The second week that Lorraine has discharged from hospital, she has been urging Eunice to return to
school. Eunice agrees with her too. She originally wanted to wait until the time Lorraine is healthier
than ever but she is bombarded by her nags every day, giving her no choice but to go back to school.
She first goes to the academic affairs department to resume her student status. After taking time off for
a whole year, she couldn’t attend any exams, and this means that she can only restart again from her
second year in school. However, it doesn’t affect Eunice in any way. It is still acceptable for her.
In her discussion with her teacher, the teacher listens intently to know about her current situation and
proceeds to enlighten her ways to apply for a scholarship and allowance.
Eunice is all ears while jotting down the important points.
After exiting the academic affairs department, Eunice doesn’t immediately head home; instead she
loiters around the school compound while immersed in memories. The massive school compound is
bustling with new faces as her arrival has coincided with the start of a new semester. New students
brush past her in every few seconds, and with that she even feels herself invigorated with their sense
of youth.
She has been very hard on herself for too long to the point that she might even appear exhausted. She
would even look more mature compared to her peers. Perhaps she should loosen up slightly.
She wanders to the canteen area which is now full of students enjoying their short break.
Coincidentally, she bumps into her former roommate, Maureen Hunter.
The both of them stayed in the same dormitory previously, but they weren’t really on good terms all the
while. Maureen’s father is the associate professor while her mother is the branch manager of a bank,
so it is safe to say that she hails from a well-off family. This is why she always looks down on Eunice
who is relatively poor and inferior. She is always condescending and arrogant towards her.
Eunice always endures her mocking gaze, not wanting to stir up unnecessary trouble. This temporary
peace only lasted until Maureen had lost her new watch two weeks prior to their semester break. That
watch worth a staggering forty thousand yuan and it is a branded watch of Chanel. Even though she
had tried to look for it for two days at that time, she couldn’t come up with anything. That was when she
decided to suddenly blame Eunice for stealing her watch.
Eunice of course couldn’t take this well at all, since she hated being framed and belittled the most.
Eunice had been accused without any evidence at all so she adamantly let Maureen search her bed
and cupboards, but there was no sign of the watch even though she had practically upturned
everything.
She thought that things had come to an end, but she had underestimated the power of rumours. For
some reason, this matter had spread through the whole faculty, and there was a different light in other
student’s eyes whenever they looked at Eunice. At first, Eunice had been holding on well by ignoring
them, but sooner or later she started to feel the aftereffects of such damaging rumours. She decided
that she couldn’t very well just sit there without doing anything.
She had reached out to the counsellor in an attempt to lodge a police report. In the end, policemen
arrived at her dormitory and were able to prove her innocence under the anxious gaze of Maureen.
This was that point in time when the both of them had finally planted a seed of grudge.
At that moment, Eunice intends to pretend not to see her and just pass by her, but she is called out by
Maureen’s shrilling voice.
“Hey, who is this?”
Eunice pauses her steps as she watches Maureen walking towards her confidently with arrogance
written all over her face, “Isn’t this Eunice, our good friend? Why did you appear at school today?”
After saying that, she flashes a malicious smile at a female student next to her.
Eunice only thinks of Maureen as someone childish as she doesn’t register the mocking tone in
Maureen’s voice, “I’m here to resume my student status.”
“Are you planning to continue schooling? However, you’ve fallen behind for one year. I suppose that
you need to start again from year 2, correct? But you did have a miserable fate, and you are probably
the only one who applied for suspension of schooling because you couldn’t afford the school fees.”
Maureen continues to hurl insults and mockery at her, especially aiming at her only weak spot – being
poor.
After experiencing the trials and tribulations in society for a year, Eunice feels like she has reborn into a
new person. If it was the past, Eunice would wallow in self-abasement, but she doesn’t even feel any of
that emotion now.
Her gaze falls on their attire. The two of them are wearing branded clothes and accessories all over
their body, but this won’t do anything to dismiss the fact that they are rotten inside, despite looking
flashy and outstanding.
“When we were still classmates, I never saw you being concerned about me, so I am surprised that you
are so enthusiastic now. Then again, I don’t think you need to worry about me at all, restarting my year
2 perhaps would allow me to make friends with people who have the right moral compass and
perspective on life. It would do me only good.”
