Seeing Wang Xiangxiang jump off the carriage, Chu Lian also followed suit, "Let me accompany you."
"..." She already felt that they were too close, and she needed some air. How could her heart rate settle with him following?
"There’s no need for you to come, I’ll just walk around near the coach," she rejected.
Chu Lian grabbed Wang Xiangxiang’s arm, saying worriedly, "No, I’m not at ease, it’s not safe, you must stay by my side."
"..." His words made Wang Xiangxiang pause, was he worried about her?
If that were the case, she suddenly felt greedy for more, "Then let’s just walk around here."
Chu Lian was happy with Wang Xiangxiang’s invitation, his presence suggested that she didn’t detest him that much. Although Xiaoxiao used that game to help him, he was quite afraid, afraid that because he kissed her again, she would ignore him.
The two wandered around the vicinity of the carriage. Wang Xiangxiang was silent, distracted, as was Chu Lian; he was preoccupied with the nagging questions, who else had she kissed? Who did she truly like?
Unable to endure these tormenting thoughts, he finally asked, "Aside from me, who else have you kissed?"
"..." This question made Wang Xiangxiang’s heart skip a beat. Wasn’t he asking something he already knew? He knew she was no longer pure, who else could she have kissed besides him? Her face went pale, lips tightly closed, trying hard not to respond.
She didn’t want to answer that question, she didn’t want to open up that wound in front of him again; it would make her feel like a woman of low morals. But unexpectedly, Chu Lian asked another question she wanted to answer even less, "Do you have someone you like? Who is it?"
Wang Xiangxiang’s heart pounded fiercely. Was he expecting her to say she liked him? She couldn’t say it; he had just reminded her of her impurity, calling her damaged goods. If she confessed her liking for him at this moment, what would he think of her? She would surely be considered a laughingstock.
So, struggling internally, she uttered the most difficult and insincere words of her life, "I wouldn’t ever like someone like you."
After saying these words, she turned and quickly walked toward the carriage. As she turned, a tear trickled down from the corner of her eye.
Chu Lian, hearing this, felt extremely dejected. He didn’t follow her, instead stood there motionless, replaying her words in his mind, "I wouldn’t ever like someone like you."
He hadn’t even had the chance to express his affection for her when she so thoroughly rejected him. He couldn’t understand where he fell short, what he needed to do to make her look upon him with favor.
His eyes were filled with loss when suddenly, from up ahead, he heard a scream, "Ah, help! Wuu!"
That scream resounded only once before there was silence.
Hearing that voice, Chu Lian immediately looked up and ran towards the carriage. That voice was Xiangxiang’s, his heart was terrified, afraid that she would get into trouble again, this time right in front of him; he hated himself for not sticking close to her.
Soon, he reached the carriage and saw her held captive by a man in tattered clothes. Her mouth was covered by the man’s hand, her arm was restrained, and her innocent wide eyes were brimming with tears. She struggled desperately, shaking her head as if to say to him, "Don’t bother with me, get away."