Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Shen Gali was also sizing up this uninvited guest.

The woman smiled, adjusted her clear-frame glasses, and asked softly, "Sorry to barge in on your chat. Is this where the graduates are taking photos?"

The moment she spoke, Shen Gali was visibly taken aback.

Although she was intentionally hiding her identity, he'd never forget that voice.

But this whole thing wasn't just strange—it was downright unbelievable. He didn't think it was what he imagined.

It had to be the heat making him dizzy, causing hallucinations.

"Excuse me..." The woman squinted, studying Shen Gali's face closely. "Are you Shen Gali?"

Shen Gali nodded blankly.

The woman said, "Then that's right," and pulled the mask down from one ear: "Do you recognize me?"

She took off the mask for a quick second, then, worried about causing a scene, immediately put it back on.

This time, Shen Gali was completely frozen.

The brief removal of the mask was like a fleeting bloom, but that momentary glimpse of her face was like thunder, shattering the dust that had settled in his heart.

"Oh my god." The foster mother beside him widened her eyes in shock, "Bai..."

Before she could finish, the woman raised her hand in a "shush" gesture and shook her head.

"Oh my god, how come you're here? Did the school invite you too?" The foster mother kept firing off questions.

The woman let out a light laugh. Though her face wasn't visible, her laugh carried a veiled sarcasm: "That little matter between Principal Yu and me—isn't it known to everyone? Why would I come here to embarrass myself? Of course, it's because I have someone I absolutely must see, so I came alone."

Under the foster mother's conflicted gaze, the woman looked at Shen Gali and extended her hand: "Jiali, congratulations on graduating."

Shen Gali stood frozen, as if turned to stone.

For so long he had looked up at a distant Rome, then given up on that unreachable dream. Now, a straight road to Rome suddenly stretched before him, extending to the distant horizon.

Bai Wei had appeared, quietly, without any warning.

In that moment, a strong urge to rush forward and hug her surged within him, but Shen Gali knew he couldn't.

No matter how much she looked like her, she couldn't be his late mother, so he probably didn't have that right.

But he still carefully wiped his hands on his clothes, trembling with nerves, and gently grasped the hand that was extended to him.

It was warm, exactly like his mother's hand.

The only difference was that Bai Wei was a star, with hands that were soft and delicate from careful maintenance; while his mother, in order to raise him, taught violin to children at an institution during the day and did beautiful flower arrangements in the evenings, then rode her bike through streets and alleys in an era with no delivery services to bring bouquets to customers. So her palms had a slight roughness, worn by wind and frost.

A wave of bitterness stung his nose, and an indescribable emotion surged in his heart.

"Ah, Ms. Bai, do you have some time later? About the expired endorsement contract between you and my company, I've never been able to find a moment to discuss the follow-up with you." The foster mother put on a decent smile, a stark contrast to her earlier rant like a fishwife.

Bai Wei maintained her well-mannered, modest smile: "Sorry, I came today just to see this child. For work matters, you can contact my agent. So, let's leave it at that?"

The foster mother's face darkened, and she gave an awkward smile: "You two... know each other? I never knew."

Bai Wei still smiled: "No coincidences without a story. So, let's leave it at that?"

She emphasized "leave it at that" again, the subtext clear: "Take a hint and beat it."

The foster mother's face turned pale, and her mouth twitched: "Sorry for the interruption."

Before her company hit a crisis, she had once had the honor of inviting Bai Wei as a product spokesperson, signing a two-year contract. After the contract expired, she was very eager to renew, but Bai Wei's people said she had already signed with a competing product and politely declined.

Now the company was not what it used to be, and they urgently needed a popular star like Bai Wei to help draw traffic. She had visited three times, but each time was politely turned away.

And everyone knew that Bai Wei's divorce from Yu Yanxiang had been extremely ugly. It was said that when she gave birth to her first child, Yu Yanxiang received an urgent order from his superiors and had to rush off to a provincial meeting. Yu Yanxiang's family looked down on Bai Wei as a "common entertainer," unworthy of their scholarly household, and flatly refused to come and take care of the new mother. This left Bai Wei with only a nanny on the day of delivery. With a malposition and severe hemorrhaging, she was unconscious for a long time after childbirth. It was during this time that her first son, due to the hospital's negligence, was stolen by a nurse colluding with human traffickers.

A rift had already grown between them.

When she gave birth to her second child, Yu Yanxiang at least stayed by her side. But the second son suffered from a congenital disease. As a busy principal, Yu Yanxiang was often away, and Bai Wei put her career on hold to focus on the child's treatment. In the end, the child died despite all efforts. And at the moment the child stopped breathing, Yu Yanxiang was still away at an academic conference, unable to return to see his son for the last time.

The cracks had been building for a long time. Bai Wei filed for divorce, hoping they would stop tormenting each other.

But Yu Yanxiang's parents placed all the blame on Bai Wei, taking her to court. After losing their case, they appealed. Although Yu Yanxiang intervened, he could hardly tie his parents up, so it became an extremely ugly affair.

Thus, the foster mother could never figure out how Bai Wei could possibly appear on Yu Yanxiang's home ground, and just to see Shen Gali.

It couldn't be that Shen Gali was her long-lost eldest son—that was just too far-fetched.

After thinking it over, the only explanation was that Nan Liujing had the ability to invite her here, to make his spouse look good.

Realizing this, the foster mother felt a chill down her spine. Had Bai Wei seen everything she had just done?

Then the endorsement would be even more out of reach, wouldn't it?

Bai Wei looked at Shen Gali, who was speechless, and said with a gentle smile, "Graduate Jiali, would you be willing to show me around the campus?"

Even though Yu Yanxiang had already taken her on campus tours many times before they divorced.

Shen Gali nodded stiffly: "Mm... mm, okay."

He was too nervous, to the point that saying those three short words took all his strength.

He had waited all day last time and still missed Bai Wei, a regret that tugged at his heart whenever mentioned. He never expected that heaven would take pity on him once in a while.

By noon, after a morning of hard work, the students were hungry and packed into the cafeteria in groups, leaving the campus streets quite quiet.

Shen Gali walked silently beside Bai Wei, stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye, careful not to be too obvious.

No matter how he looked at her, from every angle, she was exactly like his mother. Could it really be such a coincidence?

He rarely initiated conversation unless it was with Bai Wei.

"Mom... Ms. Bai, how come you came today?" He caught himself just in time, almost blurting out "Mom" out of habit.

Bai Wei gazed at the cedar trees by the roadside, the interplay of light and shadow casting a dreamy glow on her face.

"Actually, I wasn't going to come. Your principal and I didn't part on good terms, and perhaps he doesn't want to see me either," Bai Wei said calmly, the pain of being betrayed by everyone was long gone.

"But your husband, President Nan, specially came to me yesterday and begged me to come see you today."

Shen Gali was stunned.

Who? Nan Liujing? There must be some misunderstanding.

I also explained to him why I couldn't come, but he was very insistent and sincere enough. A conglomerate that has always been high-and-mighty humbled itself before me in a humble tone, so I was a bit moved.

Shen Gali: ……

Bowed? Humble? How does that fit Nan Liujing? And even if it really was him, what was his purpose in doing this?

"But what really made me decide to come over was that President Nan showed me your photo." Bai Wei smiled. "A clumsy frog standing beneath the bustling stage looks all the more lonely."

"I thought, I should come see this child, or else he would regret it for life."

Bai Wei said this, but she couldn't voice the real reason. She was afraid that if she came out and said it, he'd think it was too forward or even feel offended.

It had nothing to do with the lonely sad frog. She just felt a strong sense of kinship when she first saw Shen Gali, and it was a sense of having found something she'd lost.

