Twelve years ago,
Luo Xieshan stood in front of the sink in the girls' bathroom at her school, dampening a dry tissue with water from the tap. She gently dabbed at the wound on her face, wincing as she remembered how Luo Jicheng had smashed a glass in front of her earlier. Based on his recent mood swings, she could only assume that something had happened to her older brother.
However, even though she had done nothing to deserve it, Shanshan would be an easy target for the man's rage, because Jicheng knew she would not fight back even if he committed violence beyond human reason. Unlike Jicheng, who always had his mother to shield him from harm, Shanshan was constantly alone and vulnerable.
Shanshan was wiping the blood from the cut on her cheek in front of the mirror when she heard one of the doors open behind and another girl appeared holding something with trembling hands. It wasn't until the girl stood next to Shanshan at the sink and placed a small rectangular object, that she fully comprehended the situation unfolding before her.
"I'm pregnant," the words came out of the girl's own mouth even though Shanshan hadn't said a word there. "I've done the test many times and the results are still the same."
Shanshan took a quick look at the girl with long black hair next to her and immediately identified her as Jicheng's new girlfriend. They seemed to spend a lot of time together at school, leading Shanshan to believe that her older brother had left Tang Jinjing and moved on to this new girl who had all the traits of a "good girl" unlike Jicheng's usual type.
Directing her gaze to the name tag hanging in front of the girl's uniform, Shanshan called her name. "Wu Zhaoxing?"
"Please help me," the girl suddenly turned her head towards Shanshan and looked at her desperately with tears starting to fall down her sweet face. "I was framed, all of this wasn't really my own will."
Shanshan was unsure if the encounter that day was deliberate or not. She and Wu Zhaoxing were the only ones in the bathroom, also they were both under Jicheng's watchful eye as his closest confidants. Should she intervene? Or should she stay out of it?
"I don't know how to help you." She said honestly, because Shanshan was also helpless in front of the man. Slowly, she pulled her hand that was somehow already tightly gripped by Wu Zhaoxing to emphasize how much the girl needed her help.
Turning towards the exit, Shanshan threw the tissue in her hand that had changed color from white to red into the trash can beside the door. "But, I have another idea." She said and both her feet stopped in place, her body facing away from Wu Zhaoxing so that her eyes obscured by a dark haze could not be seen. "Let's run away."
When the word escaped Shanshan's lips, she finally heard the word that had been silently echoing in her mind for so long. But once again, she lacked the strength to act on it, because she was still under the control of the Luo family due to her father's hospitalization being paid for by them. Closing her eyes and sighing in heart, Shanshan knew that she did not have the courage to carry out the plan that had been neatly arranged for years in her head.
"Let's do it," the girl's voice behind her sounded confident and certain, the opposite of how Shanshan felt now. She turned her body back to face Wu Zhaoxing, her voice ringing again. "Let's run away together."
The intense stare focused on Shanshan seemed to see right through her thoughts and the uncertainty written all over her face. "Do you have that much faith in me to risk your own life?"
The girl nodded her head firmly, "I trust you."
Shanshan's eyebrows furrowed at the answer that came out easily from Wu Zhaoxing's mouth, who didn't even know her at all. Were they friends? Of course not, because Shanshan didn't have any friends. "Okay," She said. "Then, all you have to do is follow my lead and trust me."
At that moment, Shanshan said that just to cut off their conversation before it dragged on. But, she did not expect what she said would come true.
However, because the world keeps turning, the weather keeps changing, the wind keeps blowing and people also change. What she was afraid of at that time turned into hope and anticipation, a free life that she only dared to dream of, now she will take the risk for it.
"Do you know the gender of the child?" Shanshan asked from inside the swimming pool to Wu Zhaoxing who was sitting on the chair.
In a matter of days, the two strangers became best friends, that's how people saw them because Shanshan and Wu Zhaoxing were always together when they were in school. Whether after class, in the cafeteria or even when Shanshan was practicing in the pool, the girl was always with her.
Shanshan's purpose was only one, with her by the girl's side whether Jicheng was around or not, she could protect Wu Zhaoxing. Without realizing it, Shanshan began to also care about the baby and try to protect it from any harm. From the day onward, the feeling of meeting the child someday not only made Wu Zhaoxing excited, but Shanshan felt the same too.
"Not yet, but I hope it's a girl." Wu Zhaoxing answered with a smile and gently held her stomach.
"Why?"
"Because, someone I love likes a little girl." She explained with a look in her eyes imagining the other person's face in her head. "Also, because I want her to follow in that person's footsteps later."
What crossed Shanshan's mind was the person Wu Zhaoxing liked, someone in the sense of having a romantic relationship with the girl. Not wanting to discuss Wu Zhaoxing's private life any further, she chose to close the topic.
