Ji Xinxin's car stopped directly at the entrance of Shi Mansion. She lifted her eyes to gaze at the majestic and luxurious house in front of her. It was pitch black, in stark contrast to the brightly lit villa next door.
Ji Xinxin raised her eyebrows, a trace of sarcasm crossing her features. She glanced sideways at Ling Chuxia, "Look at this pitch-black house. You must be alone quite a lot, right? Anyway, your husband only comes home a few times a year. I really don't understand why you're always in such a hurry to get back home."
What use was a house, however large and luxurious, if you lived in it alone and worried about ghosts at night?
Ling Chuxia seemed as though she hadn't heard, her lips curling slightly as she smiled at Ji Xinxin, her voice gentle, "Thank you for picking me up and bringing me back. When you're free, I'll treat you to a meal."
As Ling Chuxia spoke, she unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and stepped out.
Ji Xinxin seemed to have run out of things to say to her, her beautiful big eyes glaring at her as she spat out two words sharply, "Virtue!" Then she started the car, slammed on the gas, and the car sped away again.
Ling Chuxia stood in place, watching her car disappear into the distance before she slowly turned and walked toward the house.
-
Shi Che left the company in the afternoon and had been searching on that road for a long time. He hadn't seen Ling Chuxia at all, and as the sky gradually darkened, his brow became increasingly grim, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
He guessed the route Ling Chuxia might have taken, weaving his way around the city, and in just a few short hours, he had almost circled half of Liang City, until he received another call from Old Zhu.
"Young Master, there's no need to keep looking. Young Madam has already returned home safely."
Shi Che's hand holding the phone trembled slightly, but his voice remained unchanged, "Really?"
"Yes, the house just called. They said Young Madam is back, brought home by Miss Ji."
Shi Che's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of silence, he spoke lightly, "I see." Then he hung up the phone and tossed it aside.
His hands rested on the steering wheel, his thumb tapping lightly against it, and then a wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips. A deep self-mockery rose swiftly from his heart.
He didn't know how Ling Chuxia called Ji Xinxin to pick her up and take her home under such circumstances, but... whenever she was in danger or had trouble, the first person she thought of and turned to for help was never him, her husband. Perhaps, in her heart, he, her husband, was the most unfamiliar person.
Shi Che let out a cold laugh, the self-mockery in his heart gradually turning into agitation, adding a fierce edge to his brow. He started the car, stamped on the gas pedal, and the car shot out like lightning.
-
Ling Chuxia entered the house, walked to the sofa, and sat down. She didn't turn on the lights, sitting quietly in the darkness, feeling very tired for the first time.