Chapter 22: True-hearted People Shouldn’t Be Let Down
Glancing at the clock, it was already 6:15 PM.
Dragon Brother stretched lazily. “That’s enough for today.”
Hu Yu Ying, still scribbling away on her homework, looked up and checked the sky outside.
With a nod, she began to pack her things.
If Dragon Brother was leaving, she should too.
By this time, apart from a few diligent students still grinding away in the school, the place was nearly deserted.
Stepping out of the classroom building, the wide-open school gate greeted her.
“Goodbye, Dragon Brother.”
“See ya.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Dragon Brother sauntered off in the direction of home.
Watching his retreating figure, a twinge of melancholy hit Hu Yu Ying, but she quickly adjusted her mood and headed in the opposite direction.
As she walked along the path, she overheard some students in school uniforms discussing a recent fight at the school gate.
Apparently, it had even drawn the attention of the school’s security personnel.
Turning back to glance at the gate, a peculiar feeling bubbled up inside her.
What was so strange about it? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Soon enough, she passed by those chatting classmates, their chatter fading away as she walked further along.
Before long, Hu Yu Ying found herself walking into a narrow alley.
At the end of the alley, she pulled out her key and unlocked the door.
Pushing the door open, she locked it behind her.
Inside, she dropped her bag and pulled out a test paper to start solving problems.
Her life was pretty monotonous, it seemed like studying was her only gig.
Surprisingly, the monotony of studying felt oddly enjoyable to Hu Yu Ying.
However, today, staring at the exercises, she just couldn’t muster her usual focus.
Getting up, she went to the mirror and studied herself.
Pointing a finger at her cheek, she poked it gently.
Her soft cheek squished under her finger, and as she pulled away, it bounced back instantly.
“Have I toughened up?”
A finger definitely couldn’t tell!
So, she took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and said before the mirror, “Dragon Brother is the handsomest!”
“My big brother is the coolest.”
“Dragon Brother, you’re so gentle…”
She rambled on to the mirror.
Her mind wandered back to when Dragon Brother smiled and pinched her cheek and playfully tapped her head.
Her ears began to heat up uncontrollably.
A faint pink blush crawled from her neck up to her cheeks.
Seeing her reflection, Hu Yu Ying quickly covered her little face with her hands. “Look, it seems I still need to work on my thick skin.”
“More practice is required.”
Stepping out of the inner room, she took a deep breath in the courtyard, letting the warmth on her cheeks gradually fade.
As night began to fall, she cooked dinner, climbed a ladder, and perched on the edge of the roof.
While eating, she gazed up at the stars. “No one bullied me today.”
“Because I met this great brother. He’s got my back; no one at school will bully me anymore.”
“Mom and Dad, did you hear Yu Ying’s prayer?”
Looking at the stars, she recalled the saying that people become stars after d*ath.
She knew it was a tall tale, with no scientific basis, but she secretly wished it were true.
The stars didn’t respond to her musings, but that didn’t stop Hu Yu Ying from chatting with the night sky.
At this moment, it was her most relaxing time.
No one was bullying her, and the quietude was undisturbed; this was her personal time.
“Dragon Brother is incredible; everyone says he’s a beast at fighting, which is why nobody dares mess with him.”
“It seems like everyone in class is terrified of Dragon Brother, but not me. He treats me so well.”
“He understands so many things. I love listening to him speak; it makes me feel like I’m also a pretty amazing person.”
With dinner finished and her thoughts aired, Hu Yu Ying reached towards the sky with her palm, instinctively brushing against the two brightest stars shimmering above.
Climbing down the ladder, her time for relaxation and (over)thinking came to an end.
Now was study time; only by improving herself could she avoid bullying.
Only by getting better constantly could she teach Dragon Brother how to solve those pesky problems.
…
Meanwhile, Dragon Brother arrived home to find the dining table still spotless.
However, the Old Man was nowhere to be seen in the room.
After changing out of his school uniform and giving it a wash, he stepped out of the house.
He strolled over to the local market not far from the courtyard.
This was a bustling large-scale market.
No matter the time, it always felt alive.
Stalls selling groceries lined up next to each other, separated by white chalk lines.
Venturing deeper led to the meat section.
As he walked, Dragon Brother kept an eye out for the Old Man.
In the original novel, this place was merely mentioned with no detailed description.
So, he wasn’t quite sure where to find the Old Man’s stall.
Before long, he spotted the Old Man’s figure in the second row.
Wearing an apron, the Old Man was chopping meat on a cutting board. Despite the hour, the crowd made the place feel a tad stuffy.
Sweat dripped from the Old Man’s clothes, yet he continued to chop away diligently.
Soon, he finished dicing the meat and wiped the sweat off his brow, preparing to wrap it for a customer.
Just as he reached to grab a bag, a bag suddenly opened right in front of him.
The Old Man thought it was for a customer and cheerfully said thank you. But when he looked up, his smile froze for a moment.
He seemed shocked and forgot to proceed with packing the meat.
“Don’t get stuck there, or the auntie’s gonna get impatient,” Dragon Brother chimed in.
The Old Man snapped back to reality, robotically continuing to put the meat into the bag.
“Here you go, Auntie,” Dragon Brother handed the packed bag to a customer with a smile.
With his good looks accentuated further without the school uniform, and a charming voice to boot, the customer cheekily asked, “Is this your son?”
The Old Man glanced at Dragon Brother before nodding with a smile. “Yeah, that’s right.”
Seeing the Old Man’s smile shift from stiff to natural, Dragon Brother couldn’t help but let out a small sigh internally.
In the original novel, Dragon Brother blamed the Old Man for the parents’ divorce, which had strained their relationship.
The rough-and-tumble man didn’t know how to have a heart-to-heart with his son.
Dragon Brother held resentment, which nurtured a bit of an obsession.
But deep down, they both cared for each other.
“What brings you here? Already blown through the money I just gave you?” The Old Man asked, wiping his hands on his apron, ready to reach into his money box.
Usually, his son was pretty aloof, so besides money, the Old Man couldn’t fathom why Dragon Brother would be here.
But the fact that his son came looking for him made him quite happy.
“Can’t I come here just because I don’t want money?” Dragon Brother replied.
The Old Man froze for a moment at the thought of money, while Dragon Brother stepped forward to close the money box. “Dad, the past is in the past.”
Hearing the word “Dad,” the Old Man stared at Dragon Brother, taken aback.
“Dad, we have customers.”
Looking at Dragon Brother, the Old Man’s rough face broke into a smile. “Alright.”
In his previous life at the orphanage, Dragon Brother never had the chance to experience familial love, and now, he wanted to feel that warmth.
Despite knowing this rugged man wasn’t truly his father, so what?
Every true-hearted person deserves not to be let down…
