This story takes place in a modern world without magic. It follows the story of Li Yue and Clo in this setting and has no connection to the original work. It can be viewed entirely as a fan-fiction-style alternative for your enjoyment.
The writing style continues the tone of the original, carrying a somewhat literary flair. However, readers who have not read the original work can still enjoy it without any confusion.
Now, let us begin the main story:
“God will bless you... my child. At least, I hope you won’t... end up like me.” A pale hand caressed the girl's face. The girl cried helplessly, her sobs carrying a hint of grievance.
...
Xiangshui was a lonely city. At least, in Clo’s eyes, it was. The cherry blossoms here bloomed in solitude, with no one stopping to admire their beauty. The people here favored vibrant colors, while the cherry blossom petals were pale—a mere hint of white-tinged red was all they possessed.
For some reason, she loved this lonely aesthetic. She always felt a trace of sadness within it. These flowers had a short blooming period and pale colors; perhaps in just a week, the branches once covered in pinkish-white blossoms would be left bare and alone. Occasionally, she would pick a few flowers and preserve them through pickling or other methods.
Though she couldn't perfectly maintain their flawlessness, at least the color and fragrance remained. This was her third day here, and the cherry blossoms were blooming in great swathes. She stood beneath a tree, her attention not on the flowers above, but on those scattered upon the ground.
“Are you nervous? It’s fine, just act like you did before.”
“Sorry, Clo. You were forced to move to this city with us because of my work.” A man wearing glasses smiled apologetically. He took the shoulder bag from Clo, tucked it into the car’s trunk, and clapped his hands. After a brief moment of daze, he went to the driver's seat and started the engine.
“With your personality, making new friends should be very easy. Don’t worry too much.” An older woman patted Clo on the shoulder. Clo pulled her gaze away from the flowers on the ground and offered a small smile, indicating she wasn't actually nervous.
“Mom, there’s no need to worry about me. I’ll handle it.” Clo smiled and opened the car door to let her mother in first. She then sat beside her. Not particularly in the mood for small talk, she rolled down the window and watched the scattered cherry blossom trees pass by, remaining silent.
She pursed her lips, revealing a slight smile whenever she felt someone looking at her. She followed behind the adults, completing all the transfer procedures. Watching her father shake hands with various influential figures, she felt a flicker of annoyance. She didn't leave, however, merely suppressing her impatience and watching.
...
“Class, this is our new student. Let’s give her a welcome.” A woman with long brown hair clapped her hands on the podium. She was the manager of this class. She didn't say much more, leaving the silence for Clo to introduce herself.
Clo was used to this. She had to do these introductions every few years. She didn't know how long she would stay this time; the best outcome would be staying until the end of her high school life.
Every parting made her feel heartbroken, but fortunately, time would wash everything away. Now, when she recalled the afternoon she parted from her playmates, it wasn't actually that sad anymore, though she had cried bitterly at the time.
If there were no social connections, perhaps parting wouldn't be so painful...
Clo thought idly. She let out a small sigh, her gaze not lingering on anyone in the class who could be called a classmate.
“You can sit next to Li Yue.” The homeroom teacher pointed toward a seat in the middle of the back row. Clo followed the tip of her finger and saw a girl with snow-white hair. Those blood-red eyes looked at her indifferently, devoid of anything that could be called warmth, anticipation, or disappointment.
“Okay.” Clo nodded and walked down with her bag. She felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness and excitement. She didn't stop to wonder why the seat next to this girl was empty; the girl simply seemed to have something that drew her in.
“Now, let’s begin the first class of the morning.” The brown-haired woman on stage began lecturing on tedious subjects. Clo opened her textbook, but part of her mind drifted toward the girl beside her. The girl wore a long-sleeved, thin white hoodie, revealing only the backs of her hands and a small patch of skin on her neck.
Clo thought her skin must be transparently pale, enough to see the slender blue veins beneath.
She dazed off slightly, and the first class soon came to an end.
“Hello, I’m Clo.” Clo extended her hand toward the girl. The girl named Li Yue looked at Clo's fair arm, hesitated for a moment, and then took it.
“I am Li Yue. Sitting next to me... is hard on you.” Her words were flat but carried a hint of apology. At that moment, Clo didn't catch the meaning behind her words, treating it as mere polite small talk and not giving it much thought.
She simply watched how the girl's hair spilled across the desk. The snow-white long hair emitted a faint pink glow under the sunlight. Clo's entire attention was focused on this, leaving her no mind for the current curriculum.
When the morning classes ended, she watched the girl leave her seat and disappear with her small bag. Clo stared at the empty desk and chair, not yet fully understanding what was happening.
“You probably don't know yet, but Li Yue... she needs to attend courses arranged by her family. Most of the time, she just shows up at school to make an appearance or participate in activities.”
“She’s from a noble family, after all. She’s just here to get a diploma before she inevitably goes abroad to polish her credentials.”
“You forgot, Li Yue’s ranking was very high in last year’s final exams. Her academic performance is actually quite good...”
“I’m so envious. She’s beautiful and talented—truly a girl blessed by God.”
...
So that... was what the apology meant?
Clo didn't say anything. She looked out the window. Cherry blossoms fluttered in the wind, and a few petals drifted into her classroom—a delicate, pinkish white.
A single pink-white cherry blossom landed on Li Yue’s desk, right next to a strand of her hair. Snow-white and pale pink; their colors were almost identical.
...
The melodious sound of a violin echoed continuously. A white-haired girl drew the bow across the strings, a beautiful melody pouring from her fingertips.
A pale-skinned man sat beside her, his eyes somewhat sunken and hidden in the shadows of his sockets. His fingers, however, were exceptionally long as he played the piano accompaniment.
He gave a slight, cold snort. The girl’s body trembled slightly in response, and a wrong note occurred. Following this single mistake, the girl’s body began to shake visibly. More and more wrong notes followed until the beautiful melody began to go out of tune.
“A mistake?” The man stood up, his voice devoid of any inflection. “This passage was supposed to be something you were good at...”
He produced a pitch-black pointer. Before the girl’s blood-red eyes, which were filled with terror, this black, stinging object landed on her repeatedly, leaving marks of pain across her body.
“Are you... just like her? Are you all the same? This look... damn it!”
The man angrily smashed the highly valuable violin. Things that could be measured in money held no value to him.
The girl’s head was roughly pressed onto the piano, creating a series of discordant noises against the keys.
“Listen... this is the effect of what you just played.”
Tears fell from the corners of the girl’s eyes, accompanied by faint sobs, but this did nothing to lessen her suffering.
...
“Why do you always wear long sleeves?” Clo stretched. Over the past two days, she had switched to half-sleeved clothing, yet Li Yue’s few brief appearances were always in various long-sleeved outfits. In this season, long sleeves were indeed a bit hot.
“I... am sensitive to the cold.” Li Yue’s voice was flat, as if she were thinking of something else while answering. Clo felt as though she had no soul.
“The next class is P.E. Are you going to participate?”
Li Yue nodded. She tugged at her sleeves; the cuffs were tight, ensuring that they wouldn't shift much or reveal the skin they covered even during vigorous exercise. Her eyes held a hint of chaos and gloom. Clo didn't know what she was thinking.
She felt as if a flower had been beaten into the dirt, its pure white petals stained with foul mud.
Rate on N.U.
