The tallest commercial office building by the shore of Golden Lake was named the “Key of Golden Lake.”
Every morning and evening, the slanted rays of the sun cast its shadow onto the lake’s surface, looking like a giant key submerged in the water.
I stepped out from the shadow of the Key of Golden Lake and walked to the shore, looking out at the opposite side.
That was where An Zhi and I used to go on dates; figures were moving about on the high embankment.
Compared to the workplace elites in suits walking past me in a hurry, I was an outlier, standing still to admire the lake view.
Borrowing 500,000 yuan, with a maximum installment period of five years and a monthly repayment amount exceeding five digits…
When I learned all this, I lost the motivation to return to the University District.
I simply stood by the shore, watching the key on the lake grow shorter and then stretch out again.
According to the loan officer, given my situation, their willingness to lend me this 500,000 yuan was already a gesture of mercy.
Just paying back the principal would cost 8,300 yuan every month…
‘I even thought about taking this money, helping An Zhi finish the compensation process, and then just jumping from here.’
But I knew very well that I was just trying to escape.
I didn’t want to part with An Zhi, yet I wasn’t willing to shoulder a debt I couldn’t repay.
How could there be such a good deal in this world?
As I wandered in hesitation, night fell, and the key on the lake disappeared.
I walked toward the Subway Station in disappointment, every step feeling like a heavy burden.
Since noon, my phone had been vibrating non-stop.
I didn’t even need to look to know who was calling.
I sent a simple message to Xiao Ji saying, “On my way,” before shoving the phone back in my pocket, unwilling to look further.
Xiao Ji was waiting for me at the entrance of his residential complex.
He walked over as soon as he saw me.
“How did it go?”
He asked, lighting a cigarette immediately after the question.
“Sister-in-law is waiting for you. She said she’d rather have nothing at all as long as you come back. She really doesn’t look like that ‘unreachable flower’ anymore. You’re so lucky!”
He slapped my shoulder hard to encourage me.
“Have nothing at all… I can’t do it. Xiao Ji, I can’t give up everything for her! I couldn’t do it…”
That slap released all the emotions I had been bottling up.
I pushed his hand away embarrassingly, my eyes stinging.
“Don’t be too sad. If you can’t do it, who in the world can? It’s every man for himself, right?”
“An Zhi, she…”
“She has a wealthy background, so of course she can say that. You’ve seen it before, that program on the Spring Festival Gala. Her mother was the lead dancer, the center position! Even if An Zhi gives up on herself, someone will bail her out. How can you follow her example!?”
“Even you say that…”
Xiao Ji’s words were sharp and realistic.
I knew very well that there was a massive gap between An Zhi and me.
Right now, I simply couldn’t help her solve her problems…
I couldn’t even help with the 500,000 yuan for the breach of contract dispute, let alone the troubles she would face in the future.
‘Should I give up? Let her true guardians take care of her and resolve everything.’
‘And I would only need to sit in front of the TV, waiting for the day she appears in the lead dancer position…’
“Relax! I’ll swipe my card and take you in first. As your brother, I just want you to take care of yourself. You don’t need to worry about that 500,000 yuan at all! If you really have to part ways, can’t you just work hard and chase her again later? You two have an emotional foundation; that’s a huge advantage.”
“Yeah, thanks…”
Xiao Ji firmly pushed me into the complex and toward his home.
I kept sorting through my emotions, trying to return my expression to its usual state.
When the door opened, An Zhi was right by the entrance.
I saw her trembling legs take a step forward as she hugged me, her raised hair brushing against my face.
“Mingshan! Welcome back… I was so worried…”
“I’m sorry. I—I—I didn’t get the money, so…”
I didn’t dare to hug her back, stuttering through my words.
“I know. You were definitely going to push yourself too hard… You’ve always been like this… acting tough for my sake. It’s been that way since the first time we met… being gentle to me, clearing the path for me… This time, I don’t want to hide anymore… I don’t want to hide…”
She said a lot in fragmented sentences.
The expression I had barely managed to maintain collapsed instantly, and tears surged out again.
“An Zhi, I’m willing to do those things for you. This time, too — “
She shook her head violently.
“No. Seeing the way you looked when you came back, I decided… I will contact my parents. I’ll convince them to let me stay in Sucheng… I’ll beg them properly; they will help…”
“……”
What else could I say when she put it like that?
I hugged her back, feeling the coldness of the hallway behind me and the warmth of her and the heater in front of me.
I was filled with both sorrow and joy.
She had grown, but I could no longer keep her.
“Good luck,” I whispered.
“Mhm, I’ll try my best… I don’t want to leave.”
Her response was firmer than mine.
The two of us stood at the door, hugging tightly.
Xiao Ji walked past us, patting my arm.
“Now this is what you call ‘lingering affection.’ Right, Sis?”
He suddenly said.
“Sigh, Ji, I understand. Otherwise, I would have said something earlier.”
Xiao Qingling’s voice sounded from not far away.
“You two! How long are you going to hug!? You’ll catch a cold staying in the doorway!”
“You said it anyway!? Look at the atmosphere, the atmosphere! No wonder no man is chasing you!”
“What did you say?? I’m better than a single guy like you who has a secret crush every day! Besides, I don’t want to find a partner!”
“You don’t want a partner, but you still dress up? Who’d believe that!”
The siblings started arguing again for some reason.
Embarrassed, An Zhi and I pulled apart.
I locked eyes with her luminous gaze, and we both laughed in unison.
