"I don't know if the manager told you, or if you noticed when you looked at the information I filled out earlier, that the column for my parents is blank, and the emergency contact is Moran's name."
Qiao Ran sorted out his thoughts, and the pain in his heart tore open the scar himself.
"My parents divorced shortly after I was born. I lived with my grandparents when I was little. They always told me that my dad didn't want me because he disliked me because I was a girl. So... I've always rejected my dad. Even when he came to visit me and bought me things, I never gave him a good face."
"After I became an adult, my father probably thought I was a rock that couldn't be warmed, so he gradually cut off contact. That same year, my mother got into trouble. Not only did she overdraw her credit cards from many banks, she also borrowed money from loan sharks. Debt collectors came to our house..."
Recalling these unbearable past events, Qiao Ran's voice trembled slightly.
Of course, she only talked about some important things, and she omitted the isolation and exclusion she encountered due to family reasons during her student days.
"My mom left my contact information with them, and they kept calling and harassing me. Even if I changed my number, they could still find me. I couldn't concentrate on my studies anymore, so I dropped out."
"After the accident, I tried every way to contact my mother, but I couldn't. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the earth, leaving me with a mountain of debt and trouble. I was desperate and borrowed money from relatives to cover my mother's bank account. This saved our house from being frozen by the bank and leaving us homeless."
"Later, Moran introduced me to live streaming, and I gradually started to earn enough money to support myself, even though debt collectors still harassed me from time to time."
"The next time I heard about my mother was when the police called me and said she had been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment and asked me to go and pay the bill. At first, I thought she was broke again and was trying to scam me, so I ignored them. Later, the hospital called me, and I verified the authenticity of the call."
As Qiao Ran spoke, Pei Yan's expression became more solemn.
Just because Qiao Ran said it simply doesn't mean he couldn't guess it.
Going back more than ten years, divorce was not very common in the country at that time, and Qiao Ran's mother was such an unreliable person. Apart from other things, the rumors from the neighbors alone were enough to prick Qiao Ran's spine.
Pei Yan had guessed about Qiao Ran's past, but he never thought it would be like this.
Heartache spread from his heart little by little. Pei Yan couldn't imagine how Qiao Ran, a girl, faced these misfortunes.
Put yourself in his shoes. If the same thing happened to him, he might not be able to do better than Qiao Ran.
"The hospital said my mother had complications from late-stage cancer and was sent to the hospital after my roommate called the police." Qiao Ran let out a long sigh when he said this, leaning back against the sofa, his eyes filled with heavy emotions.
"I didn't go to the hospital." Qiao Ran's tone turned cold. "The hospital repeatedly called me to tell me her condition wasn't good, but I never showed up. I even thought it was God's retribution for ruining my life."
"The last time I received a call from the hospital, it was from a critically ill patient. They said she was in critical condition and asked if I wanted emergency treatment." At this point, Qiao Ran raised his eyes and looked at Pei Yan, emphasizing each word, "I chose to give up."
Qiao Ran doesn't think she is a kind person. She has evil thoughts hidden in her heart, which are rotting and stinking in a corner where no one can see.
Even if she were given another chance to choose again, she would still make the same decision.
Compared to the debt, this is what Qiao Ran least wants Pei Yan to know.
She didn't want Pei Yan to think she was selfish, cold, and vicious.
"Before joining the team, I had already taken care of all her funeral arrangements. Her debts were also settled with her passing..."
Having said this, Qiao Ran's emotions gradually calmed down, and his tone became indifferent, as if he was reviewing these things from the perspective of an observer.
"After this happened, I gradually realized that what my grandparents told me when I was a child was not necessarily the truth. My father might not have divorced her just because I was a girl. People are always selfish. I am like this, and so are they. No matter what mistakes she made, in their eyes, she is still their daughter..."
Pei Yan did not ask Qiao Ran in depth why she was alone now, or where the grandparents she mentioned were. He felt that it was enough for Qiao Ran to tell him these things.
Moreover, he was in a complicated mood at the moment. Needless to say, he felt sorry for Qiao Ran, but more of it was the self-blame that came from it.
His original intention was to hope that Qiao Ran could open his heart and accept himself, and he never thought of uncovering the scars that Qiao Ran had slowly healed.
If he had known that it would make Qiao Ran so uncomfortable, he would rather wait a little longer.
Qiao Ran looked slender and introverted. She should have been a carefully protected flower, but she had to endure so much alone...
Qiao Ran told him all these things, trying her best to appear calm, but before that, she had to muster up a lot of courage.
Pei Yan remained silent, his eyes filled with pity for Qiao Ran.
"Huh..." Qiao Ran said, then he let out a long breath, feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
The waiter brought the dishes in due time, and Qiao Ran changed the subject as if nothing had happened.
“This dish looks very appetizing.”
"Just eat more." Pei Yan put the dishes into Qiao Ran's bowl. At this moment, he had no intention of eating at all. He just wanted to hug Qiao Ran, hoping to soothe her pain.
Qiao Ran lowered his head and took a bite, then found that Pei Yan didn't move. He looked at Pei Yan with the chopsticks in his mouth, feeling a little uneasy.
