Chapter 9

"Thank you, brother, I will return it to you in Chengdu." Zhang Shaoyu's face showed no expression, and Li Dan tried to discern something from his demeanor, but he failed.

"Hey, damaging the Renminbi is against the law!" the security guard at the entrance said with a frown. Zhang Shaoyu looked up at him and replied with a cold smile, "Then go ahead and arrest me." The security guard was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond, but Zhang Shaoyu had already turned and left.

I would like to close my account, miss, please.

At the station, Zhang Shaoyu has come many times, each time accompanied by family members who offer earnest guidance and constant reminders, with heartfelt words filled with endless expectations and entrustments. At that time, Zhang Shaoyu only felt that the elders were too talkative, but now, the situation is completely different. Traveling alone to a distant place, with an uncertain future, he does not even know what tomorrow will bring; he only knows that now, everything must depend on himself.

"Shaoyu, you..." Li Dan's fair and handsome face was filled with a look of astonishment. He truly could not have imagined that the usually cynical and arrogant Shaoyu would end up like this. His first reaction was that something must have happened to Shaoyu.

"This money was originally intended for booking a hotel room tonight, but... take it." Li Dan smiled awkwardly

Li Dan arrived and passed by Zhang Shaoyu several times without noticing him. In the end, it was Zhang Shaoyu who called out to him, and only then did he recognize him.

But Zhang Shaoyu cannot go back, for he has no home left. From the moment he stepped out of his door, he could never return. Reflecting on the events of these past days, Zhang Shaoyu smiled. Yes, he smiled, not cried. He smiled with such helplessness, such desolation.

Li Dan stood there in a daze, at a loss for what to do. What happened to Shaoyu? He seemed fine in the morning. Initially, she thought he might have some romantic encounter with that bold girl, and she even planned to interrogate him the next time they met. But just a few hours had passed, and it was as if he had become a different person. With three days left before leaving school, why was he in such a hurry to get back?

Although he had not walked far, he already felt extremely tired, his steps becoming increasingly heavy. The torrential rain soaked through his thin shirt, yet he seemed completely oblivious to it. He set the box aside and sat down on a bench in the park. The square, once bustling with activity, now had no one else but a few vendors hurriedly packing their belongings.

A drop of cool rainwater fell precisely on the tip of his nose. Zhang Shaoyu reached out his hand to gently wipe it away. However, he inadvertently touched something else, warm to the touch, which slid down his face and finally flowed into his mouth, tasting unexpectedly bitter. Zhang Shaoyu felt a bit flustered; he told himself, I must not cry, and hurriedly wiped away his tears. He quickened his pace

Upon arriving at an Industrial and Commercial Bank, Zhang Shaoyu walked straight inside. The security guard, seeing his appearance, instinctively stood up. However, upon closer inspection, although he looked disheveled, he still appeared relatively refined and did not resemble a robber.

Zhang Shaoyu looked at the crumpled old man's head, and a sense of warmth finally rose in his heart; it was fortunate to have this group of brothers.

After leaving the bank, Zhang Shaoyu called Li Dan: "Li Dan, this is Shaoyu. Please send one hundred yuan to the station. Yes, don't ask so many questions, we'll talk when you arrive"

The rain fell heavier and heavier, creating an endless curtain of water between heaven and earth. The downpour cascaded from the sky like a string of broken pearls, enveloping the entire world in a mist of water, with only the sound of rain in my ears. Oh, and also the sound of a heart breaking. Unintentionally, he found himself back at the park square, where just a few days ago, he had encountered Zhao Jing. He never expected that because of her, he would end up in this state.

Zhang Shaoyu extended his hands to wipe the rainwater from his face with force and leaned weakly against the back of the chair

The car flashed by, and people finally breathed a sigh of relief, as the young man had not been hit. However, the splashing mud had covered him completely. As people were thinking that the young man would surely curse, he merely turned his head to glance at the sedan that had already driven away, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, revealing a strange expression. He wiped his face and the rainwater off his book with his hand and continued on his way

He did not know where he should go, so he could only drag his suitcase and walk aimlessly on the street. The pedestrians on the street hurried home, and it was evident that it was about to rain; going home was the only destination.

