Chapter 17

He had left this world for many years.

Gu Xin leaned against the wall on the street and sloppily smoked a cigarette. A gauze covered one of his eyes and on his neck, his arms, on every part of his exposed skin, it was covered with injuries, some of which had already healed but were cut open again, while some were fresh wounds that were still bleeding.

After he finished smoking the cigarette, he pressed it on his arm to put it out. On his arm were letters carved out with a knife, the “o” at the start and end of the word was jagged on the skin covered in injuries.

As Gu Xin walked on the streets, everyone avoided this person who seemed to have a problem with his head. They were afraid that this person who had a tendency of self-harm would suddenly lose it and cut down people on the street.

He exchanged his life for a conclusion and even lost an eye before he died, but the children from powerful families used their influence to suppress the matter, and in the end, only Teacher Xue went to jail.

Gu Xin ran over Lu Hao and Zhang Wenqi with a car and killed them, but Father and Mother Gu arranged for it to appear like an accident.

Gu Xin knocked, door by door and stabbed all the accomplices to death. He thought Father Gu had finally given up on him and he squatted in jail for a few years, but his father found a way to fish him out again.

The law couldn’t punish the true sinner; the world couldn’t give him justice.

Since Gu Xin couldn’t make things right for him, let him indulge in the pleasure of revenge.

Gu Xin also included his own name on the list of revenge, creating those injuries.

Gu Xin saw a snack store and habitually walked in, and bought a pack of Oreos.

The snack store’s auntie was scared into stutters when she saw Gu Xin, but when the person who looked like a madman placed a pack of Oreos on the counter, she saw him smiling gently.

Gu Xin walked and tore open the packaging. Inside were two packets of Oreos.

For some reason, as he walked, there was suddenly no one else around.

Like the pedestrians had evaporated.

He walked to the front of an alley.

Hanging next to the alley was a worn sign that read: “Gardenia Alley”.

Gu Xin walked inside.

Finally, a person entered his vision.

The person wore a black western-styled uniform and was peeking at something from a discreet corner of the alley.

Gu Xin hadn’t seen that silhouette for many years, but it appeared before his eyes every day and he didn’t find it unfamiliar in the slightest.

Deep inside the alley, a group of people surrounded a boy and beat him, using wooden sticks to take turns hitting him.

Unbelievably, the leader of the group was Lu Hao who he had killed with his car many years ago.

The boy being hung up and beaten was Zhang Wei who he had stabbed to death.

Gu Xin’s heart jumped, he grabbed the hand of the person wearing the western uniform and ran out of the alley.

Since they weren’t deep inside the alley, they weren’t detected by the group of people.

When they had run to the entrance of the alley, Gu Xin heard sounds of a bustling crowd going to and fro. There were clearly a lot of pedestrians on the street.

On his arm that was holding onto Oreo, the word etched into his flesh, “Oreo”, had disappeared along with the scars.

“You…what are you doing?”

Just like how he remembered him to be in his first year of high school—a fair face with light in his eyes.

Gu Xin stared at Oreo, his emotions flooding like a tide. His hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

“What’s wrong?” Oreo continued to ask.

Gu Xin never liked to cry, but everytime he dreamed of Oreo, he woke up crying.

He didn’t want Oreo to have any more entanglement with Lu Hao and Zhang Wei.

He needed to stop him from entering Gardenia Alley.

He looked at Oreo and said, “I…I’m the student volunteer from the clothing store across the street. I’m Gu Xin, and I wanted to ask if you would be interested in looking around at our store.” Gu Xin randomly pointed with his finger.

Oreo suddenly laughed, “Little Ge-Ge, you want me to shop in a woman’s clothing store?”

“It’s almost mother’s day, it would be a good present for your mom. Look, there are even signs by our store advertising the last three days for our discounted prices. Our shop is currently having a sale.”

As Gu Xin spoke, his face heated up and his hands began to shake. He didn’t know if it was from excitement or embarrassment.

If it’s for him, what does losing a bit of face amount to?

“Okay, count it as me supporting student volunteers.”

“But your store has been advertising the last three days of sale since I was in elementary school. I’m going to be a first year in high school today, but the sale still hasn’t ended.” Oreo teased.

Oreo looked all over the store before picking out something that wasn’t completely an elderly person’s aesthetics. It was an ordinary dress with black flower motifs. Oreo couldn’t help sighing. There was a reason this store had been on sale for so many years.

Gu Xin stood outside the store and was contemplating quietly. Suddenly he felt someone grab him from behind. He instinctively dodged, and Oreo fell from the steps.

“What are you doing?” Gu Xin anxiously crouched down to support him.

Oreo kissed Gu Xin.

This time, it was Gu Xin who was stunned.

“My legs feel broken.” Oreo said this after releasing his mouth.

So you remember everything too.

“I wanted to drink hot spicy soup before going to school, what should I do now?” Oreo smiled and asked Gu Xin

“I’ll carry you.”

When Oreo leaned against Gu Xin’s back, he said, “I wanted to hug you from behind just now, but I missed.”

Gu Xin’s heart skipped a beat.

When they arrived at the hot spicy soup restaurant, Oreo barely drank a few mouthfuls when he looked up, “Don’t secretly take a photo of me again. Oh right, weren’t you doing volunteer work?”

“Looking at the time, work seems to be over.”

“You ran to the alley to promote your shop, but now you don’t want to take responsibility anymore?”

Oreo scrolled through his phone and saw a trending piece of news.

“Zhang Wei was beaten to death by Lu Hao. Since there were a lot of eyewitnesses, Lu Hao and Zhang Wenqi are done for this time.” Oreo said it very calmly like he was talking about his next meal.

“How terrible for them.” Gu Xian was also very calm.

A large gust of wind blew in from outside.

It started raining outside.

Oreo’s chopsticks stopped. He looked at the rain and sighed.

“I love falling asleep to the sound of rainfall, it feels like a waste whenever it rains when I’m not in bed.”

“Then don’t go to school. Let’s go home.”

“You’ll carry me back?”

“We need an umbrella first.”

Gu Xin went to the supermarket next door and picked out a large umbrella that was big enough to shield two people from the rain.

But he didn’t see Oreo when he returned to the restaurant.

Gu Xin’s heart dropped, he walked to and fro in the hot spicy soup restaurant, but he couldn’t find him.

Not even the faintest scent remained like he was never there to begin with.

In his memory, he should be wearing a black blazer. Right.

But no one in the shop was wearing a black blazer.

In an instant, it was like he had been hit with a truck.

Someone hugged him from behind.

Oreo was standing on the counter. He directly fell onto Gu Xin’s back.

This time, Gu Xin didn’t dodge. He covered Oreo’s legs that were wrapped around him with his hand and carried him in a practiced manner.

“Let’s go home.”

Wahhh a few tears are dropping. I really like the extra! This novel is done now!