Zhou Chi might not have been fully awake yet, his expression revealing bewilderment.
Shen Wan repeated herself, and only then did he respond with an "oh" and open the iron gate to invite her in.
Zhou Chi nervously rubbed his hands. "Um... what would you like to drink?"
"Coconut water."
When she spoke, he looked at her strangely, like this had happened before.
"How did you know I have coconut water at home?"
"Did I?" Shen Wan chuckled lightly. "I just said it without much thought."
Zhou Chi hesitated to speak.
"Are you thinking of asking me again if we knew each other before?"
"Um..."
Shen Wan blinked at him, "We didn't know each other before. But we might know each other in our past lives."
"Tsk, you're quite superstitious for someone so young. Talking about past lives..."
Zhou Chi took it as a joke.
Shen Wan timely changed the subject.
"Here, coconut water."
"Thank you."
Zhou Chi took out her bag from the cabinet and handed it to her. "Check it."
"Check what?" The girl looked at him with confusion, taking the bag from him without much thought.
Zhou Chi blinked, feeling a sudden warmth in his heart.
He scratched his head, a silly grin on his face, "... There seems to be quite a bit of money in there. Aren't you afraid I'd take a dozen or twenty bills?"
Shen Wan questioned back, "Would you?"
He shook his head. He knew there was money in the bag, not because he secretly went through it, but because at the internet cafe, he saw her paying the bill, and those stacks of red bills were really noticeable when she unzipped it.
Back then, he thought that this girl's family was well-off. She might even be from a wealthy family, so why would she voluntarily associate with him, a poor boy?
Shen Wan spread her hands. "Since you won't, why should I bother checking by counting each bill one by one?"
"But if I tell you I won't, do you trust me?"
"Of course!" Shen Wan replied without hesitation.
A complex look appeared in Zhou Chi's eyes.
Shen Wan patted the couch, "Aren't you going to sit?"
"No, no need..."
"But if I sit and you stand, my neck will ache when I talk." She wasn't just being polite; she genuinely offered this idea based on the principle of "if you're comfortable, I'm comfortable".
Could Zhou Chi refuse again?
Certainly not.
He complied and sat down, but his posture was slightly awkward. In contrast, Shen Wan remained composed, as if she didn't consider this place foreign at all. Anyone unfamiliar might think she was the host and Zhou Chi was the guest.
"Thank you for that day," he said after a pause, his gaze lowering as he spoke.
If it weren't for Shen Wan driving the taxi and colliding first, he might have already lost his life under the wheels of the truck. Even if he miraculously survived, he would likely have become disabled.
The night he returned from the hospital, he had a dream.
In the dream, he relived the moment of the accident, with the same large truck. However, he was riding a motorcycle, and there was no Shen Wan, nor the taxi.
Fueled by the pain of heartbreak and anger from a cheating relationship, he accelerated recklessly on the road.
In the end, he crashed directly into the truck as a result of making an illegal lane change. His body was pinned beneath the truck, with the front wheels crushing his legs. People often say one can't experience pain in dreams, yet Zhou Chi felt as though he was truly there. Amidst the acute pain, the sense of utter despair from his life being shattered felt overwhelmingly real.
Left paralyzed from the waist down, he became disabled and had to rely on a wheelchair for mobility.
Upon waking up, Zhou Chi's immediate response was to touch his legs and confirm they were intact.
Though just a dream, the lingering fear continued to affect him for a long time. The idea of losing his legs was too unsettling.
Zhou Chi refrained from entertaining that thought.
"You saved my life." The young man took a deep breath and met Shen Wan's clear gaze. Each word he spoke carried weight as if he were making a solemn pledge. "If you ever need anything, even if it means commiting crimes, I won't hesitate to do it for you!"