Chapter 553:
Chapter 553 She Needs More Time (1)
“I’ll call him right now!”
Yulin Xiao took his phone out in a hurry and made a call to Yuqi Mu.
“Where the hell have you been?” Shouted Yulin as soon as the call went through.
“Looking for Qiqi, since none of you cares!”
“Just…just tell me where you are now!”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Let’s face it together, Yuqi! You’re only get yourself into trouble, and you haven’t even recovered yet!”
But Yuqi just hanged the phone up all of a sudden, leaving Yulin’s hand shaking out of anger.
“See?” Yulin shrugged as he let out a smile of bitterness to Anna, who was also quite pissed.
“This doesn’t feel right…” Uttered Anna as she turned to Chuxue.
“Same here…wait, is it the same thing we’re thinking about now?” Said Chuxue, frowned.
“Let’s go to Qiqi’s hometown now!” Exclaimed Anna.
As for Yuqi, he had his private doctor gave him a shot a medicine as soon as he got off the place, after which it took him a whole afternoon to be able to stand up again. He headed to Qiqi’s house but was stopped by a group of people sent by Anna and other people at the gate of the living compound Qiqi was in.
“Out of my way now!” Uttered Yuqi, head held high.
“Didn’t they tell you not to get Qiqi’s parents involved in this?”
“But they know where Qiqi is! I must find her?”
“Why?”
“I need to know why she’s hiding away from me!”
“And after that?”
“We can be together again!”
“You look like more of someone who’s collecting debt than a heart-broken boy, you might scare her parents!”
“I’ll behave myself!” Shouted Yuqi as he forced out a smile,”Now, get out of my way!”
But he was met with silence. Anna looked to Yulin, with a look on her face saying that everything was started by Yulin.
“Can’t you just wait for a while? Let’s work something else out, we’re here to help you!” Said Yulin.
“You told me the same thing before, and then? Qiqi’s gone!” Exclaimed Yuqi.
“You’re the one that is to blame in everything, okay? We tried to help but you just screwed everything, now you’re saying it’s out fault?” Shouted Chuxue.
“So what? You can get out of my way right now!”
“You’re just unreasonable!” Uttered Chuxue as she grabbed the other people by the hands and tried to walked away, Yuqi seized the chance and ran passed the gate like an athlete before Anna got to stop him.
“Seriously? Didn’t he just wake up recently?” Chuxue was surprised.
“Idiot!” Exclaimed Yulin,”I’ll follow him!”
Yulin and the rest of the people follow Yuqi into the living compound, worried that Yuqi might do something stupid.
Qiqi’s parents were watching TV in the house, and were quite shocked when they were met by Yuqi followed by Yulin and other people when they opened up the door after the bell rang.
“Is Qiqi here?” Asked Yuqi as he pushed Yulin away.
“Oh, she’s in internship.”
“Has she ever come back these days?”
“No.”
“Did that bitch…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Shouted Yulin immediately as he pushed Yuqi to the back and said to Qiqi’s parents:”Yuqi is just kinda out of his mind now, I hope you don’t mind.”
“Are you…twins?” Asked Qiqi’s mother.
“Yeah, I’m the younger one.”
“Oh, I was wondering why you guys look so alike!” Smiled Qiqi’s mother,”May I ask why you’re looking for Qiqi?”
“We just want to drop by to say hi to her. We’ll just go since she’s, uh, not here.” Smiled Anna.
“Should we call Qiqi to ask her about these things?” Said Qiqi’s mother to her husband after Yuqi and the other people were gone.
“Calling her right now.”
Soon the call went through to Qiqi and her parents told her what just happened.
“Just ignore them, mom, they probably just don’t have other things to be busy with.”
As for Yuqi’s gang, the argument was still going on.
“Can’t you just think twice before you jump to actions? You’re only pushing her further away from you!”
“You should feel lucky that Qiqi didn’t tell her parents what happened these days. If you ever make her parents worried, there’s no chance for you to see her again!”
“I told you we’re here to help, okay!”
“Hey? Are you even listening?”
“But why is she running away from me?” Murmured Yuqi, head down,”I just don’t understand.”
“Let’s stop thinking about it for now, you still need more rest!” Said Yulin as he patted on Yuqi’s shoulder.
“More? Qiqi’s driving me crazy!”
“Both of you need time, okay?”
“I can’t wait!”
“You must! You must have faith in this, okay? She will come back for you sooner or later!”
Sooner or later? Yuqi had already lost all his faith.
Three months later in Qiqi’s apartment, she stood in the center of the living room and took a glance over the whole place after she packed all her things up. Soon, she noticed two little heads peeking form the door.
“Come on in, kids!”
The two kids walked in and hugged Qiqi from both sides.
“Are you really leaving?”
“Yeah, back to school.” Smiled Qiqi.
“We’ll miss you…”
“Just call me whenever you miss me, okay?”
“Will you come back for us?”
