Back at Chi Cheng’s place, Xun Xun casually made herself a bowl of noodles. When he was around, she always felt unsettled, wishing she could avoid him for some peace. Now that he was nowhere to be seen, the unfamiliar atmosphere of the apartment suddenly became more pronounced. The old cat had adapted quite well to the environment.
After searching for a while, she found it grooming itself against the pillow on Chi Cheng’s bed. Although Chi Cheng often mocked it, that didn’t stop the cat from gradually claiming this place as its territory. In this aspect, cats were superior to humans – they never became overly attached or dependent on anyone. As long as they had enough food and water, they could live comfortably without anyone.
With nothing to do and feeling anxious while sitting quietly, Xun Xun decided to clean the apartment. She refused to acknowledge that she harbored any thoughts of finding clues in this apartment, yet after bustling around for a while and discovering no personal items that could answer her questions, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She swept away the cobwebs from the corners, but the confusion in her heart slowly wove itself into an even larger web.
It was nearly ten o’clock, and Chi Cheng hadn’t returned. Xun Xun was about to go to bed when she unexpectedly received a call from Zeng Yu, saying she was at a certain KTV and asking her to hurry over with money to help her out.
Xun Xun wanted to ask exactly what had happened, but Zeng Yu was drunk on the other end of the line, her words slurred and only able to urge Xun Xun to come quickly.
Wasn’t Zeng Yu supposed to be on her “romantic date” tonight? Xun Xun couldn’t figure out the situation, but since it seemed urgent, she didn’t dare delay for fear something might happen to her friend. She rushed out the door. Fortunately, the location Zeng Yu had given her wasn’t obscure; Xun Xun only had to mention it to the taxi driver, and he knew exactly where to go.
When she found Zeng Yu, she was unconscious on the sofa with a helpless-looking waiter standing nearby. Upon asking, Xun Xun learned that Zeng Yu had come to sing with some friends, but when it came time to pay, everyone had left, leaving only her behind in a drunken stupor.
Xun Xun sat down and shook Zeng Yu, who had barely opened her eyes before showing signs of wanting to vomit. Xun Xun quickly helped her to the bathroom. After throwing up violently, she washed her face with cold water and seemed somewhat better – at least she could recognize who was supporting her, though her steps were still unsteady and her mind clouded.
Back on the sofa, Zeng Yu collapsed weakly and answered Xun Xun’s questions, largely confirming what the waiter had said. She had dinner with her new boyfriend after work, and afterward, he suggested inviting their friends to go singing. So the group came here, drank, and sang until they’d had enough, and their friends gradually left until only the two of them remained. When Zeng Yu tried to pay, she was told the system was down and couldn’t process cards, but she didn’t have enough cash. Fortunately, with her last bit of clarity and the waiter’s reminder, she managed to call a friend or family member, which was how Xun Xun had been summoned.
“You didn’t bring enough money, and your boyfriend didn’t have any either?” Xun Xun asked, puzzled.
Zeng Yu took a sip of the hot tea that Xun Xun had asked the waiter to bring and almost choked while laughing.
“I was short by a few hundred yuan, and I thought he would cover it, but as soon as he heard I didn’t have enough money, that guy said he suddenly had an emergency and had to leave. He ran faster than a rabbit, leaving me stranded here. Isn’t that funny?”
“Not funny at all,” Xun Xun said honestly. “What kind of boyfriend is that? How could he behave like this? Your taste in men isn’t just not improving, it’s getting worse. I don’t even know where this mysterious new boyfriend suddenly came from.”
“He didn’t just appear mysteriously – he’s my fitness instructor, teaches Pilates. He’s handsome, has a nice voice, and knows how to make me happy. When I was shopping at the end of the year and the checkout line at the mall was endless, he queued for me for a day and night, so I thought, okay, he’s the one. I don’t mind paying when we go out usually – eating and drinking, you’d spend the money anyway, right? Who knew that over just a few hundred yuan, he’d show his true colors? Such a small-minded person – I must have been blind.”
Xun Xun said, “I think you’ve lost your mind.” She took out the money and settled the bill for Zeng Yu.
Zeng Yu heavily draped her arm over Xun Xun’s shoulder and slurred, “Men are all worthless. You’re the best, Xun Xun. I officially declare you my best friend!”
