Waterbound Love - Chapter 56

The street was still covered with remnants of snow from recent days, with yellow and brown leaves contrasting against the prematurely arrived winter scenery. This could be considered the city’s unique gift, the blend of autumn and winter, yet how many people truly pause their busy lives to appreciate it?

Disconnected from the outside world for more than three months, I had forgotten how to feel joy, sadness, how to smile, or cry. It was as if I had entered a state of meditation, devoid of emotion and affection.

I bought a lot of alcohol; drinking until drunk, then sleeping, and continuing to drink when sober. Like a seed buried deep underground, waiting to sprout?

For some reason, Du Bai found herself in a bustling area. The weathered marks on the ancient brick walls seemed to tell stories of relentless time.

She entered unintentionally, only to be attracted by a sweet melody that caught her ear. Looking up to find the source, she was surprised by the sight before her. A girl, barely clothed, sat in a wheelchair pushed by a middle-aged man. On the wheelchair was a speaker and a tattered bucket, holding a few scattered coins.

What astonished Du Bai the most were the girl’s “eyes.” Perhaps they couldn’t even be called eyes – crimson crystals gleamed glaringly under the sunlight, appearing eerie. Du Bai approached her, standing very close, enduring the pain in her eyes as a familiar fragrance wafted through. She coldly stared at the man behind, a smile tugging at her lips, as she tossed a 100 yuan bill into the bucket before walking away.

The evening breeze blew, and the sound of police sirens whisked away the pair who had been singing during the day.

“Ms. Du, this situation is difficult. The woman keeps defending the man, and we have no evidence to charge them. We can’t just accuse them of performing without a license, can we?”

Du Bai frowned, considering the young captain in front of her. “Captain Xing, I’ll go talk to the girl.”

“Uh, okay, no problem, I’ll arrange it.” Although lacking consultation, Xing Da didn’t mind. Who knows what the higher-ups meant by fully cooperating, but less trouble is better than more.

Du Bai sat in the interrogation room, playing with the cup in her hands. The only sound was the friction between the cup and the table, creating a tension that filled the room, oppressing the nerves and causing unease.

Du Bai watched the girl before her transition from initial confusion and helplessness to later panic, with a faint sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead. Du Bai chuckled softly, sensing it was almost time. “Your name is Redd, isn’t it?” she asked gently.

“Mm.” The girl was momentarily stunned but eventually nodded as a response. Her voice was sweet and soft, with a purity that seemed untouched by the world and a weariness as if she had seen through the vagaries of life.

“Can you see?” Du Bai glanced at her crimson eyes, closed her own eyes, and asked softly.

The girl was taken aback, then bitterly smiled, “I haven’t been able to see for a long time.”

Du Bai shone the light on her face, noticing she didn’t avoid it, and understood. She gritted her teeth, half-closed her eyes, concealing all emotions within them.

“It must have been his doing.” Du Bai looked steadily at Redd, and seeing that she had no intention of speaking, she continued on her own.

“What are you afraid of? Retaliation? At this point, under my protection, no one can touch you.” Seeing Redd’s face remain calm and unruffled, Du Bai couldn’t help but frown.

“Don’t you hate him? He not only harmed you but also used you to make money. Your eyes will never see again because of him.” Perhaps it was the thought of her own eye issues, but Du Bai felt excessive compassion for her, her emotions uncontrollable.

Redd smiled, a faint smile filled with an intricate mix of bitterness and sweetness. The light shone on her face, casting a warm glow that both fascinated and puzzled Du Bai.

“Sister, I don’t know who you are, but I feel that you’re different from them, genuinely wanting to help me. Yet, in some ways, you do the same as they do, never asking if I need your help.”

“I was abandoned when I was very, very young. I remember the snow falling heavily, everything white and pure. I clung to my father’s leg, asking him why he didn’t want me. He said I was a girl, useless, too ugly, even more useless, and that abandoning me was giving me a chance to live, leaving it to fate, to the heavens.”

“The snow was falling so heavily then, almost blinding me. I held onto my father’s leg, refusing to let go, begging, saying I could be useful, that I could work, not to abandon me. He kicked me away and walked out. In that heavy snow, I kept staring at him, telling myself he would come back, he wouldn’t really leave his own child, he just wanted me to behave.”

“But he left in such a hurry, never once turning back. I think he never even intended for me to survive, because before he took me out, he removed the only cotton jacket I had, even though it wasn’t warm. People say a child’s memory fades with time, but that scene I could never forget, perhaps because the pain was too profound to ever be erased.”