A Good Life in This World

Before the wealthy Fu family found her and brought her home, Fu Wan had fallen into the hands of a gang that organized teenagers to steal, where she was forced to make money for them. Back then, she often had nightmares about being hunted by different people. But after returning to the Fu family, Fu Wan learned that there were nightmares even more hellish than those.

Before taking a leave of absence, Cheng Chi had been a star at school, with countless admirers. Everything had gone his way, and he had shone brightly. But after taking leave, he learned that his very existence was a colossal lie.

When a petty thief and a master liar, posing as student and tutor, entwine the lines in their palms, whether it's a dream or a lie, at least this world finally begins to get a little better.

--

One day, after their tutoring session, Fu Wan took out an old sketchbook to show the good tutor who had encouraged her to pursue her dream.

Self-mockingly, she said, "This is a blue sun I drew in class once. The teacher said I was color-blind."

"I know you're not," Cheng Chi replied earnestly.

Fu Wan smiled, then suddenly said something completely out of the blue: "I think you're blue too."

Cheng Chi pictured a character from Avatar, amusement filling his eyes. He asked softly, "Why?"

"Blue is my lucky color. It's my favorite."

"Oh." Cheng Chi nodded thoughtfully and turned the pages of the sketchbook one by one. After a long silence, he asked, "Then why are all these skies red?"

Fu Wan froze and looked down at her drawings. The scarlet filled her vision, like a gaping maw of blood, its jagged teeth ready to swallow her whole.

She felt confused. When had she started drawing skies this red?

Was it that evening when the sunset clouds blazed outside her window? Was it when a patch of red fell onto the pristine bedsheets?

--

When I was alone, I had long wanted to end it all.

After meeting you,

this world is wonderful.

Sensitive, world-weary kleptomaniac X soft-hearted, fatherly liar

Three-year age gap, mutual salvation

If anything in this story makes you uncomfortable, please don't force yourself to continue. You don't need to tell me if you drop it.

Theme: Live well.