Chapter 10 Chapter 10: Thoroughly Exposing the Shadow
Quan Xingai was shivering on the side of the road, but she couldn't help but muster up the courage to take two more steps forward. She always felt something was strange. A car from the opposite direction drove by with its high beams, and Quan Xingai saw a girl standing by the river wearing a white dress. She was ridiculously thin, with her long hair flying in the wind by the river, and underneath was a pale profile that flashed by as the car drove away.
Something is wrong, something is really wrong.
Quan Xingai frowned and slowly approached until he was 50 meters away. Only then did he realize that she was just a young girl standing by the river, clearly about to commit suicide!
And before Quan Xingai could react, the other party jumped down like that...
Holy shit! Quan Xingai didn't have time to react. Instinctively, she dropped her things and ran over as fast as she could, taking off her sweatshirt and sneakers and throwing them aside. Without thinking too much, she followed the other person and jumped into the small tributary of the Han River.
The October river water was already chilly, but Quan Xingai was oblivious; all she cared about was saving someone! Unleashing her athletic instincts from her past life, she swam incredibly fast. In her past life, she'd been a gym regular and a marathon runner; it seemed those athletic advantages had carried over into this one. When she reached the girl, she found her wearing only a thin, pajama-like dress. Her skin was icy cold, and she was bobbing in the river, drifting with the current.
When Quan Xingai hugged her, she had even fainted. The river was pitch black at midnight. Fortunately, the lights on the shore guided Quan Xingai in the direction. She struggled to drag the person ashore. The wind was cold, but she didn't care about anything else. She performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the girl again and again, and also gave artificial respiration. Finally, it seemed like a century had passed before the girl woke up.
"Thank God! My efforts were not in vain!" Quan Xingai collapsed on the lawn exhausted, and only now did he finally feel how cold the wind was blowing on his body.
She took her sweatshirt, thought for a moment, and then walked closer to the girl, letting the oversized sweatshirt wrap them together. Feeling the warmth, the girl slowly raised her head.
"Why save me..." She looked up and saw an extremely beautiful face, pure and pitiful.
"You...life is precious! Although I don't know what happened, only by living can there be a possibility." Quan Xingai had a cold face, her hair spread out in the water, and her current style was indeed like Tomie - a damp female ghost.
The girl who was rescued to the shore was a little dazed for a moment, perhaps she was frightened by Quan Xingai's appearance, or perhaps she had not yet recovered. No matter what Quan Xingai said, she stopped talking.
"Are you really not going to say anything? Then I'll call the police," Quan Xingai stared at the girl.
"..." The two of them were deadlocked for a long while, "Don't...don't call the police, I have nowhere to go."
Quan Xingai was stunned for a moment, then sighed. She couldn't resist a pretty face after all. "Then come back with me first. My home is nearby. But you have to help me carry the bags. They're super heavy..."
Park Jin-ri was stunned. She actually felt that the other person looked familiar. She was so pretty and might be a junior idol. However, the other person seemed to care about her without any hesitation. She even took the sweatshirt and put it on herself, pointing to the supermarket bag on the ground filled with various alcohol, snacks and cigarettes.
The two of them each took half and finally arrived at Jeon Xingai's apartment before Park Jinri was almost frozen to death. Fortunately, the elevator was not broken today. As soon as they entered the house, Jeon Xingai pushed the girl into the bathroom and wrapped a large bath towel around her.
"Take a shower and calm down first. I know how you feel."
"How do you know? You..."
"I just came back from heaven last month. Now I am probably the person who understands you the most, Park Jinri, right?" Quan Xingai wrapped the girl in a bath towel, looked at her fragile yet beautiful face and sighed. Of course she recognized her, a poor person who was also swept up in public opinion and couldn't get over it.
Park Jin-ri was stunned for a moment, "I'm sorry to trouble you."
"Don't talk about whether it's troublesome or not. Take a shower first and calm down. Life is really precious." Quan Xingai patted Park Jinri's shoulder and helped her close the bathroom door.
Wrapped in a warm towel, caressed by the hot air in the bathroom, with the warm light shining on her, the feeling of loneliness and helplessness gradually left her body. She didn't really miss Zisha, she was just feeling suffocated by the circle, public opinion, and depressed emotions.
She looked like a pale female ghost in the mirror. She thought of the eyes of the girl who saved her, which sparkled even in the dark. Park Jin-ri turned on the shower and slowly squatted down, releasing her uncontrollable crying in the sound of the water.
Quan Xingai sat on the sofa and sighed. She turned on the stereo and played Beethoven's Symphony of Fate, allowing her to release her emotions thoroughly.
After a while, Park Jin-ri came out wearing a new set of pajamas prepared for her by Jeon Seong-ae. Her eyes were red. As soon as she came out, she saw that Jeon Seong-ae had already filled the floor of the living room with snacks and various alcohols.
"Come on, I was originally going to enjoy these alone tonight, but now that unnie is here, I have a companion for midnight snack." Quan Xingai didn't ask her anything and raised the bottle of wine in his hand.
Park Jin-ri had never seen such a familiar girl, but she hadn't paid attention to newcomers in the circle for many years. She thought Quan Xingai looked familiar, but she really couldn't remember where she had seen her.
"Have I seen you before?" Zhenli took the wine glass and drank it without saying a word, then propped up his chin and looked at Quan Xingai.
"I met unnie once when I just debuted in 2016, at a brand event." Jeon Xingai sat cross-legged on the floor leaning against the sofa.
