Chapter 20: The Origin of Fate

My Fiery Girlfriend
Chapter 20: The Origin of Fate

Since I revealed the truth to her, Su Xuefei had been ignoring me, walking briskly by my side, occasionally glancing east and west. I couldn’t tell if she was trying to hide her embarrassment or was simply curious about everything new around her.

We wandered aimlessly down the long pedestrian street. Perhaps because of my cold, I felt somewhat weary. Yet, the goddess beside me still seemed fascinated by the street, showing no sign of wanting to stop or rest.

“Let’s find a fast-food place to sit for a while, shall we?” I sneezed and suggested.

“Are you tired?” Su Xuefei finally decided to speak to me, turning her head with a faint flush on her cheeks.

“Yeah, my legs feel a bit numb,” I admitted honestly. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the walking, but my feet seemed numb, and I lacked the energy I once had.

Su Xuefei nodded. “Alright. Actually, when I first saw you, I thought you seemed less energetic than before. Looks like it’s because you don’t exercise enough. From now on, let’s run together every morning, okay?”

I looked at her but didn’t respond immediately. I had always thought about exercising daily and had even managed to keep it up for a while, but it never lasted. Although the weather was getting colder, I knew the real reason was my lack of willpower. Ever since the ice cream shop opened, I no longer had the leisure to organize my free time.

“Okay, let’s hope I can get up in time,” I said helplessly, then asked, “Do you remember what I looked like in high school?”

But as soon as I said that, Su Xuefei ignored me again and hurried ahead. I was baffled—what was wrong with that question?

This time, I didn’t stay silent. I quickened my pace to catch up with her, asking repeatedly for an answer.

Finally unable to tolerate my pestering, Su Xuefei stopped and looked at me seriously. “You don’t even remember what I looked like back then!”

Suddenly, it all made sense. Because I had treated her like a stranger before, she was sulking now. It was surprising to see this goddess occasionally act like a little girl.

“Yang Chen, do you know what this road is called?” Su Xuefei gestured to the street beside us as she walked ahead.

I thought for a moment and shook my head.

“This road was originally called Origin Road, but later renamed East First Road.” She stared thoughtfully at the street, snowflakes shimmering on her long hair under the streetlights, making her look ethereal and even more beautiful.

“I’ve lived here for so many years and didn’t know that. How do you know?” I asked in surprise.

“It’s because I wanted to know,” she said with a faint, mysterious smile before continuing on.

A few minutes later, we passed a fast-food restaurant. I was eager to go inside, but unexpectedly, Su Xuefei suddenly broke into a quick run. I didn’t know who she saw or what happened, but I hurriedly followed her.

“Little sister, why aren’t you home on such a cold night?”

I caught up behind her and was stunned by the scene before me: Su Xuefei was crouched down, gently caressing the face of a shivering little girl. The girl was frail, clearly suffering from malnutrition. To my amazement, Su Xuefei stood up, took off her own down jacket, and wrapped it around the child.

“Damn, you really are my goddess!” I quickly took off my coat and draped it over Su Xuefei’s shoulders. There was no way I was going to take back the jacket she gave the little girl—I wasn’t that heartless.

Su Xuefei looked back at me, slightly surprised and smiling softly. “Why did you come running too?”

“You’re new here. I couldn’t just let you wander alone. What if some bad person kidnaps you?” I said. Though exaggerated, this was the first thing that came to mind.

“If bad guys kidnapped me, would you come to save me?” Su Xuefei gently held the girl’s hand and looked at me intently.

“I wouldn’t. You’re disobedient and run off on your own. You need some discipline,” I replied with a smile.

Su Xuefei looked a little disappointed, then gently stroked the girl’s cheek and softly said, “See? You should stay away from big brothers like this—they’re all bad people!”

I could only watch in silent amusement as this goddess earnestly warned the little girl.

A cold wind blew, making me shiver. I was truly asking for trouble—she was a goddess overflowing with compassion, which was understandable. But why was I, a mere loser, tagging along? Now, not only might I catch a cold, it was practically guaranteed.

“Thank you, big sister…” The girl murmured shyly, occasionally glancing at me.

