Defeated By Love

Translated by Fairy_Dust 

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Xie Ruhe didn’t answer.

Shu Nian looked at him with her big round eyes and after settling in a stalemate with him for a while, her grip on candy became a bit tighter. She sighed like a young adult and put the candy in his pocket.

“It’s raining so… don’t get caught in the rain. My house is just there, I can quickly run back.”

He still ignored her.

Shu Nian also didn’t have a temper and added: “Take the umbrella with you and go home early.”

After she finished speaking, she stopped waiting for him to respond and put her schoolbag on her back.

Xie Ruhe suddenly raised the umbrella in front of her when she was about to run away in a hurry. The umbrella covered her completely and his body was exposed to the heavy rain again.

Shu Nian paused and turned to look at him. The rain drenched his whole body and the hair on his forehead was glued in little bundles. His shirt was attached to his body, outlining his slightly thin figure. He looked unbearably pitiful.

Shu Nian didn’t say anything. Her eyes were stained with rain on that rainy day like two black beads soaked in water.

“Aren’t you cold? Why won’t you hold the umbrella?”

Xie Ruhe lowered his eyes, avoiding her sight.

Shu Nian didn’t know what to say but after spending so much time on that subject, she knew there was no end to their conversation. She lowered her eyes and whispered: “Goodbye then.”

She took a step forward.

The person next to her also took a step forward. Shu Nian glanced at him from the side and was a little puzzled: “Or do you live nearby?”

He didn’t move his head and there was no indication of a nod at all. Shu Nian had no choice but to say: “Then come under the umbrella too and let’s go.”

It was silent all the way.

After crossing the bridge, she kept walking forward and saw a house with an old locust tree in its courtyard. After turning right and walking under the fourth street light, they arrived at Shu Nian’s house.

She stopped: “I’m here, goodbye.”

Shu Nian fumbled around for the key in her pocket, she heard Xie Ruhe’s departing footsteps behind her.

She opened the door.

When she looked back, Xie Ruhe had already reached the second street light on the road with her umbrella still in his hand. His figure was blurred by the rain.

That location just so happened to be in front of Li Hong’s house.

" "

In the small courtyard, there was the tricycle and an old black bicycle. He abruptly stopped and quietly looked at the bicycle.

The light and shadow on his pale face were intertwined, his expression was vague.

She entered the house.

Upon hearing the sound, Deng Qingyu came out of the kitchen. Noting Shu Nian’s dirty shoes and empty hands, her expression became unsightly: “Why are you home so late? Where’s the umbrella? Did you give it to someone else?”

Shu Nian took off her shoes and socks and nodded: “I saw a boy who was being cheated of his wages by Uncle Li Hong and he didn’t bring an umbrella with him so I gave him my umbrella.”

“I’ve told you hundreds of times!” Deng Qingyu immediately became fierce: “How many people are in the world? Can you help everyone of them? Take care of yourself first! Don’t listen to your dad’s bullshit!”

“I don’t have all the people in the world to take care of.” Shu Nian picked up her shoes and walked into the bathroom. “I was there and I couldn’t just not do anything. An umbrella is not expensive.”

Shu Nian listened to her mother for nearly everything except on that, just like her father. Deng Qingyu didn’t want to hear her say anymore and looked at her: “Did you get drenched? Hurry up and take a bath. Put your shoes down first.” Shu Nian stood in front of the sink and obediently went to find a basin for the dirty shoes.

“No, that person sent me back before leaving.”

It was silent for one second.

Deng Qingyu took a deep breath and pulled Shu Nian out of the bathroom. That time her voice was no longer high. She was seriously trying to talk some sense into her: “Shu Nian, I’m going to tell you one last time. There are many bad guys in this world. You can’t always be like this, you have no common sense.”

“But I know everyone around here…” Shu Nian was frightened by her mother’s behaviour and she spoke a little hastily. “The boy should be about my age and he was wearing a junior high school uniform.”

" "

“Bad people can be of any age. The rain is so loud, it can completely cover your voice.” Deng Qingyu closed her eyes, looking tired. “Can’t you listen to your mother? I can’t control other people, but you are my child.”

“…”

“Go straight home after school, do you understand? Don’t stay outside.”

“…”

Shu Nian lowered her eyes and looked at the floor.

After a long time, she whispered: “Okay.”

Because of this, Shu Nian couldn’t liven up her mood for the rest of the day. She felt that she had done nothing wrong but her mother still taught her a lesson saying that she was disobedient.

After school the next day, Shu Nian didn’t stay in the school and walked in the direction of home with her schoolbag.

The sky was still bright, the rain had stopped and the ground was starting to dry.

On the way home, Shu Nian was able to meet many neighbours that she knew. She clutched the schoolbag straps and walked forward with a heavy heart. Passing by the house with the old locust tree, she suddenly heard a woman talking in it mention Li Hong’s name.

Shu Nian inexplicably stopped. She leaned against the wall outside the house to listen to them chat.

After listening for a long time, she could roughly sum it up.

Li Hong went out today. He rode his old bicycle and the brakes failed. He hit a tree on the roadside. Now, half of the bones in his leg were broken and he was still lying in the hospital.

Shu Nian’s expression stagnated and she inexplicably remembered the last scene of yesterday.

That young man stood there all on his own. Looking at Li Hong’s yard, his expression was dark and full of hostility.

It couldn’t be.

Thinking about what her mother had said yesterday, Shu Nian subconsciously clenched her fists and continued walking in confusion.

When she was almost at the door of her house. As soon as she raised her eyes, Shu Nian’s footsteps stopped again.

The teenager she was just thinking of was standing in front of her yard at that moment.

He was born thin but was very tall and he stood straight without the pitiful look of yesterday. Wearing a junior high school uniform, he looked immature but there was no expression on his face. He had black shiny peach eyes, a tall nose and rouge lips.

Holding the umbrella she gave him yesterday. Shu Nian silently named him “the most beautiful junior high school student”.

She walked over.

Noting her figure, Xie Ruhe glanced at her from the side. He walked over. His actions weren’t gentle at all. He shoved the umbrella into Shu Nian’s arms and left.

He didn’t even stay for a second.

Xie Ruhe had only taken a few steps forward.

The next moment, Shu Nian suddenly ran up to him and pulled him aside with great effort. Her expression was very serious, her soft voice was lowered and she appeared especially delicate: “Do you know that Uncle Li Hong has been hospitalised?”

Xie Ruhe looked at her blankly without saying a word.

Seeing him like this, Shu Nian didn’t know what he was thinking and was a little anxious: “It’s not really you, right?”