"What did she say?" Xia Xuan was like a ferocious leopard at this moment. How could such a thing have happened tonight?
"She said she wanted to make things happen for you and me, so she specially... specially arranged a date for us, and said that she would never regret it, since she... she has plenty of men."
Xia Xuan shoved Xu Chun away. "...What nonsense are you spouting?" She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her anger. No matter what, she had to ask Xiao Qiqi to find out for sure. The text message was indeed hers, that was true. The mistake was that someone else was in the room.
Xia Xuan no longer cared about her image. She sat down on the floor and tried to call Xiao Qiqi's cell phone, but it was off. She could only call the dormitory phone. Xu Chun sat behind Xia Xuan, unable to hide the smugness in her eyes. She secretly laughed mockingly, "Xia Xuan, how could you be so stupid? If Xiao Qiqi knew we slept together, would she still listen to anything you say?"
Xiao Qiqi, still half asleep, climbed out of bed and answered the phone. She'd barely said "hello" when she heard Xia Xuan's sinister voice, "Tell me, what's going on in room 203 of the Sunshine Hotel?"
Xiao Qiqi, still half asleep, yawned. "Xia Xuan, why are you asking this in the middle of the night? Sunshine Hotel, oh, I remember now, didn't Xu Chun go on a date?"
Xia Xuan felt as if she had sunk to the bottom upon hearing this. She slammed her phone down and clenched her fists. After a moment, she grabbed her shirt, put it on, opened the door, and left. Xu Chun followed her out. "Where are you going in the middle of the night?" Xia Xuan turned back and looked at Xu Chun coldly. Her unfathomable eyes seemed to see right through Xu Chun. "...Are you satisfied?" Her raised eyebrow held endless coldness and mockery.
30. Misguided Love (Part Two)
Early in the morning, Xiao Qiqi was still half asleep. Last night, Xia Xuan's antics kept her awake. She tried calling him repeatedly, but couldn't get through. Her roommates also said he hadn't come back. She finally fell asleep around 3 a.m., feeling both worried and annoyed.
"Ah..." A shrill scream almost made Xiao Qiqi fall off the top bunk. "What? What? Is there an earthquake?" Xiao Qiqi jumped off the bed with her big teddy bear in her arms and ran barefoot towards the door, but was so frightened by three pairs of eyes with different expressions that she pulled her feet back and rubbed her eyes. "What's wrong with me? Am I disheveled? A monster?" She looked at herself and saw nothing wrong.
The cry was made by the yellow croaker, but now it was silent. Frowning at Xiao Qiqi, with an extremely strange look in her eyes, Lin Wen looked indignant. Xu Chun, oh, so unusual, was incredibly shy and charming.
"Can anyone tell me what happened?"
Lin Wen turned her cold gaze to Xu Chun, her words darting out like venomous snakes: "Xu Chun slept with Xia Xuan last night, so she came back early this morning to brag about being 'nourished' by a man." She then glanced at Xiao Qiqi with a hint of pity, flung open the dormitory door, and snorted: "Women, do you even have friendship? Men, do you even have love?"
Xiao Qiqi dropped the big teddy bear in her hand, her face pale, completely lost in thought, only muttering repeatedly, "Xu Chun, Xia Xuan?" She took another step back and sat down in the chair, feeling a chill run through her body.
Xu Chun seemed oblivious to Xiao Qiqi's unusual behavior, lowering her head shyly and saying, "Last night, Xia Xuan invited me to the Sunshine Hotel, so I went. I didn't expect... well, he was so enthusiastic. Men are like that, aren't they? I... I couldn't refuse him, so... so that's how it was."
Xiao Qiqi's mind was in complete chaos. All she could hear was the phrase "Xu Chun and Xia Xuan slept together." She shook her head in disbelief, her hands trembling as she picked up her phone and dialed that familiar number, but she couldn't get through. Ignoring the strange looks from Huang Yu and Xu Chun, Xiao Qiqi pushed open the dormitory door and rushed out, only to be grabbed by Huang Yu, who yelled, "Qiqi, don't do this! You're still in your pajamas!"
