Incurable Pain
IP Chapter 32
IP Chapter 32
Incurable Pain | Chapter 32
In the end, Yu Luoyin didnât have the fortune to taste the dishes Ji Huiying made with her own hands. Even though the dishes were plentiful, he couldnât bear to stay.
After seeing those plastic papers, his appetite vanished, and he just wanted to quickly leave to find a quiet place to sort out his scattered emotions. He almost fled the scene.
âSorry, Auntie, I suddenlyâŚâ
Yu Luoyinâs thin lips turned slightly pale, and he forced a smile.
âI suddenly feel a bit unwell, so Iâll head home first.â
âWhy did your complexion suddenly turn so bad?â
Ji Huiying, seeing Yu Luoyinâs sudden paleness, walked over with some surprise and concern.
âDid you catch a cold wearing such thin clothes?â
âItâs nothing.â Yu Luoyin shook his head.
âIâll feel better after I rest at home.â
âOkay then, let me treat you to dinner next time. Thank you for today,â Ji Huiying murmured with some regret, about to call Bai Xunyin to see their guest off.
âXinâŚâ
âNo need,â Yu Luoyin hurriedly interrupted her.
âAuntie, thereâs no need to call Bai Xunyin. Sheâs probably doing homework.â
Ji Huiying subconsciously retracted her words.
âNo need to see me off. Weâll see each other at school tomorrow,â Yu Luoyin managed to regain some composure, forcing back some semblance of rationality with a genteel smile.
âGoodbye, Auntie.â
âAlright.â
Ji Huiying had no choice but to open the door for him.
âOh, Auntie,â Yu Luoyin paused for a moment, his eyes involuntarily drifting towards the waste paper box.
Finding an excuse, he said, âLet me take out the trash for you.â
Ji Huiying hesitated.
âThe seventh floor is too high for youâŚâ
âItâs okay.â
Yu Luoyin smiled, stating firmly, âIâm strong enough to help you.â
Even though they had only spent a short time together, from Yu Luoyinâs behavior, Ji Huiying thought he was a âkind-heartedâ childâone of those boys who couldnât stand by and do nothing. So she didnât insist and handed him the wastepaper box.
âThank you.â
âNo problem.â
Yu Luoyin shook his head, exceptionally obedient.
âGoodbye, Auntie.â
It wasnât until he left Bai Xunyinâs home, left the building, and left the neighborhood that Yu Luoyinâs composed facade slowly shattered. He let out a long-held breath of pent-up frustration, feeling like he was choking.
Yu Luoyin didnât let the waste paper box in his arms return to the trash can. Instead, he carried it all the way back âhomeâânot the standalone house he shared with Gu Yuan, but the one he rented near Third Middle High.
His arm, wrapped in bandages, initially felt the biting cold wind, but later, he lost all sensation.
When he returned, he found the lights in the house still on.
Zhou Xin, who often came over to stay, was in the living room, eating instant noodles as if they were pasta, engrossed in his exercise book.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhou Xin didnât raise his head or open his eyes, just spoke to Yu Luoyin who had entered, âRelatives are here at home, making a fuss. Come here and hide.â
Zhou Xin liked quietness, and he often came over. Yu Luoyin was used to it, didnât bother to deal with him, and walked into the room expressionlessly, holding the broken box in his arms, his demeanor numb.
He placed the items on the table, his black eyes slightly lowered, staring blankly at the colorful contents inside.
When Zhou Xinsui passed by while throwing out the trash, he was somewhat surprised to see Yu Luoyin in such a daze. He raised an eyebrow and walked over to take a glance at what Yu Luoyin had brought back.
âYu Luoyin,â Zhou Xinsui sipped water from his cup, mocking without reservation, âare you collecting junk in this state?â
Yu Luoyin felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He picked up one of the plastic papers with his slender fingers, wondering what kind of mess this was.
Honestly, even if someone wanted to use a box for a gift, they wouldnât choose this kind of wrapping paper.
âLet go.â
Yu Luoyinâs voice was cold as he snatched the wrapping paper back from Zhou Xinsuiâs hand, then carried the box back to his room as if it were a treasure.
âYou took the wrong medicine?â Zhou Xinsui quipped.
âAh Sui.â
Yu Luoyin took out a bottle of ice water from the fridge, tilted his head back and drank most of it in one go. Only after feeling his brain and limbs refreshed by the cold water did he sit on the sofa. His eyes seemed hollow as he stared at his fingers, as if talking to the air.
