An Earlier Meeting - Chapter 12.2

Chapter 12.2

Maybe it was because she had just cried in the movie theater, but Huang Xiaozhi’s eyes were still a little red. Her moist gaze was like that of a startled deer, making her look… especially easy to bully.

Yu Wen gazed intently into Huang Xiaozhi’s eyes. From this close distance, the other girl’s delicate features were magnified. Her skin was so fine she couldn’t see any pores.

How could someone be born so beautiful? Her gaze softened, and a small smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. Her voice also became gentler. “Tonight… I’ll tell you tonight, okay?” She didn’t know if Huang Xiaozhi would back away after hearing about her past.

She was gambling, gambling on Huang Xiaozhi’s kindness and soft heart, gambling that she wouldn’t leave because of it.

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t speak. She just nodded her head hard.

She could feel that Yu Wen’s childhood was probably not happy, perhaps even shadowed. But how heavy was it? She didn’t dare to think too deeply.

Her cheeks were cupped in Yu Wen’s warm palms. It was very comfortable, and it made her heart beat faster.

Suddenly, Yu Wen reached out her arms again, pulling Huang Xiaozhi into an even tighter hug.

Huang Xiaozhi was completely enveloped in Yu Wen’s scent. She could even clearly smell the faint, pleasant fragrance of her hair.

Yu Wen buried her face in Huang Xiaozhi’s neck. Her warm breath sprayed onto Huang Xiaozhi’s sensitive skin, causing a tingling sensation.

It’s so hot, so tingly.

Huang Xiaozhi’s body tensed slightly, but she didn’t move, letting Yu Wen hold her.

Although a few passersby occasionally cast curious glances, it made her cheeks burn.

The head buried in her neck moved slightly.

The next second, a soft, warm touch with a hint of moisture pressed distinctly against Huang Xiaozhi’s collarbone!

It was Yu Wen’s lips!

Huang Xiaozhi’s whole body instantly froze. Her mind went blank.

That just now… was that a kiss? Was it… an accidental brush? Or…?

A strange, electric tingling sensation instantly spread from her collarbone, making her almost forget to breathe.

Yu Wen seemed completely unaware. She remained buried in Huang Xiaozhi’s neck, her voice muffled and soft, as if she had let her guard down. “Thank you… you’re really a great girl.” This was her most sincere thought at that moment.

Huang Xiaozhi was like a robot with its pause button pressed. She nodded stiffly, her throat tight. She couldn’t say a single word.

At this moment, Yu Wen lifted her head and released the hug. She looked at Huang Xiaozhi’s slightly red cheeks and somewhat dazed eyes. Her tone returned to its usual calmness. She didn’t seem to notice the subtle expression on Huang Xiaozhi’s face. “Let’s go. Something just came up. I’ll see you tonight. I’ll take you home first.” She said, naturally taking Huang Xiaozhi’s wrist.

Huang Xiaozhi still didn’t speak. She just nodded submissively, letting Yu Wen lead her. Her heart, however, was a little confused. Why did something suddenly come up? But… it wasn’t a “proper” date anyway, right? If something came up, then something came up. I’ll just go home. Maybe… a nap will make it better.

…

Yu Wen dropped Huang Xiaozhi off at the entrance of the complex. She watched her walk through the gate, then turned and left without going in.

Huang Xiaozhi opened her front door. The house was silent.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, illuminating the empty living room. The whole space was as quiet as if it were asleep.

Her mom, Wei Qingwen, was nowhere to be seen. Did she go out?

She changed into her slippers and walked to Wei Qingwen’s bedroom door. She pushed it open a crack and peeked inside. Okay, she’s not here.

She was all alone at home.

Huang Xiaozhi took out her phone and called her mom.

“Beep—”

The call connected quickly.

On the phone:

“Hello? What’s wrong, Little One?” Wei Qingwen’s voice sounded relaxed.

“Mom, where did you go?” Huang Xiaozhi asked.

“I went out to have fun. An old friend asked me to meet up,” Wei Qingwen said with a laugh.

“But you said you were going to rest at home today?” Huang Xiaozhi was a little helpless.

“Oh, I slept until noon. Doesn’t that count as resting?” Wei Qingwen said with a righteous tone.

“Fine, fine. You have fun then.” Huang Xiaozhi gave up the argument.

“Okay! There’s a small cake on the table. It’s takeout that I ordered. You can eat it first.”

