Xinan didn't get out of bed slowly until she heard the sound of a car engine starting outside. She picked up her clothes from the floor and put them on.
Cheng Yi's words felt like a needle stabbing into Xinan's heart, causing her so much pain that she almost couldn't catch her breath.
Xinan sat beside the bed for a while, until her gaze fell upon the brightly lit screen of her cell phone; only then did her eyes show a hint of change.
She picked up the phone and saw the text message Zhou Rong had sent her that morning.
The message was like a muffled thunderclap, exploding at the bottom of Xinan's heart and leaving her stunned for a moment.
Had Cheng Yi flown into such a rage this morning because he saw that message?
Xinan cast her eyes downward, replied to Zhou Rong's message, then straightened her clothes and went downstairs.
Halfway there, Xinan saw Cheng Yi, who was having breakfast in the living room's dining area. She stopped mid-step.
He didn't leave...
Xinan stood there, frozen, unable to decide whether to go down or stay.
Just as she was thinking about whether to go downstairs, Cheng Yi's voice drifted up, "Come down for breakfast."
He seemed to have known Xinan was standing at the top of the stairs all along, not even lifting his head as he spoke.
Cheng Yi's voice was somewhat muffled, but compared to earlier, his tone had softened quite a bit.
But the more he acted like this, the more Xinan's heart grew restless. It felt like the calm before the storm, and she couldn't help wanting to hide away.
Xinan deliberately slowed her steps as she walked to the living room and then cautiously sat down in front of Cheng Yi.
The breakfast was still warm; Cheng Yi must have just gone out to buy it.
Xinan wasn't very hungry and after eating only half a bowl of porridge she put down her chopsticks. Her mind was in turmoil with a surge of indescribable emotions crashing within her.
"Finished eating?" Cheng Yi's voice rose again.
Xinan lifted her head and looked at the man across from her, nodding slightly.
"Then take this." The man tossed a box of pills in front of Xinan, his brows tinged with shades of grimness and indifference.
Xinan lowered her gaze slightly, staring at the box of contraception. Did he really not want her to get pregnant that badly?
If Cheng Yi's words from earlier were like a knife to her heart, then his actions now were like pushing her into an abyss.
Seeing Xinan staring at the box of pills without moving, Cheng Yi reached out, opened the box, took out a pill, and extended it towards Xinan, "Are you going to take it yourself, or should I feed it to you?"
Hearing these words, Xinan's body shuddered violently, despair engulfed her heart. She knew that even if she became pregnant with Cheng Yi's child, if he didn't want it, there was no way she would be able to carry it to term.
So, she never really had a choice...
Xinan slowly stretched out her hand, brought the contraceptive pill to her lips, and swallowed it directly, without even taking a drink of water.
"Are you satisfied now?" Her voice was soft, yet it trembled slightly.
Cheng Yi looked at her pale face, his brow twitching slightly, his hand clenched then released, and he said coldly, "Consider yourself sensible."
Xinan heard his words and laughed, but that laugh was filled with indescribable melancholy.
Seeing Xinan like this, a flicker of pain crossed Cheng Yi's heart. He wanted to reach out and stroke her cheek but ultimately let his hand fall.
Then he pulled out a contract from beside him and handed it over to Xinan, his voice much gentler, "This is the contract for 'It's You.' Take a look, and if there's no problem, sign it."
Xinan's gaze rested on the contract. "It's You" was adapted from a novel with the same name, which boasted a large fan base. As early as last year, fans of the book were heatedly debating online about the casting of the female lead.
Unexpectedly, the rights to this novel were in Cheng Yi's hands.
Xinan didn't quite understand why Cheng Yi would suddenly offer this to her. Could it be because he had given her that medication, he wanted to make it up to her?
Xinan quickly scanned the contract and picked up the pen Cheng Yi had passed to her, signing her name.
After all, everyone had their needs, and since he was willing to offer, she would accept. It was better than nothing...
After signing the contract, Cheng Yi went off to work. Perhaps it was because of the chill she caught in the morning, her head throbbed slightly.
Normally, Xinan hated taking medicine the most. She drank a cup of hot water to warm herself up, then returned to her room to sleep some more.
She slept all the way until 8 p.m., never waking once; in the end, it was the phone that woke her with its ringing.
Groggily, Xinan answered the call, and when she heard the voice on the other end, her sleepiness vanished in an instant. "Nannan, guess where I am right now?"
Xinan sat up abruptly from her bed. "Rourou, you're back?"
"Ha-ha, Nannan, you're so smart. I'm already in Jing City," Jiang Yurou said with a hint of pride in her tone.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier that you were coming back? I could have picked you up at the airport," Xinan said with a tinge of reproach.
Jiang Yurou joked, "I was afraid you'd be too busy and not have the time."
"Don't tease me."
Laughing, Jiang Yurou said, "It's fine, Nannan. Tan Bo came to pick me up when I returned."
"Alright." Xinan finally felt relieved.
Jiang Yurou was only a few months younger than Xinan. They had been classmates from junior high through to high school, and she was Xinan's best friend.
Since she was young, Jiang Yurou had yearned for freedom; her dream was to travel the world. To escape the constraints of her family, she chose to study abroad after finishing high school.
Over the years, she had traveled to many places, and every month Xinan would receive a postcard from her from somewhere overseas.
"Nannan, want to go out for a drink now? Just the two of us."
Xinan agreed without a second thought. She hadn't seen Jiang Yurou in a long time and also wanted to catch up with her.
Since she was meeting an old friend, Xinan didn't bother dressing up too much and just changed into another outfit before heading out.
She arrived at the bar where Jiang Yurou was, at around 8:30 p.m.
"Nannan!" Jiang Yurou called out happily as she saw the figure appear at the entrance.
Seeing the drastically changed Jiang Yurou, Xinan was quite shocked, but even more so, relieved.
Jiang Yurou's once baby face had gained a fuller contour, her eyes had grown considerably larger, and the once cute and lively girl had become a tall and beautiful woman.
When Xinan walked over, Jiang Yurou immediately gave her a big hug, murmuring, "Nannan, I've missed you so much."
"You just 'miss' me with words but never come back to see me," Xinan said, pouting.
With an aggrieved tone, Jiang Yurou said, "But I had no choice, didn't I? I was afraid if I came back, my old man wouldn't let me leave again."
Xinan huffed and asked, "So are you going to leave again this time?"
"I'm not sure, it depends on the situation."
Xinan knew that Jiang Yurou's heart was never here but always in distant places; as long as she wanted to leave, nothing could hold her down.