The Unpaid Debt

Tian Qing stared intently at the crowd on the schoolyard. The boys her age were playing soccer cheerfully, while the girls chatted while casting admiring glances at them. Every day, rain or shine, they played happily. They made her feel envious. The bright golden sunlight shone on them, creating a beautiful picture. Meanwhile, she was in here with a dense pile of formulas and lessons that children her age shouldn't have to know for another ten years.

Gently rubbing her temples, she scanned the empty room. The private tutors had automatically gone to the lounge to rest, leaving her alone with difficult puzzles and math problems. She had no right to choose her own path; she could only choose how to face the road ahead. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes to rest. Tired, truly so tired.

Laughter still drifted through the window, while she sat here casting longing glances toward them. There was a touch of lingering attachment, a touch of reluctance, as she felt like a bird whose wings had been clipped. That bird no longer had any desire, nor any hope in life, yet deep down, it desperately yearned to fly like the other birds out there.

"Tian Qing, may I come in?"

Not a single response came from the room, not even the sound of breathing. It was like a dead room, which was also why all of Tian Qing's private tutors left during breaks instead of daring to stay. The atmosphere here was too oppressive, cold enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Uncle Lin pushed the door open and entered, the bodyguard standing formally outside. Time had stolen too many things—not just age and appearance, but also human health. In the past, he was a man few could match in self-defense, yet now he needed someone to accompany him wherever he went. His skills had gradually eroded, and his health had deteriorated due to grief and worry, leaving only a useless man in this world.

Tian Qing stared into his eyes as if trying to guess what he was about to say. Her gaze pierced deep, as if trying to see through his very soul. He shuddered slightly, feeling that the child before him was becoming more and more like those two—having lost her innocence, her soul washed clean by grief. The child's parents had never had a good life, carrying so many burdens on their shoulders. From childhood, they too had to live a life laid out for them. Perhaps their meeting was an anomaly in their lives, and that coincidence had given them a bit of warmth to keep living. He understood all too well what they felt, and even more clearly, the ultimate pain of the child he was protecting—a child whose soul had been fractured after experiencing bloody and tearful storms.

"Tian Qing, I just received news... that man... Ming Jun's biological father has passed away... in a mental hospital. I heard that after that day, he went mad, smashing things and screaming...!"

He trailed off, gently observing the expression on Tian Qing's face. He only saw her face fall into a deep silence. The coffee cup on her table and the tea in front of him had gone cold. Only then did Tian Qing let out a soft sigh, her eyes unexpectedly calm. Still, no sound was made; she nodded slightly and bowed her head to read, ignoring the other person's emotions.

Only she knew how chaotic her mind was right now. The person she hated most in the world was dead. She didn't even have the chance to stand before him to accuse him, to torture him for what she had to endure, to make him suffer to avenge her parents. Life was indeed ironic.

"Yin Feng, tell me, what should I do?"