When she was young, Nanxi was quite a reserved girl, not very articulate, which made her relationship with peers cool and aloof. She still remembers one day when she was walking home from school. She saw a little girl being pulled along by a much older boy; he must have been in his teens, while the girl was around Nanxi’s age.
The older boy was doing most of the talking, while the little girl didn’t say much. However, she was listening very intently to his stories.
At the time, Nanxi followed them for a while, listening to the older boy sharing all sorts of interesting things. She secretly wished to have an older brother like him, someone who would share such moments and talks with her. She longed for such a figure in her life.
An individual who could hold her hand, leading her from the darkness towards the light, guiding her from confusion to clarity, from chaos to order.
Perhaps the confusion of her adolescent mind was so deeply etched into her memory that even now, years later, she still harbors a sense of nostalgia and longing for that unknown emotion.
Yes, she desired to meet someone akin to a mentor, someone who could guide her through life and lead her towards warmth.
Li Weihuan was able to offer her warmth, but incapable of dispelling her inner confusion and hesitations. She was fond of Li Weihuan, willing to walk by his side for a lifetime, but she could not deny Liang Qiaoqiao’s assertion that their love was mixed with conflicting emotions!
After all, for the past six years, she had often used various pretexts to avoid... that kind of relationship with Li Weihuan. It might have been unintentional, but it was surely a sign of rejection?
In Nanxi’s life, she had lost so much already, and there was so little left. If she didn’t cherish it, she feared that one day she would lose everything!
To Liang Qiaoqiao, Nanxi retorted, "Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just traditional and self-respecting... Besides, I also hope that Weihuan’s mother can approve of me. Otherwise, it feels like we’re having an illicit affair, which is so uncomfortable!"
Unbeknownst to Nanxi, her words were being overheard by another person— a man. Liang Qiaoqiao intended to cut off the recording, but evidently, it was already too late.
At that moment, the man sat alone in his brightly lit, spacious office, with a cigarette delicately held in his fingertips. He took a puff, exhaling smoke from the slight upturn of his thin, attractive lips. His expression became increasingly bewildered, drenched in the haze of mystique. His dark, deep eyes revealed an unbearable sense of desolation.
"Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just traditional and self-respecting... Besides, I also hope that Weihuan’s mother can approve of me. Otherwise, it feels like we’re having an illicit affair, which is so uncomfortable!"
The girl’s voice held a faint trace of anger. It seemed she was not pleased with others’ comments about her love. Indeed, she was upset. Rarely had he heard her talk in such a cold tone.
Then Liang Qiaoqiao’s voice was heard again, "Anyway, whether that’s true or not, only you deep down can answer that. However, Nanxi, there’s something I must remind you. If you can’t wholly surrender yourself to a man’s love, if you continue to hold back, isn’t that a sign of expecting a new beginning?"
The message was clear— her reluctance was actually a preparation for a new encounter!
Nanxi was taken aback. She felt that Liang Qiaoqiao’s statement was absurd, just like her theory about dreams— absolutely ridiculous!
The corner of the man’s lips curved slightly as he extinguished the cigarette butt in his hand. He reignited a new one, watching the flame flicker and dance, just like how she had eluded him...
He spoke slowly, a hint of exhaustion in his voice, "Nanxi, I am waiting for your new beginning, waiting for you to fall in love with me... I am not mistaken, am I?"
Nanxi was sick, and severely so.
The day that Liang Qiaoqiao sent Nanxi home, it started raining that night. The air was dry, it was the end of May, and the balcony window was left open!
Nanxi didn’t know why she slept so lightly that night. She got up to close the window only to find that the wind outside was exceptionally strong; she was shivering as soon as she approached it!
When she returned to bed, even under the blanket, she couldn’t feel the warmth. She fell into a restless sleep that night. The next day, she fell ill.
Lan Qiqi had gone to the club where Liang Qiaoqiao was working for an internship early in the morning. Yang Su had a paper defense in a few days and was nervous, so she went to the library early to review her materials. Only Han Baobao was left in the dorm.
Han Baobao was initially listening to music and working on her paper. Seeing that Nanxi was still in bed, she called her name. Nanxi responded with a frown.
Han Baobao asked, "What’s the matter? Why aren’t you getting up? Did you tire yourself out yesterday or...?"
Nanxi didn’t say a word.
Although Han Baobao was known to be casual, she had been entrusted by someone to check on her. She removed her headphones and checked up on Nanxi. Pulling back Nanxi’s blanket, she found Nanxi sweating profusely. Han Baobao was immediately frightened!
Han Baobao didn’t know what to do. However, she held herself back from calling Lan Qiqi and Yang Su: Calling them? Humph, she didn’t need them!
So, instead, she called her brother, Han Shaojing!
Meanwhile, Nanxi’s phone also started ringing. Nanxi was somewhat groggy, but her phone was right next to her bed where she had laid it the night before, using its backlight as a lamp.
She picked up her phone and saw "Mr. Lu" flashing on the screen. She pursed her lips, about to answer the call, but the screen went dark. The battery had died!
Nanxi sighed. Her body was very tired, and she felt uncomfortable but wasn’t sure why.
She heard Han Baobao making calls, apparently mentioning her name. She couldn’t hear clearly; she was too exhausted. She was at her limit. She closed her eyes and slipped back into sleep.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The dorm was quiet as a grave. She woke up again, her throat was dry, and she wanted to get out of bed and get something to drink, so she sat up with some effort.
She was on the top bunk because Yang Su, who was afraid of heights, had swapped bunks with her in their first year. Nanxi didn’t mind; she considered top or bottom bunk the same.
But now, feeling so unwell, it certainly made a difference!
She was gingerly descending the ladder, feeling powerless. When she was nearing the last few steps, she started to tip and began to fall. Just then, the dormitory door swung open. She looked up to see a man’s face...
She thought she was dreaming again, or maybe, she was sick. Really sick!
Because she saw Lu Yinchu. How could Lu Yinchu possibly be in her dorm? That was utterly ridiculous!
Her head spun, and she reached out for Keep reading on NovelHub - where stories come alive! Her head bumped into the bottom bunk. The pain made her groan...
She slipped and fell from the ladder. There was a loud "thud", the sound of a chair being knocked over, followed by a woman’s scream. Then, she felt a strong arm around her waist, catching her from falling...
Nanxi squinted her eyes and vaguely realized that the scream had come from Han Baobao. But why was the man she saw Lu Yinchu...