Xiao Qiqi was jolted back to her senses by Huang Yu's shout. Xu Chun grabbed Xiao Qiqi's hand in surprise and asked, puzzled, "Qiqi, what's wrong? Are you scared by our progress? Or are you afraid that Xia Xuan will bully me?" Then she smiled gently, "No, he... he's very gentle and very good to me. He even said... he said he'd take me to study in America, so don't worry, he's not just playing around with me."
"Xu Chun, that's enough." Huang Yu spoke to Xu Chun sternly for the first time. Xu Chun was taken aback, lowered her eyes, but could not hide the smugness and happiness on her lips.
Xiao Qiqi completely forgot how she spent that morning. She only remembered Huang Yu pushing her into the bathroom and saying softly, "If you want to cry, just have a good cry." Then he closed the door for her. She curled up on the cold bathroom floor, sitting there for a long, long time without moving or crying. Xia Xuan said, "We must trust each other," so she had to hear him say it herself. So Xiao Qiqi calmly washed her face and brushed her teeth, then walked out of the bathroom as usual, changed her clothes, combed her hair, applied lotion and sunscreen, and even put on eyeshadow.
Xu Chun lay on the bed, grinning foolishly at Xia Xuan's photo. Huang Yu followed closely behind Xiao Qiqi, his concerned gaze almost tearing Xiao Qiqi's heart out. Xiao Qiqi turned around, pushed Huang Yu's head away, and said casually, "What are you doing? Following me like a ghost so early in the morning?" Huang Yu stood there in surprise, sighed, and turned to play on the computer.
Xiao Qiqi walked slowly, each step seemingly heavy, yet with unwavering determination. Just as she stepped out of the school gate, she heard someone loudly proclaim, "Senior, all dressed up for a date?" Xiao Qiqi turned around blankly. A bright, smiling face shone exceptionally brightly in the sunlight. Her tall, healthy body was casually slung over a bicycle, one leg on the ground, swinging it loosely—a rather roguish air about her. Xiao Qiqi ignored him, her face expressionless, and continued walking.
Chen Yuanxing whistled behind her and muttered, "Why the long face first thing in the morning?" Xiao Qiqi suddenly turned around and rushed in front of him, startling him so much that he almost fell off his bicycle. He leaned back and stared wide-eyed at the woman with icy eyes in front of him. "What are you doing? Trying to scare me by pretending to be a ghost?"
"Lend me your bicycle."
"No!" Chen Yuanxing refused naturally, still leaning back and staring into Xiao Qiqi's dark pupils, which seemed to hold sadness and despair just like that day. Chen Yuanxing sighed. Why was it always bad news when he met this senior sister? Could it be that she was in a bad mood again today?
"Fine, don't lend it to me then." Chen Yuanxing had just breathed a sigh of relief when Xiao Qiqi's next words made him shudder again: "Take me somewhere."
"No..." Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yuanxing gave up. Xiao Qiqi's next words softened his heart, and he whispered weakly and desperately, "I can't walk anymore. Every step feels like walking on a knife's edge."
Chen Yuanxing pedaled his bike angrily, one hand on the handlebars and the other on his chin, tentatively asking the eerily quiet girl behind him, "...Senior sister, you didn't break up with your boyfriend, did you?"
Xiao Qiqi was completely exhausted. Her composure in the dormitory had drained all her strength. She simply couldn't walk any further to the woods across the lake. She weakly leaned her head against Chen Yuanxing's back. "...Don't talk, let me have some peace and quiet."
Chen Yuanxing opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent. This girl was truly strange. The first time he encountered her, she cried so wildly and desperately, but this time she was as quiet as the stars in the sky. The June wind, carrying the heat of Canglang, enveloped everyone's hearts, and even the morning sunlight seemed to surge into the sky with anger, unleashing its fury.
Chen Yuanxing stood on the road, watching Xiao Qiqi stumble down into the woods and head towards the lake. He scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and then pedaled his bike back.
