Putting Herself in His Shoes

Meanwhile.

In the counselor's office.

"Yuqing, there should still be enough time. You can take it slowly."

The counselor patted the girl beside her, a little worried.

Her hair tied in a ponytail, the girl sat by the window, her head bowed as she carefully sorted through the school employment documents. Outside, the golden sunset seemed like a backdrop made especially for the breathtakingly beautiful girl, making the scene look utterly peaceful and lovely.

Even the counselor, a girl herself, felt a little dazed just looking at Mo Yuqing's profile. No wonder boys from other departments came to pursue her, she thought.

"Don't wear yourself out. At worst, I'll just get a scolding when the time comes. It's not like I haven't been criticized plenty already," the counselor said with a smile. As a newcomer, she had already grown used to being scolded.

All she wanted was to lie flat and give up.

"It's fine, ma'am. This is my job in the first place." Mo Yuqing gave her a faint smile and went back to her work.

"Oh, right, you can ask Chen Lu to help. The two of you should be able to finish in no time." She continued trying to persuade her. She actually found it strange, too. Mo Yuqing had only done these things during her freshman year. Later, she had grown tired of them and left them all to Chen Lu.

She didn't know why Mo Yuqing was doing them again now.

Did they have a falling-out?

It didn't seem like it. Chen Lu hadn't stopped coming, and he was still doing the class monitor's work as usual.

Mo Yuqing froze at her words. The hand turning a page stopped in midair, and her whole body seemed to go still.

Everything before her grew hazy. She pressed her lips together and gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"It's okay... I shouldn't trouble him with everything."

The counselor was a little puzzled, but she didn't ask any further.

An hour later.

"I'll take the rest of these home. Goodbye, ma'am."

A little distracted, Mo Yuqing gathered up the various documents in front of her. The students in her class would need them to look for internships next month.

She gently closed the door just as Liu Yan arrived to take her out to eat.

"Why have you started wearing a ponytail lately? Trying a new style?" Liu Yan asked curiously, watching the ponytail sway behind Mo Yuqing.

She had always been a fan of long, straight black hair and preferred seeing Mo Yuqing with her hair down.

"Chen Lu likes it," Mo Yuqing said casually.

Liu Yan almost thought she had misheard. "Chen Lu likes it?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah. When I saw that girl the other day, she was wearing a ponytail." As she spoke, Mo Yuqing reached behind her and ran a hand through it. When she gently let go, her hair fell together, its texture exceptionally fine.

But she couldn't hide the dejection on her face.

Seeing her best friend so lost and despondent made Liu Yan a little sad, too.

Her conscience told her that Mo Yuqing deserved to go through this, but as her friend, her heart still ached terribly for her.

Just as she was about to offer a few words of comfort, Mo Yuqing spoke.

"Chen Lu must have been so tired before..."

She tilted her head back slightly and gently rubbed her fair neck. Every little movement hurt so much that she couldn't help frowning.

She couldn't help thinking that she was already this exhausted after only two or three days. How had Chen Lu managed to shoulder it all for her after she grew fed up and dropped the burden back then...?

Chen Lu had never even complained to her. Not once.

"Sit there. I'll massage it for you," Liu Yan said softly, pointing to a chair in the hallway.

The two sat side by side. Liu Yan turned toward Mo Yuqing and gently massaged her neck. "Honestly, didn't you know to move around after keeping your head down for so long?"

She knew that these past two days, her best friend had spent every moment outside of class busy with this work.

Mo Yuqing closed her eyes and gave a soft whimper, then a tear rolled down her cheek.

"It hurts..."

Liu Yan sighed softly. "You already had a stiff neck from sleeping, didn't you? Of course it hurts after keeping your head down for so long.

"Bear with it a little, or it'll be worse tomorrow. We'll buy a medicated patch for you to put on later."

When she finished speaking, she looked up and saw that the tears Mo Yuqing had shed from the pain had long since formed a steady stream.

The sight left her utterly bewildered.

"How did Chen Lu ever get through it back then...?" Mo Yuqing gripped the hand Liu Yan had reached out to her, her voice trembling like a child who had discovered she had gotten herself into terrible trouble.

"I even complained that he was slow."

"Chen Lu must have been so hurt back then..."

Liu Yan said nothing more. She simply went on massaging her neck in silence, watching her cry.

Ten minutes later.

After a long silence, Mo Yuqing sniffled and said quietly, "I'll repay him."

Liu Yan didn't quite understand. "Repay him for what?"

Mo Yuqing looked out at the gradually darkening sky, her eyes dim. The tracks left by her tears had dried on her delicate face.

"For all the kindness he showed me."

"He spent seven whole years just pursuing you," Liu Yan said helplessly. How could she possibly repay all of that?

She sighed softly and made a joke. "By the time you've repaid him, you'll be pushing thirty. Nobody will want you then."

"I know." Mo Yuqing wiped her face with a wet wipe, slowly stood up, and continued looking out the window. "But it's okay."

"I'll repay him for it, every last bit. I'll repay it all."

It was the first time Liu Yan had seen that look in Mo Yuqing's eyes.

She patted the girl on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you a medicated patch, then get something to eat."

Mo Yuqing shook her head. "I want to go home for a bit."

"Is your mom back?"

"No, I just want to go home."

Liu Yan thought back to the look in Mo Yuqing's eyes. The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. She said seriously:

"Then I'll go with you."

Mo Yuqing smiled at her.

"What's with that look? I'm not going to do anything foolish."

What reason do I have to do anything foolish? I don't deserve to, either.

After Liu Yan insisted again and again, Mo Yuqing finally agreed to let her take her home.

Liu Yan compromised as well, promising to leave after dropping her off.

Mo Yuqing leaned against the car window, staring blankly at the gloomy sky. Thick, dark clouds gathered overhead, a depressing sight.

A sudden rumble of thunder nearly made her jump, pulling her out of her tangled thoughts.

It's going to rain again...

I hate it.

Before long, the car pulled up outside the entrance to Mo Yuqing's residential complex, and the rain had grown absurdly heavy.

Mo Yuqing took out her umbrella and slowly opened the car door.

"Every time I bring you home, I feel like life's unfair. A place with a river view? That's ridiculous," Liu Yan joked, looking at Mo Yuqing's back. "I couldn't afford one even if I worked my whole life. Maybe if I got lucky, I could buy a bedroom."

The girl, her figure lovely, raised a black umbrella in the rain, the drops pattering against it.

Mo Yuqing slowly turned to look at her, a lovely smile on her face and dimples showing faintly. "What's unfair about it? Isn't my home your home, too?"

Liu Yan paused, then smiled and waved. "I'm off. Remember to put on a medicated patch."

After watching Liu Yan drive away, Mo Yuqing headed home as well.