novelraw Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Chapter 74 Qin Qing’s heart was in turmoil.
The scorching temperature from the close contact just moments ago still seemed to linger on her skin. She could almost feel the heat on her cheeks.
At that moment, she heard Fang Zishu, who was sitting next to her on her left, ask with a hint of confusion, “Sir, do you need something?”
“……”
Qin Qing suddenly looked up to see Wen Yufeng’s cold gaze fixed on Fang Zishu.
From the fierce emotion evident in his dark eyes, Qin Qing had no doubt that this man might act on his “crazy” impulses as she feared.
The thought made her palms sweat.
— After enduring special forces training, Qin Qing had no desire to know the level of danger Wen Yufeng posed.
So before Wen Yufeng could react, Qin Qing, who was sitting between them, abruptly stood up.
“Mr. Fang!”
“……Ah?”
Qin Qing’s slightly raised voice startled Fang Zishu.
He looked at her in confusion.
Realizing she had acted out of turn, Qin Qing quickly averted her gaze and covered her inner panic by lowering her eyes.
“I’m feeling overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the fight. I was indeed startled just now. …Shall we leave?”
Fang Zishu hesitated, holding up the tickets: “But we bought tickets for the three-fight event. If we leave now…?”
Qin Qing nodded and, after a brief pause, added, “Let me treat you to a movie instead, as compensation.”
Fang Zishu’s eyes brightened, and he stood up as well. “If Miss Qin wants to go to the movies, let’s go.”
Agreeing, Fang Zishu headed toward the exit on his left.
Behind him, Qin Qing lingered for two seconds.
“……Don’t follow.”
Without waiting for Wen Yufeng’s response, she turned and walked out.
As she entered the exit corridor, Qin Qing saw Fang Zishu waiting for her ahead.
She took a deep breath and approached him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Fang. I might not be able to go to the movie with you after all.”
“……” Fang Zishu was momentarily stunned but didn’t rush to respond. Instead, he glanced thoughtfully over Qin Qing’s shoulder.
Then he spoke, “Is it because of that person just now?”
Qin Qing looked up, startled. “How did you know, Mr. Fang?”
Fang Zishu, though somewhat regretful, smiled. “I saw him at the café earlier. His gaze when he first entered was truly frightening. And with so many empty seats, he chose to sit next to Miss Qin. And that look he gave us before we left—”
Fang Zishu shook his head, half-jokingly and half-seriously. “It’s really terrifying. — May I ask what your relationship with him is?”
Qin Qing’s expression softened. After a moment of silence, she replied, “He used to be a very good friend.”
“Ah? From his reaction, it doesn’t seem like he sees Miss Qin as just an ordinary friend,” Fang Zishu joked.
Qin Qing remained silent.
“Shall we go now?” Seeing her reaction, Fang Zishu changed the subject.
The two walked out together. Once outside the fight arena, Fang Zishu spoke again. “Instinctively, Miss Qin’s friend doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.”
Qin Qing paused. “Yes, he’s been in the military, just like you.”
“Haha, Miss Qin, please don’t compare me with that gentleman. The intensity in his eyes isn’t something you achieve merely by serving in the military.”
Fang Zishu’s gaze flickered. “If I’m not mistaken, that gentleman has at least personally… seen blood.”
Qin Qing looked at him, puzzled.
Fang Zishu hesitated but did not elaborate further.
He only said with a hint of meaning, “If Miss Qin wants to avoid any contact with him, you must be cautious. — People like him can achieve their goals too easily.”
Qin Qing was taken aback and then shook her head firmly. “He won’t.”
“Hmm?”
“He used to be like that—just looks fierce, but he wouldn’t do anything wrong or harm innocent people.”
After her instinctive explanation, Qin Qing felt embarrassed under Fang Zishu’s slightly surprised gaze.
—
She wasn’t sure how her habit of defending Wen Yufeng whenever he was misunderstood had formed.
Feeling uncomfortable, Qin Qing’s phone in her bag suddenly vibrated.
Seeing the call was from her grandmother, she instinctively checked the time on her phone’s screen.
— It was still a few minutes short of the “one and a half hours” she had promised her grandmother.
Qin Qing was relieved.
She gestured apologetically to Fang Zishu and answered the call.
“Grandma?”
“Sweetie, how’s it going with Mr. Fang?”
“……It’s fine. Don’t worry, Grandma.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just asking—Is Mr. Fang still next to you?”
“……”
Hearing this, Qin Qing choked, then helplessly replied, “Yes, he’s still here. If you’re really concerned, I can let him take the call?”
Qin Qing said this jokingly, but to her surprise, her grandmother eagerly agreed—
“All right, let Mr. Fang take the call.”
