Chapter 5: Xiang Ling's Letter

  There are three candies in the box. Each candy has three English letters engraved on it. The yellow one is engraved with "world", the dark purple one is engraved with "ghostdom", and the white one is engraved with "Heaven".

  "Haha... didn't expect it to be imported goods..." Zhou Yun said with a sneer. If he understood English, he would definitely know that these three words represented "Mortal Realm", "Ghost Domain" and "Heavenly Realm". Unfortunately, he didn't understand, and looking at the three differently colored candies, Zhou Yun thought they represented "Orange Flavor", "Grape Flavor" and "Milk Flavor". This was probably the difference between intellectuals and illiterates...

  Zhou Yun didn't care about three seven twenty one, and threw three candies into his mouth all at once. He had always liked to eat things mixed together, probably thinking that was the only way it was flavorful.

  The crystal sugar melted in his mouth, and Zhou Yun didn't even taste it before swallowing it down. Three hundred-yuan sweets were ruined just like that by him.

  Gone? Zhou Yun's tongue rolled around in his mouth. What kind of sugar is this? How can it not have any flavor at all? It's like air, gone with a gulp.

  Just as Zhou Yun lifted up the quilt to search for it, suspecting that the candy might have fallen on the bed, a light knock at the door came from outside.

  Knock knock knock...

  "Is the child asleep?" came her mother Yang Xiu's voice.

  "Not yet. Does mom want to talk to me about something?" Zhou Yun hastily opened the door. His mother usually wouldn't look for him at noon, so she must have something important to say. But what struck Zhou Yun as strange was why his mother hadn't said anything during lunch. Maybe it was because she saw how well he and his father were getting along, so she didn't bring it up.

  Yang Xiou fell silent for a moment, first stuffing a thick stack of envelopes into Zhou Yun's hand, before saying: "Some things... perhaps we did wrong. But it was all for your own good, I hope you can understand..."

  Mother's inexplicable words made Zhou Yun feel confused. What did they mean by "perhaps they were wrong"? And it was still for their own good? What did they want to make themselves understand?

  When Zhou Yun shifted his gaze to the envelope in his hand, he finally understood why his mother would say such a thing...

  Xiang Ling! On the envelope, a name that would affect him for his whole life was written in bold letters.

  Ever since Xiang Ling and Zhou Yun's friendly relationship was discovered by Xiū Yuán, the two were never able to contact each other again. At first, he thought it was because Xiang Ling's mother was strict and she couldn't get away. But as time went on, Zhou Yun had not received any news from Xiang Ling, which made him confused.

  Zhou Yun even thought that Xiang Ling might have already forgotten him. However, when Zhou Yun looked at the thick stack of envelopes, he knew he was wrong. Xiang Ling not only hadn't forgotten him but had also been persistently writing to him. Unfortunately, the letters were being withheld by his parents.

  Why is this? Why did Mom and Dad have to do this? Zhou Yun looked at Yang Xiu with a puzzled face.

  "Xiao Yun, listen to me... At that time, things were more complicated, I hope you can understand..." Yang Xiu pulled Zhou Yun to the bedside and began to slowly recount what happened back then...

  It turned out that Xiuyuan had met Zhou Yun's parents the day before leaving Qingfu City, and they had a heated argument. She warned them to take care of their own child and not let Zhou Yun continue to pester her daughter. At that time, Zhou Qingyang heard it and advised: "They are just children, going with the flow is the best way, your approach will only hurt both of them."

  Ke Xiuwen, however, disagreed and instead said that Zhou Qingyang was incompetent in teaching his son, spoiling him and letting him do whatever he wanted. He even tried to bribe them with money: "You're just doing this for the money, right? Alright, take care of your own child, and this 100,000 yuan is yours. Look at what you're wearing, even if you work hard for another three to five years, you won't be able to earn that much."

  Xiang Ling's mother wasn't wrong, Zhou Qingyang seemed like a manual laborer, with a monthly income of at most a few thousand yuan. Even if he worked hard for three to five more years, it was unlikely that he could earn 100,000 yuan. However, one can be without money, but cannot be without dignity. From Xiu Yuan's words, Zhou Qingyang only heard disdain and contempt.

  As a human being, there is always a spark of fire. Being said so by a woman, how could Zhou Qingyang not get angry? He's still a man after all! Of course, if it were some other greedy youngster, they might actually be willing to become a woman for once.

