Everything I bought on online shopping platforms was genuine.

Chapter 226 Clothes are better new than old, but people are better old than new.

'Crash'

The sound of rain hitting the car was incessant. Lin Mo parked the car downstairs in the residential area, a cigarette between his fingers. Feeling depressed, he unusually bought a pack and lit one for himself.

He had heard Director Wang say that when people are tired or in a bad mood, smoking a cigarette can calm them down a lot.

He tried it and almost choked on his tears. Can smoking really relieve anxiety? Not necessarily, but people who don't smoke don't even know what to do when they're sad.

Jiang Xia's departure may just be a small episode in his life. He can pretend not to care, and become truly indifferent as time goes by, but not now.

Just now, he went to the courier station and sent several boxes to himself and his contacts.

Some of these people never came back, while others were already working outside. Although they were classmates, some had already graduated from junior college a year ago and were already struggling in society.

Because everyone was in a bad mood, no one suggested getting together. Firstly, they hadn't seen each other for a long time and were a bit estranged, and secondly, the rain was getting heavier. So everyone tacitly went home.

Even Lin Mo and Wan Chunlong's close friends didn't suggest finding a place to eat or chat today.

Everyone seemed to have lost their mood because of Jiang Xia's sudden departure.

After finishing his cigarette, Lin Mo threw the butt out the window. The butt was instantly soaked by the rain. He then took a deep breath, packed up the suitcase on the passenger seat, and got out of the car.

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, and it was starting to feel like a moderate rain. Lin Mo carried the box and walked a few steps quickly, but even so, the rain still soaked his hair.

"What were you doing out in this heavy rain? Hurry up and wipe yourself off! Hey? What's this?"

Seeing Lin Mo's disheveled appearance as he pushed the door open, his mother, Zhou Min, quickly handed him a towel, and then noticed the suitcase in his hand.

"A souvenir from a friend," Lin Mo said, taking the towel and wiping his hair haphazardly. His spirits were low, so he continued, "Mom, I'm going back to my bedroom. I've already eaten out, so don't call me for dinner."

After saying that, Lin Mo carried the box and went back to his bedroom alone.

Lin Mo's unusual behavior was naturally noticed by his mother, Zhou Min, but since her son wouldn't say anything, she couldn't get any information out of him. This is what it means for a son to grow up and become independent of his mother.

Back in his bedroom, Lin Mo placed the box on the windowsill and stared blankly at the increasingly heavy rain outside. For some reason, he felt a little scared—afraid to open the box in front of him.

Even though he had met Jiang Xia's mother today and confirmed her death, it was as if everything he had just experienced was just a dream as long as the box remained unopened.

The real Jiang Xia will always live in his heart. She may be living a different life. She got into university, had a relationship with her boyfriend, and they were very happy together. They were planning to get married as soon as they graduated, or she may already be married, settled in another city, and have a lovely baby of her own.

The price to pay is that I probably will never see him again in this lifetime.

Because in the previous three years, Jiang Xia had always been like this in his heart. After all, many people would meet for the last time without realizing it. Jiang Xia wasn't the only one of his high school classmates he hadn't seen since graduation. Everyone was doing well, they were just no longer together.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Mo, who was standing by the window, came back to her senses and looked at the box in front of her, preparing to open it, after all, it was her last wish.

The box was just an ordinary cardboard box, with his name written on one side in marker, and the opening was sealed tightly with transparent tape.

Lin Mo opened the drawer, took out a utility knife, and cut the tape along the seal. Then he took a deep breath and slowly opened the box, which was full of things. On top of it was a photo frame with a picture of Jiang Xia inside.

In the photo, Jiang Xia is turned to the side with a smile on her lips, pointing her right hand at the camera as if she were pointing at him. It is obvious that this is imitating the special gesture of Li Shimin.

Picking up the photo album, Lin Mo examined it closely. A speech bubble, resembling a dialogue box from a comic book, appeared on Jiang Xia's lips in one of the photos, containing a single sentence.
[Hey deskmate, I knew you'd come! We meet again!]

In an instant, Lin Mo felt as if the photo in front of him had come to life, as if Jiang Xia was really talking to him.

Seeing this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud:
"As expected of you! I knew it. You have an interesting soul living inside your adorable appearance!"

He knew that, given Jiang Xia's personality, even if she were gone, she wouldn't say goodbye with tears in her eyes. She was usually quirky and loved to laugh, so how could she possibly make the atmosphere so heavy?

After glancing at Jiang Xia in the photo frame a few more times, Lin Mo put it aside and then looked at the other things. He had to admit, there were quite a lot of things.

Several foreign classics, an eyeglass case, her pencil case from her senior year of high school, a plastic water bottle, her college entrance exam admission ticket, and a transparent square plastic box from which you could clearly see a handful of candy.

Lin Mo flipped through a thick bundle of photos. They were all photos taken during her travels to various places over the years, along with two other photos that were solemnly framed. One was a group photo of them at graduation, except that she was the only one absent from the class. The other was a photo of her standing alone in the place where the whole class took their graduation photo.

Her gaze wasn't directed at the camera; instead, she tilted her head slightly to the upper left, as if looking at something. Furthermore, she wasn't standing in the very center of the photo; instead, she was on the far right, as if the surrounding blank space was reserved for her classmates.

