After hanging up the phone, Tan Xi smiled sweetly. "Someone’s coming to pick me up. I’ll head out first."
Hearing this, Zhang Ziyan raised her wrist to check the time on her delicate white ladies’ watch encircling her slender wrist. "It’s about time. Let’s go back too."
Lai Yang, upon hearing this, lowered his head and spoke into Ning Guiwan’s ear, "Should we also ask Cousin to come pick us up?"
Ning Guiwan instantly thought of the morning, and a jolt went through her.
It wasn’t the first time.
"No need," Ning Guiwan blurted out.
Lai Yang looked at her. "You two don’t seem like lovers at all."
Ning Guiwan was speechless. They weren’t, to begin with.
Outside the mall, Song Changfeng had parked his car under the lights in a very obvious spot. He was dressed in his usual work attire of a suit and leather shoes, but now he had a military green padded jacket thrown over it. His hands were stuffed into the jacket pockets as he leaned against the car door.
Tan Xi walked quickly towards him, her face lit up with a brilliant smile. "You came so fast?"
"The restaurant where I had dinner with Director Zhang is nearby," Song Changfeng replied with a smile. His gaze drifted past her to look behind her, finally resting on Ning Guiwan’s face with a nod of acknowledgment.
"Then we’ll be going first," Tan Xi said with a smile, waving goodbye to everyone.
Song Changfeng then opened the passenger door for her, shielding her head with his hand—every bit the model boyfriend.
The car began to move slowly. Tan Xi lowered the window and waved to everyone again.
A faint smile touched Zhang Ziyan’s lips. "Director Song and Director Tan seem to have a very good relationship."
Upon hearing this, Ren Xiaofei laughed. "Of course, they’re great together. They met while studying in Britain and have been together for several years. Both their parents have met. They’re about to get married."
Zhang Ziyan smiled. "Is that so?"
Ning Guiwan said, "Let’s go too."
Zhang Ziyan’s car had been driven away by her assistant. Ren Xiaofei didn’t have a car, so Ning Guiwan drove, dropping Ren Xiaofei off first as she lived nearby. Lai Yang fell asleep in the back seat, while Zhang Ziyan sat in the passenger seat. In the silence, the faint, pleasant scent of her perfume wafted through the car.
"Did you know? The driver who hit Aunt Shuang was released from prison last month," Zhang Ziyan suddenly spoke up.
Ning Guiwan remained silent, her grip on the steering wheel slowly tightening, her knuckles turning pale.
The past events were vivid in her mind, as if they had happened just yesterday.
She had been accused of causing the death of Ning Qinghan’s unborn child. Her father had hit her. Feeling wronged and angry, she had run out. While crossing the street, an out-of-control car had sped towards her.
Her mother had pushed her away, trading her own life for hers.
The driver of that car had been driving fatigued. In his panic, he’d mistaken the accelerator for the brake.
Because he showed genuine remorse and had a cooperative attitude, his sentence wasn’t severe.
"I heard he behaved well in prison and was released early," Zhang Ziyan said, her expression tinged with sadness. "He’s out now and can go on living his life, but Aunt Shuang... she can never come back..."
Yes, she could never come back. Gone, never to return. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novelfire(.)net
If it weren’t for her, how could her mother have passed away so young?
In the dead of night, the entire villa was silent. Wrapped in a heavy coat, Ning Guiwan sat on the rooftop terrace, drinking and gazing up at the sky. There were few stars, but she watched them intently.
By the time Quan Yu came up, she was already dead drunk, yet her eyes remained wide open, staring fixedly at the heavens.
He took the wine bottle from her hand, frowning at her completely disheveled state. She was sitting directly on the ground, her head resting against the low railing of the terrace, her hair hanging loose and swaying in the wind—that was how he’d spotted someone on the terrace from downstairs.
He crouched down, touching her forehead with the back of his hand. It was scorching hot.
"Have you always been so careless with your health?" The spring air was still bitingly cold; it was the chilliest time of year.
Ning Guiwan ignored him. Staggering, she raised a hand towards the sky and slurred, "Help me look... which of those stars... is my mom? I’ve looked for so long, and none of them look like her. My mom was so beautiful. If she became a star, she’d be the brightest one... But even the brightest one isn’t very bright..."
How much had she drunk? She was spouting utter nonsense. Quan Yu bent down to help her up.
Ning Guiwan clutched his arm, still pointing at the sky, urgent and earnest. "Quick, help me find her! Where’s my mom? Don’t they say... when people die, they become stars... watching over their family from the sky? Quick, help me look! I can’t find her..."
"My mom’s gone... help me find her..."
Ning Guiwan looked utterly lost, tears streaming from her eyes.
"You’re drunk," Quan Yu held her and coaxed, "It’s too late. Let’s go back to sleep, hmm?"
"I’m not drunk!" Ning Guiwan giggled, pushing him away, though her tears fell even faster. "I remember clearly... It was me..." She pointed to her own nose, staggering precariously. "I killed my mom... It was me..."
"That’s right! It was me!" Ning Guiwan smiled, as cheerful as a child.
Quan Yu let her be, planning to take her back to her room once she had vented enough.
Who knew that she would suddenly try to climb the railing, mumbling, "If you won’t help me find her, I’ll go find her myself."
The railing wasn’t high. Ning Guiwan stepped onto the middle crossbar and, with a hard push, tried to hoist herself up, nearly tumbling over the edge. Fortunately, Quan Yu reacted instantly, grabbing her waist and yanking her back.
Quan Yu’s heart hammered in his chest, his face instantly darkening to a terrifying degree. But when he met Ning Guiwan’s hazy, drunken eyes, all the anger that had surged within him silently dissipated.
He swept her up into his arms and strode swiftly downstairs.
When he reached her bedroom door, he remembered Lai Yang was still inside. After a moment’s hesitation, he took her to his own room.
This time, Ning Guiwan was pliant, hanging limply in his arms. She didn’t move or fuss, her face nestled in the crook of his neck, her breath lightly fanning his chin.
Only when Quan Yu laid her on the bed did he realize she had fallen asleep. Tears still clung to the corners of her eyes, and she looked soft and vulnerable in the position he had gently settled her.
Quan Yu looked at her. So close. He was so close that if he just lowered his head, she would be entirely his. Yet also so far, so far that he could never seem to walk into her heart.
Ning Guiwan was wearing pajamas under her coat. Quan Yu slipped his hand between the fabric of her pajamas and her heavy coat, gently lifted her, and slowly eased the outerwear off.
The warm, alcohol-laced scent of the girl filled his nostrils.
His breathing was a little ragged. Quan Yu tucked her in, turned off the light, and left. He didn’t dare stay a second longer; he couldn’t trust himself not to wake her.