Two

I rolled my eyes and nodded honestly. No matter how good-looking he is, I cannot just casually go with him

I was left in a daze by this handsome boy I didn't even know, completely at a loss for how to respond to him, just foolishly rubbing my sore fingers.

What is your name

I took off my scarf, wanting to hear more clearly, and then I realized it was that song "Tears of the North Star." This song is somewhat old; although I rarely listen to pop music, this old song, which is often played in various small shops, is firmly etched in my heart

Polaris, Pegasi

Relatives tore apart due to money, and Chen Meihua was repeatedly struck, becoming increasingly hysterical and unreasonable. It seemed that I had become her only outlet for venting. It was also at that time that I learned she had been adopted, and her adoptive parents had long since taken the bride price after her marriage and disregarded her.

Haha, interesting

I often think darkly that if he were to simply kill someone in an accident, it would be better, at least he would not leave me

I suddenly relaxed my clenched fists

The memories that followed seemed to have been deliberately erased from my mind, becoming vague and unclear. I only knew that I was living a difficult life. Indeed, even at such a young age, I understood that this feeling was called hardship, to the extent that throughout the rest of my life, I was reluctant to easily utter these two words.

Perhaps it will not be long before those people disperse, and Chen Meihua might remember me, her daughter who is out in the world. With this thought, I could not help but press harder with the pencil in my hand, piercing through the paper.

At that time, Chen Meihua did not treat me any better simply because he was alive. The young and beautiful her would wake up every day to be the first to apply makeup for herself, while all my clothing, food, housing, and transportation depended solely on my father.

I foolishly watched his departing figure and hurried to catch up with him

I fiddled with a cheap lighter, and in this cold night, it surprisingly became my only source of warmth. I curled myself up and reached out to feel the faint warmth of the flame.

She has nothing except for her father and me

"Did it burn your hand?" He supported himself with one hand on the railing and leaped forward, jumping in front of me

Seeing my reaction, he seemed even more helpless, so he simply took off his hat, revealing his neat short hair. He leaned on his knees and patiently said: "I really am not a bad person. My family has lived here for many years; you can ask the doorman if you don't believe me. I noticed you sitting here alone in the cold, so I thought it might be better for you to come to my house for a while. I estimate that group of people at your place will take a long time to leave."

"Do you smoke?" He chuckled lightly

Let's go to my house for a while, it's quite cold here

I did not know from which window the faint sound of singing was coming; for a moment, I even thought someone was calling my name

The buildings in the community are brightly lit, yet not a single light is turned on for me. I cover my eyes with a scarf, so that I will not truly cry out.

I let out a heavy sigh, unable to bear it any longer, and dejectedly closed the book, leaning against the railing in a daze. Suddenly, small snowflakes began to drift down from the night sky, dancing in the faint light alongside the thin mist I exhaled

My name is Lu Mingyu, and I live upstairs. He still maintained that friendly smile, reaching out to pick up my backpack.

He picked up the lighter from the ground and handed it over, a faint scent of tobacco wafting from his sleeve

But what qualifications do I have to feel compassion for her? In my barren life, there is nothing but a mother who does not love me.

Looking back now, it seems she never truly loved me; even giving birth to me was likely done with reluctance

Weeping bitterly, arguing endlessly over compensation and housing demolition funds.

"Hey, the little match girl." He snapped his fingers at me

Pei Zhiming loves her very much. Although his salary is not high, he almost gives all of it to her. She works in a towel factory in a relaxed clerical position, and her life can be considered carefree. Pei Zhiming often takes me to the night market for fun and buys a lot of creamy popsicles at the popsicle factory. On my birthday, Chen Meihua also rarely cooks for me.

Under the dim light, his exquisitely near-perfect features exuded a deadly allure. The moment I caught a glimpse of his face, it felt as though I inhaled a lethal gas, causing my entire body to tense up in panic, as if my heart were suspended by an invisible rope

I cannot see his face clearly, yet I stubbornly keep my gaze fixed on him as he approaches

I stared at him foolishly, not knowing what he intended to do

He shrugged helplessly and said, "Your family has moved here for such a long time, you must have seen me at least once, right?"

In fact, I often feel a sense of fear when I hear this song. It always reminds me of my father, the one who infused beautiful expectations into my name but could not bring happiness into my life. The North Star is the star closest to the North Pole in the sky; no matter how cold the weather is, it remains bright. Yet, with his departure, this bright star can no longer emit any light.

Having finished speaking, he stood up and put his hat back on

I smiled, then lowered my head to do my homework

You can understand it this way

Alright, thank you. I stood up and placed the scattered books into my backpack

I stared at him blankly, and for a moment, the flame had already reached my hand without my noticing. Before I could let out a sound of "ouch," he quickly reached out and knocked the lighter out of my hand

The snow is falling heavier and heavier, and the temperature is so low that I begin to shiver all over. Even so, I would rather stay outside. After all, compared to the dirty, chaotic air inside the house and the deafening sound of mahjong, the outside is still more comforting. Perhaps I have become numb from the cold, as I pulled out the lighter that I had thrown into my backpack. She secretly smokes, afraid of being caught by the teacher, and always loves to hide it in my backpack.

I remember the first time I heard this song was because my deskmate forcibly put earplugs in my ears and said to me, "You should listen to this; this song is simply tailor-made for you"

Holding a few scattered books and wrapped in a heavy down jacket, I stepped out of my home. Feeling the emptiness of my pockets, a wave of inexplicable desolation surged within me, as all my remaining money had been spent on the fare to the cemetery. I had nowhere to go

After some contemplation, I ultimately sat down in the pavilion located at the bottom of the community building. This pavilion is somewhat dilapidated, yet someone has thoughtfully hung a swaying light bulb at the top of the pavilion. Although the light is not very bright, it is sufficient for me to read the words on the book.

Perhaps my obsession with him began at this very moment, though I was unaware of it at the time

At that time, I was not yet six years old. In order to help me keep my hair, Pei Zhiming learned several ways to braid from his female colleagues and would change the styles every day to braid my hair.

However, all of this came to a halt after Pei Zhiming's wine rack caused a fatal accident

In the flickering light of the flames, a young man wearing a baseball cap, a black down jacket, and brown ankle boots approached. A set of keys hung from his waist, producing a faint jingling sound as he walked. His strides were large and casual, with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, giving him an air of carefree charm.

Although he was joking, there was not a trace of malice in him

However, reality is always cruel; apart from the expensive compensation, he left us nothing and departed just like that. It was from that moment on that my originally colorful life suddenly faded mercilessly, transforming into a black-and-white world

"Are you going to your house?" I looked at him with a gaze that conveyed "I am not familiar with you."

Polaris

Long, long after, I often recall this scene in the midnight hours of my dreams

I once had a period that could be considered happy. However, that time was too brief; I had not yet had the chance to fully preserve it in my memory before it came to an abrupt end

No. My voice is soft yet firm

Just as I was about to put on my backpack, he once again took the initiative to carry my backpack and directly slung it over his shoulder

Pei Jixing

I opened the exercise book with a slight tremor, starting to work on the problems absentmindedly, while my thoughts had already begun to wander due to the cold