Shadow // TGCF Modern AU

Chapter 34

After they arrived at the private room of the Restaurant booked by Hua Cheng, they started eating of course.

Hua Cheng orders a few of Xie Lian's favorite dishes from their teenage years.

Xie Lian looks at the dishes and can't help being surprised, "I can't believe you still remember..."

Hua Cheng: "If it's you, I'd remember everything........like a petty wife who recalls all the affairs of her cheating husband"

Xie Lian: "Is that a good thing?"

Hua Cheng: "I guess"

Xie Lian chuckles at his comparison, he doesn't know if he should be happy that Hua Cheng places his interests in high regard or laugh that Hua Cheng is calling himself a petty wife.

After they finish their lunch, Hua Cheng suggests that they take a stroll to digest their food.

So with Hua Cheng spearheading their walk, they drive towards a certain place where they'll start their walk from.

After alighting the car and walking for a bit, Xie Lian couldn't help but feel that this place is overly familiar; the sidewalk, the buildings, the plum blossom trees at the sides that cast the ground with beautiful shadows. Then they arrive at their destination; It's a place of bonds, a sanctuary from home, a place of acquiring knowledge, a place he hasn't been to nor thought about in a very long time. Looking at the school that looks quite taken care of, Xie Lian can't help but feel a little nostalgic.

It's his Kindergarten.

The place where he first discovered he had a shadow, it happened when he was being bullied in his younger years, he was blocked from leaving the toilet by a certain group of mean kids for who knows what reason, then when they wanted to gang up on him and beat him up; his shadow, which was peacefully lying on the ground, suddenly morphed and stood up to stand next to him at eye level. It's entire body was shimmering black with short hair at the time, he seemed to look at him and opened his mouth but found that he couldn't speak so he placed his hand on his shoulder as a way of comfort. Then he stood in front of him as if to shield him from the kids. When the kids saw him, they were so scared that some even peed on the spot.....then they ran of course.

A warm hand pulls Xie Lian out of his reverie, he looks down to see that Hua Cheng put his hand in his and locks their fingers together. This action pulls at Xie Lian's heart strings, so he tightens their intertwined hands and looks up at him saying, "let's go"

They stroll from The Kindergarten to the middle school then to the high school and finally they board a bus heading to the Tuition center Xie Lian used to go to, the one that had scary hallways.

By then, it was nearing 6:30 PM.

Xie Lian: "San Lang, would you like to go home with me?"

Hua Cheng looks into his eyes that were staring back at him in anticipation, "sure"

Xie Lian: "then let's use that shortcut that I liked to use"

Then, hand in hand, they start heading for the creepy alleys that Xie Lian used to dare to venture into back in his school days, not to mention back then....now with Hua Cheng beside him, he's even more audacious, even leading the way as if he's going to his backyard. Well Hua Cheng was with him back then as a shadow but Xie Lian doesn't want to count that, now is when he can confidently say that Hua Cheng is with him, accompanying him; side by side.

Heading in deeper in the still dilapidated buildings, Xie Lian stops to the place where he first met that girl being harassed, what's her name again? Wing.....len? Fing shen? Ling.....wen? Probably.