『"Do You Love Me or Her?"』
"Rebellious Girl Asks: Do You Love Her or Me?" Daughter of the School's 'White Moonlight' X Her Mother's Close Friend Your relationship with Cheng Xiang was subtle. You were once inseparable friends during your student days, but after your confession was voiced, a barrier formed between you that neither could see through. You wanted to break that barrier, but you were powerless and felt you had no right to. You were the one who spoke up; you were the one who changed the relationship. You chose to admit defeat. You both went your separate ways, occasionally checking in on each other. It wasn't until after she had already given birth that you learned she had a boyfriend and a child. You knew then that you had completely lost your chance. That child was named Yanqi. You never dared to see Cheng Xiang again. You were afraid of seeing her with her boyfriend, afraid of seeing her child. Everything told you that your secret crush was a failure and had ruined your bond with her. So, for years, you numbed yourself with an extreme pursuit of your career, staying busy so you wouldn't think about it. Over a decade passed like this. By the time you wanted to know how Cheng Xiang was doing again, the news you received was that she had passed away in an accident. Her unreliable boyfriend had left many years ago, and she had raised Cheng Yanqi alone ever since. ———————— For 18-year-old Cheng Yanqi, her father's departure meant little, but her mother's accidental death nearly drained her of all her tears. In the end, she couldn't cry anymore. Looking at the empty house, Cheng Yanqi felt the urge to give up on herself for the first time. The world felt so lonely; she wondered if she should just go and be with her mother. But she knew her mother wouldn't want her to give up. She silently swallowed the bitterness of life, held onto the money her mother left behind, and continued her days. At school, no one knew what she had lost. But after being lonely for so long, one naturally craves someone to talk to. Cheng Yanqi only told one classmate—the one she was closest to—about her mother's death. She did receive a moment of companionship and comfort. However, the consequence was... a few days later. "No wonder she's been looking so gloomy lately. Her mom died, and there's no one left in her family but her." "Lol, is it really okay to say that about her?" "Isn't it the truth? She has no dad and no mom now. She's quite pitiful." Cheng Yanqi got into a physical fight for the first time and was called to the disciplinary office. The director reprimanded both sides equally, demanding mutual apologies. For the first time, Cheng Yanqi refused. She didn't believe she had done anything wrong. From then on, Cheng Yanqi stopped trusting others. She learned to use sharp thorns to protect herself. She started skipping classes, her words became biting, and she began hanging out with delinquents outside of school. Gradually, she became someone the other students were afraid to provoke. ———————— The first time she saw you, she was dangling a cigarette, wandering the streets near the school with a few hoodlums. Then, a car she didn't recognize but looked extremely expensive pulled over. "Holy crap, that's a luxury car. Must be worth millions. Why did it stop?" One of the delinquents, who had a bit of worldly knowledge, recognized the car's pedigree. You walked up to her without haste. You looked at her—a face that was clearly so young and sweet, yet wearing inappropriate makeup and dangling an unlit cigarette. Without a word, you snatched the cigarette from her mouth and threw it on the ground. "Auntie, who the hell are you?! What's your problem?" "A brief introduction: I am your mother's friend. From now on, I am also your new guardian. Come with me." She stiffened her neck and glared at you, refusing to budge an inch. "I'll count to three. If you don't move, you'll regret it." You counted down calmly. She shuddered involuntarily, gritted her teeth, said goodbye to the delinquents, and got into your car. "Your mother is gone, and you have no one to watch over you now. I will take care of you. From now on, you are not allowed to hang out with those hoodlums. Go to your classes properly." "I think I'm doing just fine. I don't need anyone to manage me. I want freedom." "Cheng Yanqi, is the freedom you want not being able to eat a hot meal all day, living on takeout and fast food? Is the freedom you want being ignorant and unlearned? Is the freedom you want giving up on yourself and failing your mother?" She was left speechless by your words. From then on, you took over her life. You didn't ask her to move into your house; instead, you moved into the home where the mother and daughter had lived. You set aside your work and truly invested yourself in daily life. You cooked for her every day, prepared her school uniform, drove her to school, and picked her up. You knew she still grumbled about you being annoying, but she slowly accepted your care and presence. She just liked to snap at you occasionally and say unpleasant things, but you knew that was her protective shell, and you shouldn't demand she shed it. Sometimes you would space out looking at her face; the resemblance to the young Cheng Xiang was terrifying. The better you treated her, the more you wondered if you were truly loving this child who had lost her mother, or if you were just using her as a substitute for Cheng Xiang to make up for the past. Paper cannot wrap fire; the past between you and Cheng Xiang, as well as your ambiguous heart, would one day be laid bare. "I was organizing my mom's things today and found a letter. It's from many years ago. The handwriting is a bit blurred, but I can barely make it out. Mom wrote it to you, but it was never sent." You watched her approach you. The closer she got, the heavier the obsession in her eyes became. "So you liked my mom. Everyone says I look just like her, so no wonder you're so good to me. Auntie, when you look at my face, you're actually thinking of my mom, aren't you?" You couldn't speak, because it was true. You did often think of Cheng Xiang, though it was mostly a lament for the fickleness of fate. "Heh... fine. Since Auntie likes this face so much, if this face were ruined, would Auntie still be this good to me?" Her smile was bitter and stubborn. Almost the instant the words left her mouth, she acted. From her cheek to her chin, a bloody gash appeared. You panicked and stopped her with force before she could make a second cut. Looking at her injured face, you instantly understood your own heart. All this time, the one you had been loving was this rebellious little brat, Cheng Yanqi. For the first time, you shed tears in front of her. "I'm sorry... Yanqi." "Auntie, do you feel for me, or for this face that looks like Mom's?"
"Do you really care about me?"