Sunlight illuminated the leaves and grass, and the air was filled with the scent of earth.
The more beautiful the world was at this moment, the more desolate Zhuang Zi'ang felt.
Afraid that his discomfiture would be seen by others, he quickly left the corridor, ran downstairs, and headed towards the playground.
As he ran, tears streamed down his face.
In the northwest corner of the basketball court, the trees grew densely.
Several tall ginkgo trees, vibrant green in the sunlight, presented a scene of flourishing vitality.
In this secluded corner, Zhuang Zi'ang fully unleashed his sorrow.
Large drops of tears soaked into the soil beneath his feet.
His throat was hoarse from crying.
He couldn't understand why Heaven was so unfair to him, as he had never done anything bad.
He had originally thought that death was a very distant matter.
When it arrived suddenly, it would instantly crush one's will.
As he cried, a piece of music, faint and ethereal, like a wisp of silk, reached Zhuang Zi'ang's ears.
At first, he thought he was hallucinating.
Gradually, the melody became clearer, its tune very special, full of twists and turns, winding back and forth.
La so so xi duo xi la, so la xi xi xi xi la xi la so...
Zhuang Zi'ang was certain he had never heard it before.
The ethereal music, like a stream, flowed through his heart.
The bone-deep sorrow was gradually soothed.
He opened his tear-filled eyes, looking at this world, both real and illusory.
"Hey, aren't you ashamed, a big boy like you, constantly crying?" a clear voice sounded from above his head.
Zhuang Zi'ang was caught off guard and startled.
He looked up and found a girl sitting on a branch of the ginkgo tree.
In an instant, his cheeks flushed crimson.
His disheveled state must have been completely seen by her.
The girl was very pretty, with an oval face, almond eyes, and an asymmetrical braid resting on her left shoulder.
She was wearing a pure white shirt paired with a deep blue pleated skirt that reached her calves; one foot wore a spotless white canvas shoe, while the other was bare.
Most striking was a blooming peach blossom tucked into her hair by her temple.
Zhuang Zi'ang had originally thought Lin Mushi was beautiful enough.
Compared to the girl in front of him, Lin Mushi seemed slightly inferior.
"Why aren't you in class?" Zhuang Zi'ang asked.
"Shh, keep your voice down," the girl said, putting her index finger to her lips.
Her fingers were beautiful, slender and long, like carved white jade.
Her lips were small and rosy, like freshly picked strawberries.
"Hello, my name is Zhuang Zi'ang, from Class 9," Zhuang Zi'ang introduced himself in a low voice.
"Su Yudie, Class 23, you can call me Xiao Hudie," the girl replied.
Her voice was lovely, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, like raindrops hitting banana leaves.
And like a breeze rising from the depths of a wheat field, stirring the wind chimes on the eaves.
Zhuang Zi'ang knew that their entire campus only had one grade, and that grade clearly only had 22 classes.
The other party saying Class 23 probably meant she was wary of him and unwilling to reveal her true class.
Su Yudie dangled her little foot: "Zhuang Zi'ang, help me pick up my shoe."
Zhuang Zi'ang followed her gaze and saw a white canvas shoe at the base of the tree.
It was probably kicked off accidentally when she playfully climbed the tree.
"As a girl, why did you climb so high?" Zhuang Zi'ang picked up the shoe and stood on his tiptoes to hand it up.
His gaze involuntarily fell on her lotus-root-like calves.
Her skin was delicate, and her lines were graceful.
What a perfect work of art.
At this moment, an evil thought suddenly popped into Zhuang Zi'ang's mind.
The girl above him was wearing a skirt.
If he just slightly adjusted his line of sight...
Of course, this was just a thought; he didn't do anything so vulgar.
Lust is the root of all evil; judge by actions, not by thoughts, for in thought, no one is perfect.
Su Yudie sat sideways on the tree branch, trying to adjust her posture several times, but still couldn't put on her shoe.
Zhuang Zi'ang stared at her intently, feeling a little nervous, afraid she would lose her balance.
"Help me put on my shoe," Su Yudie suddenly let her small foot hang down.
At the same time, she tossed the snow-white canvas shoe back to Zhuang Zi'ang.
This was their first meeting, and this request was a bit over the line.
But considering her current predicament, it was understandable.
Zhuang Zi'ang hesitated for a moment, swallowed, and then reached out, grasping her warm, delicate ankle.
It was his first time helping a girl put on a shoe; his heart beat fast, and his breathing was a little heavy.
It took a great deal of effort to get the canvas shoe on, and then he tied a somewhat ugly bow.
"Clumsy," Su Yudie teased with a smile.
"You're the clumsy one, climbing so high for no reason, and in a skirt too," Zhuang Zi'ang grumbled defiantly.
With her shoes on, Su Yudie looked at the ground and said, "It's so high, I'm a little scared, catch me."
Zhuang Zi'ang nodded, extended his arms, and gestured for the girl to jump down.
Su Yudie deliberated for a long time, finally mustered her courage, and leaped down.
Zhuang Zi'ang caught her steadily in a princess carry.
The soft body in his arms exuded a faint, girlish fragrance.
This scene was just like a scene from an idol drama.
Su Yudie looked up into Zhuang Zi'ang's eyes, her pretty face flushed: "Quickly put me down."
"Oh!" Zhuang Zi'ang quickly helped her stand firm.
Their eyes met, and both smiled simultaneously.
Su Yudie's clean, clear smile, like warm sunlight, dispelled the gloom and coldness in Zhuang Zi'ang's heart.
This girl, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, possessed a mysterious magic.
"Why are you hiding here crying for no reason?" Su Yudie asked curiously.
"I encountered some sad things and wanted to vent," Zhuang Zi'ang tried to make his tone sound light and breezy.
"Aren't you ashamed? I've also encountered some sad things, and I haven't cried!" Su Yudie pouted her small lips.
Zhuang Zi'ang shook his head with a bitter smile, not arguing.
Looking at Su Yudie's age, similar to his own, with such an optimistic demeanor, how could she understand his sadness?
She was as young as the rising sun, just beginning to show its light.
While he was the evening sun, about to crash into the mountaintop in a splash of blood, and then have its last ray of light quickly swallowed by the night.
The world became dark and cold.
He didn't know where his soul would wander.
The pleasant sound of the class bell rang out, echoing across the empty playground.
The lifeless teaching building, its vitality revived at this moment.
This was the fourth class of the morning, ushering in the joyful lunch break, and the classrooms on every floor stirred with activity.
Su Yudie blinked: "If you're unhappy, I'll take you out to play, eat delicious food, and don't cry again without my permission."
Listening to these slightly domineering words, Zhuang Zi'ang, as if by some strange impulse, nodded in agreement.
The warmth that had been drawn from his body seemed to be returned by this bright sunlight.
Even if only three months of life remained, every single day was worth treating seriously.
If life had no length, it could still have width.
The girl in front of him was like a lively angel, specially sent to guide him and save his soul.