Chapter 59
The next day was Monday. Lin Ting was in a long and critical weekly meeting when she saw a notification that a new friend had been added. She added the friend request and noted that the friend was named Chen Zhiyi. She felt that the gloom from being criticized for the slow progress of the exclusive design was swept away, and an unconcealable smile spread from her heart to the corners of her mouth.
But I'm still a little angry. They clearly said they'd contact me later, but I've waited all day and they still haven't.
I deliberately ignored him for a while, then kept sending him friend requests. The last time, I added a note saying that if he didn't accept my request, I would be restricted from using my account.
Lin Ting pursed her lips and chuckled to herself. She accepted his friend request. It was still the same account from five years ago, and he hadn't even changed his profile picture. She opened his Moments, and it was still his style—clean and uncluttered, with nothing there.
They are similar in this respect; they don't like to post daily updates on social media.
Five years ago, when the two first met, WeChat was just becoming popular. He received the invitation from Chen Zhiyi while working on his graduation project.
Ask him, "What?"
"Download it and add me as a friend."
So Lin Ting did it, and he became the first person to add him as a WeChat friend.
Later, the two switched their chat software from □□ to WeChat. Then, WeChat became linked to phone numbers, so when the phone number was canceled, the first WeChat account was also canceled, and the first person they added as a WeChat friend was lost to them.
Although the account number wasn't linked to the phone number and wasn't cancelled, it hadn't been logged in since the two separated years ago, so it was probably blocked long ago.
Time is a truly terrifying thing. It can create opportunities for two destined people to meet, and it can also allow those who are not meant to be to return to the sea of people peacefully, with all connections between them slowly disappearing. Yet, it can also allow truly destined people to meet again in the sea of people after experiencing separation time and time again, because it can fill in the gaps that were once thought to be insurmountable.
Lin Ting sat down at her workstation and sent him a question mark.
The other party texted, "What time do you get off work today?"
"We have to work overtime."
"Then I'll pick you up after you finish working overtime."
"I'm not sure what time it will be until." I'm still angry. Who told me not to contact them yesterday? I didn't know they would worry.
"I was hoping to have a proper discussion with you about the design drafts."
They've got their Achilles' heel; there's nothing they can do about it, since the client still holds the prestigious title of "the client's client."
"I'll tell you when I'm about to leave work: park the car in a less crowded place, just in case someone takes a picture of it."
"Don't worry, my license plate number has never been exposed."
"Yes, I'm at work."
"Wait a moment."
"?"
“I had a lot of people from the industry visiting me at the hospital yesterday, so it wasn’t convenient for me to contact you. I was discharged today and am already at home, so I was able to get in touch with you. Don’t be angry.”
Lin Ting smiled and said, "Yeah, I wasn't angry to begin with."
"That's good."
Lin Ting was about to leave work at 6 o'clock sharp when she received a message from the real estate agent. Just as she was about to send a message to Chen Zhiyi, she was about to leave work.
"I've cleared all your things out and left them at the door. Get out of here now. The house has been used by the owner to pay off debts and has been seized by the court. It's uninhabitable. Moreover, it's illegal to alter the layout of the house without authorization, and the court can't see it. So, you have to leave everything behind. I'll refund the remaining rent to you, and I won't owe you anything. Go find a new place and don't contact me again."
We really haven't been in contact anymore. I can't get through on WeChat, and my number has been blocked.
Lin Ting hurried back. Her place was far from the company, and it took her an hour and a half to get to her apartment complex.
The room was on the fifth floor. When Lin Ting climbed to the corner between the fourth and fifth floors, he saw his belongings scattered all over the floor.
She had expected the agent wouldn't pack her luggage properly, but at least they would have covered it up instead of throwing everything out like this – clothes, shoes, sheets, blankets, even underwear were just thrown outside.
Lin Ting's throat was churning violently, as if a deep wound had been slashed open in her heart, bleeding profusely. An indescribable sense of shame, anger, and grief surged through her body. At this moment, she felt as if she had been stripped naked, standing naked in the crowd, enduring their mockery and ridicule.
There were obvious footprints on the clothes, indicating that someone had deliberately stepped on them. There were even cigarette butts and holes from being burned by cigarette butts on the underwear.
She felt as if she had been thrown into a cold abyss, surrounded by endless darkness and mockery. Her dignity was trampled, her privacy stripped away, and her world collapsed in an instant.
Tears welled up uncontrollably, and she covered her mouth tightly, afraid of making a sound.
No matter how down on your luck or how indignant you are, you must not show your weakness.
She carefully folded the items one by one, putting back on the dignity that had been torn apart with blood, even though it was bloody and mangled, it was still an inviolable self-respect.
The phone rang; it was Lin Qin requesting a video call. Lin Ting quickly hung up, wiped away her tears, cleared her throat, and made a voice call.
The other party answered quickly.
"Listen, why did your mom hang up on the video call?"
"Mom, I'm working overtime at the company, so it's not appropriate for us to video chat."
"Why are you working overtime again today? Have you been very busy lately?"
"Yes, the winter order fair is coming up soon, and we get quite busy around this time."
Lin Qin paused for a moment. She knew all too well how "busy" this meant. Lin Ting had been with the M Group for so many years, and whenever there was a booking event, she would be so busy that she would be out of the house and out of bed, preparing day and night.
"Mom, I'm free these days, how about I come and stay with you for a few days?"
Lin Ting's eyes welled up again, and tears welled up in her throat. She tried her best to suppress her emotions and keep her voice calm. "Okay, after this busy period is over, I heard from a colleague that a homestay area has opened in the suburbs. It has mountains and water, beautiful scenery, and hot springs. It's perfect for relaxing and unwinding. I'll book it in advance."
