Reversed Life: Chapter 39 - Do You Remember Saving a Child from the Pond at Chengxi Park?
Chapter 39: Do You Remember Saving a Child from the Pond at Chengxi Park?
The tap water in early spring was freezing cold, making Qiao Nan jolt all over.
Seeing his reaction, Mu Xiangxiang instinctively stepped forward to turn off the faucet, but the moment the chill touched her skin, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
The hand gripping her was somewhat small, somewhat pale, somewhat delicate— yet it carried a strength completely at odds with its appearance.
“Bossy, aren’t you?” Qiao Nan shut the water off himself and straightened up, shaking his head. After meeting her gaze, he looked away and ruffled his hair with his free hand, laughing once. “Alright already. It’s fucking freezing. Don’t touch it.”
Sunlight slanted down from the side, filtering through the rustling tender leaves by the roadside. Dappled patches of light drifted through the air and across his face.
Qiao Nan seemed rimmed with a halo.
Then, right after saying that, he sneezed.
****
A German textbook lay open nearby. Mu Xiangxiang rested her chin on one hand, staring at the rosy-colored apples on the desk. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, and the sounds from that afternoon still seemed to echo in her ears.
Not only the repeated chanting of her name— but many other things too.
A knock sounded softly twice at the door. She had just come back to herself when the study door was pushed open. Qiao Yuanshan stood there holding a tray.
His gaze swept over the test papers, homework, and tutoring books spread across his younger son’s desk, and satisfaction flickered through his eyes.
He remembered the scenes he used to occasionally see years ago— Back then, this study was rarely used. The room felt oppressively cold and empty. His son usually chose to stay out with friends, and father and son seldom crossed paths. The most “lived-in” thing in the house had actually been the ashtray on the coffee table overflowing with cigarette butts.
At the time, he rarely reflected on his own failings. He blamed everything on his child’s “rebellious phase.” And so day after day, the cycle repeated itself. Partly because of work, partly out of avoidance, he came home less and less often, and the conflicts within the family grew increasingly irreparable.
Recently, however, after serious reflection, he had finally made a genuine change—
He directly moved his primary work base to City A so he could appear in front of his family as much as possible.
It was a massive undertaking and would inevitably affect his future work efficiency, but Qiao Yuanshan did not regret it in the slightest. Because the very next day after he made that decision, his eldest son—who had lived in City S for years—silently arranged for his luggage to be moved back as well.
The once-lonely Qiao household suddenly became lively. The family members also gradually began seeing each other every day like a normal family would.
Everyone was trying to change for the sake of this home. Though no one openly spoke of their efforts, the results were real, visible to all.
His eldest son, who once loved business trips, now came home as often as possible every day. His younger son… had almost completely stopped losing his temper and smoking.
Each person scattered around the circle had taken only a tiny step toward the center, but added together, those tiny steps became an incredibly long distance.
Qiao Yuanshan felt gratified, but also increasingly unwilling to lag behind his children. He truly owed these two children far too much after neglecting them for so many years. And once he realized this, he became even more fired up about making it up to them.
His method of making amends was not stylish at all for a wealthy CEO. There were no black cards thrown around, no extravagant spending. Instead, it was extremely old-fashioned and utterly uncreative.
“Nannan.” He walked in slowly, set the tray on the desk, and said warmly to his son, “You’ve been doing homework all evening since coming back. Eat something.”
The moment Mu Xiangxiang saw what was on the tray, she immediately felt troubled. A cup of hot milk, a sliced orange, and a small plate of pastries.
The first two ready-made items were fine. The problem was the pastries. That strangely shaped, bizarrely colored object sitting in a paper cup liner and looking hard enough to kill someone… That was supposed to be a cupcake, right?
Recently, Qiao Yuanshan had become obsessed with cooking personally. He had even ordered a huge stack of cookbooks. Whenever he had free time at home, he stayed in the kitchen—making Chinese dishes after finishing Western pastries.
