125: Fond of Joanna

Xiao Qi could barely contain herself any longer. She blurted out, "Brother, do you really have to twist the knife in Xi Yang yourself? Do you think you haven't hurt her enough yet?"

"He hasn't really hurt me that much," Xiao Qi said, tugging at Yi Yang and feeling that she should get into the car. "Yi Yang, stop arguing with him. We need to go to the company to pick up the documents!"

"You get in first," Yi Yang said, stroking her hair. "I'll be right there."

"Don't get into a fight with him," Xiao Qi whispered. "Aren't you afraid of his black belt? Don't let him beat you to a pulp."

"..."

Xiao Qi looked back three times before finally getting into the car.

Seeing her inside, Yi Yang spoke up: "Brother, do you know? The reason I brought Xi Yang out today was precisely because I was afraid she would see the rumors about you and Anna. If you love Anna now, then stop provoking Xi Yang."

"Provoking her?" Yi Chen sneered. "She’s the one who keeps coming to me again and again. She’s the one who drugged me last night. And furthermore," his voice turned suddenly icy, "which of your eyes saw me loving Joanna?"

No wonder Xi Yang said she didn't get her things last night.

Yi Yang didn't press the issue of the drugging, instead cutting to the chase: "If you don't love Anna, then you would have stopped those rumors flying everywhere by now. Brother, I don't care if you've rekindled an old flame with her, but if you choose to be with her, please stop playing games with others. Being non-committal, not refusing, and taking no responsibility—that is the definition of the world's worst man."

Yi Chen fixated on the words "rekindled an old flame." Could Anna be telling the truth? Did I really love her before?

And if so, what about Ye Xi Yang...

Yi Chen recalled Fang Li mentioning that Ye Xi Yang had left five years ago and only returned after five years.

Could it be that after Ye Xi Yang left, I fell for Joanna?

Yi Chen’s gaze darkened as he asked coldly, "You know about my history with Anna?"

Yi Yang wasn't afraid to tell him the truth, but he kept it brief: "I knew Anna before, too. She told me. But this isn't the time to discuss her; it’s about Xi Yang. Brother, if you are with Anna, then stay with her properly. Don't mess with Xi Yang. She is a simple, beautiful girl who cannot withstand the hurt you cause."

"You're this angry," Yi Chen said in a low voice, "just because of Ye Xi Yang?"

"Yes. I simply cannot stand you hurting her like this."

Yi Yang couldn't fathom why, when he saw what Anna said to the reporters, his first reaction wasn't his own sadness or anger, but a deep concern for whether Xi Yang would be hurt. This unfamiliar feeling made him instinctively recoil, and he avoided thinking about it too deeply.

In the car, Xiao Qi watched a light drizzle begin to fall against the window.

Oh, it’s raining.

She looked out and saw the two brothers still standing there. Both were striking figures, and several pairs of eyes on the street were casting glances their way. Honestly, standing there chatting—don't they realize how many people are watching them? And who knows what they’re talking about? It’s raining, yet they continue.

Xiao Qi felt she had to get out and pull Yi Yang into the car, or they’d both be soaked to the bone. Just as she was about to step out, her phone rang—it was the aunt. She found it strange, as she had already told her she was going out, but she answered out of curiosity.

On the other end, the aunt asked with concern and worry, "Xi Yang, I just saw the news. That woman who ate with us last time, the one named Joanna—she told a crowd of reporters on TV that she is Yi Chen’s girlfriend. Are you and Yi Chen in some kind of fake relationship, and did you break up? Is this Joanna the one stirring up trouble?"

Xiao Qi only heard the first half.

Dammit. He held her all night, was gentle as water this morning, and now that Joanna is publicly announcing she’s his girlfriend? You annoying capitalist, you jerk!

Xiao Qi pretended she already knew about it and hung up the phone. She glared fiercely at Yi Chen—you deadbeat scum, you were just playing with me today. Damn it, I’m so angry!

Xiao Qi angrily opened the car door.

Meanwhile, between the brothers:

Yi Chen said flatly, "Perhaps Ye Xi Yang and I once loved each other, but I have absolutely no memory of those feelings now. Tell me, how should I handle this so as not to hurt her?"

"You don't need to do anything," Yi Yang said, looking him in the eye, speaking to him with unprecedented seriousness. "Brother, you only need to figure out one question: Ye Xi Yang, who has been chasing you and loving you—do you still want her or not?"

Xiao Qi walked over just in time to hear this question. She instinctively hid behind a tree next to them, holding her breath to listen.

Yi Chen cast his gaze into the distance, his voice sounding as if it had been buried for a long time before finally emerging: "No!"

As the word left his lips, his heart gave a sharp, sudden throb. Yi Chen furrowed his brow.

"Fine!" Yi Yang looked at him with complex eyes. "Brother, don't forget what you said today. You are the one who doesn't want Xi Yang."

