TPIL - 33

A reckless woman, a shameless terrorist, an alien invading Earth.

Qi Xiaochuan never imagined that one day he would associate these thoughts with Luo Andi. But if he traced back, he had similar views in the past—only now they were uncontrollable. On the day of his discharge, after his secretary begged him with threats to his career, Luo Andi reluctantly returned to work. Qi Xiaochuan completed his discharge procedures and encountered Su Yining on the first floor as he was leaving.

So, after the girlfriend leaves, the boyfriend comes? Thinking this is some kind of relay race?

Qi Xiaochuan was in a bad mood. He lazily nodded as he passed by without even bothering to greet Su Yining, but Su suddenly said: “Isn’t it too late to play the sympathy card now?”

The man who had just come off the operating table a few days ago turned back, unable to tolerate it any longer, and replied: “Have you ever seen anyone nearly kill themselves over a mere woman?”

Su Yining looked at him with an extremely resentful gaze, almost making one think he was about to imitate the concubines from palace dramas and say something like “Without entering the tiger’s den, how can one catch the tiger cubs? Though risky, this plan has great odds of success.” Surprisingly, he merely responded: “Romeo? Xiao Baojuan? Hua Wuque?”

Qi Xiaochuan ignored him, rolling his eyes as he prepared to leave.

But Su Yining followed him.

“Mr. Su seems to have a lot of time. Are you here for a medical check-up?” Qi Xiaochuan asked mockingly, “Do you need me to show you the way? The psychiatric department is over there.”

However, Su Yining said: “Where is Miss Luo? She said she’d come to take care of you, but I didn’t see her.”

Why are you asking me about your girlfriend? Qi Xiaochuan swallowed his subtext and took this opportunity to express what was on his mind. “You should communicate with her properly so she doesn’t come up with some crazy plans out of the blue. Since you’ve decided to be together, you should communicate more…” This earnest advice didn’t fit his usual style, causing him to stumble halfway through, feeling goosebumps all over. However, what he truly wanted to say came after much hesitation—a line so familiar that he unconsciously mimicked the other person’s tone when saying it: “You must… treat her well.”

As if hesitating, Su Yining replied: “I haven’t seen her since that day.”

“…”

“She said she needed to think and mentioned she didn’t dislike me.” Su Yining looked at him, his usual arrogance completely gone, standing before him now as just another ordinary, disheartened man. “I was very confident initially. But—”

He didn’t continue, but the implication of his pause was clear.

“Then she sent me a message early in the morning rejecting me.”

At first, Su Yining even suspected that one of her admirers had stolen her phone to send the message. Forgive him for being so confident, but the kindness he received from Luo Andi indeed led to this misunderstanding. He couldn’t figure out why she rejected him, so he called her back.

“Did you threaten her? Or did you brainwash her with some nonsense?” Su Yining wasn’t angry or embarrassed, just purely displeased as he sized him up. “Otherwise, how could she change her mind so suddenly?”

Qi Xiaochuan looked back at him. This second-generation heir set to replace the first generation was undoubtedly lucky, born as a favored son of heaven. He himself was not incapable either, smoothly navigating life’s journey, effortlessly gaining admiration from many. However, at this moment, he truly appeared hopelessly foolish.

So that’s how it is.

Qi Xiaochuan’s lips trembled, finally breaking into a cold laugh, unable to conceal his sarcasm: “You really don’t know anything about Luo Andi, do you?”

The driver was still waiting outside. These days, he attended PTSD counseling sessions more times than the victim himself. It was hard to explain, but the moment he received a new work assignment, the unease caused by witnessing the injury scene dissipated entirely. Qi Xiaochuan exuded an aura of decisiveness; though young, he rarely smiled, enjoyed listening to useful suggestions, and understood the wisdom of speaking less.

After being discharged, the first place he went to wasn’t home but the company.

Recalling that it was the secretary who successfully persuaded Luo Andi to go to work today instead of staying at the hospital, he gave the instruction, “Take your time with work, no need to rush.” Such rare consideration from his boss was surprising, not pleasantly but rather shockingly. Worried that his boss might be terminally ill and trying to be virtuous before going to hell, the secretary made a special trip to the president’s office to check on him. Naturally, he was scared away by Qi Xiaochuan threatening to file a transfer application via email.

