N-M Chapter 57 Cemetery
Chapter 57 Cemetery
Lu Yuan stared at Ye Yixian with a deep gaze, remaining silent for a long time.
When Ye Yixian uttered the words "I don't need you," his heart felt as if it had been squeezed by an invisible hand, throbbing with pain and trembling, even causing his breath to catch in his throat.
In my past life, when I was in dire straits, with nowhere to turn and my heart filled with despair and darkness, she appeared without warning, like a ray of light, illuminating my pitch-black world.
But now, she is overwhelmed by rumors and her shameful past, falling into the most desperate situation of her life, and she is powerless to do anything about it.
But the silence lasted only a moment before Lu Yuan raised his hand again, firmly grasping Ye Yixian's wrist, his gaze unwavering, not allowing her to break free.
Ye Yixian instinctively struggled, trying to pull her hand back, but Lu Yuan's palm was warm and strong, holding her tightly without any intention of letting go.
The heavy rain outside the window was still pouring down, with large raindrops hitting the ground and splashing up layers of water. The rumbling thunder rolled across the sky, enveloping everything in a damp and oppressive atmosphere.
Looking at her reddened eyes, Lu Yuan said, word by word, "No, you need me."
"I don't need it!"
Ye Yixian shook her head desperately, tears welling up in her eyes, trying her best to escape from the person in front of her who made her feel at ease, yet whom she was afraid of being a burden to.
Lu Yuan knew better than anyone that Ye Yixian didn't really not need him.
She was just afraid—afraid that her shameful past would bring Lu Yuan endless trouble and make him the subject of gossip and judgment.
Finally, the emotions that had been suppressed for so long finally broke down, and Ye Yixian burst into tears, her voice choked with sobs as she looked at Lu Yuan almost pleadingly:
"What they said is true. My father is in jail, my brother has a criminal record for theft, I'm a person with a stain on my record. If you get too close to me, you'll only get more and more trouble, and everyone will laugh at you..."
"Lu Yuan, I really don't know why you're so good to me, but from now on, please stop worrying about me, okay? Please..."
This was the first time Lu Yuan had ever seen Ye Yixian cry so uncontrollably. The girl who was usually stubborn and pretended to be strong was now crying like a helpless child.
He suddenly realized that in the past ten years or so when no one cared about her, she must have suffered countless grievances and secretly cried in a secluded corner.
At that time, she had no shoulder to lean on, no one willing to listen to her troubles, and she could only swallow her grievances silently.
No one will stand up for her or protect her.
She seemed to have family, but her so-called home was never her safe haven; it was just an empty, cold place.
Her childhood was never about happiness.
Thinking about all this, Lu Yuan felt even more heartbroken and knew he could never leave her.
His gaze grew even more resolute as he looked at Ye Yixian, who was weeping uncontrollably, and said firmly, "I don't care what kind of person you are, or what your past is like. I only know that if I ever encounter difficulties, you will definitely help me without hesitation."
"I won't!"
Ye Yixian shook her head violently, looking at Lu Yuan through teary eyes, her voice trembling with sobs.
But even she herself couldn't believe that.
If it were just half a month ago, she and Lu Yuan would have been complete strangers, and she probably wouldn't have cared about anything Lu Yuan did, let alone been moved by it.
But things are different now. Although this period of time is short, it is enough for Lu Yuan to warm her frozen heart little by little.
Lu Yuan gave her a warmth and sense of security she had never felt in the past ten years, letting her know for the first time what it felt like to be cared for and chosen firmly by someone.
If Lu Yuan were to find himself in dire straits someday, she would never stand idly by; she would be willing to give everything for him.
It was precisely because of this unconcealable feeling, and because she was willing to give everything for him, that Ye Yixian was forced to leave him.
Even if she had to bear all the malice and suffering alone, she didn't want to cause Lu Yuan the slightest trouble.
"You can't fool me." Lu Yuan looked at her flustered and evasive eyes, gently increased the strength of his grip, and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "You're really bad at lying."
"Let me go! Let me go, Lu Yuan, let go of me..."
Ye Yixian struggled desperately in his arms, pushing against his chest with both hands, trying to break free from this embrace that she craved but dared not approach.
But after her emotional breakdown, her strength had become weak and powerless. After struggling several times, all that was left was exhaustion and helplessness.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she threw herself into Lu Yuan's arms and burst into tears.
The cold rain soaked their clothes completely, making them cling to their bodies, but their embrace felt incredibly warm.
This embrace seemed to completely connect their hearts, bringing them closer than ever before.
Ye Yixian cried in his arms for a long, long time. Her suppressed sobs, mixed with the occasional thunderclaps in the sky, echoed clearly in Lu Yuan's ears, each sound striking his heart.
After an unknown amount of time, the torrential rain gradually subsided and eventually stopped. Ye Yixian's tears finally dried up, leaving only intermittent sobs.
Lu Yuan gently raised his hand and tenderly stroked her back, his movements as gentle as if he were cherishing a rare treasure, his voice deep and soothing:
"Don't be afraid. I'll be with you from now on. I promise you, no one will ever bully you again, and no one will ever make you suffer."
