Yu Wenli played with her black hair that fell on her shoulder, not replying.
After a moment, he asked nonchalantly, "What did A Rui tell you? It took so long."
"He didn't say anything."
The young girl replied crisply.
Yu Wenli's actions paused slightly, and he subconsciously repeated, "He didn't say anything?"
Wasn't he back to confess?
How could this be...
"He just asked me for help."
Wen Tingxue took out a heavily worn red string from her pocket.
"Here," she pointed to several places where the color had obviously faded, "he wants me to add some decorations to these spots."
"But..." After speaking, the young girl pouted in confusion.
"Why would he ask a professional for something like this? Asking me, a novice, isn't he afraid I'll mess it up?"
Wen Tingxue felt annoyed.
She didn't want to agree at first.
But seeing how unhappy he was, she could only nod.
She couldn't make things worse for him.
"Perhaps..."
Yu Wenli stared at the red string in her hand, "He just wants you to handle it for him."
Wen Tingxue:?
"Didn't you handle it quite well last time?" Yu Wenli explained.
"He doesn't trust anyone else with something so important."
He didn't elaborate on the deeper reasons, and it wasn't his place to pry.
Fortunately, the young girl didn't overthink it.
She nodded and said, "Then I'll help out."
-
Hao Lu'er found Chi Zerui at the train station.
"You..."
She hadn't believed it when she received the message.
Now, seeing him in person, seeing the suitcase beside him.
Hao Lu'er felt as if something was stuck in her throat.
She couldn't spit it out or swallow it, and speaking was uncomfortable.
Chi Zerui looked up listlessly, his voice muffled by the mask.
But it was more due to his own hoarseness.
"Why did you come here?"
Hao Lu'er looked at him, then at the suitcase by his leg.
"What are you trying to do?"
Chi Zerui lowered his eyelids and said weakly, "Go abroad."
"Go abroad?" Hao Lu'er's voice rose, "You're taking a train abroad?!"
A train!
Not a high-speed train, not a bullet train!
But the kind of train where you sit for hours!
Chi Zerui, who had been pampered since childhood, had never taken such an inconvenient mode of transport!
Hao Lu'er thought he was crazy, but her eyes turned red.
"A Rui, stop messing around, okay? She doesn't want you, but I do..."
Hao Lu'er squatted by his legs, looked up at him, her eyes full of him.
"A Rui, come home with me. Even if you want to go abroad, you shouldn't come here."
"I know."
Chi Zerui nodded.
Hao Lu'er took the train ticket he handed her, rubbed her eyes, and said,
"Ancheng? You're going to Ancheng?"
"Mmm."
Chi Zerui stretched his legs, lowered his head, and replied listlessly.
Hao Lu'er glanced at the departure time, 2 AM.
Three more hours.
"Even if you're going to Ancheng, you could wait until tomorrow, and take the high-speed train, wouldn't that be faster?"
Hao Lu'er persuaded him, "A Rui, even if your confession failed, you shouldn't torture yourself like this."
"I didn't confess."
These four simple words caused a huge wave in Hao Lu'er's heart.
Didn't confess?
She still had a chance?
Hao Lu'er's eyes welled up with joy.
She thought...
She thought that after tonight, she would only be able to watch him from the shadows.
She didn't expect, didn't expect he hadn't confessed!
"...Then, you?"
Hao Lu'er was even more confused by his current actions.
If he hadn't confessed, why was he leaving?
And so urgently.
Chi Zerui paused for a moment, "I want to leave Jiangcheng."
As soon as possible.
Any mode of transport would do.
Hao Lu'er didn't understand his thoughts, but no matter what he did, she would support him.
"I'll go with you, I'll buy a ticket right now."
She got up and walked towards the ticket machine, but Chi Zerui grabbed her wrist.
He frowned disapprovingly, "Lu'er..."
Hao Lu'er cherished the warmth of his palm.
But she still broke free with a heavy heart.
"You don't need to persuade me, I'll follow you my whole life, wherever you go, I go."
-
The distance from Jiangcheng to Ancheng is not short.
It takes ten hours by train.
Hao Lu'er was afraid Chi Zerui would get off midway, so she didn't sleep soundly the whole way.
They arrived at noon.
The two of them randomly found a fast-food restaurant for lunch.
As Hao Lu'er ate, her eyes started to close.
Chi Zerui: "I have something to do. I'll book a room for you to rest first."
"No, no." Hao Lu'er immediately woke up and said, "It's an unfamiliar place, what if you abandon me and leave?"
Chi Zerui: "..."
"Am I that unreliable?" he snorted.
Hao Lu'er stuffed rice into her mouth and mumbled,
"Not really, I'm just scared..."
Her tone was soft.
It immediately reminded Chi Zerui of Wen Tingxue.
His heart softened.
"If you want to follow, then follow."
"Mmm-hmm!"
Hao Lu'er instantly felt less sleepy, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
Chi Zerui sporadically drank his cola.
His expression clearly showed he was lost in thought.
Hao Lu'er didn't dare to ask further.
It wasn't until they reached their destination by car that she understood what he was thinking.
"May I... go in?"
Hao Lu'er hesitated slightly.
Chi Zerui, carrying the yellow paper, walked ahead, his tone nonchalant.
"Whatever."
That meant it was okay.
Hao Lu'er immediately followed.
Ling County was where the Qiao family made their fortune.
Even though the Qiao family's power had waned, Ling County still had the Qiao family's cemetery.
All buried there were members of the Qiao family.
Chi Zerui stopped in front of Qiao Yanyan's tombstone.
He had brought nothing except a stack of yellow paper.
Hao Lu'er shielded him from the wind, and the yellow paper was lit.
She thought he would say something.
He didn't.
He burned the paper the entire time, not saying a word.
In the end, when the yellow paper was burned out, Chi Zerui straightened up, holding his knees.
*Mom.*
He called out in his heart.
Then he reached out and wiped the dust off the tombstone.
Little by little.
He wiped it with extreme seriousness.
*I'm sorry I didn't come to see you during the New Year.*
*I fell in love with a girl, and I wanted to spend New Year's Eve with her, but I didn't have the courage to ask.*
*Now, I'm leaving. I've come to see you, please don't be angry.*
Chi Zerui wiped the words 'Qiao Yanyan' one last time.
Only when he felt it was clean did he get up to leave.
Hao Lu'er followed him, and only after they had completely left the Qiao family cemetery did she ask,
"Where are you planning to go now?"
Chi Zerui said without hesitation, "Abroad."
-
Wen Tingxue rushed to repair the hand rope, and it was already half-past five in the afternoon.
She sent a message to Chi Zerui, but there was no reply for a long time.
"Could he be busy?"
The young girl hesitated and bit her finger.
"Should I call and ask?"
She had very little contact with Chi Zerui.
She only remembered that he disliked being disturbed.
So, after much deliberation, she sent another message.
Ten minutes passed, still no reply.
"Forget it, I don't care anymore!"
Wen Tingxue couldn't wait any longer, so she found his number.
And dialed.
Just as she was preparing her opening, the other end said: phone turned off.
"..."
Wen Tingxue stared at the screen as the call automatically disconnected.
She felt a surge of anger.
What was this guy up to!
He never turned off his phone normally, why now?
He was doing it on purpose, wasn't he?
The young girl angrily called Luo'er, wanting to ask where Chi Zerui was.
But her phone was also turned off.
Finally realizing something was wrong, Wen Tingxue immediately contacted Yu Wenli.