"Ah, Sarah, that monster rookie of the year, '17, right..."
"Yes, I was cyberbullied a year after my debut, so I understand you very well. I also sincerely want to tell you that life is important. Only when you are alive can you have all kinds of possibilities."
"You...you really did that last month?" Park Jin-ri's eyes were a little complicated.
"Yeah, I took a lot of sleeping pills but the assistant sister took me to have my stomach pumped. It was too painful. Death is really too painful, so don't give up on yourself. Look, I just left the hospital not long ago and worked hard to save you. Just think of it as living well for me."
Hearing the younger girl's earnest and sincere advice, Park Jin-ri couldn't help but burst into tears again. The two drank several bottles of wine, and Park Jin-ri got drunk very quickly. She hugged Jeon Seong-ae, rested her head on her shoulder and muttered,
"Thank you, Xing'ai, but I'm so tired. I don't have the strength to resist those people. I don't want to die, but no place is safe, home or work. No place can let me rest in peace."
"Don't think too much, just drink. A drunk can relieve your worries." Quan Xing'ai probably knew her predicament. Those boring public opinions were like an abyss that swallowed up living lives, both Park Jinri and Xing'ai were like this.
After the two girls finished drinking the soju, they opened some red wine and soon became drunk. Park Jin-ri climbed onto the sofa and fell asleep, while Jeon Seong-ae stumbled into the room and wrapped herself in the quilt.
*
Quan Xingai felt dizzy. Her young body could not resist the power of alcohol and she got drunk after drinking just a little. She was a newbie now and could not drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.
"I need to exercise and practice my drinking capacity. Being so fragile makes me feel insecure..." Quan Xingai shook her head, but ended up feeling even more dizzy.
"Xingai, are you awake?" A sweet voice sounded at the door.
Quan Xingai was still a little confused. She looked up and saw a beautiful girl leaning against the door and looking at her with a smile - oh, yes, she saved someone last night, Park Jinri, an unlucky kid who was as depressed as her. Then the two of them had a happy drink at home, and it seemed that they told each other a lot of unhappy things afterwards.
"Unnie, aren't you dizzy?"
"This isn't your first time getting drunk, is it? This is how drinking works? I'll give you a drink of honey water." Park Jinri smiled, looking like a gentle and beautiful sister.
Quan Xingai tilted her head back and drank it. The cool sweet water relieved her dizziness.
"Ouni, if you don't want to go home, just stay here. It's almost time for me to come back. I don't come back often, and there are only elderly people living around here. Everyone is very friendly, and there are no paparazzi, so don't worry."
"Why are you helping me so much? We just met by chance."
"We are all unlucky, so of course we have to help each other. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Quan Xingai patted Park Jinri. She felt that the other party was still a little depressed. Perhaps being in a strange environment without anyone disturbing her would make her feel safe.
After getting drunk last night, she seemed to remember Park Jin-ri crying and talking about the mess and filth in the circle, as well as the inaction of public opinion and the company... Quan Xingai sighed. If it was in her previous life, she could easily help this girl, but now she herself is a member of the big dye vat, how can she help her?
"Thank you." She felt that she was lucky to meet a junior who was willing to help her in this way in her dark life. She was indeed impulsive last night, got drunk and felt the warmth. She did feel much better. It was safe here. There were no messy things and no annoying people. She was very safe here.
The two girls spent the entire day in the small, 50-square-meter apartment. Jeon Seong-ae taught Park Jin-ri how to play a zombie shooting game, a place where they could vent their frustrations. They played online for the entire afternoon until Chi Myung-jin entered the password.
"Oh my...this...Park Jin-rixi?" Ji Myung-jin of course knew this famous idol. In recent years, she has been surrounded by negative news, and her situation is even worse than that of All Star Love.
"Ouni, I met Park Jin-ri last night and brought her home. She has nowhere to go recently, so she's staying here for a while."
Ji Myung-jin feels that her children seem to have become socialites after returning from the hospital. From GD to Park Jin-ri, she can get to know anyone she wants, and now she even takes them home directly.
"Hello, I'm sorry to bother you." Park Jin-ri stood up and bowed politely, and Ji Myung-jin also bowed.
"It's okay, it's just a night where you're all familiar enough to play games together?"
"Yeah, that's right. Making friends means having a drink together and having fun together." Quan Xingai hadn't realized it yet.
"A drink? Ah, Quan Xing Ai, you're still drinking before your return?"
“…” Oh no, she forgot that Korean entertainment has many rules.
"Ouni, I'm sorry. I was the one who dragged Xingai out to drink. I was a little unhappy last night, and when we met, we just decided to drink together at home." Park Jinri quickly stepped forward to speak for her new friend.
Quan Xingai blinked in the back and acted cute, "I'm sorry, I won't do it again - Oh, right, production, Mingzhen sister, I still have songs to produce, let's hurry back to the company."
Zhenli laughed. This new friend was truly a very kind sister. She watched as the two quickly packed up their things and left. Before leaving, Quan Xingai told her not to be shy and to just treat the place like her own home. She could buy whatever she needed. Her apartment was empty and bare.
Indeed, this child can only afford an apartment in an old neighborhood now? There is only a shabby sofa in the living room and a bed in the bedroom... Park Zhenli thought about it and decided to buy something for Xingai.
Perhaps it was because she was in an unfamiliar yet safe environment, with an open balcony and a large terrace, that she let the sunlight thoroughly expose her and the shadows.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
