Chapter 69 I know
"Welcome."
When someone pushes the door open, an electronic prompt sounds automatically.
After placing the order, the waiter came over with mugs and desserts shortly afterwards.
Lin Qingxu watched him finish setting the dishes and then leave. Sitting in her seat, facing Qiu Lan, she didn't know what to say.
She and Qiu Lan were not familiar with each other. After so many days of conversation, she wondered if all the words they had said could fill an 800-word essay.
In the end, it was Qiu Lan who spoke first. Her voice was calm, with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue: "I went to see Wang Shu today."
Lin Qingxu learned that Wang Shu was sentenced.
"Um...how is he now?"
This question was not because Lin Qingxu cared about Wang Shu's situation, but because he couldn't think of anything else to say. It was a kind of inertia that continued when there was nothing to say.
"fine."
"good……"
Then there was silence again.
Neither of them is a sociable character.
After a moment, Qiu Lan spoke again: "I will be leaving Nanchuan in a few days and going to London to continue my studies."
It's a world-class art academy, requiring not only letters of recommendation from highly respected faculty but also an extremely lengthy application process. Qiu Lan began preparing at least a year in advance.
"Congratulations." Lin Qingxu said sincerely. This is at least a new beginning full of hope.
…
It happened naturally, or perhaps it was a natural progression. Qiu Lan softly explained everything that had happened to her over the past few years, from their initial encounter to the current outcome. Her voice carried the gentle cadence unique to Jiangnan, perhaps she had finally let go.
The coffee was steaming. Lin Qingxu took a sip and found that coffee without milk or sugar was indeed very bitter.
After listening to Qiu Lan's narration, she felt mixed emotions for a moment.
In fact, a closer look reveals that there are quite a few posts in South America that discuss Wang Shu and Qiu Lan, compared to those about Qiu Lan and Qin Song. Most of these posts appear in solo photos of Qiu Lan, either of her participating in competitions or at events. In most cases, Wang Shu is right behind her, his eyes never leaving her.
Wang Shu, who loved Qiu Lan so much at the time, would go to jail for domestic violence.
And the couple who once loved each other so much actually ended up being fed up with each other.
"Feel sorry."
While narrating, Qiu Lan suddenly apologized to Lin Qingxu.
Lin Qingxu's hand holding the cup paused slightly, and he looked up at her.
Qiu Lan paused for a moment, then spoke again, her tone apologetic as she told the hidden truth.
She confessed that she had been the mastermind behind everything during this period, just as Wang had said, from the exaggerated injuries to the initial casual exposure of the wounds to Lin Qingxu. Later, she pretended to accidentally reveal to Qu Wen that Lin Qingxu was her neighbor, emphasizing that there was only one Lin Qingxu household.
She guided Lin Qingxu step by step to help her, but at the same time also put Lin Qingxu himself in danger.
"From the moment I knew Wang Shu was suspicious of me and even showing signs of violence, I've been looking for a way out. I know how powerful he is, and I have no chance of winning against him head-on. I need solid evidence, an opportunity to break his disguise. But if I'm alone, it might be difficult to achieve the result I want."
"I've been waiting. I noticed you, and my intuition told me you could help me."
"I knew that getting you involved might be dangerous, but I didn't care at the time. So, I deliberately left traces in places where you might appear, intentionally or unintentionally revealing my predicament to you. I even... anticipated being harassed by him that time."
"I know this is selfish and dangerous." Qiu Lan's voice became lower, with some guilt.
She knew that her apology was pale and useless, but she felt that she should tell Lin Qingxu the truth in person.
Anyone who was used in this way might feel unhappy and feel that she was unscrupulous.
Maybe what she will face next is a cup of scalding coffee, Lin Qingxu's direct departure, or a light and cold "it's okay".
But what Qiu Lan heard was "I know".
The heat of the coffee spread a faint bitterness in the air.
Lin Qingxu listened to Qiu Lan's confession in silence. After a long silence, she found that the other party did not seem to intend to continue talking. She lowered her head to think about the wording before responding.
In fact, Lin Qingxu had already known about Qiu Lan's use.
To be precise, it wasn't that early. At first, she had only some suspicions but no definitive conclusions. The time she really realized it was the days when Qiu Lan was diagnosed with PTSD.
After learning about Qiu Lan's condition from the psychiatrist, Lin Qingxu looked up some information about PTSD patients. She wanted to learn more. While she might not be able to help Qiu Lan recover, she could at least prevent her condition from worsening.
But the more she looked into the matter, the more clues she discovered. She realized things weren't quite what she'd imagined. Suspicion welled up in her mind, and she began to observe the details of her interactions with Qiu Lan more closely. That's when she finally understood.
She said, "South America's cultural scores have always been high, and as a senior student who used to receive the highest scholarship in South America every year, how could Qiu Lan really let others manipulate her?"
Qiu Lan was startled, "Then why did you..."
Lin Qingxu smiled lightly, his eyes clear: "I know you are in a difficult situation, and I guess you may need some help from outside."
"At the beginning, I also thought about how difficult Wang Shu was and the dangers involved. Even if Kan Zhao was inseparable from me, it was inevitable that Wang Shu would find an opportunity to attack him."
"But I always feel like if I don't help you, then you'll really be stuck in the mud and it will be very difficult to save yourself."
The sound of rain outside the window gradually stopped, the dark clouds dispersed, and soon, sunlight shone through the clouds.
Lin Qingxu said softly:
"Rather than being taken advantage of, I'm more afraid of someone losing the chance to escape a desperate situation because of my hesitation."
She was also sincerely happy for Qiu Lan's new life.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: The school computers are terrible [angry][angry][angry]. I used the computer in the computer room to type in the class. The input method is not only difficult to adjust, but also switches between Chinese and English from time to time [angry][angry][angry]. This happened several times before [angry][angry][angry].
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
