Chapter 285: Han Xi’s Childhood

When she was young, Han Xi wasn’t as cold as she is now. She had a lot of patience for many things.

Although she had a naturally cold face even as a child, Han Xi would warmly smile at anyone willing to approach her.

At seven or eight years old, Han Xi was adorable and sweet, like a little dumpling, making her the most popular kid in her class.

Guo Zhu, naturally drawn to beautiful things and people, insisted on sitting next to Han Xi and being her desk mate.

Even though she got a beating from her dad for it when she got home,

Guo Zhu was overjoyed because she finally got to sit with the pretty girl.

“Han Xi, do you want some milk?”

Young Guo Zhu, a bit chubby but endearing, had a smile that was very infectious.

At that time, she just wanted to do her best to be nice to her new desk mate.

However, young Guo Zhu received only a cold rejection from Han Xi.

“I don’t want it.”

Actually, Han Xi had already had her fill of milk at home and couldn’t drink any more.

But she wasn’t good at expressing herself, so to Guo Zhu, it sounded like a cold refusal.

Guo Zhu was undeterred and continued to bring milk for Han Xi every day. Finally, one summer day, Han Xi accepted the milk and softly thanked Guo Zhu.

Guo Zhu was so happy, she waved her arms and shouted in class, “Han Xi drank my milk! Hehehe!”

This lively and joyful spirit indeed warmed Han Xi’s heart.

From then on, they became good friends.

However, their friendship was soon intruded upon by a transfer student, a girl.

Seeing how well Guo Zhu and Han Xi played together, she insisted on joining them.

At first, Han Xi thought she was as carefree as Guo Zhu, so she agreed to let the three of them play together.

But gradually, the friendship turned sour.

The girl often belittled Han Xi under the guise of joking.

She’d say, “Han Xi, why does your face always look so sour? Did we upset you? Why don’t you smile?”

“Han Xi, if you’re in a bad mood, can you not affect me? I was happy, but seeing your face ruins my mood.”

At that age, Han Xi didn’t understand what she had done wrong.

To please the girl, she forced herself to smile, but the response was, “Your smile looks so fake. Don’t smile; it’s ugly.”

“Are your clothes from such-and-such brand? We’re so young; why are you so vain?”

Thus, Han Xi was constantly belittled by the girl from head to toe, inside and out.

This girl led the way in isolating Han Xi and Guo Zhu, spreading rumors about them and telling others not to play with them.

Gradually, Han Xi and Guo Zhu found themselves surrounded by fewer and fewer people, while everyone else became friends with that girl.

At a prestigious school, children mature early and are well-versed in bullying. Once someone is excluded, others will follow suit in bullying that person.

Young Guo Zhu couldn’t contain her anger and fought with the girl, leading to all three being punished by the teacher.

The next day, Guo Zhu was punished for fighting in kindergarten and was not allowed to attend for half a day.

“I don’t want to be friends with you.”

Young Han Xi, showing extraordinary determination for her age, finally said this after realizing this person wasn’t fit to be her friend.

To that girl, Han Xi was just a plaything. What right did a plaything have to say no?

So she pretended to seek Han Xi’s forgiveness, luring her into the bathroom, then locking her inside.

“Let me out!”

Han Xi’s cries for help went unheard, or rather, they were heard but ignored.

Some even maliciously turned off the lights.

In the enclosed space and darkness, fear and panic grew infinitely.

It was then that Han Xi developed claustrophobia.

She was locked in that bathroom stall for an entire morning.

From initial struggle and anger, she eventually lost the strength to make any sound, sitting on the cold floor, hugging her head and repeatedly thinking of things that could make her happy to combat the fear and suffocating feeling.

In the afternoon, Guo Zhu, upon returning to school, realized Han Xi was missing and reported it to the teacher.

The teacher, clearly aware of Han Xi’s situation, dismissively brushed off Guo Zhu’s concerns, thinking the aloof child needed some lessons.

Guo Zhu, realizing the teacher was unreliable, tearfully called her father.

Crying so hard she almost fainted, she managed to convey her distress to her dad.

Fearing something terrible had happened to his daughter, Guo Zhu’s father rushed to the school, only to find out it was Guo Zhu’s desk mate who was missing.

Given that the Guo and Han families were business partners, Guo Zhu’s father didn’t mind doing a favor and immediately called Han Xi’s father.

A man of decisive power, Han Xi’s father arrived at the school with over ten bodyguards, promptly dismissed the teacher, and led a personal search for Han Xi.

Guo Zhu, clinging to her father, insisted on joining the search.

Finally, they found Han Xi curled up in the girls’ bathroom.

Guo Zhu’s father held her as they found Han Xi, who opened her eyes, let go of her head, and looked at everyone.

She said nothing, yet it seemed like she said everything.

Her eyes were filled with darkness, despair, indifference, and endless loneliness.

It was the first time Guo Zhu saw such lifeless eyes.

Afterward, Han Xi had a high fever for three consecutive days, finally subsiding.

When Guo Zhu visited her, Han Xi had reverted to the emotionless girl she had been, her emotions rarely swayed by external factors.

When Han Xi returned to kindergarten and pinned the girl who locked her in the bathroom to the ground, her face was expressionless.

Everyone was too scared to intervene because Han Xi was holding a stone, smashing the girl’s face until she stopped.

Guo Zhu still remembered Han Xi’s emotionless gaze as she calmly asked her classmates,

“Who turned off the light? You’d better come forward now, or you’ll end up like her.”

Several girls tearfully apologized to Han Xi, begging for her forgiveness.

The last memory was drowned in a sea of crying.

From that point on, no one dared to provoke Han Xi again.