Hai City is very close to Li Town; it only takes two hours to get there by high-speed rail from the county seat. In recent years, Lin Qin would occasionally come to visit Lin Ting. However, Lin Ting always arranged his travel plans and accommodations in advance, and never brought Lin Qin to his rented house.
Children living away from home are all like this; they don't want their families to worry and only want them to see the good side.
But Lin Qin knew all too well how hard it was for a girl to work hard alone in a foreign place. She couldn't help much, but all she could do was to make sure Lin Ting didn't worry and to bring her some of her favorite foods when she visited her.
"Okay, just buy your train ticket in advance and let me know. Mom will also cook some of your favorite dishes to take with you."
"Mmm." Lin Ting bit her sleeve to make her voice sound trembling.
After a moment of silence, Lin Qin's voice came through the microphone again.
"Listen, don't work too hard. It's just the two of us, mother and daughter, and our expenses aren't high. Besides, although I'm not very capable, I can still earn some money for household expenses. I was able to support you when you were little, and I can support myself when you're old. We still have our old house, a bit dilapidated, but it's our own, so we don't have to worry about being homeless. So don't put too much pressure on yourself. I don't ask for wealth, just stability. I hope my daughter can buy nice clothes to wear in her spare time, learn makeup, and dress herself up beautifully every day. Of course, my daughter is already very pretty. You can also go shopping with friends, go to the movies, or..." Get your nails done, and most importantly, rent a nice place close to your workplace so you can sleep in a bit more. If you have time and interest, cook for yourself; if you're too tired, order takeout. Enjoy the freedom and carefree time that comes with your age. Money is everything, but more isn't always better. It's for living. There are ways to live with a lot of money and ways to live with a little. For us, enough is enough. We have a house and a little savings, which is much better than most people. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Be good to yourself. Your mother's biggest wish for you is a simple and happy life.
Tears streamed down Lin Ting's face. She bit her index finger hard, trying not to make a trembling sound, and managed to utter a single, difficult "good."
"Then get some rest. Mom's hanging up now."
"Um."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Ting could no longer hold back. She sat on the ground, hugged her knees, buried her head between her legs, and sobbed, her body trembling slightly.
So it turns out my mother knew all along, she just didn't say anything. Thinking about it, it's really pathetic; I'm almost thirty and my mother still has to maintain my dignity.
Occasionally, passersby would walk by in the hallway. A girl was sitting on the floor crying, her luggage scattered haphazardly on the ground. This inevitably attracted attention and some criticism.
"How pitiful, she must have been dumped by a man."
"Only men like you would think that way. I bet he was discovered by the wife and kicked out as a mistress."
"That makes sense, no wonder they don't even dare to show their faces."
"Hehehe." The mocking laughter was so grating.
The chill of the autumn night wasn't unbearable, but the disgusting words chilled Lin Ting to the bone. At that moment, she understood the evil of "cyberbullying." It turned out that the victims of the rumors were not afraid, but rather powerless, pathetic, and at their wits' end.
One person can't withstand a thousand voices; silence is the only way to protect yourself at this moment.
"Don't talk nonsense. This house was forcibly demolished. The owner took it to pay off debts. The court wanted to take it back, and the intermediary was afraid of being found out about illegal renovations, so they evicted the tenants. The young woman is almost homeless and is very pitiful. And you are still talking nonsense here."
"What's so pitiful about them? They're overestimating themselves. If they can't make money in Shanghai, why don't they just go back to their hometown? These outsiders just love to put on a brave face. They think that as long as they have a tiny place to sleep here, they can survive. They deserve to be abandoned."
"Watch your mouth. Whether you're from out of town or local, you're all people struggling to make a living."
"There's a big difference. If you don't have a fixed house or a home in a city, and you're always drifting around, what's the point? Without a place to live, you can't achieve anything. When you're young, you still have your youth to squander, but when you get older, you're just a lost soul in this city. You should go back to your hometown as soon as possible."
"Alright, that's enough. Let's go home."
The hallway was quiet again for the time being.
Abandoned, outsider, wandering ghost—these harsh words, like clear mirrors, reflected Lin Ting's life over the years.
If you have the means, you can rent a studio apartment;
If you are able, you can bring your mother to live with you.
If you have the means, you can buy your own house in this city;
But there are no "what ifs," and all those once confident vows have come to nothing.
Lin Ting, you've ultimately accomplished nothing and deserve to be abandoned, just like when you were a child.
I felt even colder and huddled even tighter.
She wanted to escape, but she didn't know where to go.
In such a large city, is there really no place that can accommodate me?
His body trembled even more violently.
Lin Tingxin tensed up when she heard footsteps nearby, but she didn't look up, wondering what kind of cold words she would hear next.
But no, a warm hand patted her head, and then Lin Ting was pulled into an embrace. It was a familiar warmth and a favorite scent.
The suppressed sobs instantly turned into loud crying, "Why am I always abandoned? Why do I never have a home?"
Chen Zhiyi stroked the back of Lin Ting's head and gently kissed the tip of her ear through her mask. "We have a home. Come home with me."
In a daze, Lin Ting saw Chen Zhiyi, dressed in black, quickly tidy up the things on the ground, then take her hand and leave.
When I came to my senses, I realized I was already in his car.
Lin Ting turned her head to look over. Chen Zhiyi's eyes were fixed on the car, his gaze fixed on it, like a sculpture whose craftsmanship was so perfect it seemed unreal.
The headlights overhead shone on his face, from his facial contours to his jawline, from his neck to his shoulders. Even though he was only wearing an all-black tracksuit, he was still incredibly dazzling.
The streetlights, the intersecting car headlights, the neon lights on the billboards, and the various interplays of light and shadow create an atmosphere as if we've traveled through a time tunnel back to that final competition.
That day, he also descended from the sky dressed in all black to save himself.
The same applies today.
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