With that, Yi Yang ran toward the car.

Just as he opened the door, a text message arrived. It was from Xiao Qi: "Yi Yang, I’m so sleepy, so I took a taxi home. I’m already here. I’ll pick up the documents tomorrow. Remember, don’t fight with your brother! Don’t let him beat you to a pulp with his black belt."

Yi Yang looked at the message with tenderness, then glanced back at where Yi Chen had been, but he was already gone.

This rainy autumn night was as ordinary as any other. Yet, for some, it felt like the world had been turned upside down. On this rainy night, some were sad, while others found joy. The sad were accompanied by tears, while the happy were accompanied by dreams.

Hearing him say "No" with such finality, Xiao Qi froze, her heart trembling violently.

She told herself: President Lin, even if you can say "no" so casually, you should at least give me a heads-up! I’m really prone to getting emotional and wanting to cry! Even if I am not really Ye Xi Yang, this heart is hers, so when you suddenly say you don't want her, this heart of hers really can't take it!

Xiao Qi’s mind was like a hurricane, a mess of chaos. Back then, when Lin Yi Chen hugged her without warning and confessed without warning, her heart had bubbled with joy—undeniable, genuine happiness.

Did she love him? She had never thought about that question, not even for a second. Because she was an alien, how could she be with a human from Earth? But if she hadn't had a single thought about it, then what was the surging, tumultuous feeling in her heart?

She asked herself: What is going on? I clearly told myself I had no feelings for him... but a voice in her heart confronted her. If you had no feelings, why did you go to his house in the first place? Because he ordered me to. Why did you go to TC? Because he ordered me to. Why did you deliver takeout to him? Because he ordered me to. Are you sure it was just his orders? Even if it wasn't his orders, I approached him for my signal transmitter, definitely not because of the man himself.

Xiao Qi answered herself righteously, but another voice weakly defended her: That doesn't seem entirely true... So, had she been deceiving herself all along?

...Back then, whenever she got close to him, her cheeks would flush with a warm, rosy glow, her heart would race, and there would be a happy little song playing inside. Back then, she felt everything was wonderful. The sky was bright, the autumn breeze soft and warm. Everything her eyes landed on felt vivid and bright. Everyone around her seemed especially lovely. Even the hard ground under her feet felt as soft as grass. She used to sigh often: "Xiao Qi, oh Xiao Qi, you’re doomed. Because of Lin Yi Chen, you’ve actually become infatuated with the whole world!"

But now, those feelings would never return. She had to go where there were people—to eat, to shop, to the supermarket, even just to walk the streets. She had to do something, or she would burst from these swelling emotions. She couldn't contain them anymore; she had to let out the overflowing sadness that filled her heart.

The drizzle fell, drip, drip, drip. Xiao Qi walked along the street, her footsteps feeling heavier than usual. The road was flat and wide, yet in her mind, she felt as if she were walking on the edge of a cliff, unable to take a step; one forward move and she would fall into the abyss.

She let her mind go, drifting with the rain, and eventually walked into a bustling, crowded supermarket. Yet, Xiao Qi felt as though a transparent barrier separated her from the crowd. Even the air felt stifling and uncomfortable. She stood there blankly for a long time, then pulled out her phone, opened her contacts, and stared down at the name "Lin Oppa."

Lin Oppa... it made her think of the Lin Yi Chen from before. Her eyes welled up with something ready to spill over. Xiao Qi immediately looked up, forcing the stinging pain back, then looked down at the words "Lin Oppa" again.

Just as she was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang. Xiao Qi’s heart jolted, her heartbeat accelerating, thumping loudly. Her thumb trembled as she pressed to check the caller ID. Seeing "Yi Yang" on the screen, her heart sank into disappointment and sadness.

She answered, her voice a mix of loss and relief: "Hello? Yi Yang, what is it?"

"What are you doing? Are you home? Or are you already in bed?"

"Uh, I got home a while ago, I’m not sleeping yet." She was in the supermarket, and Yi Yang would definitely be able to tell. "I’m at the supermarket with my aunt! Why are you calling?"

"Nothing," Yi Yang said, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the rainy sky. "Just checking if you got home. About those documents—should I bring them to you tomorrow?"

"No need, I’ll go myself. Okay, I need to buy things, talk later, bye."

Xiao Qi hung up and exhaled. That heavy, uncomfortable sensation in her heart remained. She sat down on a bench in the supermarket, watching a family of three chatting and laughing, a young couple being affectionate, a group of men and women frolicking...

"Hey! I see old, toothless people in the hospital supporting their sick spouses, young husbands supporting their pregnant wives, or couples happily holding their newborn babies... It really proves the saying: the world is full of trouble, joys and sorrows, partings and reunions!"

"Actually, it’s just like that. If you lose one part of love, life should have another part to support you. There is no perfect solution in this world; none of us can solve this puzzle."