At first Mu Xiangxiang had found it comforting. After all, Father Mu also loved cooking and was good at it. Since she couldn’t see her own father every day in the Qiao household, looking at Father Qiao, who shared many similarities with him, had felt nice.
But… When God opens one door for you, He inevitably closes all the windows.
Qiao Yuanshan, despite his astonishing judgment and business instincts, had genuinely invested zero talent points into cooking!
At first Mu Xiangxiang thought he was simply inexperienced. Later she gradually realized— Qiao Yuanshan’s sense of taste was fundamentally broken. Every horrifying culinary creation he produced, he could eat himself with a perfectly calm face.
So unless someone directly told him, he would never discover the truth on his own.
Unfortunately, every time Mu Xiangxiang faced those hopeful eyes unique to someone in the role of “father,” her blunt honesty completely failed her.
She could only place her hopes on the other two members of the Qiao family.
As for the results… well, you’ve seen them already. If she ate that cupcake, her life would basically be over. Staring at the plate, Mu Xiangxiang’s brain worked furiously. Two seconds later, she calmly stood up and pulled a paper bag from beside the bookshelf. “This is for you.”
Father Qiao froze, and his attention instantly shifted away from making his son eat the cupcake. He looked at the bag emotionally. “…What’s this?”
“It’s almost midnight.” Mu Xiangxiang handed over the bag, displaying the natural nurturing instincts unique to a caring little daughter. “Dad, happy birthday.”
At that instant, Father Qiao nearly burst into tears.
Opening the bag, he found casual clothes, gloves, and other items—all exactly his size.
…Giving the very first birthday wish right as the clock struck midnight… This brat—how had he never noticed before that his son was actually this sentimental?
Father Qiao was so moved he couldn’t speak. This was probably the most touching birthday gift he had ever received as a father. Even if the value of these clothes and accessories was insignificant compared to his wealth, emotionally it was a milestone in thawing the relationship between him and his child.
Sniffling, Father Qiao finally gathered the courage to give his younger son a hug. Then he silently left carrying the first birthday gift of his year.
Mu Xiangxiang had just breathed a sigh of relief when another figure appeared outside the study door that Father Qiao had forgotten to close in his emotional state.
Big brother Qiao Rui stood there with a calm, unfathomable aura. Arms folded, posture relaxed, he leaned lazily against the doorframe expressionlessly.
A cold, sharp gaze shot straight into the room.
Meeting those eyes—which clearly read “Did you forget something?”—
Mu Xiangxiang: “…………”
****
Before the birthday banquet began the next day, Assistant Xiao Lou arrived at the venue and was suddenly elbowed by the driver beside him. “Hey, Brother Lou, Chairman Qiao actually changed clothes!”
Xiao Lou turned to look. Sure enough! Today the boss was wearing a striped plaid casual outfit that looked loose and comfortable.
“What’s going on?” the driver said in amazement. “Doesn’t Chairman Qiao hate this kind of pattern? Last time I wore something similar and he specifically told me it looked ugly.”
Xiao Lou couldn’t figure it out either. After a moment of silence, he could only say: “At least it’s more appropriate than the leather jacket.”
The driver also fell silent. A moment later he nodded awkwardly. “...True.”
Both of them simultaneously recalled the shock they’d suffered recently. If they hadn’t known the company was operating perfectly steadily, they might’ve suspected the Qiao family was facing some kind of financial crisis.
Their immensely wealthy Chairman Qiao had recently been obsessively wearing the same coat over and over again— practically trying to survive all four seasons with one leather jacket.
Fortunately, early spring weather was still very cold, and the leather jacket’s thick fleece lining made it especially warm, so at least it still suited the season.
