Chapter Ten: Scattered in the Wind

"Miss, miss."
"Hmm... What is it?" Xiaoxiao returned to herself, handed the signed form to the staff, and followed them onto the vehicle. Thinking back on her earlier behavior, she couldn't help but feel foolish—no different from how she was years ago.

That day, when Lin Shuo led her out of the hospital, he didn’t walk ahead alone like before. Instead, he matched his pace to hers, a hint of guilt on his face, and in the end, both of them felt awkward.

"Actually, you weren’t wrong. If anything, it was my fault. You letting me continue the interview was already very considerate of you. Besides, just now..." Xiaoxiao cut herself off, too embarrassed to continue. The way he had tended to her wound was so gentle, so unlike the stern interviewer from before, that even now, she still felt a little lightheaded.

"Just now, what?" Lin Shuo deliberately slowed his pace, as if afraid that if he walked any faster, the wind would carry away her soft-spoken words.

Caught off guard by his question, Xiaoxiao felt a wave of shyness. Lin Shuo had been so close to her just moments ago. Remembering the concern in his voice, her ears burned with heat. She was no naive girl of sixteen or seventeen, yet in that moment, her heart had fluttered as if it were.

"It’s nothing... nothing at all..." Xiaoxiao laughed awkwardly, trying to brush it off. "You probably have a lot to do, right? You can go ahead if you need to, really."

Lin Shuo understood her perfectly, and with a hint of amusement, glanced at her blushing cheeks. "Your college only invited me as a guest. The hard work will be handled by others. Strictly speaking, I have nothing to do right now."

"I see." Since she hadn’t managed to get rid of this formidable guest, Xiaoxiao wasn’t sure whether to feel disappointed or pleased. Suddenly remembering the medical bill, she fished out her wallet and said, "By the way, I didn’t get a chance before—thank you for paying for me. Sorry for the trouble."

Lin Shuo glanced at her wallet and waved his hand dismissively. "No need. It was my fault. Besides, if I quibbled over this with you, who knows how much worse you’d complain about me once you got home."

"How did you know I complained about you? Do you have supernatural hearing?" Xiaoxiao could hardly believe that her conversation with Xiaobao had somehow reached his ears. Lin Shuo frowned and said, "I was only joking. I didn’t expect it to be true."

"Just kidding..." Xiaoxiao quickly changed her tone and explained with a forced smile, "Of course, that’s why it was so funny. Hilarious, really. I was only joking too." She laughed drily, feeling more and more out of place.

Unexpectedly, Lin Shuo gave her a look as if she were some strange creature and remarked, "You have a... rather peculiar sense of humor."

Xiaoxiao took it as a compliment. Gradually, the pain in her hand faded to the background, replaced by a quiet delight. She had never known a man who could so graciously discuss his reputation and then, with a touch of humor, resolve everything as if it were nothing at all.

In March, the sun in Kunming was still gentle. Its rays filtered through the Chinese hackberry leaves, scattering dense speckles of light, each one dancing briskly across their bodies. That day, in the end, Xiaoxiao never managed to repay the medicine fee. Years later, she suddenly understood—perhaps that had been Lin Shuo’s plan all along. There always had to be something to bind them together, some excuse to meet again and again. And that insignificant medical bill had turned out to be the perfect pretext.

A light breeze swept by, scattering her memories to the wind.

When Lonely, Don’t Speak of Love, Chapter Ten: Scattered in the Wind—completed!