[OP] Randomly register an account. Posted on March 19, 2017, 20:32:10
I don't know what I've done wrong in my life to be humiliated like this in public, all for something that doesn't even exist.
All I remember is water sliding down my face, blurring my vision, and slowly soaking my clothes.
Cheng Yi poured water on me, clapped his hands, and warned me, "If you bother my brother again, this is just the beginning."
After saying that, he swaggered away, the whole process taking less than a minute.
I never thought something like this would happen to me. My mind went completely blank, and I stood there like a statue, at a loss for what to do.
I heard the voices of people around me starting to gossip:
"The drama of the year!"
"So much information."
"Wow, he's gay."
"Isn't this a plot from a movie?"
.....
Then, I saw people watching me taking out their phones. Out of instinct, I quickly covered my face with my hands.
It might have been only a few seconds, but it felt like a century to me.
Then, a coat was thrown over my head, covering my face. All the light, phones, and noisy voices were blocked out.
I was very familiar with the scent of this coat; it belonged to Pei Hao.
He quickly led me out of the hot pot restaurant, practically dragging me, and angrily warned everyone, "Stop taking photos."
It was the end of the year, and the wind outside was howling. My clothes were already soaked. But I didn't feel the cold at that moment; I was still processing what had just happened.
So Cheng Yi deliberately chose such a crowded place today, probably to embarrass me in public.
He claimed Jin Yu liked me, but how could that be true? Liking someone meant contacting them every few weeks, and those conversations would always be about serious matters.
I was absolutely certain that Jin Yu didn't like me.
As for Cheng Yi's thought process, I couldn't understand it.
Pei Hao pulled me into his car, turned on the heater, and used his scarf to dry my hair and body.
"Your clothes are soaked. Take them off and change into mine," Pei Hao wiped my hair and asked, "Who's that idiot Cheng who poured water on you?"
I replied expressionlessly, "No need to change." Then, I remained silent.
Seeing that I wasn't doing well, Pei Hao didn't press further. He helped me take off my outer clothes and continued using the scarf to dry the clothes I was wearing underneath.
"Alright, don't change," he reluctantly nodded and said, "Let's head home."
"Back to my home," I firmly stated.
Pei Hao hesitated for half a second, then started the car and said, "Sure, back to your place."
Sitting in the car, I finally felt the cold. Despite the heater blowing, the clothes against my body were ice-cold.
Pei Hao wrapped his coat around me and softly comforted me, "We won't hit traffic today. Endure it a bit longer; we'll be home soon."
"Thank you for today. But how did you end up here?" I asked, puzzled.
Pei Hao nonchalantly replied, "Passing by, just happened to see you."
I didn't buy that explanation.
"Passing by?" I looked at him skeptically.
How could it be such a coincidence? Cheng Yi had just poured water on me a minute before Pei Hao showed up.
"Well, because I followed you today," Pei Hao mumbled with uncertainty, "You don't want to talk to me, and I didn't want to make you angrier by showing up often. But I wanted to see you, even if it's just from a distance, without disturbing you."
"So you've been following me?" I felt a headache coming on. Two people tracking me in a single day was starting to annoy me just thinking about it.
Pei Hao hurriedly defended himself, "No, what do you mean by 'following you'? I used to wait for you downstairs at your place or at the entrance of your company, but I never followed you."
Seeing his agitated state and considering my own safety, I decided not to argue further.
"I've been incredibly busy with work lately, and today is the first time I've had a chance to see you. I genuinely just wanted to catch a glimpse of you from afar," Pei Hao's tone even carried a hint of aggrievement, "I was just about to leave when that idiot suddenly poured water on you."
As I thought carefully, I remembered that I had slapped him the last time we met. I thought his sudden disappearance was because of that.
Well, he better be even busier with work, so he won't have time to harass me.
"I don't like being followed," I glanced at him with disgust.