In a few days, he was supposed to go to the hospital to change his medication, but to save time, he was forced to sign an agreement with a private doctor. Being able to solve things with money was already a stroke of luck. Compared to that, the lawyer had already contacted him, and he had to consider suing the attacker. Just thinking about it made his head ache. Using work as an excuse, Qi Xiaochuan avoided everything he wasn’t prepared to face.

Shaving in the private washroom at the company, holding the razor, he couldn’t help but recall Luo Andi. When she returned from Canada, she had taken his razor, and eventually returned it to him in the car.

“Andi, why have you been wearing the same clothes lately?”

“Oh, because I’m preparing to move.” Luo Andi smiled at her colleagues, “I’ve packed up some things.”

Colleagues were surprised: “But I remember you haven’t rented your current apartment for long. Is the contract expiring?”

“No.”

“Have you found a place to live?”

“Hahaha, I want to live with someone I know, but I’m not sure if I can move in yet.”

“You, you, you! What’s wrong with you!” A female colleague who worked with her was quite anxious, “Are you so liked and protected that you don’t realize how difficult life is these days? You need to be more practical. Those men who revolve around you, let me tell you, none of them are good! You’re too dependent on them!”

Stimulated by this passionate outburst, Luo Andi instinctively took a step back. It was the first time she heard such an argument and slowly smiled, responding: “Is that so? I’ll change.”

“Words alone won’t do. You need to take action!”

“Mm-hmm,” Luo Andi was already preparing to go to work and left another topic behind as she walked away, “You also remember to take care of yourself. Your mother’s issue hasn’t been fully resolved yet. Take good care of yourself.”

Her workplace friend, named “Xiao Ruo,” often complained to her about life’s trivialities, one of which was her mother entering rehab. Mentioning this, she wanted to say more, but Luo Andi had to go to her post, so she had to stop.

On the crowded subway ride home, her phone rang softly, but she didn’t hear it among the crowd. It wasn’t until she entered the convenience store that she saw the message. Qi Xiaochuan asked: “Is the luggage by my entrance yours?”

She called him back. Pedestrians were bustling around. He had just showered, and the first thing he said when he answered was “Take your stuff back,” as unyielding as ever.

Luo Andi, however, ignored it: “Have you eaten?”

Qi Xiaochuan had many lines he wanted to say, but involuntarily answered her question: “... No, have you?”

“I just got off work and am starving,” her voice slid down the smooth wall of conversation slowly, “I really want to eat a big meal.”

He fell silent.

Qi Xiaochuan asked: “Where are you now?”

“On my way home.” She said.

“When you get there, don’t go upstairs. I’ll be right over.”

Luo Andi laughed lightly: “Going to eat something delicious? That’s great.”

“Mm,” Qi Xiaochuan was extremely impatient, incredibly impatient, impatient to the extreme, “Don’t you want to eat?”

She hung up, put the bubble tea and rice triangle she was planning to buy back, and walked out of the convenience store. Her mood unknowingly improved, causing her to swing her handbag. As the sky darkened, she went upstairs when she got home, changed the cat litter, and added cat food. Lying on the sofa for a while, she didn’t receive any contact, so she slowly went downstairs. Unexpectedly, the familiar car was already waiting there.

Qi Xiaochuan spent too much time hesitating. Finding himself seeking her again and again was overly eager. He wasn’t without pride, pulling out his phone and pausing on the contacts interface, wavering whether to call or not. After struggling for half a day, Luo Andi appeared behind the windshield.

“Xiaochuan,” she quickly opened the car door, smiling as she got in, “Have you been waiting long? Why didn’t you say anything when you arrived? Sorry, I was checking on MacQueen.”

He lied calmly: “I haven’t been waiting long.”

“That’s good. What are we eating?”

Entering the restaurant, sitting face-to-face, handing the menu back to the waiter, Qi Xiaochuan then said: “I remember you liking French cuisine.”

Surprisingly, even Qi Xiaochuan himself was astonished that he remembered. Luo Andi reacted similarly: “You still remember? I used to love it when I was little.”

“Don’t you like it anymore?” He casually asked, realizing something was off after a few seconds. The question carried a sense of déjà vu, but unfortunately, the other party didn’t notice.

“Mm, I like it.” Luo Andi smiled, “Drinking wine paired with dishes makes one feel good.”

Feeling guilty, he covered his face and coughed: “That’s good.”

