Chapter 1071: A Passerby in Life

Chapter 1071: A Passerby in Life

The moment those words left his father’s lips, something inside Xu Sheng shattered. His eyes burned, and before he could stop himself, tears welled up and spilled over.

He had never had a friend like Su Li before. Ever since he could remember, his mother had drilled into him that studying was his sole purpose in life, that he had to excel, had to become his parents’ pride and joy. He had always believed that spending time on friendships was nothing short of foolish.

And so, he had never truly had a friend. Until Su Li.

Their time together had been brief, their interactions sporadic, but in that short span, he had experienced something he had never known—an effortless kind of joy, a sense of belonging.

Su Li would remember if he had eaten, would secretly bring him medicine when he was unwell, would visit him in the hospital, sitting beside him with a stubborn sort of concern.

Xu Sheng took a slow step forward, his lips parting as if he had so much to say but no idea how to say it.

Su Li, noticing his hesitation, hurried toward him. His own eyes were slightly red, though he suddenly found himself feeling nervous. Their bond had always been somewhat inexplicable, yet now, with Xu Sheng about to leave, he felt it deep in his chest—a dull ache of reluctant parting.

For a brief moment, Su Li hesitated, then, deciding that sentimentality wasn’t his style, he clapped Xu Sheng on the shoulder with exaggerated bravado. “My dad says real men don’t cry. This isn’t a good look for you.”

Xu Sheng immediately straightened, hastily wiping his tears away. “I’m not crying,” he muttered, his voice defensive. “I just got sand in my eyes.”

Su Li, still feeling the weight of the moment, couldn’t help but laugh at Xu Sheng’s blatant refusal to admit the obvious. “You totally cried,” he shot back. “You just don’t have the guts to admit it. Unlike me. I can say it—I’m kind of sad.”

Xu Sheng’s eyes flickered, something in them softening, but he still refused to yield. He pursed his lips and grumbled, “Idiot. What’s there to be sad about? We’re not even that close.”

Su Li, always quick to turn a conversation on its head, suddenly grinned. “Exactly! That’s why I’m not sad because you’re leaving. I just refuse to accept defeat—I still haven’t beaten you at Five-in-a-Row yet.”

Xu Sheng stared at him, utterly speechless. Su Li was still thinking about that? If he had known, he would have let Su Li win at least once. Because, objectively speaking, Su Li was going to need years before he stood a real chance of winning. And now, he was worried that Su Li would obsess over this for the rest of his life.

After a brief pause, Xu Sheng sighed and finally said, “If we meet again, I’ll play against you then. But you have to study hard.”

His father, Xu Fan, observed their exchange with an amused expression before offering his own reassurance. “Alright, that’s enough melodrama. You heard what Auntie Gu Zi said earlier—they might move to the capital too. It’s not as though you’ll never see each other again. The capital isn’t that big, after all.”

With that, Xu Fan gestured toward the car. “Time to go.”

Xu Sheng gave a small nod before gripping his father’s hand and climbing into the car without looking back. His small frame, silhouetted against the bright afternoon sun, carried a kind of quiet finality.

Watching him go, Gu Zi glanced down at Su Li, who, finally unable to hold it in any longer, burst into tears. “Mom, I lied earlier,” he confessed. “I just didn’t want Xu Sheng to get smug about it, but the truth is, I feel really sad. Why does he have to leave? Why can’t he just stay here?”

Gu Zi, who had been smiling moments ago, now grew pensive. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Because everyone has their own path to walk, their own journey to complete. Xu Sheng belongs in the capital—that’s his home, where his family is. For him, we were just a stop along the way. But don’t be too sad. Who knows? When we move to the capital, you might see him again.”

Su Li, taking in her words with great seriousness, suddenly frowned and asked, “Mom, does that mean I’m just a passerby in your life too? Will you disappear from my life someday, just like Xu Sheng?”

Gu Zi, knowing full well how unpredictable life could be, kept her expression calm. “I’m your family,” she replied evenly. “That means we’re bound by something stronger than fate. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll be here—I’ll watch you grow up, fall in love, get married, and have children.”

Of course, no one could predict the future. She was only saying this to comfort him, because there were some truths best left unsaid. One day, Su Li would understand.

Summer rolled on, and before anyone realized it, August had arrived. The relentless sun blazed down upon the city, and as Gu Zi returned home, she received a call from the admissions office of Imperial Capital University.

It was only then that she truly registered the date—August had crept up on her, and in just a few weeks, she would be heading to the capital for school.

She knew she needed to have a serious conversation with Su Shen about what came next.

She had already made up her mind. Coming to this era, she had always planned to graduate early, but at the same time, she wanted to fully experience university life in this time period. The next few years, she wouldn’t have much time to devote to Lele.

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