“What have you got to base your word on?! How are you going to back your promise? Do you know how terrible her monthly exam results were?!”


  My mother suddenly waved her hand. “I’m not going to talk about this! Yin Xiachun, let me ask you, where have you been for the past two days?! Do you know that your father and I were so worried we made a police report? We haven’t been to work for the past two days, and Dongyu hasn’t been going to school either. We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Are you messing around with us?”


  I didn’t dare squeak. I didn’t know how to explain it.

  Su Qi suddenly burst out, “She… she was at my house yesterday.”


  Startled, I glared at him. “Su Qi, don’t talk nonsense!”


  My mother was even more surprised, her expression clouded over. “What did you say?”


  “Auntie, Xiachun was with me the last two days, but don’t worry…”


  Before Su Qi could finish, my mother, unable to control herself, stepped forward and slapped me.

  “What a disgrace!”


  She seemed embarrassed and even more furious. She grabbed my collar and slapped me twice before she demanded angrily, “I’ve always told you that a girl should have self-respect and self-love! Have you ignored my words?! Ah! I’ll teach you a lesson today!”


  She then pointed at Su Qi and said, “And you! I’ll talk to your parents about this tomorrow!”


  I covered my face with my hands and knelt on the ground, crying bitterly. “Mom! Just punish me! I know I was wrong! But, please let Su Qi go. This has nothing to do with him! I was not with him!”


  …


  For a whole week, I was locked up in my room and kept at home to reflect on my mistakes. After that, my mother took me to my homeroom teacher in school and I was given another harsh lecture.

  For not returning home at night and skipping classes, the form teacher initially wanted to keep me in school to receive my punishment, but after my mother repeatedly pleaded for me, she let me off with a bad record.

  At that time, the school’s disciplinary actions were categorized according to the errors committed. We could end up with a warning, serious warning, demerit points, serious offense record, detention or expulsion.

  My error wasn’t particularly serious. When the form teacher calmed down, she decided that I should be given demerit points. It would take a year to erase it.

  At that time, this was considered a major punishment. If i didn’t manage to have that removed, it would affect my entrance examination.

  After receiving this punishment, Mom asked Dongyu to escort me home every day after school. Apparently she wanted to separate me from Su Qi.

  One time in the midst of lesson time, I sneaked out of school to meet Su Qi.

  Before he could say anything, I said, “Su Qi, let’s break up!”


  He was stunned for a moment before he could react. He grabbed my shoulders and said with a trembling voice, “I don’t want to! That night when I mentioned breaking up, it was because I was angry! It doesn’t count! I regret it. I don’t want to break up with you! Let’s just be together and start over, okay?”


  Trying hard to hold back my tears, I pried his fingers away one by one as I choked, “It’s too late, it’s already too late…”


  “Too late for what?!”


  He panicked. “I don’t understand what you’re saying!”


  “We can’t go back anymore!”


  I said, “Su Qi, just let me go. Let’s break up…”


  “No!”


  Su Qi’s eyes reddened. He hugged me tightly and refused to let go. “Xiachun, I like you so much, I won’t let you go. Please don’t let me go either! We’ve agreed that I’d propose to you after we’ve finished college! We’ll get married and be together forever!”