novelbin Chapter 170: Loneliness
Chapter 170: Loneliness
Cao Jiajia wandered outside aimlessly, like a lost soul.
She didn’t start trudging home until the sky was completely dark.
Pedestrians hurried along the road as the streetlights switched on one by one.
She kept her head down, her fingers clutching her backpack strap tightly.
Her home was like a battlefield these days.
Her parents started fighting the moment they saw each other. No one cared if she was there, and no one asked how she was doing.
The dining table was piled high with unwashed dishes, and wrinkled clothes were tossed on the sofa.
Every time they finished arguing, something else in the house would be broken.
What was worse, the school she attended was awful, and no one cared how badly her grades were slipping.
The teachers didn’t even glance at her during roll call.
The classmates around her changed one after another.
No one wanted to sit next to her because she always carried an air of silence and coldness.
By the time she shuffled to her front door, all the streetlights were on.
The hallway light was broken, leaving the stairwell in complete darkness.
Only a small, square patch of light shone from under the door.
She stopped and heard muffled voices coming from inside.
Two dark figures were talking at the door, seemingly about to part ways.
But she walked right up to them, and the atmosphere instantly became freezing with awkwardness.
Just as her hand touched the doorknob, her father spun around abruptly, and her mother immediately stopped talking.
"You damn kid, disappearing all day! Where were you running wild? Get back here this instant!"
"How dare you say that? She used to be such an obedient child. Look what you’ve turned her into!"
The words were barely out of her mouth before the two of them erupted into a shouting match, neither willing to back down.
The neighbor from across the hall peeked out for a moment, then quickly retreated and shut their door.
Someone upstairs opened their window and coughed.
But they didn’t stop, their argument only growing louder.
Cao Jiajia stood there woodenly, watching them tear each other down, when suddenly, the scene she had witnessed earlier that day flashed through her mind.
Ling Xueshan, smiling as she walked arm-in-arm with her father.
And behind her, a fiercely protective older brother who always had her back.
’And what about me?’
She looked down at her own school uniform, its cuffs frayed and the tips of her shoes spattered with mud.
The balance on the meal card clutched in her hand was only 12.70.
’These so-called parents... how were they any different from strangers she might have met on the street?’
The wind messed up her bangs, but she didn’t even raise a hand to fix them.
Perhaps seeing her lack of reaction, they both stopped arguing after a few more sentences.
Liu Yingzi, still catching her breath, took out her keys, opened the door, and started rummaging through her bag as she walked inside.
Cao Jiajia’s heart stirred. A little surprised, she looked up and spoke tentatively.
"Dad, Mom, I..."
"’I’ what? Get to your room, now! You do nothing but cause trouble all day! Don’t even think about getting an allowance this month. Make your own meals. There’s rice and vegetables in the kitchen."
With that, Liu Yingzi grabbed her bag and left without a backward glance.
The sound of her high heels clicking on the ground grew more and more distant.
Cao Jiajia froze on the spot, her fingers trembling slightly.
She instinctively looked at her dad, who was standing beside her.
Cao Daqiang’s brow was tightly furrowed as he glanced at his daughter.
His expression held no anger, nor any sympathy.
"You heard her. Stay home and reflect on what you’ve done."
After saying that, he also turned and left.
Leaving Cao Jiajia standing all alone at the door.
The night wind blew in from the hallway entrance, chilling the back of her neck.
Suddenly, she felt that she was worse off than an orphan.
’At least an orphan isn’t constantly being watched and scolded.’
She slowly shuffled forward.
She went inside and closed the door behind her.
Once in her room, she buried herself under the covers and cried her eyes out.
The next day, she opened her eyes and obediently put on her backpack for school.
But her pockets were empty; she didn’t even have enough money to buy a bottle of water.
She had washed her uniform many times, scrubbing until her hands were red, but she still couldn’t get rid of the stale smell.
Cao Jiajia looked down at her shoes. The tips were already coming unglued.
A pang of bitterness shot through her heart, and her eyes began to burn.
Not wanting anyone to see her like this, she instinctively hunched her shoulders.
Kids at this age are the most sensitive.
With just a glance, they could tell who was wearing new sneakers and who had the latest pencil case, sizing each other up.
Whenever a few girls in her class gathered to chat, they would always, whether intentionally or not, shoot a glance her way.
She was ridiculed all day long, subjected to the cruelest words they could come up with.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore, and tears welled up in her eyes.
But she held them back, refusing to let them fall.
After school, she didn’t want to go back to her cold, empty home.
She was the only one there, and the refrigerator was bare.
She wandered the streets, walking for several blocks.
Before she knew it, her feet had carried her to the building where Kang Yueyue lived.
The building was cleaner and tidier than her own.
She stood downstairs for a long time.
Only when she saw a light turn on on the third floor did she slowly start up the stairs.
"Hello, Aunt Kang. I... I came to see if my dad is here?"
Kang Yueyue crossed her arms and looked her up and down, her gaze lingering on the collar of her clothes.
She forced a smile, the corners of her mouth twitching upward in a particularly unnatural way.
"Oh, he’s not off work yet. Come in and sit for a while. It’s fine to wait."
"Thank you, Aunt Kang. I’m so sorry to bother you."
She kept bowing and nodding, her movements exaggerated.
She took off her shoes the moment she stepped inside, terrified of dirtying the floor.
Then she immediately rolled up her sleeves and started wiping the table.
This whole display pleased Kang Yueyue immensely; she found the girl to be sensible and obedient.
When Cao Daqiang returned, Cao Jiajia stopped what she was doing the moment she heard the key turn in the lock.
He pushed the door open and came in, his work clothes covered in dust, his brow furrowed.
When he saw his daughter busy in the room,
He froze for a second, his expression stiffening.
He stood motionless at the door for two seconds before walking in.
Kang Yueyue quickly went to greet him and smooth things over.
"Old Cao, you’re finally back! Look how thoughtful our Jiajia is. Not only did she come all this way to see you, but she also helped tidy up the place."
"Hmph, that’s more like it. Knows to come show some respect to her old man."
Cao Daqiang nodded indifferently, reaching into his pants pocket as he took off his jacket.
He pulled out a few small bills and tossed them at her. The money fluttered to the floor.
Without even looking at her, he said, "Alright, you can go home now if there’s nothing else."
As soon as the door closed, a hushed voice came from inside.
Kang Yueyue immediately turned and gave him a playful glare, poking him lightly on the chest.
"Look at you, being so cold to your own daughter. How heartbreaking would that be if word got out?"
"Why blame me? She has no drive, she’s dumb and lazy. What’s that got to do with me?"
Cao Daqiang flopped onto the sofa and crossed his legs high.
The flickering light of the TV reflected on his indifferent face.
"That girl’s been spoiled rotten by her mother. She’s a lost cause. If she comes again, just give her some money and send her away. Don’t let her be an eyesore around here."
Kang Yueyue scooted over with a wide smile and leaned against his shoulder.
"I’ll listen to you. We’ll do whatever you say."
Outside the door, Cao Jiajia heard every single word.
She bit her lip, not daring to cry out.
She understood that there was nothing she could do right now.
Head down, she walked away, one step at a time.
...
After starting college, Shanshan gradually sensed that something was off.
She would return to her dorm room when she didn’t have many classes.
She noticed her towel was always wet, and it looked like someone had been through her wardrobe.
The notebook on her desk had been moved.
She didn’t say anything, but she started paying close attention to the people around her.
When she came back after the weekend, she always felt that people were looking at her strangely.