Chapter 89

"What..." "This is the first time in my life I've liked someone this much." Xiang Guan slumped onto the table, staring blankly at the beer bottle in front of him, tears streaming down his face again. Then he fell silent, almost unconscious. "Pathetic..." Mu Feng scoffed, leaning back in his chair and saying softly, "I don't have Xiang Guan's great physique, nor Brother Yan's outstanding looks and abilities." Looking at the soft halo above his head, this was the first time the otaku had opened his heart: "But I think... love isn't something you can get or hold onto just by pursuing and trying to hold on." "It feels so complicated. Just cherish the opportunity." Patting Xiang Guan's back, he comforted him, "You'll meet someone better in the future." Xia Yan silently downed another bottle of beer. To be honest, this was his first relationship. Logically, someone like him, who seemed to have a standard Japanese male protagonist's script, should have at least a harem by now, or at least a string of girlfriends. But... how should I put it? Xia Yan swallowed the last sip of beer, put the bottle aside—eight or nine beer bottles lay scattered on the floor—then got up and handed a set of keys to Mu Feng. "Can you take him back?" Mu Feng nodded, his eyes clear. "Five bottles like water?" Don't ask where the dorm supervisor got the keys; it's all because of Xia Yan. Xia Yan nodded: "Then I'll go back first. Don't pay again." "Is my grilled food ready?" "Here it is, handsome, another one, please." "Okay, thank you." Xia Yan unzipped his jacket and put a bag of grilled skewers wrapped in thermal paper inside his coat, then walked out of the barbecue restaurant. It wasn't far from Hua Xin's house, and knowing he was going to drink, he hadn't ridden his motorcycle over. The early morning wind dispelled some of his drunkenness. The Xiang Guan also made him examine himself, his mind wandering. He stared blankly at the dark sky, his mood unusually low. His Cat Wife ...did she not like him anymore? 80. I'll kill you!! 3k7 words ~ "Praising the food?..." She devoured the braised beef brisket rice and the oden served with it, paired with fragrant jasmine tea. It was a late-night snack that was so satisfying it could make you feel like you were flying. The girl stood outside the shop, her heart full, letting the evening breeze caress her. This was one of the few things she could eat outside of the Lunar New Year. That very, very nice shop assistant was truly a good person? (Hair clip x2). The oden alone must have been very, very expensive. She had seen the prices listed; even just radish and tofu cost over twenty yuan. Rounding up... could this meal be considered a free meal?? Although she felt a little embarrassed... after all, she was helping someone get rid of things they were about to throw away. Money... Hua Xin thought of the aunt she had brushed past not long ago. Seven thousand yuan... how long would it take her hiding in her Little Black to earn that much? If she bought all that stuff, would her hard-earned monthly income be enough to live on...? She had just made up her mind, but now she hesitated again. "Buzz buzz." The phone in her pocket vibrated, but the girl showed no surprise or confusion. Instead, she knew with certainty who it was, and with a slight smile, she took out her limited-edition battle-damaged phone. Heh, the only person who could contact her this late at night was Xia Yan or... uh, Xia Yan?... After skillfully opening the message, a smile appeared in Hua Xin's eyes. Sure enough, it was a message from Xia Yan on WeChat. "Are you home? I'm passing by your house while I'm playing." "Super, invincible, giant, delicious barbecue." "Do you want some iced tea? I'll get you a bottle?" "I'll probably be there in about ten minutes... I just finished eating with Xiang Guan and Mu Feng. You have no idea how heartbroken Xiang Guan was..." "He drank almost ten bottles of beer by himself, and I had a little too, so I didn't ride my motorcycle..." The girl, who was enjoying the gossip, was stunned. So, when Xia Yan said he was "eating out and then going to a friend's house..." he meant his own house? He was eating out so late and still thinking of her... he even brought her to her doorstep. Hua Xin suddenly felt a pang of sadness, her eyes inexplicably filling with tears. Her fingers trembled as she deleted the "hahahaha" from the chat box... She stood there quietly, the soft light from the convenience store behind her illuminating her slightly pursed lips. For so many years... she hadn't experienced true "care." Whether genuine or feigned, she hadn't dared to hope anyone would treat her like this. A friend?...a brother?... Xia Yan. Hua Xin's hesitant heart seemed to make a firm, unwavering decision at that moment. Was he truly her best friend for life?... She would...she would protect everything, whether it was Lin Qingyu, Liu Ruoyun, or any other random person...wait. Let's put the sentimental parts aside for now. Something seems a little off. The girl, moved to tears, suddenly noticed something amiss when she looked at Xia Yan's message. The warmth in her heart vanished instantly, replaced by a cold sweat and a sense of panic. She then swiped through the messages, somewhat dazed, to the most important one Xia Yan had sent. "Passing by my house, about ten minutes away...?" (Prison Flower's Alertness.) Suddenly, as if awakening a super hearing ability, Hua Xin seemed to hear someone walking towards her around the corner. The ever-approaching distance felt like a guardian tolling the death knell step by step... Run! Run! Run! Go home! Go home! Go home! Go home! She couldn't be away from home! Xia Yan might be nearby! Someone coming from about ten minutes away was either coming from the park or from her direction... If they happened to bump into her from the park... A quick fix?! Hua Xin quickly pulled up her hood, not caring whether it was an illusion or reality. A surge of power welled up within her, and she turned and sprinted towards home. Her heart pounded. The hood she had just put on fell off her head due to a gust of wind, but Hua Xin, busy getting home, had no time to care. "Faster... faster..." Hua Xin gritted her teeth and kept pushing her legs forward, but her Little White Shoes were really not cooperating. The hard soles made her sore, and the friction from the movement, combined with her not-so-good quality white cotton socks, quickly soaked her skin with sweat... uh, I digress. The wind whipped around her as she ran faster, making her cascading black hair dance around her ears and behind her. Hua Xin was running at full speed for the second time in her life, her eyes only seeing the street scenes rushing past. The whistling wind was the only sound she could hear. This time, her desire to go home was stronger than ever before. Actually, she had other ways to get through this inexplicable crisis... God knows why she wanted to go for a walk, God knows why Xiang Guan's breakup today led Xia Yan to go out for dinner and then go for a walk too... As long as she didn't reply to messages and pretended to be asleep, she could let...