But once the weather started warming up, continuing to wear that jacket became a little inappropriate, didn’t it? Chairman Qiao disagreed. He chose to reduce the layers underneath instead—first removing the thermal underwear inside the leather jacket, then swapping the turtleneck cashmere sweater for a T-shirt. Finally, when even changing into a T-shirt could no longer solve the temperature problem, he performed an extremely outrageous maneuver—
He wore the leather jacket inside out.
It was honestly genius.
That jacket, with its curly wool lining exposed, had practically become a form of psychological pollution. So now, seeing the chairman finally wearing new clothes, Assistant Xiao Lou actually felt as though an entire lifetime had passed.
Still carrying this strange feeling, he stepped forward to offer birthday greetings, only to quickly discover another unusually behaved member of the Qiao family.
The group’s usually cold and taciturn general manager, Qiao Rui, also seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Standing beside his father receiving guests, he actually kept a smile on his face the entire time while chatting with people.
However, perhaps because today’s shirt was uncomfortable, he kept adjusting his tie over and over again. And he adjusted it very frequently. So frequently that the silver tie clip attached to it—with its glittering little rhinestones—kept reflecting dazzling flashes under the lights.
“...Chairman Qiao, wishing you many more years just like today, eternal health and vigor!” Xiao Lou forced his gaze away from the unrestrained manner in which the group’s general manager kept fussing with his tie, then smiled and bowed toward his boss. “You really look incredibly young today!”
“Hahahaha!” Father Qiao laughed cheerfully, belly protruding slightly. “Xiao Lou, you’re really getting better and better at talking. I’m nearly sixty already, yet you still call me young.”
The tiny rhinestones on the tie clip flashed again. Xiao Lou blinked from the glare and replied with a grin, “Chairman Qiao, I’m not flattering you! Just look at your build, your bearing, and especially today’s outfit. You look barely in your thirties. Who’d believe you’re pushing sixty?”
Father Qiao laughed even harder. “My outfit today really looks that good?”
“It suits you perfectly. Authentic British refined-casual style,” Xiao Lou said immediately. “Very tasteful.”
Father Qiao patted his shoulder, smiling so hard his mouth nearly split open. “Tell HR to give you a raise next month.”
Xiao Lou froze in shock. Before he even had time to wonder why, something flashed in the corner of his vision, reminding him he’d neglected the other two major figures nearby.
Quickly recovering, he turned around and added, “Ah, and President Qiao and Young Master Qiao are becoming more handsome by the day, too. Chairman Qiao, you’re truly blessed—two outstanding sons by your side, both talented and filial enough to help you greet guests. Plenty of people would envy you for this.”
Father Qiao smiled and glanced sideways at his sons. After receiving his younger son’s gift at midnight, his elder son had also given him an unexpected surprise.
In all these years, this was the first time the three of them had privately celebrated together before his public birthday banquet.
The moment he’d seen his eldest son expressionlessly pull out a birthday cake for him at breakfast that morning, Qiao Yuanshan had only one thought in mind—Even if he died now, he’d have no regrets left in life.
The moment those words landed, the entire scene fell silent.
A few years ago, even in his dreams, he wouldn’t have dared imagine such a surreal scene.
The emotional impact had arrived too suddenly and too intensely. Qiao Yuanshan didn’t even know what to say anymore. He could only thank heaven for allowing him to wake up before it was too late— before missing the two most precious people in his life.
He placed a hand on each son’s shoulder. “Yes. They’ve both become so much more mature.”
Xiao Lou looked toward the chairman’s two sons. The younger one on the left didn’t seem especially emotional after hearing that, remaining mostly indifferent.
Meanwhile, the elder brother standing on Chairman Qiao’s right— Qiao Rui— was still adjusting his tie.
Xiao Lou pondered silently. The atmosphere felt a little weird. So, with sharp workplace instincts, he decisively chose to change the topic.
Just as he was wondering what to say, the sparkling tie clip flashed into his eyes once again, and he immediately laughed. “President Qiao also looks incredibly handsome today. Especially that tie clip—it’s truly the finishing touch.”
Qiao Rui glanced at him with a half-smile. “Really?”
