Chu Yi struggled to find a corner to stand in. Qiao Anchen stood in front of her. The subway was running smoothly, with only occasional swaying. The only noise in her ears was the noise caused by the high speed.
Suddenly, the subway car swayed, and a girl next to me, who was looking down at her phone and not holding on to anything, was caught off guard and swayed to the side.
Qiao Anchen reacted quickly and nimbly dodged to the side. The girl fell onto another person, who chivalrously helped her up. The girl thanked him profusely, and after regaining her balance, she gave Qiao Anchen a speechless look, her eyes probably saying, "How could there be such a man?"
People around looked at him with disapproval or condemnation. Chu Yi felt ashamed and kept his head down, turning his face away.
Qiao Anchen remained unmoved amidst the stares of the crowd, only his lips pursed slightly, his gaze fixed on one spot.
Fortunately, the subway only had two stops, and soon the doors opened. The two of them slipped out as if they had been granted a pardon. As they went up the escalator, Chu Yi rolled her eyes at Qiao Anchen.
What are you doing?
“…Nothing.” His expression remained normal, but his eyes darted away slightly.
"Why are you dodging when someone is about to fall?" Chu Yi said irritably. Qiao Anchen was silent for a moment before speaking softly.
"I'm afraid she'll bump into me."
"..."
"I'm afraid you'll get angry." He glanced at Chu Yi again, implying that he was all hers and no one else could touch him.
Chu Yi was amused by the scene she had imagined, and glared at Qiao Anchen with a reproachful tone.
"Then why didn't you do this sooner?" Now that you've made a mistake, you're only blindly trying to correct it.
"I didn't know that earlier..." he muttered to himself with his eyes down. Chu Yi was so angry that she didn't want to talk to him. She quickened her pace and walked forward with a gust of wind and a powerful aura.
“It’s Exit D, this way…” Qiao Anchen quickly grabbed her and changed direction. Chu Yi paused and rubbed her forehead.
"knew!"
Both of them had a strong sense of time. When they arrived, there were still about ten minutes before the movie started, so they bought popcorn and juice and found seats.
The movie was great, it was exactly the kind of movie I liked, the visuals were beautiful, the actors were very good-looking, the plot was reasonable and tight, and it was super sweet.
After watching it, I felt great, like I ate a strawberry ice cream cone – cool, refreshing, and sweet.
On the way back, Qiao Anchen discussed with her whether they should take a taxi, and Chu Yi had no objection.
There's a long flight of stairs leading out of the movie theater. It's quite high, and it's very windy when you stand on it. You can look down at the pedestrians on the street below.
There was a young couple nearby. The girl was standing on top, arms outstretched, falling down with the force of gravity. Her boyfriend, below the steps, opened his arms to her, and she threw herself into his embrace, a happy smile on her face, as intimate and affectionate as a bird returning to its nest.
It seems like it would be quite fun.
Chu Yi's eyes revealed a hint of envy, and he couldn't help but glance at that direction a few more times.
Qiao Anchen noticed and looked over, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he quickly took two steps and stood on the steps two steps away from her, opening his arms to her as well.
"Chu Yi, come here, I'll catch you."
The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, and his actions immediately drew the attention of those around him, especially the young couple who were still standing there embracing.
They exchanged a surprised yet meaningful glance, a knowing smile playing on their lips—perhaps a silent conversation.
Oh dear, look at that couple, they're copying us!
Chuyi: "..."
"Let's go." Feeling ashamed, she immediately grabbed Qiao Anchen's wrist and hurried down the steps without looking back.
Lancheng is rainy in the summer. Sometimes it's as hot as a steamer, and other times it's pouring rain and the temperature drops suddenly. It's been raining for the past few days. I didn't pay attention to the temperature changes and was still wearing very little clothing. My hands and feet may have gotten a little cold.
She usually doesn't feel much during her period, but occasionally she experiences two sharp cramps that are extremely painful.
Looking at the mostly empty ice cream in the refrigerator and the damp, cold wind blowing in from the window, Chu Yi thought she must have found the reason.
