Five days later, Severo Laris left the hospital.
And Paula Rouco never went near Severo Laris again after the blow she received on her last hospital visit.
The school’s BBS forums were buzzing with candidates for a place in the U. S. for further study in Massachusetts, and several students below were saying it must be Engracia, the daughter of Dean Tsang’s family, and Severo, the talented son of the finance department.
For one thing, these two men and women are truly excellent in every way.
Secondly, Engracia is close to the water.
As for Severo, everyone at Imperial University knows that Engracia has grown fond of Severo, and Engracia is most likely blowing smoke in Dean Tsang’s ears.
But they are both very good, and even without this relationship, nine times out of ten the spot would have been hers, so no one got jealous, let alone said it was an inside job.
Paula Rouco closed the page and slumped in front of her computer like a frosted eggplant.
It was her first love, which hadn’t even begun, coming to an end.
Is it true that Severo is going to the United States with Engracia to further his studies?
I said I would stop thinking about him, but I can’t stop thinking about him.
…
After returning to the hostel in the evening, Paula Rouco received a call from Estrella Berrocal.
Estrella Berrocal is over there complaining that her daughter is all grown up and doesn’t even call home.
Paula Rouco had been feeling bitter for days and, after talking to her parents on the phone, her heart was aching.
Estrella Berrocal added: “Paulita, mommy bought you your favorite chocolates the other day and they have sent them in the mail, let’s see if they get to you.”
Paula Rouco, who had been in such a bad mood lately that she hadn’t even picked up her delivery, spent some more family time with Estrella Berrocal, hung up the phone and headed to the delivery pickup to take back the chocolates Estrella Berrocal had bought her.
A small box containing six boxes of chocolates.
When we returned to the bedroom and unwrapped it, it caught the attention of other girls.
Analeigh joked, “Paulita, who gave you the chocolates and bought six boxes in one, that’s very generous.”
Rio leaned back on her bed, looked at her book and said, “It must be from our gym partner in class! Gaspar has been asking me about Paulita since the first day of class and it can’t be anyone else but him!”
Buena got out of bed in her pajamas, picked up a box of chocolates and said, “Fuck, isn’t this the Belgian chocolate? This box of chocolates cost between 2. 000 and 3. 000, it’s so expensive, this gift giver, he even bought six boxes at once, these six boxes of chocolates will cost more than 10. 000, he might as well buy you a diamond ring!”
The fact that Buena said so also aroused the interest of the others.
“Fuck, giving such expensive chocolates and not being afraid that Paulita will refuse!”
“That’s right, if we refuse, the chocolate will be eaten by Paulita too, what a loss!”.
Paula Rouco wanted to roll her eyes, “….. What’s going through your heads all day, this is a snack my mother bought me”.
Analeigh : “… Ahem, Paulita your mom is really nice to you too, my mom doesn’t even buy me Dove chocolates”.
Buena said, “Paulita, you’re not a rich girl, are you? Who in a normal family gets such expensive chocolates for snacks.”
Rio smiled and said, “No wonder, I already said how Paulita smells from the face, I noticed it the first day of school.”
The corners of Paula Rouco’s mouth twitched.
“My family, the conditions are fine, but it’s not exactly a rich generation.”
Paula Rouco picked up three boxes of chocolates and handed them to the girls, “One for each of you.”
Analeigh’s eyes widened, “Paulita, it’s not a good idea to give us expensive chocolates like that!”.
Buena took the box of chocolates, “Paulita gave them to us to taste, you’re welcome, Paulita you say?”
Paula Rouco curved her lips and said nothing, sending three boxes of chocolates, leaving one for Susana, one for herself and one … she wanted to leave for Severo Laris.
But, Severo Laris certainly doesn’t want it.
Besides, now they’ve all broken up.
Buena went to bed with the box of chocolates in her arms and opened the delicately wrapped box to reveal the beautifully shaped and colored chocolates inside, took a piece and popped it into her mouth.
“Happy as a god to eat such expensive chocolates.”
Paula Rouco laughs, “That far?”.
Buena crossed her legs, “You don’t understand, you’ve probably been eating like this since you were a kid, kids from poor families like us can only eat such expensive chocolate once in their life, it’s too luxurious, it melts in your mouth, just a minute or two, after it melts in your mouth, four figures of RMB will be gone.”
The whole hostel was amused, and Buena’s description was too graphic.
Rio flipped through the book and read on, saying, “Paulita, what do your parents do for a living? They are very generous.”
Paula Rouco casually dismissed, “Well, … do business, I’m not sure what exactly.”
Buena shot her a dismissive look, “That sounds like a child from a rich family who doesn’t know the hardships of the world, who doesn’t know what his parents do, who doesn’t ask, who gives money and spends it, and who doesn’t know anything else.”
Paula Rouco is lying on her bed, listening to her roommates, but without much interest in talking, clutching her phone and looking at Severo Laris’ Facebook dialog box, the last time she chatted a week ago.
So tempted to send him a Facebook message, even if it was an insignificant emoji.
However, reason made her stop.
Turn it off right away and go to bed.
…
“It’s been such a short time since you met Severo Laris and you haven’t loved him with all your heart, why don’t you try someone else?”
Susana says it’s easy to get over someone, you just need time and a new love.
Paula Rouco, in a fit of delirium, agrees to the advances of Gaspar, a member of her class sports committee.
But only if it is an attempt and not an official relationship.
Paula Rouco feels rather petty for doing this, lending one person to forget about another, and admits that it was Severo Laris who agitated her so much that even her normal school life suffered a bit.
After accepting Gaspar’s advances, the two dined together from time to time.
On this day, we meet Severo Laris and Engracia who were also in the dining room for dinner.
Gaspar pays close attention to Paula Rouco and notices when she lingers on a person or subject for more than three seconds.
Gaspar asks, “You know Severo and Engracia, huh?”
Paula Rouco looked away from Severo Laris and was about to say she didn’t know him when Engracia approached with her plate of food.
“Severo, isn’t that Paulita?”
Paula Rouco spat in her mind: Paulita, when did he get to know her so well?
Gaspar smiled and said, “It looks like you really know each other. severo, Engracia, I’m Gaspar freshman and I’m in Paulita’s class.”
“Hello.” Engracia also greeted Gaspar.
Gaspar, who is warm and cheerful, said, “Why don’t we sit down and eat together?”
Engracia immediately said, “Yes.”
The four of them were seated, Gaspar with Paula Rouco on one side and Severo Laris and Engracia on the other.
Paula Rouco has little desire to eat, tapping her chopsticks on the rice on her plate and counting the grains.
Gaspar looked at her fondly and gently advised her, “You’re too thin, eat more and stay off the rice.”
Paula Rouco felt Severo Laris’ thin, cold gaze across the room on her and, embarrassed, she looked down hurriedly to pick up her food.
But this interaction between Gaspar and Paula Rouco, in Engracia’s eyes, is a revelation.
Engracia’s eyes flicked from one to the other and she smiled, “You have a way with girlfriends, Gao.”
When Severo Laris heard the term “bride,” his eyes darkened like ice.