Chapter 10 — I Shall Never Set Foot in Nam Thanh Again

A few seconds later, another message arrived: "The more panicked it gets, the more it proves that it is about to use that old routine." I placed my phone face down on the table. Surprisingly, I felt no inner turmoil at all. It turns out that when you stop loving someone, the world truly becomes much quieter. There is no longer a need to guess what he is thinking, no need to fret over whether he is angry, and no need to be dragged from heaven down into the mud by a single one of his words. White-Silk-Qin was once the loudest noise in my life; now, as I turned the volume down, I finally realized how pleasant the sound of the wind truly is.

That afternoon, Mrs. Qin called me again. This time, she could no longer maintain the gentle facade she had presented the day before. "Clear-Branch, what on earth is going on between you and White-Silk?" I was busy organizing the student files for the Foreign Language University of Capital City. "Nothing is going on."

"And you call this nothing? I have seen the videos from the training camp group. How can you say that the injury to White-Silk’s leg has nothing to do with you?" I scrolled through the major descriptions sent by the university. "It really has nothing to do with me."

Aunt Chu’s breathing on the other end of the line became heavy. "Clear-Branch, your words are deeply hurtful. White-Silk’s leg was injured, and your father has always been helping to monitor his recovery. If your family just washes its hands of the matter now, how will outsiders judge us?" I stopped moving my mouse. "Aunt Chu, my father has already provided professional advice. As for personal support, that is a matter of kindness, not an obligation."

She was rendered speechless for a moment before quickly retorting, "Are you still angry about that girl, Dream-Summer-Reach? Rest assured, I will never let her step foot inside the Qin household." In the past, hearing these words would have filled me with joy, as if gaining Aunt Chu’s favor meant I had won a great victory. Now, I only felt weary. I replied, "Whether she steps through the doors of the Qin house or not has nothing to do with me."

"How can you say it has nothing to do with you?" Aunt Chu’s voice rose to a sharp pitch. "Clear-Branch, you and White-Silk grew up together; everyone has seen it. The day after tomorrow, we are hosting a party to celebrate his university entrance, and all our relatives will be there. You choose to act out right at this moment—how am I supposed to explain this to everyone?"

So, this was the crux of the matter. It was never about whether White-Silk had hurt someone, nor about whether I was in pain. It was purely about how she was going to clean up the mess. I said, "Then stop trying to clean it up." Aunt Chu did not understand. "What?"

"At that party, I will make everything perfectly clear."

The line went silent. A moment later, her voice turned icy. "Clear-Branch, I have always treated you like my own daughter. But a child cannot be this impulsive."

Impulsive. Hearing that word, I let out a soft laugh. In my past life, what I feared most was being called impulsive or willful. I was terrified of White-Silk being annoyed with me, afraid of Aunt Chu thinking I was unreasonable, and scared of my father thinking I was a disappointment. So, I swallowed every bit of resentment, tucking it away until my heart was overgrown with mold. In this life, I am no longer afraid. I said, "Aunt Chu, I just want to attend the university that I love."

"The Foreign Language University of Capital City is fine, but how can we rest easy with a girl like you running so far away?"

"As long as my father rests easy, that is enough."

"And what about White-Silk?"

"Is his own mother not enough to worry about him?"

The other end of the line went completely dead. After a long while, Aunt Chu finally asked, "Why has your speech become so grating to hear?" I replied coldly, "It was not grating before only because I was willing to let you pierce me." Having said that, I was slightly stunned myself. It turns out that when one is finally clear-headed, their words naturally grow sharp fangs. Aunt Chu hung up the phone in a rage.