Beijing-Hong Kong Rosemary

Chapter 19 Why Cry?

Xia Xi couldn't help but feel sorry for him. After thinking for a moment, she suggested, "How about I give you my uncle? My uncle is really good. Although he usually seems cold, he is very capable and can always protect me."

Shen Guining smiled. "Aren't you afraid someone will steal your uncle away from you?"

"Sister, you can't do that."

Over the past few days, Xia Xi's affection for Shen Guining has grown exponentially. She's even stopped calling her "teacher" and started calling her "sister."

"My uncle is so rich, it's no big deal for him to take in another niece."

"?"

Shen Guining stopped her: "Don't say such things in front of your uncle."

At eight o'clock, Qu Yanci stopped by to pick up Xia Xi and take her home.

The two were still playing games.

Shen Guining, distracted, greeted him: "Mr. Qu."

Xia Xi muttered, "Uncle, let's finish this game first."

Qu Yanci didn't say anything and sat down on the sofa next to him.

Seeing that she was surrounded and couldn't beat them, Xia Xi quickly shoved the game console into Qu Yanci's hands, "Uncle, I can't get past this level, can you help me?"

Qu Yanci's face clearly showed his disdain, but he still took over the mess she had left behind.

Long, slender fingers deftly manipulated the buttons, and the health bar quickly recovered.

Shen Guining, on the other hand, was in trouble. Seeing that the little figure she was controlling was about to be eaten by the monster, she couldn't help but cry out, "Help!"

She thought she was going to die, but before she could even see what happened, the situation reversed.

Mr. Qu single-handedly wiped out all the enemies, leaving her with only low health until the very end.

Xia Xi cheered, "Uncle, you're amazing! I knew you could protect my sister!"

"..."

Shen Guining felt a slight heat in her ears.

Qu Yanci's expression remained unchanged as he put down the childish game console and said, "Let's go."

Xia Xi said goodbye to Shen Guining, "Sister, I'll come see you again tomorrow."

"No need," Shen Guining said. "I want to be discharged tomorrow."

I was really bored after staying in the hospital for more than a week.

Xia Xi said worriedly, "But your foot isn't healed yet."

Shen Guining gently moved her ankle. "It's okay, I can try walking now."

As long as you don't put force into your right foot, it's fine.

"Okay." Xia Xi asked again, "Then... will you come back to teach me to dance when you're all better?"

Shen Guining nodded in response to her expectant gaze. "Yes."

Xia Xi smiled happily: "Yay!"

Qu Yanci left a message: "If you have any problems, you can ask Uncle Bai, and he will solve them for you."

After they left, Shen Guining muttered to herself, "What's the use of looking for Uncle Bai? I only want to find you."
-
The following afternoon, the caregiver helped Shen Guining complete the discharge procedures, packed her belongings, and took her home.

The apartment was empty; He Jie must have gone to the theater.

He Jie hasn't been back for over a week, and the house is a mess again. She just can't seem to shake her habit of being forgetful and leaving things lying around.

Despite Shen Guining's repeated reminders, it was to no avail.

The auntie was observant and took the initiative to help with the cleaning.

Shen Guining thanked her, "Thank you, Auntie. You've worked so hard these past few days."

"Not at all, it's all the proper thing to do." The aunt said as she tidied up the clutter on the sofa. She pulled a black shirt out from under a cushion, puzzled. "This... how come there's a men's shirt? Xiao Ning, don't you share a room with a girl?"

Shen Guining froze, some details flashed through her mind, but she felt it was too absurd and unlikely.

"I'll ask my roommate when she gets back."

"it is good."

The aunt tidied up the living room, gave Shen Guining some instructions, and then left.

He Jie didn't return home until 10 p.m. Shen Guining waited for her on the sofa.

"Guining, when did you come back? Is your injury healed?" He Jie asked in surprise.

"I got back this afternoon." Shen Guining asked directly, "He Jie, why are there men's shirts in the house?"

He Jie followed her gaze to the clothes on the sofa and explained, "They belong to my boyfriend. Last time I got my dress dirty, I used his shirt to cover it up."

Shen Guining didn't ask any more questions.

She might be overthinking it.

The incident occurred one night a few days later.

At one o'clock in the morning, noises came from He Jie's room.

She lowered her voice and lay down beneath the man, "Why did you have to come here? It would be terrible if my roommate found out! She saw your shirt last time, but luckily I made up an excuse to cover it up."

The man grinned wickedly. "Don't you find it exciting?"

This way, he could still fantasize that the woman lying beneath him was the stunning beauty from the next room.

He Jie gasped for breath: "But..."

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Shen Guining woke up once in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Half asleep, she pushed open the bathroom door and saw a man's back in her blurry vision. She thought she was still dreaming.

Three seconds later, she turned her back and screamed, then ran back to her room in a panic.

Anyone would go crazy if they woke up in the middle of the night to find a shirtless, naked man going to the bathroom in their house.

He Jie rushed over upon hearing the noise, "Gui Ning, let me explain..."

Shen Guining recalled hearing strange noises on her first night after moving here, but she was too sleepy and thought it was her imagination. "So this isn't the first time?"

He Jie had no way to defend herself, because it had indeed happened several times.

At first, she didn't agree with her boyfriend's behavior, but she couldn't resist his persistence. Once it happened the first time, it happened again and again.

Shen Guining trembled with anger, "Have you even considered my feelings?"

That's so perverted, treating her as part of a play.

He Jie defended herself, saying, "It's not as serious as you think. My boyfriend only sleeps in my room; he absolutely has never been to your room..."

"You're utterly unreasonable!" Shen Guining felt nauseous and physically uncomfortable just thinking about it.

She threw on a coat, grabbed her phone, and left the apartment, afraid of suffocating if she stayed even a second longer.

Even late at night, the streets are still brightly lit.

Without the hustle and bustle of the day, there is now a sense of tranquility.

Vehicles sped by on the road, and a cold wind blew in my face.

She was dressed in thin clothes, her cheeks were chilled by the wind, and her limbs were stiff.

A person walks aimlessly along the street.

Beijing is so big and bustling, but it seems there's no place for her to belong.

She has no home for a long time.

Shen Guining stopped walking when her right foot started to hurt, and casually found a step to sit down.

The phone doesn't have much battery left.

She opened her contacts. She had changed her phone number after coming to Beijing, and had very few contacts. Her only good friend was in Hong Kong.

Exhaustion, confusion, sadness, and grievances surged up and blocked my chest, desperately needing an outlet.

She gripped her phone tightly, buried her head in her knees, tears streaming down her face, her sobs breaking into broken sentences.

Completely unaware that her fingertip had accidentally touched a number and dialed it.

Shen Guining bit her lower lip, still unable to suppress her sobs.

Amidst the bleak sound of the wind, a deep, magnetic voice suddenly broke into my ears, "Why are you crying?"

The sound was clear and crisp, easily heard in the still of the night.

(End of this chapter)