Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Early the next morning, Hu Heng rushed onto a plane to find Qin Song.

Afraid he might run into Huang Yuanrui on the street, he wrapped himself up so thoroughly in a hat, mask, and sunglasses that not an inch of him was recognizable.

He bought Qin Song enough food and drinks to last a week at home, along with a mountain of seasonings for cooking.

Secretly, he hoped Qin Song would go out as little as possible from then on. If he could cook, he should cook. If he could order takeout, he should order takeout. Under no circumstances should he go out to eat at a restaurant.

Hu Heng figured that as long as they got through this stretch and avoided Huang Yuanrui while she was at her most emotional and impulsive, everything afterward would be easier to deal with.

To that end, he even bought Qin Song several big packs of masks. He lied and said there was a virus going around, telling Qin Song to wear a mask and protect himself whenever he went out.

That evening, Hu Heng used taking out the trash as an excuse to step outside, then called Huang Yuanrui twice more. Still, no one answered.

Even now, he had no idea whether she had deleted the video or where she was. God knew why she had suddenly cut off all contact.

After that, Hu Heng steadily visited Qin Song once every two weeks on weekends. He had not only provided Qin Song with a place to live, but had also helped him change his identity and find a wife… He had always believed he bore some responsibility for Qin Song being frightened into this state by Huang Yuanrui, so he used his own methods to make up for the guilt he felt toward Qin Song.

Huang Yuanrui never contacted Hu Heng again.

Sometimes Hu Heng would think that perhaps she had suddenly come around, let it go, and given up on the idea of revenge.

All this time, she had never posted that video online, and the police had never knocked on Hu Yonglan’s door.

Hu Heng thought that no matter what Huang Yuanrui was thinking or doing at that very moment, at least the matter with Hu Yonglan could be considered settled. After all, he had already arranged the meeting Huang Yuanrui wanted.

And so Hu Heng let the heart that had been hanging in his throat lower ever so slightly, and more than half a year passed.

What finally broke this state of affairs was a call from Qin Song one day, saying he had received a threatening letter.

Since the two of them did not live in the same city and were not together every day, Hu Heng had missed many details of Qin Song’s life before that.

He did not know that a girl named Huahua had appeared around Qin Song, nor did he know that Qin Song had gone to her home many times for “massages and relaxation.”

The moment he heard the words threatening letter, he understood – Qin Song had already been found by Huang Yuanrui.

Hu Heng felt as if a pair of hands had been wrapped around his throat and were slowly tightening.

Countless times, he wanted to tell Qin Song that Huang Yuanrui was not dead, that he was actually not a murderer at all. Countless times, he wanted to tell Qin Song that the fear he felt was only an illusion Huang Yuanrui had created for him, that she was the one behind all of it…

The words rose to the tip of his tongue, only for him to force them back down. He did not dare say them.

He was not sure whether Huang Yuanrui had deleted the video, whether she had any backups, and he did not dare gamble with Hu Yonglan’s matter.

The only thing he could do was stay by Qin Song’s side, comfort him, and tell him over and over:

“Don’t be afraid.”

But those words were as useless as telling a sensitive person, “Don’t be so sensitive,” or telling a clever person, “Can you be a little stupider?”

He knew better than anyone who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, yet he still had to put on an easy, unconcerned act and accompany Qin Song as they reasoned things out, “solved the case,” and went to Songtan to look for He Yuchuan.

Still, he had wanted to give He Yuchuan a good beating for a long time, so this could count as using public business to settle a private grudge.

Hu Heng was a working stiff, not an actor. This kind of life had already worn him out completely, and he did not know how long Huang Yuanrui planned to keep playing before she would finally bring this farce to an end.

He watched helplessly as Qin Song grew more haggard and dazed by the day, and that in itself was an immense torment for him.

Finally, one day, Hu Heng once again received a long-awaited call from Huang Yuanrui.

Her voice was lazy and unhurried. “Boss Hu, if you have time, come pick up Qin Song. He seems to have some mental issues now. I’ll send you the address in a bit.”

Through gritted teeth, Hu Heng asked, “What did you do to him?”

Huang Yuanrui laughed. “What, did I beat him to death? Did I dump his body in the wilderness? He’s alive and well. What more do you want?”

Hu Heng said, “The video. Did you delete it or not?”

Huang Yuanrui lowered her voice. “Guess.”

With that, she hung up cleanly and sent Hu Heng an address.

Huang Yuanrui had not lied. Qin Song really had gone mad.

In a daze, Hu Heng brought Qin Song back to City A.