“Divorce is such a major event but the husband did not appear and only sent a younger brother. This is obviously an act of bullying.”
I drank a gulp of coffee and it’s so bitter that I added another bag of sugar.
“The Qiao family is an influential gangster group in this city. As someone new to this area, I could only accept it.” Even though Chen ErXin was disgruntled, there was nothing he could do. “However, I heard that the little brother is the head of the Qiao family, and sending him could also be an act of sincerity.”
“What’s the use of sincerity? A heart with true intentions has already been hurt.”
“Oh, I can’t believe that someone like Pei Jiyu would say such a thing!” Chen ErXin pretended to be surprised but in actuality, he was being sarcastic.
“Even someone like Pei JiYu has a heart.” I was angered. “Can’t my heart feel pain, shatter or turn to ashes?”
“Will it ?” He responded, “You only know how to make others feel sad for you!”
Speaking with such a strong sense of righteousness, all he needed to do now was to slam the table, point at me, and scold “scum” to complete this scene.
“Who would feel sad for me?” I’m curious.
Who else in the world will feel sad for me?
He shouted, “Me!”
“You?”
I was startled by him. With my mouth open, I was unable to comprehend the meaning of the word “me” for a moment.
As soon as Chen ErXin uttered such words, he also became aware of what he let slip. He shut his mouth hurriedly and remained silent. With his face half red and half green, it was a very satisfying scene.
Sensing the awkwardness between us, I ended up sweeping my eyes over the street outside randomly.
At this time, a black sports car happened to stop at the door and a young man stepped out of it.
I stopped breathing for a moment.
Thrown into turmoil, I grabbed Chen ErXin and asked him, “Is that man the Qiao family’s youngest son?”
As I pointed to the young man outside, he was already pushing the door to enter.
Chen ErXin took a glance, nodded, and replied, “Yes, his name is Qiao Lang. Do you know him?”
I silently screeched internally. Chen ErXin, Chen ErXin, you will be the cause for my downfall today.
The one who arrived was not a stranger but Leo who I fervently avoided last night.
By this time, Qiao Lang had entered and his eyes brightened upon seeing me.
“Pei!” He strode towards me in big steps.
I hurriedly told Chen ErXin, “That person is my creditor and I owe him a lot of money. Help me obstruct him!”
After saying that, I ran off to the back.
I could still hear the dispute between Qiao Lang with Chen Erxin——
Qiao Lang: “Get out of my way!”
Chen ErXin: “I’m Pei JiYu’s lawyer so you can tell me what you want to say to him.”
Qiao Lang in anger: “Scram!”
Chen ErXin: “I do not know how much money my client owes you but I would like to remind you, Mr. Qiao, that lending out money at an exorbitant rate of interest is an illegal way to make exorbitant profits and against the law…”
It was fortunate that Chen ErXin was quick on his feet, giving me enough time to escape from the back door.
A lone man sat limply at an empty street corner covered in cold sweat despite the obviously bright sun.
With both hands covering his face, he felt terribly fatigued.
There was a voice in my heart saying, “Pei JiYu, why are you so afraid of him when you have never disappointed him?”
I then answered myself softly, “I’m afraid that he’d say that he doesn’t want me.”
I am such a weak-willed person. I could risk everything for impossible happiness, but still dare not face my own pain.
I would rather be an ostrich with its head buried in the sand than face the desolate desert.
Unsure of how much time had passed, the mobile phone in my coat pocket started buzzing.
I took it out and it was Chen ErXin.
“Where are you? I’ll come get you.”
I lifted my head up and looked around. Foreign buildings surrounded me. “I don’t know.”
I then added, “But there is a trash can by my side.”
Chen ErXin was despondent. “Pei JiYu, can you not anger me?!”
“I honestly don’t know.” I whispered, “I’ve run too far and now I can’t find my way.”
At the other end, he was silent for a while before saying, “Stay where you are. I’ll go find you.”
“Ok.”
I was unsure of how he finally found me, sitting on the ground dazedly with both hands hugging my knees and my chin on my kneecaps.