Xun Xun smiled wryly, “Spare me, please. A best friend is just someone who pays the bill after you’ve had your fun.”
Zeng Yu grinned, “Zhao Xun Xun, don’t forget your roots. I’ve done the same for you before.”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Xun Xun’s face flushed red and white as she removed Zeng Yu’s hand and asked, “Can you walk? I’ll take you home.”
“Never mind walking, I could fly right now. But what’s the rush? It’s time to test you – you can’t keep waiting at home like you did when you were married to Xie Ping Ning. You need to learn to let men taste what it’s like to wait for you. Listen to me, stay with me a while longer.” As she spoke, Zeng Yu made a phone call in front of Xun Xun, first asking if his “emergency” was resolved, then sweetly telling him that the system was working again, she had paid the bill but wanted to go somewhere else for a few more drinks, asking if he wanted to join.
The other party must have given an affirmative response, as Zeng Yu laughed, “Your emergency came and went so quickly.” After laughing, she changed her tone and mockingly shouted, “It was just a matter of a few hundred yuan, even if you didn’t have money, at least show some class. Don’t think I don’t know what you are – consider that money as what I paid to keep you! Now I’m not interested anymore, stay as far away from me as possible!”
After her outburst, she turned to Xun Xun and said, “That felt good. I’ve turned another page in my calendar, though it’s a pity I didn’t get to get you a discounted gym membership.”
Xun Xun said, “You’re still thinking about that? I haven’t gone in so many years. After getting married, I found that housework is better exercise than anything. Why did you find this man? You’re just creating trouble for yourself.”
Zeng Yu leaned back, self-mockingly yet somewhat dejectedly. “I originally thought we could at least make it through this winter together.”
Suddenly hearing this phrase again, Xun Xun immediately thought of Chi Cheng. Her heart stirred, and she checked her phone, finding four missed calls – one from Sister Yan Li and the rest from Chi Cheng. The music had been too loud for her to notice.
Xun Xun called him back, and it seemed to ring only once before she heard Chi Cheng loudly say, “So you’re still alive?”
Xun Xun, caught between laughter and exasperation, explained the situation to him. His tone softened somewhat, and upon hearing she was still at the KTV with Zeng Yu, he immediately said he would come pick her up.
Xun Xun wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but considering Zeng Yu’s half-drunk, half-conscious state, she decided not to let pride get in the way. After hanging up, she saw that Zeng Yu, following her brief moment of excitement, had returned to her barely conscious state. While Xun Xun was on the phone, Zeng Yu had been fiddling with her phone, but now she lay slumped on the sofa, unaware that her phone had fallen from her limp hand onto the floor. Xun Xun picked up Zeng Yu’s phone and accidentally glimpsed the screen, which showed a message composition screen. There wasn’t a single character written – apparently, she had pressed keys for a while but then deleted everything. The recipient’s name was, as expected, Lian Quan.
Xun Xun understood Zeng Yu – when she said she didn’t care, it meant she cared too much. Afraid of loss, she held back, loudly proclaiming she didn’t want something. But who knew what Lian Quan was thinking? Two people whose mutual feelings were obvious to others, yet they tortured themselves with guessing games. As adults understand more, the space in their hearts for courage grows smaller. They become less likely to make mistakes but often miss out on the “right” opportunities for happiness.
Chi Cheng didn’t take long to arrive, and as soon as he saw Xun Xun, he complained, “I came home and couldn’t find you, called but no one answered. I thought something had happened and even went to your mother’s place, but no one was there either. Turns out you were here having fun.”
He was still the Chi Cheng that Xun Xun remembered, without any discrepancy, but Xie Ping Ning and Zhou Rui Sheng’s words were still fresh in her mind, making her repeatedly doubt her judgment.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Chi Cheng asked suspiciously, “Is it because absence makes the heart grow fonder?”
Xun Xun just smiled without saying anything, gesturing for him to help support Zeng Yu.
Chi Cheng pulled Zeng Yu up from the sofa with considerable force, causing her to stumble and nearly fall onto the coffee table, but fortunately, Xun Xun caught her in time.
“Be careful,” Xun Xun glared at Chi Cheng, “You know she’s drunk.”
Chi Cheng dismissively said, “Is it appropriate for a girl to get this drunk?”
“Since when do you have so much to say?”
Zeng Yu seemed to have caught bits and pieces of the conversation in her dazed state and mumbled, “Who’s inappropriate? Who’s inappropriate!”
