Tang Mingchuan returned home to find the house shrouded in darkness. After so many years, he remained solitary, unsure whether it was out of habit or disappointment. Tang Mingchuan entered the bathroom and examined the cut on his lip in the mirror, noticing the faint traces of blood. Returning to his room, he found himself lost in thought as he stared at a photo of himself and his mother on the bedside table, reminiscing about the past.
In Tang Mingchuan's childhood memories, there was never a father present, and his mother never spoke of his father. Tang Mingchuan never asked, understanding that his mother had already struggled enough raising him alone. His mother had endured much hardship, and his lack of a father figure made him the target of ridicule among his peers, enduring much humiliation.
As Tang Mingchuan entered junior high school, he learned to fight back and defend himself, putting an end to the bullying. However, he felt even more isolated. During his time in high school, his mother passed away due to an accident. Tang Mingchuan, still bearing scars from his fights, stood alone in the hospital morgue, gazing upon his mother's lifeless body, feeling a deep sense of despair.
Later, a man claiming to be Tang Mingchuan's father, Tang Sheng, took care of his mother's affairs and took him away. Tang Sheng, a renowned entrepreneur, had a brief encounter with Tang Mingchuan's mother in the past, leading to Tang Mingchuan's birth. Due to family pressure, Tang Sheng married a prominent socialite and abandoned them, but Tang Mingchuan's mother refused to abort him and raised him alone.
Tang Mingchuan's arrival at the Tang family's home left him feeling like an unwanted burden, lacking any sense of belonging. He kept his innermost feelings tightly guarded, revealing nothing to anyone.
During his time abroad, Tang Mingchuan relentlessly worked to better himself, achieving outstanding results in his secluded training. Once he was capable of supporting himself, he distanced himself from the Tang family and became a professor at A University.
Despite appearing successful in the eyes of others, Tang Mingchuan received advances from several girls but rejected them all. Only he knew the deeply painful experiences he had endured, which had left him profoundly distrustful.
As his phone screen lit up, signaling midnight, Tang Mingchuan snapped out of his reverie. It had been a long time since he had reflected on his past, perhaps out of fear or perhaps due to his entrenched distrust.
Tang Mingchuan had expected to have trouble sleeping that night, but to his surprise, he felt a rare sense of drowsiness wash over him. It was as if he had dreamt of a sweet scent and a girl's figure, both comforting and pleasant.
With his first-year schedule light, Tang Mingchuan didn't have to come to school that day. He wondered if the girl from yesterday had been frightened by the encounter.
He knew he cared too much about her well-being, and it troubled him.
He couldn't help but feel the urge to protect her, just like on the day they first met when she insisted on giving him the umbrella without a word. As he reached the school gate, he spotted a small figure in the distance. Lin Ye was wearing a pink coat, quite eye-catching from afar. Tang Mingchuan glanced at the girl; she seemed in good spirits, probably not too scared from yesterday.
Lin Ye entered a noodle shop, and Tang Mingchuan parked his car, following her in the direction of the noodle shop. Inside the shop, Lin Ye found a seat and sat down. At the same time, Tang Mingchuan also took a seat at the table opposite hers. When Lin Ye looked up, she was surprised to see Tang Mingchuan. It was quite a coincidence for them to meet like this, even just to have a bowl of noodles.
Upon closer inspection, Tang Mingchuan's mouth corners were bruised and swollen, which wasn't the case when they parted ways yesterday. "What happened to your mouth?" Lin Ye blurted out almost instinctively.