Ten minutes later, Chen Mei sat behind Baisheng He, her hands nervously restless, her cheeks as red as a tomato. She pretended to be calm until the car started, then she hastily hugged Baisheng He's waist.
The person in front was wearing a helmet, slightly tilting his head, making his eyes invisible, but Chen Mei heard his faint laughter.
Her cheeks turned even redder at once.
Lin Shicha watched this with a smile, leaning close to Chen Mei and asked in a low voice, "Is he handsome?"
Chen Mei tried to shake her head to clear her thoughts, "I'm straight!!!" she exclaimed loudly.
Baisheng He looked somewhat surprised and replied, "I'm straight too."
The initially confident Chen Mei suddenly wilted down, shrinking behind Baisheng He with regret for her overly shy and subconscious amplified voice. It was so embarrassing that even the straightest girl would be tempted by Baisheng He, after all, her appearance was too deceptive, but everyone knew deep down that she was a girl, so there wouldn't be any particularly romantic thoughts, unless the person's sexual orientation was problematic to begin with.
Baisheng He drove all the way to the city center.
It was a hundred times busier here than in the town, with skyscrapers piercing the sky and vehicles bustling like migrating ants. After finding a parking lot, Baisheng He went to park, and Chen Mei complained to Lin Shicha, "Why didn't you tell me she's this kind of girl?"
Lin Shicha blinked, looking somewhat unsure of how to respond.
Chen Mei waved her hand, "Forget it, forget it."
"It's almost time, let's go pick up the tickets," Chen Mei urged just as Baisheng He came out. Lin Shicha nodded.
The movie is a newly-themed science fiction film this year. It is said that the box office is doing well. Chen Mei is very much looking forward to it, and even Bai Shenghe is also very interested.
The three of them took the tickets, and Bai Shenghe bought three cups of milk tea and popcorn. By this time, people had already entered the theater and were waiting. Bai Shenghe took on the air of an adult, leading two little cuties to find their seats in the dark.
Just as they finally sat down, a mother and daughter seemed to be arguing beside them. Popcorn was spilled all over, and it landed on Lin Shicha's leg.
The girl with shoulder-length hair used tissues to help Lin Shicha wipe it off, apologizing, "I'm sorry, let me clean that for you."
Lin Shicha whispered that it was okay and didn't pursue it.
The atmosphere quieted down, and the woman with 3D glasses continued to gaze straight ahead. After the girl finished wiping, she sat down. It was a while before she spoke again. "Don't trust him too much."
"What him, your father, isn't he?!" The woman exploded, drawing the attention of the surrounding people. However, because the movie hadn't started yet, no one said anything.
"Mom, have you ever thought about anyone else? Just because he's my father, the father I've respected and loved for many years, I can't accept that he's really like this. In my heart, he's not like this!! What about the other girl? By age, do I have to call her sister? And what about Grandma? Why did Dad abandon them?!"
"That's his real mother. If he can abandon her, when it comes to his own interests, won't he also abandon me and you?"
A crisp slap.
The movie theater fell completely silent, except for the sound of the fire safety ads playing on the big screen.
The woman felt weary. "Stop talking. Your father wouldn't do that." She regretted hitting her daughter, but once the action was taken, there was no taking it back. She had to set it aside to conceal her regret.
After a while, the girl next to her suddenly spoke, her voice soft. "Excuse me, is your name Lin Shiling?"
Half an hour later, outside the movie theater in a coffee shop.
Bai Shenghe and Chen Mei leaned against the elliptical railing outside the mall, watching Lin Shicha follow the mother and daughter into the coffee shop. They exchanged a glance and each saw the confusion in the other's eyes.
"Just a glass of water, thank you." Lin Shicha declined the waiter's recommendation and only ordered a glass of water.
Liu Li came carefully scrutinized the girl in front of her. She appeared to be two years older than Lin Shiling, and most importantly, she looked just like Lin Shiling.
Just the resemblance between the two made Liu Li's heart half cold, and she already believed her daughter's words.
In contrast to Liu Li's scrutiny, Lin Shiling was full of unease, even fidgeting, holding a glass and staring at the table.
Lin Shicha remained silent for a moment. "Nice to meet you. I didn't expect it to be under these circumstances."
"I'm Lin Shicha, 'Shi' as in time, 'cha' as in tea." Lin Shicha calmly introduced herself. "I'm 17 years old, studying at Shui Lu Yi Middle School."
After saying this, she paused for a moment. "Lin Baicheng is my father."
Liu Li's hand clenched slightly, and the atmosphere suddenly stagnated. After a moment, she spoke coldly, "What do you want."
