Chapter 147 The Note
The three of them managed to eat a few more bites, but the meal was utterly tasteless.
After dinner, time seemed to slow down. The CCTV news was playing on the living room TV, but no one could hear it.
Zhao Yaqin kept looking at the wall clock, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, and her breathing seemed a little rapid.
Finally, the hands of the clock slowly approached eight o'clock.
It was already completely dark outside the window.
Zhao Yaqin stood up, her voice trembling: "Time...time is almost up..."
Zhou Anping also stood up and took her arm: "Come on, Sister Yaqin, I'll go with you."
Nan Zhiyi also stood up, walked over to them, and once again instructed, "Sister Yaqin, remember what I said. No matter what you hear, ask a few questions and then come back. Don't get agitated. You can sleep here tonight. I've already asked Aunt Wu to prepare the guest room."
Zhou Anping nodded emphatically: "Zhiyi, don't worry, I will definitely keep a close eye on Sister Yaqin and bring her back as soon as this is over!"
Zhao Yaqin was in a state of confusion. She nodded haphazardly, mumbled a "thank you," and then eagerly pulled Zhou Anping along, quickly leaving the Gu family home.
Nan Zhiyi stood at the door, gazing in the direction they had disappeared, her brows slightly furrowed.
When Aunt Wu saw Nan Zhiyi still standing at the door, she said, "Zhiyi, come inside and wait. It's chilly at night, don't stand in the wind."
"Why."
The two returned to the living room and sat down. Wu Ma opened a knitting kit and slowly began to knit, quietly keeping them company.
Nan Zhiyi was still imagining what the scene would be like when she heard Zhou Anping's suppressed anger coming from outside the courtyard gate. He seemed to be whispering something to her, and there was also suppressed sobbing.
Nan Zhiyi's heart tightened, and she got up to open the door.
Aunt Wu quickly helped her up: "Don't move, I'll go open it!"
Not long after, Zhou Anping helped the unsteady Zhao Yaqin into the room.
How could it be so fast? Could it be... that they didn't even see them at all?
Upon seeing this, Wu Ma immediately said tactfully, "I'll go back to my room to tidy up first." She then turned and went back to her room on the second floor, leaving the three sisters alone.
Zhou Anping's face was full of anger, and his chest was still heaving violently, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.
Zhao Yaqin, on the other hand, seemed to have lost all her soul; her face was bloodless, and only tears kept streaming down her face.
Before Nan Zhiyi could even ask, Zhou Anping couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "Zhiyi! I'm so angry! We've only walked a few steps out of the compound gate, and my brother is already waiting there! He... he gave this to Sister Yaqin!"
She pointed to the piece of paper that Zhao Yaqin was clutching tightly in her hand, "That coward Li Weidong! That bastard! He didn't even dare to see her one last time! He just had my brother pass on this piece of rubbish! He just used this piece of paper to get rid of Sister Yaqin! So many years of friendship... and he used this piece of paper to..."
Nan Zhiyi saw that Zhao Yaqin's fingers were gripping the note tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Nan Zhiyi gestured to Zhou Anping with her eyes to stop scolding; now was not the time to talk about this.
She and Zhou Anping helped Zhao Yaqin sit on the sofa, one on each side.
"Sister Yaqin..." Nan Zhiyi called softly, took out her handkerchief, and wiped away her tears.
Zhao Yaqin didn't react at all; she just cried even harder.
Zhou Anping was both angry and heartbroken, and couldn't help but curse, "What's the point of thinking about such a spineless, irresponsible man! He doesn't deserve it at all!"
Although Nan Zhiyi didn't know what was written on the note, she could guess that it was nothing more than apologies, that their fate had run its course, and wishing each other well—all that nonsense.
She recalled that when Li Weidong asked Zhao Yaqin to wait for him before, he also passed the message through notes.
Now that the connection has been severed, it's been broken again by a note.
This man seems to be accustomed to dealing with the heaviest emotions in this hidden and cruel way, lacking even the courage to speak frankly to someone's face.
She sighed and grasped Zhao Yaqin's cold hand: "It's not worth shedding all your tears for someone like that. The fact that he chose to run away and doesn't dare to face you says it all."
Zhou Anping chimed in, indignantly saying, "Yeah, Sister Yaqin, it's so foolish of you to hurt yourself over such a coward! There are plenty of good men in the world! We'll find someone better and make him furious!"
Nan Zhiyi continued to gently persuade, "Cry it out, it will make you feel better. But after you cry, you have to try to dig him out of your heart. This process will be very painful, like cutting off a piece of rotten flesh, but only in this way can the wound heal and you can start over. You are not living for him, you are living for yourself."
The two friends took turns offering words of comfort and advice.
Zhao Yaqin just silently shed tears, seemingly listening to their words, yet also seemingly not.
She raised her swollen, red eyes, her voice hoarse and almost inaudible: "...I...I want to be alone...for a while..."
"Okay." Nan Zhiyi gently patted her hand. "Get some rest."
She and Zhou Anping accompanied Zhao Yaqin into the guest room on the first floor.
He watched as Zhao Yaqin sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping quietly left the room and gently closed the door behind them.
Back in the living room, Zhou Anping plopped down on the sofa and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Li Weidong is a real scoundrel! I was so blind before, thinking he was reliable and dependable! I never imagined he'd be so spineless and ruthless! It's simply...it's outrageous!"
Nan Zhiyi sat down beside her and sighed softly.
“My mother used to tell me that the most important thing for a girl in a relationship is to protect herself. She said that once a man gets ruthless, he is the hardest and coldest thing in the world. He can throw away all past affections, promises and vows, and even do the most heartless and hurtful things. After weighing the pros and cons, they can often withdraw much faster and more decisively than we imagine.”
Zhou Anping couldn't help but shudder: "So... feelings are such a terrifying thing? Sincerity... can change and disappear in an instant?"
Nan Zhiyi noticed that Zhou Anping was having doubts about their relationship because of what happened tonight.
She softened her voice and comforted him, "Anping, don't lose faith in all relationships and all people just because Li Weidong is like this. Not all men are like this, and not all relationships end badly."
I just hope you understand that when you're involved in a relationship, you should never lose yourself.
Learn to discern, learn to protect yourself, so that even if you encounter storms in the future, you can stand firm. …Use your heart and eyes to observe carefully, don't rush to give everything away completely.
Zhou Anping's eyes were filled with mixed emotions; it was clear that Zhao Yaqin's ordeal had greatly impacted her.
In the past, she was more confused and hopeful about relationships, but now she truly felt the risks and cruelty involved.
She nodded thoughtfully: "Hmm... Zhiyi, I understand. I'll think about it carefully."
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