The wind howled ferociously through the night, and not a single star could be seen in the sky. Tomorrow probably wouldn't be a good day.
Yuan Zixu supported the drunken Chang Xuyu as the three of them left the restaurant.
Chang Xuyu had her head down, mumbling something in a low voice that was hard to make out.
They walked in stops and starts, Chang Xuyu stumbling left and right. Yuan Zixu had no idea what to do with her, so she just went along with her movements like coaxing a child.
"Hey, hey, if you fall into a pit, I'm not fishing you out, Chang Xuyu!"
Jian Jiayue hurried to the roadside and hailed a taxi, calling out to them, "I'll take you both home."
Yuan Zixu directly hoisted Chang Xuyu onto her back and sprinted over.
Once in the car, the driver looked worriedly at Chang Xuyu's state, afraid she might throw up in the car.
Yuan Zixu glanced at him and said helplessly, "If she throws up, I'll definitely pay you for cleaning. Please just drive to Fuxing Huayuan Residential Area."
"Fine."
The car sped along, almost running red lights.
Chang Xuyu got carsick from the jolting, her stomach churning. Yuan Zixu rolled down the window until the cold wind poured in, and only then did Chang Xuyu sober up a bit.
"Where is this?"
"We're almost home."
Yuan Zixu patted her shoulder, eyes sleepy.
They finally made it through the ordeal. After getting out of the car, before even entering the neighborhood, Chang Xuyu smelled the cold air, covered her mouth, and vomited.
***
"...If I ever take you out drinking again, may I not get a single order for a year!"
Yuan Zixu closed her eyes, pressed her forehead, and handed Chang Xuyu the mineral water she'd bought from the convenience store.
Chang Xuyu took a sip, let out a breath, and finally felt like she was alive again.
But her head still felt dizzy.
She rubbed her temples, thinking about how embarrassing she must have looked.
Her face reddened, and she said apologetically, "Sorry for the trouble, and Teacher Jian, thanks for seeing us home so late."
"Yeah... it's late, Teacher Jian. You should drive home soon."
Jian Jiayue smiled. "It's no trouble. I'll take a taxi back later. I had some drinks, so I can't drive."
He glanced at his watch. "Come on, I'll walk you to your building."
Before they reached the entrance of their building, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class came into view.
Chang Xuyu caught sight of the license plate number in the dark.
Her heart seemed to skip a beat.
Yuan Zixu frowned and pulled Chang Xuyu forward. A man leaned against the car. Hearing them, he turned around—it was Yi Zhuo.
Jian Jiayue recognized him and frowned.
In the cold night, the man wore a loose black down jacket that could probably fit two of Chang Xuyu, yet it still outlined the contours of his exceptional back muscles.
There was a conspicuous scar on his forehead, half-hidden by a few stray strands of hair. It wasn't ugly, but it gave a cold and violent illusion. Along with his tightly knitted brows, the closer he got, the more oppressive he felt.
The man walked over, bringing with him a chill.
Yuan Zixu saw his grim expression and felt a bit scared, but she still shielded Chang Xuyu behind her and said firmly, "You... what do you want?"
She had never met Yi Zhuo, but she could tell this man wasn't someone to mess with.
She was on alert, feeling a creepy chill in the air.
In the next second, Yuan Zixu was about to pull out her phone to call the police.
Unexpectedly, the man stopped, let out a sigh, and said with a low, hoarse voice that carried a hint of gentleness barely perceptible.
"I called you. Why didn't you pick up?"
He asked Chang Xuyu.
"Huh?"
Chang Xuyu snapped out of it and patted all her pockets. Finally, she found her phone in the inner pocket of her cotton coat. She pressed the button—the screen was black. It was dead.
She had no idea when it had died.
The two of them looked at each other, one tall, one short. She pursed her lips and put the dead phone away. "I didn't know it was out of battery. Sorry."
"How did you find me here?"
Chang Xuyu was a bit stunned.
She had always kept her distance from him in daily life. Apart from occasionally staying a few nights at the apartment he bought, they hardly ever interacted outside. There was no way he could know Yuan Zixu's address.
The man dropped his hands, composed himself, and his deep voice came from above her head, faint and low: "I called your aunt. She told me to come here and try my luck."
Chang Shengnan had indeed said that. At the time, she was busy singing karaoke with friends, a bit tipsy and muddled, so she had brushed him off with that.