Chapter 1884


    "You see, this is just how bad of a person I am. Isn''t it really awful to trample on your sincerity like


    that? So, do you still need to apologize to me?"


    Serana bit her lip, defiance etched across her face, but tears betrayed her, streaming down her


    cheeks. "I didn''t mean to," she whimpered.


    "Yeah, I know. So you don''t have to beat yourself up over it," Yasmine retorted, her voice was cold


    as steel, yet somehow, it sounded almost likefort.


    But how could Yasmine offerfort? That was simply impossible.


    Yasmine hooked the corner of her lip up in a smirk, stepped back, and nced at the crushed


    petals on the ground, letting out a soft, mocking chuckle. "Still, you really should think about it.


    Sometimes, your guilt trips, they''re nothing but a hassle for everyone else."


    In response to her words, Serana, amidst the sadness and grievance, felt more perplexed than


    anything else.d2


    Yasmine''s impatience flickered across her eyes. Talking to Serana was like talking to a brick wall.


    Boyd stepped closer, "Before you go around ying the me game, maybe you should take a


    good, hard look at yourself. People are scared of you, and avoid you. When something goes wrong,


    you''re the first suspect. Ever wondered why?"


    Yasmine''s gaze lifted from the trampled remnants to Boyd''s face, her eyes twinkling with mirth but


    not a trace of warmth.


    "Why indeed? Maybe because I fancy myself a lone wolf, too proud to see any ws in myself," She


    said, the smile on her lips growing more pronounced. "And yeah, everyone''s afraid of me, they push


    me away, and when trouble strikes, I''m the scapegoat. Sounds to me like it''s all my fault."


    Her words left Boyd realizing he''d misspoken. He pursed his lips, ready to try again.


    "I''m just saying, it wouldn''t hurt to be aware of this stuff sooner rather thanter. I''m worried if you


    keep this up—"


    "Oh? And how long has this ''condition'' of mine been around? If I needed a wake-up call, what were


    you doing before? Why wait until today, when I''ve made your darling cry to enlighten me?"


    She nced at Serana with a cold sneer inside, "So, I guess I should be thanking Miss Serana


    here, huh? Without her stepping into the line of fire, I wouldn''t have had the pleasure of your


    heartfelt concern and advice."


    As Yasmine stepped toward Serana, Boyd blocked her path. Yasmine paused, tilting her chin up to


    meet his gaze. They were the same age, but he had the height advantage.


    Boyd, all defensive, said, "Yasmine, you''re too cynical. Serana''s just a kid."


    "And what, I''m old enough to be her mother?"


    He took a deep breath, struggling for calm. "Can''t you stop being so aggressive? I get that you''re


    sharp, and you see through a lot, but Serana is not like you."


    "She''s not as cunning, you mean." Yasmine interrupted, herugh chilling. "Same speech, different


    day. As you said, I''m pretty clear on some things."


    "Yasmine."


    "Rx, with you here, what could I possibly do to your precious? You think I could take you in a


    fight? I know my limits."


    Boyd frowned, "I would never hit you."


    Yasmine watched him quietly for a moment, "Who knows? Maybe one day, if Serana really got hurt


    by me, you''d want to kill me."


    His face turned sour. But Yasmine just took a deep breath, dispassionately broke the gaze, and


    walked over to the table to grab her backpack.


    "Anyway, rest assured, I don''t have the twisted pleasure ofing back just to torment her."


    Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, Yasmine stood next to Boyd, her eyes shifting between


    him and Serana. After a moment, Yasmine forced a smile.


    "So, you probably won''t get the chance to kill me after all." With those words, Yasmine headed for


    the dining hall door.


    The room fell silent, and Bryson, standing at the entrance, waited respectfully for Yasmine.


    The director seemed to snap back to reality and hastily announced:


    "I forgot to mention, today is Yasmine''sst day here at Angel''s Haven Orphanage. Let''s all


    congratte her as she leaves our care and starts a new life with a family of her own. We hope she


    grows up healthy, happy, and bes a productive member of society."


