novelraw Chapter 23: A Girl's Heart Ripples
Chapter 23: A Girl's Heart Ripples
The soft touch on the lips suddenly disappeared, and cool air rushed into the mouth again.
Before Ding Heng could fully recover, he saw Zhao Yanxi turn her head naturally, showing just the right amount of surprise and a hint of displeasure.
"Tang Hainuo? What are you doing here again?"
She frowned, her tone clearly impatient: "Didn't I tell you not to come looking for me?"
"I……"
Tang Hainuo's brain was a complete mess.
Yesterday, when faced with that heartbreaking post on his WeChat Moments, he still clung to a last glimmer of hope, thinking it might be a "misunderstanding" or a "joke."
After making inquiries, Tang Hainuo came to Xingcheng.
I never expected to witness my pure and innocent goddess being so proactive and oblivious to everyone else kissing another man!
He couldn't even imagine what else they might be doing in the closed room of the bakery...
Seeing Tang Hainuo's distraught appearance, Zhao Yanxi felt even more annoyed.
"I've told you eight hundred times, I don't like you, we can't be together. For three years of high school, you clung to me like a piece of chewing gum that couldn't understand human language, wasn't that embarrassing enough?"
If you keep following me like this, I'm calling the police!
After saying that, she took Ding Heng's arm and prepared to leave the hotel lobby: "Honey, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Ding Heng was still a little dazed and just let Zhao Yanxi pull him along.
He anticipated that Zhao Yanxi might use him as a shield, but he didn't expect the way the "shield" would be used to be so... explosive and direct.
Just then, Tang Hainuo, who had been standing still, suddenly seemed to be electrified, took a big step forward, spread his arms, and blocked the two people's way.
His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaved violently, and he roared hysterically.
"Yan hope! Don't be fooled by him! I'm here to tell you that he's not some rich kid at all!"
He spoke rapidly, trying to grasp at the last straw.
"His father, Ding Wenjie, was just a lousy reporter who ran around everywhere. He quit his job at the TV station because he couldn't make it there! His maternal grandparents ran a small, run-down supermarket in their hometown!"
Most importantly—his mother! She died two years ago from ALS! His family was heavily in debt from her treatment, which they only recently paid off!
He stared intently at Zhao Yanxi, trying to find a trace of shock or wavering on the goddess's face, his voice distorted with excitement.
"This disease is hereditary! Did you know that?! He seems fine now, but who knows, one day he might end up like his mother, with muscle atrophy, unable to move, and confined to a wheelchair! What are you getting out of being with someone who could potentially be disabled in the future?!"
At first, when Ding Heng heard that the other party was investigating his family, he just frowned and thought the person was despicable and boring.
When Tang Hainuo shouted out his mother's message, a surge of icy rage instantly rushed to his head, shattering all his reason.
(Please remember the website 202s.tw for the fastest chapter updates.)
The next second, a muffled "bang!"
Ding Heng's fist slammed into Tang Hainuo's face with such force that Tang Hainuo's black-rimmed glasses shattered and flew off, causing him to stagger backward a few steps, blood gushing from his mouth.
Before Tang Hainuo could recover from the dizziness and pain, Ding Heng stepped forward again and grabbed her collar.
True Sight Eyes, activated!
The upgraded True Sight provides more information, and can even discern what Ding Heng desires most at this moment.
In addition to Tang Hainuo's current state of "fear/pain/anger", a line of light gold notifications also popped up in his field of vision.
[Tang Hainuo initially obtained basic citizen information through his cousin's (a temporary worker at a company) internal channels, and then purchased detailed packaged information via a specific online channel.]
really!
In this era of near-transparent information, the privacy of ordinary people is already fragile, let alone with "insiders" taking advantage of the situation.
"You...you dare to hit me! I'm calling the police! I'm not finished with you!"
Tang Hainuo covered his face, both shocked and angry, and uttered a vague threat.
"Not over yet?"
Ding Heng's hand, gripping his collar, remained unmoved: "What, is this still not over? Go find your temporary worker cousin, Tang Hao, and have him 'deal with' me again?"
Tang Hainuo's pupils suddenly contracted, and all color drained from his face: "You...how did you know?!"
"How would I know?"
Ding Heng approached him, gritting his teeth: "Your cousin illegally accessed and leaked citizens' personal information, and even helped you buy more detailed illegal data. Do you know how much that will cost him? And how many years will you spend in jail?"
Tang Hainuo's legs went weak and he almost collapsed, but Ding Heng held him steady.
"Illegally obtaining citizens' personal information, if the circumstances are serious, is a criminal offense. Neither you nor your cousin can escape punishment."
You haven't even had a chance to warm your college acceptance letter yet, have you? Believe it or not, before the start of the semester, both your alma mater and the university that admitted you will receive official letters regarding your alleged criminal offenses.
Tang Hainuo panicked completely. In addition, the hotel was Ding Heng's "territory," and a strong and suffocating sense of pressure enveloped him, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
"You...you..."
His lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
"What do you mean, 'me'?"
Ding Heng released his grip and threw another punch, causing Tang Hainuo to stagger and fall to the ground.
"Don't worry, this isn't over. I'm determined to pursue this matter!"
After saying that, Ding Heng stopped looking at Tang Hainuo, whose face was ashen, and strode out of the hotel revolving door.
Zhao Yanxi stood there dumbfounded, the development of events completely beyond her expectations and control.