âBai Xunyin and I had a falling out. We broke up.â
Zhou Xinsuiâs fingers, which were solving problems, paused. He turned to look at Yu Luoyin, who looked as dejected as a wilted eggplant.
After a momentâs pause, he said frankly, âWe all know.â
ââŚYou two have been ignoring each other these days, and Bai Xunyin looks at you as if youâre her archenemy,â Zhou Xinsui hit him with the truth.
âWho wouldnât notice?â
Yu Luoyin was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then gave a self-deprecating smile. He slowly said, âSo you all know, huh?â
He felt quite foolish.
âBut why do you look so lost now? Are you unwilling to part with Bai Xunyin?â Zhou Xinsui chuckled.
âYou didnât do this just for the bet, to play with her, did you?â
Did he really say those things before?
Hearing those reckless words from Zhou Xinsuiâs mouth, Yu Luoyin couldnât help but feel a bit bewildered.
âNowâŚâ Zhou Xinsui glanced at his expression and couldnât help but laugh.
âDo you regret it? Have you fallen for her?â
Yu Luoyin leaned back against the soft sofa, his back stiff. He asked softly, seemingly relaxed, âIs it not allowed?â
âItâs not that itâs not allowed, itâs just that I feel you deserve it,â Zhou Xinsui shrugged.
âBut thereâs nothing surprising about it. Bai Xunyin is considered the type of girl who is quite attractive.â
Zhou Xinsui rarely âcomplimentsâ others, and when Yu Luoyin heard this, his dark eyes suddenly became somewhat dangerous.
He stared at Zhou Xinsui intently. âDo you like her?â
âYou idiot,â Zhou Xinsui laughed sarcastically and glanced at him.
âI like her sister.â
He had unique tastes and didnât like girls who were like younger sisters.
Yu Luoyin realized belatedly that this guy, for some âindescribableâ reason, had been studying hard, desperately trying to get into the same university as their âsister,â which somewhat reassured him.
When you treasure someone so much, you always feel like the whole world is filled with covetous ârivals,â and itâs life-threatening.
âI do like her, and I regret it,â Yu Luoyin admitted frankly.
He looked up at the ceiling, the curve from his jaw to his neck sleek and exquisite, and murmured to himself, âIâve done something wrong.â
Seeing the packaging paper in the cardboard box at Bai Xunyinâs house, Yu Luoyin realized just how wrong he had been.
Bai Xunyin was willing to keep those worthless plastic papers but not accept the limited-edition Tiffany bracelet he had given her. He had thought she was just being childish, that his nonsense about the bet didnât matter, that he could win her back with money, with some coaxing and cajolingâŚ
âYouâre a jerk, Yu Luoyin,â he laughed self-deprecatingly, feeling somewhat dejected.
âKnowing you regret it, why not apologize and ask for forgiveness? Whatâs the use of moping around?â
Zhou Xinsui didnât even lift his head, continuing to write in his workbook. He added coldly, âYou brought this upon yourself because of your past actions.â
Yu Luoyin fell silent for a moment, shaking his head. He now truly realized that Bai Xunyin wouldnât forgive him easily. Apologizing wouldnât work.
âYu ge, moping around here wonât solve anything,â Zhou Xinsui raised an eyebrow, twirling his pen with his slender fingers.
âIf it were me, I would do everything I could to win her back.â
Apologizing, coaxingâwhatever works.
However, what Zhou Xinsui didnât know was that Yu Luoyin had already tried all these methods, and they didnât work.
Bai Xunyin wasnât the kind of girl he could win back with just an apology or sweet words. To truly move her, he might have to understand what she had been through and what could touch her heart.
Today, seeing Bai Xunyinâs living environment, the cramped house, the father lying in the hospital, and her own inferiority complex about being a muteâŚ
Yu Luoyin vaguely began to understand why Bai Xunyin was so sensitive to the words âbetâ and âagreement.â
This girl didnât grow up in a perfect family, and the words âtraumaâ were even harder for her to heal from.
However, how could he understand Bai Xunyin?
How could he know what she had been through?
At this moment, Yu Luoyin realized just how little he knew about the girl. When they were together, he only enjoyed her care and affection, never trying to truly understand her inner self.
When they were together, Bai Xunyin always seemed happy, never showing any signs of sorrow, and he believed it.
