Chapter 46: A Childhood Friend

When she saw herself being rescued, Ako could see the expression on that child’s face—relief and wild joy.

Just as she was about to say something, a loud slap rang out right beside her ear.

Yes, that was right—at twenty-something, she had been slapped hard by a child barely eleven or twelve.

Still weak and dazed, she saw the child, tears streaming down his face, gripping her shoulders: “What do you even think life is?!”

Shu and Yuzi worked so hard to pull you back from the Sanzu River, and what are you doing?

Are you trampling on everything we sacrificed? If Yuzi found out you chose this death, what would she think?

Do you think dying will make her feel lighter? No! Your actions will make her, who saw nothing but you, blame herself for the rest of her life!

What’s a little paralysis of the legs? There are countless people in this world suffering worse than you, yet they fight desperately to live—while you’re trying to kill yourself!

Didn’t the doctor say there’s a full chance of recovery? Even if the treatment costs are astronomical, so what?!

Neither Shu nor Yuzi gave up—how could you have given up on yourself first?!

That day, in the hospital room, Shengzai’s furious shouts echoed from his heart, and Ako, struck straight to the soul, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and burst into tears.

She never imagined that as an adult, she would now be scolded face-to-face by a half-grown child.

And faced with his reprimand, Ako found not a single excuse to defend herself—she even felt too ashamed to meet Shengzai’s eyes.

To be honest, when she first woke up, Ako found Shengzai’s presence quite unfamiliar.

Unlike Yuzi, who had lived with Shengzai for years, Ako’s impression of him still lingered on him being her fiancé’s younger brother.

When her sister Yuzi told her that Shengzai had been adopted by her, that they had all taken the Wen surname, and that her years of medical expenses were mostly covered by Shengzai’s earnings as a child star, Ako was stunned—and deeply grateful.

She had survived that day thanks to Shengzai’s emergency aid; all subsequent treatment relied on him.

Strictly speaking, Shengzai had already saved her twice… no, counting this moment, he had saved her three times.

That slap from Shengzai, and his words, had completely shaken Ako awake.

From that day on, Ako regarded Shengzai as her true family, doting on and paying attention to him even more than her own biological sister, Yuzi.

After being rescued from the hospital, Ako kept trying to mend her relationship with Shengzai, but he remained cold toward her from that day onward.

And this state lasted for months—until her birthday…

From then on, what Ako feared most was that Shengzai might suddenly get angry and ignore her.

“Enough of these gloomy topics. Today is Shengzai’s first day at Yangdong High School.”

Didn’t we agree to celebrate properly tonight?”

“If you’re willing to help out, I won’t tell Shengzai that little brat about what just happened.”

As Yuzi spoke, she shoved the blender and a bowl full of egg whites into Ako’s hands, making her help with the work.

“Yuzi’s grown up so much—such a mischievous girl. If you ever marry, your husband will probably be utterly exhausted.”

This time, Yuzi didn’t get angry, because she could tell her sister was teasing her.

“Hmph, if I ever marry, who’s going to take care of you, sister?” Yuzi retorted, unwilling to lose the argument.

“I’m not worried—I’ve got little Shengzai. He’s far gentler than someone else.” Ako rotated the mixer in her hand, skillfully whipping cream, and grinned smugly.

“Have you forgotten already? Shengzai’s seventeen now—a high school student, not the little kid who used to bathe with us.”

“And given his shy, timid personality even as a child, do you really expect him to take care of your daily life?”

Hearing Yuzi’s words, Ako seemed to picture something in her mind—and instantly blushed bright red.

As for Shengzai, upon entering Yangdong High, he encountered a boy and two girls wearing the same school uniform.

“Arima, haven’t we not seen each other in years? But you don’t seem to have changed much—your height, for instance.”

Looking at the boy and two girls before him, Shengzai swallowed the toast in his mouth and spoke to one of them—a beautiful girl with wine-red hair—with a teasing tone.

Twelve years had passed; because of moving, Shengzai and Arima Kanai’s bond wasn’t as close as it had been in childhood.

But due to work, they occasionally crossed paths—and if Shengzai remembered correctly, the last time he saw Kanai was two or three years ago.

Back then, she was in third year of junior high; now, she was in second year of high school.

To be frank, after two or three years, the girl hadn’t changed much—her face was still as childish as ever, and though her chest had filled out a bit, her height remained painfully short.

Upon seeing Shengzai, Arima Kanai clearly froze—she hadn’t expected to run into so many familiar faces today.

Yes, that was right: besides Shengzai before her, the boy and girl who had just walked beside her were also people Kanai had known since childhood.

As the former “child prodigy,” Kanai had only ever been beaten twice in performances by her peers.

One was the former junior who now far outpaced her—Wen Shengzai.

The other was Star Ye Akuya, whom she had met once on set.

Today, she had first unexpectedly encountered a rival she’d only seen once—and now, her childhood friend and former junior.

Compared to Star Ye Akuya, Kanai was far more familiar with Shengzai, since the former was only a one-time encounter years ago; Kanai remembered Akuya mostly because it was the first time she lost to a peer.

As for Shengzai—he was her real, genuine childhood friend, but later, due to certain changes, her title as “child prodigy” faded.

Her mother was disappointed and moved back to their hometown; Kanai, too, relocated for work, so her contact with this childhood friend dwindled.

(End of chapter)