TPIL - 44

He pulled her along, not caring about anything else. Most of the people were stunned, though a few sharp-eyed reporters broke free and recognized Qi Xiaochuan, relentlessly snapping photos. It wasn’t until they stepped outside that Qi Xiaochuan remembered he had come by car. The awkwardness was akin to dramatically entering a scene with background music, drawing a gun on a monster only to find it empty, or buying a diamond ring but realizing the credit card for the “pigeon’s egg” wouldn’t work. In short, it was excruciatingly embarrassing.

Fortunately, a taxi happened to pull up right in front of them.

Behind them were curious predators; ahead was the only path to salvation. Without looking back, Qi Xiaochuan even held Luo Andi’s shoulder when she tried to turn her head. He decisively opened the taxi door and gently pushed her inside.

Luo Andi was pressed into the soft leather seat, but noticed he didn’t intend to get in. Qi Xiaochuan turned his face away, gazing at a spot not far off as he mentally calculated the next steps. Thankfully, there was still some shred of privacy awareness left in the crowd—they hadn’t followed.

He asked her, “Did you bring money?”

“Hmm? Ah, yes,” she stammered in reply.

“That’s good.” He moved to close the car door.

Suddenly, Luo Andi held the door open, her flat shoes’ heels pressing against the asphalt. She tilted her head up and called out to him, “Little Xiao.” Before he could fully process it, without hesitation or preparation, she abruptly rose and kissed him.

The car door remained open for a moment. When the driver turned around in confusion, the female passenger had already returned to her seat and closed the door. The taxi sped away, leaving the man who had seen her off standing in place.

As the road behind them gradually disappeared in the rearview mirror, the car radio switched to soothing music. Yet, her racing heart refused to calm. Determined, Luo Andi propped herself up on her elbow, leaning back to look through the rear windshield. She could still see Qi Xiaochuan—he stood motionless, his expression unreadable. For some reason, instead of feeling guilty or embarrassed, she couldn’t help but smile.

Her fingertips tingled faintly, her breathing quivered, and blood rushed to her cheeks, yet Luo Andi felt no panic at all.

The car drove all the way back home. She paid the fare, got out, and hummed a tune as she climbed the stairs. Upon entering, Alexander McQueen—the black cat—immediately ran over. She bent down to stroke the three-legged feline’s head, boiled water, then stepped out. Suddenly, the door opened.

This residence had originally been arranged by Su Yining, and because he was indeed gentlemanly enough, he had kept the spare key. She never showed any dissatisfaction, assuming Su Yining, the heir to a large corporation, was simply a real estate agent. She even recommended him to someone else looking to rent. Su Yining mistakenly thought it was a test from her and enthusiastically made time to assist, only to realize something was off after the second and third referrals. Eventually, he found time to explain that he wasn’t a real estate broker.

Su Yining had previously mentioned his family background, but formally introducing his family business was a first. Though nervous, he wasn’t entirely without confidence. Typically, girls either approached him knowing exactly who he was, or became ecstatic upon finding out, as if they’d won free tickets to a Mayday concert plus a seven-day trip to Hawaii. But Luo Andi showed no reaction, treating the news of his parents being construction workers the same way.

At this moment, he had merely taken a call from his father’s secretary—everything was proceeding as planned. Or so it should have been. But when he returned to the main hall, what greeted him wasn’t the anticipated happy ending but the aftermath of a dragon fleeing with a princess. He chased after them, only to see Qi Xiaochuan storming back, meeting everyone’s anticipation of yet another shocking act, his expression dark and composed.

No matter how hard he tried, Su Yining couldn’t figure out what Qi Xiaochuan had done.

All he knew was that without a word, Qi Xiaochuan had taken charge, grabbing the microphone to inform the reporters to contact his secretary for transportation and writing fees. Once everything was settled, he sought out the store manager. The two whispered to each other, heads bowed.

In the end, Su Yining decided to go directly to Luo Andi.

Luo Andi was heating up two portions of cat food—one for McQueen, the other drizzled with soy sauce for herself. Slowly, she replied, “Nothing happened.”

“Uh,” Su Yining, rarely at a loss for words, continued nonetheless, “But you’ve already met Elder Qu, right?”

“Qu Guozhong?” Luo Andi looked at him.

Su Yining’s lines finally flowed more smoothly, a smile floating on his cheeks: “Yes… He was your father’s friend, right? He also told me many stories about you as a child. I had no idea your father was Mr. Luo… Elder Qu mentioned he feels somewhat indebted to you, having no other children. He wants to leave all his inheritance to you!”

The focus of his speech was crystal clear. Luo Andi silently set down her utensils and, with composure, looked at him. She showed no signs of resistance, disgust, or anger. The woman simply said, “Actually, I don’t want it.”