Yu Luoyin thought that people who got together in their youth were just âplaying around.â He had been accustomed since childhood to not delve too deeply into someoneâs character, and he didnât want others to understand him either â he was used to maintaining a polite distance from everyone.
But now, when he needed to understand someone, he realized how cold this habit was.
Yu Luoyin absentmindedly thought, his fingertips unconsciously fidgeting. He felt the urge to smoke, but it had been a few days since he quit, and his school uniform pockets were empty. He felt lonely.
Yu Luoyinâs clear and sharp eyebrows furrowed subconsciously. He decided to go back to his room and sleep â when he slept, he didnât have to think about anything.
But just as he stood up, a name flashed through his mind, and Yu Luoyin paused, his eyes suddenly brightening.
The next day, when Bai Xunyin wasnât paying attention, Yu Luoyin cornered Ning Shumo.
âHey, hey, hey.â
Ning Shumo suddenly felt a shadow fall in front of her and looked up to see Yu Luoyinâs âDemon face,â which startled her.
She instinctively took a step back, hugging herself, and asked warily, âWhy are you cornering me? What do you want?â
âI have something to ask you.â
Since his fallout with Bai Xunyin, Yu Luoyin had even grown accustomed to Ning Shumoâs sarcastic remarks and harsh tone.
He politely asked, âI want to ask you about a few things regarding Bai Xunyin.â
As soon as she heard the name âBai Xunyin,â Ning Shumoâs face darkened, and the anger in her heart surged up uncontrollably.
âGet lost,â Ning Shumo sneered coldly.
âDonât ask me. Youâre not worthy of mentioning Yin Yinâs name.â
âDo you think I have no shame?â Yu Luoyin smiled bitterly, completely discarding the facade he usually valued the most.
âI know Iâm not worthy, but I still want to ask.â
Ning Shumo was stunned.
âCan you tell me what happened to herâŚâ
Yu Luoyin paused, struggling to ask, âWhy canât she speak?â
Ning Shumoâs face turned cold, and she forcefully pushed away his hand leaning against the wall.
âYu Luoyin, youâre not worthy, so why do you want to know about Yin Yin? Are you trying to play the role of a romantic or continue to deceive people?â
Ning Shumo sneered, her voice quick and sharp â
âI really donât understand what Yin Yin did to you? Why are you treating her like this? Do you have some grudge against a girl? Itâs despicable!â
âOrdinary people wouldnât plot to pursue someone because of a bet, intentionally make them fall, and then kick them away, right? Youâre really cunning.â
âYin Yin has never been in a relationship since she was young. In high school, she was bullied by Shen Churan and the others because she couldnât speak. She doesnât trust her classmates at all, and her life has always been oppressive. Do you know about any of this?â
âYou donât know how much effort she put into self-improvement, how much determination it took for her to accept you. But you, this despicable person, attributed it to some stupid bet! You gave her a beautiful mirage and then ruthlessly shattered it, forcing her to wake up. Yu Luoyin, have you ever thought about understanding her?â
âYou never thought about it, otherwise you wouldnât have approached her because of a damn bet!â
âYou donât deserve to be close to Yin Yin. Stay away from her in the future!â
âŚ
Ever since that day when she heard Yu Luoyin utter those damned words âbetâ and âagreementâ behind the school building, Ning Shumo had been holding it in her heart.
She didnât have a chance to speak up until now.
Now that she finally encountered Yu Luoyin, who willingly came to be scolded, Ning Shumo naturally didnât hold back her curses.
But in the end, she felt sorry for herself. Her fair face reddened involuntarily, but she didnât want to embarrass herself. With a forceful wipe of her eyes, she glared fiercely at Yu Luoyin before turning and running away.
Running all the way back to the classroom, Ning Shumo was so angry that her teeth and hands were trembling uncontrollably. She sat at her desk for a long time, unable to calm down, resembling a young Parkinsonâs patient.
Bai Xunyin glanced at her, puzzled, and asked on the paper, âWhatâs wrong?â
Ning Shumo lowered her voice and said fiercely in Yu Luoyinâs ear, âThat bastard Yu Luoyin just came looking for me.â
Bai Xunyin was taken aback.
âHe asked about you, clearly still up to no good,â Ning Shumo coldly hummed, feeling triumphant.
âDonât worry, babe, I gave him a piece of my mind.â
Finally, she vented her anger!