"Alright, I promise there won't be a next time," Pei Hao nodded, smiling to reassure me, "From now on, I'll only silently watch you from my car when I drive by your place."
Me: ...
Sure, do as you please. After all, you won't listen even if I tell you, and even if you listen, you might not actually do it.
Not appearing in front of me is already a step forward.
Neon lights outside the car window flashed by in rows. In the cold winter month, there were hurried footsteps of people going to work, as well as street vendors doing business. As I looked at the diverse lives around me, I suddenly felt that my own situation wasn't so miserable after all. Whose life is easy? Life doesn't go as planned most of the time.
Everyone is working hard in their own way and eventually blends into the crowd.
The car was warm inside, and I slowly started feeling drowsy, not knowing when I fell asleep.
In the dream, I saw my mom. She was sitting in a hospital bed, wearing a patient's gown. Unfortunately, in the dream, I knew she had already passed away.
My mom looked at me gently and comforted me, "Xiao Xi, you must live happily always. No matter what decisions you make, Mom supports you."
I stood by the bedside, tears streaming down my face in an instant. I wanted to hold onto her, to tell her not to go.
I wanted to tell her that since she left, I hadn't felt this peaceful in a long time, too long...
I wanted to tell her that I've been feeling a bit tired lately and faced some grievances...
But she gradually became blurry in front of me, and I desperately reached out but couldn't grasp anything. I could only watch her disappear before my eyes.
"Mom! Mom!" I suddenly woke up from the dream, tears still on my face.
Pei Hao grabbed my hand, pulled me into an embrace, and gently patted my back with his other hand. He softly reassured me, "Xiao Xi, you were dreaming. We're home now, don't be sad."
I don't know why, but I felt a trace of emotion in his voice.
I pulled away from his embrace, touched the tear marks on my face, wiped them dry, and calmed myself down.
Pei Hao reached his hand halfway to wipe away my tears, but then he suddenly stopped, muttering to himself as if in a daze, "It's my fault, my fault, I didn't take good care of you."
I looked up at his eyes, and I seemed to see a myriad of emotions within them. I saw sorrow, pity, regret, and an unabashed expression of love.
Perhaps it was because I was emotionally fragile that day, but I felt like I was being drawn in.
So, I quickly opened the car door and hurriedly escaped back home.
Throughout the entire day, too many things had happened, and my mind was in disarray. After returning home, I ate something quickly, played games until 3 in the morning, and finally managed to fall asleep.
I really wish I could wake up and find that everything was just a dream!
[1st Comment] Carrie: Oh my, Xiao Xi, you can't be so soft-hearted!!
[2nd Comment] ContraryBeauty: Oh no, Xiao Xi still likes Pei Hao.
[3rd Comment] OrdinaryHuman: If you end up with Pei Hao in the end, I'll give up on this thread. (¬_¬)
.....
[22nd Comment] nmji_aa: That part about your mom made me so sad. My mom passed away due to illness too, I understand that feeling too well (cries.jpg).
[23rd Comment] It'sJustOldZhao: A child without a mother is truly like a grass without anyone's love T_T
.....
[30th Comment] ColorfulArt: Hugs to Xiao Xi, my heart aches for you, child. I'll treat you to a big meal next time we meet.
[31st Comment] [OP] Randomly register an account: A big meal sounds good. Honestly, I feel embarrassed that you know all this.
[32nd Comment] ColorfulArt: Impossible, I'm just like everyone else, just a reader, not breaking the fourth wall.
.....
[34th Comment] taste－: You're not going to choose Pei Hao, right? Xiao Xi, promise me you'll break away from this madness and leave these crazy people behind.
[35th Comment] た青木知湫ッ: Xiao Xi, study well for your exams, you can update the thread later.
[36th Comment] BeardedSister: Study well for your exams, but don't let the thread die.
[37th Comment] PeacefulFragments: Don't let the thread die +1.
