Chapter 62 Ruins "Thank you for taking me in, best wishes."
A loud crash.
The bicycle fell over at the door, and the contents of the basket spilled all over the ground with a clatter.
Xing Ze rushed into the house without looking back, then suddenly stopped in the open space in the front hall.
He stood there, covered in sweat and panting.
Everything around him was exactly the same as when he left, peaceful and serene, exuding a gentle aura in the halo of light.
"...Mu Tingyu."
His hands trembled as he hoarsely called out to the upstairs, "Mu Tingyu—!"
"......"
The upstairs was silent.
There was no distant reply from the girl on the third floor, nor the clatter of footsteps coming down the stairs, nor the warm whisper carried by the wind through the stairwell: "You're back!"
—Nobody.
"......."
He rushed upstairs, trembling, and slammed open her bedroom door.
Sunlight streamed in through the glass window, illuminating the neatly made bed.
The room was spotless, the blanket folded into a small square and placed in the center. The desk and chairs were back in their original positions; the desk had previously been cluttered with the girl's slightly messy hair ties, a cup, lesson plans, and data cables...
Everything has vanished, leaving a clean and tidy space, as if no one had ever been there.
"......."
Xing Ze stood in the utterly silent room, gripping the edge of the table tightly, breathing heavily.
Immediately afterwards, he turned and rushed out of the room, running up to the third floor.
The sky was a clear blue, a gentle sea breeze lifted the heat, and warm sunlight streamed directly into the house from the balcony, casting dreamy orange-yellow shadows on the floor.
When he built the house, he deliberately placed the balcony in this direction so that it would get exceptionally good sunlight in the afternoon. The sunlight would fill the entire small space until it was so bright that people couldn't open their eyes.
That was Mu Tingyu's favorite balcony, with its carefully cultivated greenery, her favorite rocking chair, and a small tea table. She loved to curl up her legs, lean back in the rocking chair, and squint her eyes like a kitten to enjoy the sea breeze and sunshine, or snuggle in his arms, hugging his neck and whispering sweet nothings.
—Last night, she was sitting on his lap, smiling and kissing him, playfully feeding him the wine from her mouth.
He breathed heavily as he slowly walked into the storage room and called out to the balcony, "Mu Tingyu, stop fooling around..."
"Did I do something to upset you...? Come out and tell me..."
He walked very slowly, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Stop making a scene, okay? Come out here..."
He stepped onto the balcony, where the entire interior was visible.
—There was no one there.
"......."
Without hesitation, he turned around and rushed back into the room.
The bathroom was empty. The girl's bunny toothbrush cup, small towel, and the face wash and various skin care products that once occupied a large part of the washbasin were all gone. Only the black marble countertop gleamed coldly under the incandescent light.
The small suitcase that was placed at the corner of the wall was nowhere to be seen, and the bed sheet on the bed was also neatly pulled up and carefully stuffed under the mattress without a single wrinkle.
The two of them had a really big fight last night, and when he got up to tidy up this morning, the blankets were all curled up together, and the sheets were pulled apart, with a small corner lifted. Mu Tingyu was still asleep at that time, so he planned to wait until she woke up before fixing it.
—Even as he left, the girl, whom he had kept up all night, was still curled up in a messy blanket. She kissed him, smiled warmly at him, and said: I'll wait for you to come home.
But now the person is gone.
The air conditioner in the room was thoughtfully turned off, and the door was wide open, letting out all the cool air and leaving a stuffy, stuffy atmosphere.
The sweat on his head finally gave way, and drops of it trickled down his hair, down his brow bone, and into his eyes from the corners of his eyes, causing a sharp pain.
Xing Ze gasped for breath, closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them again.
"......."
His eyes were bloodshot from the sting, but he seemed oblivious to the pain. With his hands hanging at his sides, he slowly took steps, walking in step by step.
The curtains were wide open, and light cast irregular geometric shapes on the black workbench, where a sheet of white paper sat in the center.
As if afraid he wouldn't see it, the person who placed it put the white paper neatly in the center, right at the boundary between light and shadow.
He stopped in front of the table and looked down at it.
The handwriting above is neat and clear, and it contains only one short sentence.
"Thank you for taking me in. Best wishes."
The person who left the message, unlike their usual chattering self, only gave him six words.
—And these six words are all she left him.
"......."
He stood stiffly in front of the table for a long time, staring at the words on the paper.
After a while, noticing the shifting light and shadows on the table, he quietly climbed down from the workbench and retreated from the edge of the windowsill.
As the sky gradually turned red, he thought—this is all she left behind.
She summed up the relationship with the word "take-in," coaxing him, keeping it from him, canceling her plane tickets, taking all her belongings with her, and leaving without saying goodbye the day before the day they had agreed to leave together.
They just left him there like trash.
Without reason, without explanation, and without saying a single unnecessary word to him, it was as if she was telling him through her actions—I've had my fun, goodbye.
"...Mu Tingyu."
He remained silent for a while, then chuckled softly.
With a loud crash, a cell phone was slammed onto the table.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the already opened WeChat interface.