“Thanks, Mom. I won’t be shy then.” Huang Xiaozhi’s mood improved a little.

“Why be shy with your own mom! If you want more, I can just order another one!” Wei Qingwen said cheerfully.

“Okay, okay, you go have fun. I’m going to eat my cake.” Huang Xiaozhi was ready to hang up.

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

After hanging up, Huang Xiaozhi’s gaze fell on the coffee table in the living room.

A delicate chocolate cake box was sitting there.

It looked pretty good.

She went back to her room first, changed into a soft, comfortable set of loungewear, then went to the bathroom to wash her hands carefully.

Then she sat on the sofa and opened the cake box.

A rich chocolate aroma filled the air. Sweets always provided a moment of comfort. She picked up a small fork, ready to enjoy the sweetness her mom had left her.

…

Li Qian sent people to monitor her.

Yu Wen sat in Zhong Li’s smoothly driving car, looking at the street scenes flashing by outside the window. Her eyes were cold.

She never thought Li Qian would go this far, so brazenly, so impatiently.

“Uncle Zhong Li,” her voice rang out in the quiet car, without a trace of warmth. “Release some ‘information.’ It seems like the Zhang family is getting a little impatient and wants to turn things upside down.”

Her words were filled with undisguised disgust and a determination to crush the other party completely.

“Yes, Miss Yu.” Zhong Li replied calmly, his fingers moving quickly on a tablet.

Yu Wen’s gaze fell on the river flowing outside the window. The sunset’s glow danced on the water, like shattered gold.

H City was about to face its third violent upheaval.

Since the other party was so out of line and didn’t follow the rules, she… didn’t need to abide by those pointless bottom lines anymore.

What if I did something that they would absolutely not be able to accept?

Zhong Li precisely sent out the information he had already prepared.

The information was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake. It quickly created waves in the online world, beginning to ferment wildly.

In this chess game, who was the pawn being manipulated? And who… was the real chess player?

…

That night, Yu Wen sat alone in the chair in her living room. Only one floor lamp was on, and the dim yellow light outlined her slightly lonely figure.

She picked up her phone and sent a message to Huang Xiaozhi.

WeChat:

Wen: You there?

Little One: I am, can I come up now?

Wen: You can. Have you eaten?

Little One: I have.

Wen: Okay.

A moment later, a brisk “knock, knock, knock” sounded at the door.

It was Huang Xiaozhi.

Yu Wen got up to open the door.

Outside the door, Huang Xiaozhi had her smooth long hair down. She was wearing a cotton nightgown with a cartoon print and fluffy slippers. She was holding a delicate little paper bag that faintly showed the corner of a cake box—it was one she had reordered. The one her mom had given her was already finished that afternoon.

Yu Wen’s gaze lingered on the bag in her hand for a moment.

“Come in,” Yu Wen moved to the side to let her in, then closed the door.

…

The two didn’t stay in the living room. They tacitly walked toward the balcony.

The cool night breeze blew gently on their faces.

Huang Xiaozhi held the railing, looking at the city lights far away. She said with a sigh, “A City’s night view still has a lot of interesting places.”

Yu Wen also held the railing and agreed softly, “It does.”

Huang Xiaozhi turned around, hugging her arms. The night breeze lifted the hem of her nightgown and a few strands of her hair.

She looked at Yu Wen, her eyes clear and serious. “Now, you can tell me.” Her voice was especially clear in the night.

The last time she stood here was when she was talking to Zhang Yulin about those cold transactions.

Yu Wen’s emotions were a little complex.

She held the cold railing with both hands, her body leaning forward slightly. The night breeze lifted the stray hair on her forehead.

She turned her head, her gaze falling on Huang Xiaozhi’s soft profile, which was outlined by the moonlight.

“I don’t know where to start,” Yu Wen’s voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing the night’s tranquility. “Did you know that Zhang and I actually have no bl00d relation at all? Not an ounce.”

Huang Xiaozhi nodded, squinting her eyes against the night wind. “I know.”

Yu Wen’s gaze went to the blurred outlines of the buildings in the distance, as if she was going back in time. “The reason why H City’s waters are so deep is because the Zhang family’s massive network is the most incomprehensible part… When I was a kid, my biological parents and I were in a car accident… an accident that was planned by someone.” She paused, a heavy pain suppressed in her voice. “My father… died on the spot. My mother… disappeared after that. No one saw her alive, and no one found her body. No one wanted to take in a child who had suddenly lost both parents. I was sent to an orphanage. The director asked me my name, and all I remembered was that my name was Yu Wen… Later, the Zhang family adopted me. They didn’t even change my name. They had only heard a superstitious belief—if you want to have a son, you must first adopt a girl to ‘attract a younger brother’… I was the ‘tool’ they chose.” A bitter, self-mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. “In the end, they did get their wish and had a son… My ‘mission’ was complete, but my life… got worse by the day.”