Ning Shumoâs emotions were even more intense than Bai Xunyinâs, making her feel it wasnât worth it. She had opened her heart to her first love, and now it was given to such a jerk. Just thinking about it made her furious.
If it werenât for the fact that class was about to start, she could have cursed Yu Luoyin for an hour!
Seeing Ning Shumoâs indignant appearance, Bai Xunyin couldnât help but smile slightly.
Having such a friend who wholeheartedly supports her at all times was always a touching thing. She wrote on a piece of paper.
[Ning Shumo, thank you.]
But now, she didnât care what Yu Luoyin did.
With only four months left until the college entrance examination, she had no mood to pay attention to what Yu Luoyin was up to.
For a senior high school student, the only thing to focus on was the college entrance examination.
It was perhaps the most important exam in oneâs life.
Perhaps because of Ning Shumoâs âstern scolding of Yu Luoyin,â Bai Xunyinâs life was quite peaceful for the next week.
Yu Luoyin finally stopped pestering her incessantly. Even when he sat behind her, he was quiet and often stared blankly at the girlâs slender back.
He had inexplicably lost weight, and compared to his previous shamelessness, he now seemed even more gaunt.
His lackluster appearance worried his friends even more. Li Yuan and Lu Ye, who were like âLurking Tigers, Hidden Dragons,â would occasionally come over to see Yu Luoyin sitting by the window, unable to help but sigh as if they were looking at a terminally ill patient.
âYu, bro, isnât it just a breakup? How many of us havenât broken up a few times?â
Li Yuan shamelessly patted him on the shoulder, trying to âcomfortâ him.
âThe next one will be better.â
Yu Luoyin lifted his eyelids expressionlessly, giving him a look that said, âThanks for caring for the intellectually disabled.â
âYu, I heard that Bai Xunyin⌠itâs because of that bet?â Lu Ye, on the other hand, had chased after Bai Xunyin before because of that incident and felt somewhat guilty.
He hesitated and asked, âShould I apologize?â
âŚ
Yu Luoyin didnât answer, just coldly curled his lips.
Whatâs the use of apologizing?
If Bai Xunyin doesnât forgive him, will she even acknowledge Lu Ye?
Watching Yu Luoyinâs unpredictable demeanor, Li Yuan and Lu Ye exchanged glances, feeling that this person was brewing an inexplicable storm in his heart, which was extremely frightening.
Without the annoying ghosts by his side, Yu Luoyinâs gaze returned to the empty desk in front of him â it was break time, and Bai Xunyin had gone out, but he still felt somewhat empty if he didnât keep an eye on her.
Yu Luoyin couldnât help but gently pinch the bridge of his nose.
For the past week, the words Ning Shumo had said were like a fuse buried in his mind, ready to explode at any moment, leaving him restless.
He even felt like he was covered in thorns, filthy and muddy, and he didnât dare to approach Bai Xunyin.
Ning Shumoâs words made it impossible for him to continue being shamelessly stubborn.
There is karma in this world. Just a month ago, he took pleasure in manipulating Bai Xunyin as if she were a toy in the palm of his hand, feeling smug. Now, however, it felt like he was walking on needles, each step toward her feeling precarious.
âYou donât know how much effort she put into self-improvement, how much determination it took for her to accept you!â
This sentence left the deepest impression on him, making Yu Luoyin feel as if his heart was being squeezed tightly every time he thought about it.
What exactly was it about Bai Xunyin⌠that made her need so much psychological preparation just to enter a relationship?
Why?
He desperately wanted to know why. What was it about this girl that made her protect herself so thoroughly, like building layer upon layer of fortress walls, impenetrable and airtight?
Yu Luoyin had previously spent several months trying to open her heart, only to shatter it before he could capture anything.
He didnât want to give up like this.
His phone, which was placed in the desk drawer, suddenly buzzed restlessly.
Yu Luoyin glanced down and frowned slightly as he answered, âHello?â
âMr. Yu, the matter you asked me to investigate a few days ago is almost done.â
A low, respectful voice came from the other end of the line.
âWhen should I hand it over to you? Do you have time to meet tonight?â
Yu Luoyin absentmindedly tapped his slender fingertips on the desk and glanced out of the classroom window, seeing Bai Xunyin returning. He murmured in agreement and, lowering his voice, quickly said, âIâll come find you tonight,â before hanging up the phone.
Watching Bai Xunyin return to her seat, Yu Luoyin lowered his eyes slightly, his fair and slender fingers curling up.
