"Aren't you scared when you go home at night?" Ye Jiu asked him curiously.
“I never used to come home this late.” Su Qingyue said helplessly. After getting closer to Ye Jiu, he started coming home late more often. Luckily, no one bothered him.
Ye Jiu looked out the window, the dim glass reflecting her face and Su Qingyue's smiling face. "Have you thought about renting a place in the city?"
"Hmm... I haven't found a suitable place yet." This house used to be rent-free, and it was his best refuge when he was in dire straits. Now that he has money in his hands, he doesn't know where to start to change things.
"Why don't you move to the apartment across from mine? The other apartment is just moving out and they're looking for a new place to rent," Ye Jiu said casually. "It's convenient for getting to and from school, and they can tutor me on weekday evenings."
"That sounds pretty good." Su Qingyue smiled, without explicitly indicating whether she accepted the proposal or not.
Ye Jiu didn't say anything more. It was his business how to handle the money after it was given. The only sound in the cramped space was the "whoosh" of the air conditioner. The road was not smooth, and Ye Jiu was swayed from side to side in the car.
There were only the two of them in the back seat. Ye Jiu was too embarrassed to look at Su Qingyue, and there was nothing to see outside the window, so she simply leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest, naturally missing Su Qingyue's greedy gaze.
What to do? If they really lived that close, it would only make him miss her more. Just the distance of a corridor would be enough to see the person he longed for day and night. Just thinking about that scene made him tremble all over. Desire crept into his eyes, only to be hidden by the night.
Such care and favoritism are truly wonderful.
The tranquility was broken when they arrived not far from Su Qingyue's house. Ye Jiu yawned and asked, "Are we there?"
Uncle Wang frowned. "Miss, don't move. There seem to be uninvited guests at Su's door."
Su Qingyue rolled down the car window and, in the dim light of the streetlamp, saw the debt collectors sitting in front of his house.
Ye Jiu also peeked out and was stunned when she saw the burly men. "These people aren't looking for you, are they?"
Su Qingyue's expression was solemn. "It should be. They are debt collectors... My father gambled and incurred high-interest debts. A year ago, he was imprisoned for robbery. These people can't find my father, so they're demanding that I, as his son, pay for his debts..."
Su Qingyue didn't finish his sentence, but Ye Jiu could imagine how badly he had been tormented by these people over the past year. She covered her mouth and looked at Su Qingyue with heartache in her eyes.
As expected, he's a standard villain. He has a beastly father, and Ye Jiu can't even imagine how he survived his childhood.
Have you called the police?
“I reported it, but soon they would send a different group to ambush me. I have no money to pay back... and nowhere to hide…” Su Qingyue lowered his eyes, all his emotions hidden. He spoke lightly, but Ye Jiu felt more and more sorry for him as she listened.
She reached out and hugged Su Qingyue, saying, "You'll be able to escape this sea of suffering when you go to university in another city after the college entrance exam."
Su Qingyue rested her head on her shoulder, a slight smile playing on her lips, enjoying the warm embrace.
His father was not a good person, so how could he, who grew up healthy under his father's care, be a model student? Having never enjoyed a day of affection, he naturally clung tightly to this one and only favoritism.
He knew her initial intentions were impure, but it didn't matter; he could pretend he didn't know.
Ye Jiu, Ye Jiu, Ye Jiu. In just two short weeks, this name left an indelible mark on his heart; he would never let go, even if it meant death…
"Do you have anything important at home?" Ye Jiu asked.
“I have review materials, household registration booklet and other documents, and the clothes you bought for me,” Su Qingyue answered truthfully.
"Is this house yours?" Ye Jiu asked again.
"Yes, it's the inheritance my grandmother left me." Su Qingyue rubbed her face against Ye Jiu's back, looking completely spineless.
Ye Jiu assumed he was just scared. No matter how strong he was, he was still just an 18-year-old boy, and it was normal for him to be afraid in front of so many big men.
"After the exam, we'll come back and pack our things. I'll ask Aunt Wang to help you rent the apartment across from mine. How about you stay there? You can just stay in a hotel for the next few nights, okay?" Ye Jiu's voice unconsciously carried a hint of doting affection.
Su Qingyue nodded haphazardly, intoxicated by this pampering. So this is how it is? So this is what it feels like? So this is what it's like to be favored? Her heart ached with a bittersweet feeling.
Ye Jiu, Ye Jiu, Ye Jiu, he called her name silently, just wanting to call her name, it didn't matter if there was no response.
"Uncle Wang, let's turn around and leave. Don't get out of the car."
The car carefully made a U-turn. The burly man blocking the entrance glanced at the car making the U-turn, assuming it had taken the wrong turn, and then muttered a curse, "Damn it, where the hell has this bastard been? He doesn't even come home."
They've been waiting since six o'clock, afraid of missing him. They haven't eaten a single bite of food and are starving. But they've been waiting all this time and he still hasn't come back.
After settling Su Qingyue in, Ye Jiu sighed heavily. Having been a high school student for so long, she had almost forgotten that she had a mission. So far, no one who seemed to be the female lead had appeared. Did this mean that the main plot hadn't even started yet? Ye Jiu began to doubt whether her original plan to leave after the college entrance examination could be successfully implemented. But she would just have to take it one step at a time.
If you keep people under your watchful eye, surely nothing bad will happen.
——
The two-day exams ended in the blink of an eye. The teachers graded the papers on Friday and then let the students rest, giving them a three-day break over the weekend.
Taking this opportunity, Ye Jiu and Su Qingyue went back to pack their things. His house was much more desolate than she had imagined. Wild grass grew wildly in the yard and no one cared. Inside the house, there was only a living room, a simple kitchen, and a bedroom.
There was some furniture in the bedroom, but the living room was empty. The bedroom was filled with Su Qingyue's books and had a small wardrobe with a few of his clothes inside, all of which were black and gray except for his school uniform.
Su Qingyue didn't let Ye Jiu help, but found her a chair to sit in the yard and bask in the sun, which Ye Jiu accepted.
He quickly packed up his belongings: some books, a few certificates, a charger, and a few sets of casual and school uniforms—that was all he had. He stuffed everything into his backpack and there was still room to spare.
Ye Jiu was surprised by how little he had, but it would be best if he could leave this place as soon as possible.
Su Qingyue locked the door, and Ye Jiu asked him, "Won't you regret it? This is where you've lived for so long, isn't it?"
Instead of answering directly, Su Qingyue said, "This place no longer feels like home after my grandmother passed away."
Ye Jiu fell silent as he locked the door.
With a click, the lock was pressed down, and his former home was sealed away. Su Qingyue felt relieved, more relieved than ever before, as if something had been abandoned along with the sound of the door being locked.
Ye Jiu walked alongside him. "Aunt Wang has helped me rent the house. Let's buy some daily necessities on the way back, like a three-piece bedding set, slippers, toothbrush cups, and the like."
"And towels, carpets, shampoo, shower gel..." Ye Jiu muttered to herself about the daily necessities she could think of, not caring whether Su Qingyue would answer or not, and kept talking to herself.
Su Qingyue didn't feel annoyed. He squinted at the sun in the sky. It was a beautiful day.
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