The frigid cold wind whipped at his coat, swirling the withered yellow leaves on the ground.
The moon was veiled in a hazy glow, casting a soft, tranquil light over the night.
Their intertwined shadows slanted across the ground in the moonlight, resembling a pair of light - fluttering butterflies.
"I truly loathe you, truly, truly loathe you. I hate you to death!"
The broken sobs came intermittently from behind, carried by the wind into his ears, sending a piercing chill through his heart.
Chi Xu's eyes were dry, a hint of self - mockery in his gaze. He swallowed hard and replied softly.
"Yuanyuan, do you really hate me that much?"
He was waiting for an answer.
"I hate Chi Xu the most..." He was dressed in a thick black overcoat. The girl grabbed the collar of his coat, buried her head, and sobbed. Her tears dampened a small patch.
The tears slowly seeped through to the inner layer of his clothes. Chi Xu could feel the wetness.
He lowered his head, his back slightly hunched. Wave after wave of dull pain washed over his heart. The boundless bitterness engulfed him like a tide from all directions.
"Then, Yuanyuan, how can you forgive me?"
Chi Xu asked softly. The light in his black eyes shattered. He held Jiang Yuan's hands a bit tighter. His expression was calm, yet it exuded a deep sense of helplessness.
He was afraid that Jiang Yuan would never forgive him, or even refuse to talk to him for the rest of her life.
He had followed her wishes and played truth or dare that night. He had been teased several times. Maybe Jiang Yuan would be a bit less angry?
Chi Xu wasn't sure and didn't dare to take the risk.
His words drifted away on the wind and then vanished.
The person on his back stopped sobbing and fell silent.
She must have fallen asleep again, Chi Xu thought. His question had become a lost soul without an answer.
Forget it. What was he thinking? Chi Xu forced a stiff smile. His eyelids drooped, and he stared silently at their intertwined shadows on the ground.
Jiang Yuan was drunk. She probably couldn't answer any questions properly. He shouldn't take her words seriously. What was he thinking?
Chi Xu closed his eyes, trying to calm his turbulent heart. When he opened them again, his eyes were clear.
He held Jiang Yuan firmly and was about to take a step when the person on his back suddenly stirred.
The thick collar of his overcoat was pushed aside, and then the girl bit down on him suddenly, as if venting her anger.
Chi Xu's face turned deathly pale. He gritted his teeth and stood still.
If this was one way for Jiang Yuan to vent her anger, he was willing to accept it.
She bit hard, but it only lasted for a dozen seconds.
Jiang Yuan rubbed her face against his back and muttered angrily, "Humph, how can I forgive you so easily?"
"I hate Chi Xu the most. I hope I'll never see him for the rest of my life!"
The cold wind blew in through the opened collar. Chi Xu shivered. He held Jiang Yuan firmly with both hands and couldn't spare a hand to adjust his clothes.
The place on his shoulder where she had bitten was burning with pain. Jiang Yuan had shown no mercy. It might even be bleeding.
A small part of Chi Xu's heavy heart dissipated. He let out a soft, self - deprecating laugh. "It's good."
Then he took firm steps towards the apartment.
On the way, Jiang Yuan fell into a deep sleep again and didn't cause any trouble.
When they arrived at the apartment, Chi Xu opened the door. Jiao Jiao rushed out. Her big, watery eyes were bright. She knew her sister was back and circled around Chi Xu's feet.
Several times, Chi Xu almost stepped on Jiao Jiao.
"Why are you so happy when your sister comes back? You're not this enthusiastic when I come back." Chi Xu murmured. He carefully laid Jiang Yuan on the sofa and sent a message to Lin Suye and Song Xiangyi, telling them that he had successfully brought Jiang Yuan back to the apartment.
They replied that they had also arrived.
Chi Xu felt a bit relieved. He went to pour a glass of honey water for Jiang Yuan, worried that she would have a headache when she woke up the next day.
She reeked of alcohol. Chi Xu planned to wipe her face and hands with a warm towel.
When he came back to the living room with the towel, he was surprised to find that Jiang Yuan was awake. She was sitting on the sofa, staring at Jiao Jiao.
Jiang Yuan: "What kind of cat are you? Why do you look exactly like Jiao Jiao?"
Jiao Jiao: "Meow~"
Jiang Yuan tilted her head: "Why do you meow exactly like Jiao Jiao? You're both so cute."
Jiao Jiao: "Meow~"
Jiang Yuan bit her lip and patted her own red face. Suddenly realizing that she couldn't understand cat language, she imitated Jiao Jiao and meowed: "Meow~"
Jiao Jiao meowed even more confusedly: "Meow~"
The soft, warm - toned lights in the living room shone on the girl's head. Her face was flushed, her eyes were hazy, and her long hair was loose. There was a hint of charm in her innocent expression.
Chi Xu stood at the corner, watching silently for a while. Then he walked over with a smile and coaxed her to drink the glass of honey water softly.
After drinking it, Jiang Yuan burped and laughed cheerfully. Her eyes were squinted. She pointed at Chi Xu and said to Jiao Jiao,
"Do you know? He's a big bad guy. He broke your sister's heart."
Chi Xu: "..."
He checked the time. It was already very late. It was almost midnight. He coaxed her gently, "Yuanyuan, you're awake. Why don't you take a shower?"
She smelled of alcohol. She wouldn't be able to sleep well.
"No, I don't want to take a shower." Jiang Yuan said angrily. She crossed her arms and turned her head away, ignoring him.
"Okay, okay. If you don't want to take a shower, just wipe yourself?" Chi Xu hesitated and handed her the towel. Jiang Yuan glanced at it, took it, wiped her face carelessly, and then threw it aside. It landed right on Jiao Jiao.
Jiao Jiao fluffed up her fur and jumped off the sofa like a rocket, disappearing in a flash.
"Yuanyuan, let's go to bed, okay?" Chi Xu crouched down to look at her at eye level.
Jiang Yuan stared at Chi Xu for a while, tilted her head, and replied crisply with a "yes".
Under the influence of alcohol, she deliberately avoided those sad and painful memories. Jiang Yuan spread her arms and lazily said a single word, "Carry".
She was so lazy that she didn't want to move at all.
It seemed as if the incident of biting him on the way to vent her anger was just a dream. Chi Xu was overjoyed but didn't show it. He responded gently.
He carefully picked up Jiang Yuan in a princess - carry.
It was only four or five steps from the living - room sofa to her bedroom. Chi Xu gently laid her down, took off her shoes, and unzipped her down jacket. Jiang Yuan crawled into the quilt.
She looked at Chi Xu with bright eyes and beckoned him over.
Chi Xu was confused but moved closer.
The next second, Jiang Yuan lowered her head and bit him on the collarbone, leaving a faint mark. "You're mine. This is my exclusive mark, Xiao Chizi."
Chi Xu was both angry and amused. "Are you a dog? Why do you like to bite me so much? You bite me when you're angry and when you're happy?"
"Forget it. As long as you're happy..."