“Absolutely. It must be some limited-edition luxury brand piece at first glance,” Xiao Lou nodded enthusiastically. Then he saw the general manager cast that mysterious gaze toward his younger brother again before calmly turning to his father and saying: “Give him a thirty percent raise.”
Father Qiao blinked. “What?”
Qiao Rui replied calmly: “His salary.”
Xiao Lou: “……?????”
Huh? What was happening?!
Mu Xiangxiang couldn’t stand there any longer! Xiao Lou’s comment about it being “valuable” completely defeated her! That tie clip on Qiao Rui’s neck was something she’d bought off Taobao for 129 yuan just to stop her hair from constantly getting caught and ripped out!
It wasn’t that she was stingy— she genuinely just had no money!
But who could’ve guessed that Qiao family’s eldest son would actually wear that thing to a banquet—and even… even… even keep showing it off nonstop?!
Mu Xiangxiang immediately pulled out her phone. “My friend’s here. I’m going outside to meet them.”
Then, under the simultaneous gazes of everyone around her, she fled the scene in unbearable embarrassment.
Having suddenly received a thirty percent salary increase out of nowhere, Xiao Lou felt like he was dreaming.
The driver beside him couldn’t hide his envy. “Congratulations, Brother Lou. That’s several thousand more a month now. People’s brains really are built differently. Why can’t I make the boss like me that much?”
Then he couldn’t help asking for advice. “What exactly did you say just now that made Chairman Qiao and President Qiao so happy?”
Xiao Lou himself was still bewildered. How was he supposed to know what had just happened?
But faced with the other man’s eager eyes, he soon fell deep into thought. A moment later, inspiration struck.
A wealthy family secret!
Xiao Lou shook his head and gave the driver a meaningful expression. “I really advise you not to know.”
Driver: “???”
Xiao Lou watched the younger young master’s hurriedly retreating figure disappear into the distance, then turned to look at the eldest young master, who had already begun chatting with the next guest about his tie clip.
The elder son’s smiling, high-spirited appearance formed a striking contrast with the younger son’s expression before fleeing the scene.
Such a rare good mood— It seemed that in the recent days of wealthy-family power struggles, the once-disadvantaged eldest young master had finally gained the upper hand.
And the reason for Xiao Lou’s salary increase… The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
*****
Mu Xiangxiang stood outside in the cold wind for a while before finally blowing away the embarrassment brought by that 129-yuan tie clip.
Only then did Qiao Nan arrive, carrying things as he got out of a taxi. Qiao Nan was dressed very neatly today. His attitude was far more formal than the time he’d attended Gao Yan’s birthday party, though every movement still carried that uniquely Qiao Nan-like air.
Along the way, people constantly greeted Mu Xiangxiang.
The moment their eyes met, both paused slightly. Then Qiao Nan curled his lips into a smile and walked over carrying his things. “It’s freezing at the entrance. Why are you standing out here?”
Mu Xiangxiang turned her face away, refusing to look him in the eyes. “I wasn’t waiting for you.”
A soft chuckle came from the other side.
Quite a few people had already gathered nearby. Qiao Nan seemed to be in a very good mood today. Despite attracting plenty of curious looks, he showed no irritation at all. He simply reached out and tugged her lightly. “Alright already. Hurry up and come in.”
Mu Xiangxiang didn’t recognize a single one of them, so she didn’t dare stop to chat. She only nodded politely in response. She already felt that behavior was rather rude. Yet she still heard Qiao Nan complain: “Why are you bothering to acknowledge these people?”
“Don’t you ignore them at all?” Mu Xiangxiang asked, a little disapproving. “Anyone attending your dad’s birthday banquet should be relatives or family friends you know, right?”
Qiao Nan snorted. “I don’t know that many relatives who are related by eight degrees of separation.”
Except for the relatives on his mother’s side.
Thinking of that, he looked around and asked, “Has my uncle arrived yet?”
