Chapter 4
Will you cry?
Chen Zhiyu ate the still-warm ribs in his bowl, the aroma of the meat filling his mouth and his stomach. He looked up from his bowl, glanced cautiously at Qiao Xi sitting opposite him, and carefully pushed the bowl over to her. "Sis, you eat too."
Josh's eyes were even more swollen now, with red and swollen eyelids tightly gripping his swollen eyeballs, which was really affecting his vision.
She took ice cubes from the refrigerator and was applying them to her face when she heard Chen Zhiyu's words. She waved her hand, took a sip of the dumpling soup in the bowl beside her, and said, "You eat it. I can't eat right now."
Having not eaten a proper meal for several days, Josh's stomach couldn't handle the sudden influx of meat and fish. Since there was nothing else to eat at home, he ordered himself a bowl of dumpling soup.
The soup was so bland that they didn't even bother to add scallions or cilantro, making it hard to swallow. Josh forced himself to eat a few more bites.
Chen Zhiyu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
The aroma of the stewed ribs, cooked until tender, quickly filled the living room, whetting his appetite. Unable to resist his hunger, he picked up a small piece from the bowl with his bare hands and continued to gnaw on it.
After Josh finished his soup in small sips, he moved the ice cube wrapped in a towel to his other eyelid, squinted slightly, and continued to focus his gaze on the phone screen, while his free right hand kept tapping the screen relentlessly.
They were busy until it was completely dark.
Only one light was on in the living room, casting a warm, dim glow that fell gently and quietly over the two of them.
After all this trouble, it's already very late, and it's obviously unsafe to send a child back at this time.
Josh put away her phone and got up to tidy up the room. She hadn't been back for almost two months, and tidying up properly would be quite a hassle, but she didn't have the energy for it right now.
At this moment, Chen Zhiyu jogged over and offered to help, saying, "Sister, I can do it myself."
Josh waved his hand at him, "No need, you just wait patiently."
As she spoke, she got up and hurriedly tidied up the room where Qiao Mai had lived before, and then moved her own bedding there.
Then she took Chen Zhiyu to her room. "The sheets and blankets are all new. The toiletries are on the table. You should wash up and get some rest."
Seeing that Chen Zhiyu obediently agreed, Qiao Xi returned to Qiao Mai's room.
Having slept all day, she was wide awake. As soon as she entered the room, she lay down on the bed and continued looking up something on her phone. After a moment, she put the phone down.
Continuing the train of thought that was forcibly interrupted this morning and afternoon.
Qiao Mai's room was simple and tidy, and since she rarely lived there, she had very few belongings.
Josh turned to the side. The newly changed sheets still smelled of the familiar ocean. He took a deep sniff and reached out to stroke them, as if he were touching Joma's not-so-delicate hands.
Then, her gaze fell on the dressing table, where a suitcase lay—Qiao Mai's belongings that she had brought back.
She wasn't in the mood to look at it at the time, and just shoved it in without thinking. Because she was in such a hurry, she didn't have time to examine what was inside.
Josh walked to the table, squatted down, and opened the suitcase.
*
The following morning.
Having exhausted himself these past few days, Chen Zhiyu hadn't slept so soundly in a long time. When he woke up, he found it was almost ten o'clock. He quickly got ready and rushed to the living room, where there was no sound from the house.
"Get up. There's no food at home. Let's go out to eat later," Josh's voice suddenly rang out.
Chen Zhiyu was startled.
He looked toward the source of the sound and saw Josh lounging on the sofa, his right arm covering his eyes, seemingly enjoying a moment of peace.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, the morning light flowing like water, spreading around her, filling her surroundings with a soft, fuzzy glow.
"Sister," Chen Zhiyu greeted her.
Josh, lying on the sofa, didn't move, only responding softly, as if she wasn't the one who had just said she was going out to eat.
After a moment of silence, she finally got up, quickly tidied herself up, grabbed her keys, and glanced at Chen Zhiyu, "All ready?"
Chen Zhiyu nodded obediently.
"Okay, let's go out then."
Josh lives in a typical old and dilapidated neighborhood, so most of the shops nearby are long-established businesses with run-down facades and somewhat chaotic streets.
Chen Zhiyu was unfamiliar with this place, so he obediently followed behind her.
Josh got hungry in the middle of the night and led Chen Zhiyu directly to the wonton shop, where they ordered two bowls of chicken soup wontons.
The wonton shop owner lived in the same neighborhood as Josh and was an old acquaintance of her family. After serving the wontons, he turned around and took two bottles of cold drinks, placed them on the table, and went to the kitchen to get busy without saying a word.
The wontons in Josh's bowl were significantly more than a normal portion. She glanced at the kitchen, then took a new pair of chopsticks, gave most of them to Chen Zhiyu, and told him, "Eat up, eat more."
Before leaving home, Josh wore a hat, the black brim pulled down tightly to cover her eyes, but Chen Zhiyu still saw her eyelids, which seemed even more swollen and red. He frowned, but since this morning, he felt that Josh seemed to have changed a little, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It seems like he's regained some of his energy.
It wasn't mealtime, so there weren't many people in the shop. The two of them each held a bowl of chicken soup wontons and ate quietly.
When Chen Zhiyu finished his bowl of wontons, Qiao Xi asked him with concern, "Are you done eating?"
"Yes, I'm done eating," Chen Zhiyu said, wiping his mouth.
"Are you full?"
"I've got it."