Qiao Anchen worked overtime and didn't come home tonight. On the first day of the lunar new year, he ordered a hot porridge, ate a few bites, took a hot shower, and snuggled into bed, holding a hot water bottle against his stomach.
Her consciousness was hazy, and she couldn't sleep soundly because of the dull pain coming from her lower abdomen. Chu Yi curled up in a ball, trying her best to reduce the pain.
There was a noise coming from the room, and someone called her twice. It seemed that Qiao Anchen had come home from get off work. Chu Yi was still sleepy with her eyes closed and did not respond. After a while, the surroundings returned to silence.
After an unknown amount of time, someone touched her stomach, and then that hand took her hot water bottle away. Chu Yi grumbled twice in dissatisfaction, and Qiao Anchen quickly comforted her.
"It's not hot anymore. I'll charge it for you and then bring it over."
"My stomach hurts..." Chu Yi groaned, clutching her stomach. A moment later, someone lay down in the blanket. Qiao Anchen hugged her from behind and gently massaged her lower abdomen with his palm.
"Okay, okay, it won't hurt in a bit."
His gentle voice whispered in my ear, like coaxing a child, his large, warm palms soothing the coldness beneath my skin.
Chu Yi's nerves, tormented by pain, became exceptionally fragile. Her nose stung, and a bellyful of grievances welled up inside her. She couldn't help but kick him.
"I hate you," she said, her voice heavy with a nasal tone, soft, weak, and childish.
Qiao Anchen smiled bitterly. At this moment, holding the soft and petite body in his arms, he wished he could give her his whole heart.
"What a stingy person," he whispered, kissing her cheek.
Chu Yi was in pain for two days, but then she was lively and energetic again. Perhaps remembering the kindness she showed him late at night, she softened her attitude towards Qiao Anchen a bit.
The rain in Lancheng continued, and it was unclear when it would clear up. When Qiao Anchen returned, he was soaked; his shirt clung to his skin, and his hair looked like it had just been washed and hastily dried with a towel—black, wet, and matted together.
Chu Yi was sitting on the sofa watching TV, holding a large white porcelain plate in her arms, eating cherries one after another. Hearing the sound, she poked her head out and asked in confusion, "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"
"I forgot," Qiao Anchen replied casually, loosening his tie as he prepared to take a shower.
"Don't you have any colleagues? Can't you lend me one?" Chu Yi couldn't help but say when she saw him soaked to the bone.
Qiao Anchen paused, looked up at her, his eyes as if washed by rain, clean, dark, and bright.
He spoke slowly, "I don't have any extras. A female colleague offered to give me a ride since she was going the same way, but I declined."
"..." Chu Yi was speechless, staring at him.
"Then just come back soaked like that."
"Hmm." Qiao Anchen answered casually as he walked, unbuttoning his shirt.
"It's not that far anyway."
Chu Yi watched him walk into the bedroom, a complicated feeling welling up inside her.
That evening, Qiao Anchen took her to exercise, but only in bed. She had been sick for a while and had her period on the first day of the lunar month, so she hadn't had any sex for a long time.
However, he was far too energetic, tossing and turning over and over, leaving Chu Yi weak and listless.
"Are you done...?"
Qiao Anchen didn't answer, and his actions showed no sign of him giving up. Chu Yi kicked his leg again and gave him a light kick in the waist, as if tickling him, his voice panting.
"It's been too long... I can't take it anymore."
"I got caught in the rain today..." Qiao Anchen bit her ear, his voice hoarse and intermittent.
"To avoid catching a cold, you should exercise and sweat."
"..."
It's fucking stupid to sweat during exercise.
Chu Yi closed his eyes, gave up hope, and let him do as he pleased.
A major incident occurred in Lancheng at the end of summer. First, a woman's body was found dumped in a trash can in a secluded alley. When sanitation workers discovered it in the morning, they were nearly shocked to death.
The murderer has not yet been caught, but a series of cases have already occurred, all involving young women who were murdered while walking home alone late at night, and the methods used were extremely cruel.
