actually, my grandmother was really good to me. Even though she didn’t buy me a yo-yo, she did get me a ping pong ball later!”
“A ping pong ball?”
“Yeah!” Zhu Hui’s large bright eyes lit up with happiness at the memory. “Even though I didn’t have a paddle, I still had so much fun playing with it.”
“How could you play without a ping pong paddle?” Yang Qianfan furrowed his brows in confusion.
“It’s simple! You can use two slightly larger books as paddles. That’s how Hui and I played back then; it was really fun.”
“Books can be used as paddles?”
“Of course, if I get the chance, I’ll teach you. It’s really fun.”
Yang Qianfan looked at her earnest expression, feeling a strange discomfort in his heart.
“So is your wish still to have a yo-yo?”
“People always grow up. The regrets of the past should remain in those memories, treated as treasures that I can savor for a lifetime!” Zhu Hui looked up at a jet plane soaring overhead, trailing a long white contrail, and smiled with relief. “Right now, my biggest wish is to have my own wallet.”
“You want a wallet? What brand are you thinking of? Let’s hear it; maybe our tastes are quite similar.”
“It can be any brand, as long as it’s a wallet.”
Yang Qianfan was puzzled, unsure of what was going on in her mind.
“You might not believe it, but I’ve never used a wallet in my life,” Zhu Hui said, suddenly bursting into laughter. “Do you know why?”
“How would I know?”
“Because if I spend my money on a wallet, I won’t have any money left to put in it.”
“Really? You’re so funny.” Yang Qianfan forced a smile at her explanation and quickly lowered his head, feeling an indescribable pang of sadness rising within him.
“Yang Qianfan, even though your family is wealthy, I still hope you can cherish every cent in your wallet.”
“You really are chatty.”
“I’m just lacking money right now, so of course I’ll be chatty. But my chatter comes from the heart; I hope you can feel that.” Zhu Hui paused for a moment and sincerely added, “However, I still need to thank you for your generosity yesterday! Thank you!”
“Honestly, if it weren't for Li Lingfei yesterday, I wouldn't have been willing to donate money to that guy. But now, after hearing your thanks, I feel like that donation was worth it,” Yang Qianfan said, standing up and pulling out his phone. He glanced at the time displayed on the screen and was taken aback. “It's so late already; I really have to go now. See you next time!” With that, he flashed her a faint smile and turned to leave.
“Hey—” Zhu Hui couldn't help but call out to him from behind, asking, “Will you come again tomorrow?”
Yang Qianfan turned around, thought for a moment, and replied with a question of his own, “Do you want me to come tomorrow or not?”
“I hope you come tomorrow to donate more money,” Zhu Hui said with a smile, waving her hand at him.
“You're quite frank. But if you want me to come tomorrow to donate money, I suspect you might be waiting for something,” Yang Qianfan said with a playful smile before turning away.
On the following week, Zhu Hui took the donations she had collected over the past few days to the hospital to secretly visit Liao Chengwei and hand the money over to Liao Mama.
She stealthily peered through the window; through the frosted glass, she could vaguely see Liao Chengwei's frail figure. Liao Chengwei's condition had worsened recently—he seemed increasingly weak and listless—but he had gained weight, looking like an over-fermented loaf of bread, soft enough that a gentle poke could leave a deep indentation.
When Liao Mama saw Zhu Hui peeking through the window from the hospital room, she rushed out immediately. Each time she saw Zhu Hui, she couldn't help but break down in tears as usual, crying heart-wrenchingly as if her heart were being torn apart. Every time Zhu Hui witnessed her crying, it made her feel particularly distressed; in a moment of weakness, she wished she could take Liao Chengwei's place in suffering. Just as Zhu Hui was comforting Liao Mama, Liao Chengwei unexpectedly appeared from somewhere and stood behind her, greeting Liao Mama. Zhu Hui instinctively turned around and was startled to see him; she couldn't help but shudder and quickly lowered her head in silence. For some reason, every time she saw Liao Chengwei's face, it felt as if she were facing Liao Chengwei himself—his anger seemed palpable as if he were standing right in front of her, ready to strike her across the face. The fear gripped her like a feather duster tickling her heart, sending shivers down her spine.
Zhu Hui kept her head down, shrinking back as if she had done something wrong. Her speech became disjointed and incoherent, making it hard for anyone to understand her. After nervously exchanging a few polite words with Liao Mama, she desperately sought an excuse to leave.
“W-what... what’s going on? Does Auntie need something from me?” Zhu Hui asked in confusion.
“No, she doesn’t need anything from you; I have something to discuss with you.”
“You? What do you want to talk about?”
“I... my Second Aunt has already told me about how you saved my cousin.”
“So what?”
“I want to say I'm sorry to you, but I don’t know how to start,” he said, looking at her with a troubled expression, his mind swirling with complicated emotions. “If I apologize to you now, I would feel ashamed, as if I’m only doing it because you helped my cousin.”
“Are you afraid of me?” Liao Chengwei suddenly called out to her from behind.
Zhu Hui felt a jolt of anxiety at his words, her skin prickling with goosebumps as if her scalp had been soaked in butter, sending a shiver down her spine. Despite her fear, she knew she had to maintain her composure; after all, there’s an old saying: “Live like a hero and die like a martyr.”
“What a joke! Why should I be afraid of you?” she replied, forcing a smile as she turned to face him.
“Since you’re not afraid of me, why can’t you look me in the eye?” Liao Chengwei’s sharp gaze bore into her face as he pressed on.
“Because I don’t want to face the disdain in your eyes,” Zhu Hui pretended to be indifferent, sneering lightly. “What can I do? It’s my fault for being foolish and getting in your way.”
Hearing this made Liao Chengwei feel awkward; his face flushed red, and he was momentarily speechless. Zhu Hui noticed he didn’t retaliate against her and silently thanked Buddha in her heart. She forced a polite smile before turning to leave quickly.
Just as she stepped out of the doors of Zhongliu Hospital, she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind. Curiously, she turned around and saw that it was Liao Chengwei; he had followed her outside.
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