"Is it me..."
"No." Pei Yan guessed what Qiao Ran was going to say, sighed softly, and denied it before she could say it. "Qiao Ran, I just want to say that none of this is your fault. You don't have to carry these things on your back as a burden. I won't change anything because of these things. On the contrary, I think you are better than I thought."
Pei Yan's eyes were sincere. Qiao Ran's cheeks felt hot when she was stared at by him. She hurriedly stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth, but accidentally brought in a piece of dried chili pepper, which made her cough continuously.
“Cough cough cough…”
Now, Qiao Ran's face, which was originally pink, suddenly turned red, and her big eyes were watery. She looked like she had been severely bullied, and looked very pitiful.
"Drink some cold water to calm you down." Pei Yan quickly handed the cup in front of Qiao Ran to him. "Why are you so careless?"
Qiao Ran waved his hand to indicate that he was fine.
It took a while to recover completely.
——
When Jiang Wenzhou called, Qiao Ran and Pei Yan's meal was almost over.
"Hello? Manager." Qiao Ran answered the phone.
"Xiao Qiao, are you done shopping with your friends? When will you be back?"
Qiao Ran glanced at Pei Yan and felt a little guilty facing Jiang Wenzhou.
"I'll be right back."
"Okay, I'll wait until you come back and be careful on the road." Jiang Wenzhou thought Qiao Ran was still with his friends and did not bother him.
"Jiang Wenzhou?"
Qiao Ran nodded: "Yeah"
"Did you say anything?"
Normally, Jiang Wenzhou wouldn't contact them during the break.
"No, he said he would talk about it when he got back."
"Let's go." Pei Yan raised his hand and signaled the waiter to pay the bill.
"Captain, let me do it." Qiao Ran was not used to being treated by others.
Pei Yan laughed: "This is incredible! Master Qiao is rich now! He bought so many things and he's treating us to a meal?"
"I..." Qiao Ran didn't know how to respond after being teased by Pei Yan.
"Alright, keep this money for yourself." Pei Yan scanned the QR code and paid online. "If word gets out that I'm asking a girl to pay for dinner, I'm going to be screwed. And if Zhao Jie finds out, he'll make fun of me for the rest of my life."
......
After leaving the store, the cold wind blew in his face. Qiao Ran shrank his neck and tightened his hat.
"Are you afraid of the cold?"
Pei Yan was wearing a coat, but he looked much better than Qiao Ran who was wearing a down jacket.
Qiao Ran nodded, then shook his head.
It’s not that I’m afraid of the cold, it’s just that the heating in the store was too strong just now, and I couldn’t adapt to it when I first came out. It should be fine after a while.
"My car is parked over here. I'll drive over. You wait here for me."
Not long after Pei Yan left, light snow began to fall from the sky.
This was the first snow in S City this year, falling on Christmas Eve.
Under the street lights, snowflakes fell and were swept by the traffic to every corner of the city.
As a native of S City, Qiao Ran, like most southerners, has an inexplicable preference for snow.
When Pei Yan drove the car over, he saw Qiao Ran standing under the eaves of the restaurant entrance, reaching out to catch some drifting snowflakes. Her eyes were sparkling, like polished gems.
Qiao Ran's fair and slender fingertips were a little red from the cold. The snowflakes fell on her hands and turned into water in a moment.
"It's not cold now." Pei Yan parked the car on the side of the road, got out and took Qiao Ran's hand.
I don’t know whether Qiao Ran’s hands were too cold or Pei Yan’s palms were too hot.
Both of them seemed to be excited.
Pei Yan coughed lightly and half-pushed Qiao Ran into the car: "Fasten your seat belts, we're going back."
Qiao Ran bent her fingers, and the warmth of Pei Yan's palm seemed to still remain on her fingertips, which were very hot.
Along the way, Pei Yan and Qiao Ran didn't speak again until Pei Yan drove the car into the base's garage.
"Qiao Ran." Pei Yan suddenly called out.
"Huh?" Qiao Ran was confused.
"I already know everything you wanted to tell me, and I've made it clear to you that I don't mind what you said." Pei Yan turned his head and looked at Qiao Ran. "So... can you fulfill your promise to me?"
Qiao Ran's desolate heart felt like someone had thrown a flame into it, making it hot and scorching.
She couldn't help but tighten her grip around the shopping bag. After a moment of silence, she nodded cautiously.
After what happened today, Pei Yan became more cautious about how to get along with Qiao Ran and no longer dared to be impatient for quick success.
After getting the final answer, Pei Yan just smiled and rubbed Qiao Ran's head: "Okay, go in, girlfriend."
I can’t do anything else for now, but it’s always okay to let him satisfy his craving for sex.
Qiao Ran was stunned for a moment, and when he came to his senses, he ran out of the car with a red face.
Behind him, Pei Yan let out a low laugh.
The author has something to say:
The author is a sweet writer, and the rest of the story is full of sugar~
Today is another day where I am late in updating due to work...(:?)|￣|＿
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-01-06 11:49:17 and 2022-01-07 13:43:22~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 2 bottles of Indulge in Beauty;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