Mu Xiangxiang didn’t react immediately. “Your uncle?”
“Shi Jiajun. They’re not here yet?” Qiao Nan couldn’t spot the familiar figure and sounded puzzled. “For my dad’s birthday banquets, my uncle usually gets dragged over early to help out. Didn’t you see him at the company last time?”
When no answer came, he turned to look at Mu Xiangxiang.
The expression on her face was clearly off.
Qiao Nan frowned. “You feeling sick?”
Mu Xiangxiang’s gaze turned complicated. “No.”
She had remembered who he was talking about.
Because of everything that had happened, she still hadn’t figured out how to tell Qiao Nan about what Father Qiao and Qiao Rui had uncovered regarding Shi Jiajun. And now, at this moment, it felt even harder to bring up.
Afraid he would ask more questions, she coughed lightly and changed the subject. “I’ll go help you register.”
Qiao Nan watched her unusually flustered retreating figure, brows lifting slightly. Something definitely felt off.
But then something flashed in the corner of his eye. Just as he turned his head, he saw a family of three entering through the hotel’s revolving doors, carrying large and small gift bags.
His gaze landed on the honest-looking middle-aged man walking in front, and one corner of Qiao Nan’s mouth curled into a mischievous grin.
After all, this was the companion who had practically grown up with him, someone who had been both friend and father figure throughout his childhood. After not seeing him for so long, Qiao Nan really did miss him.
But after not seeing him for a while, how had his uncle suddenly turned into such a little old man? Wasn’t he still pretty youthful before? Had he been overindulging lately or what?
His aunt, on the other hand, looked the same as ever—gentle-featured, mild-tempered, with that distinctive air unique to their whole family.
That herbivore-like quality. The kind of person who looked easy to bully, who would probably just kick helplessly in confusion even if someone grabbed them by the ears and lifted them up. Ah, just thinking about it made him worry.
With that thought, Qiao Nan leaned back and his expression instantly became full of ill intent.
Although he called Shi Jiajun “uncle,” the two of them had always gotten along more like equals. They played pranks on each other all the time without any guilt whatsoever, because they were just that close.
Qiao Nan thought back to his childhood black history and clicked his tongue. Honestly, it was embarrassing. When his mother had just died, he’d only been a tiny kid, nothing like the cool, overbearing tyrant he was now. Back then, he’d been cowardly as hell and cried constantly—the biggest wimp of the century.
In his memories, during the period when he had first gone to live at his maternal grandparents’ home, he cried every single day and kept tugging on his brother’s hand asking where their mother was and why their father had sent them there.
His older brother had always been quiet. Whenever asked questions like that, he would just fall silent and stare blankly. If it were the current Qiao Nan, he’d definitely go back in time and beat his younger self up. Your brother’s mother died too, okay? Your brother got dumped there with you too, okay? What kind of stupid question was that? How was anyone supposed to answer?
But at the time, little Qiao Nan only felt fear in response to that silence.
He’d been so scared he couldn’t sleep even with the lights on, curled up in bed all night waiting for his parents.
How had he been such a coward back then? He hadn’t shown even the slightest hint of the future school tyrant he would become.
Even now, remembering it made Qiao Nan sneer at himself a couple times. But he was still deeply grateful for the light that had entered his life during that period.
When he and his brother felt completely out of place in the world around them, his uncle had appeared.
That little old man who now had a wife and child had been incredibly lively back then. What was the first thing he’d said upon meeting them again?
Oh right, Qiao Nan remembered.
Back then, Shi Jiajun had scooped him up in one arm. His feet left the ground, panic rising instantly from having nowhere to stand, when he heard a young man’s bright, cheerful voice say—
“So you’re my little nephew? You look exactly like my big sister! Come on, come on—what’s the point hanging around a bunch of little brats? Uncle’ll take you fishing!”
In the end, they hadn’t caught a single fish. Instead, after getting into the water, Qiao Nan had caught a cold.
