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

Lin Xujie accompanied Zhou Jingchen as they traveled to the last city with a clue—Wei City.

They found the old house where the Wen family had temporarily lived years ago.

However, times have changed, and the house has long been sublet by the landlord. Now, a middle-aged couple lives there with a five-year-old toddler.

They pleaded and inquired for a long time, asking around among the neighbors, but they didn't get any useful information.

Just as the two were about to leave, a woman in her thirties walked towards them. She was still wearing factory work clothes stained with some oil, with the cuffs casually rolled up, clearly indicating that she had just finished get off work.

Zhou Jingchen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward to stop her, cautiously inquiring about the Wen family.

A clear look of surprise flashed across the woman's face. After a few seconds of silence, she stepped aside and led the two back to her residence.

She rummaged through the house for a while, and finally pulled out a silver necklace from the depths of a dusty old drawer.

Many parts of the chain have oxidized and faded, revealing a mottled dark color, but the crescent moon on the pendant still faintly shows its original exquisite appearance.

Zhou Jingchen's pupils suddenly contracted, and his breath hitched: "This...this chain is..."

"This belongs to that girl." The woman sighed and gently placed the necklace into his palm. "She used to live nearby; we were neighbors across the hall."

The woman's thoughts drifted back to the past, and her voice lowered slightly: "There's a river called Hanjiang River nearby, and a small square by the river. I often went there with my colleagues after get off work. That girl always set up a stall in the square at night to sell small trinkets."

Once, we had a small argument. It was partly my fault; I was in a bad mood that day, and she was being blunt and sarcastic. I got angry, and we started arguing. During the argument, her necklace came out, and in a moment of impulse, I ripped it off and threw it into the river.

At this point, the woman looked ashamed: "Looking back now, it was such a small thing. But who could have imagined that this necklace was so important to her? As soon as I threw it out, she didn't hesitate for a moment and jumped into the river to retrieve it."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman's regret deepened.

Zhou Jingchen's shoulders tensed slightly, and he stood frozen in place.

"You mean she jumped into the river? Just for this necklace?" Lin Xujie, who was standing next to her, stared wide-eyed in shock and asked incredulously.

"Yes, that's the Hanjiang River." The woman nodded emphatically, her voice still tinged with fear. "The Hanjiang River is very deep, the water is murky, and the river is wide. Hundreds of boats come and go every day. It's so dangerous. When she jumped in, I was terrified. She can't swim at all! She was thrashing around in the water like a leaf."

The woman wiped the sweat from her forehead, still shaken by the incident: "Luckily, my husband and a few men passing by on the shore reacted quickly and jumped in after her, managing to pull her out."

When she was pulled from the water, her face was as white as a sheet, and she almost couldn't catch her breath. My legs went weak, and I collapsed on the ground, unable to stand for a long time. If someone had died, I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life. I never imagined that a necklace could make her risk her life to jump into the river to retrieve it without hesitation.

Zhou Jingchen stared at the woman in astonishment, his fists clenched so tightly that the sharp texture of the necklace dug deep into his flesh, yet he felt no pain whatsoever.

"After she woke up, she clutched her chest and wailed, demanding that I replace her necklace. I said I'd get her a new one, exactly the same, but she absolutely refused, insisting on having her original one. The Han River is so vast, where am I supposed to find another one for her?"

"Not long after, my husband went fishing by the river, and his hook accidentally snagged this necklace. It's a pity that his family had already moved away by then, and they didn't even leave any contact information."

The woman looked at Zhou Jingchen and said, "Since you're a relative of hers, please pass this necklace on to her for me. I think it must have been given to her by someone extremely important to her, which is why she would risk her life to jump into the river to retrieve it."

Lin Xujie looked at Zhou Jingchen, whose face was now very pale.

The two said goodbye to the woman and walked through the old residential area.

A chilly river wind, carrying moisture, swept over me, and before me stretched the wide Hanjiang River.

The river water was murky and yellowish, with waves crashing against the banks. Boats of all sizes slowly passed by on the water, and the reeds along the riverbank rustled in the wind.

Zhou Jingchen stared at the river, his dark eyes looking particularly dejected.

The river breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, and his handsome face revealed a hint of melancholy and an unreadable emotion.

Seeing his dejected appearance, Lin Xujie felt a heavy weight in his heart.

He was unaware of the details at the time, and placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him:

"Do you know who gave her that necklace? Something that made her risk her life to retrieve it... I'm telling you, brother, maybe you should stop looking for her. She probably already has someone else in her heart, and that person's place in her heart is unshakeable..."

Before he could finish speaking, a trembling, hoarse voice came from beside him:

"It was a gift from me."

Zhou Jingchen's Adam's apple bobbed laboriously, each word seeming to be squeezed out of his throat, carrying a heavy nasal tone:

"Ah Jie, this necklace... is a gift from me to her."

He slowly opened his tightly clenched palm, and the crescent-shaped necklace lay quietly inside.

The sharp edges of the pendant had already pierced his skin, and beads of bright red blood seeped out, staining the mottled silver chain and spreading a touch of fateful red in the gloomy sky.

This was a gift he personally placed around her neck when he returned to Pingjiang from Linshen to see her when he was nineteen.

Lin Xujie's gaze froze, his surprise lingering on his face for a long time, and he couldn't utter a single word.

As Zhou Jingchen gazed at the Hanjiang River before him, a surge of intense longing suddenly overwhelmed him.

His thoughts drifted back to that early spring, to the cherry blossom trees at Pingjiang Art University.

"It's so beautiful! When did you buy it?"

"I bought this before I came back. Your birthday is coming up soon, so consider it an early birthday gift for you. Do you like it?"

"I love it! I love it so much! Quick, put it on me."

"Does it look good on me?"

"nice."