Chapter 233

Cheng. It wasn't just a novel experience. It was also precious memories with him. 175. Lipstick, I'll return it to you. "Ah..." "It feels a little lonely." Hua Xin stood at the door, looking at the empty, lifeless Little Black, as if she had returned to the days when she lived alone. Without Chun Qiu by her side, she felt a little out of place. A soft "click" illuminated the room, but it only made the girl seem less lonely. She remembered there were two eggs in the refrigerator; she could boil them and eat them with noodles later, as a last meal before the trip, to avoid them spoiling if left in the refrigerator for too long. But she wasn't very hungry yet, and it hadn't gotten dark as quickly as in winter. She still needed to research things about the trip and some things she wanted to eat. Hua Xin planned to spend a little money this time, at least to leave some beautiful memories of her first trip. At least a few hundred yuan! The girl sat back down at her computer desk, picked up a neatly folded small towel, and gently wiped the large Hatsune Miku figure, carefully removing the dust. Even though there wasn't much dust on it, it still looked beautiful, as if it would never fade or age, forever maintaining its appearance as if it had stepped out of 2D. This was completely different from the roses sitting in the half-empty water bottle beside it, their stems barely visible and withered. This was the bouquet Xia Yan given her on their first Hua Xin. Since that parting, she had kept it in separate water bottles, trying to keep it alive as long as possible, hoping it would never wither or age. Hua Xin longed to be able to stay home forever, looking at this bouquet of flowers that held so much meaning for her. But alas, no matter how hard she tried, these flowers wouldn't be as vibrant as those growing in the soil, nor would they forever retain the beauty they had when she first met them. Eventually, the petals would wither and fall, losing their nutrients and their original color, eventually turning to ashes as they were consumed by Hua Xin seemed to remember something, muttering softly to herself as she complained about Xia Yan, but her hands obediently reached under the table and opened the wooden drawer. Perhaps due to its age, the drawer wasn't like a machine that would become smooth again with a little lubricant; pulling it out was somewhat strenuous, and the keyhole was useless. The girl couldn't remember which of her parents had lost the key. Aside from essential items like her ID card and bank cards, which were stacked in a corner of the drawer, a few one-yuan and five-yuan bills were the money she would only take out if she starved to death. But a small, exquisitely packaged box seemed somewhat out of place. Hua Xin gently touched the pink bow tied on the box with her fingers, choosing not to open it, her eyes filled with tenderness and happiness. The rectangular black box was bound horizontally with pink bows from top to bottom and left to right; if she opened it, with her clumsy hands, there was no chance of it being put back together. So, she hadn't tried to open it since receiving it from Xia Yan. Xia Yan said it contained a lipstick—a cosmetic only girls use, which seemed somewhat out of place for her. Hua Xin remembered complaining to Xia Yan for a long time, saying that with so much money, he should have treated her to a couple more meals; buying something like this was simply being a sucker. Although Xia Yan outwardly promised not to do it again, Hua Xin understood the boy's feelings perfectly. Although she hadn't experienced it herself, she could still somewhat empathize from reading novels and comics. After all, just looking at the packaging, she knew it was expensive, and she didn't need it. So, rather than ruining something so beautiful and valuable, the girl wanted it to remain beautiful and didn't want to destroy it. Perhaps one day, she would return this expensive lipstick to Xia Yan. Even if she had absolutely loved it back then... she would still have to pretend to be stubborn. A gift. For a young girl, it was a luxury. Pushing the drawer back, the small table that held all of Hua Xin's valuables was her most precious possession. Well, another most important thing was already a pile of scrap metal under the table. Hua Xin withdrew the greed in her eyes, which she herself hadn't even noticed, and replaced it with a hint of heartache. But it was hopeless, so she could only find another way later. "Sleep a little longer or do something else..." The girl sighed softly, her legs swinging back and forth gently, as if she were in a good mood. "Right, I think I need to find something to put my clothes in." Hua Xin remembered that her only backpack seemed impossible to carry in its "small size," and her other shoulder bag could only hold a phone and a power bank. "If only I had taken advantage of the Singles' Day and Double Twelve shopping sprees..." The girl's lips twitched, deeply regretting why she hadn't been willing to spend a few cents on a backpack. But back then, she hadn't anticipated going on a trip. She couldn't very well go out carrying a plastic bag... Not only Xia Yan, but Li Xue and Brother Shan Qing would probably look at her strangely. She remembered that when she was little, it was probably because other children had things she didn't, like pretty pencil cases, notebooks, correction tape, and rulers, that they would snatch her red scarf, eventually turning it into one-sided bullying. Back then, she would just run around holding back tears, finally looking at them blankly. Thinking of this experience, Hua Xin shook her head, feeling a little amused. But at the same time, a sudden thought surfaced in the girl's mind, making Hua Xin pause in surprise. Her parents and teachers wouldn't help her. But if Xia Yan had been by her side back then, would she be in this situation now? The thought had barely surfaced when the girl quickly suppressed it and found it amusing. What was she thinking? The girl stood up, but her gaze coincidentally fell on the key she had carelessly tossed onto the bed when she got home. The keychain made Hua Xin's expression turn silent. She bent down and gently picked up the key. There were some things she couldn't remember clearly. Perhaps it was out of self-protection that she had forgotten that memory. But some memories, even after a long time, weren't important recollections, or even just fragments of trivial details. Yet, she still remembered them clearly. Her fingers traced the scratched acrylic keychain with the Chibi Little Wolf, and she remembered the time she and Mu Feng had searched for "evidence" in the dormitory. Why did she remember it so clearly? You probably, definitely, have already forgotten me. Hua Xin murmured with a smile in her eyes, "Salt?" "Sounds salty." 176. A First Glimpse of Temperament? "..." The girl hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to speak.