Considering that Lin Baicheng had a child with another woman, Liu Li couldn't suppress her disgust for this girl. She couldn't control the malicious thoughts rising within her.
"I don't want anything." Lin Shicha took a sip of water, then relaxed slightly, as if calming down. "Lin Baicheng gave me a million. I don't intend to acknowledge him as my father."
"A million?!!" Liu Li exclaimed, "You're really asking for the moon!" She reevaluated this seemingly delicate girl and was surprised to find that she had quite the ambition!
Lin Shicha glanced at her. "It's my grandmother's retirement savings."
Liu Li's breath halted, and she slowly sat back down.
"And," Lin Shicha lightly brushed her black hair, her tone calm. "Thanks to my father's blessings, because he used to be as unscrupulous as they come, leaving without a care, so,"
She looked at the two of them. "I'm dying soon."
Lin Shiling suddenly raised her head, looking bewildered and stunned at Lin Shicha. In the pupils of the girl opposite her, who was sitting on the leather sofa, beneath her bangs was a pair of clear, warm deer-like eyes, with a faint smile on her lips.
She said:
I'm dying soon.
A week later, a black luxury car moved toward the Water Road Town in the city center amidst the gentle summer rain. There were only three people in the car, but none of them spoke.
The man driving was Lin Baicheng, his face gloomy. "She said she'd stop if I gave her money."
Lin Shiling looked at the man through the rearview mirror. This man whom she had always respected and adored seemed like someone she was meeting for the first time. She couldn't say a word.
Liu Li's voice was unusually cold. "She's your daughter. Do you know she's dying?"
Lin Baicheng was under tremendous pressure. His lips moved. "What else can I do? I gave her money to get treatment. She's dying, do you expect me to go back? I'm a doctor?!"
"Do you still have a conscience? How could I have fallen for you in the first place!"
"What do you mean, how could you have fallen for me, but it isn't...?”
Seeing that the two of them were about to quarrel again, Lin Shiling wiped away her tears and looked out the car window blankly. After two and a half hours, the car had reached the outskirts of the town. It was desolate, and the asphalt road had cracks, lined with plants planted by the townspeople.
Lin Shiling couldn't even recognize what kind of plants they were, wheat? Or something else?
As a girl who had been spoiled, Lin Shiling was ignorant of the ways of the world. She lacked nothing, like a princess. She couldn't imagine how Lin Shicha had survived.
Live in this somewhat run-down town?
Is the school here any good?
If she had to live here, she would definitely go crazy.
The more she thought about it, the more Lin Shiling bit her lip and said nothing.
"Lin Baicheng, why don't you understand why I'm disappointed and angry with you at all."
After a while, Liu Li said wearily, not looking at Lin Baicheng again.
Lin Baicheng remained silent.
"In your eyes, am I the kind of woman who cannot endure suffering? I can support your mother and even take care of your ex-wife's daughter. I am not petty; I can play the role of a good wife and take care of everything properly, but you did not choose to do so." Lin Baicheng interrupted her: "If I had told you at the beginning that I had been divorced and had a daughter, would you still have chosen me?" Liu Li was dumbfounded, she was stunned. She couldn't help but think back to herself fifteen years ago. Young, beautiful, highly educated, and from a good family. If she had known at the time that Lin Baicheng was divorced and had a stepdaughter, she probably wouldn't have agreed to his proposal. This matter seems impossible to clear up. Lin Zeling spoke softly, breaking the silence once more: "You shouldn't vent your grievances with your ex-wife on her. She didn't do anything wrong, and she didn't even choose to be born. Why should you take it out on her?" Lin Baicheng replied: "You don't understand." Lin Zeling scornfully smiled, "I may not understand, but I can't help but think, if I were her, what would I think and do." No one spoke in the car. "Dad, I feel guilty. I feel like I've taken something from her." The voice from the back seat choked up, she curled up on the seat, "I've found out that if you had been willing to give her money back then, she would have been a healthy child. She wouldn't have died. It's all your fault." The car stopped running, parked on a rural road outside. Lin Baicheng moved his mouth, clenched his fists, and placed them on the steering wheel. Accused by his most beloved daughter: it's all your fault. How should he think about it? Some children passed by the car, holding hands. The older ones holding the younger ones, and the younger ones pulling the even younger ones. The smiles on their faces were as bright as the sun. "I'll make a flower crown for you." "Do you want some candy?" "Hua Hua, wait for me. Do you think my dress looks pretty?" "Hahaha, isn't it from Grandma Lin next door? Your dress doesn't look as nice as sister Cha Cha's." "Shame!"