I Might Have Fallen in Love With My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 60 - 56: Broken Dreams

Chapter 60: Chapter 56: Broken Dreams

Wen Siqi and Song Shize’s relationship has been ambiguously unclear for a long time.

Qingran never intended to meddle in others’ affairs; anyway, with Ruan Ruan’s detective skills comparable to Sherlock Holmes, it was only a matter of time before Song Shize, that playboy stepping on several boats, would capsize.

After dinner, the group went their separate ways.

Qingran also said goodbye to Ji Yanchen. Li Qingmo had returned, having just called her to hurry home.

Ji Yanchen silently stood in place, watching Qingran’s receding figure get farther and farther.

The light that had shone in the young man’s eyes for so long finally settled down to calmness, as he took off his hat and his tall, lean figure slowly disappeared into the crowd.

When Qingran got home, Li Qingmo was sitting in the living room talking to Liu Luoxi.

The two gaming addicts, rarely not playing games today, happened to be together.

Hearing the door, both looked up.

Seeing the books in Qingran’s hands, Li Qingmo swallowed back what he was about to say.

Liu Luoxi, who was long accustomed to Qingran’s studious ways, stretched lazily on the sofa: "Little cousin, you know learning should be balanced with rest. Haven’t the teachers always said it? Rote memorization isn’t the way."

Qingran: "..."

That’s why your grades are poor, don’t you know? Big cousin.

However, bringing up Liu Luoxi’s poor grades in front of her was absolutely forbidden, just like it was with Li Qingmo, already a taboo for Liu Luoxi.

"Cousin," Qingran set her books down on the desk and poured herself a glass of water, asking Liu Luoxi, "Did you come to see me?"

Liu Luoxi nodded, her smile exceptionally bright, "Ranran, I’ve got some great news for you."

Qingran glanced at Li Qingmo. Li Qingmo, slouching on the sofa, showed no reaction to the statement.

Qingran understood that the ’good news’ according to her cousin was probably not good news for Li Qingmo.

Liu Luoxi never kept people hanging. If she said she had good news for Qingran, it was good news.

"Ranran, I don’t need to take the college entrance exam next year!!!"

Saying this, she ran over and hugged Qingran’s neck, "Ah, I’m so happy, Ranran! My mom said she’ll send me abroad to my uncle’s next year. I was so excited I didn’t sleep at all last night."

Is that all? Is skipping the college entrance exam worth getting this excited?

Qingran’s expression was hard to describe, but she still managed a strained smile: "Congratulations, cousin."

After Liu Luoxi finished expressing her happiness, noticing Qingran’s lackluster reaction, she immediately wanted to pull her into the joy: "Ranran, if you don’t want to take the college entrance exam either, why not go abroad with me next year?"

Li Qingmo rolled his eyes and pulled the two clinging figures apart: "Liu Luoxi, if you don’t want to take exams because of your bad grades, why drag Li Qingran into it?"

Liu Luoxi’s smile collapsed, and with a death glare at Li Qingmo: "Li Qingmo, shut your dog mouth! If you can’t speak nicely, then speak less."

"Pfft!" Li Qingmo scoffed, "Liu Luoxi, you’re just fooling yourself. Bad grades are bad grades! What’s going to happen if you just admit it?"

Of course, Liu Luoxi wouldn’t admit it. Both had sharp tongues, and it wasn’t long before they started bickering and exposing each other’s shortcomings, with Qingran unable to stop them.

Unable to stop them, she didn’t bother to try. The dreary weather was making people drowsy. Amidst the quarreling of Liu Luoxi and Li Qingmo, Qingran quickly fell asleep on the sofa.

Perhaps because Liu Luoxi had suddenly brought up the topic of going abroad today, Qingran dreamt of topics related to going abroad.

In the dream, Mr. Li sat on the sofa, fiercely puffing on cigarettes. The living room floor was littered with many cigarette butts, and his eyes were red with decadence.

Qingran had never seen her father like this, not even during the time around her mother’s death. Back then, he had merely lost the light in his eyes, not this sort of despair.

She wanted to comfort her father, but her body felt as though it was bound by something, unable to reach him no matter how she tried.

After a while, she heard her father’s hoarse voice: "If I send her abroad and never let her come back, would that be okay?"

It was then that Qingran noticed a man not far in front of Mr. Li, with his back to Mr. Li. Mr. Li didn’t mention his name, and Qingran didn’t know who he was.

"No!" The man rejected the idea decisively, his voice just as hoarse to the extreme.

Qingran found his voice somewhat familiar. She felt the answer was on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn’t guess who he was.

"Uncle Li," the man said, "this matter is truly bizarre. Until it is resolved, don’t let her... disappear from our sight."

Tears finally slid down from the bloodshot eyes, and Mr. Li sighed with a bitter smile: "How could I willingly send her to a foreign land? But what can I do? She used to be such a good child, why has she changed so much over these two years?"

The man, head bowed, remained silent, his tall figure looking somewhat defeated.

The firework burned down to Mr. Li’s fingers, yet he seemed to feel no pain, "How could she make such a big mistake?!"

The room went silent, and Qingran’s mood also sank.

It must be that mistake made to the female lead by Li Qingran in the book that has caused Mr. Li such sorrow.

The man murmured, a voice that entered Qingran’s ears: "Maybe, she’s not in control of herself either..."

"Maybe she’s like me, always uncontrollably moving along a certain track, unable to resist, believing that everything is fated, but I don’t believe in fate!"

Qingran’s heart suddenly felt a sharp pain, and she found it odd. Why would her body feel such discomfort when she was clearly in a dream?

The conversation on the other side continued, but Qingran could only see Mr. Li’s mouth moving without hearing what he was saying.

Lastly, the man’s figure disappeared inside the room, and his voice, as low as the dust, lingered in Qingran’s ears —

"Uncle Li, please have mercy on me, don’t send her away, let me see her occasionally."

...

Qingran suddenly woke up from the interrupted dream, and when she opened her eyes, she was startled by Xie Ying’an’s face which was magnified several times.

Seeing her awake, Xie Ying’an chuckled. He reached out with his fingertip to wipe away the tears at the corner of Qingran’s eyes, his voice clear and pure as jade: "What did you dream about? You were crying so sadly."

"I didn’t dream about anything." Qingran was so embarrassed she almost wanted to hide in a crack in the ground.

She hastily wiped her eyes and hurriedly sat up from the couch. Li Qingmo and Liu Luoxi were playing games on their phones, head-to-head on the adjacent couch, paying no attention to whether she had woken up or not.

Qingran didn’t even know when Xie Ying’an had arrived.

Qingran glanced at the time, it was past two in the afternoon; she had slept for over an hour.

Li Qingmo’s fingers moved rapidly on his phone. Hearing the noise, he couldn’t bother to look up: "Li Qingran, I’ve noticed you’re becoming more and more like a pig recently, you can even fall asleep while talking."

Liu Luoxi picked up the conversation: "Ranran must have been studying too hard last night."

Li Qingmo was noncommittal: "Definitely not playing games, anyway."

Liu Luoxi: "..."

’Pop’, Liu Luoxi threw her phone and lunged at Li Qingmo’s neck: "Damn it! Li Qingmo, can’t you go a day without being a smartass?"

Li Qingmo, being choked, did not put down his phone and managed to spit out: "Liu Luoxi, you backstabber!"

Qingran and Xie Ying’an exchanged a look.

Xie Ying’an gestured towards the study, and Qingran nodded. They tiptoed towards the study.

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