Disabled Childhood Sweetheart: A Humble Puppy Begs for the Young Lady's Pity

Zhou Jingchen did not take a taxi.

From Pingjiang Art University to Pingjiang Airport, a distance of 15 kilometers, he walked for more than six hours, almost torturing himself, while leaning on his cane.

It rained heavily in the second half of the race. He didn't use an umbrella, and the icy rain lashed his face. His thin shirt clung to his skin, revealing his well-defined muscles.

He walked in the torrential rain, soaked to the bone, his whole being exuding a sense of despair and brokenness.

My palms were chafed raw by the cane, my armpits were chafed painfully, and I had blisters on the soles of my feet. I fell five times on the way.

His eyes were drenched by the rain, and his gaze was filled with despair and bloodshot veins. He tilted his head back with his eyes half-closed, enduring the relentless pounding of the rain.

It hurts so much, it feels like someone is squeezing my heart, I feel suffocated, and the pain is so intense I feel like I'm dying.

There is no pain if there are no delusions, but he did have delusions, so this time he was in particular pain.

My mind is filled with that scene at the school gate.

He was so eager to see her that he changed his flight and arrived at 11 a.m.

Under the bright sunlight, Wenxi hugged a boy.

The boy was tall and wore a black T-shirt and black pants; Wenxi wore a white dress, and the sunlight made her hair and face look soft and beautiful. The black and white were the most complementary colors, and the word "perfect match" could not describe it.

The two embraced, their arms filled with vibrant red roses, symbols of their intense love...

That splash of red turned into the blood flowing from his heart.

Zhou Jingchen was standing by the sycamore tree across the street, looking down at the bouquet of white roses in his arms. The light in his eyes dimmed little by little, and despair spread silently, shattering in the deathly silence.

He had mentally prepared himself; he wanted to watch Wenxi fall in love, get married, and stay by her side forever, watching her smile and see her happy.

But when he actually saw it with his own eyes, he realized that he simply couldn't accept it.

The image was like shards of glass, sharp and painful to his every breath.

He wanted to rush up and pull Wenxi away from the boy's arms, to kiss her little mouth, and to tell the whole world that he had loved her for many years.

But... how could he charge? He couldn't even run.

Should I hob up to her with crutches, staggering and limping, making her feel embarrassed and a laughingstock?

He still presumptuously stood next to her and said, "Don't be with him, be with me, this cripple."

The rain poured down, enveloping the entire small town in a torrential downpour.

Zhou Jingchen leaned on his crutch with one hand and clutched his shirt to his chest with the other. His thin lips were pressed into a cold, hard line, his fists clenched tightly, and intense pain spread from his heart to every part of his body... Salty rain mixed with tears, blurring everything in front of him.

Wenxi, did you call me here just to let me see this? You want me to witness your happiness, right?

I saw.

He's a tall, handsome guy with all four limbs intact, and he's a perfect match for you.

No one dislikes Wenxi, and I believe he will treat you well.

But little princess, I'm sorry, I can't calmly watch you with someone else.

You might as well kill me.

......

The wind lifted the girl's skirt, and the soft fabric swayed gently against her calves.

Wenxi waited from sunny days until rain, from high sun until nightfall.

There was a security guard's booth at the school gate. She waited there until very late, but Zhou Jingchen never showed up. Finally, the security guard in the booth told her to go back to her dormitory.

Back in the dorm, Qian Xiaoxiao told her, "Someone called this afternoon and asked me to tell you that they have something important to do at their school and can't come."

Qian Xiaoxiao nudged her arm: "Hey, is that your little sweetheart?"

Very well, Zhou Jingchen stood me up.

I spent a whole day feeling anxious and pondering how to confess my feelings, but I never expected that all my courage would have no chance to be displayed.

At this moment, Wenxi looked like a sick kitten, listless. Her gloomy face and lowered eyebrows revealed her depressed mood.

She didn't say anything, and silently climbed back into bed to lie down.

As tears of grievance rolled down her cheeks, she vowed that she would never speak to Zhou Jingchen again.

-

A week later.

Wenxi felt that even if they were to break off their friendship, she should at least give him a good scolding to vent her anger first.

She waited for him all day. What could be so important at his school that prevented him from coming? Why couldn't he have told her in advance?

For the past week, Wenxi has been unable to eat or sleep well, and she often gets distracted during dance practice, resulting in her being scolded by her teacher many times.

What on earth is Zhou Jingchen busy with? He stood her up, why didn't he even call to coax her?

She hated Zhou Jingchen so much, she hated him so much, but... Zhou Jingchen was all she could think about.

Wenxi had hardly ever suffered in her life, but for the first time, she tasted the bitterness of love.

It tastes sour, astringent, and makes you feel sad.

She resented him, yet she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Wenxi bit her lip and lingered by the public phone booth on the roadside for a long time. Finally, she took the initiative and nervously dialed Zhou Jingchen's home again.

"Feed?" A clear, bright young female voice came through the receiver.

"Hello...I...I'm looking for Zhou Jingchen." Her fingers gripped the hem of her dress tightly, her heart pounding wildly, even more nervous than during the art exam.

"Who are you?" the other person asked arrogantly.

"I am...his friend."

"Could it be a friend who likes him?"

It may be presumptuous, but it is also very accurate.