The car started moving, and familiar scenes rushed by in quick succession. Through the car window, Zhang Shaoyu gazed at the city where he had grown up, filled with mixed emotions. The disco on the fifth floor of the Taihe Hotel, the Return Internet Café on Red Brick Road, the medicinal rice noodles at the market entrance, and the park square—all these places, each holding memories of his youth, passed by. In his heart, Zhang Shaoyu silently recited: "Farewell, hometown..." The disco on the fifth floor of the Taihe Hotel, the Return Internet Café on Red Brick Road, the medicinal rice noodles at the market entrance, and the park square—all these places, each holding memories of his youth, passed by. In his heart, Zhang Shaoyu silently recited: "Farewell, hometown..."

"Shaoyu, wait a moment." Li Dan stopped Zhang Shaoyu, looking at him, this brother he had known for nearly six years. He understood his personality; if he didn't want to speak, pressing him would be futile. Seeing him like this, the matter was not trivial. Gritting his teeth, he took out another one hundred yuan from his other pocket.

"There are still ten yuan left, do you want to close the account?" the service attendant asked. Zhang Shaoyu let out a soft sigh and nodded helplessly. It was common to see people who didn't even want to keep their card just to withdraw ten yuan, so the service attendant didn't ask further. She completed the procedures, asked Zhang Shaoyu to sign, and handed him the ten yuan.

By the time Li Dan came to his senses, Zhang Shaoyu had already purchased the ticket and was walking towards the platform outside. As he passed by, Zhang Shaoyu casually said, "I'm leaving. With the books"

"Shaoyu, what on earth happened?" Li Dan finally couldn't help but ask. Zhang Shaoyu did not respond, instead turning to glance at the electronic display board on the wall, and said: "I am leaving now, let's talk about it later." After saying this, he dragged his suitcase towards the ticket counter.

Zhang Shaoyu's action can be described as a point of no return. The bank card was the only means for his parents to remit tuition and living expenses to him. Closing the account meant that his parents would no longer be able to send him money; everything would have to rely on him alone. Yet, he showed no hesitation at all. He took the ten yuan, walked towards the exit, and gradually tore the ten yuan into pieces, throwing them into the trash can at the door.

"Have you brought the money?" Zhang Shaoyu stood up from his seat and asked softly. Li Dan responded with an "oh," took out a hundred yuan from his pocket, and handed it to Zhang Shaoyu

"Miss, could you please check how much balance is left?" Zhang Shaoyu said softly while standing in front of the service desk. The bank clerk did not even raise her head and replied calmly, "You can check the balance at the ATM outside."

However, it costs more than fifty yuan to travel from the county town to Chengdu. He took out his wallet and saw that there were only two ten-yuan notes, one five-yuan note, and a few coins, totaling less than thirty yuan, which was not even enough for the fare. What should he do? Suddenly, he remembered that he might have brought his bank card in his suitcase, but he was unsure if there was any money left in it. He immediately dragged his suitcase and set off.

The service attendant raised her head in surprise upon seeing the young man, who was completely soaked, with water dripping from his hair and his face covered in dirt. She softly muttered that he must be crazy and reached out to take the bank card.

Walking on the street where he had played since childhood, Zhang Shaoyu felt for the first time that everything here suddenly became unfamiliar. The lush sycamore trees by the roadside swayed in the wind, producing a rustling sound. The scorching sun from the morning had now seemingly disappeared, and the sky gradually darkened, with a large mass of dark clouds pressing down overhead, making it hard to breathe.

The heavy rain continues to fall mercilessly, and the view gradually becomes blurred. Zhang Shaoyu has become somewhat numb, staring blankly into the distance. What should he do now? Since he has already left home, he naturally cannot go back; he can only head to school.

People in the street-side shops looked curiously at the young man on the street, his expression indifferent, head held high, completely soaked, dragging a suitcase, and walking briskly. Young men these days really enjoy being unconventional. Suddenly, a silver sedan sped by, causing a tightening in people's hearts; that young man was in danger

As she watched Zhang Shaoyu's silhouette, Li Dan suddenly recalled something and hurried to catch up.

Oh, it's going to rain, Zhang Shaoyu murmured

Due to the rain, many travelers were stranded at the station, and the place was bustling with voices. Zhang Shaoyu dragged his suitcase to the station, completely ignoring the strange looks from others, and found a spot to sit down