"By the way, was that lady just now your mother?" Bai Wei asked tentatively.

Shen Gali thought she meant his adoptive mother. So he shook his head.

Seeing this, Bai Wei let out an odd sigh of relief.

She asked again, "Then why didn't your mother come today? Isn't she from around here? So she couldn't come?"

Shen Gali suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He looked at the woman in front of him, and a powerful, almost frantic urge to cry and pour his heart out surged up in his heart. If his mother were still alive, she would surely be like Bai Wei, gently asking him to take her around the campus.

Because that was how his mother always was. Although she had maintained a certain boundary after he became an adult, she still hoped to be present at every important milestone in his life, to witness his growth firsthand.

He couldn't say a word; his throat tightened, and Bai Wei's face before him gradually became blurry.

Afraid that the other person would notice him losing his cool, Shen Gali suddenly lowered his head and clumsily tried to undo the Lisianthus bracelet on his wrist. But the clasp was too small; after fiddling for a long time, it wouldn't budge. So he tried childishly to slide it off over his hand, but it got stuck at his knuckles and he couldn't get it off at all.

Seeing this, Bai Wei anxiously took his hand. "Don't move, let me help you."

Shen Gali immediately stopped his movements, staring blankly at her downcast face. Waves of bitterness kept rising in his heart.

"Lisianthus, I really like lisianthus. I have a glass greenhouse full of them. They've been in bloom lately, but the weather is too hot and the bloom time is really short. By the time I got back from my out-of-town gig, they had already withered." Bai Wei took off the bracelet, her gentle brows curving into crescent moons. "But I saw one today."

Shen Gali's heart suddenly tightened, as if an invisible hand was squeezing his fragile heart.

She likes lisianthus too, and also has a glass greenhouse full of them.

Mom, sob sob sob.

Even if all this is a dream, he'd rather sleep in it forever and never wake up.

"This is for you." Shen Gali handed her the bracelet, then suddenly pulled it back, wiping it carefully on his clothes, then handed it over again, only to withdraw it once more.

Bai Wei raised an eyebrow, finding the back-and-forth both funny and frustrating.

"It, it came with a gift box originally, very beautiful, but... but I thought I wouldn't end up giving it, so I didn't bring it."

The bare bracelet, after being rubbed on his clothes, suddenly wasn't as shiny as before. He was giving a gift without any packaging.

The old Shen Gali never used to care about such trivial things, but now the person he was facing was Bai Wei.

At this moment, he finally deeply felt his own stupidity and carelessness.

He was so sad, his eyes stung so much that he couldn't even see Bai Wei's face clearly.

In this hot weather, his face was no longer clean and fresh; a layer of fine sweat had broken out on his forehead. Without even looking, he knew how ugly he must look now.

The perfect first meeting he'd imagined fell apart. She'd seen him in such a pathetic, ugly state on their very first encounter.

He felt like dying. He was so upset.

The other person must be disgusted with him in her heart now, and might even think she wasted her time coming here.

Tears fell uncontrollably. Shen Gali sniffled hard. He was already ugly enough; if actual snot came out, Bai Wei would probably run for the hills.

"Sorry, I got it dirty, I..." He withdrew his hand and lowered his head helplessly. "And I made it ugly."

He really was an idiot. Thinking back to his mother's birthday when he was nine, he bought a music box with his New Year's money and wrapped it in a beautiful box, but because he was running too fast, he dropped it and smashed the box. He gave it to his mother crying. Even though she said "The box doesn't matter, I was going to throw it away anyway," even now, he still can't forgive himself.

And today, it happened again.

Bai Wei didn't take the bracelet. Instead, she examined it carefully and then said, "I've received a lot of gifts, including jewelry, cars, and even houses."

Shen Gali's heart sank again.

"But this one." Bai Wei pointed at the lisianthus bracelet. "It makes me wonder if this will be the last gift I ever get."

