Chapter 85

Hua Xin raised her face and gazed ahead. The empty road felt hollow, yet she was quite used to this solitude. No one would notice her, no one would see her. The sound of her footsteps seemed more conspicuous than her own people standing there. "Pfft..." What a strange thought... She couldn't help but chuckle. But it wasn't so much laughter as self-deprecation and inferiority. The girl then took a deep breath, the slightly chilly night dispelling even the last vestiges of sleepiness. Looking up at the dark night sky, she murmured softly, "Shouldn't 'Hua Xin' disappear too? That silly little girl who never cried or made a fuss, who could only lie on the grass and look at the sky?" "Hiss..." "This beef is awesome!" Grandpa Liu took a big bite of the beef slices coated in sauce, then picked up the gourd on the table and took a big Shao Daozi of fiery liquor. Looking at PeRo on the tablet, who ultimately lost the championship by a narrow margin, he shook his head regretfully and said softly with some emotion, "It's fate... it's destiny..." After turning off the tablet, Grandpa Liu leaned back in his chair, holding the gourd in his hand and taking sips from time to time. His eyes were hazy as he looked at the open entrance and couldn't help but recite the famous poem. "Daming Lake, Daming Lake is big, there are lotus flowers in Daming Lake, there are toads on the lotus flowers, poke them and they jump..." As if he hadn't had enough, he simply put the gourd on the table, pondered for a while, and then confidently said, "Cool night, cool night, there is a woman in the cool night..." "??" Grandpa Liu's eyes narrowed, and he rubbed his eyes with some suspicion. He saw a girl with waist-length hair walk out of the door. If he had only seen her blurry face, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. Although he knew all the residents, everyone has relatives, and it's normal for them to visit each other... But... why does her outfit look so familiar... pants... clothes... Grandpa Liu slapped his thigh, then stood up in shock. He was about to take a closer look, but the figure had already walked away and disappeared, leaving only the empty doorway and the road. He sat back down in disbelief, the drunkenness in his eyes gone: "I'm not drunk, am I?" "This child..." "Is it a little girl???" —————— "Wife, wife, go to bed early, staying up late will damage your skin." "I haven't even held your hand yet." "And stay away from those scumbags who get close to you, unlike me who only cares about his wife, they just want your body???!!" Hua Xin stared speechlessly at the messages on her phone, squatting by the roadside typing, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes, "Why are you acting crazy so late at night..." Lao Shui: "Just finished eating with my coworkers, planning to go to a friend's place..." "Beep beep." The girl looked up at the sound. A car horn sounded from the street, and a red taxi slowed down. An older man leaned out and called out, "What's wrong, beautiful? What happened?" Hua Xin was startled, then instinctively reached for her hood, but as if remembering something, her hand froze in mid-air. She hurriedly waved her hand and replied, "Nothing... nothing." "It's not safe to be alone at night. Go home early." With that, the man sped away. "Thank you..." the girl murmured softly, watching the taxi's retreating figure. The confusion and fear in her heart dissipated considerably. Go home... my home is long gone. She slowly stood up. How was Hua Xin now compared to before? She looked at the street where people occasionally walked alone and cars occasionally drove by. Most shops were closed, and the streetlights cast their glow, illuminating the way home for the wanderers. The girl looked at the message on her phone, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Then you should rest early too. Goodnight," she replied. How could Xia Yan be so silly and quirky, yet on the surface he's all sunshine and gentle, so cheerful? I wonder if Lin Qingyu or Liu Ruoyun would still be so infatuated with him if they knew... uh... probably they would (silence). After all, it was for these two women that she had to make a choice? Oh right... Hua Xin put her phone back in her pocket, then stretched and continued walking forward in a good mood. Because she was wearing a hoodie, the night wind didn't feel so cold; instead, it had a refreshing feel. Perhaps this is different. Maybe the current Hua Xin ... should be described with a "new" word? 78. The Sleepless Girl's Nighttime Adventure? "How much money did you earn this month?" her companion asked curiously. "Seven thousand..." an aunt wearing a purple short-sleeved shirt was carrying a bag of things. Inside, you could vaguely see two cans of beer, a box of peanuts... a bag of spicy pollack, and several bags of potato chips. She laughed, her voice brimming with uncontrollable joy, and even the weight on the plastic bag seemed to increase. "That's much better!" "Things will be easier at home now, right?" The aunt beside her was equally happy for her. "Yes... the elders haven't been feeling well lately, and the child is starting elementary school soon. My husband is already exhausted enough, so he's trying to earn as much as he can while he's still healthy..." "Feeling sorry for him?" "You even bought him beer and peanuts after work... I really envy your relationship..." "What's there to envy? He's tired after driving all day, and he still has to spend time with the child when he gets home..." "He only gets home half an hour before you, doesn't he?" "You even bought potato chips for the child?" "Go away, I'll eat them myself..." The two walked further and further away, but the smiles and happiness in their voices lingered in the night. Hua Xin walked along the road with her hands in her pockets, a little further away, but because the street was empty, she could hear their conversation very clearly. "Earning money to support the family..." "Husband and wife, elderly parents, children..." She smiled softly, seemingly happy for the aunt as well, her eyes filled with an indescribable envy and longing. This was what she had always longed for. If even one of these things existed, she probably wouldn't be the way she is now, filled with fear and despair for the world, afraid and hesitant to embrace genuine friendship... Wrong!! She wasn't afraid anymore?! And she wasn't the same person she used to be! Hua Xin had removed her mask and hood, transforming into "Jie- Hua Xin"??! The girl suddenly stopped, her little head somehow gathering strength in her feet, then leaping to the edge of the flowerbed. But seemingly weakened from frequent exposure to dampness, only half of her shoe touched the flowerbed, the feeling of instability prompting her to immediately spread her arms to regain her balance. "That was close, that was close, that was close, that was close..." Hua Xin patted her soft heart with lingering fear, then breathed a sigh of relief. She'd never do something so dangerous again while taking medicine... What if she fell and had to pay so much in medical bills! The girl obediently squatted down, then sat on the edge of the flowerbed, her legs swinging back and forth in the air. She should rest when she's tired. "Coo coo coo..."