“……” Qin Qing was stunned for several seconds, instinctively glancing at Fang Zishu before quickly turning back to the phone and saying, “Grandma, what are you joking about? You don’t know him. Why ask him to take the call?”
“Who says I don’t know him?” Grandma replied. “Let him take it. I need to talk to him.”
“…………”
Qin Qing had a bad feeling. Despite wanting to hang up, she couldn’t refuse her grandmother. Reluctantly, she turned to Fang Zishu.
“Mr. Fang, sorry… My grandmother wants you to take the call.”
Fang Zishu looked surprised but still took the phone.
Qin Qing watched as Fang Zishu spoke with her grandmother on the phone.
About half a minute later, Fang Zishu handed the phone back to Qin Qing.
Fang Zishu said, “It seems Miss Qin’s grandmother and my aunt have arranged a dinner reservation and want us to join them tonight.”
Qin Qing was stunned for a few seconds. “You… Mr. Fang, you agreed?”
Fang Zishu smiled wryly. “Miss Qin’s grandmother is very persuasive…”
Qin Qing: “…”
“And honestly, I had a ‘mission’ coming from my aunt.”
“……”
In that moment, the two found a common ground of sympathy.
But soon, Fang Zishu was at ease.
“I understand Miss Qin’s situation. Even though we don’t have a chance in other aspects, I still admire your character. I think we can be friends—tonight’s dinner will be a casual gathering among friends. Afterward, I’ll explain the situation to your grandmother and aunt.”
“……”
Qin Qing sighed in relief.
She forced a smile. “Thank you, Mr. Fang.”
…………
The reservation time at Grandma’s place seemed to be set to make sure Qin Qing and Fang Zishu spent enough time together. After dining, Fang Zishu escorted Qin Qing to the Yunshan Mansion. It was already past eight in the evening.
As Qin Qing got out of the taxi, Fang Zishu insisted on escorting her to the entrance of the apartment building.
“Mr. Fang, you’ve already done so much. I’m home now. You can go.”
“It’s my honor to escort Miss Qin home. Didn’t you see how envious the driver was all the way here?” Fang Zishu joked.
After a brief exchange, they waved goodbye.
Out of courtesy, Qin Qing watched Fang Zishu leave before turning back to enter the apartment building.
By eight o’clock, the building was very quiet.
After swiping her card and entering the building, Qin Qing was distractedly thinking about her unexpected encounter with Wen Yufeng earlier in the day. She walked absentmindedly towards the elevator.
Just as she was about to swipe her card, she noticed a shadow move behind her own reflection on the floor.
“……!”
Qin Qing’s skin crawled with fear.
She was about to run when she felt a sudden grip on her wrist, followed by a swift series of moves. Before she could react, she was blindfolded and taken to the fire escape.
The overwhelming fear quickly engulfed her, and she instinctively tried to scream—
“Sweetie…”
The familiar voice, close and trembling, calmed her terror. Qin Qing’s legs gave way, and she fell into the embrace from behind.
“Wen Yufeng, you jerk… you scared me to death…”
Her voice was trembling with sobs.
The fire escape door closed behind them as Wen Yufeng held her against the wall.
“So you go out with others… have dinner, watch movies, date… laugh, be happy, and forget me completely…”
“…………”
His low and calm voice made Qin Qing’s heart race. She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain or from what position she should explain.
Her silence dimmed the man’s gaze, making it colder and more distant.
In the suffocating quiet of the stairwell, Wen Yufeng eventually moved.
He bent his head, as if his body could no longer support itself, slowly burying his face in the nape of her neck.
“I regret it, Sweetie… I really do,” he rasped.
“……” Qin Qing’s heart skipped a beat.
Then she felt something wet near her neck—
“……It turns out you are the only one I can’t lose.”
“My Sweetie has finally grown up… but my Sweetie… is no longer mine.”
A tear-soaked kiss landed on her neck, accompanied by the words.
Moments later, the warm embrace withdrew, and the cold air enveloped Qin Qing.
She shivered instinctively.
The door behind him opened.
In the next second, he would leave.
Perhaps he would never return in her lifetime.
“……” Qin Qing’s heart felt like it had been torn apart, leaving her dizzy with pain.
She suddenly turned and grabbed the man’s arm—
“Wen Yufeng!”
“……” Wen Yufeng froze, standing still.
He almost didn’t dare to turn around, fearing that this plea was just his own hallucination.
“Wen Yufeng…”
Then he heard that soft, gentle voice again, reaching his heart through their linked hands, which were now barely perceptible—
“I… I promised I would grow up, and I did… What about you?”
“You said you would give yourself to me… does that still count?”