“Of course! I’ll be back with toys and snacks in every holiday!” Smiled Qiqi as she took two books out of her bag,”Here are my gifts to you, I wish you will have learned everything from them by the time I come back again, okay?”
“We will!”
Qiqi stood up and walked to the door, where there was one of her colleague that just arrived.
“Is the car here already?”
“No, there someone that would like to speak with you.”
“Me?”
“Seems to be a pretty girl, Qiqi, with fancy sunglasses and hat. You should learn something about makeups and clothing sometimes, or it would be a waste of your beauty!”
Qiqi just smiled and rolled her eyes over. She trotted to the end of the hallway and stopped at the back of Anna.
“I know it! Your perfume sold you out, Anna!”
“Qiqi! You look great!” Smiled Anna, surprised by the look of Qiqi, whose hair was tied into a short pony tail and made her look younger and more tender.
“And you always look greater than me!” Said Qiqi,”Come on, let’s chat in my place!”
“It’s quite hard to see you, you know?” Sighed Anna as she sat down on the couch in Qiqi’s living room,”It surprises me that you can just live here for three months. Will you ever reach out for me if I don’t reach out for you?”
“I told you I’m in internships.”
“So, did it help you straight your mind out?”
“Quit much.”
“I’ll take that as a permission to talk about something else then.”
“Which is?”
“Start with…what you’ve been up to all this time.”
“Is it necessary? You wouldn’t be here if you don’t know that.” Smiled Qiqi as her eyes looked quite lost.
Chapter 553 She Needs More Time (2)
The change of the look on Qiqi’s face surprised Anna, which made Anna feel like that Qiqi just became a total stranger to her in no time. She wished that living away from all the trouble for three months may be of some help to Qiqi, but it all went to no avail.
“Why do you think so, Qiqi? It wouldn’t be hard for us to get to you, we just think that you need some time alone. We’re friends and we do care about you!”
“Okay.” Shrugged Qiqi.
“I sense misunderstandings, Qiqi.”
“Not misunderstandings, Anna, it’s just I see difference, like a gap between I and all of you.”Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
“So wide a gap that we can’t even be friends?”
“We’re still friends, but…changed.”
“Could you just tell me what’s in your mind?” Said Annam, trying her best not to sound annoyed.
“Friends are ought to be equal, right? But we’re not.” Said Qiqi, arms threw around her knees.
“How so?”
“You care about me, but they way you do it feels like judging me from your own views without even asking me whether I really want what you’ve planned out foe me.”
“So…that’s the conclusion you got after all this time.”
“Quite of a big leap, isn’t it?”
“From being smart to being dumb again.” Sighed Anna,”It’s…true that we didn’t tell you everything about Yuqi. The doctor told us that he might end up being brain-dead. The thing is that all of us thought at least one of us had told you about it but in fact none of us did. By the time we realized it you were already there taking care of Yuqi day and nights, so we just…keep that a secret to you.”
“What’s with the Jake, then?” Asked Qiqi after a while of silence.
“It still pisses me off now. Jake is a liar, and Chuxue did it to knock his mask off and show you who that bastard really is! She didn’t tell us how she plan it, but there’s one thing for sure: the gangster were not sent by Chuxue, she would never just stand by watching if you’re caught in danger!”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Can you just stop doing this, Qiqi? Let’s be honest with each other!”
“I don’t think I’ve said anything wrong, Anna. These thing may annoy me back in the old days but…after all the time I spent thinking back on us, none of those drama ever displease me again.”
“So what is your conclusion?”
“We’re different, like I said, not the same type of people that should stick around.”
“Of all the years we spent together, Qiqi.” Exclaimed Anna,”This is your answer to me?”
“Easy, Anna.” Said Qiqi calmly,”I’m glad to see you being happy with people around you, being a better girl with their help. We’ve been on this journey together, and it’s time for you to leave me and be on the way with someone else.”
“Am I still a friend to you?”
“Of course.”
“Then why don’t you try to be one of us again?”
“I’m ordinary, Qiqi, not like any of you.”
“What about Yuqi?”
“I don’t deserve him.” Uttered Qiqi as agony shimmered in her eyes of sorrow.
“Jesus!” Shouted Anna,”You’re just a twenty years old girl, can’t you just man up? All the dreams we had, the plans we made, how can you just ditch them away?”
“Anything wrong about it?”
“I forbid it!”
“You really sound Anna, Anna the superstar.” Said Qiqi calmly.
A few kids came into the room and stayed around Qiqi before Anna got to continue.
“Is this the star, Qiqi, the, uh, Anna Xie?” Asked one of the kids.
“Yeah, in the flesh.” Smile Qiqi.
“Wow, it’s really her!”
Anna could only withhold her anger and smiled to the kids as well, glancing over Qiqi every now and then and kept waiting for the kids to leave.
“Would you like to take a picture with her?” Asked Qiqi.
“Really?”
“Yeah, she’s very easy-going!”
“Hooray!”
