Xiao Yunhua checked her phone to see that Zhou Lang had finally replied. 'Sure, where do you want to meet? Are you alright? How are you feeling?'
Guilt filled her when she saw his concerned questions. How was she going to do this without hurting him? It was nearly impossible as the man was this attached to her already.
'Let's meet somewhere private.' Was all that she could answer. She ignored his other two statements and didn't want to drag on an awkward conversation, but Xiao Yunhua didn't realize that her blunt words had stung for Zhou Lang on the other end. Nonetheless, the man pretended that he wasn't affected and quickly arranged for a private room in one of the best restaurants in the city.
He texted her the address and time and then put his phone away. Slumping down with a sigh, Zhou Lang worried that his fear was going to come true. That it was inevitable. She was going to leave him, wasn't she?
Despite being afraid, Zhou Lang shook off his worries and assured himself that she was probably going to meet up with him to see him after so long. After all, she was in the hospital for so long.
Meanwhile Xiao Yunhua saw that he wanted to meet up at 8:00 P.M. in a restaurant. Gathering her things, she quickly asked for Ni Ming to help her get ready. The older woman had immediately realized what was going to happen based on the context clue of 'meeting Zhou Lang' and she couldn't help but feel sympathy. "You know, you could always try harder to feel some type of emotion for the poor guy."
"I don't want to hurt him by giving him false hope." One sentence from Xiao Yunhua and Ni Ming didn't speak any further. She helped Xiao Yunhua by curling her hair slightly and helping her pick out a simplistic outfit covered by her winter coat.
Her makeup was natural and for the first time in a long time, Xiao Yunhua looked like a normal college girl. She didn't look like the temptress that sang at Riverside nor did she look extraordinary beautiful with her features refined by the makeup, she looked normal. As normal as she could be despite her appearance.
Shakingly getting up, Xiao Yunhua gripped Ni Ming's hand in hers and whispered, "I'm an awful person." Once upon a time, she wouldn't have dared to think that she could have a boyfriend in her previous life. Once upon a time, dating a man that was much more handsome than Jiang Rong was only a dream.
Yet here she was, breaking it off with the man that cared for her the most. Zhou Lang may have coldly ignored the original body owner when she was getting bullied, but the poor man had truly redeemed himself, unbeknownst to him. But she wasn't the one that had to forgive him, it was the original body's owner. After all, if they had intervened, then maybe she would've survived and Xiao Yunhua wouldn't have been here in the first place.
Xiao Yunhua felt a warm embrace. Glancing up, she saw Ni Ming patting her head. "You know, life isn't a straight, perfect road. There are potholes and cracks and rocks and whatever else that makes it bumpy. In your case, consider this as another bump before you reach your destination." Whatever the case, Xiao Yunhua was so grateful for Ni Ming and Wang Yaowan.
Xiao Yunhua glanced at the time and panicked when she saw that it was beginning to get close to eight o'clock. Quickly grabbing her phone, she rode a taxi to the restaurant despite insistence from Wang Yaowan to drive her. She had to decline, mainly because the man had driven her around too much recently. She couldn't depend on him forever.
Xiao Yunhua paid the taxi driver and stepped out, looking at the splendor of the restaurant. It really did deserve to be called one of the best, and the fact that Zhou Lang had managed to get a private room without reservation truly demonstrated his status as a Zhou family prince.
Before Xiao Yunhua could walk inside, she texted Zhou Lang, telling him that she was here. When she went inside of the restaurant, she was immediately ushered to where the private room was with smiles from the waiter. Based on the room being on the second floor that was extravagantly decorated as compared to the first floor, it was no wonder that the waiter treated her with so much respect.
This showcased that only the wealthiest of the wealthiest could afford. But Xiao Yunhua glanced around to see a third floor, the floor that couldn't be seen very well from where she stood. Seeing as it was dim, Xiao Yunhua deemed it as something for the employees and didn't bother with it much longer.
As Xiao Yunhua walked closer and closer to the room, her palms began to clam with sweat. Nervousness filled her until the waiter stopped and opened the door for her.
Her vision of sight was met with something unexpected...