His uncle got fiercely scolded by their great-grandmother, and while toweling off his hair, he secretly grinned and winked at Qiao Nan. That night, he carried the struggling older brother over from another room and tossed him onto the bed too.
“What’s wrong with your parents? You two are so little and they already made you sleep separately?” his uncle complained as he leapt onto the bed too, pinning down the older brother who was frowning and trying to leave like catching a chicken. Then he laughed loudly. “Quit fussing! Uncle’s sleeping with you tonight! Your mom and I slept in the same bed when we were kids, what’s there to be shy about? Hurry up, hurry up—I’ve already got a cold, stop tormenting me!”
But the three of them didn’t actually sleep that night. Instead, they stayed up talking nonsense until dawn.
Qiao Nan remembered asking that stupid question again—where was Mom? His uncle wrapped a warm arm around him and answered, “Your mom went up to the sky.”
Qiao Nan whispered, “I miss her. When will she come back to see us?”
His uncle fell silent for a moment, then smiled. “I miss her too. Let’s miss her together from now on. Someday, we’ll see her again.”
Then his brother, sleeping on the other side, suddenly started crying. At the time, Qiao Nan had been shocked, because from the day of their mother’s funeral onward, his brother had remained blank-faced and hadn’t shed a single tear.
Thinking back on it now, it really stirred a lot of emotions. Especially the image of his usually cold and stern brother crying with snot and tears everywhere—it made Qiao Nan feel like maybe he wasn’t that pathetic after all. At least when he cried, he hadn’t blown snot bubbles.
Tsk tsk tsk. His uncle had actually been pretty clever back then, so how had he gotten dumber and dumber afterward?
The foolish couple arrived in front of him carrying their things. His uncle said a few words to his wife, then went forward to register.
Qiao Nan straightened up from where he’d been leaning against the wall, deciding to go over and chat with them a bit—maybe tease them while pretending to be a stranger.
But before he could speak, his aunt happened to turn around.
The moment Qiao Nan met her gaze, he froze slightly…What?
His usually gentle aunt frowned, her sharp gaze traveling from his face all the way down to his shoes. It lingered on the paper bag in his hand for two seconds before her expression became impatient. “Do you need something?”
Qiao Nan paused. At that moment, his uncle finished registering and squeezed over, still muttering, “…Hurry up, stop dawdling. What if Qiao Yuanshan says he’s too busy again later… huh? And you are?”
They locked eyes again. Qiao Nan was still processing the tone his uncle had used when referring to his father just now when, the next second, he saw his aunt tug lightly on his uncle’s sleeve. “Forget her. She’s not even wearing a formal dress. Casual shoes, carrying some second-rate brand bag—who knows what she’s here for?”
They seemed to be in a hurry. After saying that, they hurried off. Qiao Nan stood there blankly and looked down at the paper bag in his hand and the shoes on his feet.
Considering Mu Xiangxiang’s financial situation, he had thought it over carefully and deliberately chosen gifts that weren’t too far beyond what she could realistically afford. Anyway, the things he truly wanted to give his father had already been entrusted to Mu Xiangxiang to pass along.
As for formalwear—Qiao Nan probably wouldn’t compromise even with a gun to his head.
There was no way he could wear girls’ high heels or little leather shoes. Sneakers felt inappropriate too, so he’d settled for a pair of relatively formal-looking casual shoes.
Qiao Nan had guessed his outfit might invite criticism from random nobodies. But he had never expected that those “random nobodies” would include his uncle’s family.
How could they possibly have… become like this?
Mu Xiangxiang had finished registering too. When she came back out and saw Qiao Nan standing there in a daze, she patted his shoulder. “What’s wrong with you?”
Qiao Nan turned to look at her. After a moment, he shook his head.
As they entered, they happened to see his uncle’s family gathered around his father talking about something. Father Qiao cheerfully patted his uncle on the shoulder, and after a brief exchange, the conversation ended.