Xia Xuan stood on the large rock by the lake, watching the car approach from the distance on the other side. As the car moved closer to the road in the woods, Xia Xuan sat down blankly, staring at the shimmering lake water.
Xiao Qiqi stood behind him, watching the familiar figure, back straight, hair slightly disheveled, slowly approaching, a familiar fragrance wafting into her nostrils. A thousand words were uttered in response to a sarcastic remark: "Can't bear to wash off the scent?"
Xia Xuan turned around, her cold gaze fixed on Xiao Qiqi's face, "...Shouldn't you explain something to me?"
"Explain?" Xiao Qiqi met his eyes fearlessly, her dark pupils still visible, but her expression was different. "I'll only ask you one question: did you sleep with Xu Chun last night, or no?"
Xia Xuan's many questions were shattered by this one sentence. Was he supposed to ask, "Did you arrange for me to sleep with Xu Chun?" Was he supposed to ask, "Is it because you have too many men that you don't care about me?" Was he supposed to say, "It's all a misunderstanding?" Xu Chun was a misunderstanding, sleeping together was a misunderstanding? "...I also want to hear your explanation, what exactly happened?"
"I'll only ask you, yes or no."
“…Yes,” Xia Xuan answered with difficulty. “Isn’t this what you arranged and expected?”
Xiao Qiqi sneered and stepped back, leaning against a pine tree, panting heavily. "Xia Xuan, you're terrifying! I actually believed you! I believed you and Xu Chun were innocent. Yes, Xu Chun is such a beauty, how could there be nothing between you two after so many years of entanglement?" Xiao Qiqi shook her head again and again.
Xia Xuan took a few steps forward, trying to grab Xiao Qiqi's hand, but Xiao Qiqi dodged it. Xia Xuan also shook her head, "...Clearly, clearly you were the one who asked me to go to the hotel last night."
"What? I asked you out?" Xiao Qiqi burst out laughing. "When did I ask you out? Xia Xuan, do men really think with their lower bodies like this? After doing something like this, are you going to make up some ridiculous excuse, even dragging me into it? That's ridiculous."
Xia Xuan frowned. "You clearly texted me to say you were waiting for me at the hotel. Now that it's come to this, are you just going to deny it?"
Xiao Qiqi trembled as she took out her phone and shoved it into his hand. "You...you, look for yourself. Don't try to pin the blame on me. Even if I made plans with you, how could I not know while Xu Chun did?"
Xia Xuan quickly flipped through Xiao Qiqi's phone, but found nothing. He was always extremely intelligent, and gradually he understood what was going on. "Did anyone touch your phone last night?"
Xiao Qiqi snatched the phone. "My phone died last night, it's been off for a while." Her reason completely overwhelmed her. "Let me see your phone, when did I ever send you a text message!"
Xia Xuan was speechless. Her phone had already been smashed at the hotel, and she hadn't even picked it up. In a fleeting moment, she saw the bicycle disappear back into the woods. It was a familiar figure, tall and bathed in sunlight, suddenly stirring up memories of the past. "Was that person waiting for you?"
Xiao Qiqi turned around, and there Chen Yuanxing was waiting on the road at a distance, propped up on his bicycle, in the shadows of the trees. "...Yes."
"Are you very familiar with him?" Xia Xuan's reason, which had just begun to calm down, was overwhelmed again.
"It's none of your business." Xiao Qiqi felt her hands and feet turn cold, her mind a complete mess, and she backed down. "Xia Xuan, we're over. I don't care what the reason is or whose fault it is. I only know that we're over. You can be with Xu Chun, be with any woman, sleep with her, it has nothing to do with me."
Xia Xuan stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Qiqi's hand, and calmed herself down. "Qiqi, calm down and let me finish. What happened last night was definitely a mistake."
"A mistake? I don't care. All I remember is that kind of relationship you had with Xu Chun, how intimate you two were. I... I can't bear this betrayal." Xiao Qiqi broke free from Xia Xuan's grasp. "Xia Xuan, we're over, really." Fighting back tears, she held her head high, her last vestiges of stubbornness and dignity making it impossible for her to listen any longer. Was she really going to wait here, waiting for Xia Xuan to laid bare how he and Xu Chun had spent the night together?
