Chapter 228: Is There No Way to Salvage It?

Xu Yanfeng withdrew his gaze from outside the car window, his eyes heavy and deep like an unfathomable cold pool, fixed on her.

Ling Yan's heart trembled, her fingers clenched the skirt on her leg, not knowing which of her words just now had stepped on Xu Yanfeng's sore spot; she could only pick the most recent sentence to explain: "I, I inadvertently heard Tang Yizhou mention it, and only then learned you had prepared a share transfer contract for her. I just recalled this matter, worried you might suffer a loss."

As for the insults she hurled at Xia Xi, she had nothing to explain.

Xia Xi had done the deed of betraying Xu Yanfeng; shouldn't she be scolded?

Scolding her is too lenient; a woman of her fickle nature deserves a harsh lesson, and merely never seeing her again is too cheap a punishment.

Xu Yanfeng ignored her, looking ahead, his words meant for Fu Li: "Take me back."

Fu Li turned at the upcoming intersection, driving toward Xu Yanfeng's apartment near Nan Da.

Xu Yanfeng recognized the route: "Not going there."

That apartment was filled with traces of Xia Xi everywhere; he didn't want to see them.

Fu Li eased off the accelerator, slowing the car, unsure: "Where to?"

Xu Yanfeng closed his eyes, wearily leaning against the seat: "Anywhere."

Fu Li worried; Xu Yanfeng in this state certainly couldn't go home—his parents would ask if they saw him—so he suggested: "How about going to my place?"

Xu Yanfeng refused; he didn't want to be with anyone, just wanted to be alone to calm down.

Fu Li racked his brain for Xu Yanfeng's several properties in Nancheng, finally sending him to a villa—the one where their Student Union had held a party last time. Xu Yanfeng opened his eyes, seeing through the windshield the villa's gate, and lowered his gaze sorrowfully.

He and Xia Xi had confirmed their relationship in this very villa.

Xu Yanfeng: "Take me somewhere else."

Normally, being a driver and still being picky would have made Fu Li angry long ago, but today was different; considering Xu Yanfeng's mood, he said nothing and turned the car around to take him elsewhere.

Xia Xi's condition was too poor for drinking; she didn't even enter the bar's door, and Zhou Du shoved her back into the car.

The car moved through the night, shifting light and shadow inside, illuminating Xia Xi's curled-up figure. She leaned sideways, having taken off her shoes and placed her feet on the seat edge, arms wrapped around herself like an abandoned small animal, feeling utterly unsafe.

Zhou Du took her to his rented apartment, figuring she couldn't eat anything and didn't order takeout; after thinking it over, he called Liang Yuan.

Half an hour later, Liang Yuan rushed over in a flurry. She had a night shift that evening; today was Friday, and the mall wouldn't close until ten. She had swapped shifts on short notice, still wearing her cashier uniform, makeup on her face, hair tied back and tightly wrapped in a dark blue hair net.

"You didn't make it clear on the phone—what happened to Xi Xi?" Liang Yuan asked, panting.

Zhou Du stood at the doorway, his tall frame blocking most of the indoor light, his face in shadow, looking low-spirited. He spoke concisely: "We broke up with Xu Yanfeng. Don't ask about the extra details for now; wait until she's willing to tell you later."

"Huh?" Liang Yuan's face full of surprise, "How could that happen?"

Xia Xi liked Xu Yanfeng so much; back then she had put in a lot of effort to win him over, treating him like her heart's treasure, listening to her and Xu Yanfeng sweet-talk over the phone, each calling the other "baby," so sickly sweet—how could they have split?

Zhou Du didn't speak, turned sideways, and let her in.

Liang Yuan changed her shoes, saw Xia Xi in the living room, she was lying on her side on the sofa, covered with a thick blanket; thinking she was asleep, Liang Yuan softened her steps, but upon approaching discovered her eyes were open, tears from her left eye flowing into her right, then from the corner of her right eye trickling into her hair, dampening the sofa.

Liang Yuan crouched beside the sofa, picked up the tissue box on the coffee table, pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears, took in Zhou Du's words, didn't ask why she and Xu Yanfeng had broken up, but seeing her so distressed, it certainly wasn't because she no longer liked him.