Shen Gali didn't understand and timidly withdrew his hand.

"Because the highlight always appears at the last moment." Bai Wei winked at him. "So when you get something you love this much, it makes you wonder if you're at the last moment of your life."

As soon as she said that, Shen Gali's small, pale hand covered her mouth. Then he picked up a twig from the ground and said, "Touch it."

Bai Wei pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed out loud.

So Shen Gali also believed in the saying "If you say something bad, touch wood to ward off disaster." How cute.

Bai Wei touched the wood and asked with a smile, "Can you put it on for me?"

Shen Gali was stunned. "You like it?"

Bai Wei nodded happily. "I like it, very much."

Shen Gali started hallucinating. He seemed to see a bunch of naked little angels dancing around him, tossing flowers and blowing trumpets, with countless heart-shaped bubbles swirling around.

His hands were shaking with excitement. He finally managed to put the bracelet on her. Bai Wei raised her beautiful wrist and asked with a smile, "Is it pretty?"

Shen Gali nodded vigorously.

"I won't take it off. Not when I shower, not even if it tarnishes."

"It, it won't fade. It's made of silver..."

After saying this, he suddenly remembered the gift box. "Wait for me a moment. My home is nearby. I'll go back and get the box for you."

Bai Wei stopped him and shook her head. "No need to bother. The box is going to be thrown away anyway."

Thump, thump! His heart skipped a beat.

His mother had said the same thing.

Bai Wei raised her hand, letting the sunlight filter through, watching the light and color dance, as if speaking, or rather murmuring to herself:

"Even if you're not beautiful, even if you're not smart, you still have the right to be loved."

Shen Gali's vision of Bai Wei was completely blurred. He finally realized that tears are scalding because they carry the warmth of the heart.

The two had lunch together across from the school. During the meal, Bai Wei asked Shen Gali many questions, like how his studies were going, if he had any worries, but most of all, she asked about Nan Liujing.

"Is your husband good to you? Who does the housework at home?"

Shen Gali seized the chance to complain: "I do."

"Don't you have servants?" Bai Wei frowned. "Mr. Nan can't even afford servants?"

This reduced the goodwill she had built toward Nan Liujing based on his sincerity by 10 points.

"He doesn't like outsiders in the house."

"That still doesn't mean you should do all the housework. I'll talk to him about it."

Shen Gali thought: That's my mom for you.

No, wait—not even Mom can fix that. If Nan Liujing takes away his right to cook and shop for groceries, how would he manage to pocket enough to accumulate eight million?

Reluctantly, he lied: "It's okay, actually I like it. I volunteered."

Bai Wei wanted to ask more, like whether, seeing Nan Liujing's leg, she should worry about the couple's sex life, but considering how private the question was, she held back.

Time was running short. Bai Wei had an interview that afternoon, so after a few more pleasantries with Shen Gali, she prepared to leave.

When the driver pulled up, she saw the boy following the car, gazing at her with longing. Her heart ached. She got out again, bought him an iced drink, left her phone number, and urged:

"Call me whenever you have time."

Shen Gali's cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes bright, and he nodded gently.

As the car carrying his mother slowly drove away, his expression shifted instantly, all smiles vanishing.

So tired. Time to go home and lie down.

When he got back, Nan Liujing was still out socializing with the big shots, so he had the house to himself.

He finally changed the phone's strange wallpaper, replacing it with a photo of him and Bai Wei.

Then he found a movie starring Bai Wei. Even though it was a horror film, every time Bai Wei appeared, she stole the scene. The innate gentleness in her was like a gentle hand, gently soothing all his emotions. Before long, he fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, he was nine years old again. His mother had to deliver flowers to a client late at night. He sat on the back of her bicycle, watching her shirt billow like a sail in the night wind. Tiny flower petals flew out of the basket and brushed against his cheeks, filling the breeze with floral scent.

In a blink, more than ten years had passed.