"Qiqi!" Xia Xuan called out heavily behind Xiao Qiqi, but couldn't bring back her rapidly running figure. Xia Xuan angrily grabbed his hair, watching as Xiao Qiqi jumped onto the bicycle through the shadows of the trees, leaned against someone's back, and sped away. He clenched his fists involuntarily; Xu Chun's perhaps unintentional words lingered in his ears like a venomous snake, "She said she has plenty of men." The scene of their passionate encounter in Huangshan replayed in his mind like a demon. He cleaned her up; only the white, lustful fluid remained, nothing else. The harsh rumors from two years ago also relentlessly assaulted his mind. Although reason repeatedly reminded him that everything might be Xu Chun's conspiracy, that Xu Chun might have used Xiao Qiqi's phone to set this trap, the seeds of misunderstanding had already been sown, and one day they would sprout in the sunlight.
Xia Xuan splashed water on his face, finally calming down. It was a misunderstanding, absolutely. He had to ask Xu Chun what her purpose was in doing this—to get him or to break him up with Xiao Qiqi?
Xiao Qiqi ran back to the road, jumped onto Chen Yuanxing's bicycle, and hugged his waist tightly with both hands, trying her best not to fall off weakly. She shouted almost in a sob, "Hurry up, hurry up, take me back to the dormitory."
Chen Yuanxing sighed and pedaled furiously. He had initially intended to just leave; why should he get involved in his senior's argument with her boyfriend? But remembering her unsteady gait earlier, he hesitated and rode back. Perhaps she wouldn't have the energy to go back after the argument. As he pedaled, Chen Yuanxing tapped his head. "Idiot!" he thought. "We were supposed to have a big fight, how did I end up running around with a heartbroken girl?"
Chen Yuanxing escorted Xiao Qiqi to her dormitory and watched her run into the dormitory building in a disheveled state before leaving, puzzled.
31. Misguided Love (Part 3)
Xiao Qiqi pushed open the dormitory door, suppressing her utter exhaustion and weakness. "Qiqi, are you alright?" Huang Yu greeted her with concern, squeezing her cold hand. "You're not sick, are you?" Xiao Qiqi pulled her hand away, feeling a heavy, oppressive weight on her chest, as if a mountain of rocks was pressing down on it. Her already empty stomach suddenly spasmed, and she rushed into the bathroom, vomiting violently, only to spew out mouthfuls of yellow bile, nothing else. Xu Chun pushed open the bathroom door, looking strangely at Xiao Qiqi's slumped figure, lost in thought. Huang Yu pushed Xu Chun aside, picked up Xiao Qiqi, wiped her mouth, and placed her on Lin Wen's bed.
Xiao Qiqi felt as if she were being tossed about, sometimes plummeting to the bottom of a valley, sometimes soaring to the top of a cloud, with no end in sight. Her forehead throbbed with pain, yet she couldn't breathe properly. She drifted off to sleep, as if this was the best way to find relief.
Xu Chun sat opposite Xiao Qiqi, staring intently. Startled by the ringing of her phone, she brightened and answered it. Before she could speak, a cold voice came from the other end: "Ximen is waiting for you." Xu Chun didn't take it to heart, smiled, and walked to her seat to slowly put on her makeup.
"Where are you going?" Huang Yu's voice was colder than ever before, but Xu Chun didn't care and giggled, "On a date with Xia Xuan."
"Xu Chun, aren't you going too far?" Huang Yu finally stood up angrily, pointing at Xiao Qiqi: "Look at her like that, don't you feel any remorse at all?"
Xu Chun stared at Huang Yu with innocent eyes. "Huang Yu, what did you say? Isn't it what you all wanted for me to be in a relationship with Xia Xuan? How come it's like I did something terrible now that we're actually together?" Huang Yu was speechless.