The media has been reporting on the case for two consecutive days. Even people like Chu Yi, who don't usually care about social news, couldn't help but follow up on the case's progress, and it even became a local hot topic.
People are filled with anxiety, and countless netizens are urging single girls to be careful about their personal safety, not to go home alone late at night, and hoping that the police will catch the murderer as soon as possible.
During the fourth crime, the perpetrator finally slipped up and was caught on camera by a dashcam in a car parked on the side of the road.
There was no record of the crime; all that was seen was a man in black walking out of the alley, revealing most of his face.
Police immediately searched and compared data in the database, and finally identified the suspect.
Netizens and citizens who followed the case breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, having such a hidden bomb nearby would have been quite frightening.
The murderer confessed to his crime without hesitation, and the case quickly entered the judicial process. On the day of the court hearing, many media outlets were on high alert.
Qiao Anchen is in charge of this case. He has to appear in court today. When he left this morning, Chu Yi specially got up early to tidy his collar and appearance and gave him a fist pump to cheer him on.
"come on!"
Ever since she started paying attention to this matter, she couldn't help but take it to heart. One evening, when they were chatting casually, Qiao Anchen said that the case materials had arrived at his office and that he could file a lawsuit in court in a few days.
Chu Yi felt the news was so close to her for the first time. Although she was extremely curious, she held back from asking any questions. Qiao Anchen, however, saw the hesitation in her wide eyes and took the initiative to say a few pieces of information that could be made public.
The first question from the first-year student was: "Will he be sentenced to death?"
“Normally, yes,” Qiao Anchen said, “and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be implemented immediately.”
"However, it depends on the court's decision. Based on the information I have so far, there shouldn't be any major surprises."
Chu Yi roughly knew that the death penalty was divided into immediate execution and suspended death sentence. The former was more cruel, directly depriving someone of their life, but she felt no sympathy for him. The innocent lives that died at his hands were the more pitiful ones.
"You have to keep it up." Chu Yi ruffled Qiao Anchen's hair and said earnestly, "You must make sure he gets the punishment he deserves."
"I will." Qiao Anchen hugged her tightly, his expression unusually serious and solemn.
"This is my duty."
On the day the court verdict was announced, several news outlets on television were reporting that the murderer had been sentenced to death. Countless people applauded and cheered, saying that evil had been punished and that the perpetrator deserved it.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, she bought fruit at a fruit shop outside her neighborhood. The owner recognized her and brought out all the cherries that had just arrived that day; each one was fresh, plump, and glossy.
There was another man wearing a baseball cap buying things nearby. He picked and chose for a long time, and Chu Yi filled two big bags. He was still standing there, which made Chu Yi take a second look.
He had a very ordinary face, with dark skin and a thin jaw, and was wearing a black top.
Chu Yi quickly looked away, paid after the shopkeeper weighed the item, and then carried it into the residential area.
I washed a plate of cherries when I got home, and put the rest in the freezer. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, I turned on the TV. The local channel was broadcasting the midday news, and it happened to be about the recent serial murder case.
She sat on the sofa, holding a plate, and put a cherry in her mouth. She bit through the skin, and the sweet juice immediately flowed out, spreading throughout her mouth. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
"The recent high-profile serial murder case of women has finally been solved, and the murderer, Xie Xin, has been sentenced to death by the Supreme People's Court after two months of investigation..."
The news was broadcasting the case's progress in the background. Chu Yi looked at the man on the screen. He got out of the police car with his head down, his hands handcuffed behind his back. There were reporters and crowds all around him. Amid the pushing and shoving, he inadvertently raised his face and looked at the camera. He had an unremarkable dark face.
Chu Yi froze, the cherries in her hand fell onto the plate, and her eyes widened in astonishment.
Author's Note: I expect to finish writing this in the next couple of days. I'll try to update another chapter tonight, probably after midnight, so please don't wait up~ I'm thinking of writing a lighthearted story soon, which is now available for pre-order. Feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested.