I Might Have Fallen in Love With My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 63 - 59 Struggle

Chapter 63: Chapter 59 Struggle

Tuesday evening when Qingran returned home, Li Qingmo still hadn’t come back.

Aunt Liu in the kitchen said she hadn’t had a chance to feed the group of stray cats today.

Qingran set down her backpack, greeted Aunt Liu, and took cat food outside. It had been a while since she last fed the stray cats, and she indeed missed seeing them.

As it was nearly April, the weather was getting hotter and the days were getting longer.

When Qingran reached the old tree, the sun was still very strong.

She habitually looked up at the tree, and not seeing the young man in black clothes and pants, she couldn’t tell if she felt relieved or slightly disappointed.

She took out a small dish from her bag, poured the cat food into it, perhaps because the stray cats hadn’t seen Qingran for many days, they were timid at first, only one came over initially, then gradually a whole bunch gathered around.

The little stray cat that often lingered at Ji Yanchen’s feet, circled around Qingran twice, failing to find the familiar figure, it seemed a bit dejected.

’Meow’ it cried a few times before squeezing in to eat the cat food.

Until the sun set, that tall and thin black silhouette never came.

Qingran picked up the dish, turned to walk back with the setting sun behind her, occasionally glancing back; the stray cats one by one jumped into the bushes, and the large shadow of the old tree stretched very long...

——

The sun had not yet set.

The room adorned in black and white tones, had its curtains tightly closed, not a sliver of light penetrated; it was so quiet inside that one could hear a pin drop, creating an atmosphere so oppressive it was suffocating.

Through the dim light, a figure could vaguely be seen curled up beside the bed, his head lowered, his fine hair masking his facial expressions.

As time ticked away, the light inside the room darkened further, nearly engulfing the young man’s figure into the darkness, yet he seemed oblivious, lost in his own world.

A knock on the door sounded, Cui Yu’s gentle voice came through the crack: "Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan? Xiao Yan, can you hear me?"

No response.

The voice outside continued: "Xiao Yan, you’ve been in your room all day, won’t you come out and eat something?"

The boy on the floor remained in the same position, motionless, as if deaf to the anxious voice of his mother outside.

Cui Yu was nearly crying with worry, Sister Zhou, who was wearing an apron, hurried to comfort her, "It’s okay, it’s okay, I saw Xiao Yan return to his room with my own eyes this morning."

The tears that had been hovering in her eyes finally slid down Cui Yu’s face, she slid down weakly against the door, "Why is it like this again? He’s been perfectly fine recently..."

Sister Zhou quickly knelt down to help Cui Yu up, she helped her sit on the couch, then poured a cup of hot water for her.

Seeing Cui Yu’s complexion improve slightly, Sister Zhou finally felt relieved; she cautiously comforted her: "Madam, Xiao Yan has been like this not just for a day or two, try to accept it."

It’s been so long, you should come to terms with it.

Cui Yu took a sip of warm water, her sorrowful eyes cast down, silent.

Over these years, she had suffered through the hardships and often consoled herself, to accept it as it is, no matter what, at least her child was always by her side.

But recently, she had seen a glimmer of hope, she noticed a slight change in her Xiao Yan, though minute, it was still hope.

Yesterday, while Ji Yanchen was looking at his phone, Cui Yu also knew, they, mother and son, were watching TV in the living room.

The WeChat notification sound only rang twice when Ji Yanchen suddenly picked up his phone and walked outside.

Cui Yu knew that even if she asked him, he wouldn’t answer. So, rather than doing nothing, she stealthily followed Ji Yanchen as he left the house.

At the entrance of the library, Cui Yu saw the girl who had asked Ji Yanchen to go out. She too had lived in the same compound when she was little; Cui Yu recognized her.

The little girl from those days had grown up, and Cui Yu hadn’t expected her to turn out so beautiful.

Cui Yu never imagined that her son had a childhood sweetheart, and to her surprise, the girl was quite accomplished in every aspect.

The girl was alert. Cui Yu, after glancing a few times, was immediately met with suspicious looks from her, but luckily Cui Yu hid quickly enough.

It was also that day that Cui Yu saw her son moving through the crowd with that girl; although he seemed reluctant, he bore it.

Following them all the way, Cui Yu was almost moved to tears. When she went back and talked about this with her husband, she felt it was a case of ’after bitterness comes sweetness.’

She thought her son would gradually get better, but who knew the backlash would be so severe?

Since returning yesterday, Ji Yanchen had locked himself in his room. Sister Zhou said that apart from coming to the living room to pick up a book he brought back yesterday morning, he hadn’t left his room at all today, nor had any sound come from it.

Ji Yanchen felt as if he was sitting in a small boat in the middle of the Bitter Sea, where two voices resounded repeatedly.

One voice mocked him viciously in the Bitter Sea: "A person like you belongs here in this hellish Bitter Sea with me. What makes you think you deserve to even dream of reaching the shore..."

Another voice from the distant shore gently persuaded him: "Senior Brother Ji, come over. Look, here is the warm sunshine, birdsong, and fragrant flowers—it’s a place suitable for you..."

He couldn’t help but look up towards the shore following the voice.

There, a girl on the shore with bright almond-shaped eyes and well-defined eyebrows, red lips and white teeth, was smiling brightly. Dressed in plain white, with a waist like willow, in the endless Bitter Sea her figure was as if enveloped by light mist, resembling a fairy fallen into the mortal world, completely out of place here.

The evil spirits flying around didn’t dare to approach her.

She looked down at him, her eyes shining brightly: "Senior Brother, come with me, will you?"

Ji Yanchen stood up unconsciously; the small boat drifted aimlessly in the black Bitter Sea.

The vicious voice suddenly erupted: "Go? Do you really want to leave? Look at yourself, you don’t belong in the mundane world. How can you be with her?"

The boat rocked violently, and Ji Yanchen stabilized himself in the chaos. The girl on the shore was still smiling, without saying a word, reaching out her hand to him.

The boat swiftly moved towards that beauty; he reached out, wanting to firmly grasp it.

But the evil voice pierced like poison, "Have you really thought this through? Ji Yanchen, you’re in hell, why would you drag someone else down with you? Over time, how do you know she won’t come to hate you?"

Hate you?

His raised hand slowly fell. The young man closed his eyes, ultimately passing by the beauty.

When he opened his eyes again, there was endless darkness before him; the girl was nowhere to be seen, leaving him alone in the boundless Bitter Sea.

There was a mocking laughter echoing in his ears.

"Look! Look! You, you should forever stay in this darkness and keep me company."

The Bitter Sea churned, and the young man curled up in the boat, his expressive eyes returning to lifelessness.

He struggled in the mortal world, with no one left to ferry him across.