Waiting only for Qin Xiaojun's computer hardware to arrive, Chen Mo had nothing to do over the next few days. Stuck at home, he alternated between watching the news and rewatching the television series *Chinese Paladin*.
Luo Botao sent him numerous QQ messages and even made several phone calls, inviting him to play video games or hang out somewhere, but Chen Mo turned him down every time.
Lin Zhitong also sent him a few messages, though she didn't call. Out of politeness, Chen Mo replied to her casually.
That show-off Fang Yongming hadn't bought the 6680 in the end, settling instead for a cheaper model, which he posted proudly in the class chat, basking in a chorus of envious remarks.
Occasionally, he also received messages from teammates and other classmates, all of which Chen Mo dutifully answered.
In short, everything was as usual.
Chen Mo was gradually growing accustomed to his reborn body and environment, step by step integrating into this present life.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was Friday evening.
The family of three was chatting casually in the living room after dinner.
"Son, tomorrow is the weekend. Your dad doesn't have work, and I happen to have a compensatory day off in the morning, so let's go look at phones. If you see one you like, we'll buy it for you."
Hearing his mother bring up buying a phone again, Chen Mo spoke up directly.
"No need, Mom. I'll take care of the phone myself."
"You'll take care of it yourself? Where on earth would you get the money?" Chen Guozheng asked doubtfully.
Chen Mo had never intended to keep his earnings a secret from his parents, so he honestly explained how he had helped Qin Xiaojun assemble a new computer.
At first, Chen Guozheng and his wife were somewhat shocked upon hearing this, especially Chen Guozheng, who was always cautious in his actions.
"Xiao Mo, are you sure this is fine? Those new computers aren't cheap, and messing one up would cost a pretty penny."
"Don't worry, Dad. I know what I'm doing."
Seeing Chen Mo's nonchalant attitude, Chen Guozheng actually felt a bit more at ease.
Of course he knew his son; sometimes, the more carefree he appeared, the more certain he was of success.
Besides, Chen Mo had earned this money fair and square.
Comrade He Yunlan, however, had her attention focused elsewhere. She looked at Chen Mo and said, "By your account, once everything is finished, you'll be able to make around 5,000 yuan?"
"Roughly, yeah."
"Goodness gracious, you pull off a gig like this and it equals two months of my salary. Not bad! Looks like we really don't need to pay for this phone after all. Excellent!"
Seeing his dear mother's little schemes at work, Chen Mo deliberately put on a look of "contempt."
In truth, neither He Yunlan nor Chen Guozheng were ever stingy by nature.
As long as something fell within their acceptable limits, they always gave Chen Mo the best.
Moreover, over their three years in high school, the prize money Chen Mo won from tournaments was no small sum.
The two of them had never questioned him about that money even once.
They hadn't uttered a single word even when Chen Mo spent almost all of it on Lin Zhitong.
At that moment, seeing Chen Mo's look of "contempt," He Yunlan fired back.
"Are there any other ventures that don't require capital and can still make money? If there are, go right ahead and do them—you might as well earn this year's tuition while you're at it."
Hearing that, Chen Mo almost spat out the water he had just drunk.
"Mom, you're scheming so loudly I'm sure even my grandpa out in the countryside could hear you."
"I'm just showing confidence in you," Comrade He Yunlan explained.
Chen Mo offered another look of "contempt" and said, "There's truly no way I can cover this year's tuition. After this, you and Dad won't have to pay for it anymore."
Hearing this, He Yunlan immediately exclaimed, "I was only joking, and now you're getting all full of yourself. Let me tell you, Chen Mo, once you get to university, you better study hard and find a good job after graduation. Don't go filling your head with any more get-rich-quick schemes."
Hearing his mother's anxious words, Chen Mo knew he had to keep his nose clean for a while after the semester started; his money-making plans could only be put into action once he was settled at university.
Otherwise, Comrade He Yunlan might just peel two layers of skin off him.
So, he hurriedly said, "I was just joking too. I'll definitely study hard."
Hearing Chen Mo promise to study hard, He Yunlan finally relaxed a little.
"Right, speaking of your grandpa, once you finish up with Qin Xiaojun's business, go pay them a visit before school starts. Also, you need to make a trip to see your grandma and grandpa on your father's side, too."
"That goes without saying—they haven't given me my college admission red envelopes yet, so I've got to squeeze them for a bundle before the semester starts, haha."
Upon hearing this, He Yunlan was momentarily stunned.
Then she rolled up her sleeves and marched toward Chen Mo.
"Mom, Mom, Mom, I was just joking! I really was just joki—ow! Stop hitting me... Mom..."
The sounds of slaps and punches rang out endlessly...
The echoes of wailing and pleading rose and fell in turn...
...
Meanwhile.
Far across the ocean in a suburban villa district in an American city.
The empty courtyard seemed as though it hadn't been swept in a long time; fallen leaves and dust drifted everywhere, lending the place a desolate air.
