Chapter 43
Chapter 43
After Huang Yuanrui left, Zhang Qiong sat alone in the cafe for a long time.
The table of female students left, and new people came in. Later, those newcomers left as well, until finally, only Zhang Qiong remained.
Outside, the sunlight was no longer so harsh; the sun was preparing to set.
Zhang Qiong slowly stood up from her seat, rubbing her legs, which had gone slightly numb.
She hadn’t spent the afternoon thinking much at all.
She had been in a dazed, empty state. She was no longer angry, nor did she feel sad or anxious-she just felt very tired.
She settled the bill, pushed open the heavy cafe door with effort, and walked sluggishly onto the street.
She hadn’t decided where to go.
Home? To the office? Back to the hotel?
She could go anywhere now; everywhere was safe. Tonight, no one would use dead rats to terrify her child, and no one would knock on her door in the middle of the night or hide in her closet. Wherever she slept tonight, she would be able to rest peacefully until dawn.
But what about tomorrow? The day after? Next week? The week after that? What if she didn’t leave within a week?
Where was Huang Yuanrui now? Was she still following her?
Zhang Qiong slowly turned her head to look at the street behind her. There was no sign of Huang Yuanrui.
She pulled out her phone, found Liang He’s WeChat, and changed the contact name to Huang Yuanrui.
Zhang Qiong felt an indescribable sense of humiliation. She had thought that Qin Song’s appearance meant her life was finally looking up, but now she had fallen completely to rock bottom.
Clutching her bag, she walked aimlessly along the roadside. If there were too many people ahead, she turned; if both sides were crowded, she kept walking straight.
She had no destination and no idea how long she would keep walking. She hoped that if she walked until she was exhausted, she might suddenly faint. Then, when she woke up, she would find that this was all a dream-a dream where neither Huang Yuanrui nor Qin Song existed.
As she walked, the street before her began to look familiar. Looking up, she realized she had unconsciously walked to the entrance of a bank.
That’s right. This was the very bank where she had once collided head-on with that “Liang He.”
Zhang Qiong stood rooted to the spot, motionless. She stared at the bank’s sign with a blank expression, unable to describe the bitterness in her heart.
A man stepped out of a car by the curb and headed straight for the bank. As he passed the catatonic Zhang Qiong, he glanced at her.
After that one look, the man suddenly froze and stopped in his tracks.
“What a coincidence. You again?”
Zhang Qiong’s train of thought was interrupted by the voice. She turned to look at the man.
It was Liang He.
Oh, no. There was no Liang He in this world. This was Li Shihao.
Zhang Qiong blinked tiredly and gazed at him in silence.
Seeing that Zhang Qiong was ignoring him, Li Shihao gave an awkward smile. “Running into you again, and at this exact spot… what are the odds, huh?”
Having said that, he started toward the bank’s entrance.
Zhang Qiong suddenly reached out and grabbed the corner of his jacket. “Wait.”
Li Shihao looked down at his clothes, then back at Zhang Qiong. “Is there something else?”
Zhang Qiong looked into his eyes and sniffled. Two round tears suddenly spilled from her eyes and splashed onto the ground.
Seeing her cry, Li Shihao began to panic. “Hey… what are you crying for?”
Zhang Qiong threw her bag onto the ground and broke into a full-blown wail.
Pedestrians on the sidewalk looked over curiously.
Li Shihao looked around nervously. “Stop crying! What are you doing? Everyone’s going to think I’m bullying you!”
Zhang Qiong continued to sob loudly, showing no sign of stopping.
People on the street were already starting to pull out their phones to film. Li Shihao quickly snatched up Zhang Qiong’s bag, pulled her to the curb, opened his car door, and shoved her into the passenger seat. Then, he hopped in himself.
He made a couple of turns and drove to a deserted area before pulling over.
Zhang Qiong was like a wind-up crying doll, still wailing until her voice went hoarse.
Li Shihao felt his head spinning and his ears ringing from her crying. He got out, grabbed two bottles of water from the trunk, and prepared to use the water to shut her up.
Li Shihao twisted off a cap and handed a bottle to Zhang Qiong. “Stop crying. Have some water.”
Zhang Qiong immediately closed her mouth, wiped her tears, took the water, and drank obediently. She downed more than half the bottle in one go.
Li Shihao remarked, “That’s a lot to drink at once.”
Zhang Qiong said in a small, raspy voice, “I’m not crazy. I’m just… going through something.”
Li Shihao asked, “Then why did you suddenly start crying the moment you saw me?”
Zhang Qiong looked at him, and tears began to well up again.
“Okay, I won’t ask!” Li Shihao blurted out.
Zhang Qiong asked, “What were you doing at the bank?”
“I was at the bank… right, what was I doing at the bank? You made such a racket I forgot… I was going to withdraw money!”
Zhang Qiong said, “The bank is about to close. Hurry up and go get it.”
Li Shihao scratched his head, dazed. “You’re crying like this, and you’re still worried about me withdrawing money?”
Zhang Qiong asked, “Are you busy tonight?”
“What are you planning?”
Zhang Qiong suddenly threw her arms around Li Shihao. He froze, his body stiff, not daring to move as her long hair brushed against his face.
“Come get a drink with me. Don’t say no. I’m begging you.”