A good family background, a sharp mind, even a handsome appearance, can these make a person happy? Perhaps, but for Chu Rong, they brought endless childhood trauma.
From a young age, he was unable to speak, and apart from his intelligence, his mouth was sharp and merciless.
He couldn't control it because he could always see through the true desires hidden beneath hypocrisy. His emotional intelligence was low, so he couldn't help but expose such falsehoods, making him unlikeable.
In his childhood, he was obsessed with learning and full of curiosity about the world. The downside of an active mind was a disinclination for physical activity, which is why he was always the skinniest in class.
A good-looking, unlikeable, wealthy, yet slender person always attracted the attention of the bullies in class.
From kindergarten, he was ostracized. Despite possessing so many advantageous conditions, he couldn't escape the fate of being bullied. It wasn't until high school, when he was cornered in the restroom by over a dozen boys, that he finally realized that as long as he was strong enough, no one could get close to him.
He fought back with all his might. Although he was still covered in wounds, that summer, he enrolled in martial arts classes. His exceptionally high intelligence and excellent innate conditions allowed him to completely transform within a single summer.
He was no longer the one being bullied, but he had become utterly disillusioned with human nature. No matter how pleasant the smiles around him were, they couldn't melt the ice in his heart.
He remained alone, emotionally closed off and unapproachable.
Later, when he went to college, his interpersonal relationships became even more distant. At times, he even felt that if he disappeared, few people would notice.
Finally, one day, the darkness within him took over. He wanted to escape, to leave, no matter where.
He skipped class and walked out of the school gate aimlessly. Watching the people and traffic around him, he felt that no one understood his inner loneliness and yearning.
He didn't know how long he walked, but his gaze was caught by a little girl. The girl looked longingly at the cakes in the display cabinet, but he knew she couldn't afford them, otherwise, she wouldn't have that wistful yet helpless expression.
He was always good at discovering these hidden desires.
Watching the little girl's intense longing for the cake, a flicker of emotion stirred within him. It turned out there were still people in this world who could be lost in thought over a small cake.
It was so simple, he could help her achieve it effortlessly.
On impulse, he walked into the cake shop. While the girl wasn't paying attention, he glanced at her.
The girl was pretty and cute, her big, watery eyes fixed on the cake as if it were the entire world.
He hadn't figured out how to offer her a cake, but he wanted to. He walked to the counter, intending to buy the strawberry mousse cake, when a sweet, adorable voice came from behind him.
The little girl was hinting at him, wanting him to buy her the cake.
He couldn't help but smile. It wasn't because he had seen through the little girl's desire, but because this little girl knew exactly what she wanted and was using her advantages to get it.
She was so innocent and naive, yet her intentions were far from simple. They were even somewhat brazen.
It was just a cake, and his own desires went unfulfilled, but at that moment, he really wanted to help this little girl.
After receiving the cake, the little girl smiled brilliantly and was very happy. She called him "big brother," and he could feel her affection for him.
Young in age, but old in cunning.
He smiled inwardly, but his expression remained cold. He didn't like people getting close, not even a cute little girl.
He left the cake shop, but the little girl stuck to him like a persistent shadow, begging to share the cake with him and even asking for his phone number.
With his back to the girl, the corner of his lips curved unconsciously again. This little girl had a very clear objective.
He didn't intend to pay her any mind; after all, she was just a child, and he had merely acted on a sudden impulse of kindness.
But then he heard a soft cry from behind him. He turned to see the little girl fall to the ground, trying to get up with a pitiable but feigned indifference.
Even so, he caught the deliberate way she bumped herself.
She had done it on purpose.
He felt a touch of annoyance that she would hurt herself just to share a cake.
But looking at the girl's expectant eyes and her scraped knee, his cold exterior finally cracked.
He took the little girl to a pharmacy for a simple disinfection. He knew he couldn't shake off this persistent shadow. Since he was alone anyway, he thought, why not share the cake with her.
The little girl, unaware of his thoughts, again hinted at him pitifully.
She said she didn't want to eat the cake alone.
He knew she was waiting for him to ask why she was alone, and after a moment's hesitation, he followed her lead, wanting to hear a funny reason, perhaps even suspecting it was made up on the spot.
But to his surprise, the reason the little girl gave was that she had no parents.
As she spoke, her eyes flickered, but her words conveyed a sense of indifference. He could feel her inner longing and her outward stubbornness.
He finally took the little girl to the park, and they ate the cake together.
The little girl was indeed clever. She saved half the cake, saying she wanted to take it to her grandmother, which was her way of eliciting his sympathy. She then said her grandmother also liked sweets, revealing her preferences.
He didn't need to think to understand the little girl's intentions.
At twenty-two, he felt no interest towards a twelve-year-old.
He left, maintaining his cold demeanor.
However, to his surprise, his repeated exceptions allowed the little girl to seize an opportunity, and from then on, he gained a follower.
The little girl was truly thick-skinned. No matter how stern or cold he acted, she seemed not to notice, always sweetly calling him "big brother," pestering him to do things, and even following him into school.
He was already planning to skip class, and it was also the little girl's birthday, so he eventually relented.
He took the little girl around the school. It was the first time he had explored the school so thoroughly; there were many places he hadn't even been to.
He tried his best to appear familiar with his surroundings, all the while calculating in his mind which paths to take to avoid doubling back.
The little girl was truly happy. Although she deliberately pestered him to take photos, the smiles in the pictures were radiant, and she laughed so joyfully.
At that moment, looking at the little girl in the photos, a flicker of emotion stirred within him for the first time.
Having someone laugh heartily because of him, sharing his loneliness, and staying by his side throughout it all, seemed like a good thing.
He told the little girl his name.
He knew the little girl would definitely come to find him again.
He was waiting.