The September sun still burned fiercely, its scorching rays forcing people on the streets to hurry along, drenched in sweat, unwilling to stay outdoors a second longer.
But for Ji Feng, this season felt colder than winter.
...
*"Let's break up."*
...
*"Huihui, wh-what did you just say?"* Ji Feng's voice trembled.
*"I said I'm breaking up with you!"* The girl named Huihui spoke coldly. *"And from now on, don't call me Huihui. My name is Hu Xuehui!"*
*"Why?"* Ji Feng's face turned ashen. *"Huihui, why?"*
His heart twisted in agony, as if he might collapse right there.
Just two months ago, they had sworn undying love, promising never to part. Yet now, after a single summer break, she had cut him off with those merciless words. How could he accept it?
Ji Feng stared blankly at the beautiful girl before him, his chest aching.
Hu Xuehui was his classmate in the third year of Mangshi County's Second High School. Ji Feng was quiet and earnest, a city kid without the usual arrogance of his peers. His grades, however, were only middling—below average, even.
Hu Xuehui, on the other hand, was lively, pretty, and sociable. As the class vice monitor, she was adored by many boys, some of whom had even fought over her.
Yet in the end, it was the reserved Ji Feng who had won her heart.
They had been desk mates, and over time, feelings grew between them, leading to a secret romance.
But Ji Feng never expected that on the first day of their final year, Hu Xuehui would demand a breakup.
*"Why? You dare ask me why?"* Hu Xuehui's voice rose sharply, drawing glances from passing students.
*"Did I do something wrong?"* Ji Feng's face was pale, his tone almost pleading.
*"Ji Feng, we can't go on. Our futures are too different."* Hu Xuehui's voice was icy, laced with disdain. *"Do you really think your family could afford to send you to college? With your grades, could you even get in? I'm going to university—I'll live in the city after that. Staying with you would ruin my future!"*
*"My family?"* Ji Feng's face whitened further. *"I told you long ago how poor we were. Why break up now?"*
*"Why?"* Hu Xuehui scoffed. *"Ji Feng, do you know where I went this summer? My sister's place in Jiangzhou. Do you know how much her apartment costs? You'd never earn enough in your whole life to buy even a bathroom there. Do you know how much her car is worth?"*
Ji Feng swallowed hard. *"I'll work hard. I'll make money."*
He had heard Hu Xuehui mention her sister before—a migrant worker in Jiangzhou. How had she suddenly become so wealthy?
*"Hard work?"* Hu Xuehui sneered. *"How many years would that take? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? I won't waste my youth waiting until I'm old and dying just to afford a city apartment or a car. Ji Feng, don't bother me again. I'm going to Jiangzhou for university. After that, we won't even belong to the same world."*
Ji Feng stared at her, stunned. The face that had once smiled so warmly at him now wore only arrogance. Those once-lively eyes were filled with cold indifference.
*"Fine. We're done."* Ji Feng finally nodded. Hu Xuehui had already shut him out. Begging would only humiliate him further.
At this point, his own deep-seated insecurity made him cling to the last shred of dignity he had left.
*"Oh, and I've already asked the teacher to switch seats. We won't be desk mates anymore—we're nothing to each other now."* Without another glance, Hu Xuehui turned and walked away, her posture proud and unyielding.
A girl who had been waiting nearby quickly caught up to her.
*"Xuehui, wasn't that too harsh? You shouldn't have said those things..."* The girl's voice carried faintly.
*"Hmph! I went easy on him."* Hu Xuehui's voice was sharp with anger. *"Can you believe it? A city boy, yet his family's so poor he never even bought me a single gift. I must've been blind to ever like him!"*
*"Xuehui, keep your voice down. What if Ji Feng hears?"*
*"So what if he does? He's just a poor bastard child anyway..."*
**Boom—!**
The words hit Ji Feng like a thunderclap. His body stiffened, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging at his temples as fury and shame burned through him.
*Bastard child... bastard child... illegitimate brat...*
His teeth ground together, fists clenching and unclenching until his knuckles turned white.
Only when Hu Xuehui and her friend had disappeared into the distance did Ji Feng finally exhale, his laughter bitter and hollow.
*"A bastard child... ha... an illegitimate brat..."*
It was true. Ji Feng was an illegitimate child—or, in crueler terms, a bastard.
He had never told anyone this secret except Hu Xuehui. Because of his status, his mother had been cast out by her own parents. If not for the kindness of strangers, they would have starved on the streets long ago.
The label *"bastard child"* had haunted his entire childhood, making him the target of mockery. It was why he grew up withdrawn and insecure, where even a single scornful glance could crush him.
Meeting Hu Xuehui had brought some light into his life. That was why he had trusted her with his past.
Yet now, his poverty had become her reason to leave, and his birth status—the thing he feared most—had become her weapon to scorn him.
*"Enough... enough..."*
Ji Feng shook his head, staggering aimlessly down the street, his laughter bleak.
*"A bastard child. Just a joke for others to laugh at. Even the one I loved most mocked me without hesitation..."*
Under the blazing sun, the streets were nearly empty, amplifying his loneliness. Only the faint sounds of TVs from nearby shops—music, dramas, news—broke the oppressive silence.
*"Breaking news: Scientists have observed a crab-shaped nebula approximately one billion light-years from our solar system, emitting astonishing gamma-ray flares. This marks the first recorded instance of gamma-ray flares within a cosmic nebula. Experts assure the public that due to the immense distance, these flares will have no impact on Earth..."*
The news anchor had no way of knowing that, at that very moment, a gamma-ray flare was streaking toward Earth's atmosphere.
...
Ji Feng wandered like a ghost, his soul shattered by the cruel words of the girl he had loved. The pain was so deep, he barely felt alive.
Then—
A flicker in the sunlight.
An invisible beam of energy struck his head.
And darkness swallowed him whole.