"Time may numb the ache of old wounds, but it rarely erases the memory of the pain that once pierced the heart."
Chapter # 03
She was standing on the footpath, holding a bouquet of red roses in her hand . The day was bathed in a soft, serene light, with a gentle breeze rustling her dark brown hair into a playful tangle around her face.
As the traffic signal turned red, all the vehicles came to a halt. Her dark brown hair fluttering behind her as she crossed the road. Reaching the other side of the road, she entered a nearby alley.
On the corner of the street was a small but elegant bakery. She stopped in front of the bakery and adjusted her round-framed glasses.
The different aromas coming from the bakery were causing a headache, she covered her nose with her hand as she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Inside the bakery, there were few customers and two salesmen and a saleswoman.
By the cash counter in the bakery, a middle-aged man standing and talking to a younger boy sitting there. When he saw the girl, he smiled and waved at her .
The girl removed her hand from her nose and smiled, walking towards him. As she approached, the man exclaimed loudly, "Selena!! Parcel the pineapple cake!" and looked at her
" Uncle, hurry!!!" She said with a pout, making an innocent face. The man laughed, shaking his head "Selena, hurry!" He repeated in loud voice before stretching out his hand and embracing her warmly .
" Adiee, if you don't like coming here, then don't come, my child!!! I tell you every time that I can deliver the cake home, but you never listen to me." She didn't like the bakery, but still, she came here every year to get the pineapple cake.
"Yes, David Uncle!!! I absolutely don't like this place because it's all filled with sweet things, and you know I don't like sweet things. And those chocolate cakes in the glass shelves, they just raise my blood pressure! I don't know how people can eat such weird things..." She said, glaring at the chocolate cakes on the shelves. The customers started looking at her in surprise upon hearing her words.
Uncle David glanced at the surrounding customers before swiftly pulling her to a corner by her arm . " Adeline, keep your voice down, please. The people who come here are people with a sweet tooth, and if they hear your words, they'll think you're an alien. "
Adeline looked at him with her mouth wide open in disbelief" Uncle!! What's so strange about it?? I just don't like sweets, and can't this world have people who don't like sweets,huh!!! " She exclaimed folding her arms across her chest .
"Alright, my dear sweetie... How have you been? It feels like ages since you moved to the city for work, and we hardly get to see you anymore..." He hadn't even completed his sentence when a tall young man from behind gently hit Adeline's head with a paper roll.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed, clutching her head and turning around. The man looked at her in surprise and, and excitedly grabbed her by the arms. "Matchstick, it's you!!! " He exclaimed excitedly " Forgive me, I thought it was a cockroach, that's why I hit." He said, feigning regret after finishing his sentence.
Adeline's face turned red with anger. She adjusted her glasses with her finger and kicked His leg hard with her foot. "Ahh!" Edward cried out in pain.
"Oh, Edward, it's you! I thought it was a centipede!!" She exclaimed, mimicking his earlier surprise.
Edward burst out laughing when he saw her like that. "Matchstick, what are you doing here? Did you take a wrong turn, huh? I was wondering why the customers were suddenly running away, but now that I've seen you, it all makes sense." He said, trying to hide his mischievous grin.
Adeline's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, " What did you just say ?! " She growled
Uncle stepped in between the two of them and stood there. "Both of you, stop fighting and Edward, what's gotten into you? You shouldn't be teasing her like this..." He scolded Edward, who looked down, scratching his head, and said "Sorry, Uncle".
Adeline stood behind uncle, folding her hands back, smiled triumphantly.
" Alright, take the cake and escort Adeline home, " uncle ordered him.
" No way, uncle!! I won't go with this space creature!!!"
" And I also won't go with this matchstick!!" Both of them refused in unison.
Uncle looked at both of them and said, "Do as I say, both of you. Adeline, you're invited to my place for dinner this evening, and Edward, you're invited too." Uncle said, glancing at Edward. "You both come to the city on vacations... I miss you both so much." He said affectionately, taking Adeline's face in his hands, and Adeline smiled.
