Chapter Fifty-Eight
"Momo, over here." Qi Xiao waved her arms to let Zhou Mo know where she was. As soon as Zhou Mo sat down, Qi Xiao immediately leaned close to her. "I've been waiting for you for so long. I've even made you some mung bean soup. It's three parts beans and seven parts water, so it's not too dry or greasy, just right."
The cafeteria was crowded. Qi Xiao and Zhou Mo were good-looking and so close, so they were bound to attract attention. But neither of them cared about what others thought.
Qi Xiao leaned close to Zhou Mo's shoulder and sniffed, "You smell like a cat."
Zhou Mo pressed her finger against Qi Xiao's forehead and gently pushed her away. "Your nose is so sensitive? You can even smell this."
Qi Xiao proudly raised her chin, "Of course! When I was little, I was the best at smelling things. If I smelled something before, I could remember where I smelled it the next time, and I would even know what it was."
"Then you should study traditional Chinese medicine."
Qi Xiao's expression froze, and Zhou Mo noticed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"
"Momo, I don't think I've ever told you about my background." Qi Xiao stirred the mung bean soup with a spoon, causing the mung beans in the bowl to rise and fall, and the clear soup to become cloudy.
Zhou Mo grasped Qi Xiao's wrist. "Let's eat. What do you want to eat? It's on me today."
“Zhou Mo, I’m afraid if I don’t say it today, I’ll never be able to speak up again.” Qi Xiao slowly pushed Zhou Mo’s hand away. “You went to Huyang District this time, right? Isn’t it a particularly chaotic place? There’s a church in Huyang District, and next to the church is a small clock tower that looks like a European building. When I was little, I often looked out the window of my house to see what time it was and when my dad would come home.”
“My dad is a kind-hearted and honest man. Since he studied medicine, people from all over the neighborhood would come to him for treatment. He would charge me a little money and use it to buy me candied apples. I still remember the taste of that apple.”
"Later, Huyang District was in chaos again. I don't really remember what happened. I only know that when I opened my eyes, I was no longer at home. I was in an orphanage and was then sent to other places. Actually, apart from not being able to see my father, everything was fine. If I hadn't accidentally smelled the scent of candied apples, a carefree child like me might have forgotten that I had a home."
Zhou Mo listened quietly.
Qi Xiao scooped up a spoonful of mung bean soup and put it in her mouth, slowly savoring the taste. It wasn't sweet or greasy, and it even tasted a bit salty and bitter. "I was too young back then. I knew I couldn't do anything, so I wanted someone I could rely on. I asked a lot of people, but many of them rejected me. Only Qi Kai said he was willing to be my older brother, just like he told Yu Xi back then that they were friends."
Tears dripped into the soup, creating ripples. Qi Xiao sniffed, "It's a pity it was all fake. The care was real, the protectiveness was fake, the shelter was real, but the guilt was fake. Sometimes I wonder, what's the difference between me and Yu Xi? I say he's a stray dog, someone nobody wants, a terrible monster who can kill people and dogs. And what about me?"
"And what am I? Zhou Zheng has been very good to me, and he's even willing to help Qi Kai out, but he's never asked Qi Kai if he's been good to me?"
Qi Xiao wiped away the tears from her cheeks quickly, before they could even stay on her face. "I had to go back to school for the senior year. The injury on my face was inflicted by Qi Kai because I didn't want to see Zhou Zheng again. He's the one who killed his own son! Why should he be forgiven by his granddaughter?"
“What he told me was that my father wasn’t truly kind-hearted, that he was merely atoning for the sins he committed in the past? I don’t care what he is! As far back as I can remember, my father has always been a good person. He’s always ready to help others, he treats patients, and he even feeds cats and dogs. How could someone like that be Zhou Zheng’s son?!”
Qi Xiao lowered her voice, questioning herself again and again, asking herself the questions that had trapped her all these years, the burdens she carried, the things she didn't understand, and everything that shocked her.
"So, you're willing to be friends with me because of my father, Zhou Qinian?"
"Is it because he's more like the father you remember? Do you think you should be me?"
Qi Xiao suddenly raised her head and met Zhou Mo's calm eyes.
Qi Xiao was speechless; she wanted to argue, but remained silent.
Zhou Mo: "I think I'm pretty good, but not that good. I can't make everyone like me. Xiaoxiao, do you know what kind of look you give me?"
"Me, my eyes?" Qi Xiao panicked.
Zhou Mo pressed down on Qi Xiao's trembling hand. With just this one action, Qi Xiao was calmed down. Her body subconsciously leaned towards Zhou Mo, but this time Zhou Mo did not indulge Qi Xiao's behavior and pulled away.
Qi Xiao stood there, stunned. "Momo..."
"I didn't plan to say these things today. I really wanted to treat you to a big meal, but it seems we can only have mung bean soup to cool down."
Zhou Mo raised her hand and patted Qi Xiao's head. "Stop dwelling on those past feelings. Look forward. Now that you've finally moved on, keep going."