“Come on, big sister will treat you to something delicious, then take you home,” Su Xuefei said, nodding to the girl and holding her hand as they began to walk back. I, meanwhile, wrapped my arms around myself and briskly followed, battling the cold.

Finally, under both mental and physical strain, I entered the fast-food restaurant. Amid many curious stares, I found a seat, while Su Xuefei and the little girl sat opposite me.

“What do you want to eat?” I asked Su Xuefei, who looked toward the girl.

The little girl shook her head, probably never having been to a place like this before and unsure what to order.

I stood up, went to the counter, and ordered two hamburgers, a coke, and fries for the girl. Then I hurried to the restroom—honestly, the cold had made me need to go badly.

“Yang Chen, I’ll take her home later. You wait here for me, okay?” Su Xuefei’s words sounded a bit awkward, as if she feared I might run off once she left.

“How about this—you wait here and I’ll take her home.” I couldn’t let those two helpless girls walk alone at night. Although Yichun’s security was generally good, there were still plenty of scumbags like Qi Tian. Better safe than sorry.

“What’s wrong? Worried I’ll really be kidnapped by some bad guy?” Su Xuefei looked at me, her beautiful eyes twinkling with amusement.

Though I knew she was joking about the earlier line, she had guessed right.

I nodded. “After I bring her back, let’s have dinner together.”

“Hmm, dinner sounds good, but you can’t leave me here alone,” she said after a moment’s thought.

“Don’t worry. Even if some bad guy is bold enough to try, no one here would dare harm you.”

Su Xuefei pouted slightly. “It’s not about fearing bad guys—I just don’t want to be left here alone.”

“Then you go with her. I definitely can’t agree to that.” I didn’t understand why women liked to make things complicated—simple matters somehow became complex.

“All right, then let’s go together, okay?”

“There are only two coats—how can we both wear one?”

“I’ll go outside to hail a taxi, and we’ll get in together. It’s such a short distance, we won’t even feel the cold before we’re in the car.” Su Xuefei came up with a plan, which was unfair to me but the only way.

“Big sister, you wear the coat. I’m not cold,” the little girl said, noticing the problem and trying to take off the white down jacket wrapped around her.

I grabbed her shoulder and gave a smile I hoped wasn’t too unpleasant. “It’s okay, I’m not cold. You wear it.”

Hearing this, the girl stopped trying to take off the coat and lowered her head silently.

As Su Xuefei helped the girl unwrap a hamburger, she gestured for her to eat first. I, meanwhile, bored, pulled out my phone and scrolled through the dizzying news headlines to pass the time.

“Big sister, are you and big brother a couple?” The girl asked timidly after swallowing a hamburger and sipping her drink.

Su Xuefei paused briefly, then looked at me, apparently expecting me to answer.

I put my phone away, cleared my throat, and asked, “Do you think I’m worthy of your big sister?”

The girl actually studied me carefully, then looked at Su Xuefei and shook her head slightly.

“Damn!” I thought. I knew I wasn’t on the same level as Su Xuefei, but to be outright rejected by a child was humiliating.

“Don’t swear in front of children!” Su Xuefei scolded me, then earnestly told the girl, “You can’t think that way. Big brother is really nice and treats big sister very well. Why would you think he’s not worthy?”

Though I had no idea what “treating her well” meant or when it had happened, I looked forward to the girl’s response.

“Because… because…” The girl was at a loss for words, perhaps influenced by Su Xuefei’s tone.

“We are a couple, and a very good one. You must remember that,” Su Xuefei softly added, seeming to realize her previous tone might have been a bit off.

I stared blankly at Su Xuefei’s serious expression as she spoke to the girl. Frankly, we were just classmates; she had rejected my confession, meaning we had never been a couple. Her words had no basis. Was she just trying to make the still-naive girl believe in love? If so, that made me a cautionary tale—proof that even a goddess and a loser could become a happy couple.

Fortunately, the topic didn’t last long. Once the girl finished eating, Su Xuefei went out to hail a taxi first, and I watched through the window as she stood in the snow wearing my down jacket, lost in thought... A fairy is always a fairy—forever out of reach for ordinary mortals...

Chapter 20: The Origin of Fate