Chapter Twenty-Six: Another Encounter

As I walked along the road back to my rented apartment, I found it impossible to calm my restless heart. The words Shi Yu said to me at the end had truly seeped into my body and soul.

Indeed, the world is fickle, its warmth and cold unpredictable. Since we are here, we must accept it as it is. We cannot simply complain about this ambiguous world, nor judge it with a narrow mind. Where there is pain, there will also be laughter; for every mocking sneer, there will be someone who treats you with genuine feeling. What I must do now is not to lament, nor to waste my days plotting revenge, but to carry the warmth of those who believe in me and encourage me, and keep running forward!

I pulled from my pocket the five hundred yuan I had meant to return to Sister Shi Yu. Staring at the bills, my eyes stung with emotion. Yet I laughed at myself, almost neurotically, and ran toward home. The streetlights on either side of the road shone so brilliantly at that moment.

So I ran home, letting my mind and nerves relax, focusing only on the sensation of sweat and my heartbeat, feeling the waves of warmth rushing into the depths of my heart.

Panting heavily, I finally reached the foot of my dilapidated apartment building, supporting myself against the wall by the entrance. I couldn't help but despise myself—this route wasn't that far, and yet my irregular habits and lack of exercise over the years had ruined my health.

“From now on, I’ll have to get up earlier, sleep earlier, and exercise! I have to change!” I resolved to myself. If I don’t have good spirits, at least I should have a strong body.

I had no idea how long this old building had stood here. The stairwell lights weren’t just dim—they simply didn’t exist. But for a night owl like me, this was nothing new. I made my way up the stairs in the dark by memory.

Turning the corner onto the second floor, I raised my head and, in the darkness, saw a woman dressed in red, her long hair draping over her shoulders, her face pale, sitting right in the middle of the stairs! She seemed to have heard me too, and was lifting her head to look directly at me.

“Damn it! A ghost!” I cursed inwardly and spun around to dash back downstairs, moving with a speed that belied the fact I’d just run all the way home from the main street.

Like a streak of lightning, I shot down to the first floor and only then, clutching the handrail, did I stop in a panic. I slowly lifted my head to glance up the stairwell.

Faintly, I thought I heard a peal of laughter drifting down. My heart pounded faster and faster. I considered my next move—should I call An Ye and have him come pick me up right away?

“I wonder if Sister Ke Wen is home yet…” My heart thumped with anxiety. Maybe I should call Zhao Ke Wen first? “Women... No, surely women don’t make things difficult for other women, right?”

“Hey, are you so scared you’ve gone stupid?” A familiar voice called down from above.

“Damn it!”

It was Luo Qing! The very person I ranked alongside female ghosts in terms of terror.

I made my way cautiously up to the second floor. Who could say if this wasn’t some ghostly trap meant to lure me in? But then again, would a ghost really use Luo Qing to entice me? Shaking off these absurd thoughts, I reminded myself that caution would do no harm. Only after observing for a good ten seconds did I finally confirm that the woman sitting on the stairs was indeed Luo Qing.

She was covering her mouth, stifling her laughter, her beautiful eyes curved in mirth.

“Do you know you can literally scare someone to death?” I said, suddenly drained of strength. If I hadn’t been made of sterner stuff, she could have truly frightened me into a heart attack. If she kept this up, I’d end up afraid to come home at all.

“Coward!” Luo Qing said, standing up and looking down at me from above, unable to stop laughing.

I was genuinely afraid of her—she was my nemesis.

As I reached the second floor, I skirted around her and walked toward my own door.

“Why did you block my number?” Luo Qing followed me, raising her voice as if to demonstrate her anger.

“Because I thought we’d never see each other again, so I blocked you,” I replied, feigning nonchalance.

She grabbed my left arm from behind, shouting, “I only said a couple of things to you, and this is how you react? Are you even a man?”

With her holding my arm, I couldn’t reach for my keys. I had no choice but to turn and face her angry glare, whispering, “Could you keep it down? There might not be many people on this floor, but there are plenty of tenants upstairs and down. Yelling like this in the middle of the night is really inconsiderate.”

She seemed a little embarrassed by that and lowered her voice considerably. “How was I supposed to know?”

I stared at her, feeling an unexpected sense of delight. This proud little beauty actually knew how to admit fault, even if her tone was as stubborn as ever. Still, she meant it, and that was a pleasure I couldn’t quite describe.

“You, a glamorous heiress, out here late at night instead of finding some rich, handsome guy—why are you running to this loser’s den of mine?” After a pause, I taunted her, both mocking her and, in a roundabout way, answering her question.

“Mind your own business!” Luo Qing released my arm with a huff.

I ignored her and turned to unlock the door, quickly stepping inside and switching on the lights.

Before I could even close the door behind me, Luo Qing slipped nimbly into my room.

“What are you doing?” I glared at her, indignant at her audacity—following me into my home to harass me?

“The room is a bit small, but it’s pretty clean,” Luo Qing commented, seemingly oblivious to me as she wandered further in. “Did you tidy up yourself? It almost feels like a girl’s bedroom in here.”

“Listen, Luo Qing, I’m begging you, please leave, okay?” I stood by the half-open door, pleading with her, who was now sitting on my bed.

In truth, Luo Qing was a beauty among beauties. Her only flaw was her somewhat frail figure, but dressed all in red under the lamplight, she was irresistibly striking and alluring.

“I’m not leaving. Your Sister Luo Qing has decided to stay,” she declared, running her fingers through her silky hair in a mocking tone.

“I remember when we first met, you were the cool, aloof type. When did you become such a troublemaker?” Looking at this beautiful, willful girl, I resolved not to let her stay. Who knew what might happen if she did? I kept reminding myself—I have my boundaries, I have my boundaries, all desires must be saved for the one I will truly love in the future!

“If you don’t leave, I can’t guarantee I won’t do something terrible to you tonight!” I threatened her.

She got up from the bed, walked slowly over to me, looked up into my eyes, and sneered, “Oh? And what terrible thing might that be?”

Her gaze made me falter, and I stammered, unable to find my words.

Seeing my embarrassment, she suddenly burst into laughter and said the phrase that always left me both furious and helpless: “Why are you so adorable?”