“Don’t refuse. You’re only one person right now. If something happens, how are you going to explain it to your boyfriend?”
“Don’t you want to think about yourself for once!”
Luo Tiantian really couldn’t win against Su Xiao. Plus, her body truly felt terrible. After hesitating again and again, she finally gave Su Xiao the address.
“Wait there, I’ll be there soon.”
Luo Tiantian put down her phone and looked at the simple rented room. It was empty. Aside from the bed, there wasn’t even a decent piece of furniture.
‘This is great. Su Xiao is coming… what will she think when she sees this? That non-existent boyfriend of mine is way too irresponsible, isn’t he? Letting his sick girlfriend live in a place like this.’
‘But I really don’t have the energy to tidy up now. If Su Xiao wants to scold someone, she can scold the “Luo Tiantian” that no longer exists.’
***
Su Xiao carried an insulated bag, following the address to find that old residential area.
One look at the narrow stairwells, dim lighting, and the ground that had clearly never been swept told her these were old houses from the Eighties.
She frowned slightly. Luo Tiantian lived in a place like this? That boyfriend of hers was way too pathetic!
Just as she was about to head upstairs, her gaze was drawn to a figure lingering at the entrance of the stairwell.
It was a young woman wearing what looked like an expensive dress. Her makeup was exquisite, and she was clutching a phone, pacing back and forth with some anxiety. From time to time, she looked up toward the upper floors, seemingly hesitating over whether to go up or perhaps waiting for someone.
So late at night, at the entrance of such an old residential building… Su Xiao felt a bit suspicious, but she didn’t think too much of it.
Carrying the insulated bag, she prepared to pass by the woman to find the corresponding door number according to the address.
Just as she passed the woman, the other party suddenly stopped. Her gaze landed directly on Su Xiao, specifically on the insulated bag in her hand.
“You…” the woman spoke, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty. “Are you here to find someone?”
Su Xiao stopped and glanced at her.
The woman was decent-looking, but her gaze and tone made Su Xiao feel a bit uncomfortable.
“Yes.” She didn’t want to say much and continued walking.
“Which unit are you looking for?” The woman followed her, her tone becoming urgent. “Are you looking for the unit on the left of the third floor?”
Su Xiao paused and looked at her warily. “What are you doing?”
The door number Luo Tiantian had given her was indeed on the third floor.
The woman was Lin Lin, who had been driven away by Luo Tiantian earlier. A slightly complex smile squeezed onto her face.
“As I thought… I knew it. Are you Luo Tiantian’s friend?”
Hearing Luo Tiantian’s name come out of this stranger’s mouth made Su Xiao’s frown deepen.
She looked Lin Lin up and down. “Who are you? What do you want with Luo Tiantian?”
“I’m Luo Tiantian’s friend—a very good friend from before. I have something urgent to discuss with him, but he doesn’t seem to be home? Are you his current friend?”
Su Xiao’s brow twisted into a knot.
This woman was being evasive and her eyes were shifting; she clearly wasn’t someone to trust. Tiantian was sick, so what was this so-called “former good friend” doing here making trouble?
“I’m his girlfriend’s friend,” Su Xiao replied stiffly.
After saying that, she carried the insulated bag and stomped up the stairs.
Lin Lin bit her lip and followed.
Su Xiao arrived at the corresponding door on the third floor and knocked.
A faint sound of coughing came from inside.
“Coming…”
The door opened. When Luo Tiantian saw Su Xiao, she was about to smile, but then her gaze caught Lin Lin following behind. Her brow furrowed, and a flash of annoyance appeared in her eyes.
“Why are you here again? You’re not welcome here.”
Su Xiao’s expression changed, and she immediately stepped in front of Luo Tiantian to block her.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you? You actually followed me up?”
Lin Lin looked at Luo Tiantian, who was blocked behind Su Xiao with only half her face visible. Her eyes reddened slightly, and her voice became anxious and aggrieved.
“I just want to say a few words to Tiantian, just a few. I’m his former girlfriend. I really have something very important to tell him in person!”
‘Former girlfriend?’ Su Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. Her brain couldn’t quite process it for a moment.
Did “Tiantian” refer to Luo Tiantian herself? Or did it refer to Luo Luo’s boyfriend?
Su Xiao subconsciously looked back at the Luo Tiantian behind her. She saw the girl pressing her lips together, looking at Lin Lin with cold eyes. That look… didn’t seem like jealousy because a boyfriend’s ex had shown up. It looked more like pure irritation and rejection at being disturbed.
