Chapter 2

Chapter 2

But I never believed it.

I told myself he was just missing.

Maybe one day, I would run into him on a street corner or in a convenience store.

Or perhaps, one day he would suddenly show up and tell me he had just been hiding.

Zhou Yanzhi and his group had already left.

In the end, I never did get his WeChat.

When Lu Ting found me, I was still standing in the hallway, dazed.

She grabbed my shoulders and shook them. “Qiao Ning?”

“Shen Qiaoning!?”

“What’s wrong? You didn’t answer when I called. The room is right there.”

“Why are you crying?”

Her voice was urgent, then suddenly filled with guilt. “It was too loud in the booth, I didn’t hear the message you sent me…”

“It’s nothing,” I said, lowering my eyes. “I’m fine. Let’s go in; don’t let me ruin your party.”

The atmosphere inside the private booth was heated.

I sat down in a corner and saw Lu Ting’s reply with the room number on my phone, along with two missed calls from her.

There was also a new WeChat message from Zhou Yanzhi’s mother.

– Xiao Ning, are you settling into university life?

Ever since I learned that Zhou Yanzhi was missing, I had stayed in touch with his parents. I was practically like a second daughter to them.

My fingers hesitated over the screen as I recalled the laughter of that man when he turned around-frivolous and indifferent.

Ultimately, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

– It’s going well, Auntie.

– You and Uncle should take care of yourselves.

The people in the booth were having the time of their lives.

I joined in the festivities for a while, but my mind was elsewhere.

Halfway through, I stepped out to use the restroom.

The hallway was quiet.

I followed the signs toward the restroom.

Suddenly, I heard the rustle of clothes rubbing together.

The scene caught me completely off guard.

A woman, pinned against the wall by a man, suddenly pushed him away. Her voice was laced with flirtatious charm. “Someone’s coming.”

The man let out a low chuckle and turned his head. “Since when were you shy…”

His words trailed off halfway. His lips were still stained with the woman’s cinnabar-red lipstick.

It was that same face-the one that had just rejected me.

I stared at the smear of red on the corner of his mouth, my face turning deathly pale.

When he met my eyes, he broke into a wide grin. He tightened his grip on the woman’s hand, his tone suggestive. “Let’s go back to the room and finish this.”

The woman in his arms was wearing a bodycon skirt that accentuated her curves.

Hearing his words, she gave me a brief, dismissive glance before immediately giggling in agreement. “Okay~”

I felt a chill run through my entire body.

I could only watch their backs as they walked further and further away.

My feet felt like they were made of lead.

I stood there until they finally disappeared at the end of the hall.