" come sooner, okay " uncle said. Adeline nodded her head and uncle affectionately kissed her forehead. Edward rolled his eyes playfully at the two of them .
"Here's the cake!" Selena extended a plastic bag towards Adeline. Edward was about to grab the bag when Adeline quickly snatched it from Selena's hand. "This is mine, I'll carry it myself!"
Edward ran his hand through his light golden hair. "Yes, take it, I don't like pineapple cake at all, and besides, the wind is blowing strongly outside, you might get blown away so yeah, You should have something to hold onto for safety's sake. Carry it !! " He said nonchalantly, showing her his thumb and walked out.
At this, uncle also burst out laughing, and Adeline's mouth fell open. " Foolish, useless person!!!' She exclaimed in frustration.
"Okay carefully go now, child, and don't forget to come at my home in the evening... " Uncle said patting her head .
She had already stayed here in the bakery for long enough, and couldn't stay any longer. Adeline quickly nodded and bid him goodbye, then rushed out of the bakery. Outside, Edward was waiting for her. She glanced at Edward, then turned her face away and quickly started walking in the opposite direction, not wanting to go with that annoying, irresistible centipede.
When Edward saw her, he quickly ran after her and tried to keep pace with her. She was walking very fast, and seeing him, she started walking even faster. "Whoa! You've put your speed on turbo! Slow down a bit!" he said, teasing her, but she didn't stop and kept walking fast. "Adeline! My sweet matchstick, the police aren't after you, so why are you running like this?" he said with a smile, and at the mention of the police, she slowed down her pace.
" Ah, thank God" He said, relieved to see her walking at a normal pace. " Guess what!! You should participate in the Olympics, your walking speed is so fast, I'm damn sure you can run even faster!"
She stopped and turned to face him, " listen, if you want to walk with me, then walk quietly. Otherwise, I'll knock your teeth out !!!" She hissed, her teeth clenched in annoyance.
Edward leaned in close to her face and said with a smirk, "Go ahead and knock them out!! I wouldn't mind at all if a beautiful girl like you turned my handsome face into a broken guitar."
His piercing diamond-blue eyes, his breathtaking smile, and those charming dimples on his cheeks made Adeline feel like her heartbeats stopped for a second. She blushed and turned her face away so he wouldn't notice, and gladly he didn't. Once again, she quickened her pace.
Edward slapped his forehead, " What on earth do you eat, woman ?? No normal human can have this much speed!"
She turned to him and growled " Human flesh!!!!!!!!"
He chuckled" that is why you look twenty-five when you're actually thirty-five. No offense but I always wondered what the secret of your beauty is...…. now I get it , Human flesh heheheh "
" I'm thirty-two years old " She corrected him immediately.
"What's the difference, really? You'll be thirty-five in just three years..." He said, chuckling. Adeline scowled, puzzled about why ages beyond thirty seemed so unappealing.
After a while, they stood in front of a large gate. It was the entrance to a society, with tall buildings inside. You couldn't say it was a society of the rich, nor could you say it was a society of the poor. The buildings in the society were beautifully constructed in a modern style, but the modern paint and decorations couldn't hide their old stories beneath them . The third building was where Zhang Wei lived.
As Adeline was about to enter through the gate, she felt that Edward wasn't following her. She turned around and saw him standing there, staring at the door. His face was filled with immense pain, and he looked sad, unlike his joyful self throughout their way. Adeline looked at him and lowered her eyes, knowing he was sad, but he had already noticed her sadness earlier and was trying to distract her from it during their way.
She gazed at him affectionately and asked, "Won't you come in with me?" He shifted his gaze from the gate to her and responded, "Have I ever accompanied you inside before?"But this wasn't a question; it was an answer he gave.
