chapter 11

Chapter 11

While my mom was in the hospital, Liang An came by several times.

He still called her “Mom” every time, and it brought out rare smiles from my mother during these difficult days.

While she was resting, I pulled Liang An out of the hospital room. “Look,” I said, taking out that big bottle of confiscated sleeping pills, “My mom came here this time without even bringing her emergency heart pills-she only brought these.”

Liang An understood immediately. He looked at the pills, then at me, and sighed helplessly. “Back then, we didn’t tell Mom because we were afraid she’d be too upset. None of us have really gotten over what happened to Xiao Min. If something else happened…”

“That’s what I’m afraid of too, so…” I shoved the bottle of pills into his hand. If I could help it, I really wouldn’t want to trouble him. “Liang An, I really want to thank you for these past few days. I know I have no right to ask, but if you can, just keep being the good guy to the end-help me, look after my mom.”

As I spoke, I pulled out my house key from my pocket-the one that had belonged to him all those years ago.

“What’s wrong, Xu Xin? Has something happened?” He didn’t take the key, looking at me warily.

“It’s nothing. It’s just that spring’s here, there are more performances, and I’m afraid I’ll be traveling a lot for work and won’t have time to be with her.” I lowered my head, afraid that meeting his eyes would give something away. “I’ve put away all the knives and such at home, but I’m still worried. Consider it a debt I owe you. When I’m not home, please go and keep my mom company, okay?”

Liang An grabbed my arm, holding my shoulders. “Don’t lie to me, Xu Xin. What’s really going on? You’ve been acting strange lately. Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”

After a long pause, I looked up and cupped his face in my hands. “Yes, Liang An, yes, something has happened. Don’t ask me, because I won’t say. Starting tomorrow, count one month. If you can’t reach me after a month, call the police. Don’t try to handle it yourself.”

“Why not call the police now?”

“It’s useless. They can’t convict him. I’ve tried.” I gave a bitter smile.

Liang An opened his mouth, but in the end, swallowed his words and gave me the answer I most wanted to hear at that moment: “Okay.”

That was our tacit understanding-whether as friends or as former spouses, I was truly grateful to him for trusting my judgment and my choices.

Early the next morning, Chen Suiyuan’s black Cayenne, as promised, was parked right downstairs from my home, right on time.

“Are you ready, Xu Xin?” For once, he was driving himself, and he even personally fastened my seatbelt in the passenger seat.

At the same time, he revealed a metallic ring glinting silver in his palm-a pair of handcuffs.

With a click, he locked me in the car.

Satisfied to see me confined to one corner, he even made a show of taking out a handkerchief, tucking it inside the cuff to protect my wrist from the sharp metal edge.

Chen Suiyuan did all of this as if it were the most natural thing in the world, regardless of whether I was ready or not.