“Andi, don’t be impulsive,” Su Yining’s smile never wavered. “That’s no small sum of money.”

“It’s not about the amount…”

“That money is enough to elevate you across social classes. Besides, it’s rightfully yours, isn’t it? Elder Qu intended to share it with your father.”

Luo Andi lowered her head, like a bird resting in the rain, burying her face in its feathers: “Then he should have given it to my father, not me.”

Su Yining wasn’t impatient with her. He only wanted to break the deadlock that their conversation had inevitably fallen into. Raising his voice slightly, he said, “Your father has passed away.”

Luo Andi didn’t respond, merely watching him quietly.

“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I just really hope things can go more smoothly between us.” Su Yining realized he had misspoken, but it didn’t weigh heavily on his mind. After all, others stumbled far more frequently in conversation. Some people spoke nothing but harsh words, offending everyone they encountered. Even toward women they liked, they acted as if owed millions of yuan. Luo Andi was naturally easygoing—she forgave such people easily. How much more could his minor slip of the tongue matter?

She looked at him, eventually picking up her portion of cat food again, eating bite by bite until it was finished.

“Mr. Su,” Luo Andi said, “there’s something I want to tell you.”

Hope flickered in Su Yining’s eyes as he eagerly responded, “Go ahead.”

“I haven’t hidden anything from you—I’ve mentioned this before. But it seems you didn’t understand my meaning. Regarding you…” Luo Andi smiled faintly, her familiar expression clinging to her features, neither thin nor fragile. “I don’t feel that way.”

“What?”

“I can’t reciprocate your feelings. At the very least, I want to be honest with you. I’ve always tried to help others, hoping they can be happy. Because of this, sometimes I even consider giving up or sacrificing some things I want, as long as it fulfills others. However…” Luo Andi leaned against the window frame, the evening sun stretching its arms around her back. At some point in the past, another person had stood here with her. “I actually have someone I like.”

Her final sentence was a death sentence.

Su Yining couldn’t quite grasp what he had heard. Confusion filled his mind as he stood frozen in place.

Whether it was “someone I like” or anything else, Luo Andi had no intention of continuing.

Su Yining stood in a living room that wasn’t his, resembling a statue or just another common obstacle. Luo Andi took a call, seemingly related to work—something had gone wrong at the store, and extra hands were needed. She packed up her things, ushered Alexander McQueen into the room, and walked past him to leave.

Outside, the wind had grown cool, the sky clear. She exhaled deeply.

In fact, the call she received was related to Store One. The boss informed her that the staff on duty weren’t adept at operating the new media equipment. To ensure proper monitoring, the power couldn’t be shut off, so she was asked to return temporarily to check. It was already closing time, and taking the subway added to the delay.

Night fell earlier than usual.

Luo Andi opened the store door, and the interior was pitch black. The first thing she saw was the glowing light of the equipment. She walked over to turn it off, checking the power source. Then she remembered the handicraft book she had borrowed from the library last time—it was still at the store, nearly due for return. Guided by memory, she moved confidently to turn on the lights.

In the silence, she reached out to grope along the wall. Her palm brushed past a corner, suddenly touching an unexpected warmth. Startled, she tried to pull away but found her wrist seized instead.

Forced to press her cheek against his face, Luo Andi murmured, “Little Xiao…”

Qi Xiaochuan stared at her intently, covering her hand with his. His eyes were unexpectedly bright, their movement mesmerizing, perfectly complementing his otherwise unassuming face. Silent and unmoving, he let the atmosphere grow increasingly eerie.

Luo Andi didn’t retreat, attempting vainly to withdraw her hand. At that moment, Qi Xiaochuan advanced, relentless and chilling, pushing her into a corner where escape was impossible.

His tone carried a hint of resentment: “Why did you do that to me?”

“What? Little Xiao?” She forced a smile, laced with flattery and charm, not forgetting to add her comforting magic. “What are you referring to?”

Qi Xiaochuan appeared calmer than expected: “I’m asking why you did that to me.”

He was like a mummy wrapped in bandages, lying in a coffin, taking one last look at the gray sky before willingly sinking underground. Yet she appeared at that moment, refusing to leave no matter what, smiling endlessly, repeatedly asking why he wouldn’t say “good night.” Unable to bear it, he finally uttered “good night,” but she still didn’t leave, shining like the sun on his impending doom.

Don’t you have anything you like? Don’t you have more important things to do? Don’t you have others who need you?

There were many questions he wanted to ask, but he said nothing.

Resisting her was futile, avoiding her useless. All he could do was bow his head to her, enslaved by her. Just like now, he finally leaned down and kissed Luo Andi.