With Chi Cheng and Xun Xun supporting her on either side, she left the private room. When they reached Chi Cheng’s car and opened the back door, the cold wind seemed to bring her back to partial consciousness. She propped one hand against the car window, looking around in confusion, asking, “Where are we going?”
Xun Xun reassured her, “Get in the car, we’ll take you home.”
Zeng Yu’s gaze inadvertently fell on Chi Cheng, and she blinked, dramatically examining him from different angles. Suddenly, she pointed at Chi Cheng’s face and exclaimed, “Oh! I remember who you are!”
Both Xun Xun and Chi Cheng were startled.
“What?” Xun Xun’s hand supporting Zeng Yu’s arm unconsciously tightened.
Pointing at Chi Cheng and nodding, Zeng Yu said, “You’re… go fuck yourself!”
Xun Xun nearly fainted, while Chi Cheng impatiently shoved Zeng Yu into the back seat. As soon as she sat down, Zeng Yu slumped into a lying position, muttering “Go fuck yourself” a few more times before falling back into unconsciousness.
“She’s drunk, don’t mind her,” Xun Xun explained to Chi Cheng with a red face, wondering how Zeng Yu, who claimed to be a modern elite, could suddenly curse at someone so crudely.
Chi Cheng got into the driver’s seat and gritted his teeth, “If she throws up in my car, I’ll return those words to her!”
Xun Xun sheepishly got in the car. They had barely backed out of the parking space when another phone call came – this time for Chi Cheng. He picked it up impatiently, but upon seeing the caller ID, his expression changed. He opened the door to get out, telling Xun Xun, “Wait for me a moment, I just need to take this call.”
He walked dozens of steps away before answering, being so careful to avoid not the sleeping Zeng Yu, but someone else. In fact, from the moment he instinctively turned his back to her while picking up the phone, Xun Xun had guessed this was a call she wasn’t meant to hear.
Chi Cheng was indeed hiding something from her. Although Xun Xun had expected this, as the suspicion gradually proved true, she couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart. If the course of events couldn’t be changed, perhaps remaining in the dark would be more bearable than knowing the truth.
While Chi Cheng was still on the call and hadn’t returned to the car, more vehicles started entering the parking lot. A seven-seater tried to back into the space next to them but was blocked by Chi Cheng’s parking position. After several failed attempts, seeing people in the car with the lights on, the driver came over to tap on their window and ask what was going on.
Xun Xun, being shy, wanted to call Chi Cheng, but he was too far away. Getting out to call him might seem like she was trying to eavesdrop, so she could only repeatedly apologize to the other driver. Finally, when Chi Cheng returned to the car, they quickly moved out of the way.
On the way to take Zeng Yu home, Chi Cheng noticed Xun Xun staring out the window absent-mindedly and asked if the person from the other car had bullied her. Xun Xun shook her head no.
“That person’s parking skills were terrible,” he commented casually.
Xun Xun said, “We can’t blame others. Next time if you have such a call, I can get out of the car to give you privacy.”
“What do you mean?” Chi Cheng glanced at her. “You’re acting strange. I haven’t been able to understand what you’re thinking since I saw you tonight.”
“I haven’t understood what you’re thinking since the day I met you, but we’ve managed this far, haven’t we?” Xun Xun said with a slight smile.
Chi Cheng was thoroughly puzzled. “Is it that time of the month or what?”
“I’m going through menopause.”
“Whatever.”
He drove in silence with a cold expression, deliberately turning the music up loud. Xun Xun didn’t say another word, closing her eyes to rest until Chi Cheng’s sudden brake jerked her against the seatbelt.
“We’re here, this is the place, right?” Chi Cheng asked expressionlessly.
Xun Xun nodded, “Yes, thank you.”
He was somewhat irritated, wanting to provoke her with a few words, but feared she wouldn’t fight back and would instead become even more polite.
Chi Cheng was the type of person who couldn’t be handled with either softness or hardness. If you flattered him, he’d look down on you; if you were harsh with him, he’d become your sworn enemy. What was truly troublesome was someone like Xun Xun who was neither soft nor hard. When he pressed forward aggressively, she retreated; when he kept his distance, she didn’t pursue. She stayed cold and aloof, leaving him with nowhere to direct his tactics, making him seethe with frustration.