The chat log above was from yesterday. He messaged her from home while she was in class, asking what she wanted to eat for dinner. She probably replied during a break between classes, acting coquettishly, and even added a tilde to the end of her message.
She said, "Anything is fine, I like to eat whatever you make~~ [cat rubbing against her]"
This girl is naturally lively and adorable, and when she's in love, she's incredibly sweet. She can easily come up with sweet and coaxing words, leaving no room for maneuver and making everyone want to do whatever she wants.
The most recent record is from today, and it was posted by him.
When he saw that his flight had been cancelled, he broke out in a cold sweat under the sun and felt inexplicably uneasy, so he immediately sent her a message.
He texted: "Baby, are you asleep? Why were our tickets canceled?"
The message popped up, spun a little, and then a red exclamation mark appeared.
"You have enabled friend verification, but you are not yet his/her friend. Please send a friend verification request first. You can only chat after the other party approves your request."
—In that instant, his mind went blank, and his ears were ringing.
The scorching July sun beat down fiercely on him, but he felt as if he had fallen into a ten-thousand-meter-deep ice cave, his whole body trembling.
The boss came out of the house, saw the expression on his face, and immediately cursed, "Damn it, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so pale?"
"..." He suppressed the churning in his stomach, took a deep breath, and reached for the handlebars. "...Thank you for the drink, I have to go home urgently."
"Don't thank me, what's wrong with you... sigh!"
The boss's words trailed off.
He didn't dare linger for a moment, riding home like a madman, drenched in sweat, almost falling into the paddy field. His mind was blank, he dared not think of anything, as if he knew he couldn't face the almost certain reality.
Until he staggered into the room and saw the white paper on the table, his still-hopeful heart sank to the bottom.
—She really ran away.
She left him behind and went alone.
She lured him into her heart and body, telling him she would "be with him forever," then lied to him, sent him away, and left decisively.
She took everything with her, leaving him nothing behind, and in the end, she used the word "take in" to stab him hard, not stopping until she had smashed his heart to pieces.
"......."
Xing Ze sat on the edge of the bed in pain, leaned over, and covered his eyes with one hand.
His whole body ached, his internal organs were ulcerated, and he was in so much pain that he couldn't breathe.
I sent countless friend requests on my phone, but they all went unanswered. Even phone calls kept saying "temporarily unavailable," so I've probably been blocked.
She was leaving, and he didn't even deserve a reason or an explanation.
He realized this, laughed silently, and his eyes welled up with tears.
He didn't understand.
Is there something he hasn't done enough?
Was he not good enough to her?
Why? Why leave?
Why use this method, so ruthlessly and thoroughly shattering his hopes?
Is it just so you can leave him?
Did she do all this just to make him give up and leave him completely?
"......."
"...Mu Tingyu..."
His voice trembled as he gasped for breath in pain.
The image of that little rascal, smiling sweetly, seemed to be right before my eyes; soft, white fingers gently caressed his cheek, and a gentle, sweet voice spoke to him:
I like you the most too, come with me.
I want you to travel the world with me.
I've made up my mind. Anyone who goes back on their word is a little dog.
You are my favorite person in the whole world, and I want to be with you forever.
......
He was trembling all over and wanted to reach out and grab her.
Looking up, all I saw were six large characters on the white paper: "Thank you for taking me in, best wishes."
"........"
He gasped for breath, burying his face deeply in his hands.
......
......
Time passed second by second, and the sun gradually sank below the horizon, turning the sky a deep red, as if it had been stained with the blood of a heart.
The room was dimly lit. The person who had been silent by the bed for a long time finally moved and lifted their face from their palm.
Because he had maintained one posture for too long, his body became a little stiff.
He sat for a while to catch his breath, then stood up.
The last bit of sunlight reflected off his face. He lowered his eyes and stared blankly at the paper in his hand.
Then, he casually tossed it onto the table, grabbed his phone, and went downstairs.
-
The bicycle was still lying on its side, its contents scattered haphazardly around it.
Xing Ze slowly went downstairs, sat down on the small stool by the door, and quietly looked at the things on the ground.
Several plastic bags were scattered on the ground. One contained ointment, and the rest were all cold plum blossom cakes, small twisted dough sticks, purple rice cakes... all kinds of snacks that girls love to eat. Now, in the darkening sky, they were scattered everywhere, as if they had lost their vitality.
The jar of osmanthus wine shattered, spilling the liquid all over the ground. Most of it was baked away by the sun, and the withered, yellowed osmanthus flowers stuck to the ground, forming a sticky mess.
He watched coldly, without moving.
The puppy wandered around the bicycle, occasionally lowering its head to sniff things on the ground, and finally slowly walked to Xing Ze's feet and gently licked his shoelaces.
"......."
He held his phone in his hand, unconsciously turning the screen on and then turning it off again.
He then opened WeChat, swiping his finger aimlessly across the screen.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on the numbers displayed on his wallet.
"......."
He sensed something was wrong, clicked into the balance details, and looked at the top entry.
The system showed that around noon today, a sum of 20,000 yuan was transferred in.
It comes from "not listening".
"........"
Xing Ze gripped his phone tightly, stared at the number for a while, and slowly frowned.
