He tricked his amnesiac partner into becoming crippled.

Chapter 257 The Childhood Sweetheart's Guide to Admitting Defeat (Part 7)

A feeling of regret welled up inside me.

Zhou Yan suddenly hated himself for leaving.

Why presumptuously distance yourself from her under the guise of doing what's best for her?

They had already agreed to go to the junior high school of No. 3 Middle School together, but his change of heart ruined her, causing her to stumble and make so-called friends and seek comfort from them.

Adolescents are inherently sensitive and lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong, unlike him, who is an adult in the guise of a child.

He should take better care of her.

According to Aunt Bai, her withdrawal symptoms lasted for more than a month after he left before they started to improve slightly.

Regret surged, like withered vines and giant tendrils, causing a sharp pain in his heart.

Zhou Yan, you are so selfish.

It's just a role model; let her be one.

Why put her in a chaotic society, let her fumble around, bump into walls, and then shatter completely, growing up in despair and pain?

He could have done it, so why didn't he?

Why am I afraid of misleading her?

The reality is that others have misled her far more deeply than he has, and it's still unclear whether this misleading was unintentional or malicious.

Zhou Yan refused to admit that he had been defeated.

Meeting Wen Yan's bewildered and confused eyes, Zhou Yan's tone was gentler than ever before:

"It's okay if you don't know. I'll tell you. I'll teach you everything you want to know and learn. I'll always be by your side until the moment you no longer need me."

"Wen Yan, I would never hurt you."

These words were spoken to Wen Yan, and also to himself.

Wen Yan's eyes trembled slightly.

A tingling sensation ran through his body, strange emotions overwhelmed him, and his head was spinning, with only the name Zhou Yan in his mind.

It's very strange.

At this moment, Zhou Yan was like water, gently and irresistibly enveloping and protecting her.

Wen Yan was lost in thought. She had no doubt that if Zhou Yan's eyes were the ocean, she would definitely drown in that incredibly gentle vast ocean.

She quickly let her bangs fall, covering the trembling tears in her eyes, and lowered her head, adopting a timid and protected posture.

Only she knew the glint of tears in her eyes.

At that moment, Zhou Yan suddenly brushed aside her bangs, revealing her tearful eyes completely to him.

He paused for a moment, then stiffly wiped away the tears from the girl's eyes, letting out a soft sigh: "You're crying again."

"I didn't cry." Wen Yan quickly lowered her head, her bangs still resting on Zhou Yan's palm, her red and purple hair standing out.

He understood that teenage girls are sensitive and thoughtful.

"I'm sorry, I misspoke. Don't cry." She paused, then said softly, "I didn't mean to laugh at you."

The sun comes out in the west?

Zhou Yan actually apologized to her?

Wen Yan forgot about her tears and looked up at him. The young man's youthful face was trying to show a gentle demeanor, hoping not to make her cry again.

Zhou Yan felt that since he had decided to be her role model, he should start now and apologize for his mistakes.

He made her cry, so he should apologize; that's perfectly reasonable.

But why was there a hint of surprise and...strangeness in her eyes?

Does he not look like someone who would apologize?

Zhou Yan pursed his lips.

Wen Yan blinked, no longer wanting to cry. She thought for a moment and said, "I know you weren't laughing at me, I just couldn't control my emotions."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan felt even more guilty.

During the time he was with her, she never had a bad mood. She was always smiling, and no one was happier than her. Now, in front of him, she has to control her emotions.

Zhou Yan felt a tightness in his chest, and a strange feeling washed over him.

He was relieved that it was not too late to make amends for his mistake.

Wen Yan was taken by him to have her hair dyed back to black. The hair salon owner lamented, "Such trendy hair, it's such a waste to dye it black."

Zhou Yan lifted his eyelids to look at him. His dead eyes were so cold that it felt like a cold wind was blowing, and the boss got goosebumps on his back.

Kids these days are terrifying.

Wen Yan suddenly called out, her voice soft and obedient: "Zhou Yan, should I cut your hair to shoulder length or leave it shorter?"

The chilly feeling suddenly dissipated.

Zhou Yan slowly walked up behind Wen Yan and stood still. He looked down at her hair and thought for a moment: "If it's longer, you can style it in more ways."