Xu Chun turned around, still taking her time to put on makeup, change into pretty clothes, grab her bag and parasol, and touched Xiao Qiqi's face. "Honey, you're sick, so take good care of yourself." Her voice was still sweet and soft. Huang Yu looked at the woman he had lived with for four years in astonishment.
Xu Chun walked slowly, her face beaming with joy, which surprised the boys who passed by. The beautiful Xu looked very different today.
Xia Xuan's body was as straight and cold as a cedar tree. When Xu Chun finally walked up to her, she asked, "Why did it take you so long?"
Xu Chun smiled faintly, her brows furrowed, and her beautiful lips curved into an alluring smile. "Oh, how annoying! Qi Qi has a stomachache. I'm going to buy her some medicine."
Xia Xuan was indeed anxious, "Her stomach hurts? What's wrong?"
Xu Chun lowered her head shyly, "Um, Xia Xuan, you're so annoying. Girls get stomach aches once a month, don't they?"
Xia Xuan remained silent. Her stomach aches were always so severe, and this time she was heartbroken; would it be even worse? She quickly regained her composure and said, "Come with me, I have something to ask you." There were few people in Ximen, but most of the few who were there recognized Xia Xuan and Xu Chun, the prominent figures from A University, and they were already receiving many strange looks.
Xu Chun followed Xia Xuan along the campus wall until they reached a distant southern corner, a dead end with only a narrow road and few pedestrians. Xia Xuan stopped and looked at Xu Chun coldly, "Speak, what exactly do you want?"
Xu Chun couldn't stand his naked, cold gaze, so she shrank back and said with a smile, "I love you, Xia Xuan. What else do you want to know?"
Xia Xuan laughed sarcastically, "Did you send that text message?"
Xu Chun stared wide-eyed at Xia Xuan in disbelief. "Xia Xuan, I don't understand what you're saying. Last night, Qi Qi really did make me go."
"Don't lie to me, Xu Chun, it won't do you any good." Xia Xuan's voice had never been so cold. After a quarter of an hour's hesitation, Xu Chun continued, "It's not what you think, Xia Xuan. Last night, Qi Qi suddenly had a friend looking for her. She went out in a hurry, and her phone was dead, so she told me you were going to the Sunshine Hotel and asked me to tell you not to go. I... I know I'm sorry for this. I just wanted to go there to see you for a moment before leaving. It was so hot then, so I was about to take a shower, but I didn't expect to... to come in like this."
Xia Xuan closed his eyes. He couldn't remember clearly what happened last night. Was it him who initiated it, or Xu Chun? He was completely numb from the alcohol and the frenzy of passion, incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. If Xu Chun was telling the truth, then why was Xiao Qiqi avoiding the fact that she had sent text messages? Was she trying to shirk responsibility? "Who...did she go out with last night?"
Xu Chun frowned. "I've only seen him a few times from a distance on the balcony. He seems to be a very tall and handsome guy, the kind of boy who's very sunny, with a beautiful tan complexion."
Xia Xuan's heart tightened; it was that boy again. He remembered Xiao Qiqi touching his face and saying, "Xia Xuan, your skin is so fair. Actually, I prefer a healthy, tanned complexion." He had even pretended to be angry then.
"Let's go." Xia Xuan finally turned around weakly and strode away, seemingly forgetting Xu Chun behind him. Xu Chun looked at his unusually straight back, a smug smile on her lips, and followed a few steps closer. "Xia Xuan, you haven't eaten, have you? Why don't you eat before you go back?" She naturally took Xia Xuan's arm, but Xia Xuan pulled his hand away, no longer a skillful dodge, but a direct refusal, "From now on, stay away from me."
For several days in a row, Xiao Qiqi stayed in bed, refusing to answer the phone or speak. She would eat when Huang Yu bought her food, but wouldn't eat or drink anything else. Huang Yu shook her head in distress, while Lin Wen cursed her in the dormitory, looking at Xu Chun provocatively from time to time. Xu Chun remained the same innocent girl, ignoring the ridicule and indifference of others, always appearing as a little woman immersed in the sea of love, dressing up beautifully every day and returning late at night.