"If you feel awful, just cry—let it all out, don't hold back; I'm here with you." Liang Yuan said, "After you've cried enough, sleep a nap; when you wake, I'll take you out to eat. I've bookmarked many great restaurants; we'll go through them one by one. Life is still long; it's no big deal. What's happened has happened—if it can be salvaged, salvage it; if not, let it go, toss it behind you. You're Xia Xi—how could you be easily knocked down?"

Liang Yuan said many things, wiping her tears as she spoke.

Zhou Du leaned against the doorframe, not entering, listening to the chattering voices inside; the worry he'd been holding eased a little—still, it's good that girls know how to comfort people; inviting Liang Yuan over was the right call.

After a while, the delivery he'd ordered arrived; he took the plastic bag and turned to go inside.

"Her knee is scraped; put some medicine on it for her." Zhou Du handed the plastic bag to Liang Yuan.

Liang Yuan lifted the blanket, rolled up Xia Xi's skirt; the wound on her knee was still fairly severe, skin broken and bleeding. Liang Yuan gently applied medicine with a cotton swab and stuck on a large waterproof bandage.

"Want to take a shower and sleep in the room?" Liang Yuan asked her.

Xia Xi shook her head.

Liang Yuan didn't urge further, staying with her in the living room.

Night had deepened; Xia Xi cried herself exhausted, her whole body fatigued, finally fell asleep, tear tracks still on her face, her skin terrible, red veins showing. Liang Yuan switched to a wet wipe to clean her face, then tiptoed to the bathroom, facing the mirror, undid the hair net at the back of her head, and washed her face clean with Zhou Du's facial cleanser.

Zhou Du's rented place is a two-bedroom, one living room; one room serves as bedroom, the other as study; he was in the study, Liang Yuan pushed the door in, and the air was thick with tobacco smoke.

Zhou Du lifted his eyelids, glanced at her, waved a hand to dispel the smoke, rose to open the window, holding a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, which he stubbed out in the ashtray.

Liang Yuan leaned against the table edge, asking him: "Do you know the reason? How did they, who were fine, suddenly break up? Is it Xu Yanfeng's fault?"

Zhou Du: "I already said—wait until she's willing to tell you, then I'll let you know."

Liang Yuan realized he was in the know: "May I be curious? Since I've known her, I've never seen Xia Xi like this."

Zhou Du gave a smirk that didn't reach his eyes: "You think I've seen it?" He lifted his chin, pointing toward the door, "Asleep?"

"She's not asleep; I think she cried herself unconscious." Liang Yuan frowned worriedly, "Is there no chance to mend things? I'll go find Xu Yanfeng. If there's something she can't bring herself to say, I'll say it for her."

Zhou Du startled, snapped: "Don't make trouble!"

Liang Yuan narrowed her eyes: "What's wrong with you? You used to dislike Xu Yanfeng, always picking fights with him, casually sniping at him a couple of sentences; now you merely mention him and you jump like someone stepped on your tail—are you afraid of him?"

Zhou Du offered no explanation: "Anyway, don't interfere. Comforting Xia Xi is your main task."

Liang Yuan braced her hands on the table's edges on either side of her body, sat up straight, leaned in to examine his face: "How did you get that cut on the corner of your mouth?" Instantly she thought of Xu Yanfeng: "I'm saying you didn't get into a fight with him, did you?"

Zhou Du clicked his tongue: "Cut it out, stop prying."

Liang Yuan stormed out angrily, grabbed the medicine she'd just used on Xia Xi, came back, applied it to him, jabbed a cotton swab hard at the corner of his mouth; seeing him grimace in pain, she felt a bit vindicated: "Just me alone knowing nothing, feeling isolated."

Zhou Du: "Don't imagine things."

Over the weekend, Xia Xi didn't go to school; the girls in the dorm worried about her, sent messages in the group tagging her, but she didn't reply; they called, she answered saying she was fine, and said nothing else.

After disappearing for over a week, Xia Xi reappeared at school to handle withdrawal procedures.

It was class time; her roommates were in the classroom, the dorm empty, Xia Xi packed alone, taking only essential items, leaving most belongings behind.

Unable to say a proper goodbye, Xia Xi wrote a note and placed it on her desk.

【If you can make use of the things I leave behind, take them; if not, throw them away. Thank you for your care over the past four years; may we meet again by fate, don't dwell on it. —Xia Xi】