Looking up to Qiqi, Anna moved her lips and said “You bastard” to Qiqi in silence and was met with “You’re welcome” from Qiqi, in silence as well. One after another, kids took pictures with Anna in turns as if they were at a tourist site.
“Take your time, kids!” Said Qiqi as she slowly walked backward, and eventually, she turned around and left the house as soon as she reached the door.
“Hey, Qiqi! Wait!” Anna tried to followed Qiqi, but the kids all stopped her.
As for Qiqi, she ran out of the house and stopped a few blocks away on a quite street. She stopped putting up her fake smile, right after which she came across Yuqi, who was as shocked as her.
“I knew it…” Murmured Qiqi.
But she was met with silence. To Yuqi’s surprise, he found nothing in his heart to say after all these days dying to look for Qiqi. There she was right in front of him at that moment but he found himself speechless. He followed Anna to this place without Anna knowing, and he never saw it coming that he would meet Qiqi again, in such a bizarre coincidence.
“You’re with Anna?”
“Technically, no. I followed her.”
“Pity, Anna and I had a little chat.”
“About?”
“How much do you want to know?”
“All of it.”
“You can just…ask Anna about it.” Qiqi looked away from Yuqi’s eyes as the look on his face seemed to be growing more enthusiastic. But Yuqi grabbed Qiqi by her wrist as she walked pass him. As if burnt by the warmth in the hand, Qiqi shook Yuqi’s hand off her quickly and took a step back, like Yuqi was a vile monster.
“Are you…still mad at me?” Murmured Yuqi.
“Why would I?”
“I don’t know…I just know that I annoyed you somehow, which is probably why you’re hiding here.”
“Not at all.” Smiled Qiqi,”It has nothing to do with you.”
The smile one Qiqi’s face was probably the worst expression on her that Yuqi could ever imagine, a smile that seemed so distant and lost. As much as Yuqi wanted to spend the rest of his life with Qiqi whatever the cost, he managed to stay calm, thanks to everyone around him.
“Who am I to you?” Asked Yuqi after he took a deep breath.
“Memory, beautiful one.”
“Any chance to be part of your future?”
“No. You’re too fabulous to be in a life of ordinariness.”
Ordinariness? So that’s the life Qiqi favored.
“I see.” Sighed Yuqi, and Qiqi sensed the agony and sorrow in his voice.
“For real?”
“For real?”
“Farewell, Yuqi.”
“Farewell.”
But the answer from Yuqi was way too quick, it didn’t sound true at all.
“I guess Anna got caught in her fans, right? I’ll help her out.” Smiled Yuqi.
“You can get inside by a rear entrance.”
“We’re probably heading to the same place, but…I won’t bothering asking you to join me. Goodbye, Qiqi.”
Frowned and confused, Qiqi was baffled by the feeling in her heart. It was supposed to be a day of relief to her, why everything just changed so subtly as long as Yuqi showed up?
Qiqi headed back to school and put up her smile again, a smile that has a politeness of perfection that would neither flatter people or make them feel being treated unfairly, a smile that Qiqi would never be capable of playing before. She a people-pleaser back in the old days, wishing to make everyone happy regardless of where it would lead her to. After all this time, she learned not to care about the comments anymore.
Along the way, she was met with quite many of her old friends greeting her all the time.
“It’s been a while last time we met, Qiqi!”
“Congrats! I heard you made it to the school you’ve been reaming of!”
“I don’t see your boyfriend, Qiqi, where is he?”
“What boyfriend?” Qiqi was confused.
“Come no, Yuqi Mu! Don’t you tell me that you’ve forgot how he revealed his love to you, girl, that makes you just the most enviable girl in the campus!”
“He, uh, is not my boyfriend?”
“Don’t be timid, Qiqi, we all know it!”
“But…”
“Anyway, I’ll catch you up later!”
Fine, whatever they say.
Qiqi headed back to her dorm and went for showering. She picked her phone up afterward and found unanswered calls from Chuxue. She stared at the numbers for a while and decided to call back.
“Qiqi! How can you just come back without telling us! You still owe us a dinner!”
“Sorry, Chuxue, thing’s have been busy on me.”
“I don’t care, girl! When will you set up the dinner for us?”
“Anytime, I made some money these months, so whenever you want to.”
“Really? I’ll gather our friends up then!”
“Sure!”
“I’ll tell you the time and place, girl, and don’t you stand us up again!”
“I won’t.”
Chuxue hanged up the phone with relief, thinking that Anna may have exaggerated things a bit to far to her since Qiqi sounded quite well. She booked a yacht for dinner and gathered up her friends that night, waiting for Qiqi to come.
Qiqi did plan to be there on time but, again, she got lost on the way. After half an hour trying her best to orient herself, she finally got to the yacht.
“Sorry, guys.” Said Qiqi as she sat down by the table,”I got lost.”
“Finally, Qiqi, I’m starving!” Exclaimed Chuxue out of delight.