During the past few years of separation from him, she gradually lost track of time. Yet now, he was relentlessly studying to rank in the top ten of their grade, perhaps even running all over the city just to buy her favorite cake.
He had provided her with so much evidence of his affection that even she found her memories a bit muddled. How did she fall for him in the first place? It was one afternoon, after finishing their meal, when a sudden downpour made it impossible to see in any direction. She was left standing outside until a tall figure appeared through the rain.
He held a black umbrella, arrogantly and nonchalantly pulling her into his embrace. In that moment, she caught a whiff of his refreshing scent, and her heart skipped a beat.
Time seemed to freeze, the air thickened, leaving only the two of them.
Later, he managed to charm away any remnants of her stubbornness. Eventually, she revealed to him that the answer to why she liked him lay on the ninth page of her Chinese textbook.
That day, Lu Xiu's hands trembled as he flipped through the pages of the book, eagerly and nervously. When he saw the love letter she had written, tears welled up in his eyes and trickled down his cheeks.
Even though she couldn't understand why she liked him, she no longer dwelled on it. She wasn't one to speak much, but today, she made an exception. "I have liked you for a very, very long time."
She remembered how long it took her to write those words back then. But seeing Lu Xiu cry upon reading them was beyond her expectations.
Her thoughts returned, and her eyes went back to her phone screen, where she saw that Lu Xiu was her only follower. Messages flooded her inbox, mostly asking about the relationship between the two of them, while some questioned if she had intervened in Lin Siyu and Lu Xiu's feelings.
She bit her lip, unsure how to explain. It seemed there was no reason that could be understood.
Soon, Lu Xiu's first follow was trending.
The hype surrounding it surpassed that of some popular influencers, and it would be false to say she wasn't surprised. A semi-circular shadow fell as Su Qing scrolled through the comments.
Could it be? The young master of the Lu family, Lu Xiu, actually followed a girl! Could it be the kind of relationship I'm thinking of?
Su Qing's phone felt warm in her hand as she clicked on the comments below this big V.
—"How do you know it's a girl? Can't it be a boy?" —
—"I don't think so, but if you want an explanation from Master Lu, you probably won't get it. I advise you to delete it quickly, or else you might receive a lawyer's letter—" —
—"Is it possible that it was a slip of the finger? Isn't his girlfriend Lin Siyu? What's going on here?" —This one must be the real sister-in-law. He didn't even follow Lin Siyu, so it's probably just wishful thinking on her part. Speaking of which, I really want to see what the sister-in-law looks like—
Su Qing scanned the comments, many of which speculated that it was a mistake. She remained indifferent to these comments.
Yang Zhiyan, who was behind her, also saw it. Just now, he was questioning her, but now he was helping her: "Qing Qing, don't mind those netizens, they're just being mean."
Aren't you and they the same kind of people? Su Qing coldly put down her phone, ignoring him, focusing on her work.
Seeing her not responding, Yang Zhiyan's face changed slightly, but he didn't dare to be angry. Her identity was different now. She had managed to attract Lu Xiu; she must be dreaming with a smile.
She finished work early today and went to see a psychotherapist.
It was called counseling, but it was just simple chatting. But every time she chatted with her, she felt much lighter.
She asked Su Qing to sit on the sofa. Xiao Yin wore a fitted suit skirt, slim and elegant, but she had a strong presence.
She met her by chance. At that time, Su Qing was working as a salesperson in a supermarket and happened to meet her buying things. She was surprised because Su Qing, who didn't like to talk, was working as a salesperson. Later, Xiao Yin found her interesting and added her contact information. Su Qing initially refused, but after a few simple chats, Xiao Yin knew she had depression. After that, she went to see Su Qing every now and then.
Su Qing let go of her guard against her and talked to her about many things.
"Qing Qing, you don't look too good lately. Is something bothering you?" She sat on the sofa beside her, her voice cold.
Su Qing wrinkled her nose, a sign of her unease. Under her expressionless face was endless suspicion.
"He's back..." She sighed, fingers pinching the hem of her clothes, everything seemed perfectly normal.
"How do you feel?"
Xiao Yin had heard Su Qing talk a lot about that man. In her memories, he had always been romantic and wonderful, bringing her much happiness every time she mentioned him.
"Just like that, but it seems he has a girlfriend. I can't stop him from moving on, and besides, I was the one who left him first. It's something I should bear." Su Qing lowered her head, fingers intertwining, her tone flat.
"Has he got a girlfriend? Are you sure?"
She shook her head. To be honest, she wasn't too sure, but they appeared together in the same photo, indicating their relationship was definitely not ordinary. "Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, Qing Qing. Although I don't know who he is, I know from your words that he's very good to you. If he doesn't have a girlfriend, why not give it a try?"
Give it a try? Could they still be together?
She was startled by her sudden thought and immediately dismissed it. "It's impossible. The gap between us is too big, don't you understand? For four years, I've been a blank to him, that time was empty. He could easily find someone better than me."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Qing Qing. Do you remember what I told you? You're the most clear-headed person I've ever met, and you know these things aren't obstacles for you. Don't run away."
Run away? She had been running away for four years already, and she had gotten used to it.
Her lashes quivered. "My mother passed away, my father disappeared, and I suffered from depression. I started working after high school, doing jobs like waitressing and sales. Things I used to find difficult have become routine for me, but this isn't the hardest part."
Xiao Yin paused for a moment before speaking again. "What's the hardest part?"
Su Qing looked out the window, the gloomy weather disappointing her. Slowly, she began, "The hardest part is the past few years without him, the four years without him."
From being unaccustomed at first to later starting to search for news about him online, she kept every little detail in her heart.
One time, she felt a strong urge to see him. Without a moment of hesitation, she applied for a passport. It wasn't until she held that passport in her hands that she realized what she had done. She had saved up money for months just to visit Lu Xiu once.
Sitting on the plane bound for overseas, she felt completely dazed. She, who had hardly even left her hometown, was now traveling abroad alone.