“You!” Maureen doesn’t expect that Eunice would rebuke her, so she is temporarily at a loss for words.
She is only able to blurt out something after a while, “It seems that you didn’t waste your time in the
society!”
“After so long a time, I would be a fool if I didn’t make any progress at all.” Eunice answers with a smile,
and the glint in her eyes makes it clear that she is implying Maureen’s lack of improvement in life.
Maureen has wanted to torment Eunice with words initially, but her efforts are trumped by Eunice’s
mocking words. She says sarcastically before fuming away, “Then you should wait until you really start
your classes to see if your new classmates would look down on you or not, you repeat student!”
Eunice watches them move away from her, and there is an unspeakable calm in her heart.
She no longer cares about how others perceive her. If she really takes into account everybody’s
opinion, she wouldn’t be able to hold on strong until this day.
On her way back, Eunice passes by a shop selling affordable and delicious duck. Thinking that she is
going to start her semester two days later, she decides to buy a duck back home.
Now that Lorraine has recovered a large portion of her health, she can start consuming meat again. It
is a good time to let her have a change of appetite.
After boarding two buses that send her to a bus stop in the suburbs, the sky is already getting dark.
She carries two temporary food packages while walking towards her small residential area. The sound-
proofing in this area is not decent as she can hear the noises and sounds made by other families
cooking in their houses.
The random sounds of life are somehow pleasing to her ears. She feels unspeakable warmth welling
up inside her.
Eunice is in an upbeat mood while walking all the way back, until she sees a familiar figure downstairs
of her house. Her smile freezes on her face as she subconsciously slows down her pace. She meets
that person’s eyes although they are still far apart.
His depthless gaze resembles that of an ancient well, and his piercing gaze is aimed at her face which
causes her to feel an immense pressure.
She slowly inches towards him while calling out, unsure of who she is seeing, “Ryan?”
After one month has elapsed, they meet again. The way she addresses him reeks of unfamiliarity.
Ryan examines her freshly-cut hair and her casual sportswear. He inadvertently feels his pent-up
frustrations evaporate into thin air at her sight. She is not really tall, and she has to raise her head to
really face him.
He steals a glance at her to study her appearance. It seems that during the time they were apart, she
has been leading a good life. She looks relaxed and at ease with everything. Naturally, he is not talking
about her currently tensed up expression when she is facing him now.
“I am looking for you.” He retracts his gaze and utters this simple sentence.
Eunice can’t help but freeze momentarily, “What’s the matter?”
He nods in the direction of his black Bentley not far away and invites, “Get in my car first.”
He then proceeds to head to his car. Eunice’s heart begins to race, and she dashes forward to grab his
shirt, “Let me go upstairs first. Wait for me.”
Ryan turns around and stares at her perfect fingers, and by then Eunice only realize that she is not
being appropriate. She immediately lets go, “I’m sorry…”
Seeing that she has retracted his hand, Ryan looks away as he continues to walk forward, “Go
ahead.”
She slowly inches towards him while calling out, unsure of who she is seeing, “Ryan?”
After one month has elapsed, they meet again. The way she addresses him reeks of unfamiliarity.
Ryan examines her freshly-cut hair and her casual sportswear. He inadvertently feels his pent-up
frustrations evaporate into thin air at her sight. She is not really tall, and she has to raise her head to
really face him.
He steals a glance at her to study her appearance. It seems that during the time they were apart, she
has been leading a good life. She looks relaxed and at ease with everything. Naturally, he is not talking
about her currently tensed up expression when she is facing him now.
“lam looking for you.” He retracts his gaze and utters this simple sentence.
Eunice can’t help but freeze momentarily, “What's the matter?”
He nods in the direction of his black Bentley not far away and invites, “Get in my car first.”
He then proceeds to head to his car. Eunice’s heart begins to race, and she dashes forward to grab his
shirt, “Let me go upstairs first. Wait for me.”
Ryan turns around and stares at her perfect fingers, and by then Eunice only realize that she is not
being appropriate. She immediately lets go, “I’m sorry...”
Seeing that she has retracted his hand, Ryan looks away as he continues to walk forward, “Go
ahead.”
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