Chapter 89: Unlocking the Heart with a Key

Blueberry pancakes, wafers with cod salad, tomato and onion rings, and premium river crab flower porridge, along with the indispensable iced drinks, were all present. On the Kuro Lake, with its picturesque scenery and gentle waves, enjoying these delicious dishes was indeed a rare pleasure.

Sophina lay comfortably on a beach chair, holding a fresh juice in her right hand and playing with an ice cube on her chest with her left. Of course, these were all gifts she deserved.

Bing Zhiye, dressed in a thick magic robe, sat obediently beside her, neither daring to look at her nor speak, still worried about the clothes he had bought earlier. He couldn't figure out why Teacher Sophina had bought him pajamas, and why they were made of special materials. He had a vague, uneasy feeling, fearing that she might want to eat him.

Sophina suddenly said, "Do you want to go for a swim in the lake?"

Bing Zhiye, of course, refused; he dared not agree to such a thing.

Sophina stood up, moved the chair next to him, and lay down, saying, "You might think I'm crazy today, showing you my body and buying sexy lingerie. Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

Bing Zhiye remained silent, which meant he thought so.

Sophina laughed lightly and said, "Now that no one is here, I'll be honest with you. I feel that you have something on your mind. Since you entered the academy, I've noticed that you have something you're hiding. What I did today was to show you that I am a completely open friend, a sister, and a teacher. I hope you can open the door to your heart and tell me what's on your mind."

"I don't have anything on my mind, Teacher," Bing Zhiye said.

Sophina looked at him for a while and said, "It's okay if you don't tell me; everyone has some secrets. But I want, I really want, when you face me, to not have those protective thoughts, as if you're being overly cautious. I can feel that you're not being completely honest with everyone."

Bing Zhiye didn't expect her to be so observant, even noticing the depths of his heart.

Sophina continued, "I wouldn't stand naked in front of a man, even if he's just a teenager. Besides, you're not that young, and you should understand what I mean. I have no barriers; I just want you to stop hiding. I won't hurt you. You have your secrets, and I won't ask, but the wall in front of your heart should be removed. Otherwise, if you keep your heart closed to everyone, you'll only become more isolated and one-dimensional. In the end, your heart will be locked in a dark iron cell, where no one will ever be again."

Bing Zhiye's heart trembled; every word she said struck a chord in him.

Sophina observed the changes in his expression and continued, "I understand you very well because we were once the same kind of person. The loneliness, I think, can resonate with us. Haven't you noticed that in these few months at Kurotantin, you've changed a lot? Not only do you have more expressions, smiles, and words, but you also have more people and things to care about. In this month, I've repeatedly thought about your appearance in Kurotantin and really noticed how much you've changed."

"Stop it, I won't change!" Bing Zhiye suddenly stood up and shouted.

Sophina watched him and said after a while, "Really? Have you ever shouted like this before?"

Bing Zhiye was shocked, his eyes filled with fear and doubt.

"It seems you've never done this before," Sophina said. "Why today? I know if you didn't care, you wouldn't react this way. You're angry because I've touched on something you don't want to admit. The fact is, you're already changing. Remember our conversation in the Illusion Beast Garden? I said I was like you when I was young, but now I'm different. When people interact, a special resonance is created, and this resonance constantly influences each other. You've already been influenced by the people around you, but you didn't notice it before, and now you're afraid to admit it."

Bing Zhiye frowned and refused to speak, just as she said, his current expression was something he had never shown before.

"Yes, this influence, this feeling, is hard to detect because it's intangible but real. When you realize this and notice your changes, you've already been changed," Sophina stood up and extended her hand. "Don't be a lonely wanderer anymore. If you never had a home before, you have one now."

Bing Zhiye took a step back, as if he couldn't face it.

"Your heart is as sensitive as mine. Even if you pretend not to care, even if you act naturally, it's all fake, not what your heart truly needs," Sophina said. "Filling your true emotions with falsehoods will only hurt you more. Don't run away anymore; you've been running for a long time."

Images flashed through Bing Zhiye's mind, the lonely footsteps of the past years appearing before his eyes. He never stayed in one place for too long, never had deep conversations with anyone, always protecting his heart, unwilling to let others know or change it. To him, bustling cities and desolate deserts were the same; he was always accompanied only by his own shadow. Seeing other children laugh with their families only made him hate himself more, as if he and happiness were on parallel lines that would never intersect. To avoid this pain, to stay away from laughter, he made himself more isolated, more unique, filling the void in his heart with great strength. Alone, he fought... fought... fought... fought... fought...

Looking up, he saw Sophina's calm, gentle smile. This smile was like a drop of water in the depths of his heart, the ripples spreading wider and wider, eventually becoming a storm, battering the walls of his heart. Tears suddenly welled up in Bing Zhiye's cold eyes, and he couldn't hold back the feeling, throwing himself into Sophina's arms and crying uncontrollably. He cried fiercely, bitterly, tears that hadn't flowed for many years finally bursting forth, unstoppable.

Sophina had never seen anyone cry so touchingly. From his sobs, she could feel how much he had suffered, how much he had experienced, all the pain and sorrow long suppressed in his heart, with no one to listen to him. Although he didn't want others' pity, he was undoubtedly the most pitiful person. What had a child gone through to cry like this, to make such a fragile and sensitive heart numb to pain?

Pain, injustice, sorrow—how much must he have endured to cry so bitterly? This heart-wrenching feeling made Sophina shed tears as well. In the lake, on the boat, no one could see your vulnerable side, so cry your heart out at home! Home is a place where tears of sorrow are accepted, where you can pour out your heart.

The sun had set, the moon was cold, and the stars were sparse. Sophina stood quietly at the bow of the boat, with a strong child kneeling and crying below her.

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