The driver took the change and slammed on the gas, driving away from the apartment.
The dust kicked up by the tires drifted through the sunlight before settling on the ground, mirroring An Zhi’s current state of mind.
This place was as desolate as ever.
Most of those living here were factory workers, and it would likely be demolished soon.
She returned to the front door, took a deep breath, and turned the key to open it.
“Are you… Su Xixia?”
“Yes, yes. Come in!”
An Zhi felt a surge of confusion as she saw the hot water boiling on the stove and the leftover noodle cakes on the table.
She didn’t understand why the room had to be so filled with steam.
The noodle cakes looked soggy as well—they probably didn’t taste very good.
She put on the spare slippers, leaving a trail of footprints on the concrete floor.
The interior was much cleaner than when Li Mingshan lived alone.
Li Mingshan used to live here, in this narrow space, cohabitating with the woman currently sitting at the table.
“You’re a big-time Streamer. Surely you haven’t fallen so far that you can’t even afford taxi fare?”
Su Xixia’s voice was laced with mockery.
Despite her harsh words, she moved nimbly to find a cup and pour a glass of hot water, placing it on the opposite side of the table.
“It’s because I escaped. Thank you… for giving me the change.”
“Thank me for what? That was originally your money anyway. Most of the money you gave ended up as meals in Mingshan’s stomach. He has quite an appetite. At least my hard work going grocery shopping didn’t go to waste!”
As Su Xixia spoke, the corners of her mouth curled up as she briefly immersed herself in past memories.
However, there was a trace of sadness within that triumphant smile.
“Mingshan said it was you… you pawned a Family Heirloom to help him pay the rent. Back when I… well… couldn’t come back.”
An Zhi sat on the creaking wooden stool, her hands folded neatly on her knees.
Her long, damp hair reflected the light beautifully.
After only a few glances at Su Xixia, she understood part of the reason why the woman could attract Li Mingshan.
Su Xixia had a much fuller figure than her own, with distinct curves.
Her skin—whether natural or well-maintained—was incredibly white, which highlighted her neat features and gave her a more refined look.
With her short hair brushing her shoulders, she had the aura of a classical beauty.
“Yes, it was me! Don’t tell me you’re actually going to thank me? He transferred the money for the Family Heirloom back to me, but it was your money to begin with! There’s nothing worth mentioning.”
“I did want to thank you… Thank you. If you hadn’t come, Mingshan would have been wandering the streets… He wouldn’t have even received that newspaper. I’m glad you were there…”
“Are you joking?! Honestly.”
Su Xixia furrowed her brows, looking a bit frightening in her anger.
“Acting like the winner already, hmph!”
“…I’m not joking. I don’t know how to say it so you won’t misunderstand… Mingshan was well cared for by you…”
“You! What is wrong with you? Forget it…”
Su Xixia lightly tapped the table.
Seeing An Zhi’s bewildered and troubled expression, she had initially thought the girl was being intentionally provocative.
Now, she felt An Zhi might simply be too naive to express herself properly.
It was hard to judge.
The two were practically on different wavelengths.
As An Zhi studied Su Xixia’s figure and appearance, an unstoppable wave of worry rose in her heart.
Su Xixia was not only beautiful, but she could also cook, do laundry, and clean.
She was much better than An Zhi, who knew how to do almost nothing besides dancing.
She understood the other reason why Li Mingshan had been deceived by her almost immediately:
‘Unlike me, Su Xixia is very good at taking care of people. Mingshan must have been taken care of very well. I can’t do those things.’
As she thought this, she couldn’t help but lower her head.
‘If that’s the case, why does Li Mingshan still say he likes me?’
She couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she tried.
“……”
The two remained silent, occasionally observing each other as if conducting internal evaluations.
“Hey!”
Su Xixia’s sudden voice startled An Zhi, making her look up.
“Yes?”
“Scold me! How can you be even more of a bore than Mingshan? You haven’t said a word. Even Mingshan couldn’t help but scold me and even choked me once, yet you don’t have any reaction at all! Do you not know what I did?”
“I know. Mingshan told me.”
An Zhi nodded.
“But I don’t know how to scold people, and I don’t hit people.”
“Are you faking this, or are you so refined that you don’t even know how to curse?”
Su Xixia shook her head.
She had originally hoped to use An Zhi as an outlet to relieve the bitterness in her heart, but it seemed that wasn’t going to happen.
“I did blame you once, knowing Mingshan had a girlfriend but still clinging to him… I also blamed Mingshan for not being able to resist, for being afraid of loneliness… But looking back, out of the three of us… I was the biggest coward. I’ve always been begging others… I never once took a single step forward on my own.”