“I’m sorry, Qingling.”
“Sorry, Sis, we’re coming in now.”
We walked inside hand in hand.
The heater warmed our bodies, and the bright lights chased away the haziness before my eyes.
“Don’t worry, we’ve discussed it with our mother. You two should just treat this place as your home. Don’t go back there for now; it’s too dangerous.”
Xiao Qingling brought us hot tea.
“Thanks, Sis, this is a huge help.”
I nodded in gratitude.
“No need for thanks. It hasn’t been easy watching you two come this far. Not like Ji over here, who hasn’t even crossed the starting line.”
“Again!?”
Xiao Ji stomped his feet.
“There are many empty rooms here. Let’s see, do you want to stay in one room or two?”
Xiao Qingling asked, coughing twice after.
Before I could react, An Zhi’s face turned red all the way to her ears.
She lowered her head and remained silent.
“Taking up too many of your rooms isn’t good. One is enough.”
I, on the other hand, was much more thick-skinned.
In a time like this, I naturally had to seize every opportunity to be with An Zhi.
As the saying goes, ‘Live in the moment.’
“Mhm. Then I’ll go to the kitchen to prepare some food. After you eat, I’ll show you the bathroom.”
Xiao Qingling hurried toward the kitchen, seemingly unskilled at handling such scenes.
She had seemed quite normal when we met before.
“The vibe has changed,” Xiao Ji muttered to himself.
After An Zhi and I finished dinner and took turns showering, we returned to our new room.
This used to be a guest room for students taking tutoring classes.
It had been vacant ever since the tutoring industry was hit and Auntie Ji left home to teach in a supporting role elsewhere.
I couldn’t help but marvel at how impressive the Xiao Family was.
This room was both large and clean, and the king-sized bed could even fit three people.
An Zhi and I lay on the bed, watching an online program on the large wall-mounted TV, snuggling together while waiting for the New Year’s countdown.
She held my phone, constantly tapping the screen to send messages to her parents.
They seemed busy, as they hadn’t replied at all.
Today was New Year’s Eve, so it was normal for them to be participating in a performance.
It was also possible that her parents were observing cautiously since An Zhi wasn’t using her own phone number.
I wouldn’t get involved in their family matters.
“Eh?”
At that moment, An Zhi let out a small cry of surprise.
“This message… have you seen it? Mingshan, did you force yourself to borrow money!? Quickly, return it…”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head.
I didn’t remember agreeing to borrow any money, so I looked at the screen.
An Zhi tapped on a flashing text message in the notification bar.
“Transfer Notice” was the title.
I frowned, an ominous feeling surging in my heart.
[Account (Ending in XXXX) has transferred 507,942 yuan to your account (Ending in XXXX). Your current balance is 509,289 yuan…]
This is…
Did I see that right?
Someone transferred 500,000 yuan to me?
What!?
“Mingshan, don’t keep things from me… I don’t want you to have secrets… I don’t want to see you get hurt for me again.”
An Zhi stared at me, her expression dimming.
“It’s not… I didn’t. I don’t know either. Who exactly transferred this?”
I hurriedly explained.
This time, even An Zhi’s eyes widened as she confirmed the numbers in the text message.
This was enough for the compensation.
No…
How could I take money from an unknown source!?
What if someone had entered the wrong account number?
I confirmed the information in the message again.
Looking at the last four digits of the sender’s account, it felt somewhat familiar.
“No way… Her…?”
When I retrieved the suspected combination of numbers from my memory, I found it hard to believe.
Those last digits were identical to the bank card I had personally helped Su Xixia set up.
I had watched her get that card with my own eyes.
No matter how many times I checked, the digits matched my memory.
But…
This was 500,000 yuan.
How did Su Xixia…
Even if she knew the situation here, she couldn’t come up with that much money.
Even if her family ran a farmhouse resort, they couldn’t produce this amount all at once unless they sold the shop.
No…
Her family wouldn’t agree to that.
“Her… Her?”
An Zhi murmured, seemingly understanding who I meant by “her.”
“It’s possible for the last digits to be the same,” I said.
“I’ll check.”
‘Why? Even though I treated Su Xixia like that, she still transferred such a large sum of money to me? Is it really her?’
I tried to wipe the phantom image of her appearing in my mind and sent a message to her phone number, staring at the screen.
But after more than five minutes had passed, she still hadn’t replied.
Then I tried calling her.
I called several times, but the speaker only mechanically replied, “The number you have dialed is powered off.”
This woman…
Why won’t she answer the phone?
If she did something like this, shouldn’t she be thinking about me coming back to find her!?
She should have answered the phone in a second, scolded me smugly for a bit, and then asked me to meet her!
She had been like that since we were kids; she wasn’t going to change!
Why didn’t she answer!
Why!
Won’t she! Answer!
After dialing the number for the tenth time and still not getting through, I threw the phone aside and adjusted my rapid breathing.
“What should we do? Are you going to… go find her?”
An Zhi asked softly.
If I used this money, I could solve An Zhi’s predicament, and we could stay together…
If I used it…
I could continue living with An Zhi and return to a normal life.
As for Su Xixia, I could just ignore her; she would show up at my door sooner or later anyway.
This was likely her first chess piece in a grand game.
Maybe she was sitting there right now with her phone turned off, smiling triumphantly.
Ignore her…
Ignore…
“I… I’ll go check the place where I used to live tomorrow.”
I couldn’t betray my own heart.