Seventeen Again: The Sweet Life with My Family

Chapter 184: Scar

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Chun extended his right arm towards Wen Nian, revealing a rectangular burn scar that suddenly became visible on her otherwise fair and smooth skin.

Shen Jun was taken aback upon seeing the scar on Jiang Chun’s arm. He lifted his gaze and carefully examined Jiang Chun’s facial features.

Jiang Chun chose to overlook Shen Jun’s reaction. With a gentle smile, she extended her hand towards Wen Nian. “If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, let’s shake hands and make peace.”

Wen Nian contemplated Jiang Chun’s outstretched hand, observing her gentle demeanor and the slight curve of her eyebrows. There was an ethereal quality to Jiang Chun’s presence that seemed almost unreal. Nevertheless, finding no reason to object to her words and actions, Wen Nian extended her own hand and shook Jiang Chun’s hand.

Shen Jun hesitated for a moment and asked suspiciously, “Do you have a nickname, Yaya?”

Jiang Chun glanced at Shen Jun, momentarily taken aback. However, her surprise quickly transformed into a joyful smile. “1 thought you were so occupied with your own matters that you had forgotten about me completely. 1 was too hesitant to bring it up when we first saw each other. 1 am glad you still remember me.”

Shen Jun didn’t expect Jiang Chun to be an old friend. He smiled warmly. “I apologize. It has been so many years since we last met, and I didn’t immediately recognize you.”

Jiang Chun playfully remarked, “They say girls transform when they turn eighteen. The more they mature, the more beautiful they become. It’s a good thing you couldn’t recognize me. If I still resembled that awkward duckling from my younger days, I would have been in tears!”

Despite the 12-year gap in their acquaintance, there should have been a sense of distance between them. However, Jiang Chun’s self-deprecating words had a disarming effect, breaking down the barriers that time had built. As a result, they felt unexpectedly closer to each other in that moment.

Wen Nian didn’t expect this to happen. Then, Shen Jun started telling Wen Nian what happened between him and Jiang Chun.

Shen Jun had been compelled by his family to engage in martial arts training since the tender age of three. However, the arduous and monotonous nature of the practice had taken a toll on him. Regardless of the weather—be it nine freezing days or three scorching summer days—he was never granted a moment of rest.

Despite Shen Jun’s above-average intelligence, at the age of five, he was still a young child. One day, as he continued with his martial arts practice, he was overwhelmed with a sense of injustice. He couldn’t comprehend why he had to devote his time to studying while other children were enjoying their playtime.

In a fit of tears, Shen Jun fled from his house, seeking solace elsewhere. By chance, he arrived at the entrance of a park, where he encountered the five-year-old Jiang Chun. Jiang Chun was standing near the roadside, patiently waiting for her mother to finish a phone call. Hearing Shen Jun’s distressed cries, she approached him out of curiosity.

In Shen Jun’s distressed state, he was unable to communicate his feelings and concerns to Jiang Chun. However, Jiang Chun, sensing his sorrow, perceived his crying as a pitiful sight. Moved by compassion, she gently took his hand and led him into the park to play with the monkeys.

Unexpectedly, while Shen Jun and Jiang Chun were engrossed in observing the monkeys at the park, an unforeseen event occurred. Out of nowhere, someone abruptly covered their mouths and noses, restricting their breathing.

As Shen Jun and Jiang Chun regained consciousness, Shen Jun swiftly came to the realization that they might have fallen into the hands of human traffickers. Despite their young age, they had been taught from an early age about the potential dangers of encountering such criminals due to their privileged backgrounds.

As both Shen Jun and Jiang Chun shared the common goal of escaping, their initial attempt was met with failure. Frustrated and enraged by their defiance, the human trafficker resorted to using a branding iron specifically intended to discipline disobedient children.

In a cruel twist of fate, the human trafficker singled out Shen Jun as the primary target for torture, while Jiang Chun, known by the nickname Yaya, bravely intervened to shield him from the searing impact of the red-hot branding iron. This selfless act of sacrifice forged a bond of life-and-death friendship between them. It was through the scar left by that harrowing incident that Shen Jun recognized Jiang Chun as his childhood friend.

However, after this incident, Shen Jun never saw Jiang Chun again.

Shen Jun’s parents had told him that they had lost contact with the other party, and as time went on, he gradually let go of the matter. Little did he expect that fate would bring them together again, this time as classmates, reuniting them in a way he had never anticipated.

Upon hearing the remarkable story of Shen Jun and Jiang Chun’s past connection, Wen Nian couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the mysterious workings of fate.

Shen Jun asked Jiang Chun curiously, “Did your parents change their phones?”

Jiang Chun maintained her unwavering smile as she responded, not missing a beat, “Absolutely.”

Observing Jiang Chun’s genuine smile, Shen Jun didn’t overthink the situation. He expressed his gratitude, realizing that he hadn’t had the chance to properly thank her for her courageous act all those years ago.

Jiang Chun smiled modestly, downplaying her heroic act. “Honestly, 1 didn’t think much about it at the time. I was just concerned that you would cry out in pain, so 1 instinctively moved to shield you. Luckily, the police arrived promptly. Otherwise, my hand would have been burned if 1 had to block it again.”

It was the first time Wen Nian had witnessed such warmth and openness from Shen Jun towards a girl, even though their initial meeting hadn’t received the same treatment. Despite understanding the deep bond forged by chance during their childhood, a hint of envy crept into Wen Nian’s emotions.

Wen Nian couldn’t help but interrupt. She looked at Jiang Chun and asked, “Then can your scar be treated?”

Jiang Chun nodded. “The doctor said that after 1 turn 18, my skin condition will be more stable, so I have to wait until next year.”

Upon hearing Jiang Chun’s remark, Shen Jun couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt. He understood that every girl desires to be seen as beautiful. Jiang Chun had carried a scar for 12 years, although not on her face. If it had been on her face, he couldn’t fathom how he could ever repay her for the rest of his life..