Chapter 33: Never Apart
Xia Li slept until noon, then opened her eyes from a splitting headache. The dull ache from the hangover made her instinctively want to curl up, but she didn't expect to bump into a warm body first.
The strong, resounding heartbeat and the solid touch of his chest instantly brought her to her senses. Her eyes widened, her body stiffened, and she could even feel the steady breathing of the person behind her.
She cautiously tried to move away from Ji Ling's embrace, but before she could make a move, Ji Ling's low, slightly hoarse voice came first.
"Awake?" He asked, still drowsy from just waking up.
Xia Li was stunned. She turned slightly away from his embrace and sat up. Before she could think about it, her mind reacted first, and she nodded slightly.
Ji Ling stared intently at her, then sat up as well, unconsciously raising a hand to pat her head before asking, "Are you ready?"
Xia Li was stunned: "What?"
I don't know if the person in front of me is still asleep, or if I said something I shouldn't have last night.
She lowered her head shyly. Her memory of last night was limited to her conversation with Wang Shu and what Wang Shu said, but she had almost forgotten everything after drinking herself into oblivion.
Ji Ling's sudden remark left her completely bewildered. She stammered a reply and observed his reaction.
Ji Ling paused slightly, a momentary stiffness crossing his face, before giving a bitter smile and saying in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing, I misspoke."
Upon hearing this, Xia Li quickly waved her hand, then paused, and asked in a somewhat uncertain voice, "Did I say something when I was drunk last night?"
Ji Ling stared at her with sleepy eyes, recalling her whispered words in his ear. He hesitated for a moment, then covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice: "...didn't say anything."
Xia Li nodded blankly, believing him. Her head was still a little groggy from just waking up, and she mumbled without any guard up, "Oh, is that so? Judging from your expression, I thought I said something weird."
Ji Ling suddenly became interested and asked her, "What strange things can you say?"
Xia Li pursed her lips and shook her head, refusing to give in no matter what.
Seeing her embarrassed look, Ji Ling didn't make things difficult for her. He gently took her hand under the blanket, their palms exchanging body heat, and then said softly, "If you don't want to say, you don't have to. Tell me when you want to."
Actually, Xia Li didn't need to say anything; he already knew.
No matter where she's going.
He wanted to be with her.
Today is a sunny day. In the neighboring city, which is approaching June, the temperature has reached its highest point. Even the birds by the roadside are drooping and have found a shady spot under the trees to rest.
Xia Li thought the day would be as pleasant as when she woke up in the morning, but she didn't expect to receive the bad news from Xia Qingqing when the afternoon sun was at its strongest.
When she and Ji Ling arrived at the He family's house, it was in complete disarray. Pebbles were scattered all over the front yard, and dust filled the air. Even the black pine tree that He Er loved most and was used to bring good fortune was ruined.
All of this was orchestrated by Xia Qingqing.
Xia Li was choked by the dust kicked up when she got out of the car, and stopped in her tracks, hesitating at the intersection for a long time.
She didn't know where to go, and she didn't have the courage to move forward.
But I still have to leave.
As time passed, she moved forward slowly, step by step. The afternoon sun was fierce, piercing her exposed skin inch by inch, piercing her bloodshot eyes in her daze, and sweat beaded on her forehead, burning with pain.
She suddenly felt that everything was unreal, and her steps faltered, whether from tripping over pebbles or from her light, unsteady gait.
Suddenly, the person next to her grabbed her wrist with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist. The strong hand conveyed a warmth even hotter than the sun, which helped her to stand up.
"Thank you." Xia Li turned her head to the side.
She looked up at Ji Ling, her thin face revealing helplessness and bewilderment.
Ji Ling lowered his eyes, and the hand that was holding her slender wrist suddenly moved down to grasp her knuckles, interlocking their fingers, and then replied, "I'm here, don't be afraid."
Xia Li nodded blankly, then shook her head. The nod was a response to Ji Ling, expressing gratitude for his presence. The shake of her head wasn't out of fear, but rather out of helplessness.
It seemed that Ji Ling's words really gave her a sense of security, and her wildly beating heart calmed down the moment the words left her lips.
The front door of the He family's house was unlocked and wide open. When Xia Li entered, he immediately saw Xia Qingqing.
Xia Qingqing sat back on the sofa, tidying her messy curly hair. She also changed into a new outfit, changing from the casual home wear seen in media reports to a bright red hourglass dress that accentuated her voluptuous waist.
"You've arrived?" Xia Qingqing seemed certain that Xia Li would come. After Xia Li entered the room, she asked without even turning her head.
