Liu Qinnuan honestly didn't make her decision about whether to come in a casual manner; instead, it was after deep consideration.
At that phone call, she summoned great courage. She was afraid that Xu Lin would say something to her or hang up the phone.
But Xu Lin seemed quite relaxed. Without the disguise of being a little fairy, it actually brought the two closer.
Sincere companionship was something she had always wanted but couldn't get, whether from friends or family.
What she feared most wasn't these. The most important thing was that she used them back then. It hurt not only Xu Lin but also Sister Chu Qingchan.
She's in Linshui now, and her biggest enemy should be facing her...
But why hasn't Xu Lin come yet? Didn't he say he couldn't make it and would find someone else?
However, she didn't want to call again. It would make her seem too impatient. She had been waiting for half an hour already, waiting a little longer wouldn't hurt.
As the sky grew darker, Liu Qinnuan felt a bit cold, tightening her thin hoodie around her.
Looking at the diminishing crowd, the unfamiliar buildings, and streets, she suddenly felt nervous.
She had been managed by agents since she was young, and her mom had always taken her around. This was her first time going out alone.
Despite her nervousness, she didn't leave. She wasn't afraid of getting lost with navigation; the main worry was if Xu Lin came and she missed him?
So she continued to wait. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder, and a hand patted her from behind!
Liu Qinnuan jumped in fright, thinking it was some rogue. Just as she was about to shout, she heard a familiar voice.
"You are wearing such thin clothes. No wonder you're used to being a star from a young age, you can't even dress properly for going out."
"Miss Chu?"
Liu Qinnuan turned around and found herself with an extra coat on her shoulder, and she saw Chu Qingchan.
"Yeah, put it on. It's my coat. The driver is still waiting."
"Alright."
"Sorry for being a bit late."
"It's okay, it's okay."
Liu Qinnuan quickly stood up, grabbed her suitcase, and followed Chu Qingchan towards the roadside.
"Miss Chu, hasn't Xu Lin finished school yet?"
"Just finished. He thought he would come pick you up."
With this sentence from Chu Qingchan, Liu Qinnuan's gaze focused more on her back, but she didn't know what to say.
They arrived at the taxi, the driver got out, helped with the suitcase, and put it in the trunk.
"Thank you, sir."
"No problem, get in the car."
Once in the taxi, Liu Qinnuan suddenly felt like she had finally relaxed, most of the coldness in her body dissipated.
"I really admire you. It's almost zero degrees now, the weather is not bad today. But now it's only about 4 or 5 degrees, and you dare to wear a skirt?"
Chu Qingchan felt that she lacked common sense of life, but this person was even worse, just a small hoodie and a plaid skirt underneath.
Fortunately, it wasn't too foolish. The plaid skirt was at least thickened, and she was wearing pantyhose, otherwise her legs would have no sensation in a while.
"I didn't realize the temperature had dropped to this level over here..."
"By the way, didn't you bring your agent with you?"
"No, I just came to take a break after finishing the shooting and tutoring. I have nothing else to do for now."
"Then you came to find my boyfriend?"
Chu Qingchan raised an eyebrow, her eyes bursting with displeasure and hostility, but her expression under the mask remained calm.
"No, really, I didn't... I just thought, I wanted to find a quiet place to rest."
Liu Qinnuan hastily waved her hand, then Chu Qingchan continued.
"Did you find a hotel?"
"No..."
"Then you're planning to stay at Xu Lin's house, aren't you? Everyone knows that the heart of Sima Zhao is well known to everyone."
"Sister Chu, I really didn't... Although last time in Jinling, I did have suspicions of using you, but this time I really..."
Liu Qinnuan's voice became tearful, and Chu Qingchan actually seemed a bit angry.
"Don't play games with me. Let's just talk properly. I hope you can really speak sincerely to me."
"..."
Liu Qinnuan suddenly held back her tears and nodded, her tone shifting from gentle to more mature.
"What do you want to know?" she asked.
"I don't want to know anything. Why did you come to Linshui?" replied Chu Qingchan.
"I wanted to apologize sincerely, but I won't change completely."
"Because I'm just a girl without any background. To survive in the entertainment industry, I have to disguise and package myself."
"I didn't expect it at first, I just wanted you to resolve a fan issue, but I didn't expect the other party to be so enthusiastic."
"So I've decided that no matter what happens, I won't let others maintain my so-called public image for me in the future."
Liu Qinnuan poured out everything she wanted to say, glancing at Chu Qingchan sideways.
Chu Qingchan narrowed her eyes, but didn't look at her.
"Liu Qinnuan, this is your path, and you can walk it as you wish."
"Miss Chu... Did you realize from the beginning that my motives were impure?"
"Yes, but I still think you're a good kid. That's how I see it now. But Xu Lin was almost hurt because of you, and he protected you from getting hurt. I can't forgive you."
"You really like Brother Xu, don't you?"
Chu Qingchan didn't respond to her question but continued speaking.
"But I don't think you would fall for him just because of one heroic act. Are you really here just to apologize?"
"I..."
"Be sincere," Chu Qingchan insisted, looking at her seriously.
"Because not only did he protect me that time, but he also saw the real me immediately. He gave me direction for the future, so that's why I came to find him."
"Is that all?"
"That's all. I'm not someone who falls for someone just because of a rescue. I've been through a lot..."
"But you're still clueless about basic life knowledge."
Upon hearing Chu Qingchan's quip, Liu Qinnuan laughed directly.
"I really don't have much common sense, but I've been through a lot."
"Uh... I don't want to hear stories. If you want to tell them, go tell Xu Lin. Men are easily moved by pitiful girls."
Chu Qingchan said with a hint of disdain, though she had actually investigated Liu Qinnuan's background.
Her parents divorced, and she followed her mother's continuous efforts, sacrificing a lot. Her acting wasn't just talent; it was honed through hard work.
But Chu Qingchan disregarded all that; she only understood one thing: Xu Lin was the person she liked. He could forgive others, but she couldn't let things slide so easily herself.
"Oh, where are we going?"
"To where I'm looking at houses. I plan to buy a house."
"It seems like you're planning to stay in Linshui for the long term? Are you not planning to return to the entertainment industry?"
"Well... I'm planning to become a housewife."
"Oh... then when you get married, I'll definitely come."
"Alright."
Chu Qingchan nodded, leaning back against her seat. Liu Qinnuan looked at her confident demeanor and felt a bit uneasy...
In her life, she had made many mistakes, but she absolutely couldn't become a bad woman who destroys relationships... Otherwise, what would be the difference between her and others?