Don’t come closer
“…”
“I can’t get in touch.”
Cong Ye silently ended the phone call that no one answered, and looked at Qiao Yu who was sitting restlessly.
“…I think Lin Qing probably did it on purpose.”
Almost feeling a bit sympathetic, Cong Ye watched as Qiao Yu struggled to suppress her anxious feelings, checked his phone again, and once again showed a disappointed expression.
“Still hasn’t accepted your friend request?”
“….Hmm.”
Qiao Yu nodded with a dejected look, seeming as spiritless as a washed dog.
“…Hmm… Well, I did try to contact her in our group chat, but…”
Lu Yao sighed and turned his phone screen towards them, showing a chat interface where only his own messages had no replies.
“Do you know what they call your situation, Qiao Yu?” Mi Yi leaned against the table, enjoying a lollipop that completely contrasted with her high-end attire. Her expression was very cheerful. “They call it the ‘Wife Chasing Crematorium’.”
“….Are you already writing romance novels now?”
Qiao Yu blurted out unexpectedly. It was rare to see Mi Yi’s expression change so drastically. Finally, she nervously and suspiciously walked up to Qiao Yu, lowering her voice to ask why she knew. Qiao Yu couldn’t find the mental space to explain this matter to her.
It was a rare occasion for friends to gather at the banquet, but the most important person seemed to be extremely angry due to her negligence.
Their group of friends had tried calling and messaging Lin Qing, but they hadn’t received any responses. Qiao Yu looked at her phone again with worry, sighing in distress.
“I hope nothing bad has happened…?”
“No, you’re just overthinking it.” Cong Ye waved dismissively and added, “I think she just doesn’t want to deal with you.”
“..”
Her delicate nerves were deeply stung, and Qiao Yu silently covered her chest, speechless.
She never imagined she would fall to the point where even her friends didn’t want to add her on Lin Qing. It felt more intense than the previous Cold War incident in Japan.
“It’s been two years, two whole years.” Temporarily giving up on questioning Qiao Yu about how she knew she was writing novels, Mi Yi looked at her with a self-evident gaze, almost as if she were spectating a fire on the other side. “I’ll be honest, even if Lin Qing has been with someone else during this time—”
“— !”
“… Don’t make such a strange expression, I was just giving an example, don’t worry.”
Seeing Qiao Yu tremble violently, Mi Yi silently chuckled, speaking as if to soothe and take precaution.
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“I mean, even if something like that were to happen, you shouldn’t blame Lin Qing, especially now that she’s just mad at you—understand?”
“I understand.” Qiao Yu replied in a muffled voice, her hand clenched tightly under her sleeve. “Regardless of what she does, I won’t be mad at her.”
However, the restlessness of not being able to contact her was not so easily erased. Mi Yi’s words added fuel to this feeling in a different sense. Qiao Yu glanced at the time; it was only 8:30 in the evening, the banquet had just begun not long ago, and there was still quite a while before it would end.
“I think… I’ll just go see her directly.”
Without much deliberation, Qiao Yu murmured subconsciously, even startling herself with this sudden thought.
“…Ah, is that too reckless? After all, Lin Qing hasn’t even replied to any messages…”
“Great idea!”
Before the despondent words could be fully spoken, Cong Ye abruptly interrupted, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he pulled Qiao Yu up from her seat.
“What are you waiting for? Go quickly!”
“Wait, huh?”
Unexpectedly receiving such enthusiastic support, Qiao Yu took a few steps forward as he pushed her, only to be stopped by a solemn Lu Yao.
“No, no, you can’t just leave through the main entrance. This is Qiao Yu’s banquet, we can’t let the guests see her sneaking out.”
His eyes eager, Lu Yao discreetly pointed towards the side door behind them. “You’ll need to go out through that side door; we’ll cover for you.”
“…”
The once reckless plan suddenly seemed very feasible. Qiao Yu followed the direction he pointed and felt like they were all teaming up to skip class.
“Okay, okay, if you want to go, then go. It’s probably uncomfortable just waiting here,” acknowledged strategist Mi Yi, coming out with a decisive tone. She walked up to Qiao Yu, holding a cup, and patted her on the shoulder.
“We’ll figure things out. Here, have a drink to boost your courage.”
