The Fish with Tears
Through a local QQ chat, a boy met a girl. The girl was pure and beautiful, and after seeing her photo, the boy boldly suggested, “Shall we be friends?” The girl politely declined. However, driven by curiosity and the attraction sparked by their online conversations, they began chatting more frequently, gradually becoming familiar with each other. The boy was charming and attentive, and soon, the girl found herself deeply enamored. She silently made a wish: If we ever meet in this city, I’ll be his girlfriend!
Perhaps some loves are destined. At a school reunion, the girl saw the boy and realized they had been classmates all along, but back then, the boy hadn’t noticed her. The wish came true, and she blossomed with joy. The girl sat next to the boy and shyly whispered, “Shall we be together?” The boy froze for a few moments before bursting with excitement, exclaiming, “I’ve been waiting for this! I truly love you!” After the reunion, on their way home in the rain, the boy offered to take her home. The warmth of their closeness, feeling her pressed against him, filled the night with long-awaited laughter. That evening, Beethoven’s piano pieces became the soundtrack to their happiness. The fairytale-like love they dreamed of was real.
When the boy arrived home, the girl called: “Did you get home safely? Did you get wet?” The boy replied, “I slipped and twisted my ankle, but I gained a caring girlfriend!” The girl was worried, “Are you alright? Should I come take care of you?” And so, the boy spent a week in bed while the girl took care of him — cooking, cleaning, changing his bandages. It was the most romantic and warm week of the boy’s life. Sharing a simple one-yuan soybean milk between them felt sweet and tender. Love, he realized, was in the little things, in the care and concern, and with that, the door to happiness opened wide.
The boy’s family was poor, while the girl’s family was wealthy. The boy wanted to succeed, and the girl supported him financially. He worked hard and stayed busy, so busy that their chats became less frequent. The girl would still visit him, offering her help, but over time, she found herself sitting alone for long periods, quietly watching the boy work, a subtle hint of sorrow in her eyes. The boy, stressed from work, began to grow irritable, sometimes shouting at the girl. She remained silent, visiting less and less.
On Valentine’s Day, the boy invited the girl out and gave her a gift. The girl looked at it and said softly, “Back when we were together, even sharing a one-yuan soybean milk felt blissful. Now, this diamond necklace… it just doesn’t bring back the same feeling. Perhaps love has always been more than material things; its magic lies in the connection between two hearts. Love can be eternal, but sometimes, it is fleeting, a mix of joy and sorrow.” The boy, desperate, replied, “My love, I’ve been under pressure, and I’ve neglected your feelings, but I have never deliberately taken you for granted. You are my forever.” She gently responded, “It’s okay, I understand. I just want you to remember me, always.” That night, the girl held the boy tightly, gazing at him and touching his face as if to etch his features into her heart forever.
The boy continued to work hard, and after a month of no contact, he suddenly felt something was missing — the sweet voice, the affectionate care, the playful teasing. Just as he was about to call her, a message came through: “Dear, let’s break up. I don’t feel the same anymore. Take care of yourself. Remember, I once loved you.”
The boy rushed to her house, but her parents met him with pained expressions. “She’s gone far away,” they said. “She asked us to tell you to focus on your work, to take care of yourself, and to always remember her.” Lost in grief and confusion, the boy repeatedly tried to call her, but there was no answer. His mind in turmoil, he chain-smoked, isolating himself. Listening to a song on QQ Music, “The Fish with Tears,” a song the girl used to sing to him on WeChat, he broke down, crying out her name. Why does love have to be so painful? Life without love was lonely and hard.
Alone, he gazed at the stars, at the moon, sinking into a sea of lonely memories. He was like a fish swimming in tears. “Please, answer my calls. I just want to tell you I love you. Though time may take everything from us, the happiness we had, we cannot have anymore. What I long for is what we’ve lost. I’m sorry. I love you! Promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”
His parents, unable to bear seeing their son wasting away, reached out to the girl’s parents. Finally, the truth came out: the girl had been diagnosed with late-stage cancer six months earlier. To avoid becoming a burden, she had kept it from the boy, believing he had a bright future and could find a better, happier love. She asked her family not to tell him, hoping that her disappearance would allow him to live a better life. Her parents handed the boy a phone with a final message from her.
With trembling hands, the boy played the message. The girl, lying on her hospital bed, spoke: “Dear, do you remember when I asked you why the sea was salty? You said it was because of the tears of the fish, mixed into the ocean. I asked, ‘But don’t fish have no tears?’ You said, ‘That’s because fish are in water, and we can’t see their tears.’ But the tears of the fish are always from longing. My dear, forgive me for hiding my illness from you. You have a bright future ahead of you, and you deserve happiness and love because you’re wonderful. I don’t want to hold you back. I’m leaving now, but don’t be sad. We truly loved each other, and I’ll bless you from heaven. In the next life, let’s meet again. If you love me, please take care of yourself.” The last image was of her smiling as she closed her eyes, with a single tear rolling down her cheek.
Love is present in remembrance. True happiness is letting the one you love live freely and be happy forever. If, one day, you come back to me, when the world ignores me, you’re the one person who must not abandon me. I’ll always be thinking of you, loving you, and waiting for you, even from heaven.
The boy now stands alone at her grave, holding red roses, whispering softly… honoring a love that belonged to them both.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