Watching those figures head toward a corner, Qiao Nan finally snapped back to attention just in time to hear his father speaking. “Ah, you little girl, I told you not to bring anything…”
Qiao Nan turned his head, and the first thing he noticed was his father’s completely refreshed outfit. He froze again on the spot.
Qiao Yuanshan noticed his gaze and immediately grinned smugly. “How is it? Nannan bought it for me. Told you he’s got good taste. Nice, right?”
For a brief moment, Qiao Nan’s emotions pulled away from that confused haze. He looked awkward for a second, but still couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah. Looks good.”
Then he handed over the gift and coughed uncomfortably. “Well… wishing you a long life and good health.”
For some reason, Qiao Yuanshan felt inexplicably happy seeing this little girl again. He accepted the bag and opened it, discovering a scarf inside. He immediately wrapped it around his neck and asked the people around him: “How does it look?”
Judging from the logo, the scarf obviously wasn’t from some luxury brand. But seeing how delighted Qiao Yuanshan looked, who would dare say anything rude? Sure enough, everyone around began praising it enthusiastically. Many of the guests who had initially thought this newly arrived girl didn’t look like she came from an upper-class background immediately stopped underestimating her.
A moment later, they saw the famously cold and stern eldest son of the Qiao family personally bring her a glass of juice. And beside her, the notoriously hot-tempered younger son of the Qiaos also looked unexpectedly gentle and easygoing.
Well then. This was probably another young lady from some terrifyingly powerful family.
Qiao Nan was still thinking about Shi Jiajun’s situation and seemed distracted. When Qiao Rui brought him juice, he was fiddling with his tie the whole time. Qiao Nan only tossed out a perfunctory “thanks.”
Then someone flicked his forehead. Qiao Nan looked up blankly and met Qiao Rui’s gaze, only to see him tuck his tie into his suit jacket and pull it back out again. The hideously ugly tie clip attached to it kept flashing brilliantly under the lights.
What the hell?
Qiao Nan silently questioned him with his eyes.
Then his hair was suddenly tugged—hard. Qiao Nan clutched his head in confusion, staring at Qiao Rui’s utterly composed retreating back. What was that supposed to mean?
You lunatic.
Still, he eventually found a chance to slip away.
While everyone else was chatting, Qiao Nan quietly followed the direction his uncle’s family had left in earlier.
The hotel grounds were huge. There were restrooms nearby, and branching out around them were countless quiet corridors leading everywhere. Almost no guests would wander around here for no reason.
Qiao Nan walked lightly. He himself didn’t know why he had followed them. His feelings were extremely complicated. He recalled the scene from earlier when he’d encountered his uncle’s family at the entrance. Maybe he simply wanted to see what kind of changes had happened to people he hadn’t seen in so long. In fact, at one point, deep down, he had even hoped he wouldn’t find them.
But clearly heaven hadn’t heard his wishes. After walking for around ten minutes and turning a corner, he heard a voice he knew all too well.
So familiar that he would recognize it even if it turned to ashes. Yet now it carried a sharpness utterly foreign to him—
“Can you stop pressuring me already?! Can you?! What am I supposed to do if Qiao Yuanshan won’t agree? Hell, even when my niece wanted funding for a project last time, he didn’t put a single damn cent into it!”
That sounded like his uncle. Then apparently his aunt said, “What’s gotten into him lately? We’re just asking him to arrange a position in the company, so why has he suddenly become so difficult?”
“Keep your voice down. How the hell should I know? Who knows what drugs he’s taken lately? I even asked my parents to invite him out to dinner, and he said he didn’t have time. Could something be wrong on your side?”
“How could there possibly…”
****
The moment Mu Xiangxiang turned around, she realized Qiao Nan had disappeared. After sending him a text, she found out he was actually up on the rooftop.
