Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Ji Qingyu's drowsiness...

Ji Qingyu's drowsiness was all scared away by the photos sent by Ma Yu. In the photos, Ruan Jing was buying daily necessities at a convenience store, and Ma Yu took a picture of the moment she took off her mask.

She didn't seem to be doing well, wearing an oversized long trench coat, and messages from Ma Yu kept coming in.

"She went to a small hotel nearby."

"She seemed quite cautious, as if she was afraid someone would find her."

"I'll send you the address."

"I understand, I'll go check it out tomorrow." He gripped his phone tightly in the darkness; he was destined to be sleepless tonight.

The next morning, just as Ji Qingyu was about to leave, several posts were forwarded in the stage play's work group.

Messages kept pouring in the group, and soon it surpassed 99+.

When Ji Qingyu clicked on it, she found that the video of yesterday's interview had gone viral, and Ji Ran's story had been brought up again.

In the video, Ji Qingyu wore a simple cashmere sweater, looking very gentle and having a homely, mild-mannered feel. His temperament was like the April rain, carrying an unyielding melancholy. His hair was tied up in a small bun.

"What angle was this taken from?" Ji Qingyu wondered. "How did they manage to make him look so good?" Netizens were raving in the comments section.

Ji Qingyu didn't have any public social media accounts, so people spontaneously flocked to the comment section of Fu's Group's official account.

"Could you ask your company president's wife to release more songs? Photos are fine too."

"He's so handsome, does President Fu have bad eyesight? Why would he like Ji Ran?"

"Speaking of which, why did we ship Fu Han and Ji Ran before? Wasn't it because of that famous video of Fu Han watching several of Ji Ran's concerts? Maybe he was listening to Ji Qingyu's songs..."

Now that you mention it…

The official Weibo account also joined in the fun, reposting Ji Qingyu's interview video. The sharp questions were cut out, and the live broadcast clips were also suppressed, so it did not cause a great impact.

Ji Qingyu stared at the comments for a while, until the 30-minute interview video finished playing, before he suddenly came to his senses, put away his phone, and prepared to leave.

The hotel was located on a dilapidated old street. Ji Qingyu walked down the alley and saw the small hotel in appalling condition. It was hidden among residential buildings, with a sign pasted on with red washi tape, and mold spots on the walls.

Ji Qingyu felt he wasn't dressed warmly enough; the thin coat made him feel a bit cold.

When he went inside, he saw a thief-like figure. Ma Yu was already waiting for him downstairs and hurriedly waved him over.

Ji Qingyu wore a scarf and a mask. It was his first time doing this kind of ambush, and he wasn't very good at it. They waited on the first floor of the hotel, and unexpectedly, it went smoothly. Not long after, they bumped into Ruan Jing, who was about to leave.

She still looked haggard, wearing sunglasses, and screamed in fright at Ji Qingyu and Ma Yu.

Ruan Jing tried to hide and ran to the second floor. Ji Qingyu and Ma Yu exchanged a glance and hurriedly chased after her. In the end, Ma Yu grabbed her. Ruan Jing struggled desperately, terrified. Ji Qingyu tried to calm Ruan Jing down: "Don't be afraid. We're not here to hurt you. We just want to find out what happened back then."

Ruan Jing knew she couldn't escape, so she covered her face and cried. She didn't look into Ji Qingyu's eyes, but just murmured to herself, "I can't help it, I'm sorry... I'm sorry, my family are just ordinary people, we can't afford to offend Ji Ran. He told me to take the money and never come back."

"Ji Ran told you not to come back, so why are you still here?" Ji Qingyu handed Ruan Jing a bottle of water. He was also puzzled, but still said, "Don't worry, I've thought about what happened back then, and I don't blame you."

“Our family is in too much debt. I… I’m desperate. I have no choice but to come back to Ji Ran. I want him to help me pay off my debts, or I’ll tell everyone. I’m going to tell Fu Han. Anyway, I have no hope in my life, and Ji Ran won’t have an easy time either…” Ruan Jing cried bitterly, her hair disheveled, broken and in pain. The small hotel was poorly decorated, but it was still expensive because it was in Beijing. “I’m sorry, Ji Qingyu. You don’t know how much I’ve suffered all these years. I always think about what happened back then… I keep having nightmares. I’m sorry.”

Ji Qingyu's fingers twitched slightly, his fingertips trembling as he felt a pang of sadness. A cold wind seeped into his clothes, and he shivered twice.

How could he not hate Ruan Jing? But he felt sorry for her more than anything. If he were in Ruan Jing's situation, could he have avoided being threatened and manipulated? He didn't know.

He remained silent for a while, his thoughts racing, and finally sighed inwardly.

"Aren't you afraid of danger if you go to see Ji Ran by yourself?" Ji Qingyu said. "I'll go to see him. You should go to a nice hotel first. I'm still useful to him, so he won't do anything to me."

Ruan Jing's eyes were red and her hair was messy. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just grabbed his hand and asked, "After that incident, how have you been?"

Ji Qingyu smiled and said, "It's fine."

