The Lover's Prattle

The Elegant Lunatic//1

— Friends? They're meant to be used, no?

Spoiled children, by the age of 10, would become incapable of distinguishing between the acts of playing and bullying.

Presently, a group of said children was assaulting another child with rocks, laughter and contempt spilling from their lips in their clear, juvenile voices. They had surrounded their victim and forced him to curl up inside their encirclement as they struck him with what seemed like an entire world of malice.

"Look at this idiot, let's beat him to death..."

"Hey, doesn't he look like a dog?"

"Yeah, haha..."

A June day, and a babyish face.

Suddenly, the beaming sun was swept away by a gust of wind and succeeded by an outburst of cool raindrops.

"Ugh, it's raining! What a downer!"

The band of children tried to shield themselves with their hands, but the rain continued to fall, heavier and heavier until the leader finally threw down his rock and led the others away.

"If you help Xu Chaoyang again, we'll beat you to death!"

***

Qingruo held an umbrella as she entered the alleyway.

The alleyway was dirty, littered with torn garbage bags whose spilling contents had been rendered appalling by the rain.

She spotted a small figure huddled against a wall. His arms were wrapped around his legs, and his face was buried in his knees, making it impossible for her to tell his expression.

The trousers that clad his legs were ill-fitted, revealing his bony calves and the bluish-purple bruises on his grime-darkened skin, along with a number of glaring red wounds that had yet to scar. His hands were also covered in cuts, bruises, burns, and other injuries, and his nails were long and filthy.

Qingruo walked over and squatted down, paying no heed to the murky puddles that touched her pristine skirt hem, and cautiously extended a hand. However, she stopped before her hand reached him.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

The crouched figure trembled before raising his head.

His swarthy little face was frighteningly thin, but his inky eyes were bright and deep. There were also injuries on his face, though not as much as there were on his legs.

With his tightly closed lips and cold, defensive eyes, he resembled a beast whose territory had been invaded.

Qingruo shifted her umbrella, bringing the boy under its protection. The powder-blue shade of the umbrella cast a soft glow over her face, illuminating her warm smile. She pulled an adorable rabbit-print handkerchief out of a little long-strapped purse and said, "Your face is dirty. I'll wipe it for you."

Xu Nianyang stared at her without moving. She possessed the appearance of a girl who was still pure and naive.

The handkerchief drew close, and he tensed.

When the silken fabric came into contact with his skin, his eyelashes quivered, and he dropped his gaze. The handkerchief was instantly stained, but the girl seemed oblivious as she continued to smile sweetly.

Once she was done, she tucked the handkerchief away and lifted a finger to the corner of her mouth. She blinked, and her round eyes sparkled. "My name is Qingruo. What about you? Can we be friends?"