initiative

initiative

I snapped back to reality, but couldn't speak. I could only hear the staff member on the other end kindly say, "Ms. Jiang, don't worry. If it's inconvenient for you to come and pick up the car, we can deliver it to the address you left."

“…Ugh.” I shook my head frantically, but it seemed like I twisted my back while cleaning last night, and it hurt terribly. I groaned with a frown.

I quickly hung up the phone and sent a message to the other party.

"Are you sure you've got the right person? I didn't buy a car."

"Ms. Jiang, these are the purchase contract, vehicle certificate, insurance card, and other documents. As for the vehicle registration and purchase tax, we have already taken care of everything for you. You just need to come over and sign them, or we can deliver them to you for you to sign."

A long string of text and accompanying documents made my head spin. I glanced at the car's picture. It was a very girly light pink, a unique and sweet color, perfect for a young and pretty girl. I immediately guessed who bought this car for me, but I didn't understand why Lin Zhi'en would spend so much money to buy me a car.

I didn't dare accept it, so I sent a message to Lin Zhi'en instead.

She added me as a friend last night, and only now have I had time to observe her account. Her profile picture is very simple, a swan in the middle of a lake, which perfectly matches my image of Lim Ji-eun; she is as noble and elegant as a swan.

I couldn't help but message her. I thanked her for being my friend, but declined her expensive gift.

The message had barely been marked as "read" when Lin Zhi'en immediately made a video call to me.

She was wearing a white sports vest and black yoga pants, revealing slender yet strong arms, with even a thin layer of muscle covering her waist and abdomen. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail. She must have been running, as sweat slowly dripped down her fair face.

"Don't like that car? Then I'll have someone get you a different one." In the video, Lin Zhi'en smiled gently and politely. @Unlimited good articles, all at Literary City

I quickly shook my head, typed with my fingers, and told her, "The car is too expensive."

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it's too expensive?" Lin Zhi'en's answer was completely irrelevant. "Then I'll help you pick out some other cars."

"Please don't do this..." I was almost in tears. I never thought that Lin Zhi'en would have a similar strong personality to Jiang Zhao. I was really afraid that if I refused her, she would give me something else that was even more expensive. So I nodded and agreed.

Lin Zhi'en, with a gentle expression, lightly praised, "Xiao Fu, you're so good."

A subtle awkwardness flashed in my eyes, my long eyelashes trembled, and I raised my hand above my head to make a heart shape with my fingers. Lin Zhi'en smiled, and only then did I hang up the video call.

Lin Zhien gives me a strange, indescribable pressure. Last night's dream with Jiang Mingzhuo made me even more preoccupied. That dream made my waist ache terribly. In the dream, Jiang Mingzhuo was like a stone pressing down on me. No matter how much I struggled, the result was that I was just as lost in the illusion as he was.

I took out my phone and, in addition to making an appointment with a psychologist, I also booked an outpatient appointment at Imperial Hospital, hoping to treat my inability to speak.

Long ago, I could speak. But after I was abandoned by the "game's creators," I could no longer make a sound. Occasionally, I could only let out a faint groan or two. When I wanted to speak, what I wanted to say most were words of help and rejection.

As I took the trash out of my house and stepped out of the apartment building, I saw a delivery truck parked across the street. Workers in gray uniforms were carrying sofas, cribs, refrigerators, and other household items upstairs.

On this side of the street, the housewives living in the apartments were also looking around curiously and whispering among themselves.

"Did someone new move in across the street?"

"I heard they are a young couple. Their older child is in elementary school and their younger child is just over a year old. The husband works at a company nearby, while the wife stays at home full-time to take care of the children."

“We can visit her together in a few days and invite her to join our community. We haven’t had any new members in a long time.”

Living in this neighborhood, you'll find plenty of enthusiastic housewives like these. Compared to the highly educated, even top-tier, ladies of the East End, they may lack some elegance, but they're a bit noisier. Although they're gossipy and love to pry into their neighbors' secrets, they're also friendly and warm, always greeting each other when they meet and helping each other out when needed.

As I listened to the housewives chatting, I subconsciously glanced at the room that always filled me with fear and unease.

The black, despairing curtains have been removed and replaced with sweet, fresh, pastoral floral green ones. I can even hear the baby crying. The gloom in my heart was swept away with the arrival of the new neighbors.

When I got home, I took a bath and opened the refrigerator. There were still some green grapes that weren't completely spoiled, and a little bit of lychee jam left. I couldn't bear to throw away these discounted foods that were close to their expiration date, so I simply made a simple green grape cake for Ye Fenglin.

After rummaging through my drawers for a while, I found a beige woolen skirt and a light white coat. I also straightened my hair, making it smooth and full. Before leaving, I put on a soft, pure white cashmere beret. I quite like this outfit.

It seemed to have snowed again last night. A thin layer of snow covered the trees and the road. I carefully walked from the subway station to Imperial Hospital, carrying my bag.

Even more people get sick in winter. I waited in line for a long time, my legs felt like lead and I was about to lose all feeling, but I finally managed to get an appointment with a psychologist and a professor who treats aphasia.

"...???" Something seems to have bumped into me.

I leaned forward slightly and quickly turned my head. I saw a cute little girl wearing a black coat and a fluffy scarf. She hugged me tightly and looked up at me.

She looked vaguely familiar. Especially her round, adorable eyes.

She looked at me expectantly, "Sister, did you sneak out?"

Suddenly, I remembered. This little girl was the lost child I'd met before Christmas. My lips parted and closed in surprise, and I quickly knelt down. I asked her on my phone, "Can't you find your mom and dad?"

The little girl stared at me and nodded. I was at a loss, so I picked her up.

I searched for her parents with difficulty in the hospital lobby, and finally decided to take her to the broadcasting center.

