Chapter 318

"Will you still like me?" Hua Xin's somewhat muffled voice surprised Xia Yan slightly, but a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. Like most of the time, Xia Yan didn't like to openly express his feelings: "If I become ugly, will you still like me?" "Yes." "I have the same answer." Xia Yan loosened his arms slightly, but the girl's hands around his waist tightened. "Hold me a little longer." A slightly willful and lingering voice came, making Xia Yan hold her tighter. "Okay." "He closed his eyes and said happily. 241. I want to give you a life different from before. At the end of January, white snow became the dominant color in most of nature. The first semester of sophomore year quietly passed by. The temporary suspension of studies was a cause for great joy for students, because winter was coming, which meant that the New Year was coming soon. But for most working people who had entered society... no matter how hard or grieved they felt, or how spirited they were, the fatigue of the whole year seemed to be relieved in just a few days of rest during the New Year. It makes one wonder what awaits after the short New Year." It was another busy and uninspiring day. But even so, life had to go on. Looking out the window at the scenery disappearing like a film rewinding, the girl's eyes held a mixture of confusion and complexity. The soothing music in her headphones didn't calm her mind; a nameless tension and anxiety still lingered. Hua Xin still vividly remembered the moment she bought a ticket with her own ID and entered the high-speed rail station. Someone who had never left the same city in all her years of life was now able to board this train bound for a distant place—something she had never imagined before. The matter. [She might spend her entire life in this room, rotting and stinking until someone can smell her decaying corpse, until she's disappeared from this world, and only then is she discovered and placed in a cheap coffin provided by a kind person.] For a very, very long time, Hua Xin thought this way. In the dark, sunless Little Black, she could only talk to herself, only tell herself those absurd fantasies, unrealistic, seemingly beautiful scenes that could only be slightly imagined in dreams. It wasn't just her room, not just her breakfast and dinner, not just her nights. But whenever... As night falls and dawn breaks again, the beautiful visions in her dreams vanish once more, and another day begins, another cycle of solitude. All she faces is that same Little Black where she is all alone. But when she steps into the sunlight, perhaps Hua Xin suddenly realizes how long she has been in the darkness—so long that no amount of effort can dispel it, like a hardened piece of chewing gum stuck in the crack of her shoe. She senses something is wrong, yet has no suitable tool to remove it. So... who is the "tool" to remove this chewing gum? "How about these?" "If we buy them later, we can get home just in time." Xia Yan placed his phone in front of Hua Xin, bringing the girl back from her reverie as she gazed out the window. "Let me see..." Hua Xin instinctively and hastily took Xia Yan's phone. Although... she didn't know what Xia Yan wanted her to see, she figured if it was Xia Yan, there was nothing she needed to worry about. Her gaze shifted to the phone. In the online shopping cart lay a long list of items: face wash, shower gel, skincare products, and... Looking at each item one by one would obviously be a waste of time and energy, so Hua Xin didn't delve too deeply into the details. After all, as long as daily necessities were functional, she was satisfied; the materials and other aspects were of little interest to Hua Xin. There wasn't anything particularly important to her. She was only concerned about the price... Hua Xin's eyelids twitched violently. The total amount at the bottom of the screen made her uneasy for once, and she silently counted: ones... tens... hundreds... thousands... tens of thousands... five figures. What skincare products and daily necessities could cost five figures? Finally, after suppressing the urge to attack this man who didn't value money, she quickly swiped the items in her shopping cart to the last one. A phone? A hint of doubt finally appeared in Hua Xin's eyes. She then turned to look at Xia Yan. Although there were no words, their eyes conveyed a clear message. Their eyes met, exchanging glances. "You should get a new phone, Lao Hua." Hua Xin's words were interpreted by Xia Yan. "?" "I don't think it's a waste of money." After confirming that everything else was fine, Hua Xin quietly unchecked the box for the latest generation of Apple phones, and the amount due instantly dropped to double digits. "I just wanted you to help me choose some skincare and toiletries suitable for women! Otherwise, I'd have to research guides and read bloggers before buying them." "Don't you use skincare products too? That's why I wanted you to help me choose." "During her 'exploration' of Xia Yan's room before, specifically during the intimate contact and drugging misunderstanding that occurred when she was 'Gu Xin Hua' at Xia Yan 'Xia Yan house for the New Year, Hua Xin noticed some basic skincare products in Xia Yan's room. Actually, it's quite common for guys to use moisturizing products and face masks these days; Hua Xin often sees male makeup bloggers on videos. After all, it's not just girls who can love themselves; boys also need to protect their handsome faces. Realizing she might become less attractive in the future, Hua Xin decided to buy some products that girls use as part of her lifestyle. Accepting that she's a girl means she should strive for a 'new self.' These are things Hua Xin, as a girl lagging behind others, should learn, which is why she asked Xia Yan already knows how to choose products, to help her pick some out. 'I know.'" Xia Yan nodded, then checked the phone again, smiling at the slightly agitated girl in front of him. "?" "What are you doing?" Since they were on a high-speed train, it was quiet, and no one was making noise or playing anything. Hua Xin whispered in Xia Yan's ear, clearly dissatisfied. She felt her phone was perfectly fine, and could even last another three years! She only had enough money for basic necessities. She never wanted too much savings. Having experienced so much, Hua Xin didn't want to go through another period of poverty. "I want to buy you lots and lots of things." "I want to give you a good life, a life different from before," Xia Yan said softly, his eyes unusually firm. Hua Xin wanted to object, but her gaze fell on the cracked phone in her hand. She understood Xia Yan's meaning. Should she try to rely on him? "Buy a cheap one," the girl said, turning her head away with a hint of heartache.