Ji Xinxin’s voice had been rising by the end of her tirade, and without any hesitation, she hung up the phone after finishing that sentence.
As Ji Xinxin’s words reached Shi Che’s ears, he jerked violently. What did she mean by her words? What did "waiting foolishly for tens of hours" mean? What about "not coming home"? Shi Che opened his mouth to ask, but all he heard was a click by his ear as the call ended, followed only by the sound of a busy signal.
A frown creased Shi Che’s brow, and his fingers slid across the screen as he dialed Ji Xinxin’s number again, only to have her hang up directly. By the third attempt, all he heard was the message that the number was busy—his number had been blacklisted.
Shi Che gripped his phone tightly, and his dark eyes sunk deeply.
Waited for tens of hours? Did that refer to... yesterday? Yesterday, had Chuxia been waiting for him? Was it just because she felt she couldn’t wait for him that she left? Not because she didn’t want to wait for him at all?
Was that the case? Had Chuxia really waited for him?
With this thought slipping into his brain, Shi Che’s heart uncontrollably began to boil, bit by bit. Yesterday, when he rushed back to the villa and saw that vast expanse of darkness, he had felt utterly despondent. It was as if his world had collapsed in an instant.
In the end, Chuxia had left like that, walking out of his life with such determination, without pausing for a moment.
So, what was the point of his persistence? Was he supposed to forcefully keep Chuxia by his side? To torment each other and suffer together, just like the past three years?
He didn’t know what he should do. It was as if he had lost all sense of direction all at once, engulfed in a haze of confusion, unaware of what lay ahead or how to move forward.
But now, suddenly, a beam of light pierced through this mist, shining straight at him. How could he not be excited?
He had to figure out whether Chuxia had really waited for him, whether she still had even the slightest lingering affection and reluctance towards him, rather than it being just his wishful thinking.
Shi Che’s hand trembled as he dialed the number he knew by heart, his heartbeat nearly stopping the moment he pressed the call button.
But again, from the other end of the phone, came that cold automated message, "The number you are calling has been turned off..."
The excitement in Shi Che’s near-boiling heart was doused by this bucket of cold water. He closed his eyes, and a vein throbbed faintly at his temple. It took him a while to suppress the sinking feeling. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and dialed the number again.
This time, the call was quickly answered, and the voice on the line was respectful, "President Shi."
"Xiao Zhao, check the surveillance footage at the villa’s front gate from last night for me. See when Chuxia left the villa yesterday," Shi Che commanded.
Although Xiao Zhao was somewhat puzzled, he didn’t ask any questions and immediately replied, "Yes, President Shi."
Ling Chuxia had left Ji Xinxin’s apartment around five in the morning. She didn’t have much luggage, just a small suitcase with a few clothes—it was all her belongings.
Around five o’clock, the sky was still dark, enveloped in gray, as she dragged her suitcase and stood on the broad road, gazing at the sprawling paths ahead. For the first time in her heart, she felt she had a goal, a reason to live for herself, rather than the previous aimless confusion.