Regardless of which Tiantian she was the ex of, Luo Tiantian was sick right now and clearly didn’t want to see this person. That meant this person was unwelcome.
“So what if you’re the ex?”
Su Xiao put her hands on her hips. “Being the ex is even more reason to keep your distance. Can’t you see his girlfriend is sick and needs rest? What are you doing here making such a racket? Is there anything that can’t wait until he’s better, or be handled through normal contact? Do you have to corner people at their door in the middle of the night?”
Lin Lin felt miserable being confronted by Su Xiao’s string of questions. Her eyes grew redder as grievance, anger, and dissatisfaction welled up from her heart. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
“I… I just wanted to see him… We really used to… I really loved him! Why can’t I even see him or say a word now? Am I really that hated?”
“I just don’t understand… Is it wrong to regret? Can’t I… can’t I have a chance to make things clear?”
Lin Lin was somewhat incoherent, her voice trembling with a sob. Combined with her exquisite makeup and slightly shaking shoulders, she did look quite pitiful.
But Luo Tiantian only felt a wave of nausea and absurdity.
Love? Back then, who was the one who trampled on his goodwill and help, then left so decisively?
Now, years later, she had come running back with letters of his grandfathers’ dying wishes, claiming she loved him. What kind of act was this?
Su Xiao looked back at Luo Tiantian’s cold face again. The scales in her heart tilted toward the latter without hesitation.
She hated these kinds of lingering, self-centered dramas the most.
“Loving someone is in the past. He has a girlfriend now, so how he’s doing has nothing to do with you.”
Su Xiao’s tone grew even harder. “If you really cared about him, you wouldn’t be here disturbing his girlfriend’s rest. Leave now, or I really will call someone.”
Seeing this, Lin Lin knew that no matter what, she wouldn’t be able to see Luo Tiantian today.
She looked at the “girlfriend” who was being firmly protected by Su Xiao and wasn’t even giving her a direct look. Then she looked at the fiercely opposing Su Xiao. A heart full of grievance and the humiliation of being completely rejected surged up, and her tears finally fell.
She stumbled down the stairs. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the silent hallway and quickly disappeared.
“Crazy woman,” Su Xiao cursed toward the stairwell. Then she quickly turned around and supported Luo Tiantian’s arm. “Get inside quickly. It’s windy out here. Look at you, your hands are so cold.”
She helped Luo Tiantian back into the room and closed the door.
“Are you okay? Did that woman upset you?” Su Xiao placed the insulated bag on the table.
Luo Tiantian shook her head and leaned against the edge of the bed, feeling her dizziness worsen. “Thank you… Su Xiao.”
She was sincerely grateful, both for the hot soup and for the way Su Xiao had defended her without hesitation.
“Don’t mention it. You can’t give those kinds of clingy people any leverage.” Su Xiao spoke while efficiently opening the insulated container. “Here, drink some soup first. What’s wrong with your boyfriend’s ex anyway? Where was she before? Now she shows up acting all sentimental.”
Luo Tiantian took the warm soup bowl but didn’t respond.
She couldn’t explain that the ex-girlfriend was actually looking for Luo Tiantian herself—and that she was Luo Tiantian.
Su Xiao looked at the girl’s profile as she quietly drank the soup. The tip of her nose was slightly red, and her lips were softened by the warmth of the broth… That protective instinct began to grow again.
“Oh, right,” Su Xiao suddenly remembered something and scratched her head sheepishly. “Was I too aggressive just now? I sounded like a total shrew.”
She realized belatedly that she had been standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring.
Luo Tiantian looked up at her. A faint, exceptionally moving smile spread through her eyes. “Not at all. I thought you were very cool.”
“Ehehe…”
Su Xiao laughed. “Oh, by the way, your boyfriend is named Luo Tiantian. So is your name really Luo Luo, or is it Luo Tiantian?”
“…Luo Tiantian. I’m also called Luo Tiantian. It’s a nice name, isn’t it? Luo Luo is just my nickname.”
***
Lin Lin stood desolately downstairs, walking toward the side of the road.
Tears fell patter-patter.
Why…
Why was she being treated like this…
Clearly…
Clearly she just wanted to say a few words to Tiantian.
Suddenly.
Her nose caught a strong scent of alcohol.
She looked up to see a tall figure swaying and dancing erratically on the road.
“Damn it… I curse you all… I won’t go back! I’m not going back!”
“I’ll kowtow, worship the gods, and stick incense at the crossroads to ask the ghosts!”
A drunken Shen Xixi was practically banging her head on the ground.