Upon hearing this, Wenxi paused for a moment, remained silent for two seconds, and then asked, "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm his girlfriend." Her voice was cheerful, and you could imagine the way she raised her eyebrows.

Wenxi suddenly gripped the microphone tightly in her hand, her heart sank instantly, and even her fingertips trembled slightly.

"Really?" She couldn't believe it, as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head.

I haven't heard that Zhou Jingchen has a girlfriend.

"What do you mean, 'really' or 'fake'? Let me tell you, we're in the honeymoon phase right now, he loves me very much. If you want to ask him out, you'll have to get my permission first. But I advise you not to waste your time; if I don't let him go, he can't go. And please stop calling my boyfriend all the time, it's so annoying..."

A familiar voice, Zhou Jingchen's, could be faintly heard from the other end of the phone: "Xiao Bao, who's calling?"

"Looking for you."

"Who is it?" His footsteps drew closer.

The girl gave a soft hum: "Your bad luck with women."

The moment the other party uttered "Feed?", Wenxi hurriedly hung up the phone.

She leaned against the glass of the phone booth, barely able to stand.

It turns out that Zhou Jingchen has a girlfriend.

A sudden wave of sadness welled up in my eyes.

She lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, her throat tight as if a piece of dry, hard wood was stuck inside.

Thankfully, Zhou Jingchen didn't come. Thankfully, she didn't foolishly confess to him, otherwise it would have been too embarrassing.

Recalling those intimate moments with him before, Wenxi felt only absurdity; she wished she could bury herself in the ground.

She dragged her heavy steps back to the dormitory, climbed onto the bed in a daze, covered her face with the blanket, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Little Bao?" That's such an affectionate, natural, and easy way to say it.

Judging from her voice, she sounds like a very pretty girl. Very good, very good.

No wonder he didn't come for Qixi Festival. It's all an excuse. What's so important? Spending time with his girlfriend is what really matters.

Zhou Jingchen wasn't exactly a good friend; she told him about her relationship, but he kept everything from her.

Wenxi thought to himself, "We can't be friends anymore."

She turned over, buried her head in the pillow, and began to sob softly.

For the first time, Wenxi truly realized that Zhou Jingchen did not belong to her alone.

Would he pick out scallions for someone else?

Do you also help others cover their feet and put on socks?

Will they treat others better than they treat her?

Has he kissed someone else?

No wonder she's so skilled at kissing herself; she's clearly very experienced.

She even acted like a complete idiot, asking him for a kiss. How embarrassing!

Wenxi wiped her lips violently, disgusted, utterly disgusting! You bastard!

Tears streamed down my face, and my heart felt so heavy I could hardly breathe.

What bad luck! Why did I ever like Zhou Jingchen? I'm so incredibly unlucky.

-

End of the semester.

Zhou Jingchen agreed to Professor Qi's suggestion to go to the United States for a year of exchange studies.

There are only five such government-funded spots in the entire university, reserved for students with outstanding academic performance and exceptional talent. As the top student in his class, about to enter his sophomore year, he was the focus of attention for all the teachers.

Professor Qi was pleased that he had finally come to his senses, and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "You can go during the summer vacation and make arrangements in advance."

Before leaving, Zhou Jingchen decided that he had to meet with Wen Xi and say goodbye to Aunt Wen and Uncle Wen.

He first called the Wen family, but no one answered. He then called Wenxi School, and his roommate said she had taken leave because of family matters.

After returning to Linshen City from being caught in the rain, Zhou Jingchen developed a high fever and remained in a daze for a week before recovering.

The first thing Zhou Jingchen did after recovering was to call Wenxi, but she wouldn't answer. Zhou Jingchen knew she was angry, very angry.

He bought his plane ticket and planned to fly to Pingjiang again.

Throughout the journey, I carefully considered my words.

When you see Wenxi, you should patiently and flawlessly apologize to her and explain why you didn't come that day. When she mentions her boyfriend, you should keep smiling so that she doesn't notice anything amiss.

He bought Wenxi a pair of gloves, which he saw when he passed by a shop; they were cute pink woolen gloves.

He thought he probably wouldn't be back this winter, so he'd let these gloves stay with Wenxi for the time being.

She's currently in love and should have a very happy winter.

In addition, he had prepared a sum of money, not a large amount, which was the prize money he won with his classmates in a programming competition. He wanted to give this money to Wenxi.

She's a girl who loves pretty things, likes shopping, and loves beautiful clothes and cosmetics. He hopes Wenxi can always be happy, and when she's unhappy, she can use the pocket money he gives her to buy a drink or something she likes.

Zhou Jingchen had made thorough preparations, but he hadn't expected that when he arrived at Kangshi Lane, the large courtyard where the Wen family lived was locked and the door was tightly shut.

Through the crack in the door, he saw that the yard was covered with fallen leaves, as if no one had tended to it for some time.

Zhou Jingchen turned around and knocked on his neighbor's door in the alley.

"Aunt Chen, do you know where Uncle Wen and the others went?"

"I don't know, the family must have gone on vacation out of town. I haven't seen them for days."

"Okay, thank you."

"Come in and have a seat."

"No, you're busy."

Zhou Jingchen tightened his grip on his cane and slowly moved towards the alley entrance, step by step.

The alley behind him stretched out inch by inch with each step he took, and the familiar brick walls and old telephone poles gradually faded into the wind.

He never saw Wenxi again after that.