As Xiang Zhilan picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number, Shen Muzhi also picked up the phone on the bedside table, intending to make a call.
He paused when he heard Xiang Zhilan's voice on the phone.
"Mom, I'll stay at a friend's place for the night and go back after the rain stops," Xiang Zhilan said gently.
"Yes, there's an orange alert today, and the rain will get heavier tonight, so don't rush back." She paused, then, still a little worried, added tactfully, "Lanlan, while your parents hope you can get married soon, some things are better left unsaid. Do you understand what I mean?"
Xiang's mother assumed that the friend Xiang Zhilan mentioned was Feng Jingxian. As a mother, she would still be a little worried about the two young people sharing a room.
Just as Xiang Zhilan was about to explain, her mother immediately added, "It's not that I'm old-fashioned or against premarital intimacy, it's just that you haven't been dating long enough. It's not the right time yet. He grew up abroad and is a boy, so his views might be more open. But we girls need to be more reserved. We should at least wait about six months before..."
"Mom!" Xiang Zhilan was both amused and exasperated. Her mother was far from being conservative; in fact, she was incredibly open-minded. She herself had never considered giving herself away before marriage, but her mother thought six months would be enough.
"Yes, yes, I won't nag anymore, but you need to be careful..."
"Mom, I'm not with Jingxian." Xiang Zhilan interrupted her, a sudden sadness welling up inside her, her voice low and hoarse: "I won't find out what you're worried about with him, never again..."
Xiang Zhilan's voice was very low. Her mother only heard the first part and asked in confusion, "Huh? Then where are you?"
"It's at a friend's house at the magazine." Xiang Zhilan pursed her lips, suppressing her sadness, and said vaguely.
"Oh, is it a girl?" Xiang's mother asked casually.
"Hmm." Xiang Zhilan was afraid that if her mother continued to ask questions, she wouldn't be able to hold on, so she quickly said, "Mom, the signal here isn't very good, I'll hang up now."
After ending the call with her mother, Xiang Zhilan put down the receiver, leaned against the bed, and stared blankly into space.
All of her mother's worries were no longer true; she and Feng Jingxian had broken up, and she no longer had any so-called innocence.
That night, everything was destroyed; the future she had envisioned with Feng Jingxian was gone.
She felt so much hatred and resentment, but what could she do? Killing Shen Muzhi would only lead to imprisonment and cause her parents grief; it would be of no use whatsoever, and she could never go back.
Xiang Zhilan closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her face, soaking the pillowcase.
After listening to Xiang Zhilan and her mother's conversation, Shen Muzhi lowered his eyes and remained silent.
It was clear from her voice that Xiang's mother also liked Feng Jingxian; otherwise, why would she have allowed her daughter to give herself away after only six months?
Their families must be hoping that Xiang Zhilan and Feng Jingxian can get married smoothly.
Xiang Zhilan also hoped to marry Feng Jingxian. Her mother didn't hear that sentence clearly, but he did hear it—her sadness and despair.
It seems that she met with Feng Jingxian today to break up; she probably feels that she is not good enough for Feng Jingxian.
This is probably a large part of the reason why she hates him so much.
Back when Feng Jingxian wasn't around, she was willing to be kept by him, and even though she thought she would have to sleep with him, she steeled herself and took the initiative to ask.
But now that I have someone I like, I can't accept his touch.
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