His voice was gentle and deep, showing no sign of freezing to death.

The boss suddenly felt confident again and quickly seized the opportunity to showcase his professionalism: "Actually, I think this young lady's colorful hair is quite nice, fashionable and trendy, and it makes her face look fair and delicate. I can give her one..."

The chilling feeling of being locked on returned, and the boss, his mouth burning, quickly changed his words: "Ha...ha, well, but pure black hair suits this young lady better."

The sense of being locked in disappeared, and Zhou Yan continued to echo the boss's words: "Dyeing your hair too much damages it, and you still have to study. It's too eye-catching, and the teachers will scold you if they see it. If they're harsh with their tone, you'll feel wronged."

Your tone should be as gentle as possible, and your demeanor as patient as possible.

The boss barely managed to close his eyes; he was numb.

Kids these days...what a double standard.

Zhou Yan then took Wen Yan to the department store to pick out new clothes.

Frowning slightly, no tank tops, no shorts, no tight-fitting crop tops.

Finally, I bought long skirts, midi skirts, short-sleeved shirts, trousers, and other clothes that felt comfortable to the touch, and changed Wenyan's clothes from head to toe.

When Bai Wan finally brought Wen Yan home, she was startled, but after the initial shock came joy.

Wen Yan has been acting strangely lately, dyeing her hair like a feather duster and insisting on getting a piercing in her nose. She has tried to dissuade her again and again, but to no avail, and she has even turned a few strands of hair white from worry.

Now, upon seeing her daughter with black hair and a white dress, she is so overjoyed that she wants to set off firecrackers to celebrate. She knows that it is all thanks to Zhou Yan, who is standing next to her.

"Xiao Yan, Aunt Bai thanks you. Thanks to you, Xiao Yan wouldn't have gone astray and never returned. You truly deserve to be the top student in the grade, an outstanding student, and a recipient of the Moral Conduct Award... (a bunch of awards omitted here)."

Zhou Yan felt that these words sounded familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before.

Suddenly glancing at Wen Yan beside him, everything became clear.

Bai Wan was celebrating her daughter's change of heart when Zhou Yan suggested that they jointly rent an apartment outside the school so that he and Wen Yan could commute to school together. Bai Wan agreed without hesitation.

That evening, she mentioned it to Wen Qingshan, whose eyes lit up: "Why bother renting? Just pick a good location and buy it. You can write articles there and spend time with the kids in the evenings."

Bai Wan thought about it for a moment, thought it was a good idea, and immediately made a decision. She went to buy the house the next day.

Nothing is more important than my daughter.

After this incident, Wen Yan and Zhou Yan began a two-year commute, living and eating together. Their relationship became even closer than before, to the point that it could be described as inseparable.

Zhou Yan sometimes drifted off into thought, staring at Wen Yan's bright, sparkling eyes.

I originally planned to stay away from her life, but how come I'm getting closer and closer instead?

On Friday evening, the two returned home from school, but Bai Wan was not there.

There was a small note stuck on the table. Zhou Yan picked it up, glanced at it, and said, "Aunt Bai has gone home. I'll go cook."

"Oh, good."

Bai Wan would spend a few nights a week at Sanzhong South Alley, and would usually return the following afternoon.

Wen Yan went to the kitchen to watch Zhou Yan cook and asked, "Why did Mom come home today? Aren't we supposed to go back on Saturday?"

"Grandma Wen is here, Aunt Bai, go back and check on her first." Zhou Yan skillfully turned on the gas and poured in the oil.

Seeing Wen Yan still picking vegetables, he frowned and subtly blocked the boiling oil, saying, "I'll pick the vegetables. Go see what fruit Aunt Bai bought."

"Okay." Wen Yan put down the vegetables she was picking halfway through and obediently went out. Soon, her voice came from the living room: "I bought grapes!"

Zhou Yan calmly stir-fried the vegetables, his movements casual. Hearing this, he said, "You take them off first, I'll wash them later."

He was going through puberty, and his voice had an unnatural hoarseness, and the pitch was much lower than before. It wasn't unpleasant to listen to; in fact, it had a hint of inexplicable sexiness.