“Old Zhuang, I heard Doctor Lin’s younger son was admitted to the Sixth Aviation Flight Academy. Why don’t we ask him to come and see Nuonuo?”
“They haven’t been in touch for so many years. Will it really help?”
Meng Lan covered her mouth, tears filling her eyes. “Let’s try. What else can we do?”
The thing Meng Lan regretted most was leaving the island back then.
If they had stayed on the island all along, perhaps Nuonuo would not have ended up like this.
In the room, the girl sat quietly against the headboard, staring blankly out the window. No one knew what she was thinking.
Zhuang Yi’s generation had four brothers. By Nuonuo’s generation, there were ten children in total, and Nuonuo was the only girl. The oldest was eighteen years older than her, while even the youngest was four years older.
Everyone in the family adored her and spoiled her.
At the same time, the men in the family had inherited the previous generation’s stern, old-fashioned nature. No matter how much they loved their little sister, they could only keep straight faces while stuffing money and gifts into her hands.
After Zhuang Yi and Meng Lan were transferred back to the capital, Zhuang Nuo also transferred to a school there.
Besides attending classes, she studied dance and piano at the Children’s Palace.
She had been destined to become an outstanding, dazzling young woman.
At the time, Zhuang Nuo had even been chosen to perform a solo piano piece at her school’s New Year’s gala. She became famous overnight and was even featured in the newspapers.
Later, when Zhuang Yi and Meng Lan were transferred again for work, Zhuang Nuo wanted to go with her parents and transferred schools once more.
A girl who had transferred from the capital, spoke fluent Mandarin, was beautiful, knew several artistic disciplines, and had even appeared in the newspaper.
What a dazzling girl she was.
And yet, the entire school ostracized her.
The atmosphere at the time championed egalitarianism. Anyone who stood out, like Zhuang Nuo, was labeled a show-off who thought she was superior to everyone else.
Especially since Zhuang Nuo was not an outgoing person, and she had joined the class halfway through the school year. As a result, the entire class excluded her even more thoroughly.
Zhuang Nuo was somewhat slow to notice such things. It took her a long time to realize what was happening.
It was a very subtle form of ostracism. Whenever the students played games, she was always left out. None of the girls ever asked her to go to the restroom with them.
When she went to the cafeteria, she always sat alone at a table. No one would sit with her.
When it was time to take turns doing chores and emptying the trash, everyone passed the task around whenever it was her turn, as if merely standing beside her would somehow soil them.
Zhuang Nuo had tried to take the initiative and fit in, but it seemed useless.
Once they noticed her helplessness, those people became even more excited and proud of excluding her.
No one bullied her openly, and she was never physically hurt. But she simply stopped wanting to go to school. She continued attending her dance and piano classes, yet she was no longer willing to take part in performances or competitions.
She thought things would get better once she entered high school.
But when she returned to the capital for high school, her nightmare had only just begun.
There was a girl who had transferred back from another part of the country. Seeing Zhuang Nuo always walking alone, she took the initiative to become friends with her.
But later…
She said to Zhuang Nuo, “I’m sorry. If I keep hanging out with you, they’ll target me too.”
If you were isolated and excluded for a long time, you might initially try to fight back. But as time went on, you would gradually lose your courage.
Everyone said that if one person disliked you, the problem might lie with them. But if everyone disliked you, then the problem must lie with you.
Zhuang Nuo began to reflect on herself and doubt herself.
Later, she grew more and more insecure and sensitive. In the end, she could no longer continue attending school.
She should have been taking the college entrance examination this year.
Instead, she could only take a leave of absence and stay at home. She refused to step outside her room.
When Meng Lan and Zhuang Yi finally managed to learn the truth from Zhuang Nuo, they wished they could slap themselves.
They were both working professionals. Zhuang Yi taught at a night school, while Meng Lan worked at a hospital. They had never failed to provide for their daughter materially, but they had neglected her inner world.
For several years, they had not noticed anything wrong with their daughter. They had merely assumed that she had become a little more introverted as she entered adolescence.
When Su Li arrived at the Zhuang family’s home, Meng Lan was cooking.
“Li Li’s here? Come in and sit down. I heard from your grandmother that red-braised pork is your favorite, so I bought an especially good piece of pork belly today. I’m making it for you!”
Su Li smiled generously. “Thank you, Aunt Meng!”
Meng Lan seemed to see once again the child who had made everyone laugh with everything he said. The smile on her face deepened.
“Come, sit down. Have some tea first. Dinner will be ready soon.”
Zhuang Yi also returned home at that moment. Su Li had not seen them in a long time, and he felt that Uncle Zhuang and Aunt Meng had aged considerably. Compared with his own parents, they no longer seemed to be the same age.
“Uncle Zhuang.”
“Su Li’s here. Sit down.”
Zhuang Yi was only in his forties, but there was already a conspicuous amount of gray mixed into his black hair. It looked somewhat jarring.
Su Li had known since childhood that Zhuang Yi did not particularly like him. But when he recalled what had happened when he was young, he felt a little embarrassed himself.
“I heard you were admitted to the Air Force academy. Congratulations.”
Su Li cleared his throat. “I was just lucky.”
Zhuang Yi shook his head with a quiet laugh. “You’ve learned to be modest too. It’s a shame you still don’t look the part.”
The Sixth Aviation Flight Academy was backed by the Capital Military Region and was a command academy established by the country specifically to train fighter pilots.
To be admitted, one first had to pass examinations in academic ability, physical fitness, and psychological health. After that, one’s college entrance examination scores, unaided eyesight, vestibular function, heart health, and psychological condition would all be taken into account. The academy admitted only around one hundred students per class. Saying that successful applicants were chosen from among ten thousand would not be an exaggeration.
Moreover, as long as they graduated from the undergraduate program without a hitch, they would be commissioned as deputy company-grade officers and awarded the rank of second lieutenant in the Air Force.
They were the very definition of heaven’s favored children.
Neither Su Lang nor Lin Zhilan was the kind of parent who demanded absolute seriousness. Even at nineteen, Su Li still bickered with Su Lang at home.
But in front of a stern elder like Zhuang Yi, he did not dare joke around too much.
Su Li glanced around. “Where’s Zhuang Nuo? Isn’t she home? I haven’t seen her.”
Zhuang Yi exchanged a look with Meng Lan, who was carrying dishes out from the kitchen. They both smiled bitterly.
“She’s ill. She’s resting in her room.”
“Huh?” Su Li frowned. “What’s wrong with her?”
Meng Lan’s eyes reddened. “Go see her.”
Su Li looked at Zhuang Yi. He had not expected Zhuang Yi to nod as well. There was even a pleading look in his eyes.
Su Li’s heart sank.
Zhuang Nuo was so young. Could she have contracted some incurable disease?
At that thought, Su Li rose to his feet.
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound of knocking came from the door, but Zhuang Nuo seemed not to hear it. She did not even move her eyes.
Frowning, Su Li opened the door and saw Zhuang Nuo lying on the bed, staring blankly out the window.
“Zhuang Nuo, what are you looking at?”
After all, they had once been in a “puppy love” relationship, so Su Li’s voice sounded a little unnatural.
Zhuang Nuo still said nothing.
Su Li walked over and leaned closer to her. Following her gaze, he looked outside.
“Watching the sparrows? Want to eat one?”
He was standing far too close. When he spoke, his breath seemed almost to brush against her face.
Zhuang Nuo’s eyes flickered.
“Hey!”
