??Chapter 26: Darn it, it escaped again.
Chapter 26: Darn it, it escaped again.
He Xing finally squeezed out from the encircling crowd of stunning beauties with hot figures, scanning the bar for sights that were a barrage to his eyes, the cacophony of colors from the dazzling lights, the won writhing in the dance area like a tangled mass of serpents, and the n and won by the bar either downing shots or locked in kisses.
The Liangtao Bar was as lively as ever, yet as his gaze swept across the scene, he couldn’t spot the woman he couldn’t forget, even in his dreams.
“Damn it, she ran off again?”
A cold light shot out from He Xing’s eyes, a fierce wish igniting within him to reduce these mingling n and won to ashes.
The sultry bar seed to drop in temperature suddenly, and those close to He Xing even felt goosebumps forming on their arms.
“Smack!” With force, he set down his glass, ready to go find that woman who always seed to dodge him upon sight.
Suddenly, a slender hand landed on his shoulder.
Without any apparent effort, Ji Liangchuan had He Xing sitting down again.
“Bro, you’ve changed so much over a woman, I hardly recognize you,” Ji Liangchuan slurred, his facial expressions indiscernible beneath the flickering lights, yet his breath reeked of alcohol.
He Xing’s face changed, but in the end, he neither admitted nor denied it.
“You know…” Ji Liangchuan gulped down another cocktail, burped loudly, and a pungent sll wafted over as he patted He Xing on the shoulder: “You and Fu Han are just like a pair of quarrelso lovers; three years ago, she clung to you, and now three years later, you’re the one following her around.”
A glint of ice appeared in He Xing’s eyes as he nonchalantly shrugged off his shoulder, shaking off Ji Liangchuan’s elbow: “I’m not a follower; I’m just reclaiming what’s mine.”
“But Fu Han is a person, not a thing,” Ji Liangchuan replied, his eyes clearing of their drunken haze, replaced instead with a purity resembling rainwater.
He Xing was taken aback, wanting to say he never regarded Fu Han as a thing, but then he thought, why bother explaining such things to Ji Liangchuan?
Over there, Ji Liangchuan spoke up again: “The last ti you were drunk, you kept calling out Fu Han’s na. If you really like her, you should respect her choices. The more you press her, the more she’ll want to escape your grasp.”
…
Deep into the night, the irregular moon hung like a hook overhead.
Neon lights painted the night sky a deep navy blue, almost black, but devoid of a single star.
Fu Han gestured above her head; if there were stars, they should shine like diamonds, yet still more faint than the moonlight’s glow.
“Is this the place?” Nan Qing pressed the brake while curiously surveying, “A detached villa halfway up the hillside, not bad at all. It seems He Xing is really planning to hide a beauty in the golden house.”
“Even if he wants to hide a beauty, I’m not that beauty,” Fu Han replied briskly as she opened the car door and called out: “Hurry up and follow, let’s get this over with before anyone notices.”
Nan Qing, hunched over and trailing behind Fu Han, muttered, “I an, moving houses in the middle of the night, couldn’t you call a strong fellow to help, like Su Cheng would surely be glad to.”
“All you talk about is Su Cheng; don’t tell
you’ve fallen for him,” Fu Han said, climbing up a drainpipe, oblivious to Nan Qing’s face flushing faintly in the darkness.
Of course, she didn’t notice Nan Qing’s soft mutter, “What nonsense, Fu Han, it’s clear Su Cheng likes you.”
On this dark and windy night, it seed the perfect ti for sinister deeds.
But on this night, Fu Han neither intended murder nor arson; she simply aid to free herself thoroughly from He Xing.
It had been a while since her return, and her thoughts remained unchanged: leave He Xing behind, live a truly free life, be herself, no longer considering soone else her world’s axis.
What mattered most was that since she ca back, there had been several close encounters with He Xing. Although she wouldn’t admit it out loud, deep down she knew her body still held mories of him and reacted involuntarily to his provocations. If this continued, her resolutions might just end up being an act of futile resistance.
She had just stealthily left the bar, and He Xing would undoubtedly need to make so effort to find her. As long as she was quick enough, she could leave before He Xing returned.
Over these three years, Fu Han had grown accustod to freedom, taking minimalism to heart. Her belongings were few — clothes and skincare products could easily fit in a single suitcase.
Atop her list of treasures was the SLR cara slung over her shoulder — the latest model of the year, a purchase made after much deliberation, and one of the foundations of her future livelihood.
Nan Qing, holding the tripod, descended with so difficulty, while Fu Han waited below to receive it: “Be careful, that’s expensive. If it breaks, I’ll have to find another through a shopping agent,” she admonished.
“I know, Miss,” Nan Qing sighed in resignation, relieved as she landed safely.
The rumble of the car engine starting up and Fu Han, seated in the passenger seat, looked through the rear-view mirror at the silhouette of the villa, her expression complex.
This was the second ti she was leaving He Xing’s side. Three years ago, she left with a heart riddled with scars. Now, her heart was whole, yet it felt as if it was being crushed by a weight, making it hard to breathe.
But if she didn’t leave, wouldn’t her heart be weighed down by more than just a single stone?
At the red traffic light, the Rover slowed to a halt, with a Lamborghini facing it on the opposite side of the road. Both cars had their high beams on, making it impossible to see who was inside the opposing vehicle.
Excitedly, Nan Qing tapped Fu Han’s hand: “Did you see that? A custom Lamborghini, one of fewer than a hundred worldwide. My dad missed out on one and still regrets it to this day.”
“Be quiet, that’s his car,” Fu Han whispered the mont she heard “Lamborghini,” sliding down in her seat to hide herself.
The He Family’s villa on the hillside was secluded, and having been in the Lamborghini a few tis in recent days, she had a good guess as to what was going on when she suddenly encountered one now.
…
Nan Qing’s family was oblivious to her return from M Country. She had rented a luxurious four-bedroom, two-living-room apartnt all to herself in the heart of A City. She had been fretting about living alone in the echoing emptiness of her new place.
Now that Fu Han was moving in, she couldn’t contain her excitent: “Fu Han, there are two rooms with balconies and bay windows, one for each of us. The other two rooms will be our offices; you can do whatever you want in there.”
“Thanks. We’ll split the rent,” replied Fu Han, making the bed as she casually inquired, “How much is the rent per month? I’ll transfer it to you.”
“Although I’m not short on cash, I know you won’t be happy if you don’t contribute,” Nan Qing said as she placed a contract on the coffee table, “And I know you’re quite well-off, having earned quite a bit from your part-ti jobs over the years. Why not consider buying your own place?”
The movent of Fu Han’s hands involuntarily stalled as she looked at Nan Qing, though her gaze seed to drift past her and out of the living room’s patio doors, towards the night sky illuminated by the neon lights, glowing warmly.
After what felt like an eternity, she let out a drawn-out sigh, “How can I buy a house when I’m not sure where ho is?”
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