From afar, he called out to me. “Pei JiYu! How the hell did you manage to run all the way here?!”
I looked up and saw him running towards me. The breaths released from his mouth were like a cloud of fog.
I laughed and pointed to the bruise on his left cheek. “How did you end up like this?”
“Isn’t this because of you!” Chen ErXin looked indignant. “How much money did you owe the Qiao family’s youngest son? Just to chase after you, he was so brutal to me!”
I spread out my hands, laughing bitterly, “How would I know.”
I truly didn’t know. I thought that the story of Pei JiYu and young Leo had already ended four years ago. Why was he still chasing after me so relentlessly?
I already have enough nightmares so he should let me go.
I stood up and patted the dust off my bottom.
“Thank you for today. I’m going to head back.” I then continued to say, “And, I’m really sorry.”
He grabbed onto me. “How would you get back? Do you know the way?”
“It’s still so bright out so the taxis in this city are still available.”
As long as I am willing to wait, there will be a taxi willing to take me back.
“Where do you live, I’ll send you back.”
“Why do you seem like a different person when we meet this time? Chen ErXin, if we were still in England, you would have been willing to let me freeze to death on the street; finding me not worthy of even a glance.”
Looking at me, he was slightly dejected and mocked, “Pei JiYu, you really don’t know anything.” He then sighed, “Forget it. At that time, we were both young and I was not any better.”
He said such strange things.
“Damm foreigner, I can’t understand a word of Chinese you spoke.” I then urged him, “Let’s go. I’ve been here for a long time and it’s freezing.”
However, Chen ErXin did not move and I looked at him in surprise. “Are we still not leaving?”
It took him a while to ask me, “Pei JiYu, would you like to go back to England with me?”
I was stunned, unsure why he had asked such a question.
“You are not happy here so you might as well go back to England with me and start all over again.” He continued saying very seriously, “I will help you pay back Qiao Lang. When you reach England, you can first work in my father’s lawyer’s office before slowly moving towards obtaining a lawyer’s license.”
I was a little puzzled. “Why though? Aren’t we just ordinary friends? No, we are not even that, so there is no need for you to take care of me like this.”
Smiling wryly, he said, “Pei JiYu, I don’t know if you are truly naive or just pretending to be stupid in front of me. Can’t you see that I’ve always liked you?”
Momentarily, I was stupefied.
“I didn’t know,” I said blankly.
How could he have liked me when he always hurled insults at me?
I stood stunned below the apartment.
Before getting off the bus, Chen ErXin had said to me, “I am serious so I hope you will consider it seriously. In the past, we got off on the wrong foot and I hope that you would give me a chance to start over.”
I stood downstairs of the apartment till snow fell and the whole world was covered in a gray overcast.
For some reason, I ended up recalling the day when I first met Chen ErXin. Poor in English, I sat in the classroom all day with no one coming up to me to say hello.
It was only after school when all the students left and I was packing up my schoolbag slowly that a figure suddenly appeared at the door of the classroom. Looking up, I saw a tall youth with black hair and black eyes. He, who looked similar to me, was carrying a backpack and chewing gum in his mouth.
He asked me, “I heard that you’re from China?”
I closed my mouth tightly and refused to say a word, in fear that people would laugh at my bad English.
“It’s as rumored, you are someone that is hard to get along with.” He curled his lips and suddenly switched to speaking Chinese. “You look so pitiful. Do you want to be friends with me?”
He came up to my seat, leaned on my desk. “I’m from the next class and my Chinese name is Chen ErXin. What’s yours?”
I pursued my mouth and whispered after some time, “Pei JiYu.”
However, why did it end up like this?
Covering my face, I slowly squatted to the ground, feeling like crying and laughing at the same time. In the end, I laughed till tears were pouring down my face.
It turns out that he likes me.
He said to start all over again.
However, none of us could go back to the past.
It was not until we went too far out that we realized that we were unable to go back.
Translator’s Notes:
-Hi, so sorry that this chapter was late! It was supposed to be released with chapter 13 but it ended up with this week’s releases cause I had just finished with my assignments. Thanks for your patience and understanding! 🙂