“Isn’t this Lao Lin? What’s up? You look like you’re in a real hurry,” Xie Zhuran said, looking his roommate over.
Lin An had not even opened his mouth yet when two loud rumbles of thunder shook the air, followed by a torrential downpour.
“My mom and dad are fighting and getting a divorce. Then my mom — who is also Xia Qi’s mom — wants to cancel the engagement and take her away! Xia Qi had a huge argument with her and got slapped, and then she just ran out!” Lin An said, his brow furrowed as he spoke at a breakneck speed.
“Did you see her when you were coming over?”
Everyone froze at his words.
Song Qiuyu thought back carefully for a moment before shaking her head.
The three people beside her also shook their heads in denial.
“Lao Lin, do you know which direction she ran?” Song Qiuyu asked immediately.
Lin An’s frown deepened. He shook his head and said, “By the time I chased her out of the room, she had already taken the elevator down. I ran down the stairs… and then I ran into you guys at the door.”
Song Qiuyu frowned as well. “It sounds like we just missed her…”
“The rain is getting heavier. I’m worried about her being out there alone, so I’m going to go look for her now!” Lin An said, preparing to rush out.
Song Qiuyu was stunned.
In the six months they had known each other, she had never seen Lin An look so panicked. However, it was understandable.
If Jiang Xiao were the one who had run off, she would be just as anxious.
She took a breath and said, “Don’t rush. I’ll help you look!”
“Not just her, all of us!” Jiang Xiao added immediately.
“That’s right, let’s look for her together. You can tell us the details on the way. Also, try to think of the most likely places she would go!” Xie Zhuran said quickly, glancing outside.
Jiang Li nodded and joined in as well.
Lin An’s lips trembled slightly.
He did not dare to hesitate for too long. Adjusting his glasses, he gave a small smile and said, “Alright. Thanks, brothers!”
Song Qiuyu and the others booked their rooms as fast as they could, dropped off their luggage, grabbed their umbrellas, and followed Lin An into the rain.
As they walked, Lin An gave them a condensed explanation, providing them with a general understanding of the family conflict.
It turned out that the catalyst for Mother Xia and Father Lin’s divorce was a box of pudding.
To summarize, Mother Xia had bought some pudding to eat after her shower, but Father Lin, who had just returned from work, ate it without saying a word.
This sparked an argument that dragged up every trivial grievance from their past. The fight escalated quickly.
Since it was the Lunar New Year, all their relatives were present.
At first, they tried to mediate, but they eventually got dragged into the argument themselves.
The situation spiraled until the couple decided to call it quits and get a divorce.
When Mother Xia tried to force Xia Qi to leave with her, Xia Qi brought up the pudding incident again, accusing her mother of overreacting.
That was when she got slapped.
Song Qiuyu was moved as she listened.
She had thought Lin An and Xia Qi’s relationship would be smooth sailing, but now it seemed they might be the most challenged couple among them.
They had come to happily attend their roommate’s engagement party, only for it to turn into a massive family drama.
In just a few days, she had seen the vastly different realities of four families.
Song Qiuyu couldn’t help but wonder. If she and Jiang Xiao were to marry, what would their family look like?
‘If it’s like Father Lin and Mother Xia, always fighting and divorcing… would it be happier not to get married?’
The thought filled her with worry about the future.
Even if the truth about their condition were made public, how would others view patients like them? How would they view their lovers and their children?
The more she thought, the more her mind felt like it was sinking into a swamp. She felt a sense of suffocation.
She could only clench her hands and hide her anxiety.
After all, she had already promised Jiang Xiao, and she couldn’t easily go back on her word now.
Besides, there was likely no turning back for her anyway.
Jiang Xiao listened quietly, silently observing the distracted and forlorn look on the person beside him. It sent ripples through his heart.
After some thought, Lin An pointed out three locations where Xia Qi might be. The group decided to split into three paths.
Lin An went alone to the high school Xia Qi had attended; Xie Zhuran and Jiang Li went to a nearby shopping mall; and Song Qiuyu and Jiang Xiao headed toward the distant Minghai Bridge.
None of them believed Xia Qi was the type to jump off a bridge, but their goal was to see if anyone was on the bridge or under the bridge arch nearby.
“Jiang Xiao, do you want to check the top of the bridge or underneath?” Song Qiuyu asked, looking at the grand scale of the Minghai Bridge in the distance.
“I’ll go up there. Xi’er, you go check the bridge arch. Be careful,” Jiang Xiao decided after looking at the traffic on the main road.
Between the two, the area under the bridge was safer. The only concern there would be potentially troublesome homeless people.
“Okay, you be careful too!” Song Qiuyu said, preparing to head toward the bridge arch.
“Xi’er, wait a moment!” Jiang Xiao suddenly called out to her.
“Hmm?” Song Qiuyu stopped and turned around, looking at him with confusion.
“Remember what I told you before? If you run into trouble, don’t keep it bottled up and try to carry it alone. Call out to me and let me help you.”
Jiang Xiao smoothed out the strands of hair that had been tousled and dampened by the wind and rain.
The girl who had been walking through the storm now looked haggard and pitiable.
Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were slightly red, making her look like a stray cat that might secretly leave its owner at any moment—or one that feared being abandoned.
Song Qiuyu was stunned.
Before she could respond, she was pulled into an incredibly warm embrace.
She froze in his arms.
“Unless you think I’m a terrible boyfriend and that I still have a very, very long way to go before I’m officially accepted,” Jiang Xiao whispered near her ear, patting the back of her head.
“I didn’t mean that!” Song Qiuyu countered immediately.
“Good!” Jiang Xiao smiled and let her go. “Go on.”
“Okay.” Song Qiuyu lowered her eyes and nodded.
Holding her umbrella, she walked straight toward the nearest bridge arch.
Watching her walk away, a slight smile tugged at the corners of Jiang Xiao’s mouth. He loved this side of Xi’er—the way she gave her all for something.
‘When she thought I was going to jump off that cliff and rushed over to save me, was she like this then?’
He didn’t let his thoughts wander for long. Pulling his focus back, he held his umbrella and headed toward the bridge.
The rain intensified.
The sound of raindrops drumming against the umbrella was loud and chaotic, but Song Qiuyu was oblivious to it.
She quickened her pace, though she remained cautious to avoid slipping.
Arriving under the nearby bridge arch, she noticed several homeless people wrapped in quilts and sleeping, so she instinctively lightened her footsteps.
As she searched for Xia Qi, her sleeve was suddenly grabbed by a girl she didn’t recognize.
Song Qiuyu’s footsteps faltered.
She turned around and saw that the girl looked quite clean, unlike the other homeless people there.
More importantly, the look in the girl’s eyes gave her a very uneasy feeling.
“Excuse me…” The girl’s eyes sparkled as her cheeks flushed.
“Are you that Lemon Brother who always posts short videos?”
Song Qiuyu was stunned.
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