50 "Only by leaving the other person can you become a better self"
Yu Li's attempt to stop him was useless, so He Yu simply threatened himself to get the phone back.
But Tao Wanjia didn't reply to his messages, and his calls went unanswered. He was distraught, trapped in the hospital, and the only thing he could do was to keep calling Wen Dongyang.
He went to He Yu's house to look for her, but he hadn't seen her for several days. After asking the neighbors, he learned that she had gone out to the market to buy supplies. The two of them had their own way of resisting the sudden downpour of fate, choosing to use busyness as a medicine, although this healing process was often accompanied by numbness.
Huang Zhengren had lost weight, and Tao Wanjia looked exhausted.
"How do you have time to come here?" Tao Wanjia asked when he was distracted.
Wen Dongyang has been preparing for the physical fitness test and political review before admission to school recently, and has not been in Rongcheng for a few days.
He felt very complicated. The once happy family was now reduced to just the two of them. He felt sad no matter how he looked at it, so he tried to talk less and work more.
"My mother asked me to bring you some food, freshly roasted duck and cooked food."
Wen Dongyang came to his senses, took the full nylon bag from the two men, and carried it. "If something like this happens again, just come to me directly. How can you two girls carry it?"
He felt a little exhausted after running all the way, and he staggered two steps just after he picked it up. Feeling the weight on his back, he looked down at their hands when he came out of the house.
As expected, there were dark purple marks on the palm and back of his hand. Wen Dongyang's heart suddenly tightened.
Tao Wanjia remained calm. After thanking him, he smiled and said, "It's okay. We'll have to come here on our own sooner or later anyway."
At this time, she had already decided to stay in Rongcheng to accompany Huang Zheng, and Wen Dongyang could only help for a day or two, but he could not help forever.
The two of them can only rely on themselves.
Huang Zheng was in much better condition but still didn't want to see anyone. After noticing that Wen Dongyang seemed to have something to say, she went back to the house.
There were only two people left in the yard, and he finally spoke up to explain why he came. "He Yu asked me to ask you why you didn't contact him. He's in Jingping now and can't come back, but he asked me to tell you to call him back no matter what. He said he told you before—"
"Dongyang." Tao Wanjia interrupted him, "Please tell He Yu to take good care of his illness and stop thinking about what's happening here."
Her tone was the same as usual. Wen Dongyang was stunned for a moment, and it took him a long time to realize what she meant.
"You don't plan to see him again?"
After a long silence, Tao Wanjia nodded.
"I will stay in Rongcheng to take care of my sister. He and I are not on the same path anyway, so those words don't count anymore."
Wen Dongyang was surprised, and Huang Zheng, who was standing at the door and eavesdropping, slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
She was thankful that Tao Wanji stayed, and she was completely relaxed that she could have her for a long time. She was mean and selfish and wanted to use this guilt to keep her for herself forever.
But after hearing her answer, her heart was not as settled as expected. Another voice in her mind clearly accused her of being wrong. They were not related by blood and there was no need for them to take responsibility for each other. Tao Wanjia wanted to leave here so much that she might not have dragged her down. But Huang Zheng was too scared and she didn't want to be alone, so she would rather obey him even though she knew she was wrong.
But as time went on, and Tao Wanjia's class teacher came to her home in person to inquire about her application status, Huang Zheng began to waver.
"With such good grades, it's such a shame for you to stay in Rongcheng and study at a normal school! After studying for so many years and persisting for so many years, are you willing to give up?"
"There's always a way to solve family problems. You don't have to sacrifice yourself for anyone, Xiao Tao!"
Her teacher tried to persuade her earnestly, but Huang Zheng, who was outside the door holding washed fruits, suddenly stopped.
Every word spoken by the middle-aged woman in the room was about her future, her development, and the dream she had briefly mentioned in her composition.
And those things, no matter how you listen to them, seem to be more important than her.
Huang Zheng hesitated at this moment.
Tao Wanjia had never told her this. She had always thought her dream was to leave this place. Only now did she understand why she liked He Yu. Passionate people always attract each other, and dreams should not be blocked by anyone in any form.
She was determined to give Tao Wanjia freedom.
But she knew her too well, she knew that if she spoke frankly, she would not agree but would be even more determined to stay in Rongcheng. She would sacrifice herself until time diluted the pain.
Huang Zheng wanted her to leave decisively and not hesitate because of her, so she used her own method.
She had become even more aggressive in her scolding and bullying, but she was completely relieved when she saw the acceptance letter. At the time, a male classmate from the technical school she attended with her was pursuing her. He ran a repair shop on the next street. Huang Zheng took advantage of this male classmate's enthusiasm for her and bluntly told Tao Wanjia that she no longer needed her.
She would be in the way if she stayed here, so she could say whatever harsh words she wanted.
Tao Wanjia was angry with her, but she remained calm and walked up to the boy when Huang Zheng threw her luggage out of the yard.
"Will you take good care of her?"
The boy was stunned for a moment, then said firmly, "Of course, I will treat her well for the rest of my life!"
Tao Wanjia had inquired about this person beforehand and nodded after receiving the answer. He took out the bank card from his backpack and stuffed it into Huang Zheng's hand. Then, without looking back, he walked out step by step.
The sun was scorching brightly at noon in midsummer, and she went to the train station in the temperature of nearly 40 degrees Celsius.
After buying the ticket and sitting in the waiting hall, she took out her cell phone and called He Yu.