The wind had picked up outside, and the rooftop was chilly. When she stepped out of the elevator, she shrank her shoulders slightly. Her eyes swept around and landed on the figure standing there in the starlight, lost in thought.
“Qiao Nan?” she called tentatively.
Qiao Nan turned around and looked at her calmly. After a while, he spoke lightly. “Come here.”
“What’s wrong with you? Your dad and brother were just asking about you. Your brother thought you’d gone home already and told me to apologize for him—said he didn’t mean it and asked you not to be mad. What happened between you two… huh?”
Seeing that he seemed fine, Mu Xiangxiang relaxed a little and slowly walked toward him while talking. But the moment she reached him, her coat was suddenly yanked away violently, and in the next second, Qiao Nan’s strong arms wrapped tightly around her.
Mu Xiangxiang froze. Carefully, she lifted her hands and hugged his back. “Hey… are you okay?”
“Don’t talk.” Qiao Nan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Then, seeming dissatisfied with their posture, he spoke again after a moment. “Curl up a little.”
“…” Mu Xiangxiang silently obeyed. Immediately afterward, Qiao Nan buried his head in the hollow of her neck and stopped moving entirely.
The warm breath brushing against her skin felt strangely intimate. Mu Xiangxiang’s face reddened slightly. “…What are you doing?” she asked softly.
Qiao Nan didn’t answer. After a while, he only shook his head slowly.
For countless moments just now, he had thought he would leap out in uncontrollable rage, grab Shi Jiajun by the collar, and punch him hard across the face.
But for some reason, he had only stood quietly around the corner the whole time. He waited until Shi Jiajun’s family left before calmly walking away himself.
Patience had never been part of his personality. Even Qiao Nan himself didn’t know when he had learned such a hypocritical skill.
But at that moment, even though his fingertips were trembling, he hadn’t made the same impulsive choices he would have in the past.
A hand slowly climbed onto his back. In the silence, it patted him gently and rhythmically.
Under that quiet comfort, Qiao Nan gradually regained his composure. After a long while, he merely tightened his hold around the body in his arms a little more.
“Really, I’m fine. Just let me hold you for a while.”
Mu Xiangxiang didn’t know what exactly had happened to him, but in the end she didn’t ask. She simply let time pass quietly in silence— Until the stillness was abruptly broken by a ringing phone.
Mu Xiangxiang hesitated, then pulled the phone from her pocket. “Can I answer it?”
Qiao Nan was still hugging her, his head buried in her neck. He seemed distracted. A few seconds later, he let out an annoyed hum. “Whatever.”
Which meant yes, even though neither of them moved.
The warm breath from his speech brushed her neck again, making Mu Xiangxiang shrink back slightly. Her ears reddened as she answered the phone and held it to her face.
A strange woman’s voice stammered nervously from the other end. “H-hello… may I ask… are you classmate Qiao Nan?”
“Huh?” Mu Xiangxiang froze. “Uh, yes. May I ask who you are…?”
“Wuuu—”
Suddenly, sobbing broke out from the other end.
“D-do you remember… before… did you and another girl rescue a little boy from the pond in West City Park?”
Mu Xiangxiang went blank upon hearing that. Qiao Nan had heard it too by now, and he lifted his head to exchange a glance with her.
The tone on the phone frightened Mu Xiangxiang a little. She wondered nervously if rescuing someone had somehow caused trouble. “Uh… I think something like that did happen. But may I ask why you’re looking for us…?”
“It really was you two!!” The woman burst into loud sobs immediately.
Then, incoherent with crying, she wailed: “I wanted to thank you! I wanted to thank you! I’m his mother! Ever since he was rescued, my son had been unconscious all the way until last Friday morning—but he woke up! He woke up! You two are the saviors of our whole family!!!! I’ve been looking for you for so long! I only knew your names and school, but the other girl’s school refused to give out her information…”
In the chill of early spring,
The loud cries of a mother pouring from the receiver rose all the way into the night sky.
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