After breakfast, Tianyu painfully walked back to his room, making a vow to himself to change things for both himself and his mother. He was determined to create a better life for them.
Looking out of his bedroom window, he marveled at the quiet and peaceful scene before him. In his previous life, he never had the opportunity to just sit down and relax. From as far back as he could remember, he had been in an orphanage, surrounded by screaming children and uncaring adults.
The orphanage was no different from school. He replaced the screaming children at the home with a different set of screaming children at school. Even during lessons, there was no respite from the constant noise. He had to study hard and get good grades; failure meant being shouted at and going hungry.
This relentless routine continued throughout his school years. However, in high school, he found a small piece of paradise for himself. One day, on his way back to the orphanage from school during the dark winter months, he stumbled upon a mysterious alleyway he had never explored before. For some reason, he felt drawn to it.
At the end of the alley, he discovered a ladder that led to the rooftop of a nearby building. Though it was only two or three stories tall, it blocked out most of the noise from the streets below. He climbed the ladder, motivated by a mixture of boredom, escapism, and wanderlust.
When he reached the rooftop, he was mesmerized by what he saw. The night sky was filled with countless stars, shining brightly and creating an awe-inspiring spectacle. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed.
Until that point, he had never taken a moment to stop, breathe, and look up. His life had always been hectic, devoid of peace or quiet, and a never-ending whirlwind of noise.
That day marked a change in him, a yearning for peace.
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From that moment onward, every day after school, he followed the same routine. He would visit that mysterious alleyway, climb the ladder, lay down on that rooftop, and gaze at the stars.
This routine continued for months, bringing him the peace he had craved.
Then, one day, as he lay on the rooftop, gazing at the stars, the door in the middle of the roof unexpectedly opened. Stepping out was the most mesmerizing woman he had ever seen. She was stunning, about a head shorter than Tianyu, with long, dark, flowing hair that curled at the tips. Her big brown eyes, plump pink lips, and curvaceous figure left him awestruck.
However, something was off. She was dressed in a full wolf costume. A peculiar sight, to say the least.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Both were shocked by the unexpected encounter. It was the girl who broke the awkward silence.
"Ah, um... Hi?" she said hesitantly.
Tianyu, unsure of how to react, quickly climbed down the ladder and left without uttering a word.
As he walked back home, he couldn't get the strange encounter out of his mind.
The next day, after finishing school, he returned to the alleyway and climbed the ladder again, feeling more apprehensive this time. To his relief, he was alone on the rooftop as usual.
Hours passed, and though he remained somewhat jumpy at every noise, there was no sign of the mysterious girl.
The following day, his routine was unchanged, and once again, he enjoyed the solitude. However, the girl from that strange encounter still lingered in his thoughts.
Days passed, and his routine remained the same. He cherished those moments of solitude and the peace they brought.
Then, one day, as he ascended to the rooftop as usual, he felt unusually tired. He had struggled to sleep the previous night, anxious about an upcoming test at school. After settling in on the rooftop and starting to relax, he drifted off to sleep.
At some point, he began to stir and awaken, but what he saw sent terror coursing through him. He shouted in fear, scrambling backward as he believed he was about to be attacked by a wolf.
However, his fear was quickly replaced by awe as he heard the softest, most melodious laughter. Blinking in confusion, he noticed the same girl from before, sitting nearby and laughing.
Still a little dazed and disoriented, Tianyu could only sit there in a huff.
"You know, you're quite cute when you're not running away," she chuckled.
His bewildered gaze remained fixed on her.
"I'm Li Xiang!" She beamed at him.
Still somewhat perplexed, Tianyu managed a bewildered, "Huh?"
"Wow, weird name!" she teased. "See you next time, Huh. I'm gonna be late!" With that, she left.
Sitting on the rooftop, still half-asleep and half in shock from the sudden wake-up call, Tianyu could only mutter to himself, "What?"
Afterward, he left the rooftop and headed back to the orphanage, thoroughly bewildered by the strange encounter and the enigmatic Li Xiang.