Qiao Yu took the cup confusedly and drank it all in one go. Being surrounded by the three of them like they were cheering on a boxer about to enter the ring, she felt her chest warming up with friendship filling her up, mustering a bit of courage.
“So, so I’ll just—”
She gestured towards the side and received the silent encouragement of the three, so she gathered her courage and ran towards the hotel’s side door.
The remaining three instinctively clinked their glasses in agreement, blocking the passageway securely.
“What do we do next? If Uncle Qiao can’t find Qiao Yu, he might come to us for answers.”
“Let’s say Qiao Yu went to chase her dreams on the path of life.”
“No, this reason definitely won’t pass muster.”
Casually spewing sarcasm, Mi Yi sipped her drink calmly, then paused thoughtfully.
… As if something was bothering her but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Well, if she couldn’t recall it, it probably wasn’t that important—
“Oh no! This is a bar! I can taste it!”
Cong Ye stuck out his tongue, hastily grabbing a juice from a nearby table and taking a big gulp, then nervously setting aside the cup filled with alcohol as if facing a formidable enemy.
“I still need to cover for Qiao Yu! I can’t pass out here! Speaking of which, if Qiao Yu can’t drink, we shouldn’t have so much alcohol here—”
“—Ah.”
Mi Yi suddenly realized, exchanged a look with the confused pair, then guiltily averted her gaze.
“…Is it too hot today?”
Or maybe she was wearing too many clothes? Qiao Yu tugged at the hem of her white suit jacket, feeling a bit stifled, contemplating whether she should go change into something lighter before coming out again.
“No, no, the host sneaked out; there’s no time to change clothes.”
“But, but, I’m going to see Lin Qing.”
Because it was too hot, her mind was hazy, with only the warmth of emotions burning in her chest. Stubbornly adjusting her clothes, Qiao Yu worriedly spoke to the system in her mind.
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“Will Lin Qing not like this outfit?”
“I don’t think Lin Qing will mind these things…”
“Will she like gold-rimmed glasses?… I need to go back and ask Cong Ye to lend them to me.”
“Wait, wait, wait! I don’t think Lin Qing would mind the gold-rimmed glasses either! Host, don’t risk going back for this! If your dad catches you, you might not be able to come out!”
“…Hmm.”
After much persuasion from the pitiful System, the stubborn host, who had recently seemed a bit unruly for some reason, was finally convinced. Then, she stood outside the hotel for a moment, looking a bit lost, and murmured softly.
“Hmm, will Lin Qing… not like me?”
“…”
The System was momentarily speechless.
It had never seen the Host in this state, whether before courageously changing paths or after returning from exile. The Host was always calm and resolute, as if nothing could faze her, accepting all challenges straightforwardly.
Never had the Host shown such lack of confidence.
“Host…”
Offering comfort should have been a simple task, but at this moment, the System felt that its words sounded feeble. It knew where the Host’s emotions were coming from, a problem beyond its ability to solve.
There’s a saying that goes, “To remove a ring, one must touch the bell.”
“…Forget what I said, I seem a bit out of it.”
As the cool night breeze brushed by, Qiao Yu struggled to regain her senses, rubbing her slightly throbbing temples, feeling confused about her own condition, shaking her head.
Having barely sneaked out of the hotel, now was not the time to stand around in a daze.
She tried to focus, wide-eyed, surveying her surroundings, relying on memory to make her way to the nearest street, hoping to catch a taxi—
The figure standing under the tree not far away looked familiar.
Sport jacket, jeans, baseball cap – a dressing style that wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, so plain that it almost seemed intentional.
The brim of the cap was pressed low, concealing the person’s face. Qiao Yu couldn’t help but fix her gaze on that direction, feeling as though she was rooted to the spot, until the person seemed to sense her stare, slowly shifting and turning their head towards her. A dazzling light flashed above their left ear.
Qiao Yu couldn’t recall how she started moving.
When she regained consciousness, she was sprinting towards the figure, like a child chasing a butterfly. Her heart pounding loudly, it suddenly gave her a feeling that even if she had died and been buried in that dark mist during exile, turned into bones, she wouldn’t have experienced this vivid sense of awakening.
“Don’t come closer.”