    Except for a few teachers, no one else had realized what happened. The sparse apuse sounded


    rather dismal.


    Yasmine couldn''t care less, her slim figure passing through the doorway with Bryson following, his


    demeanor exuding deference.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "Yasmine''s leaving?"


    "Yeah, the director just said. And the way she''s acting, it looks like she''s really leaving."


    "Today''s her birthday, right? Was she waiting for us to finish celebrating before she left?"


    "Well, she is pretty nice when you think about it. We wouldn''t have had such a nice cake otherwise."


    "Good riddance, though. No more walking on eggshells around her."


    "But no more delicious cake either."


    "Did she decide to leave because she''s upset, or was it nned?"


    "Uh. Not sure."


    Ava caught up to Yasmine, clutching at her backpack. "Yasmine, will I ever see you again?"


    "It will be best for both of us if we do not see each other again."


    Ava''s lip quivered. "You''re just going to leave like that? You always said Boyd was the closest thing


    you had to a friend here. To leave under these circumstances..."


    Yasmine yanked her backpack away without looking back. "I think he''ll be relieved. Finally, no one


    to misunderstand his kindness, and more importantly, no one to pick on his little darling."


    Ava''s heart filled with admiration for Yasmine as she watched her retreating figure. From start to


    finish, she was in awe. She liked the inexplicable, cool, and elegant aura that Yasmine exuded.


    Every word, every gesture, she admired everything about Yasmine, or more precisely, she


    worshipped her. She wanted to be that kind of person.


    Boyd stood frozen in ce for what seemed like an eternity before it finally clicked, and he hurried


    after her.


    Bryson leaned against the car door, watching as Yasmine got inside.


    "Yasmine!" Boyd''s voice rang out, tinged with a rage—or perhaps some other emotion—that he had


    never known before.


    Yasmine buckled her seatbelt and cast him a cold nce.


    Bryson moved to close the door, but Boyd grabbed it with force.


    Yasmine turned to him, "What''s wrong? Feeling all riled up because your little darling got wronged


    and you want to settle scores with me?"


    Boyd stared back at her, "Why are you leaving? Is it because I told Serana about your birthday, or is


    it aboutst time when I misunderstood you?"


    Taking a deep breath, Yasmine leaned back in her seat and looked at him for a moment before


    shrugging. "Both, I guess. I find it quite dull around here."


    She paused, a self-mocking smile tugging at her lips, "You''d think after spending years in this


    orphanage, I wouldn''t be so full of myself. But the moment I feel slighted, the indignity floods in and


    I can''t shake it off. And seeing you with Serana, it just makes me sick."


    Boyd''s grip on the car door tightened, then clenched even harder. "Have you been nning to leave


    sincest month?"


    Yasmine''s smile faded as she met his gaze, unflinching. "Maybe. What''s the point of asking? If


    you''re happy, just show it. No one''s here to bully your precious Serana and y dirty tricks in front


    of you anymore. Isn''t that great?"


    "You..."


    "If you''re standing up for Serana, then do something about it. If not, step aside." Yasmine''s


    expression turned icy, her voice devoid of warmth as she refused to look at him again.


    "I told you, I won''t hit you."


    Why did she always assume he would raise a hand to her for Serana''s sake?


    "If you won''t, then you''ll never get the chance again. Bryson, close the door."


    At hermand, Bryson nodded and bent down to pry Boyd''s hand away, but it wouldn''t budge.


    "Yasmine, I apologized to you days ago, and you epted it."


    "It wasn''t eptance. I just stopped caring. I couldn''t see any benefit in not forgiving you. Mainly, I


    just realized how pointless it all was. I don''t know why I''ve been clinging to this ce for so long."


    Boyd''s eyes flickered.


    After a silence, Yasmine turned her head again, her gazending on Serana who stood behind


    Boyd, "That pot of lilies in the yard is Boyd''s apology gift to me. You should like them more. I''m not


    that interested in them. They''re yours now."


    Serana opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Yasmine had already looked away.