*

To celebrate Shen Gali's graduation, Uncle Li went all out and cooked a feast. He first pushed Nan Liujing out into the courtyard for some fresh air, then went back to the kitchen for the finishing touches.

Nan Liujing gazed at the garden, remembering Uncle Li's words: "On such an important day, you didn't even take a photo with Mr. Shen or give him flowers. He must be really disappointed."

Although he had explained at the time that Shen Gali probably didn't want to see him on such a happy day, and besides, he had already set aside his pride to entreat the person Shen Gali wanted to see, so Shen Gali should have met her, right?

Just as he was about to wheel himself back inside, a patch of pink roses caught his eye, surrounded by greenery, lush and dewy.

Soon after, Uncle Li brought Shen Gali down.

He looked dazed, half-asleep, always looking like he never got enough sleep.

Seeing the table full of good food, Shen Gali wasn't happy. He hadn't added to his little secret stash today. It bothered him.

Uncle Li worked hard on the meal but didn't join them at the table. He made an excuse to go out, wanting to give the two some alone time.

At the dinner table, Nan Liujing calmly cut his steak. Across from him, Shen Gali had no appetite, trying to pick up a fava bean with chopsticks.

He just managed to lift one, but it slipped onto the table. He tried again, and it slipped into Nan Liujing's plate.

Surprisingly, Nan Liujing didn't pick a fight. He silently used the serving chopsticks to pick up the fava bean and placed it into Shen Gali's plate.

"Did you see Bai Wei today?" He continued cutting his steak, casually.

Shen Gali nodded.

"Good. I received your report card. The grades didn't meet my expectations, but you passed everything. I said I'd give you a reward," Nan Liujing said.

Shen Gali raised his eyes slightly. So the reward he meant was Bai Wei.

"Thanks," Shen Gali said simply, but sincerely.

"Besides that, is there anything else you want?" Nan Liujing asked again.

When he checked Shen Gali's grades, he had to enter his ID number and happened to see his date of birth. That's when he realized Shen Gali's birthday was coming soon.

As coincidence would have it, they shared the same birthday.

But Nan Liujing didn't think asking about Shen Gali's preferences was fawning. He's no wicked person; even Uncle Li's birthday got a question or two from him.

It definitely wasn't out of concern.

What Shen Gali wanted: eight million, and that doll in the small dark room.

It wasn't that he liked the doll that much, but it had a strange magic. Sleeping with it was especially sweet. Sleeping normally was fine, but only moderately pleasant.

"Nothing," Shen Gali said. The former was a secret, and the latter Nan Liujing wouldn't give him anyway.

Nan Liujing: "If that's all, then forget it."

Shen Gali finished the fava beans and felt full. He put down his chopsticks and prepared to go upstairs.

"Shen Gali." Nan Liujing suddenly called out.

Shen Gali sighed, sat down wearily on the stairs, propped his chin up with his hand, and his mind answered: If you have something to say, say it; if not, I'm going to lie down.

Nan Liujing awkwardly lowered his head, his gaze looking flustered, looking vaguely to one side.

He reached behind his back, his Adam's apple bobbing, seeming both reluctant and embarrassed.

After a long pause, he muttered softly: "Happy graduation."

His hand emerged from behind his back, holding a huge bouquet of pink roses. The layered petals were dotted with a few dewdrops, rolling and dripping off.

There was no superfluous wrapping, simple yet elegant.

Shen Gali blinked. This was completely beyond his expectation; he had thought Nan Liujing called him over to cook up some nasty trick to torment him.

Under the crystal chandelier, a faint unnatural flush spread across Nan Liujing's cheeks.

Shen Gali didn't take the bouquet but instead asked, "Do you know what pink roses symbolize?"

Nan Liujing, having held the flowers for a long time without his accepting them, grew irritated: "Can't give them if I don't understand flower meanings?"

Shen Gali: "Pink roses symbolize beautiful first love."

