The girl took out her phone and glanced at it; it was 11 p.m. She looked around and saw a large rock under a streetlamp not far away. "Oh well," she thought, "I'll just go there and make do for the night."
Qiu Mang sat on the smooth stone, a cool sensation emanating from it.
She opened her suitcase, took out two thick clothes and put them under her bottom, then she felt less cold.
There wasn't a single car on the road. She had encountered too many things in the past two days and felt physically and mentally exhausted. But because it was nighttime and she was in an unfamiliar outdoor environment, she had to stay alert and not let herself fall asleep.
After a while, Qiu Mang felt her face getting wet. She looked up and saw tiny drizzles falling under the streetlights.
The worst thing about winter in the South is the damp cold. The cold wind in the dead of winter, combined with drizzle, can often send the chill into the body more thoroughly, penetrating to the bone marrow.
Qiu Mang pulled her clothes tighter and shivered.
She wanted to check the time on her phone, but found it was out of battery. Oh well, since she didn't know the time, she'd just wait.
The fine rain quickly soaked her clothes, so she took out a windproof and rainproof jacket from her suitcase, put it on, and put on her hat.
After an unknown amount of time, a bright light shone down, and Qiu Mang subconsciously squinted and shielded his eyes with his hand.
She thought it was a passenger bus and was about to flag it down when she looked closer and realized it was a car.
For safety reasons, she didn't get up; she didn't dare ride in such a private car. Qiu Mang shrank back, trying to minimize her presence.
But the people inside the car had obviously spotted her. The car door slowly opened, and a tall and slender figure walked towards her step by step against the light.
As Lu Yanting approached, he finally saw the girl on the rock who had covered herself up completely.
The girl hugged her knees tightly, curling herself into a small ball. The man frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Do you need help?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Qiu Mang suddenly raised her head and, with great difficulty, managed to make out the man's handsome features in the dim light.
"Mr. Lu...?"
Her voice was full of surprise, and she rubbed her eyes as if she couldn't believe it.
Lu Yanting had just seen her face clearly when he saw her face. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his usual composure.
The man's gaze swept over the suitcase beside her, and he asked with a hint of mockery, "Shouldn't you be at home at this hour?"
Qiu Mang looked at the man in front of her, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how to answer the question.
Lu Yanting lightly licked his back teeth with the tip of his tongue. "Let me guess, you wouldn't be... borrowing money from me and not wanting to pay it back, so you're planning to run away, would you?"
Qiu Mang quickly shook her head, her face serious. "No! I just want to leave home. I will definitely pay you back!"
Lu Yanting looked at the girl, raised an eyebrow slightly, and asked, "So where are you planning to go? Escape? Wander?"
Looking at the girl's disheveled appearance, only these two words came to mind.
Qiu Mang wiped the fine raindrops from her face. "I need to find a job, work hard to earn money, and then... pay off my debts!"
As Qiu Mang finished speaking, a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.
Lu Yanting smiled, a smile that held an enigmatic quality. "Not bad, very ambitious! I'm heading back to Guangcheng now, want a ride?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Qiu Mang immediately stood up and said, "I want it!"
The two got into the car. Perhaps because they had met twice before, Qiu Mang was no longer as wary as before and relaxed completely.
She sat quietly in the back seat, and soon, fatigue overcame her, and she fell asleep against the car window.
Lu Yanting rested his hands on the steering wheel, glancing at her occasionally through the rearview mirror.
Having just been caught in the rain, the girl's face was as pale as a sheet of paper, with glistening water droplets still clinging to her hair, and stray strands of hair sticking messily to her delicate skin.
The dappled sunlight filtering through the glass onto her fair face created a poignant, fragile beauty.
The girl's brows were furrowed as if she were having a dream, and Lu Yanting's heart involuntarily clenched.
Suddenly, the girl sneezed twice. Lu Yanting frowned slightly and casually turned up the temperature inside the car.
The next morning at six o'clock, Lu Yanting drove his car to the underground parking lot of his apartment.
He glanced at the back seat and saw that the girl was still sleeping. He turned his head and gently shook her shoulder.
"Wake up, we've arrived! Wake up, it's time to get off!"
Qiu Mang frowned, her face showing displeasure at being disturbed. She slowly opened her eyes, and just as she was about to get up, she felt completely powerless.
"Get up!" Lu Yanting said irritably.
Qiu Mang vaguely heard the man's voice and subconsciously wanted to answer, but felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. She raised her hand slightly, then let it fall weakly back down.
Seeing that she was not in a good mood, the man reached out and touched her forehead. As soon as he touched it, his face darkened.
"You have a fever. If you don't mind, you can stay with me for a few days."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Mang shook her head, "No..."
The next second, the girl continued, "No... I... I don't have any money to give you."
Lu Yanting glanced at her and shook his head helplessly, "No need. I'll let you stay for a few days for free. I'm worried about you staying alone."
The man's voice was gentle and pleasant, carrying a hint of concern, and Qiu Mang felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Before she could even feel touched, the man spoke again, "Only when you recover from your illness will you have the strength to earn money to pay me back!"
Qiu Mang was speechless for a moment. He really was a complete capitalist! Qiu Mang felt as if his hot chest had been suddenly filled with ice shards.
Well, she doesn't have much money on her right now anyway, so she might as well save a little and stay here for the time being.
The man took the luggage out of the trunk, opened the back door, and helped her out.
Qiu Mang felt dizzy and followed him into the elevator, which stopped at the top floor.
The man unlocked the door with his fingerprint, put down his luggage, helped her to the guest room, and filled the bathtub with hot water.
Qiu Mang was in a daze. When her mind began to clear slightly, she found herself soaking in a warm bathtub.
The man sat quietly to the side, pouring hot water over her, a complex expression on his face.
Qiu Mang quickly covered her chest with her hands, her face instantly turning red. "Mr. Lu, what... what are you doing here?"
Lu Yanting's lips curled into a wicked smile. "What are you afraid of? It's not like we haven't seen it before."
"You!" Qiu Mang's face turned even redder.
"Don't be so wary of me. Don't worry, the doctor told me not to have sex recently. I'm not that much of a beast!" the man said seriously.
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