As the sun shone through the clouds, the view from the study window suddenly plunged into darkness.
Lu Lixing abruptly woke up from his stupor and hurried down the stairs, only to watch Ji Qingqing silently get into the car and leave.
Grandpa Lu was someone who had already experienced many ups and downs in his lifetime. Noticing what had just happened, he asked with concern in his voice, “What happened?”
Lu Lixing stood there, silently confessing, “It’s all my fault.”
Grandpa Lu gently placed his hand on his grandson’s shoulder and said, “Grandpa’s old, so I may not be able to manage and fully understand all the experiences and challenges of young people like you.
“But one thing I do know is that a man must always be willing to own up to his mistakes and take responsibility for them. I know it’s not always easy, but it’s the right thing to do. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Lu Lixing stared off into the distance, lost in thought as the car disappeared from view.
He had decided to be honest with Ji Qingqing, and no matter how she reacted or what the consequences were, he understood that it was his responsibility to bear everything.
But when he saw Ji Qingqing break down like that, he couldn’t help but feel a great sense of regret.
***
Ji Qingqing sat in the car, her body racked with sobs as tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She couldn’t bring herself to go to the film set, so she instead instructed the driver to take her to her apartment building.
As an attempt to disperse the awkwardness in the car, she said, “Um… I’m sorry, hehe… I accidentally ate chili earlier. It stings a lot!”
Honestly, it was a clumsy attempt. But it appeared to have worked well as the driver’s worried eyes seemed to subside.
Still, deep down, she knew it was all a cover-up for the overwhelming heartbreak she was feeling right now.
Well, it isn’t necessarily heartbreak, but still, I want to get good and drunk tonight.
With that in mind, she went to the supermarket and picked up a bunch of wine to relieve her sorrows. Remembering her swollen eyes, she became too embarrassed to look up since other people may recognize her.
Her attempt was useless however as she was quickly recognized due to her recent fame. A young cashier girl asked for her autograph as well as a photo with her. Ji Qingqing politely declined to take a picture and asked her to keep their encounter private before politely signing the autograph. Fortunately, the cashier girl readily promised her that.
While Ji Qingqing paid for the items with her phone, she suddenly remembered the credit card that Lu Lixing had insisted on giving her as well as the heaps of clothes that he had extravagantly bought for her at the mall.
At that time, he had told me to use his card to pay the remaining balance of the Buddhist beads I was going to give to Grandpa Lu.
However, she was too clever for her own good and used her own card, and even claimed that it was a gift from her to Grandpa Lu. As a result, Lu Lixing became angry when he heard that she didn’t use his money, and then he came to the mall to buy clothes for her.
So was the reason why Lu Lixing came to the mall to buy clothes for her due to her not using his card to pay for the Buddhist beads? Did that mean his task at that time was to have me spend money?
Ji Qingqing wryly chuckled at that thought.
At that time, she was excited about the clothes that she normally dared not even think about buying. Now looking back, she was only being delusional.
Was I too naive?
She was even foolishly happy that day. As it turned out, the reason he did it wasn’t even for her.
While in a daze, various scenes flashed through her mind like a slideshow.
Perhaps at that time, Lu Lixing may have even thought of me as ungrateful and that I had ruined his plans.
After paying, Ji Qingqing listlessly went back to her apartment with the wine.
Ji Qingqing felt as though she had lost all of her energy as soon as the door shut behind her. She casually kicked off her shoes and cast an expressionless glance around the pitch-black apartment. With the lights still off, she decadently put the wine on the coffee table in the living room and sat down on the sofa heavily.
Perhaps… Lu Lixing had to sleep with me every night… maybe because it was a system requirement. If he didn’t, wouldn’t he die?
Come to think of it, on a brighter side… aren’t I still important to him? Ji Qingqing self-depreciatingly thought to herself.
She used her teeth to open a bottle of wine and tilted her head back to gulp it down.
The time he went to the company to give me roses, that must’ve also been another task from the system.
Heh… Surprisingly, the first rose I’ve received in my entire life was given to me unwillingly by Lu Lixing.
Yet she couldn’t continue to laugh anymore as she thought about the details of her relationship with him.
His visit to the film set, the tv show… the proposal – was it also all part of his tasks?
Everything that had happened between them before flashed through her mind like a newsreel.
Comments