Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

"You two were such a perfect match, why didn't you end up together? I heard from our classmates... and Chen Tiansheng that it was because of Baihe's father. Later, I asked Baihe, and every time she did, she cried and wouldn't give a specific reason. We all assumed..."

"You thought Secretary Li disliked me, so he wouldn't let Baihe be with me?" Aimin shook his head with a wry smile. "That's not the case. Secretary Li is very polite to me, no, I should say he's very good to me. Even though I didn't get my degree and can't stay in the provincial capital to work, he didn't look down on me because of that. You can tell he wants me and Baihe to have a good life together."

"Then why did you break up with Baihe? You two got along so well..." Chen Yun pressed.

Over the years, Chen Yun had always wanted to talk to Ai Min about this topic. But whenever the subject of their relationship came up, Ai Min always avoided it. Chen Yun never understood whether he was still hung up on Bai He, or simply looked down on her. At this moment, she was convinced that the former was more likely.

Disappointment and confusion lingered in her heart. As a witness to Aimin and Baihe's relationship, Chen Yun knew how much they loved each other back then. The fact that the lovers could not be together in the end made everyone sigh, and as Baihe's close friend, she felt even more regret.

"This matter..." Aimin hesitated, unwilling to say more.

"What else can't be said? You know what? Baihe... Baihe is getting married to Chen Tiansheng soon!"

A hoarse voice pierced the romantic atmosphere of the restaurant. At this moment, Chen Yun stared straight at Ai Min with red eyes, a look that was completely out of character for her usual elegant demeanor.

Although he had rehearsed it countless times in his mind, Aimin still couldn't hide his shock and sorrow at this moment. The girl he loved had become someone else's bride, and there was nothing he could do. After all, he was the one who initiated the breakup, so he had no one to blame but himself.

It felt as if a sharp blade had pierced his heart. The man sat frozen in place, his eyes trembling uncontrollably. The next second, tears streamed down his face.

"That day... the night I posted my 'manifesto' on the school bulletin board, I had a huge argument with Baihe about it. As we argued, my hands suddenly started trembling uncontrollably. Baihe was terrified and rushed me to the hospital. The test results weren't back yet, but I already knew—I had epilepsy, I was a person with epilepsy!"

"Wh...what?" Chen Yun's eyes widened, clearly unable to process this bombshell news.

At this moment, Aimin swallowed hard, covered his head with his hands, and said slowly and deliberately, "My... my dad's hands would tremble before he had an attack, then his whole body would convulse, and finally he would lie on the ground unconscious, foaming at the mouth..."

Recalling the breakup, Aimin felt as if her heart was being torn apart. Strange, she should have been numb to it by now, so why was she reacting so strongly? Could it be because… Baihe was about to get married?

Aimin remained immersed in grief for a long time, but Chen Yun suddenly slammed her hand on the table and loudly questioned, "Did you break up with him because you were worried about inheriting your uncle's epilepsy?"

"You might not understand, but I know that sooner or later I'll end up like my dad, lying on the floor unconsciously biting my tongue!"

"No, you can't just guess; you need to go to the hospital for a checkup..."

"You don't need to comfort me, it's the truth!" Aimin said firmly. "I received the test results that very night, and I was diagnosed with epilepsy..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yun's face and lips instantly turned pale. The girl never imagined that a romantic confession would turn into this. Her voice trembled as she asked, "You must be joking with me! You don't like me but are too embarrassed to reject me directly, so you made up a lie to deceive me, right?"

Aimin didn't argue, he just lowered his head and didn't say anything. His mind was also in turmoil because Baihe was getting married.

"If you don't want to answer me, then let me ask you again: how many times have you had this illness over the years? And where did it occur?"

Seeing that the other party still shook his head and remained silent, Chen Yun finally exploded: "Stop pretending to love the people! Tell me honestly, are you still hung up on Bai He?!"

"Yes, I can't let her go! But I'm not lying to you, I do have epilepsy..."

Chen Yun knew in her heart that Ai Min wasn't lying. At this moment, she knew that her confession had failed, but she accepted it, since love between men and women should be based on mutual consent. However, she couldn't accept Ai Min's attitude towards Bai He.

After a moment of silence, Chen Yun said bluntly, "Aimin, I don't blame you for not accepting me. Now, as Baihe's best friend, I'm asking you—did you break up with her because you developed epilepsy?"

Chen Yun is not only Ai Min's admirer, but also Bai He's best friend. In just a few seconds, she completed the role switch.

"Do you know how long she's waited for you to change your mind? If Chen Tiansheng hadn't used his cunning to persuade Baihe's parents, someone like her would never have agreed to marry someone surnamed Chen! She's loved you from beginning to end, Qin Aimin!"

At this moment, Chen Yun must stand on Bai He's side and condemn this man's irresponsible behavior.

"Aimin, you're so selfish! Have you considered Baihe's feelings? Even if she wanted to break up, she would never agree to it with such a reason! What do you take us girls for? Do you think we're all fickle, materialistic, and cold-blooded animals who don't care about feelings?"

Chen Yun became increasingly agitated as she spoke, almost overturning the table. She was making an accusation, speaking out for her best friend and for all good girls in the world.

"I can't hurt her..." Aimin said calmly. "My mother never enjoyed any happiness living with my father. That time when my father had an attack and bit his tongue, she rushed out to find a doctor, and that's when the accident happened..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yun fell into a brief moment of contemplation. She realized that she had been somewhat rash—Ai Min's living conditions were completely different from hers and Bai He's. She had never lived in the countryside and did not know about the other person's experiences. If she could not put herself in their shoes and make wild guesses, wouldn't that be like "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"

After calming down slightly, Chen Yun slowly asked, "Aimin, have you had another episode since then? I mean, my hands are shaking..."

The man shook his head.

"Have you gone to the hospital for a follow-up check-up?"

The man continued to shake his head.

Chen Yun let out a long sigh and said with unusual determination, "Tomorrow I'll take you to the city's central hospital for a checkup. If things go well, I'll take you to see Bai He. I hope there's still a chance for you two to salvage the relationship..."

"No need, I sincerely wish her well..." Aimin said, pursing her lips.

"You're talking nonsense!" Chen Yun slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "You men are utterly hypocritical! You want her to be happy, but you can't stand her being happier than you! Aimin, we're not saints; we're all selfish when it comes to love! Even if we take a step back, can you guarantee that Baihe will be happy marrying Chen Tiansheng? What is happiness? It's not something you men give to women; it's something two people create together! If you can't give it, you run away—that's not the behavior of a real man! It's cowardice! It's cowardice shirking responsibility!"

Chen Yun's view on love is inherited from Shu Ting's poem "To the Oak Tree": "If I love you, I will not be like the climbing trumpet creeper, using your tall branches to show off myself... I must be a kapok tree beside you, standing with you as a tree... We share the cold tides, the wind and thunder, the lightning; we share the mist, the flowing clouds, the rainbows, seemingly forever separated, yet bound together for life, this is true love!"

She can still recite the entire poem. In Chen Yun's mind, true love should be like a marriage vow—in good times and bad, in wealth and poverty, in health and sickness, two souls will always protect each other. Shouldn't it be like that?

Looking at the man before me, disappointment washed over me like a tidal wave. Perhaps this man still retained his upright and kind qualities, but where had the captivating spirit that once adored his brow gone?

She liked free-spirited and domineering men, not men whose edges had been worn down by reality. At this moment, Chen Yun was heartbroken and determined that he was not her ideal man.