“What exactly did I do to upset you?” Chi Cheng forcefully turned off the music, creating a sudden emptiness in the silence.
“What are you talking about?”
“I get it now, it’s that phone call that upset you!” He frowned. “What are you suspicious of? Don’t you trust me even this much?”
Xun Xun remained silent for a long while before saying, “Where’s the foundation for my trust? You know everything about me, but apart from your constant declarations of love, I know nothing about you.”
Chi Cheng said, “Isn’t that enough? Should I write you an autobiography? Or should we switch places – let me expose all my past while you give me the cold shoulder while saying you love me?”
He tossed his phone onto her lap, “If it’s about the phone call, then look all you want!”
Xun Xun steeled herself and checked the call history. She had too many mysteries to solve, and the deeper she went down this path, the more she needed to know the answer at its end.
To her surprise, the last incoming call was from an extremely familiar number, matching the timing of the call Chi Cheng had received in the parking lot.
Now Xun Xun was even more confused.
“Why did my mother call you?”
Chi Cheng remained silent with a cold expression.
“Why did you have to hide from me to take her call?” Xun Xun anxiously pursued the question, but Chi Cheng’s avoidance and her understanding of her mother quickly led her to the answer. “Oh… she asked to borrow money from you? Did you lend it to her?”
His silence now was as good as confirmation.
Xun Xun pushed his shoulder with the hand holding the phone, both angry and anxious.
“Why didn’t you tell me you gave her money? What do you both take me for?”
Chi Cheng finally responded glumly: “Now I understand what it means to be caught between a rock and a hard place. When I went to your mother’s house looking for you tonight, she said she was tight on money and asked if I could help. It was her first time asking, and the amount wasn’t too big or too small – how could I say ‘no’?”
“What good could come from her needing money? You think you’re being charitable, but you’re hurting me!”
“Your mother made it clear that she wouldn’t take money from someone who wasn’t family. Don’t you understand what that means? Should I have said I wasn’t part of your family? Am I looking for trouble for fun?”
Xun Xun asked desperately, “How much did she ask for?”
“Fifty thousand, and she repeatedly insisted not to tell you,” Chi Cheng answered honestly. “That call just now was to ask if the money had been transferred.”
“This is infuriating. Just because she told you not to tell me, you didn’t?” Xun Xun covered her face and sighed.
“I didn’t tell you not because she asked me not to, but because I was afraid knowing would make you feel worse, just like now. You deserve it – you brought this trouble on yourself!”
“I…”
“If you’re about to mention paying me back, get out of the car right now.”
Xun Xun moved her hand, and Chi Cheng immediately reached over to cover her door handle, though she had only intended to return his phone.
Seeing this, Chi Cheng awkwardly withdrew his hand. Xun Xun seemed lost in thought for a moment.
“Why are you so good to me? Chi Cheng, can you tell me where this love you speak of comes from, and when it began?”
“I’ve already told you, from the first time I saw you. What, you don’t believe me?”
This answer didn’t satisfy Xun Xun. “When was the first time you saw me?”
He smiled mischievously, “It’s no fun getting all the answers at once. How about this – you can ask me one question each day, and I’ll answer it honestly. Otherwise, if you want to know everything about me, you’ll have to reach out and ‘feel’ for yourself.”
“Feel your head.”
Chi Cheng saw that although she still looked displeased, the previous distance was gone, and he felt relieved. Noticing her head down, he used the reading light to quickly pluck a white hair from the top of her head.
“Ouch…” Xun Xun glared at him.
He looked at the hair and smiled, “It’s black, I was mistaken.”
Xun Xun had occasionally grown white hairs since her teens, especially during periods of excessive worry. She knew Chi Cheng was just trying to cheer her up by saying he’d plucked the wrong hair. She snatched it from his hand, threw it out the car window, and said, “Why pluck it? In a few years, my whole head might be white anyway.”
Chi Cheng said carelessly, “Then I’ll pluck them slowly, one by one as they appear until you’re a bald old lady. We have plenty of time.”
Xun Xun remained quiet, but for just a moment, she seemed to see the dusk he described, and couldn’t help but let a slight smile appear at the corner of her mouth.
Just then, a pained face emerged from between their seats.
The long-forgotten Zeng Yu, half-asleep, said, “Since we have so much time ahead, could you please spare a little bit now to get me home first?”