Xia Xuan sat by the lake every day, speechless with frustration. She wouldn't answer the phone, and she wouldn't leave her dormitory. What did she want?
That day, Xiao Qiqi finally finished writing the last entry in her diary, took a deep breath, and jumped out of bed. Alone in the dormitory, she decided to start all over again. Regardless of Xia Xuan or Xu Chun, even without love, she still needed financial security; she couldn't treat herself so unfairly.
Eating Lao Gan Ma chili sauce dry, the numbing and spicy sensation penetrated from the tip of her tongue into her entire body, burning every pore. Xiao Qiqi breathed heavily, looking at herself in the mirror, tears streaming down her face from the spiciness, yet she couldn't help but laugh. Just then, Xu Chun pushed open the door, her face covered in tears.
For the first time in days, Xiao Qiqi looked at Xu Chun so intently. She remained delicate and frail, beautiful and alluring, with a hot and shapely figure. "...What's wrong with you?"
Xu Chun rushed over and snuggled into Xiao Qiqi's arms as she always had, "Qiqi, please help me, you have to help me this time."
Xiao Qiqi didn't have the strength to push Xu Chun away, so she reached out her hand and then put it down again. "How can I help you?"
"Waaah... Xia Xuan, Xia Xuan said that sleeping together once doesn't mean anything, he wants to break up with me, waaah... what should I do?"
The last time they slept together wasn't a big deal, but Xiao Qiqi's heart, which had just calmed down a little, was shattered by those words again. She couldn't help but tremble and clenched her fists tightly. Xu Chun's sobs continued, "Qiqi, you're the best at talking, can you help me find Xia Xuan? Tell him not to break up with me, uh, I... I love him so much, I've given him everything, he can't do this to me."
"Qiqi, Qiqi!" Xu Chun looked up after not hearing Xiao Qiqi's reply for a long time, shaking Xiao Qiqi's arm. "Qiqi, promise me, will you help me find Xia Xuan? Will you let him be with me?" Her seductive plea, so pitiful and weak, was something no one could refuse. Xiao Qiqi's palms clenched so tightly they ached. She pushed Xu Chun away and stood up straight. "...I'm going out for a walk."
"So you promised to help me find Xia Xuan?" Xu Chun's weak voice persisted behind her. Xiao Qiqi turned around, her pale face devoid of color, and nodded blankly, "...Tomorrow, I...will look for him."
"Qiqi, my husband, I knew you were the best to me." Xu Chun jumped up excitedly, her tearful face as radiant as a lotus flower after the rain.
Xiao Qiqi closed the dormitory door and leaned weakly against the wall. "Xu Chun, is this my compensation to you?" No one could answer the question in her heart.
Wandering aimlessly through the campus in the night, the campus was still bustling with people, laughing and joking, as if happiness was everywhere. Xiao Qiqi sat in an internet cafe, staring blankly at the webpage. Finally, she entered the darkness, but Tadpole was still there. She glanced at it quietly a few times, then logged off. Perhaps, this was her last hope.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, listening to the netizens screaming and cursing wildly around her, feeling the smoky atmosphere around her. She vaguely remembered that under the carp's back, Xia Xuan was smoking and frowning, saying, "God, Qi Qi, this cigarette is so hard to smoke."
She stood up, suddenly wanting to taste the smoke herself, to see just how unpleasant it was. Was it worse than the throbbing pain in her heart? She walked aimlessly along the street lined with internet cafes outside the campus walls, watching the various stalls along the road gradually close as the campus was about to shut down.
There was a cigarette stall with several boxes of various colors scattered haphazardly. The owner was lazily packing them into a cardboard box. Xiao Qiqi squatted down. The young man selling cigarettes smiled broadly: "Young man, want to buy some cigarettes?" He took out a box, a slightly long box, with a somber black and white color. "520, I love you, ladies' cigarettes."
Xiao Qiqi reached out and took the cigarette box marked with the numbers 520. Touching the three letters, a tremor ran through her heart. "...How much?"