Chapter 206: Alienation

Words : 1333 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Cheng Huai returned home. This afternoon, they only had two classes. Originally, his friends invited him to the dance hall, but Cheng Huai felt a little unwell and didn’t go. He went home, took some cold medicine, and swallowed it down. He suddenly felt his health had really deteriorated. He had no energy and kept catching colds and getting fevers. Not long ago, he had just caught a cold, and now it happened again. This made Cheng Huai feel extremely uncomfortable. When Zhao Haishuang saw Cheng Huai taking medicine again, she couldn’t help but feel worried. "Why are you sick again? I keep telling you not to overindulge yourself all the time, go exercise more!" Cheng Huai sneered at her words: "Mom, do you see Cheng Lie exercising? That fool stays at home every day. Why is his body so healthy, then?" Hearing this, Zhao Haishuang thought it did seem to make some sense. She realized that Cheng Lie hardly ever got sick. Though he looked weak, his body was surprisingly strong. As Cheng Huai spoke, he couldn’t help but sneeze again. "Enough, I’m going back to bed. I’m not eating tonight." Upon hearing this, Zhao Haishuang didn’t stop him. "I’ll make you some lean meat congee. At least have a little, so your body can fight off the virus." Cheng Huai ignored her completely. Zhao Haishuang was still very worried about his health. She thought to herself, if Cheng Huai kept getting sick like this, they had better go to the hospital for a thorough check-up. ... Since returning from Nantian Town, Yun Shifei didn’t know how to face Cheng Lie anymore. If it hadn’t been for Xu Yuejiao pointing it out, she wouldn’t even have realized she had feelings for Cheng Lie. But now that she had figured it out, her way of looking at Cheng Lie had completely changed. Her heart was in turmoil. Because she knew Cheng Lie’s future, she couldn’t help but wonder—did she like him for real, or was it because he was destined to become someone extraordinary? If he stayed as someone with autism his whole life, would she still like him? Just this single question was enough to keep Yun Shifei thinking for an entire day. After thinking it over, she concluded that she was most fond of the current Cheng Lie—this little adorable version of him. If Cheng Lie turned into some bigshot in the future, she might not like him anymore. The day after she returned, she went to school early in the morning. As soon as she put down her books, she saw Cheng Lie sitting beside her. Yun Shifei’s back straightened unconsciously, and her heart began pounding. Even though she didn’t look at Cheng Lie, her attention was involuntarily drawn to him. She sensed Cheng Lie placing his books on the desk. He started flipping through them, his movements slow, as if he was being quite serious... Cheng Lie found Yun Shifei very odd today. Usually, when she saw him, she would greet him and say, "Good morning." But now, she neither looked at him nor spoke to him. Cheng Lie pressed his thin lips together, his expression tense, looking a little upset. But he was patient. He waited for Yun Shifei to speak to him. Yet, even after the morning self-study bell rang, Yun Shifei still didn’t say a word. Cheng Lie couldn’t help but glance at her. Yun Shifei noticed the boy’s gaze on her and found herself too flustered to breathe. Ugh... What should I do... She didn’t dare to look at Cheng Lie now. This is bad; she couldn’t even face him properly anymore—what was she supposed to do? In the past, when she wasn’t aware of her feelings, she was completely natural around Cheng Lie. But now, it felt like many things she used to do without a second thought were no longer possible. Still, if she kept ignoring Cheng Lie, he might think he had done something wrong to upset her, right? As expected, Cheng Lie suddenly asked, "Why are you ignoring me?" The boy’s voice was soft and a little fragile, as if her cold shoulder had truly made him sad. Yun Shifei took a deep breath and turned to look at Cheng Lie. "I’m not. I just... I just don’t feel like talking today." "Why?" Could it be because her grandmother’s illness was very serious? Not likely. If things were really that bad, Yun Shifei wouldn’t be back at school right now. Yun Shifei didn’t know what to say. Was she supposed to admit directly to Cheng Lie that she felt like she had fallen for him?! Oh, how awkward that would be. Facing this innocent, harmless boy with clear, puppy-like eyes, Yun Shifei just couldn’t bring herself to say it. "It’s nothing. I’m fine now." Looking at Cheng Lie’s delicate expression, she just couldn’t bear to upset him. Otherwise, she’d be overwhelmed with guilt. Cheng Lie felt Yun Shifei had become quite strange. Throughout the entire day, he could sense the oddity in her mood. It was as though... she was afraid of him. Again? Cheng Lie narrowed his eyes slightly. This irrational fear, followed by this inexplicable cold shoulder... Yun Shifei didn’t notice how much Cheng Lie’s mood had sunk. She adjusted herself and focused on her studies. What romance? At the earliest, she could only think about such things next year. For now, all she could do was study hard. If she messed up her exams next year, she’d live to regret it for the rest of her life. As for Cheng Lie... Well, she’d deal with it when she was ready. After school, Yun Shifei walked home with Cheng Lie. Uncle Liu was happy to see Yun Shifei and asked her about what happened the day before. Yun Shifei gave a brief explanation about her grandmother falling ill. "Oh, as long as everything’s okay. The elderly really need to take extra care of their health," Uncle Liu said. As he spoke, he suddenly noticed something off about the young master’s mood. After spending so many years with Cheng Lie, Uncle Liu could tell that Cheng Lie wasn’t happy at the moment. Why was he unhappy? Uncle Liu thought about it but couldn’t figure it out. When Yun Shifei was getting out of the car, Cheng Lie took out a box of candies from his bag and handed it to her. He had prepared these, just in case she was upset about her grandmother’s illness. She had once said that eating candy could make her feel better. Yun Shifei froze for a moment when she saw Cheng Lie giving her candies. Then she smiled and said, "I don’t like sweets as much anymore." Cheng Lie’s gaze darkened, and he stared at her intently, as if trying to figure her out. Yun Shifei also sensed his sudden drop in mood. She thought for a moment and reluctantly accepted the box of candies. "Thanks, Cheng Lie. But from now on, let’s try not to eat too many sweets, okay? It’s not good for your health." Though she still liked sweets—as evidenced by this beautifully packaged box that surely tasted amazing—she had to cut back! For the sake of their health. She didn’t even like candies anymore, and it seemed so forced for her to take them. Why had she become so strange after visiting her grandmother’s place? Cheng Lie rested his hand on his leg, absentmindedly tapping it. Was it because her family said something to her? Or did something happen there that caused her to change? Cheng Lie couldn’t figure it out. No matter what, even if Yun Shifei came to hate him, he wouldn’t let go of her. But still, even though everything seemed under control, Cheng Lie couldn’t help but feel irritated and uneasy. There’s a world of difference between her liking him enough to stay by his side willingly and him forcing her to stay despite her reluctance.

Chapter 206: Alienation

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