Inside the massive villa, it was equally empty.
The stove was cold, the floors were cold, and even the indoor air carried a freezing chill, devoid of the slightest trace of human habitation.
Yet from the second floor came the jarring sound of music: *"My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I, gotoutofbedatall..."*
Along with a continuous stream of water flowing from the stairwell, which had already flooded the entire wooden floor.
At that moment.
A sudden, rapid, and shrill telephone ring echoed through the space.
Inside the overflowing bathtub, a young girl stared blankly, as if she heard nothing at all.
Her complexion was as pale as paper, and her lips had lost a shred of color.
The skin exposed above the water was likewise deathly white, her collarbones painfully sharp.
Her arms, in particular, were far too thin and frail.
A black wrist guard was strapped around one of her joints.
Looking further down.
Blood gushed freely from her left wrist, which rested over the edge of the tub, staining the spilling water and spreading in every direction.
——The girl was committing suicide!
...
That rapid and shrill phone ringing kept up for who knows how long.
Finally, after a "beep," the commotion ceased, and a girl's voice emerged from the machine.
"Xiaoyuer, you aren't answering your cell phone, and you aren't answering the landline either, so I'm leaving you a voice message. How have you been lately? Are your school courses busy? Is the treatment going well? Everyone misses you so much and hopes you can return to China soon..."
*(P.S.: Dear readers, when you see the name "Xiaoyuer" here, please don't associate it with the personality of any female character from another work. This name is simply required by the plot of this book, as will become clear later. Thank you for understanding!)*
...
The girl's voice was filled with boundless concern, but it seemed utterly incapable of awakening the young girl's consciousness, as her vacant gaze remained fixed on the ceiling.
...
"Xiaoyuer, my new visa is about to come through. If you still won't come back, I'll come see you by the end of this month at the latest. Promise me you'll take good care of yourself, okay? The hospital Aunt Lu arranged for you has the best medical team in the world. I believe you'll crawl out of this dark cloud and face life again soon..."
...
Still, no matter how the girl on the phone pleaded, the young girl remained completely unmoved.
Worse yet, her already vacant gaze lost even more of its luster, her pupils gradually dilating as if they might fade into utter darkness at any moment.
...
"Oh, by the way, Xiaoyuer, that pen pal of yours you haven't heard from in ages finally wrote back. Aunt Lu gave the letter to..."
...
The girl didn't finish her sentence.
Yet at that exact instant, the girl in the bathtub suddenly stirred. Her unfocused pupils snapped back together, slowly regaining their light! She began to murmur under her breath.
"Apenpal..."
Oh!
It was him.
In this mortal world...
Didn't he go confess his feelings?
Hadn't there been complete silence from him for over three months?
Might she never receive a letter from him again?
Ah!
Right.
The last and only person in this world who could step into the deepest recesses of her heart was gone!
...
Wait a minute.
What had the phone just said?
The girl murmured once more.
"Wrote back..."
Upon uttering the words "wrote back," the girl suddenly bolted upright, wearing a dazed expression as if returning from another lifetime, yet her eyes shone with the light of hope.
After recovering slightly, as if she finally felt the pain, she looked down.
Blood was still flowing endlessly from her left wrist.
"A letter! His letter!"
Muttering to herself, the girl abruptly stood up.
First, she used her right hand to grip her bleeding left wrist with all her might, then—still clad in soaking wet clothes—she turned off the music. Staggering over to the fax telephone, she pressed the speaker button.
"Sister Qiqi."
The girl on the other end of the line seemed startled by the sudden pick-up, taking a long moment before speaking with a tearful, emotional voice.
"Xiaoyuer, you finally answered! Are you okay? Why does your voice sound so weak?"
"Sister Qiqi, did you say he wrote back?" The girl asked urgently, as if that were the only thing she cared about.
"Yes, he did. He really wrote back," the girl insisted earnestly, fearing Xiaoyuer wouldn't believe her.
"Where's the letter?"
"Aunt Lu already gave it to me. I'm planning to mail it to you by the fastest service possible."
The girl, however, seemed entirely unwilling to wait a single second longer, blurting out, "Fax it to me right now."
"All right, I'll do it right now, and I swear I won't look at a single word inside."
"Okay!"
...
She hung up the phone.
The girl stared fixedly at the fax machine as sunlight streamed in through the window.
In that single instant, the girl felt as though a light had suddenly reignited in her dim life.
Yet through the prolonged wait, every second felt as agonizingly long as a century.
Finally.
The fax machine emitted a whirring sound.
Within moments, a letter containing just four characters printed out.
Even with only four characters, the girl instantly recognized his handwriting.
——【Confession failed】
Having read the letter, the girl drew in a deep breath.
Then she hit the redial button, and the voice of the girl named Qiqi immediately came through.
"Xiaoyuer, I promise I didn't look at a single word."
...
The girl didn't care about that at all. She simply said, "I'm going back to China. I'm going to Wen County."