At the very bottom of the box was a school uniform jacket from Experimental High School. Lin Mo picked it up and looked at it, finding it somewhat familiar. There was a pig's head graffiti on the back. It turned out to be the school uniform he had suddenly lost in high school. He never expected that she had taken it.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Lin Mo was flooded with memories of his high school days. He couldn't help but put on his school uniform, zip it up, and seemed to smell the laundry detergent. Everything felt so familiar.

Just as he put his hands into his school uniform pockets, he suddenly felt something. When he took it out, he found two envelopes inside.

On one of the envelopes was a cartoon portrait drawn with a ballpoint pen. Although it had a slightly anime-like feel, Lin Mo recognized the cartoon portrait as Jiang Xia at a glance.

The cartoon character, with puffed-up cheeks and clenched fists, had a line of bold, highlighted text beside it: "Read this one first, did you hear me!"

Seeing this, Lin Mo smiled, tore open the envelope sealed with glue, and as he took out the letter, a photograph fell to the ground.

Lin Mo bent down to pick it up and discovered that the photo showed two young people in school uniforms hugging.

The boy squatted down, and the girl stood on her tiptoes. The boy gently patted the girl's back, and the girl wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, gripping his clothes tightly with both hands.

In an instant, Lin Mo suddenly remembered that on the last day of high school, this girl went crazy and hugged everyone in the class, including every subject teacher.

At first, he only felt that Jiang Xia was hugging him very tightly and with great strength, but he didn't expect that she had actually used all her strength.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Mo put down the photo and opened the letter.

Dear Deskmate
Seeing this letter is like seeing the person in person, Lin Mo

It's embarrassing to admit, but I still apologize to you. I deserted and didn't say goodbye to you in person.

If you can see this letter, I should already be gone. Yes, I'm sick, very sick.

Honestly, when I learned about my situation, aside from the initial panic, I quickly regained my composure, and even felt a sense of relief, because from then on I was freed from my previous life.

The pressures of worldly life are immense; I used to be too afraid to even reminisce about them, but now I have a legitimate reason to relax.

I used the money that was originally meant to extend my life to experience all sorts of different lives. I went to Mount Tai, took photos at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, rode a cable car, wore a floral sundress that I had never worn before, and captured the sunshine, the sunset, and the dandelions. My emotions were high, and I have never relaxed in the past 20 years.

I meet many people every day. I look them straight in the eye, and I am confident, generous, and open-minded. Many people like me, and I am grateful to the world for loving me.

My life truly began when I realized that I only have one life and that the mortality rate is 100%.

The sudden illness merely unlocked the shackles that bound me, allowing me to do the happiest things at the best age.

Life is like a fleeting shadow, like a wild goose leaving footprints on the snow. With whom do I sit? The bright moon, the gentle breeze, and myself.

I was born to please myself, not to be bound by others. I have struggled with myself for a long time, and I would rather be myself!

There is no such thing as happiness or unhappiness in this world; it is only a comparison between one situation and another. Only those who have made the decision to die can understand how joyful it is to be alive.

So don't feel sorry for me. My main life task is already completed: happiness. As for you, my friend, your main task is most likely to be going to work. Apart from work, everything else, such as getting married, traveling, and seeing a doctor, requires taking time off to complete.

I don't want to live that kind of life, where all the important things in my life can only be accomplished in the gaps between work. I don't want to be a wound-up machine.

Don't pity me. I don't like being pampered by anyone, nor do I want others to sacrifice anything for me. I don't need you to stop and feel sorry for me, so please enjoy life to the fullest!
If you meet someone and know that you're destined to have no future with them, would you still choose to start a relationship? My answer is yes. If we're destined to part ways, then the meaning of our meeting is that the part of me that you changed will stay by my side forever, embracing me.

I can accept being a star in the sky, but I cannot accept opening the window to find another summer outside.

So on our last day before leaving school, I stayed where I was, like the sea receding back into the ocean, I decided to be the seashell on the shore.

Lin Mo, do you know what? I'm so glad I was your deskmate for the last six months. You introduced me to the world of boys, and I'm so happy.

I'm reminded of a line from "The Little Prince": "There may be 5000 flowers in the world that look exactly like you, but you are my one and only rose."

If school doesn't start until tomorrow, then I'll feel happy starting today. When I found out I was sick, I knew that no matter who I became involved with, I would have to bear the risk of shedding tears. I'm not afraid to shed tears because I think it's worth it.

Alright, that's it. My life isn't over yet, my journey continues. Where to next? Next stop, Guilin!

Although I'll definitely be gone by the time you read this letter, it certainly won't be now. I just finished visiting the Great Wall and became a hero, hahaha, just pretend I've been traveling all this time.

If you don't want to say goodbye in person, just consider this letter my formal farewell. Oh, by the way, if you ever see a girl who looks remarkably like me decades from now, be sure to say hello, that must be me.

After all, our next meeting will depend on luck. Don't pretend you don't know me, kid. When the time comes, don't tremble when you say "long time no see."

That's all for now. I'm tired. Time for bed. Goodnight, my dear deskmate. Remember me, my name is Jiang Xia.

Lin Mo put down the letter, let out a heavy sigh, and looked out the window. The rain was still pouring down. Then he picked up the photo of Li Erfeng making a gesture that Jiang Xia had given him, and mimicked the gesture with a smile:

"I know!"

At this moment, Lin Mo and Jiang Xia in the photo seemed to be pointing at each other, making a promise: if they really met again, how could they resist pretending not to know each other? He would definitely run up to her and greet her just like when they were in school.

As
A lone white rabbit wanders east and west; new clothes are worse than old ones, but old friends are worse than new ones.

(End of this chapter)