"How old were you then?" Mianmian asked, her heart aching.
"Ten years old, the year Grandpa passed away."
From then on, he had no home, surviving on scraps and competing with dogs for leftovers. Everyone who left had told him to live well, but no one had taught him how. He could only struggle forward, and he was glad he had, not betraying their hopes.
Mianmian suddenly felt a deep sadness. Perhaps due to her childhood illnesses, her empathy was exceptionally strong. She imagined a little boy, after losing his last relative, living on his own, with no one to feed or clothe him. He had to find his own way. Compared to him, she realized how lucky she was, with loving parents who never wanted her to suffer and worked hard to give her the best life.
"Let's look at the stars. Why keep staring at me? Kiddo." Yun Buqi reached out to push her head. In the darkness, her eyes were the brightest stars, so beautiful.
Mianmian quickly turned her gaze to the sky. The night sky tonight gave her inner firmament another meaning. She silently prayed that Yun Buqi's loved ones in heaven would protect him and let him live a healthy and happy life.
When Yun Buqi said it was time to go, Mianmian was reluctant. She hadn't seen enough. Yun Buqi promised to bring her back again.
Only then did Mianmian happily leave. On the way back, Yun Buqi drove at a moderate pace, not too fast. Mianmian, feeling the gentle night breeze, felt exceptionally relaxed.
Yun Buqi's mind wandered a bit as he drove. In the past, he resisted people entering his world. He had known Haozi and the others for a long time, and they knew everything about him. Yet now, he was willingly guiding the little one behind him, step by step, into his world. The feeling was peculiar.
After dropping Mianmian off at the entrance of her apartment complex, Yun Buqi, worried about her going home alone so late, went in with her to escort her to her door. "Do you want me to go up with you?" Yun Buqi asked.
"No need, I'm not a child. Thank you for today, I had a great time. Goodbye." Mianmian said, turning to enter the building.
Yun Buqi waited outside, waving to her. Only then did Mianmian enter the elevator.
He looked at the towering buildings around him, feeling a sense of disconnect. He was just a poor boy, from a different world than hers. Even being friends with her felt like a luxury.
"Yun Buqi, what are you doing here?" Jiang Tianci returned from outside and happened to be checking downstairs at Jiang Mianmian's place. He was surprised to see the last person he expected.
How could a poor boy like Yun Buqi get into their residential complex?
Yun Buqi turned and gave a cold glance at the young man speaking to him. Ignoring him, he turned to leave. He wasn't like the naive young lady Jiang Mianmian. He had survived by struggling in the lowest echelons of society since childhood, so he was a good judge of character. This fellow had ill intentions.
They were on different paths and could not associate, so he couldn't be bothered to speak to such a person.
"I'm talking to you, can't you hear me? You're really ill-bred." Jiang Tianci, repeatedly ignored by a young man he despised, was completely enraged.