"That's good, you're the starter today," Josh said out of the blue.
Chen Zhiyu stared at her blankly.
Josh accepted the boss's offer, but still paid for two bowls of wontons and two bottles of drinks. She put the cash at the bottom of the bowl and took Chen Zhiyu, who looked puzzled, to the bus stop and boarded the No. 11 bus.
As the car started moving, Chen Zhiyu gradually became uneasy, sitting in his seat at a loss. But after getting in the car, Qiao Xi closed her eyes to rest, so he couldn't find an opportunity to ask her anything.
When the bus reached the second-to-last stop, Josh woke up and led him off the bus.
It was a little after 11 a.m., and the sun was high in the sky, spreading heat.
Chen Zhiyu looked around and observed the surrounding environment. The surrounding trees were lush and green, forming a natural barrier against the heat, and the area also provided good defense and security.
Chen Zhiyu realized they were in a villa area, and he jogged after her, asking, "Sis, where are we going?"
Josh walked ahead, still engrossed in his phone, oblivious to everything.
Chen Zhiyu stopped in his tracks, not daring to step forward, and weakly called out, "Sister."
Josh turned around in confusion and saw Chen Zhiyu, who dared not approach. As if guessing his anxiety, he said, "Let's go, I won't sell you."
Chen Zhiyu said "oh" and followed without asking any more questions, but his little face was all scrunched up and he felt a little down. Qiao Xi knew exactly what he was worried about, but she just wouldn't say.
If he hadn't pressed her for an explanation, she wouldn't have offered another word.
"Will you cry?" Josh suddenly asked him again.
"Huh?" Chen Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously shook his head.
"You were crying quite well at my house yesterday, weren't you?"
Chen Zhiyu blushed, her long eyelashes drooping, and she stubbornly said, "That's different."
In fact, Josh had been researching a lot of information online since yesterday, but she was just a child who had just come of age and knew nothing about the problems left behind by Qiao Mai and the others. Even if she made up for it as quickly as possible, she could not compete with people who had been immersed in the business world for many years.
Before going to bed yesterday, she first contacted Qiao Mai's friend and asked her to help contact Liu Weifeng, a business partner whom Chen Zhibin had lent money to before his death.
Josh got the chance to meet Chen Zhibin as a relative.
They were now in a large reception room, the decorations of which not only looked luxurious, but every detail also exuded elegance. Josh sat on the soft sofa, his heart sinking as his body sank.
Liu Weifeng sat opposite them, relaxed, sipping his tea at a leisurely pace. "You've come to repay the money?"
His voice was deep and intimidating, just as she had heard.
"Not yet."
Liu Weifeng raised his eyelids and glanced at them. He had only heard about Chen Zhibin's situation a few days ago, but he was not a philanthropist. Even if he only had two lonely children left at home, he couldn't just wave his hand and wipe the debt clean.
Actually, before they arrived, several people had approached him; those were people Chen Zhibin had borrowed money from.
How could he not know what they were up to? They were just trying to use his name to carry out some schemes. He was gone, but the two children were still there, and the house was still there. In short, they wouldn't give up until they got what they wanted.
Liu Weifeng wouldn't do such a thing. He's not a sucker, nor is he a rich fool being used as a pawn.
To his surprise, the two children came looking for him right after he rejected them.
Chen Zhibin owed hundreds of thousands of yuan, which would be difficult for even an adult to repay, let alone two naive children.
Now that they've come looking for him, Liu Weifeng can't just stand by and do nothing. Since he's already encountered this situation, he'll try to postpone it as long as possible. "My money isn't in a hurry; you can pay me back at the last minute."
Josh was even more ruthless: "But there are other people too."
Is he asking for help? Liu Weifeng raised an eyebrow, adopting an indifferent expression, "That's none of my business."
He's not a philanthropist.
Josh lowered his head and remained silent. Besides Liu Weifeng, Chen Zhibin had also borrowed money from three other people.
She had someone investigate those three people; they were all ruthless in their pursuit of debt.
While Chen Zhiyu was sleeping in the morning, she went to Chen Zhibin's residence and secretly took a look around. There were a few blond thugs loitering around, obviously sent by that group to keep watch.
If they don't find a solution soon, they'll soon find Josh's place.
The atmosphere turned cold.
There are solutions; we have to try them no matter what.
Josh clenched her hands on her lap, her body involuntarily curling up. Liu Weifeng's terrifying gaze was like a cluster of fire, calmly staring at her. His eyes also carried a chilling power. Josh's face flushed and then turned cold. She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and was about to speak.
"Wah!" Suddenly, a loud cry rang out.
Startled, Liu Weifeng and Qiao Xi turned around and stared wide-eyed at Chen Zhiyu sitting in the corner.
Tears flowed freely from Chen Zhiyu's face, his eyes and nose red. He staggered over, hugged Qiao Xi's leg, pressed his face against her trouser leg, and held her tightly with both arms. "Sister, what do we do?"
"Sister, please, don't sell me."
Josh was speechless. She had only meant it as a joke and had no intention of making the child cry, but now that the show had begun, there was no reason to stop.
Josh took off her hat, revealing messy hair, wiped away her tears, pulled Chen Zhiyu up from the ground, and hugged him. "I have an idea, I don't know if it will work."
Josh tried to look Liu Weifeng in the eye, but seeing his amused expression, he gritted his teeth and whispered a plea, "Could you lend me another 200,000?"
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