Ye Yixian hugged Lu Yuan tightly around the waist, her hands gripping his wet clothes tightly.
The corner of my heart that was originally filled with despair was gradually filled with a strong sense of warmth.
Suddenly, I felt that this world, so devastated, wasn't so hopeless after all.
But she still couldn't let go of her burden. Her voice choked with emotion, and she said in a low voice, half-heartedly, "No, I'm a very unlucky person. If you stay with me, you'll only have endless trouble."
Do you think I'm the kind of person who hates trouble?
Lu Yuan looked down at the girl in his arms, whose eyes were red-rimmed, and smiled gently. His tone was calm and composed, yet full of confidence.
Ye Yixian was speechless for a moment. Yes, Lu Yuan never seemed to be afraid of trouble.
Without him, Dean of Students Zhang Dabiao would not have chosen to downplay the incident.
Lu Yuan knew that her defenses were slowly crumbling, so he gently released his grip on her and said calmly:
"No matter what happens in the future, you must protect yourself first. Never impulsively fight with others again, and never say those foolish things."
Even if the whole world doesn't believe in you, I will stand by your side unconditionally, believe in you, and protect you.
If anything happens in the future, you can tell me immediately, and we'll figure out how to deal with those problems together.
"But..." Ye Yixian lowered her head, and before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Lu Yuan.
"There aren't that many 'buts'." Lu Yuan looked at her earnestly and said, "You have to believe me too. As long as I'm here, the future will definitely get better."
Ye Yixian opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She simply raised her eyes and stared blankly at Lu Yuan.
Seeing him soaked to the bone and looking rather disheveled because of her, she was immediately filled with self-reproach and heartache.
The two stared at each other silently for a long time. Finally, Ye Yixian said dejectedly, "Could you come with me somewhere?"
……
The rain had completely stopped, but the sky remained overcast, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of damp earth after the rain.
The cemetery outside the city was not as clean and tidy as depicted in TV dramas. The road leading to the cemetery was a rugged mountain path, which was muddy after being washed by rain, making every step extremely difficult.
Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian were soaked to the bone, their trouser legs covered in mud and bits of weeds, and their feet were ice cold. They finally managed to reach a simple grave before stopping.
The grave is very simple, with only one name engraved on the small tombstone: Lin Jinhua.
The tombstone was small, and the grave mound was made of earth, without any fancy decorations.
The grave was surrounded by weeds, except for a small patch of bare ground in front of the tombstone, which showed that people often walked around there, hence the lack of vegetation.
The tombstone still bears traces of incense and candles left from last year's Qingming Festival worship, and many withered roses are placed beside it.
Looking at all this, Lu Yuan already had a guess, and asked softly, "Is this... your mother's grave?"
Ye Yixian paid no heed to the mud on the ground. He squatted in front of the grave, gazing silently at the name on the tombstone. After a long silence, he gently nodded.
"Yes, my mother passed away not long after I was born. Whenever I encounter something unhappy or feel wronged, I come here and tell her all my troubles."
"So that's how it is."
Lu Yuan immediately composed himself, his expression becoming serious and solemn. He clasped his hands together before the tombstone, bowed deeply, and then asked softly, "And what about these withered roses?"
"You gave them to me." Ye Yixian turned her head, glanced at him, and then slowly lowered her head, her voice soft and tinged with caution. "You gave me a lot of roses that day. I couldn't bear to throw them away, but I didn't know how to preserve them properly. I thought Mom would definitely like such beautiful flowers, so I kept nine for myself and gave the rest to her."
Actually, she was a little uneasy, wondering if she was doing the right thing. After all, so many roses were quite expensive, and it would be too wasteful to just put them in a cemetery.
Lu Yuan wasn't displeased at all; on the contrary, he thought she did the right thing.
Ninety-nine roses—aside from being held by her at the 100-day countdown rally, I never thought of any other way to dispose of them. If it were someone else, they might have just thrown them into the trash can after they withered.
In contrast, Ye Yixian's act of giving flowers to his deceased mother, allowing this beautiful gift to accompany her, gave the sentiment a more precious meaning.
Ye Yixian gazed at the tombstone and continued softly, "That day was the happiest day I've had in all these years. Before, when I visited my mother, I always poured out my troubles and told her about my grievances. It was so rare to be able to share something happy with her. She must be happy for me in heaven."
Hearing these words, Lu Yuan felt a surge of indescribable sorrow.
If Ye Yixian had a friend she could confide in at any time, or a family member she could rely on, she wouldn't have to cry to her deceased mother every time she suffered injustice.
He also knelt down beside Ye Yixian and said gently:
"Yes, Auntie will be very happy. In heaven, her greatest wish would surely be for you to live a happy and peaceful life. And I, like her, only wish for you to be well."
These heartfelt words struck the softest spot in Ye Yixian's heart.
She turned to look at Lu Yuan beside her, her eyes welling up with tears again. An overwhelming urge surged within her; she longed to embrace Lu Yuan and never be apart from him for the rest of her life.