    Suddenly, Yasmine kicked Boyd''s wrist, and as he winced in pain, she quickly shut the car door with


    a loud "thud." By the time Boyd realized what happened and tried to pull the door open again, he


    heard the sound of the locks clicking inside.


    Gritting his teeth, he pounded on the window, "Yasmine!"


    Bryson gave him a helpless look and shook his head before getting into the car.


    As the vehicle started and drove away, no matter how much Boyd banged on the window,


    Yasmine''s gaze never wavered. Boyd even chased after the car for a while, but in the end, he could


    only stand in the middle of the road, watching as the car carrying Yasmine disappeared into the


    distance.


    Bryson''s gaze returned from the rear view mirror, and he sighed, "Miss, he is just a kid. You think


    he''s known a lot, but in the end, there''s a limit. After all, he''s only been around for about a decade,


    and his real memories span only four or five years. Don''t expect too much from him; even at my


    age, I can''t promise to be all things to all people."


    "I know. If he can''t be all things to all people, then I''ll just leave him. Having only one Serana will


    also save him the trouble of being all-round, making his life easier." She let out a light chuckle,


    "Aren''t I a child too? It''s okay to be petnt, to be annoyed, to dislike seeing them, right?"


    Although she repeatedly referred to Boyd as a child, Bryson found Yasmine''s sophistication


    overwhelming, and perhaps Boyd shouldn''t be treated as a ten-year-old either.


    Yasmine was gone, but the orphanage remained the same.


    The afternoon sses began as usual. Boyd didn''t attend, standing by the flowerbed, staring at the


    lily sprouts, his hands hanging limply at his sides.


    After a while, his gaze shifted to the freshly trimmed, now bare garlic shoots, his fists cracking.


    "It wasn''t eptance. I just stopped caring."


    "It''s so pointless."


    "You should like them more. They''re yours now."


    At lunch today, Yasmine had said so much, each word sharp as thorns. Whether illogical, extreme,


    or twisted, her words had struck him squarely in the heart, and he couldn''t help but take them to


    heart.


    She was truly formidable, deliberately inflicting deep wounds with unerring uracy.


    But if she felt satisfied, then so be it. Why did she suddenly leave?


    He had never imagined that one day Yasmine would just vanish from his life, especially not in this


    way, as if she never wanted to see him again.


    True to form, Yasmine''s actions were as cold and ruthless as theye.


    Looking at the bare patch where the scallion bulbs had been, then at the thriving lily sprouts, Boyd


    suddenly let out a bitterugh. No wonder she had said the lily seeds took too long to grow, that she


    didn''t have the time or patience.


    No wonder she had nted a whole pot of scallion bulbs that would be ready to harvest twice within


    a month. It turned out that when she said she hadn''t epted his apology, she really hadn''t.


    He had been a fool, setting aside all his ns, poring over gardening books, one after another, all


    just to grow the best flowers for her in an inappropriate season. From the beginning, she never


    intended to keep them.


    As the thought of Yasmine ying him for a fool shed through his mind, the image of her face—


    both youthful and resolute as she left—also invaded his thoughts.


    Whether it was driven by anger or the confusion and unwillingness of being abandoned without


    warning, he suddenly stepped forward and pulled out the young lily seedlings.


    "Boyd!"


    Serana had been hiding in the shadows, watching him with heartache. Witnessing his outburst, her


    face drained of color, she dashed towards him and clung to his arm.


    "I''m so sorry, Boyd," she whispered, her voice quivering. "I never thought it through. I just wanted to


    give her a perfect gift, but it''s all my fault. I made Yasmine so angry."


    Boyd nced at her, a storm of emotions in his eyes. "It''s my mistake. I should''ve never told you


    about her birthday."


    He looked down at the uprooted nts cradled in his hands and then slowly sat down on the dewy


    grass.


    "The truth is," he murmured, almost to himself, "she was right. If she doesn''t have feelings for


    someone, no amount of effort will change her heart."


    That was Yasmine.