The puppy lay down at his feet, and as if seeing that he wasn't moving, it reached out its paw and patted the toe of his shoe.
He snapped out of his daze, quickly exited WeChat, opened his contacts, and made a phone call.
The call was answered quickly, and a well-trained voice rang out: "Good evening, Young Master Xing, this is Assistant Zhang."
Xing Ze stared at the identity information on the ticket booking software and instructed, "Check someone's flight information for me, ID number xxxx, Harbor Airport."
He paused, his voice hoarse, and then said, "...If not, check the high-speed rail, long-distance bus, or hotel records. Anything within Haicheng, we need it all."
"OK."
They didn't ask a single question, and were extremely efficient, calling back a minute later.
"Young Master Xing, this young lady booked an economy class ticket from Haicheng to Hangzhou through xx last night. The departure time is 5:49 PM today. The system shows that she has successfully boarded the plane and should be in flight right now."
“…” Xing Ze paused for two seconds, then said, “Send me the gate surveillance footage.”
"Okay, I'll send it to your phone in a moment."
After hanging up the phone, he sat there and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Soon, my phone vibrated twice; a message had been sent.
He clicked on the video, staring intently at the person on the screen, his eyes constantly searching.
The surveillance footage was only a short segment, likely showing the time before and after a passenger's successful boarding display. At this point, the deadline was approaching, and only a few people remained in line at the gate. As time passed, they all walked into the passageway, and the screen became empty.
Suddenly, a long-haired girl with a shoulder bag appeared in the lower right corner of the video and hurriedly ran towards the boarding gate.
Xing Ze's gaze immediately locked onto her, and his breath caught in his throat.
She had her hair down and seemed to be very hot from running. She wiped her sweat with her hand, then took out a slightly curled plane ticket from her bag and handed it to the staff member.
In the video, her profile as she handed over the ticket was clearly visible, her familiar, beautiful eyes crinkling as if she were thanking the staff. She then slowly walked into the passageway until her figure disappeared, at which point the video ended.
Xing Ze breathed heavily, rewinding the video and watching that segment repeatedly.
With a "buzz," Assistant Zhang sent a message, demonstrating his keen observation skills.
"Young Master Xing, this young lady will be landing around eight o'clock. Should I arrange for someone to pick her up?"
"......"
“No need,” he replied. “No need to make a fuss. Just let me know her movements as soon as she lands.”
"OK."
"...Send a shuttle bus to pick her up."
"OK."
He turned off his phone, leaned back against the wall, and looked a little tired.
After a long pause, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.
When he saw that she had transferred money to him, his first reaction was that he was afraid she was homeless and had no money to eat or go home.
Even though she had deceived him so cruelly, his first reaction was still to worry about her safety.
"......."
In retrospect, she did know to keep some money for herself and wasn't foolish enough to transfer it all to him. At least she saved enough for a plane ticket so she could get home safely.
—That little rascal, he won't stop until he's driven mad.
Not only did she deceive him and stab him in the heart, but she also tried to get rid of him with 20,000 yuan and sever ties with him.
Xing Ze looked up at the thin, crescent moon in the sky, his eyes clear and bright.
Impossible. What she owes him can't be explained away with just 20,000 yuan.
He couldn't just give in like that, or remain indifferent to her departure.
This is his inner demon and obsession, the myriad loves and pains in his heart, his little bird. It is a little bird that has landed in his palm, belonging only to him.
She shouldn't think about flying away without looking back and cutting ties with herself.
Xing Ze sat there quietly, staring expressionlessly at the dark path.
—Don't even think about it.
He picked up his phone and made another call.
The person who answered this time was clearly someone he got along with well; a surprised voice immediately came through the receiver: "What's going on? Why did you suddenly decide to call me?"
"Jiadong, do me a favor."
"...Oh, that's strange. Young Master, you actually need my help one day? What's the matter? I've been very busy lately, and I still have a case to solve..."
Xing Ze interrupted him calmly: "You can pick any wine you want from my basement."
".....Holy crap?" Chen Jiadong sat up straight on the other end of the phone. "Hey! Are you serious? Don't try to fool me, I'm taking this seriously!"
There was no answer on the other end of the phone.
After a moment of surprise, Chen Jiadong smiled with some interest, twirled his pen in his hand, and turned to look at the neon lights in front of the French windows: "...For the sake of the wine... Alright, young master, please give your orders."
After a two-second silence, Xing Ze's deep voice rang out.
"My girlfriend had a fight with me and ran back to Hangzhou by herself."
"...Hey, no, no," Chen Jiadong exclaimed in shock, "You didn't say a word... Weren't you living in seclusion in some village? When did you get a girlfriend?"
Xing Ze ignored him and said directly, "I need her background information, from her birth to the present, the more detailed the better."
"...No, are you looking for a girlfriend or an enemy? This is a lot of work, why do you need to go into so much detail?"
Xing Ze's eyes were dark and deep, yet they gleamed with a chilling light.
"After she left, I thought about it for a long time, and now I think I know why she left without saying goodbye."
He narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhat cold.
"But that's not enough. I need to know everything."
"—especially what happened after she was 7 years old."
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