Xia Li stood at the door for a long time without walking inside. After a while, she answered in a trembling voice, "Mm."
Xia Qingqing wore heavy makeup, her skin was very well-maintained. She held a small mirror in her hand, applied a nude lipstick that matched the color of her dress, then gently pursed her lips and slowly rubbed them together, looking very relaxed.
After finishing everything and tidying herself up, Xia Qingqing turned the mirror to the right, revealing Xia Li's furrowed brows and Ji Ling beside her. Ji Ling looked down at her, their hands clasped tightly together.
Before Xia Li could speak, Xia Qingqing cut to the chase: "What do you want to ask me? Time is running out."
He lit a cigarette, put it to his lips, and walked towards them.
Xia Li disliked the smell of nicotine and frowned. Ji Ling noticed the change in her expression and was about to remind Xia Qingqing to put out the cigarette when Xia Qingqing beat him to it. She glanced at Xia Li and said, "Why are you being so dramatic? I almost forgot you don't like the smell of smoke."
Xia Qingqing pinched the cigarette butt between her index finger and thumb, moved it downwards, and forcefully stubbed it out with her fingers. Then, she casually tossed the cigarette butt onto the messy ground.
Xia Li watched her finish doing all of this.
There were many things she didn't understand, many questions she wanted to ask Xia Qingqing, and many things she wanted to say to Xia Qingqing.
For example, it's not that I don't like the smell of smoke, but that smoking is bad for my health.
She ultimately remained silent.
Ji Ling seemed to understand her meaning, and he held her hand even tighter, a comforting gesture known only to the two of them.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and, on Xia Li's behalf, asked Xia Qingqing, "What do you want to say?"
Xia Qingqing smiled, revealing her canine teeth, and replied to Ji Ling, "I almost forgot, you're here too."
Then he laughed heartily, returned to the sofa, and lay half-reclined on his side: "Sigh, it won't make any difference if you know."
Xia Li watched Xia Qingqing's movements, her throat bobbing as if it were filled with blood. Her eyes were red at the corners, and she bit her lip, swallowing hard. She was stopped just as she opened her mouth.
“
"Do you remember the USB drive I gave you?" Xia Qingqing asked.
Xia Li paled instantly, her face turning deathly pale. How could she not remember? She remembered not only the USB drive, but also the files Xia Qingqing wanted.
And now, the documents Xia Qingqing wants, which contain details about the He family, were made public a month ago and are now being thoroughly investigated.
Seeing that she looked unwell, Xia Qingqing raised her hand to comfort her, but then saw that Ji Ling had already done so, so she subtly withdrew her hand and continued, "Where should we begin? Let's start with the USB drive."
Xia Li waited for her to speak.
Xia Qingqing changed her mind, stopped talking, clicked her tongue in annoyance, paused her movement of lighting another cigarette, and said instead, "Never mind, Xia Li, do you know how He Er and I met?"
Xia Li lowered her eyes, as if in thought, before answering, "A piece of cake."
Xia Li inherited this trait from Xia Qingqing; they both love desserts.
Twenty-five years ago, Xia Qingqing fell head over heels for He Er because of a piece of chocolate cake. However, shortly after giving birth to Xia Li, He Er got engaged to another girl, and Xia Qingqing was deceived both physically and mentally.
"What kind of feelings do you think I have for him?" Xia Qingqing asked.
"Admiration, liking, caring." Xia Li's thoughts were simple, without any hidden agendas. She always believed that Xia Qingqing was deeply in love with He Er.
At this moment, Ji Ling's cold voice entered her ears, completely contrary to her expectations.
"Resentment, hatred, and revenge."
Xia Qingqing is a gambler; she insists on taking a gamble with an unyielding obsession, a secret desire for revenge, and a self-destructive resentment.
But she wasn't gambling with love or affection; she was gambling with her dignity and to punish the shameless man.
She knew about the He family's shady dealings, but she couldn't gather the information she wanted because there were always people watching her closely in the shadows, never blinking an eye.
She also knew that even if she collected the information she wanted, it wouldn't be of much use, because someone would always help suppress it. Therefore, she needed to collect more information so that when the interests of those with more power were threatened, they would push their subordinates out to take the blame.
“I knew you wouldn’t help me, so I installed surveillance on the USB drive from the beginning,” Xia Qingqing said to Xia Li.
As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Li's shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and her chest heaved violently. It turned out that when she accidentally opened Ji Ling's computer that time, Xia Qingqing had already obtained what she wanted.
