Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 626 Tender Sorrow of Parting

Zhan Mengyan gave a sharp tug, bringing the bicycle to a screeching halt. Just as it was about to tip over, Zhan Mengyan pulled it back to its original position. She nearly fell face-first to the ground, her shoes screeching against the asphalt. Zhan Yingying snapped out of her daze, breaking out in a cold sweat. The bicycle's front end finally veered off course, grazing the edge of the donkey cart. Startled by the sudden movement, the donkey brayed twice. Zhan Yingying turned to see Zhan Mengyan, panting, standing up, brushing the dust off her trousers, her face still flushed with shock, but with a smug look on her face. She couldn't help but laugh, "Sister, your thoughts were all over the place! You almost made us both look like those characters in the storytelling!" Zhan Yingying laughed too, a mixture of relief and lingering fear, and gently pinched her little sister's cheek, "You little rascal, you're more alert than a monkey!"

The driver of the donkey cart was a kind old man. He turned around, smiled, and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, it's alright. My old friend is slow, so you can take your time too." The donkey leisurely flicked its ears.

As the dust settled, Zhan Yingying's worries were dispelled by the thrilling scene. Zhan Mengyan helped her sister straighten the handlebars, and Zhan Yingying gently stroked the handlebars and looked at her younger sister: "Thanks to you."

The two sisters settled back into their seats, and the bicycle continued on its way, the wheels rolling over the sunlight and the earlier scare. Zhan Yingying gripped the handlebars tightly, a warm feeling in her heart. She knew that no matter how far her worries took her, her sister was always behind her, like the rope firmly holding the seat together, steady and reliable.

Zhan Mengyan blinked as she sat in the back seat. Sunlight danced on her hair, as if to say: No matter how heavy life's burdens are, they can't withstand a timely stop.

Zhan Yingying escorted Zhan Mengyan back to the vicinity of the school gate.

On this afternoon, woven with the chirping of cicadas, the sunlight, like melting amber, thickly blanketed the streets. The two sisters were about to part ways.

Zhan Yingying held the bicycle, took the canvas bag off the handlebars, and handed it to Zhan Mengyan.

“Walk a little further ahead, and I’ll take you to the school gate.”

Zhan Yingying's voice carried an undeniable gentleness.

Zhan Mengyan stubbornly stood still, one hand tightly gripping Zhan Yingying's clothes: "No, I want to see you leave first."

Zhan Yingying frowned slightly, the summer sunlight dancing on her eyelashes. She tried to persuade her sister, "Go inside quickly, you should go back to your dorm, you have to attend self-study class this afternoon..."

Zhan Mengyan shook her head, her gaze as clear and firm as a summer stream: "You ride your bike, I'll watch you."

The air seemed to freeze in the summer heat. Zhan Yingying relented, a helpless yet indulgent smile playing on her lips. She hopped on her bicycle, the wheels crunching through dappled shadows of the trees. Zhan Mengyan tiptoed, her gaze following her sister's figure until the bicycle turned the corner and disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun. In the hazy light, she saw her sister's shadow swaying in the twilight, like a lamp about to go out.

A car horn sounded in the distance, and Zhan Mengyan suddenly looked up, as if the sound could pull back her vanished figure.

As Zhan Yingying's last trace disappeared, Zhan Mengyan's tears finally broke free, streaming hot down her cheeks. A single drop hit the concrete, splashing into tiny droplets, like the fruit candy her sister had given her before leaving—sweet yet bittersweet. Zhan Mengyan frantically wiped her face with her sleeve, but the more she wiped, the wetter she became. She remembered her sister always saying she was an adult, but why did adults leave in such a hurry? Why was even a hug so precious?

Zhan turned away from home and walked towards the campus, tears leaving winding trails on her cheeks, like a sudden summer rain washing away the tender sorrow of parting in her heart.

These tears are for parting, and also for that unknown city far away—will cold rain soak her clothes there? Will the disdainful looks of strangers wound her pride?