Rebirth Stories #1 (Book 1)

Chapter 12

She had been here for a few days, but Huo Yichen did not speak to her at all. It was as if the two of them did not know each other. However, now that there's new development between the two's relationship, it seemed that she was one step closer to the big shot agreeing to work with her.

"Shut up. You're so noisy." Huo Yichen's fierce voice seemed to be hiding something. He did not look like he was berating her at all.

Nan Qiao's face puffed up with laughter, looking very cute.

Business at the coffee shop was especially good. The two of them should have gotten off work at eight o'clock, but they continued helping out at the coffee shop until ten o'clock. In order to thank them, the boss treated them each to a cup of coffee.

Seeing Huo Yichen sitting on a rope by the roadside drinking coffee, Nan Qiao also sat over, but the two of them sat at opposite ends, as if there was a river between them.

Nan Qiao removed all her thorns and her brows were filled with sadness. Her delicate side profile was reflected in Huo Yichen's eyes.

What exactly made her so sad?

Huo Yichen would not take the initiative to ask. He just drank the cup of coffee quietly.

After a long while, Nan Qiao shrugged as if she was cleaning up these sad emotions. She asked, "Why do you like Nan Zhi?"

Huo Yichen was silent for a moment. He thought about the people he knew and finally stopped at a fair face. He, who never liked to explain, forced out two words. "I don't."

"I'm not blind. I saw it all. You sent food to Nan Zhi, and you even helped Nan Zhi edit her homework. You even..."

Nan Qiao's eyes seemed to be filled with grievance as she accused him one by one and counted the things he had done for Nan Zhi.

Huo Yichen's eyes darkened as he thought about what had happened. That seemed to be the case, but he did it because...

Forget it, he could not be bothered to explain it to her. Why was he explaining it to her?

If she had misunderstood, so be it.

Huo Yichen got up and left without even saying goodbye.

Nan Qiao looked at his figure. Her mouth was so wide that it could fit an egg.

To think that she thought that their relationship had improved. Who knew that it was still so bad? Did he have to make the situation so awkward?

Feeling that their relationship had gone back to square one, Nan Qiao returned home gloomily.

So, Huo Yichen was determined to like Nan Zhi.

What could she do?

According to the plot, Huo Yichen would only hate Nan Zhi after he was injured all over by her. Did he have to go through the entire plot?

However, when she saw Mother Huo lying in the hospital, she could not help but feel sorry for her. Her fate was to die without even seeing her son for the last time.

Nan Qiao bit her finger and pondered as she went home. Unknowingly, she walked to the door of her house.

When she opened the door and entered, the house was not as quiet as usual. She was expecting everyone to be preparing to sleep. Instead, the entire living room was still bright. The place was filled with laughter from the men and women inside.

Seeing that Nan Qiao had returned, He Qian was the first to welcome her, like a good mother caring about her daughter.

"Qiao'er is back. Where did you go to play today? Don't tell me you went to work again?"

Nan Qiao avoided He Qian's question. He Qian, who was facing the living room displayed a disappointed and sad expression.

Seeing that Nan Qiao did not deny it, He Qian said, "Although Auntie knows that I shouldn't say this, your father is right. If the people in the business find out that you went out to work, they will laugh at your father."

"I rely on my own effort to earn money. Who would laugh at him?" Nan Qiao glanced sideways at He Qian and said sharply.

"How can you talk to Auntie like that?" Nan Xuan stood up and scolded Nan Qiao.

"Auntie said all this for your own good. You don't know how to be grateful at all and even dare to talk back. Nan Qiao, you're becoming more and more lawless. You're not allowed to go anywhere tomorrow. Stay in your room and reflect on yourself."

Since the Nan family's young master had spoken, who dared to disobey?

#12  When my sister Betsy and I were kids, our family lived for awhile in a charming old farmhouse. We loved exploring its dusty corners and climbing the apple tree in the backyard. But our favorite thing was the ghost. We called her Mother, because she seemed so kind and nurturing. Some mornings Betsy and I would wake up, and on each of our nightstands, we'd find a cup that hadn't been there the night before. Mother had left them there, worried that we'd get thirsty during the night. She just wanted to take care of us. Among the house's original furnishings was an antique wooden chair, which we kept against the back wall of the living room. Whenever we were preoccupied, watching TV or playing a game, Mother would inch that chair forward, across the room, toward us. Sometimes she'd manage to move it all the way to the center of the room. We always felt sad putting it back against the wall. Mother just wanted to be near us. Years later, long after we'd moved out, I found an old newspaper article about the farmhouse's original occupant, a widow. She'd murdered her two children by giving them each a cup of poisoned milk before bed. Then she'd hanged herself. The article included a photo of the farmhouse's living room, with a woman's body hanging from a beam. Beneath her, knocked over, was that old wooden chair, placed exactly in the center of the room.