“Finally, because I really couldn’t stay… I ran away to A City.” After she finished, she finally turned her head and looked deeply at Huang Xiaozhi. In the night, Huang Xiaozhi’s figure seemed thin, as if a gust of wind could blow her away, but the toughness and warmth in her eyes made her feel like she had an incredibly strong inner strength.

Yu Wen didn’t finish. She also didn’t plan to lay out all the dark, unbearable details in front of Huang Xiaozhi.

Knowing too much wasn’t good for her. It could even bring danger.

Huang Xiaozhi, standing in the night breeze, had a more serious expression than ever before.

She looked at Yu Wen. Her eyes were filled with a heartache so thick it couldn’t be dissolved. Her throat felt as if something was stuck in it. It was dry and hoarse, and she couldn’t make a sound.

Perhaps she was truly bad at comforting people. Or perhaps… this heavy truth made her instinctively feel a trace of timidness that made her want to retreat?

The two of them stared at each other in silence. The air was filled with heartache and heavy sadness.

Yu Wen suddenly asked a seemingly nonsensical question. Her voice was as fleeting as a sigh. “Will the sun… rise tomorrow?”

Huang Xiaozhi was stunned. She wasn’t sure of the deeper meaning of the question, but she chose to give the most straightforward and firm answer.

She looked into Yu Wen’s eyes, nodded hard, and her voice was clear and certain:

“It will. It will definitely rise.”

It will, right? She sincerely hoped that Yu Wen’s life would be illuminated by light from now on.

Huang Xiaozhi never responded to Yu Wen’s story with words.

Silence spread in the night, as if it had replaced all the unspoken comfort and complex emotions.

She suddenly felt a little cold. The coolness that rose from the bottom of her heart made her want to retreat into her shell.

“I… I want to go back.” she said in a low voice, which was a little hoarse. “See you… another day.” As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the living room door.

Yu Wen looked at her hurried back as she left the balcony. Her heart sank.

Did I scare her away? I knew it… I shouldn’t have said anything. Those dark pasts would only push people away.

Huang Xiaozhi walked to the entryway. Her hand was already on the doorknob, but she didn’t turn it immediately. She suddenly turned around and looked at Yu Wen, who had followed her out.

The dim yellow light in the living room shone on her face. Yu Wen then noticed that her eyes seemed even redder than before.

“Yu Wen,” Huang Xiaozhi’s voice was very soft but had a stubborn sincerity. “Would you lie to me?”

Yu Wen looked at her red eyes and was silent for a few seconds.

She thought about it and finally chose an honest answer:

“I might say some… necessary lies,” her voice was calm. “But my eyes… won’t lie.” This was the closest to the truth she could give her.

Huang Xiaozhi looked at her deeply, as if she wanted to confirm something from her eyes. Then, she slowly nodded.

She didn’t say anything else. She turned the doorknob, and her figure quickly disappeared behind the door.

The house was instantly left with only Yu Wen.

A huge sense of emptiness, loneliness, and that familiar cold solitude, like the rising tide, instantly surged from all directions, tightly surrounding and submerging her.

She leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid to the floor.

Huang Xiaozhi’s red eyes lingered in her mind.

She wasn’t disgusted with me, was she? She was just… scared by all that suffering? Or… did she find it too heavy?

Outside the door.

Huang Xiaozhi practically fled back to her own home.

The moment she closed the door, she leaned her back against the cold door. The emotions she had been holding back finally went completely out of control.

She desperately covered her mouth, trying to suppress her sobs, but hot tears, like pearls with a broken string, streamed out of her eyes, constantly slipping through her fingers.

It was heartache. An indescribable heartache. Behind those understated words, how much unknown pain and struggle must be hidden? How could her Yu Wen be so miserable? How could she have endured so much?

She suddenly regretted asking about Yu Wen’s past.

It was enough to know who she was now. It was enough to know that she was strong, independent, and occasionally gentle.

She simply didn’t have the courage to truly face that bloody, heavy past.

She was a coward through and through.