She kept playing with my hair and snuggling against me, saying, "Sister, you ran out of the shop window, didn't you? Didn't you?"

I was both amused and exasperated, so I hugged her and comforted her.

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She pointed in a direction, and I thought she had found her parents, so I put her down, took her hand, and walked forward.

They were getting closer to the young man in the black wool coat. His back was tall and handsome, the coat open, revealing broad shoulders, long arms and legs, and a slender figure, like a model.

The man noticed us approaching and turned around. I heard the little girl excitedly shout, "Sister, I think he's the prettiest, and he's the most suitable for a doll!"

Xie Yong frowned slightly. When I saw it was him, I felt even more embarrassed and quickly bent down, raising my finger to cover the little girl's mouth.

"What's wrong?" Xie Yong exuded an arrogant aura. He glanced at the little girl I was tightly holding and curled his lips. "Lost?"

I could only nod and take out my phone. "I wanted to take her to the broadcasting center, but she suddenly wanted to walk this way. I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you. I thought it was her parents."

"Let's go." Xie Yong's deep, magnetic voice was very reassuring. He also acted very gentlemanly, picking up the little girl. She looked at us curiously, her voice soft, "Sister, did you sneak out? Did you?"

Seeing that she kept asking, I could only pinch her cheek and nod.

She smiled adorably in Xie Yong's arms, "I knew it, you're just as pretty as that doll in the dress that my mom took me to see in the shop window yesterday."

My face flushed slightly. Xie Yong's eyelashes were dark, and his eyes were sharp and arrogant. "I think so too."

"..." I lowered my head.

The staff at the broadcasting center quickly helped us notify everyone in the hospital. I stroked the little girl's long hair and covered her legs, which were covered with fluffy socks, with a little rabbit-like blanket, wrapping her up tightly. It was very cold, and her legs were only dressed lightly. I didn't want her to catch a cold.

While waiting for my parents, I took out my phone and showed them my TikTok. My homepage was mostly filled with fluffy, cute little animals, many of which resembled the cats and dogs I used to have.

Her parents arrived about half an hour later, and just like on Christmas Eve, they thanked her profusely.

However, this time Xie Yong was with me. The parents were holding their child and bowing to us repeatedly. I looked at the little girl lying on her father's shoulder. She was sleepy and hugged her father's neck. Her mother was stroking her head. The family of three looked very warm and loving.

"Do you like pets?" Xie Yong suddenly asked. "I have a Samoyed, it's very cute, like a marshmallow, maybe you'll like it."

I looked at him in surprise.

Xie Yong always dressed very formally, exuding a subtle aggression and a strong sense of superiority.

I found it hard to believe that he would bring up their adorable little dog on his own initiative, and in such a childlike tone. I couldn't help but laugh. A moment later, I noticed Xie Yong staring at me with a deep, somewhat frightening gaze. I suppressed my laughter and lowered my head.

"Ye Zi isn't here right now, can you stay here with me for a while?"

Although it was phrased as a suggestion, Xie Yong didn't give me the right to refuse at all. He was arrogant and overconfident, saying things like "Is it okay?" or "Do you want it?" when in reality it was just following his personality, leaving no room for negotiation.

I had no choice but to sit down on a bench outside the broadcasting center. He had taken out a cigarette, but when he saw me frown slightly and lower my eyelashes, he put the cigarette away.

That's so embarrassing.

We no longer asked Xie Yong for help; our only remaining connection was "Ye Fenglin."

I know about the subtle rivalry between them. Although they are good friends, it seems that neither of them wants to be inferior to the other, and perhaps they also don't want the other to get too much attention in front of their childhood friend, Lin Zhi'en.

Xie Yong kissed me last night, perhaps just because he saw a pretty girl ignore him and choose his friend instead.

I didn't dare stare at him for too long, so I awkwardly got up and explained to him on my phone, "I'm going to buy two cups of hot cocoa."

Xie Yong nodded.

I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave when Xie Yong immediately spoke up: "I'll go with you."

No, no need! I waved my hand, but Xie Yong didn't give me the right to refuse at all. He walked beside me, side by side. I suppressed the strange feeling in my heart and took the elevator with him to the hospital restaurant, where we bought drinks.

Perhaps because the atmosphere was relatively friendly, I turned my head to look at the cake I had made in my bag. I thought for a moment, then took it out, opened the transparent box, and placed it in front of him.

Xie Yong picked up his fork, scooped out a piece of green grape flesh, and put it in his mouth.

His sharp brows furrowed immediately. @Unlimited great articles, all at Literary City

Xie Yong: "It's sour."

What happened? I scooped up a piece, swallowed it, and sure enough, it was incredibly sour. It turned out the ingredients had completely expired!

I felt a little embarrassed and wanted to throw the cake in the trash can, but Xie Yong stopped me and swallowed the cake instead.

Stop eating... No matter how shameless I am, I don't want a normal person to eat a sour cake made with expired ingredients, especially someone like Xie Yong, a proud son of heaven who exudes sophistication and nobility.

Xie Yong ate calmly until he swallowed the last piece of cake. I watched him nervously the whole time. His skin was a cold white, from his throat to his collarbone, and his long, slender fingers were all this cold white with a touch of nobility. I could vaguely see the pale blue pulse on the back of his hand.

"Do you know why I'm going to eat these things?"

I don't understand.

"Cookies that fell on the floor, and this cake that's obviously expired."

Xie Yong's pause made me gasp for breath. Was he planning to cause me trouble? Did he want me to pay for the medical expenses for my stomach upset?

"I want to pursue you." His dark, sharp eyes stared straight at me.

Oh... it's not about losing money.

Um?

I was taken aback. His throat trembled, and he looked at me with a triumphant smile.

"I know this might make you nervous, but I liked you the moment I first saw you."