Ji Qingyu looked at Ruan Jing, who was about the same age as him, but looked so haggard. Cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable; it applies to everyone.

He didn't speak. Ruan Jing choked back tears, and said in a trembling voice, "I'll tell you something, I'll tell you something that none of them know..."

“I saw it…” Ruan Jing’s eyes widened, as if she was about to reveal a secret buried for many years, a secret whose fuse had been lit too deep, and had not yet burned out after so long. “Back then, I saw Ji Ran hugging an adult, and later I found out on TV that the person was…”

Autumn in Beijing was cold. The small hotel was in dire straits; the sofa in the corridor had several holes, and the fleece blanket was tattered. When Ji Qingyu heard that name, it felt like she had been hit hard on the head with a hammer.

He took a few deep breaths, and a thin mist dissipated into the air. He heard a buzzing sound in his ears, and Ruan Jing burst into tears.

"You, you're not seeing things, are you?" Ji Qingyu found it unbelievable; how could this be?

“That’s right, there’s no way it could be wrong.” Revealing a secret she’d kept for so many years, Ruan Jing seemed somewhat relieved. “I also thought it was impossible, but it’s true, this matter is real…”

Ji Qingyu's wrist started to hurt again, and he suddenly relaxed, unable to catch his breath for a long time.

He found it utterly absurd and almost burst out laughing.

So that's how it is, so that's what it means. The doubts of many years have been resolved today. Ji Qingyu wanted to laugh, but felt mostly wistful.

"Brother Ma, she's all yours now. Take her away from here." Ji Qingyu slipped some money to Ruan Jing and pushed her out. He rarely contacted Ji Qingyu, but now he wanted to dial that number. He murmured, "I need to talk to Ji Ran."

Ma Yu was unaware of the inside story and just looked at Ji Qingyu with concern. "Be careful. Contact me if anything happens. Qingyu, I know you're under a lot of pressure right now, but you should know that even if you have nothing, you can still go farming with your brother Ma. I've contracted such a big orchard, and we're really short-handed."

“I know,” Ji Qingyu said. “Don’t worry.”

This wasn't the first time he'd lost everything; he could handle this kind of situation.

After Ma Yu and the still-devastated Ruan Jing left, he went to a convenience store and bought a pack of the cheapest cigarettes. He clumsily lit the cigarettes with a lighter, and smoke billowed up.

He calmed himself down for a long time, suppressed his inner thoughts, took a few deep breaths, and then dialed the number, only to hear a few waiting prompts.

"Oh, what a rare guest!" Ji Ran answered the phone with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

“Let’s meet,” Ji Qingyu said, her voice tight. “When are you free?”

"Anytime is fine. My work has been delayed lately, all thanks to you," Ji Ran said cheerfully. "Let's meet at the coffee shop this afternoon."

"good."

After hanging up the phone, Ji Qingyu continued smoking. He had specifically bought a strong cigarette, and the pungent smell filled the air when he took the first puff. He choked several times, and tears welled up in his eyes. He reached out and grabbed the railing at the entrance of the convenience store.

On the way to the coffee shop by taxi, Ji Qingyu still found it hard to believe that the news he had heard was true. Although he knew that Ji Ran often did things that were different from ordinary people, he did not expect him to be so crazy.

The coffee shop was not crowded. A little sunlight shone through, and the wooden chairs were connected together. Embroidered cushions and exquisite tableware were neatly arranged. Ji Ran ordered a table full of desserts.

It was the same familiar spot. The aroma of coffee was slightly bitter. Ji Ran arrived early, but seemed a little down. He was lying on the table, playing a match-3 game on his phone.

He was dressed casually, his oversized denim jacket covering his hands, revealing only his knuckles. He still had that superstar air about him, wearing sunglasses, his features handsome and beautiful, like a delicate porcelain doll. In front of him was a glass of lemon soda, ice cubes almost overflowing, bubbles bursting one by one.

Ji Qingyu looked at Ji Ran and still felt she couldn't understand him. He was so aloof, as if they lived in two different worlds. Ji Ran's world was like an unreal bubble.

Ji Ran, resting his chin on his hand, finally passed another hurdle. He looked up at Ji Qingyu and forced a smile: "You're here?"

The music from the mobile game was loud. Ji Ran wasn't wearing headphones and didn't intend to turn off the game. He picked up a straw and bit it a couple of times, making a clinking sound as the ice cubes collided.

Ji Ran raised an eyebrow: "Why are you looking at me like that? Sit down. It's rare for you to take the initiative to find me. What's up? Is there any progress on the data I asked you to photograph?"

Ji Qingyu didn't answer. He sat down opposite him without any pleasantries. His hands were clasped together under the table, clenched tightly. The person in front of him disgusted him. He stared straight into Ji Ran's eyes and cut to the chase: "You and Fu Yunsheng are having an affair?"

Ji Ran stood there, stunned, for several seconds without saying a word. Then, he rested his chin on his hand, slowly picked up a piece of cake with his fork, finally turned off the game, propped his elbows on the table, and looked over with a cold gaze.