At this moment, Manager Chen, seeing Ling Chuxia, was as if she had seen her own mother. She rushed forward in a few swift steps, pleading anxiously, "Ling Chuxia, quickly make a call to President Shi, ask him what exactly he’s dissatisfied with, and tell him to come back. Everything can be discussed properly."
Yet, Ling Chuxia seemed as if she had heard nothing at all. Pale-faced and with a vacant look in her eyes, she simply bypassed Manager Chen and continued walking forward.
"Ling Chuxia! Ling Chuxia! Are you not hearing me speak?" Manager Chen called out several times in a row. When Ling Chuxia showed no response at all, it infuriated her to the point of being livid, and she spitefully lashed out at her retreating figure, "Ling Chuxia, you’ve been fired!"
Ling Chuxia stepped out of the hotel, still in a daze. She stood there blankly, the image of Shi Che’s departing figure flashing incessantly in her mind. She closed her eyes, and a single tear slowly seeped from the corner of her eye.
The sky had, unbeknownst to her, started to drizzle, and Chuxia, dressed lightly, felt the cold rain mixed with the wind touch her skin, causing goosebumps to spread involuntarily, yet she was unaware, wandering aimlessly and lost in a daze.
Passersby on the road cast sidelong glances at her, but she felt nothing, as if she were trapped in her own world, shrouded in darkness.
Ling Chuxia didn’t know how long she had walked; only when she finally stopped did she realize that she had unconsciously walked out of Yi Garden. She recomposed herself and continued walking in.
She hadn’t taken more than two steps when suddenly someone dashed out from the inside and enveloped her in an embrace. Immediately, an anxious and alarmed voice rang in her ear, "Xiaxia, where did you go? Why didn’t you answer the phone? Are you trying to scare me to death?"
Ling Chuxia was jolted by the sudden force, her body swayed slightly, and she nearly lost her balance, but the next second, she was wrapped in a warm embrace that chased away the chill from her body.
Ling Chuxia tilted her face slightly and saw the deep concern on Bai Yixuan’s face. Her heart trembled, and her consciousness gradually cleared.
Indeed, how could she have forgotten about Brother Xuan?
She had promised to have dinner with him tonight...
"Xiaxia, what’s wrong with you?"
Noticing something off about Ling Chuxia, Bai Yixuan loosened his hold slightly and looked at her, examining her from head to toe. His eyes then fixed on her again, "You... Xiaxia, why are you wearing so few clothes? And... why are you so cold? Did you walk back here?"
Bai Yixuan bombarded her with questions, but in the midst of such a sorrowful night, Ling Chuxia found herself unable to speak. She had thought she would have to get through it alone once more, but fortunately... Brother Xuan was still there.
The corners of Ling Chuxia’s eyes warmed, and she suddenly threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, burying her face against his chest.
Bai Yixuan was startled by Ling Chuxia’s sudden move, his own body stiffening, "Xiaxia, you... what’s this...?"
"Brother Xuan, let me lean on you for a moment. Just for a moment."
Ling Chuxia’s voice choked up, thick with tears, instantly silencing Bai Yixuan.
He looked down at the figure trembling in his arms, every word dissolving back into his throat. He said nothing more, only raising his arms to hug her back.
He didn’t know what had happened to her, but as long as she needed him, he would always be there.