A girl walked over and sat down opposite Xiao Qi, talking on her phone. Xiao Qi stared at a spot, listening quietly to what the girl was saying. When the girl hung up, Xiao Qi suddenly said calmly, "What you just said—as an alien, I understand it even less."

The girl was stunned. She hadn't realized anyone was talking to her. She looked around; there were only the two of them. She pointed to herself: "Were you talking to me just now?"

Xiao Qi nodded and said involuntarily: "Hello, I don't understand emotions very well. Can you tell me about them?"

The girl tapped on her phone and nodded. "Sure! I’m someone who teaches herself everything."

The words were on the tip of Xiao Qi's tongue, but she couldn't say them. She stammered for a long time and finally said, "Forget it."

"Why did you stop?" The girl lifted her eyes, frowning. "I hate people who start things halfway, just like authors who abandon a story right at a cliffhanger. It's so annoying."

Xiao Qi didn't understand her. The girl raised her phone: "I write novels."

"Oh!"

The girl put her phone away, looking ready to listen. "I see you’re troubled. Tell me, I’m very willing to help you vent your worries."

"...Alright!" Xiao Qi hesitated. "If a very powerful, perfect man likes a very ordinary girl, what should she do?"

"Are you talking about the kind who is tall, looks great, has a car, and has plenty of money?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, if it’s a novel, the heroine should just accept it immediately so the author can finish the book, hehehe."

"..."

Is she sure she’s helping me vent my worries?

The girl also felt she was being too dismissive and immediately turned serious. "What you just described is like a golden card falling from the sky—you have to pick it up quickly." She let out a lewd chuckle, then turned serious again. "But just look at it and touch it for a bit. Once you’re done touching it, throw it away quickly."

"Why?"

"Dummy!" the girl said wisely. "What’s the use of picking up a golden card if you don’t know the password? Besides, there are very few golden cards picked up these days; there are more credit cards with debt attached."

"..."

The girl seemed to be a chatterbox, continuing: "I think if you're looking for a boyfriend, you have to find someone you understand, someone you can 'read.' Otherwise, no matter how good they seem, you must think twice. In other words, you have to know their password. If you don't even know that, it’s like having a bucket of ice water dumped on your head, instantly cooling your high spirits until you have nothing left."

As she spoke, the girl had a flash of insight and asked suspiciously: "Wait, the person who picked up the golden card you asked about... is it you?"

"No," Xiao Qi denied listlessly. Then she couldn't help but ask: "One more question. If a very powerful, perfect man starts out really liking you, but then suddenly doesn't anymore, why would he suddenly stop liking that girl?"

"He’s bored, that’s why!" the girl said with great interest. "Powerful, perfect men are usually fickle. Why? Because they have the capital to be fickle, so they will never stick to one girl forever."

Xiao Qi walked out of the supermarket in a daze. She looked down accidentally and saw a hundred-dollar bill on the ground. She bent down to pick it up. Usually, such a windfall would make Xiao Qi happy, but as she held the money in her hand, she felt nothing. Even joy seemed beyond her reach.

She went home listlessly and flopped onto the bed.

"Xiao Bai," Xiao Qi said, her face buried in the sheets, her voice muffled. "I suddenly feel that this Earth is so unpleasant, it makes me feel so low and powerless. I really want to leave."

Her voice was too low, and Xiao Bai, who was sleeping soundly, didn't hear her; he didn't even know she had come in. No one answered, and Xiao Qi sank into her own little world.

Lin Yi Chen, didn't you love Ye Xi Yang for so many years? Why are you bored of me now? Or is it that after five years, you changed your heart long ago, and for me, it was just a fleeting whim? But in your eyes, aren't I Ye Xi Yang? So there shouldn't be any "fleeting whim" or "boredom," right?

Xiao Qi lay there for a while, then sat up and took out her phone, silently typing a message: "Lin Yi Chen, what should I do? I like you, I like you just as much as you liked me."

Recipient: Lin Oppa!

Then, she let out a long sigh. Does doing this count as "finding life in death"? Regardless, doing this gives herself an answer, a closure. Thinking about it, she felt a little lighter.

Just as she was about to send it, Xiao Bai opened his eyes and saw her staring blankly at her phone.

"Xiao Qi, when did you get back? Why aren't you sleeping?"

Hearing Xiao Bai’s voice, her hand paused. What would it matter if she sent it? He already said "no" with such finality. Sending a message now would just be begging for humiliation, wouldn't it?

She looked toward the floor-to-ceiling window. The sound of the rain outside dripped into her ears, and it felt as if it were dripping into her heart. Somehow, the soreness she had been holding back in her eyes suddenly spilled over.

"Xiao Bai, my eyes hurt, and my heart hurts even more. It feels the same as it did a while ago, but back then I could control my stinging eyes, but now I can't! My body seems to be broken."

Xiao Qi pointed to the corner of her eye, where tears were leaking out. "It’s leaking here."