Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lu Lingchuan stood in place, letting the rainwater wash over him.

【Lu Lingchuan, will you really give me a home in the future?】

Accompanying the sound of the rain, Shen Nian's voice suddenly appeared in his ears, and the scenes from back then played in his mind like a movie.

During high school, Shen Nian was very innocent. Although she could only wear school uniforms at school, whenever they went out on dates on weekends, she would wear simple white dresses with her hair tied in high ponytails, looking full of youth.

Her looks were not of the stunning kind, her features were more on the soft side. Especially when she smiled, she gave off the feeling of first love like a breath of spring air.

She held his arm, smiling with eyes narrowed to slits, and asked him.

Lu Lingchuan, will you really give me a home in the future?

What did he say back then?

He said——

【I will, I'll give you two homes.】

He would bring her into his family, and after getting married they would have their own little home.

Upon hearing this answer, Shen Nian was very happy at the time.

【Then in the future when I want water I want you to pour it for me, when I want desserts I want you to buy them for me, when there is thunder and lightning I want you to accompany me, okay?】

She had been afraid of thunder since she was little. Her mom used to accompany her, but now that her mom was gone, she wanted Lu Lingchuan to accompany her.

【Okay.】 He agreed without any hesitation.

“Boom!”

Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder, and Lu Lingchuan was abruptly jolted back to alertness. He swiftly turned around and strode with large steps back towards the apartment building.

He rushed back at top speed, planning to immediately rush into the bedroom after opening the door to pull her into his embrace without delay.

But upon touching the door handle, the sound of weeping came from inside, and Lu Lingchuan froze abruptly.

Shen Nian leaned against the bed, her hands tightly circling her own legs as she buried her head and cried.

It was still thundering outside, the lightning illuminating her body. In the huge bedroom she was all alone, freely venting the grievances pent up in her heart.

She sobbed so hard she choked on it, the weeping contained such repression, the sounds were very small, yet they accurately struck Lu Lingchuan's heart.

“Wu... ah wu--”

Suddenly Lu Lingchuan lost all strength, unable to grasp the door handle no matter how he tried.

His proud head drooped down slowly, his brow furrowed tightly.

Yet she is also atoning, hoping to alleviate her own guilty conscience.

The Lu family had been so good to her in those years, just as Lu Lingrui had been so good to her. Even now when relations between her and the Lu family had chilled to rock bottom, she still cannot refute that it was Lu Lingchuan and Lu Lingrui who pulled her up from the abyss of pain and suffering after losing her parents back then.

They gave her warmth and love.

It is said that to owe another money may be unreasonable, but to owe another's affection is the most reasonable. She owes the Lu family and must repay it.

...........................

It was the weekend and Shen Nian was off.

She had gotten up early, showering before casually applying some makeup and styling her hair in soft waves. She also changed into a goose yellow dress.

She was dressed up very meticulously, because today she would be attending the 100th founding anniversary celebration at A University, her alma mater.

A University was also Lu Lingchuan's alma mater.

It was likewise the university Lu Lingrui had dreamed of attending.

Taking a taxi to arrive at A University, it had been close to two years since she was last back. A University had changed tremendously.

She called Zhou Teacher, who had been in charge of guiding her studies in the past. Zhou Teacher quickly rushed over to the school gates to fetch her, very happy upon seeing Shen Nian.

“Little Nian, I really didn't expect you would come.”

She had heard Shen Nian was always busy with work.

Shen Nian's lips curled up. “It's the hundred year school celebration. As A University's child I should return on such an occasion.”

The teacher laughed even more happily as she led Shen Nian inside.

"In these past two years our school has changed a lot, especially the added greenery. Look..."

"Mm, quite big changes indeed."

Since it was the hundred year celebration today the school put up special decorations, with balloons and horizontal banners lining both sides of the pathways, the entire campus filled with a festive aura.

Shen Nian had only just passed her 23rd birthday not long ago, yet she had already graduated many years. Students who entered university the same year as her were only graduating now – this was the disparity.

The teacher asked how her job was going. Shen Nian patiently answered her queries.

Zhou Teacher first brought Shen Nian to the school’s Hall of Fame. Lining the hallway were picture frames spaced at intervals.

Shen Nian knew of A University’s Hall of Fame. Only the school’s outstanding graduates could be displayed here.

The faces in the earlier frames were strangers to Shen Nian, graduates from many years ago.

When looking at one particular frame, her gaze halted.