The last time at his house, he'd asked so many questions and hadn't had time to reply, all to pave the way for giving her a phone. The fire burned so quickly that Tao Wanjia only realized it was in her backpack afterward.
"Hello?"
"Thank God you finally answered the phone!"
He Yu's voice was excited. He had already arrived at Rongcheng regardless of the obstruction. "Where are you, Wanjia? I'll come find you. I promised to take you away."
"No."
Tao Wanjia lowered his head, watching the tears fall into his jeans, and tried hard to suppress his words.
"He Yu, live your life well and don't look for me anymore."
There were travelers hurrying around everywhere, her vision was blurred, and soon she heard He Yu ask.
"Tao Wanjia, I am just a piece of your luggage, right?"
His voice trembled slightly at the end. "When it's cold, you need me to keep you warm, but when you don't need me anymore, you just kick me away, right?"
"yes!"
Tao Wanji spoke resolutely, and almost at the same time he finished speaking, he heard the boy next to him breathe heavily. As his ears began to itch, a stone also fell in his heart.
Finally said it.
Her mind was in a daze, and she suddenly realized that this was what it felt like to say harsh words.
She even felt Huang Zheng's relief at this moment. Perhaps compared to love, such straightforward hatred was more straightforward.
"From the beginning, I just wanted to find someone to take me away. It could be anyone, as long as they have the ability, but I don't need them now."
"So you don't need to look for me. I never liked this place. I hate the steel plant, I hate all of them, and I hate you even more." Tao Wanji felt cold all over, and the hand holding the phone by his ear trembled unconsciously. His chest was surging, but his tone remained calm.
"I'm going to a new world without all of you. A new world that is the best for me."
He Yu broke free from his father's assistant who had followed him from Jingping. The bandage on his hand fell apart, and bright red blood instantly seeped out. He endured the pain, still unwilling to give up.
"I'm on my way now. Wait for me, Tao Wanjia, wait for me. I want to talk to you in person!"
The receiver shrouded her in all sound. She could hear He Yu's uneven breathing and the honking of horns on his side of the street. But it no longer meant anything to her. Tao Wanjia stood up during the announcement and tossed her phone into the trash can before entering the station.
She threw away a lot of things that day and was alone, with only a black backpack that was washed to a faded color.
She lost her hometown, He Yu, and everything she once cared about and was attached to.
Maybe they both need to leave each other to become better versions of themselves.
The journey was long, and the scenery outside the train window kept changing, from sunset to night, and then from night to foggy morning.
Tao Wanjia stared blankly for a long time, until he forgot about everyone.
"Wanjia, Wanjia?"
A sudden voice interrupted her.
Tao Wanjia turned around woodenly and met Zhao Kuo's worried face.
"Are you okay? Why do you look so haggard?"
"It's okay." She pulled the corner of her mouth and met his eyes blankly, "Why are you here? Did you come to Rongcheng to find me?"
Zhao Kuo was stunned when he heard this, and looked at her in confusion, "Didn't you hear what I just said to you?"
He was here to support her, he still couldn't let go of the investigation. Seeing Pei Qiang in so much pain in the hospital that day, but still refusing to let go, it was like a blow to him. He had chosen this path because of his love for it, and being forced to leave was not what he wanted, so what was there for him to hesitate about?
Zhao Kuo thought that even if this road was full of thorns, he wouldn't mind doing it again.
So he accepted another invitation letter from He Qunshan and stood behind her after a long time.
Zhao Kuo repeated his story of coming to Rongcheng, turned on the roof light and found that Tao Wanjia's face was flushed.
"Do you have a fever?"
Tao Wanji was reminded and raised his hand to touch his face, finally understanding where the discomfort came from.
People's willpower and spirit are very weak in the early morning hours. She had just had an argument with He Yu and was brainstorming about many things in the past. It was no wonder that she had a fever.
It’s probably because I have too many things to do these days, and my sleep time has been reduced to almost nothing, so my body naturally can’t take it.
"You need to go to the hospital. I'll drive you there—"
"No need, just take me to Lanhu Community." Tao Wanjia interrupted him in a hurry.
It was almost dawn, and if they delayed any longer, Huang Shengsheng would wake up. Zhao Kuo knew he couldn't persuade her, so he started the car and drove along her route.
At the gate of the community not far from the car, He Yu let Xiao Zhang drive away only after he saw them leave.
There were only the two of them in the car, He Yu sitting in the passenger seat, his tired eyes still fixed on the car that was already far away. Xiao Zhang was puzzled, worried about him, but also knew that he shouldn't interfere in his private affairs.
He Yu noticed his gaze and turned his head. "If you see Miss Tao outside or if someone asks you about our relationship, you must insist that I don't know her. Do you understand?"
He selfishly wanted to protect her from getting involved in this storm, but Deng Zixiong's provocation that day was like a magic bell, shaking his heart again and again.
——
"I came here just for you. I said that one day I would make you kneel down and beg me."
"Your girlfriend is pretty, smart, and a journalist. I can't touch you, but crushing a young journalist is no big deal for me. Aren't you going to declare war? Don't worry, I have another gift for you..."
Thinking of Wen Dongyang, He Yu suddenly felt a chill all over his body.
Deng Zixiong was a madman, but before he revealed his true colors, he had to protect Tao Wanjia from the storm. He had a hundred ways to protect her, but each one required him to completely sever these ties.
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