She originally wanted to nip Tang Hainuo's thoughts in the bud in the most direct way, but she didn't expect it to cause such a fierce conflict, and she didn't expect Tang Hainuo to use illegal means to investigate Ding Heng!
Tang Hainuo struggled to get up from the ground, his face burning with pain.
Seeing that Zhao Yanxi was still there, he quickly stumbled forward two steps, clinging to the last shred of hope.
"Yan hope! You saw it! He's a violent maniac! And given his family's situation... Believe me, I'm genuinely doing this for your own good. I investigated because I don't want you to be deceived, I..."
"Shut up!"
Zhao Yanxi abruptly interrupted Tang Hainuo, her voice shrill.
She turned around, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust: "Status? What status? Did I ever say I cared about his status?"
Tang Hainuo was taken aback by her shout.
"Well... they all said..."
"They said? Who! Hua Yue? Wu Qian? You believe whatever they say?"
Tang Hainuo, besides acting like an overgrown baby who hasn't been weaned, what else can you do?
Zhao Yanxi's chest heaved, her words like knives: "Who Ding Heng is, and what my relationship with Ding Heng is, has absolutely nothing to do with you, Tang Hainuo! In my eyes, you're not even worth a maggot; at least maggots don't come knocking on my door to disgust me!"
Tang Hainuo's face turned pale: "Yan hope, you...you're a good girl, you should cherish yourself. I don't want you to have made a mistake in choosing someone and regret it later..."
"Self-love my ass!!!"
An unprecedented roar erupted from Zhao Yanxi's throat, completely shattering her usual sweet and cheerful image.
This was the first time in her life that she had used such vulgar language to curse someone.
Tang Hainuo was completely dumbfounded, frozen in place.
Zhao Yanxi was panting heavily, her body trembling slightly.
She looked at Tang Hainuo as if he were a pile of unrecyclable garbage.
"Why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror? Even if I'm happy to be Ding Heng's dog, wagging my tail to please him, it's none of your business to lick his boots! Understand?!"
After shouting that, Zhao Yanxi took a deep breath to calm her racing heart before delivering the final blow.
"I will tell my dad everything you and your cousin have done. Just you wait."
Upon hearing the words "tell my dad," Tang Hainuo collapsed to the ground again, his eyes glazed over.
If Ding Heng's pursuit of accountability might still leave him with a glimmer of hope, then Zhao Yanxi bringing up her father, Zhao Xingguo... he's truly finished.
Criminal liability, future ruined...
A tremendous fear gripped Tang Hainuo.
But Zhao Yanxi didn't look at him again, turned around and quickly chased after him out of the hotel.
……
Ding Heng sat on the cool stone steps by a small flower bed next to the hotel, holding a pack of ten-yuan Lao Baisha cigarettes he had just bought.
I opened it, pulled out one, put it in my mouth, and then froze... I forgot to buy a lighter.
Just as he was about to put the cigarette down, a flickering flame came close to him.
Zhao Yanxi came to his side, holding a cheap plastic lighter in her hand.
Ding Heng didn't speak, but lowered his head slightly and lit a cigarette by the flame.
Take a deep breath, let the pungent smoke fill your lungs, and then slowly exhale.
Nicotine brings a brief sense of numbness, but it cannot suppress the turmoil churning in my heart.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"
Zhao Yanxi sincerely apologized, feeling extremely guilty: "I've already called my dad and explained the situation. He's very angry, and he promised me he would deal with it seriously. Tang Hainuo and his cousin won't escape; they'll be held accountable and punished accordingly... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..."
Ding Heng let out a long breath and stared at the smoke dissipating rapidly in the night wind.
"Please thank your uncle for me."
"it is good."
Zhao Yanxi responded softly, then asked gently, "I remember you said that the last time you smoked was because of too much pressure before the college entrance exam..."
"Um."
Ding Heng flicked his cigarette ash, his gaze drifting into the distance: "The last time before that was when my mother passed away."
Zhao Yanxi's heart tightened, and she asked cautiously, "Did you smoke often before?"
Ding Heng suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly.
"Six years ago, I wasn't exactly a good guy. I dyed my hair blonde, hung out with street thugs all the time, and almost ended up in juvenile detention. I thought that was really cool and rebellious."
He took another drag of his cigarette, his voice lowering.
"Later, my mother was diagnosed with that disease. Watching her go from being able to walk and laugh to being unable to hold chopsticks, unable to speak, and finally needing a machine to breathe, the doctor said that her condition was deteriorating too quickly and she had at most two years left."
After that, I shaved off my blond hair, grew a buzz cut, quit smoking, stopped hanging out on the streets, and locked myself at home studying like crazy, just so my mom could leave in peace.
Ding Heng spoke calmly, but in just a few words, Zhao Yanxi vaguely saw the heavy trajectory of how a young man forced himself to grow up overnight and change his appearance amidst the despair of his loved ones being rapidly destroyed by disease.
It lacks sentimentality, yet it is more powerful than any lament.
Zhao Yanxi listened intently. The faint smell of smoke wafted over, but she felt no disgust. On the contrary, she felt that the smell, mixed with Ding Heng's clean scent, made her heart flutter.
If she had chosen to approach Ding Heng in the past in order to seek some kind of thrill, then at this moment, everything seemed different.
Guilt, heartache, bitterness, sadness... a mix of emotions.
Zhao Yanxi stared blankly at Ding Heng's sharp profile through the smoke, her breathing quickening.
The evening breeze carries the lingering warmth of summer and the scent of grass and trees.
A breeze brushed through the girl's purple hair, stirring her heart.