  "Take back your stinky money! Your daughter isn't even worthy of my son!" From then on, the grudge between the two families was formed. In a fit of rage, Zhou Qingyang impulsively withheld the letter sent by Xiangling and decided not to let Zhou Yun have any further dealings with this girl...

  "Mom, can I have some quiet time?"

  Is it the parents' fault? No... they are not wrong, everything they did was for themselves. Should we blame Xiang Ling's mother? Not either... perhaps from her perspective, all of this is for Xiang Ling.

  Xiangling was born with a noble status, and she would not agree to let her suffer. Moreover, the two of them were still young, and children having puppy love is what parents worry about most.

  Thinking of this, Zhou Yun was puzzled. The biggest reason for the mistake to happen was actually the timing, location and people involved. From any angle, this disaster was inevitable. It's really fate...

  Yang Xiu saw Zhou Yun bowing his head in contemplation and gently pressed his shoulder, softly saying: "Alright, I'll go out first, you rest well."

  Having said that, Yang Xiu left the room, leaving Zhou Yun alone in silence...

  Rest? You must be joking. Looking at the stack of colorful envelopes in his hand, Zhou Yun didn't think he could rest easy anymore. As soon as Yang Xiu closed the door, Zhou Yun immediately started opening the thick envelope...

  The first letter, dated six years ago in April. Zhou Yun guessed that it was probably the third day after Xiang Ling moved out of Qingfu City. The familiar yet unfamiliar childish handwriting slowly pulled out Zhou Yun's long-sealed thoughts.

  "Xiao Yun, are you okay? I've moved to a new house and started at a new school. Everything here is so unfamiliar, I don't have any friends. It's so boring, I really want to go find you to play. But recently mom has been keeping a close eye on me, wah...I'm not allowed to go anywhere. But it's okay, I can still write letters, mom doesn't know. Hehe......O(∩_∩)O!"

  "Xiao Yun, I have some good news for you. Ling'er has made new friends. I even taught them how to tie their shoelaces quickly! However... it would be better if you were here..."

  "Xiaoyun, if you don't reply soon, Xiangling will get angry. If it's too much trouble, just give a call. The number is 134XXXXXX. But please only call after 10 pm, that's when mom should be asleep. Xiangling will wait for your call every night! See you then..." Isn't this more troublesome?

  Unconsciously, Zhou Yun finished reading more than 60 letters in one breath. Each letter was filled with Xiang Ling's thoughts and longing for Zhou Yun. The last letter was from six years ago, mid-July: "Little Cloud, why have you been ignoring me all this time? Did I do something wrong to make you angry? You promised me that you wouldn't ignore me. I want to find you, really really miss finding you. Do you still remember the necklace you gave me? I've always worn it... I want to hear your voice and will keep waiting for your call, forever!"

  Within a short span of three months, Xiangling sent over sixty letters. In other words, basically every day, she would write a letter to Zhou Yun. But strangely, since mid-July, Xiangling stopped sending letters altogether. What's going on? Did something unexpected happen to Xiangling? Or did she meet her ideal Prince Charming and changed her mind?

  At this moment, Zhou Yun's heart was in a mess, and he could only lie quietly on the bed. From his understanding of Xiang Ling, she wasn't an easy girl to change her mind, otherwise, she wouldn't have persisted in writing letters to him every day for three months. However, things are unpredictable, and not being easy to change doesn't mean it won't change. Maybe she had already fallen into another boy's arms. Thinking of this, Zhou Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache, and he even dared not face this reality...

  It is said that when one is anxious, they become disordered. How could Zhou Yun not think of this? If Xiang Ling had changed her mind, there should have been a transition period. The letters might have gradually decreased in frequency until they finally stopped altogether. But Xiang Ling's letters suddenly ceased in mid-July, and there must be some hidden mystery behind this. Unfortunately, Zhou Yun was too anxious to notice this detail. Now he only wants to find Xiang Ling and ask her clearly.

  Picking up the extension phone in the room, Zhou Yun quickly dialed the number left by Xiang Ling in her letter.

  "I'm sorry, the number you dialed is empty..." A robotic response sent Zhou Yun's mood plummeting...

  I don't even know what today is, Zhou Yun is so unlucky it's not like him. Just as he dejectedly hung up the phone, his stomach suddenly started rumbling. Misfortunes never come alone...