“—”
The chilly voice entered her ears, devoid of emotion, yet it carried a powerful presence, causing Qiao Yu to halt her steps and stand there, staring at the person.
The face she had seen countless times in dreams during exile was concealed in the shadows of the leaves. Slowly lifting their head, revealing the familiar yet unfamiliar eyes to Qiao Yu.
Like glassy black orbs, the moist eyes held a glimmer of water, reminiscent of thin ice that had not completely melted in water. Soft with a hidden sharpness.
“What’s wrong? The banquet hasn’t ended yet, has it?” The voice rang out again, neither close nor distant, striking a perfect balance of detachment.
“Suddenly running out, stumbling upon an abandoned wild cat, must be quite upsetting.”
Almost self-mockingly, she chuckled softly, reaching to remove her hat. In that moment, the darkness under the trees seemed to brighten, revealing a radiant and flawless smile on her moonlit-like face as she greeted Qiao Yu.
“Long time no see, Qiao Yu.”
It was enough to knock Qiao Yu off balance.
Her mind, just boiling over and forcefully cooled down, was in a state of confusion. The words she wanted to say jostled in her throat, ultimately blocked by the other person’s blatant coldness.
Don’t say that. I didn’t mean to act that way. Long time no see, it’s all my fault.
She didn’t know what to say. Nothing seemed right. She could sense the other person’s anger. If she didn’t say something meaningful soon, she might leave.
It felt like… she hated me.
Just the thought of it brought immense fear, like swallowing ice whole, sinking heavily into her stomach. The mingling of cold and heat inside her body made it hard to gauge the temperature of her heart.
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Ah.
Qiao Yu closed her eyes.
“…Lin Qing.”
The voice, so light that it was almost inaudible, slipped out from between her lips, trembling, gradually dissipating into the air.
“Lin Qing.”
But she quickly added a second sentence, this time not just with her voice, but with visible tremors in her body. Her hands clenched and released, unsure, yet obediently staying still.
“I…”
What should she say? I like you, I want to be with you, I know I’ve done wrong, please forgive me.
None of these. None of these. Before all this, there was a sentence that should have been said earlier, like a clumsy ritual.
“…I have come back.”
It signaled the end of the storm, settling the dust, and putting a full stop to that terrible time.
Even if it’s just self-satisfaction, it’s okay. If goodbyes couldn’t be spoken out, at least there should be a voice when coming back.
Far down the street, the bright headlights of passing cars cast a long and thin black silhouette of the two figures. Then, like being swallowed by the tide, the shadows crept back between them, silently and imperceptibly.
Half of Lin Qing’s face was illuminated by the light, and Qiao Yu didn’t miss it. In that moment, she intertwined sinking eyes and an unstable expression.
In the two years, Lin Qing seemed to have swiftly shed her high school image. She grew taller, became thinner, and with just a fleeting glance, she was stunningly captivating.
“I, long time no see. I didn’t mean to only come find you now. I’m sorry. I’ve always wanted to see you—”
The unbearable words seemed to have a floodgate opened by her one look, allowing the emotions to rush out. Those days of not being able to confide in anyone, those days and nights alone, pretending not to see the thoughts in her mind, they must come to an end today…
“Don’t say any more.”
So the unfinished words abruptly stopped here, following the decree of her lover.
Lin Qing’s words carried a subtle, almost imperceptible tremble. She tightly gripped the brim of her hat, tensed her face, turned her head away, and somewhat flustered, ruffled her own hair.
“…Just don’t say anything for now, Qiao Yu.”
Unintentionally softening her tone and repeating herself, she was distressed by her own wavering, but had no room to notice that the person opposite her was no longer able to hear.
Don’t come closer, don’t say anything.
Her throat felt blocked, with a taste of rust in her mouth, unable to swallow it no matter how hard she tried.
Even though the person she had been searching for so long was right in front of her, she couldn’t walk over to touch her, and her voice was deprived. It felt like just one more sentence of “don’t look at me” would be like a life sentence.
What to do. Qiao Yu felt like she was about to cry.
Then cry then, honestly qiao yu so stupid, first thing she should have done upon waking was to contact LQ not wait stupidly for others to egg her own, like always passively waiting for LQ to come to her.