Trillionaire's Slice of Life

It was the classmates from junior high school, as we had already formed a group back then, that I still had occasional contact with.

Chu Mo hurriedly passed by the elementary school entrance, he strode forward, his mind constantly reminiscing some childhood anecdotes, when suddenly, a blurry face appeared in his thoughts. That face became clearer and clearer until finally a girl with pigtails and cute dimples on her cheeks emerged from his memory.

She was the girl he had shared a desk with for three years in junior high, who was also the first girl Chu Mo had ever liked. It was because of that girl that Chu Mo later developed a fondness for writing.

I remember hearing a few years back when I was home, that the girl I used to think about day and night had gotten married, and she had even opened a flower shop in the small county town.

Chu Mo tried hard to recall, and if he wasn't mistaken, the name of the flower shop seemed to be Tong Che Florist. He wasn't sure of the exact location, only that it was somewhere nearby.

Somehow, his heart began to beat faster, a sensation of quickened heartbeat that made him nostalgic. Chu Mo bit his lip slightly and couldn't help but quicken his pace, his gaze starting to search the nearby streets.

Centred around the entrance to the elementary school, an hour later, when Chu Mo searched the fourth street, he finally saw a flower shop named Tong Che Florist on a slightly cheaper street. Although he had found his target, Chu Mo suddenly felt a desire to back away.

He stood in place for a long time, with many imagined scenarios of their meeting playing in his mind, but each time he thought of her as another man's wife, a sigh would rise from the depths of his heart.

Even though he knew this was the normal outcome, deep down in his brain, he still couldn't accept the scene of the girl he had once secretly adored cuddled in someone else's arms.

In the end, with a soft sigh, just as Chu Mo was about to turn around and leave, to seal that girl in the deepest recesses of his heart, his eyes suddenly caught sight of another graceful figure.

His heartbeat quickened again, even his breathing paused for that moment. Then, Chu Mo, as if his feet had taken root, could no longer move, standing there staring straight ahead at the figure with long hair cascading over her shoulders.

She was a woman of delicate appearance and average build, with shoulder-length black hair. When she pursed her lips slightly, a pair of shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. She was holding a pair of scissors and bending slightly, diligently pruning the branches and leaves of the bouquet in front of her.

She was very focused on her task, so much so that even as Chu Mo stared intently at her, she remained completely unaware.

Compared to her lively vivaciousness as a child, there was a mature charm to the woman before him. If one observed carefully, one could still see a hint of the girl from years ago.

The woman soon finished pruning the bouquet. She stood up straight to carefully inspect her work, and after a moment, a satisfied smile crept onto her cheeks. Only then did she become aware of Chu Mo's gaze.

She turned her head, her eyes filled with sincerity as she asked warmly,

"Sir, would you like to buy some flowers?"

The Chu Mo who had been lost in memories finally came to his senses. He looked at the enthusiastic woman before him and realized that she hadn't recognized him at all; she was treating him just like any ordinary customer.

A small sense of loss inevitably flashed through his heart, but then he thought that if he hadn't known her identity in advance, they might have passed by each other without either being able to recognize the other.

With that thought, Chu Mo stopped dwelling on it. He curled his lips into a slight smile, shook his head gently, and turned to walk away!

Some things are better left buried in the heart forever, becoming beautiful memories.

As Chu Mo was about to walk away with a soft sigh, a voice suddenly rang out from behind that held a trace of surprise!

"Wait... are you... Chu Mo?"

That faint voice seemed to possess an endless magic, halting Chu Mo's footsteps immediately. A warm current he couldn't quite identify surged within him. After taking a deep breath to calm the complex emotions welling up, he turned his head gently and saw the long-haired woman suddenly covering her mouth in delight as she said:

"Are you really Chu Mo? Old classmate, who would have thought that after so many years since graduation, we would meet like this!"

Since his identity had been recognized, Chu Mo naturally wouldn't ignore her. He turned back around and walked over to her, then with a face full of emotion, he said:

"Qian Bingxue, it's been a long time!"

"Haha, it has been a long time! You've really changed so much. If I hadn't heard in our classmates' group that Chu Mo, you've become a big boss, I would never have dared to recognize you. Back in school, you always seemed so silly, and now you've suddenly become so mature. Oh, right, come inside, I'll pour you a cup of tea!"

The long-haired woman's face was full of surprise, and it was clear that she was genuinely delighted. Chu Mo's original melancholy melted away in her beaming smile. Taking a gentle breath, Chu Mo glanced at the small florist shop. When he saw there was another woman inside, he shook his head and said:

"No need to sit, I have some other matters to attend to. Perhaps another time, we old classmates can get together!"

As Chu Mo finished speaking, the woman opposite him immediately raised her eyebrows and said:

"Is that so? How about tonight then? You, this old classmate, are rarely in town, and now that I've finally caught you, I definitely can't let you go so easily. Otherwise, it might be difficult to gather again next time. I'll organize something this evening, invite a few classmates, and we can all have a good catch up.

Those of us who are still in touch meet up from time to time, but it's always the same few people. This time with Chu Mo joining, it will be more lively. So, tonight at eight o'clock, at Xinxin Restaurant, don't be a no-show!"

Looking at the woman in front of him with a face full of hope, Chu Mo's mouth opened slightly. The words he originally wanted to say to refuse somehow couldn't be uttered. After nodding lightly, Chu Mo spoke:

"I've got some things to deal with, but I'll contact you once I'm done!"

Chu Mo glanced at the other woman who had stepped out from the florist shop, her face filled with curiosity. Without lingering further, he said his goodbyes to her and briskly walked away.

He had finally seen the goddess from his junior high school days, who he used to think of day and night – sadly, she was now married, leaving an indescribable sense of loss in his heart.

Of course, Chu Mo understood that his feelings for Qian Bingxue were more of a nostalgia, a remembrance of his youth. In fact, even if she were single up to this moment, Chu Mo might not necessarily pursue her or wish to be with her.

By Chu Mo's current standards, Qian Bingxue's appearance scored around eighty out of a hundred. This score, in the small town and in school, probably meant she was the class beauty, and for the once unremarkable Chu Mo, she was goddess-like, an irreplaceable presence.

However, now, after living in the glitz of the Magic City and undergoing countless experiences with beauty, Chu Mo's standards had elevated far too much. In his view, any woman with a beauty score below ninety barely drew his interest to take a second glance.

He wasn't short of incredibly gorgeous women, those with beauty scores above ninety-five, even big celebrities would go out of their way to please him. Under such circumstances, Qian Bingxue's score of eighty wasn't particularly significant.

But what Qian Bingxue represented to him was an entire era of his youth; she symbolized his impetuous younger days, as well as his memories.

She could no longer be described by a mere beauty score. Truly speaking, this woman should be regarded as an irreplaceable presence in his life.

Drawing a deep breath, Chu Mo walked back along the path he came. He cast one last glance behind him at the florist shop. Amid the hustle of people, the figure of the woman had vanished. However, in a fleeting moment, Chu Mo seemed to see an image of a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl, shyly waving at him.

Qian Bingxue, the dreamy goddess who appeared in his dreams countless times, had once again appeared before him.

"Should I really go to the gathering tonight?"

Chu Mo muttered to himself, and before long, his silhouette gradually disappeared into the street.