Adeline approached him, took his hand in hers, and said, "It's been sixteen years, Edward. Sixteen years!!" She emphasized, her gaze piercing his, as if searching for something. Then she completed her sentence, "Let her go, now "
Edward's gaze met hers, his normally soft diamond-blue eyes now flashing with sternness. Adeline noticed a vein throbbing on his forehead as his face reddened and hardened, as if her words had a profoundly unpleasant effect on him. "You may be capable of disloyalty, but I am not!" he said harshly and pulled his hand back.
Tears had welled up in Adeline's eyes, but he couldn't see them because of the sunlight reflecting off her glasses.
He gazed at Adeline's face, etched with hurt, and regretted the harshness of his previous words. He swallowed hard, his tone softening, and said, "Please, go inside and meet him. I'll wait for you out here."
"No, you don't need to wait for me. I'll leave myself, and besides, it will take me a little longer." She said and walked inside through the door without waiting for his response.
He watched her go and closed his eyes in frustration. "How long will I keep hurting the people around me!!! How long!! You're the one responsible for all this, Zhang Wei!! Only you!!" He said to himself. He stood there for a moment, lost in thought, gazing intensely at the 9th floor of the third building before finally turning to leave.
"I know the world will hate him, but don't you hate him, Adeline!! Don't hate him!!" Adeline stood outside the apartment door where Zhang Wei used to live. Zhang Wei's last words were echoing in her mind which held her last wish.
How terrible her last wish was !! Adeline wanted to hate that person, she wanted to hate that person the most, more than anyone else in the world. But this was the problem - she couldn't hate that person, and nor did she. If that person deserved hatred, then she too was equally deserving of it.
She took out a key from the small purse hanging on her shoulder and unlocked the gate. She entered the house and placed her shoes in the cabinet attached to the wall. After passing through the entrance, there was a small but beautiful lounge, and on the wall opposite the lounge, a large framed photograph of Zhang Shen and his wife's wedding day was prominently displayed.
To the right of the lounge was a room, and opposite it was the kitchen. She locked the door behind her and headed to the kitchen. She beautifully decorated the cake and placed a small candle on it. On the left side of the lounge were two rooms. She walked towards the room on the left side of the lounge. She slowly opened the door, it was Zhang Wei's room, and it was still the same as before. On Zhang Wei's study table, a man was sitting, his shoulders slumped, and his hair was completely white.
She approached him and knelt down beside him. With a warm smile, she asked, "Won't you cut Zhang Wei's birthday cake?" The man turned to her, his eyes gentle, and smiled faintly. It was Zhang Shen, his face etched with wrinkles, his hair grayed with age.
Zhang Shen took the cake from Adeline's hands and placed it on the study table. He affectionately kissed Adeline's forehead. "We always cut it together, and this time too, we'll cut it together." She stood up and placed the cake in front of the photo frame, which held a picture of Zhang Wei in her school uniform. Both of them first blew out the candle and then together cut the cake.
As he cut the cake, tears streamed down his faces. Zhang Shen gazed at Zhang Wei's picture, then gently stroked it. "The last time I saw you, you were sixteen.
When you were alive, I didn't even remember your birthday. You longed for your birthday to be celebrated like your other cousins', but I never fulfilled your wish.
And look, after your death, we're celebrating your birthday from sixteen years ..all alone!!"
As he finished speaking, he burst into loud sobs. "Come back once, we'll celebrate your birthday together, all of us, please Zhang Wei!!" he wept.
Adeline's eyes welled up with tears; she tightly closed them to hold them back, but she felt herself on the verge of breaking down.
She covered her mouth , running out of the room . Despite her efforts, tears streamed down her face, but she didn't want to cry.
She had promised herself she wouldn't shed tears over Zhang Wei's passing or ever remember her. Do people remember those who leave willingly? No!!
But her tears had a mind of their own; before she knew it, she was sobbing loudly, once again breaking her promise to herself.