"MoMo... Zhou Mo!" Qi Xiao grabbed Zhou Mo's hand as she walked away, her eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow. "You...you don't want me anymore?"
"Qi Xiao, do you really still need me? My life is no longer what you wanted, is it? Since that's the case, you have no reason to stay by my side. I never wanted anyone to be unable to be free because of me, or unable to be happy because of me. I used to be too lonely and hoped that other people's emotions would fall on me, that someone would always watch over me, no matter what."
"But after this year, I've come to understand that I am me, and you are you. We are similar yet different, and we don't necessarily have to walk the same path."
"Actually, I struggled with the decision to continue being your friend in a daze. We could still happily be together, we could still go skiing at Changbai Mountain, we could go to see Tianchi Lake, we could go to many, many places. As long as I'm selfish, I can keep having your friendship."
“But I can’t do that, because I really consider you a friend. It’s because of you that we’re friends. If I just selfishly keep this friendship, then I’ll be the one ruining you.”
"I... I don't care. I can pretend I didn't hear anything today." Qi Xiao stared straight at Zhou Mo. "I really want to be your friend."
Zhou Mo shook her head. "Feelings arise from people. Without you, there would be no friendship. I can't put the cart before the horse and let you immerse yourself in this false friendship. I can't let Qi Xiao never face his own life."
"Qi Xiao, let's try to be friends again when you really consider me a friend."
Qi Xiao didn't blink, tears welling up in her eyes and flowing silently.
Zhou Mo just smiled and didn't wipe her tears. When Qi Xiao had cried until she had no more tears left, Zhou Mo gently brushed Qi Xiao's hand away. Without saying anything more about leaving, she quietly disappeared from Qi Xiao's sight.
Qi Xiao felt as if a beautiful dream had come to an end.
With a snap.
My dream is shattered.
Zhou Mo sat on a bench, stretching her body in the dry autumn wind.
May I sit next to you?
"casual."
Wei Huai sat down, still with the same gloomy appearance, but his thoughtful nature was revealed as soon as he opened his mouth: "It's hard to imagine that you would actually confront Qi Xiao."
"I thought you would say Li Zhenliang."
"Actually, I'm not surprised by your attitude towards Li Zhenliang, after all, you have He Ru behind you."
"But now, I can't see through you anymore. You don't want He Ru's protection, nor do you want Li Zhenliang's enticements. You can't even speak up in front of Zhou Zheng. Yu Xi is an uncontrollable variable. You have no bargaining chips. Your life is so predictable."
Zhou Mo raised her fist, then slowly opened her palm. The dazzling starry sky shone through her fingers. Zhou Mo squinted, and the twinkling lights magnified instantly in her vision. "Let's make a trade."
"Exchange? Isn't it a transaction?"
"Didn't you just say that I have no chips, only a life that I can see the end from the beginning?"
Wei Huai lowered his eyes in thought, then looked at Zhou Mo, "What do you have to offer me in exchange?"
Zhou Mo turned her head to the side, "What do you want?"
Wei Huai didn't expect Zhou Mo to give such a passive answer. He thought for a moment, then leaned close to Zhou Mo's ear and whispered something.
Zhou Mo nodded without hesitation, "Okay."
"Then what do you want?"
"Yu Xi's childhood biography."
Wei Huai: "Huh? I don't have anything like that."
Zhou Mo pointed at Wei Huai's head, "Senior, I've read your published articles. They're well-organized, and your word choice and sentence structure are witty and humorous. Writing a biography of Yu Xi's childhood shouldn't be difficult for you. Moreover, I think you're probably the most objective person in this group when it comes to evaluating Yu Xi. You definitely won't favor anyone."
Upon hearing Zhou Mo's words, Wei Huai felt as if he had dug a huge pit for himself, filled it with water, and personally welcomed the thief's ship into the pit. He boarded the ship without hesitation, thinking it was a sure-fire deal. But when he looked back, he realized that this person was not only going to sell him out, but also expecting him to help count the money.
"Senior, are you going to go back on your word? I agreed to those difficult conditions without hesitation."
Wei Huai was put on hold by Zhou Mo's few words, "You really are suited to your major."
Thank you for your review.
"Okay, but I need time."
Zhou Mo nodded. "I'm available whenever you call, and I'll be waiting for your orders, senior."
Zhou Mo stood up, dusted off the hem of her pants, waved goodbye without even looking at Wei Huai, and left.
Wei Huai sat on the bench, a look of frustration slowly creeping onto his face.
"I've already said Zhou Mo is no ordinary person. Hey, but I'm a little curious, what exactly did you say to her?"
Wei Huai looked up and saw that Li Zhenliang's ordinary face was full of gossip.
"Guess what? Aren't you the one who talks the most nonsense?"
When asked to guess, Li Zhenliang actually did, "Given your reserved personality, you wouldn't be having some girl pretend to be your girlfriend, would you?"
"..."
"No way?" Li Zhenliang frowned as he looked at Wei Huai.
"..."
"Hey! Wei Huai! Have you lost your mind?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
