Fallen Flower

Xiao You Ren woke up in the middle of the night when a chill started to stab his bones. His gaze was fixed on the wide open window. The night wind casually played the thin hanging curtains.  Under the half moon, Xiao You Ren snuggled up on his bed.  Too weak for him to move and close the apartment window.  However, the increasingly harsh winds always managed to freeze him.  His impulses forced him to move and close the window.  Xiao You Ren pulled the wooden ledge on the window and slightly healed his head.  His netra accidentally looked down.  In front of a pet shop building, someone noticed him. Xiao You Ren noticed that and sharpened his eyes, but the person immediately turned around and left.

It's been two nights, ever since he was sick and off work, Xiao You Ren had always seen the same figure, in the same place.  Suspicion began to grow in his heart, but he threw it away.  Xiao You Ren immediately closed the window and the curtains.  He lay back in his bed, though for the rest of the night he stayed awake until it was nearly five in the morning.  His mind was still filled with the same thing, Zheng Liam and all his treatment.  Xiao You Ren admitted that he was swayed by the man's kindness, but he never expected that it would end like this.  With that warm treatment, it was absolutely certain for Xiao You Ren to fall into the abyss that Zheng Liam created.

"It's true, the stupid thing called love is just stupidity."  The sentence started closing his eyes, he fell back asleep in the arms of the blanket.

When something rubbed against his face, Xiao You Ren opened his eyes to see the fat cat.  Lie, looks very spoiled and occasionally meows.  Xiao You Ren glanced at the clock on the nightstand, finding that the hour hand was already perched at seven.  His hand then turned to caress Lie's soft white fur.

"Are you hungry?"  he asked, rising from the bed.  "I'll give you some food."

Xiao You Ren felt that his body had improved and that he could return to work, but Zhao Yuzi said he had been off for three days.  So, Xiao You Ren took this opportunity to go shopping, buying some of his necessities.  After making the bed, Xiao You Ren led himself towards the kitchen.  Take out a pack of cat food and fill Lie's feeding trough to the brim.  He ate a loaf of bread, then rushed to get ready to go to the nearest supermarket.

His footsteps slowly walked down the sidewalk, not only because his body was still a little weak, but also because he wanted to enjoy the morning view.  It had been a long time since the last time he had been able to walk leisurely like today, noticing the buildings that had never really changed.

Back in college, Xiao You Ren really liked this activity, walking slowly to avoid arriving too soon.  He has few bad memories of his college days.  Some college students liked to tease him, just because he wore big round glasses and was so quiet.  Xiao You Ren feels that is how the world revolves, there is always the oppressed and oppressor.  So he doesn't mind it, even though it adds to the bad impact on him.  However, Xiao You Ren had already forgotten about it.

A heavy sigh escaped his mouth.  It doesn't feel like he's already in front of the super market, it's not that far away.  Xiao You Ren took his steps into the building.  His head was bowed deeply and his hands tightened around his jacket.  The end of autumn was indeed very cold, apart from his body being unable to withstand the cold due to illness, his skin was also very sensitive.  His whole body was covered in a red rash.  When in front of the door, he accidentally bumped into someone's body.

The man was walking while chatting with his friend and Xiao You Ren walking down his head, it was only natural for the collision to happen and quite loud.  The man's belongings fell.  Even if it's just a little bit, the feeling of irritation still lingers in his heart.

"Don't you have eyes?"  the man shouted loudly, causing Xiao You Ren to lower his head even more.

"My apologies, sir," Xiao You Ren said hoarsely.  He really didn't know this was going to happen.  Immediately he crouched down and picked up the boy's things, putting them in a shopping bag.

"Stupid!  It seems that you not only have no eyes, but also self-confidence.  Until you walk with your head down."  The man wore a slanted, mocking smile.  Even though it escaped Xiao You Ren's sight, the condescending tone of voice clearly pierced his heart.  Even though he had heard hurtful words many times, he still wasn't used to it.

"Sorry," Xiao You Ren said again in a low voice.  He handed the shopping bag to the taller man, but there was no response from him.  Xiao You Ren did not look at the face of the man in front of him, he did not have the courage to do so.

The person in the rhyme standing next to the man reached out and took the shopping bag in Xiao You Ren's hand. "Thank you and sorry for what he did," the other man said in a friendly tone and smiled gently.

Xiao You Ren slightly raised his head to take a look.  The pupils behind the round glasses seemed to dilate, feeling both surprised and uncomfortable.  With a quick movement Xiao You Ren left the two mens after saying a few words.

"Very disrespectful," the rude man chirped.

"Isn't he Xiao You Ren?"  the other chimed in and was still watching Xiao You Ren's back slowly hiding behind the door.

"Ah, that brat."

…..

Xiao You Ren clearly remembered it.  The faces were familiar, which gave a hint of unease in his heart.  Xiao You Ren thought he would never see them again, not even one of them.  He never wanted a sudden meeting like this, it felt like the bad memories were greeting him again.  On the side of the shelves, where the various goods in the super market, Xiao You Ren sighed, which was starting to feel heavy.  Pain moved up from the tip of his feet, always like this the restlessness often tickled his heart.

"Everything is fine.  Calm down, Xiao You Ren," he muttered quietly to himself.  Immediately he moved to grab a shopping trolley and sifted through the necessary items, trying to distract himself.

In the midst of shopping activities, the sound of his cell phone interrupts.  Several times ignored and several times the phone rang.  Xiao You Ren couldn't help checking the thing and saw Zhao Yuzi's name printed on the screen.  Without thinking, he accepted the call.  I'm afraid there's something important going on at the company.

"Hello, Yuzi.  What is it?"  he asked in a serious tone.

"You Ren…" Zhao Yuzi hung up on her sentence.  Makes the wrinkles visible on Xiao You Ren's forehead.  His thoughts about such a big problem would actually happen.

"You Ren, after work… can I stop by?  Just wanted to see you and tell you a few things.  Is it allowed?"

Doubt was clear in the girl's voice. Don't know what made her like that, but Xiao You Ren secretly sighed lightly.  The relief seemed to burst in, though he didn't deny that a strange feeling was still bothering him.

"Of course you can.  I'll make some food for us."

"You are still sick, You Ren.  Better not to cook, I'll buy food on the way."  Zhao Yuzi's voice changed as usual with a hint of motherly firmness.  Maybe she really was worried about Xiao You Ren.

"Hmm, fine."

The call ended and made them return to their respective jobs.

…..

In late autumn, the sky will quickly darken.  Even when the time is still a few minutes past five in the afternoon.  The cold air really tickles the surface of the skin, maybe it can grip the bones.  Xiao You Ren couldn't stand that kind of air.  Even though the heater had been installed in his apartment, it still felt unfriendly to his body.  A knit sweater hugged him tightly and a scarf wrapped around his neck.

Xiao You Ren dumbly looked straight out the glass window, seeing the expanse of the sky shrouded in darkness.  Part of his body was hidden in a table covered with a thick blanket.  One hand gently stroked the fur of his cat, Lie, who was lying down beside Xiao You Ren.  They were waiting for Zhao Yuzi's arrival.

For the first time he waited for someone to come to his apartment, after Xiao You Ren decided to live alone no one wanted to stop by.  His older brother, Han Yu, would only meet him at a restaurant or places other than his apartment.  Not infrequently the man also forced Xiao You Ren to return to their home when the holidays arrived.  Even then Xiao You Ren never stayed there.  He felt uncomfortable.