"It seems like you already have an idea about your child's future." Shanshan said while moving her feet in the water, preparing to continue her training after hearing Wu Zhaoxing's answer.
"Yes," she murmured with a sweet smile on the lips, "I want her to be a swimmer, like that person."
Realizing that her words sounded ambiguous, Wu Zhaoxing continued. "When that person comes back, I will introduce him to you. When he is here, I am sure everything will go back to the way it was."
One of the things Wu Zhaoyi regretted in his life was not being by Wu Zhaoxing's side earlier. Another thing was that he had not met Luo Xieshan earlier. If that was the case, perhaps they would all be smiling now seeing the little girl swimming happily instead of crying in sadness.
When the days stretched into weeks, which then turned into months, Wu Zhaoxing and Luo Xieshan came to the realization that all their carefully-made plans were now ready. They could do nothing but patiently wait for the time they had set to be put into action on that fateful night.
Wu Zhaoxing wrote a letter by hand and placed it in the mailbox outside her house, addressing it to her parents. "Wait for me to come home," Xingxing gazed at the imposing house before her.
The reason why she didn't want to tell her parents what really happened at that time was because her family business was struggling and her parents were often away, leaving Xingxing to handle everything alone. In the end, no one could help her solve the problem other than herself and Luo Xieshan.
"Don't you think it's better if we wait for your parents to come home first?" Asked Luo Xieshan, who stood next to the girl. Both of them wore hats and black jackets with backpacks as they prepared to flee the city. Shanshan couldn't shake off her hesitation until the very last moment, fearing that this would be a decision she would regret for the rest of her life.
"Are you afraid now?" Wu Zhaoxing replied with growing confidence and no fear, even at the last moment, although the idea came from Luo Xieshan. "After this, you will know how to live as a human being. Change your life into what you want."
Wu Zhaoxing stretched out her hand towards Luo Xieshan. "I will walk this difficult path with you and never leave you alone. Choice, Chance and Change. You must make a choice to take a chance if you want to change anything in life."
Gazing at Wu Zhaoxing's hand for a few moments, as if solidifying her decision, despite the potential danger that lay ahead. Sixteen-year-old Luo Xieshan, naive and ignorant of the weight of guilt, lifted her hand and embraced the chance presented by Wu Zhaoxing, knowing it may only come once in her lifetime.
"I too," Shanshan's eyes could also feel the strong determination of the girl in front of her, "Will never leave you alone. I promise."
The two girls embarked on a journey that would reveal the secrets of life, with no way of going back in time. Like a one-way taxi ride that will never return to its original location.
Luo Xieshan felt as though she was in a dream, her eyes slowly opened and saw a girl standing on the edge of the ship's deck with her back facing her. Based on the attire and body shape, even in her half-conscious state, Shanshan could still make a guess to who the figure was.
"Xing.. xing.." She called to the girl, but her voice sounded hoarse and weak. Shanshan's head then became a little dizzy, as if she was floating in the middle of the ocean.
"Xingxing..." Shanshan called once more in a slightly loud voice, but the girl still didn't react.
Was this all just a dream? Why couldn't she recall how they ended up on the ship? When did they even board? And where were they at this moment? What exactly had occurred?
"Are you awake?" The familiar voice immediately woke Shanshan up, making her realize that this was not a dream. "Why did you sleep for so long, we were all bored to death waiting for you to wake up."
When she turned towards the source of the voice, Shanshan was immediately shocked to see her older brother there. "You.. how come you're here?"
Shanshan's consciousness hit her hard, the plan she and Wu Zhaoxing had meticulously constructed already failed. The person they were trying to avoid was standing right in front of them, rendering all efforts futile.
Jicheng nodded towards the two men whom he had instructed to carry Shanshan's limp body from the couch where she had been sleeping.
"You.. You.." Shanshan's stuttering voice resembled someone attempting to shake themselves from the numbing effects of anesthesia. She struggled to stand upright, let alone form coherent thoughts.
"I know you have a lot to ask, so let me make it short. Your plan failed miserably." Jicheng stood at the doorway separating the inner area from Wu Zhaoxing, who was standing alone outside. "Because the taxi you guys took didn't make it to its destination and ended up here instead."
The mocking smile on Jicheng's lips directed towards Shanshan, showed that her older brother had already made a move ahead of them. The reason why she was here now was because she had fallen into Jicheng's trap. No wonder lately he hadn't been seen keeping a close eye on Shanshan and Wu Zhaoxing when they were outside the school grounds. Before, Jicheng was always sending someone to follow them wherever they went.
"Speaking of your friend, it seems like she has gone insane," Jicheng pointed his index finger towards his head to emphasize the point. "But actually, that's a good thing because I won't have to force her to jump in there. Because, she'll do it willingly on her own."
***