The atmosphere was perfect. The sommelier approached, pouring the wine and introducing: “Our chef became the sous-chef of a Michelin three-star restaurant at the age of twenty. We wish you both a wonderful evening.”

Qi Xiaochuan only nodded, while Luo Andi replied with a “thank you.” The dinner that night was indeed excellent. Even with limited knowledge, Qi Xiaochuan could make the simplest evaluation, and even so, he could feel its quality. Luo Andi should understand it too. Although she didn’t say much, she kept smiling.

Was it that delicious? Did it make her so happy? Could eating good food make her happy?

Qi Xiaochuan silently stared at her.

Luo Andi lowered her eyes, then raised her head again, her smile deepening. She said: “Eating with Xiaochuan feels like a dream.”

“A dream?” That was a word he disliked, bringing back no good memories. “Why?”

She frankly said: “Because it’s so happy. Eating with Xiaochuan feels like a dream come true.”

It felt like a needle piercing his heart.

Qi Xiaochuan felt as if a needle had pierced his heart—it hurt, but it wasn’t just pain. Because of that sudden sharp pain, he clearly recalled that there was still an organ stubbornly existing inside him, as if to remind him of the impending disaster. Love was an unavoidable, inescapable tsunami. There was nothing he could do. After a long silence, he could only ask: “Is the dessert good? Do you want another serving?”

After the meal, the chef personally came out to greet them. Luo Andi handled the conversation—friendly, polite, and kind. As they spoke, Qi Xiaochuan observed from the side.

It was already very late when they left.

Having eaten a lot, the two went for a walk by the nearby river.

Bathed in the neon lights from across the river, Qi Xiaochuan finally said: “Why did you leave your luggage by my entrance?”

“Moving in abruptly wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?” Luo Andi walked and tilted her head up, closing her eyes contentedly as she replied, “But I still wanted you to know that I’ve made my decision.”

“You…” He paused, quite unsure of what to say, “It’s my fault. I was too presumptuous. When I first heard about your background, I felt sorry for you. All these years, I didn’t try to find you earlier, only thinking about how to make myself feel better—”

She said: “It’s not your fault, Xiaochuan. Besides, Father was very concerned about appearances and deliberately spread rumors that we were going abroad.”

“I feel bad.”

“Don’t feel bad.”

“But I do feel bad.”

Their conversation carried a silliness only they wouldn’t disdain. Luo Andi looked at him while Qi Xiaochuan kept his head down. Suddenly, they both laughed.

Qi Xiaochuan only curled his lips slightly, while Luo Andi laughed until she bent over. In this posture, her hair swayed like fish fins, and her common yet radiant smile sparkled in the night. She looked at him, and his expression froze on his face. Hoping to look at her a bit longer, reality wouldn’t allow it.

Luo Andi suddenly noticed something.

An elderly couple dressed simply stood by the roadside. When they saw Luo Andi, they approached. They claimed to be country folks visiting the city for medical treatment but were too poor to afford food, thus asking for twenty yuan to buy something to eat. Facing such begging, Luo Andi frowned uncomfortably: “Sorry, I may not be able to give you money…” With her statement, they didn’t insist further.

However, Luo Andi didn’t give up. She looked around and finally spotted something. She ran off and returned with two hot dogs bought from a street vendor, still warm, placed in a plastic bag, and handed them to the elderly couple.

When Luo Andi returned, Qi Xiaochuan had been leaning against the railing waiting for a while. She panted slightly, and he observed her wind-tousled hair and the sweat on her temples.

He said indifferently: “They’re scammers.”

She didn’t hesitate at all, as if she had expected it, cheerfully replying: “If it can reduce one person’s hardship, it’s a good thing.”

Exactly.

Only now did Qi Xiaochuan hazily recall. Like her, extending a helping hand to others, understanding insincerity and honeyed words no less than him.

“Just a little food. If they want it, if I can provide it, it’s fine.” Luo Andi just smiled, “If they need it, giving it to them is fine too.”

It’s not okay.

In the gently flowing river breeze, he looked at her.

Even if they want it, even if they ask you for it.

You cannot give it to them.

Uneasy from guessing every disappointment she might have felt, angry at his own inability to always protect her.

Qi Xiaochuan easily maintained a stoic face, speaking slowly and deliberately to Luo Andi: “I want to live with you.”