“Just continue what you are saying; don’t stop halfway.”
His voice was cool. On this bustling street, it felt as though one had walked out from an air-conditioned room in the middle of summer.
“I want to say that you are the boss, so I don’t care if your proposal lacks formalities, and even if you’re not the Ji Group’s CEO and my superior, I will still marry you.”
She lightly pressed her lips together. She noticed his eyes wavering a little and knew that he already had an answer inside.
Some things needed not be spelled out clearly because she knew that he understood it without her saying more.
“Are you really speaking the truth?”
Although he was inwardly overjoyed, one could not see it from his face. What he did not realize was that the woman had already seen through him.
“Nay.”
He floored the brakes upon hearing this. Pei Ge, who was about to hit the windows head-first, found herself in the man’s arms the next moment. A familiar taste assaulted the insides of her mouth. Even the strength he held her with increased. She was unable to escape and could only acquiesce to it. Feeling the response of the woman in his arms, the man suddenly released her and gave her a meaningful look.
She was baffled. Like a clown who had made a fool of itself, she looked at him. “You…”
“Was what you said real or fake?”
She rolled her eyes, knowing that this man was not only domineering but also petty. He could even get serious over a remark.
“I—”
Pei Ge did not manage to finish her words as he cut her off. “You need to consider the consequences of your answer.”
She immediately shut her mouth as she saw him give her a smug look. Suddenly, she had no more interest in teasing him and assumed her calmness as she gave him a loving yet solemn look. “It’s true. It’s true that I like you, and it’s also true that I love you.”
Despite finally getting the confession he wanted, Ji Ziming remained mum. With a smile on his lips, he started the ignition and drove according to the directions the woman had given him earlier.
Pei Ge was a little dumbfounded by his reaction yet felt that she should not say anything. Instead, she turned to face the window; the joy she had felt then instantly vanished.
It was said that, when it came to love, the one who got serious first was the loser, but she did not believe it initially. Now, she was starting to believe it after seeing the apathy of the man beside her.
“Is this the café?”
He purposely treated her coldly as he stopped in front of a café and asked this softly. When he did not receive a reply, he turned to look at the woman, only to find her very immersed in her thoughts so she did not even notice that the car had stopped.
“Are you alright?”
He gently tugged at her arm, but she immediately retracted it from him.
She spoke in a cold voice, void of the usual gentleness. “Yes, this is the one. Drive a bit further ahead and we’ll be there.”
The man stopped himself from coaxing her and continued driving forward after giving her a look. When they finally found Tang Xiaoyu’s house, Pei Ge immediately alighted from the car and entered by herself. Hence, he could only follow her closely.
Pei Ge’s anger was largely quelled by the time they reached her best friend’s place. Right now, she was only concerned about how her best friend in a place she did not know of and if she missed her or Gu Zhengrong.
Ji Ziming followed her wordlessly, standing behind her like a statue.
She fished out a key and opened the door to her best friend’s house and was immediately greeted by a wave of dust. She coughed, causing the man to pull her to him. His voice was low, yet it gave her a sense of security. “Walk behind me.”
The woman remained silent, but as she watched him from behind, the anger she had felt in the car disappeared.
“It’s fine; I know her house.”
She pulled him aside, then walked in first. Looking at the familiar interior, all she could see were scenes of her and Tang Xiaoyu choosing the furniture together. The walls were in her best friend’s favorite pink color, yet in this spacious room, there was only her and Ji Ziming.
“It could be seen that she left willingly. No one took her or made her do so.”
He eyed the furniture covered with dust-proof covers. Everything was properly dusted and arranged. No one knew where her best friend had gone, and no one would know the reason for her departure.
“I am only worried about whether she’s living well in another city or not.”
Turning around, she walked to the windows and, to her surprise, found a note pressed under a box. It was Tang Xiaoyu’s handwriting, as well as her style of writing.
‘Ge Ge, if you are reading this, it means that I’ve been gone for some time. I knew that you would come looking for me, but I don’t wanna be found. Just treat it as me taking a break. Let me be by myself for some time. When I am done thinking everything through, I will come look for you. Don’t worry; I am living well. Xiaoyu.’
Tears filled her eyes as she read the note in her hand. This letter was akin to a huge boulder weighing on her. She did not understand what it was that her bubbly best friend could not figure out and had a hard time considering that she actually had to leave without telling anyone.
“Since you already know that she is fine, you no longer have to worry about her. She is an adult and will take responsibility for her actions. She is not a small child, so you don’t have to worry about her all the time.”
“I just don’t get it. Why wouldn’t she tell even me? We were the closest, but in the end, I couldn’t even fulfill my duties as her friend.”
Her beautiful eyes brimmed with tears as the guilt in her heart nearly overwhelmed her.
“It is her choice to leave and has nothing to do with you. You need more care and protection now more than her. Her choice was neither right nor wrong, but it still had an impact on others. You still have me, though, so don’t worry. She is merely finding an excuse for herself to be alone. You should be happy for her, instead, and not worried.”
He walked up to the woman and hugged her, trying to console her.
“She’s never done this before. I am just worried about her meeting bad people. We’ve been together for so many years, but I’ve never seen her this hurt and despondent. Ziming, do you think that it is because of me? I haven’t contacted her much after I returned to China.”
“How is this because of you? Everyone has their way of coping with things. Don’t treat yourself too harshly.”