Actually, he knew he was despicable, a scoundrel⌠but being so used to being cunning, he couldnât help but do some despicable things.
As the bell rang, Yu Shen walked into the classroom with a stack of teaching materials in his arms, standing at the platform and looking down at the buzzing swarm of students below. He picked up the teaching baton and tapped the blackboardâ
âQuiet down. The results of the mock exam from last week are out.â
During school days, âclass dismissedâ and âexam results are outâ were like two magic spells, capable of instantly quieting down the chaotic classroom at any time.
After all, even the worst students wanted to know how they did, let alone the top students.
But Yu Shen delivered a twist, calmly saying, âCheck the main bulletin board in the corridor after class.â
Then, without wasting a minute, he calmly began the class, ignoring the studentsâ silent disdainful looks.
As soon as class ended, all the students rushed to the main bulletin board in the corridor, crowding around and making it impossible to move.
Bai Xunyin lazily refused to join the crowd, thinking it would be better to wait for the âebb tideâ in five minutes before checking. She declined the impatient Ning Shumoâs offer and continued to lower her head to do her work at her desk, unhurriedly.
She seemed to⌠always know the right thing to do at the right time, forever maintaining this indifferent demeanor.
Yu Luoyin also didnât go to check. Instead, he sat at his desk, watching Bai Xunyinâs figure, lost in aimless thoughts.
The students in the classroom dispersed quickly, leaving only the two of them.
When Bai Xunyin raised her head after finishing a question and subconsciously thought about leaving, it was already too late. She was stopped a few steps away by the tall and slim boy.
Yu Luoyin dared to be so unscrupulous only because there was no one else around.
Bai Xunyinâs first reaction was to take a step back, her glass-like eyes alert, filled with vigilance.
âI just want to say something to you,â Yu Luoyin couldnât help but smile bitterly at Bai Xunyinâs instinctive reaction.
âYou donât have to be afraid.â
Bai Xunyin frowned slightly.
Yu Luoyin could tell what she meant by the look in her eyesâshe wasnât afraid of him, she was disgusted by him.
Like encountering a fly, or a ruffian, that kind of involuntary revulsion and disgust.
The fingers hanging by his side unconsciously clenched into fists, and Yu Luoyin looked at her steadily, his voice so soft it was almost like he was speaking to himself.
âBai Xunyin⌠tell me, what else can I do?â
What exactly could he do to make her not hate him so much?
Yu Luoyin felt ridiculous, even more ridiculous than the clowns in moviesâ
Whatâs the point of realizing the value of something only after losing it, when itâs too late to regret?
He felt like he was just putting on an act, and he couldnât expect Bai Xunyin to âpityâ him.
The classroom was quiet, and Yu Luoyin never expected Bai Xunyin to acknowledge him. However, unexpectedly, after looking at him for a few seconds, Bai Xunyin bent down and wrote a line on the paper.
[Go watch a movie.]
A movie?
Yu Luoyin looked at her with some surprise.
Bai Xunyin wrote down the name of the movie [She Doesnât Actually Like You That Much.]
The girlâs elegant and neat handwriting was like a sickle, making Yu Luoyinâs bones unconsciously turn pale.
He understood what Bai Xunyin meantâ
By changing âhimâ to âher,â she was telling him that she didnât actually like him that much, so he didnât need to indulge in self-love and continue racking his brains trying to salvage something. Missing out on it was just missing out.
ButâŚ
Yu Luoyin forced a smile and said, âYou can watch another movie.â
A hint of confusion flashed in Bai Xunyinâs eyes.
So Yu Luoyin made up a movie title on the spot, as if he were spitting out his heartfelt confession.
âHe Actually Does Like You.â
Bai Xunyin told herself that she wasnât as fond of him as he thought she was, whether it was true or not, Yu Luoyin accepted it.
But he also had to tell Bai Xunyin that not everything he did before was insincere⌠because Bai Xunyin would definitely misunderstand him.
âYinyin,â
Yu Luoyin stared at the dazed girl, his voice low, like a whispered plea.
âCan I pursue you again?â
Anyway, he wanted to try again.
ââââââââââââââ
Sleepyblueâs Corner:
Please also check my other works!
What to Do When I Become a Koi and Fall into the Male Godâs Bathtub
Sea Monster Alliance
ââââââââââââââ
Dear Benefactorsđđââď¸,
If you like what you read, a dollar could help! :3