“So… I won’t criticize you. Mingshan, you, and even I—we all made mistakes.”
An Zhi spoke slowly, her slender hands cupping the paper cup as she felt the warmth of the water.
“Are you saying that everything in the past is just over?! I don’t accept that! Even with you around, I’ll still find a way to find Mingshan and stay by his side. I won’t back down! Do you understand?!”
After finishing her sentence, Su Xixia gulped down a large mouthful of water.
She felt that no matter what aggressive words she threw out, it was like punching a cloud of cotton.
It was her first time encountering such a situation—meeting a woman as quiet and introverted as An Zhi.
She couldn’t hear a hint of hidden intent in her tone.
It didn’t seem fake; it was as if she were truly that pure.
She was almost like a Holy Maiden radiating light.
The more it was like this, the stronger the sense of guilt in Su Xixia’s heart became, forcing her to sharpen her tone.
“I won’t back down, even if he doesn’t like me!!”
“But… I am still Mingshan’s girlfriend. I’ve already summoned the courage to escape…”
“Ha?! Are you saying your chances are much better than mine?”
“…Yes.”
An Zhi hesitated for a moment before giving an affirmative answer.
When it came to Mingshan, she would never yield.
Her determination was even firmer than Su Xixia’s.
“Then there’s nothing left to talk about. Finish your water and leave. I don’t know where Mingshan is either, so go find him yourself!”
“You… you’re a better person than I thought.”
“Enough! Don’t even finish the water, just leave now! Someone like you with a happy family, who makes money as easily as breathing, can’t understand my feelings! You won’t understand the real Mingshan either. You were just lucky enough to meet the best version of him!”
“The real… Mingshan?”
An Zhi set down her cup, the surface of the water rippling.
“You’ll never understand without seeing him at his lowest point! No matter how close you two get, it’ll be the same! Hah.”
Su Xixia flashed a meaningful, wicked smile, acting as if she weren’t in any hurry at all.
An Zhi didn’t press for more.
Thinking back to her time with Li Mingshan during university, which lasted less than two years, she only remembered him as a positive, patient, and somewhat stubborn person.
‘The real Li Mingshan isn’t like that?’
Up until now, she and Li Mingshan had been dating for over two years, but the actual time they spent together was less than one year during their senior year.
For most of the time, they were separated in different places and unable to contact each other.
‘I don’t actually know Li Mingshan that well.’
Thinking of this, the accumulated anxiety began to make her heart race.
“…I will get to know him slowly.”
“Suit yourself!”
Su Xixia waved her hand and stood up to tidy the bed.
“Tell Mingshan I won’t go looking for him for the time being. Tell him to go to work in peace!”
“Okay.”
An Zhi obediently drank the rest of the water in her cup.
“Su Xixia… can we talk again in the future? I want to learn how to do housework…”
“The moment you walk out that door, we are rivals! Who do you think is going to play house with you? You’re a runaway, so you’d better think about yourself. Are you really not going back to streaming? I don’t believe it.”
“I’ve… decided to stay by Mingshan’s side.”
An Zhi declared her resolve.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from outside the door.
“What the hell?! Where are the keys! Dammit, that woman didn’t run off, did she?”
A rough male voice shouted.
As the door was pushed open, Xiao Ji burst into the room.
He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Su Xixia.
“You’re here, thank—”
He stopped mid-sentence as he saw An Zhi sitting on the wooden stool.
“Sister-in-law?! Is it really you?! Why are you here? Don’t pick up any bad habits from that woman! Quick, quick, come with me!”
“Don’t… don’t call me that.”
An Zhi’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Xiao Ji rushed forward, urging An Zhi to get up.
“I’ll take you to find Brother Mingshan! He’ll be tickled to death when he sees you!”
“No… he shouldn’t die.”
“Hahaha, Sister-in-law still doesn’t know how to take a joke! Let’s go.”
“Stop calling me that.”
An Zhi couldn’t withstand Xiao Ji’s enthusiasm.
She stood up to leave, turning back to look at Su Xixia as she reached the door.
Su Xixia was sitting on the bed looking lost, staring at the remaining, steaming noodle cake on the table.
Afterward, Xiao Ji locked the door from the outside, and their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Inside the room, Su Xixia hung her head.
“She just had to be a good woman. This is going to be difficult,” she complained softly.
“Mingshan, do you like someone like her better than ‘cunning’ old me? Too bad. The current you can’t overcome yourself. Being with her will only become painful. I wanted to save you, but I won’t have the chance anymore —”
She muttered nonsensical words to herself as she tossed An Zhi’s paper cup into the trash.
“Goodbye.”
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