[OP] Randomly register an account. Posted on March 24, 2017, 23:20:10
I'm not sure whether I should tell Jin Yu about Cheng Yi splashing water on me. It's obvious that Cheng Yi has a huge misunderstanding about me.
But whenever I think of Cheng Yi, I remember his condescending attitude towards me that day.
Forget it, let him misunderstand. It would be best if he gets angry.
As for Jin Yu, I haven't made up my mind. Even if I tell him about his brother's crazy behavior, what difference would it make? Should I go back to the hot pot restaurant and splash water on him in return?
Moreover, based on our previous interactions, I feel like Jin Yu doesn't have much control over his brother.
For the next two weeks, just as Pei Hao said, he didn't bother me. I'm not sure if he truly just watched me from a distance or if he was too busy with work. I hope it's the latter.
On the other hand, Jing Ling called me and said that 2016 was coming to an end. Among our university classmates, those with better relationships wanted to have a small gathering. I confirmed that Pei Hao wouldn't be there, so I agreed to go.
Class reunions usually involve eating and karaoke.
During the meal, people started drinking, and I noticed a few were already quite drunk. Going to KTV might be a bit challenging.
As the alcohol flowed, a male student from our school's basketball team asked me how Pei Hao was doing.
It was a normal question, considering Pei Hao and I were often seen together in college. I wasn't sure if my classmates had figured out our true relationship, but it didn't matter now.
I calmly replied, "I don't know, we haven't been in touch for a while." The expression on the guy's face was quite amusing.
"He's in the hospital," Geng Han added from the side. He looked at me as he spoke, as if confirming whether I had heard him.
"Why is he in the hospital?" the guy asked, surprised.
Geng Han sighed and said, "Seems like he got beaten up for no reason, and he won't say why."
The guy expressed astonishment, "Didn't he learn Taekwondo before? He was also on the basketball team; his physical condition should be good."
Geng Han shrugged, "When a dozen people gang up on you, what can you do? He's not Iron Man."
My brain buzzed, and my first instinct was that Cheng Yi was behind this.
Damn, he really is insane!
But on second thought, it didn't seem quite right. Logically, Cheng Yi should hate me the most, and then Pei Hao.
If he only intended to warn me by splashing water, then why would he be so harsh on Pei Hao?
Or perhaps, this has nothing to do with Cheng Yi, and it's purely a result of Pei Hao messing with the wrong people outside?
Throughout the gathering, I was distracted. My mind was consumed by whether Cheng Yi was behind this. Thinking and overthinking, my brain was about to explode.
In the end, I didn't go to KTV with everyone. The first thing I did after eating was to call Cheng Yi, even though I really didn't want to hear his voice.
But I called for two days straight, and his phone remained switched off.
[1st Comment] MeowMaoo: Could it really be Cheng Yi? Is this person's brain squashed by a truck...
[2nd Comment] TofuSouple: Cheng Yi is terrifying. Offend a noble person once, but never offend a petty person. Cheng Yi, this kind of person, once he goes crazy, it's beyond the understanding of normal people. Xiao Xi, are you still in contact with Jin Yu? You should keep your distance from those brothers!!
[3rd Comment] PutOnTheCouch: What the previous poster said gave me chills.
.....
[8th Comment] FirstDayOf6012: Why do I feel like it's not Cheng Yi?
.....
[22nd Comment] た青木知湫ッ: I have a theory, what if Pei Hao deliberately staged this to make Xiao Xi feel sympathetic?
[23rd Comment] Midnight Cat Walk: Why is Cheng Yi's phone off? He probably doesn't want you to contact him.
[24th Comment] NamingIsAnnoying: Seeing Pei Hao get beaten up, I'm sorry, but I chuckled.
.....
[31st Comment] ATeaCupEveryDay: I think what the 22nd Comment said makes a lot of sense.
.....
[37th Comment] ●▂●: Ah, Xiao Xi, how can you leave us hanging here? Come back and update us!!