Ji Ling lowered his eyes and frowned. He didn't care about these things; his eyes were full of worry, afraid that Xia Li would faint due to emotional instability. He shifted his gaze to Xia Qingqing and said coldly, "Don't say anything."
Xia Qingqing smiled and said, "It's just the two of us having a heart-to-heart talk. What right do you, an outsider, have to interfere?"
Ji Ling narrowed his eyes slightly: "She and I are a legally married couple."
Xia Qingqing's gaze shifted between the two of them: "If I hadn't contacted her, you would never have had a chance to marry her. She wouldn't have agreed."
Xia Qingqing was an extremely perceptive person, and with just one sentence, she hurt Ji Ling's sore spot. Ji Ling pursed his lips, gripped Xia Li's hand tighter, and said nothing more.
The spacious, cluttered living room fell silent. The sun was setting, and the light shifted and changed. At this moment, it quietly shone in through the glass window on one side, illuminating the floor, which was covered with a thin layer of dust.
After a long while, Xia Qingqing's somewhat hoarse voice came through, slow, heavy, hesitant, yet as if she had made up her mind.
"Xia Li, do you love your mother?"
Xia Li remained silent.
"Xia Li, do you hate your mother?"
“…” Xia Li did not answer.
"Xia Li, what do you think my feelings for you are?"
Xia Li raised her eyes slightly. If it were before, and Xia Qingqing had asked this question, the answer would have been disgust.
But now, she hesitated.
When she was twelve, Xia Qingqing said that "suitable" meant "like". Liking is emotional, while suitability is rational. Xia Qingqing hoped that she would find a suitable person to spend the rest of her life with.
She didn't want to repeat the same mistake.
She got engaged to an older man at nineteen, who mistakenly thought her surname was He. Was it He Er's idea or Xia Qingqing's? At that time, she got into an unlicensed taxi and ran away. Xia Qingqing followed her halfway, but veered off course. However, how could an experienced driver veer off course when chasing her? What veered off course was Xia Qingqing's heart.
She wanted to escape.
At twenty-five, Xia Liqing imitated her handwriting, made decisions for her, and requested that the matter not be made public. Was he observing her? Perhaps he needed a certain period of time to observe another person's true feelings for her.
She wants her to be happy.
Xia Qingqing's love was suffocating. She kept trying to express her love to Xia Li in different ways, but she overlooked the insurmountable gap between them.
Xia Qingqing is contradictory. She wears a heavy mask. She is observant and good at pretending, hiding her true thoughts behind the mask. But after pretending for so long, she deceives herself and forgets her original intentions.
The reason Xia Li was given the character "Li" in her name was initially because of the idea of never leaving or abandoning the family, but later it was also because she hoped to stay far away from the He family.
To be free from suffering and attain happiness, to be free from sorrow and attain joy.
Xia Qingqing, though seemingly indifferent, is deeply sentimental.
But her valuing of her own feelings was seen as selfishness by others. Her valuing of others' feelings, however, led to her being deceived and losing her heart.
Twenty-five years have passed since Xia Li was born, and now it has finally come to an end.
Xia Qingqing's lips were dry and slightly parted. Seeing that Xia Li did not speak, she remained silent as well, while silently staring at Xia Li's lowered face.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She gently closed her eyes and said, "I'm sorry."
On a summer afternoon, a light rain started falling outside.
Another car arrived and took Xia Qingqing away.
Xia Li was still reeling from the shock and hadn't quite come to her senses. What she didn't realize even more was that Xia Qingqing's words about leaving meant she really was gone.
Xia Qingqing is dead.
The out-of-control truck took her life.
Within just one hour, a person who was alive and well one second ago can be gone the next.
The iron chains that had bound Xia Liduo for many years were broken, but something important was lost in the process.
In the room, she was held in Ji Ling's arms, and they embraced each other, as if only in this way could they share the emotions that were overflowing within her.
"Ji Ling, I feel so bad." Xia Li choked up, sobbing intermittently.
"Sleep it off, and you'll forget about it tomorrow." He wasn't good with words, and he didn't know how to comfort her.
Xia Li ignored him, burying her head in his chest and repeating over and over, "Ji Ling, I have no family left... I have no family left..."
Ji Ling lowered his eyes, his hand that was slowly patting her back stopped, and then he replied solemnly in a low voice, "You still have me."
Xia Li still didn't listen to him. She raised her head, her bright eyes filled with tears.
"Ji Ling, shall we do it?"
Adults have very simple ways to vent their emotions; there are only three.
Alcohol, talking, exercise.
She chose the most brutal method she had never tried before: stimulating her brain with something new.
As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his chin, her tears soaking his chest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