His mother used to arrange flowers often, so he was familiar with the meanings of various blooms.

Nan Liujing's eyes widened, and he abruptly clenched his hand; the thorns on the stem pricked his palm painfully, but he showed no reaction.

Shen Gali said this because he knew well that he wasn't Nan Liujing's first love—he wasn't worthy.

He stood up, gripping the handrail, and walked slowly up the stairs: "So give me sunflowers instead."

Nan Liujing: ?

After Shen Gali left, he pulled out his phone to look up the meaning of sunflowers.

Search results: Silent love, representing a father's quiet, selfless affection.

"Crack." The tempered glass screen protector on his phone cracked.

Ridiculous. Who cares about flower meanings? I gave them, so he has to accept them.

Alone, Nan Liujing stubbornly wheeled himself up to the second floor, pushed open Shen Gali's door, placed the pink roses on his bedside table, closed the door, and left.

Shen Gali stared at the pink roses, thinking Nan Liujing was very, very childish.

As he was gazing at the roses, the computer game beeped twice.

Shen Gali glanced up and decided to ignore it—probably one of those annoying people again.

The other person was persistent. No reply? So they kept beeping.

Shen Gali was about to close the game, but just as he turned on the screen, a dialog box popped up.

"SUN: Asleep?"

"SUN: Why are you silent? I've seen you idle in-game for several days."

"Tieniu Ju: About to sleep."

"SUN: Long time no see, but it's only eight o'clock."

Since when does a lazy fish need a bedtime?

"Tieniu Ju: Had my graduation ceremony today. I'm tired."

"SUN: Oh, congratulations on graduating. Is there any gift you want?"

"Tieniu Ju: No."

"SUN: Just name one, or a favorite color or food."

"Tieniu Ju: A doll. Logging off. I'm sleepy."

After typing the period, Shen Gali went offline quickly.

On the other side, Nan Liujing stared at the word "doll," tapping his fingers on the desk, he seemed to have an idea.

*

That night, Shen Gali was asleep. Whether it was because the scent of the roses by his bedside was too strong or he had slept too much during the day, he woke up in the middle of the night.

Staring at the pitch-black ceiling, he planned to go back to sleep.

Wait—there seemed to be another person breathing in the room besides his own.

Most people would have a mental freak-out, replaying every horror clip they'd seen in their minds, but Shen Gali thought: Brother Death, is that you? Pull up a chair.

He glanced gloomily toward the bed, but it wasn't Brother Death—it was Uncle Li, who usually looked righteous but now seemed somewhat sly.

Although his expression was very sad, the outline of his face looked like a benzene ring.

But Shen Gali didn't believe Uncle Li was sitting by his bed in the dead of night just to pour his heart out.

"Mr. Shen? You're awake? Sorry, not meant to wake you." Uncle Li sighed and said shamelessly.

Shen Gali: "Take care, good night."

Uncle Li suddenly let out a "woof," making Shen Gali flinch and stare at him resentfully.

"Mr. Shen, what should I do?"

Great, now he's talking to himself.

Shen Gali: "If you don't like cold mix, then spicy mix."

Uncle Li conveniently ignored that and continued: "Actually, it's the young master's birthday soon, but I can't think of what to give him. He seems to lack nothing."

Shen Gali: ...

"Fold ten thousand paper cranes for him, with 'Happy Birthday' written inside each one."

Uncle Li: ...

Pure love warrior, huh.

Seeing Shen Gali had no interest in discussing it, Uncle Li wisely stopped being a bother: "Then I'll think some more. Good night."

Before leaving, he deliberately placed a travel magazine on the bedside table.

He had found it while cleaning the young master's car. The magazine looked well-thumbed, with Bolivia's Salt Flats on the cover. The young master probably wanted to travel, but work was busy and he likely didn't want to travel with an old man like him; besides, there was no one close enough to travel with.

Heh heh, Mr. Shen, it's all up to you now.