Before Huo Mian could push him away, he suddenly released her hands, then cupped her face and gave a charming smile. His magnetic voice whispered into her ear, "Huo Mian, I'm back."
Listening to that familiar voice, Huo Mian trembled slightly. As she looked into his eyes, which held so much unspoken emotion, something long suppressed in her heart seemed to unfurl.
Huo Mian didn't remember how frantically she left the restroom, stumbling as she pushed open the private room door, feeling completely dazed.
"Xiao Mian, what's wrong? You look so pale!" Zhu Lingling quickly stood up and walked over to support Huo Mian.
"It's nothing," Huo Mian said, her face already incredibly pale.
After a moment of thought, she decided to leave. Huo Mian cautiously approached Mr. Yao and leaned in to whisper, "Excuse me, Teacher, I'm not feeling well, so I'm leaving now. I'll visit you separately another day."
Mr. Yao looked at Huo Mian with a knowing glance, then nodded, "Go, be careful on your way."
Then, Huo Mian disregarded the stares of others, grabbed her bag, and walked out, leaving Zhu Lingling utterly puzzled.
"This Huo Mian, she's truly arrogant, such an act. She never comes to high school reunions after graduating, putting on airs for us. This time, she miraculously showed up, and I knew something was fishy. She must have known Qin Chu was coming beforehand, that's why she came. And now she's leaving early to keep people guessing, she's such a manipulative woman. She used these tactics, playing hard to get, to ensnare Qin Chu back then, and she's still using them now. She's a truly disgusting woman," Liu Siying ranted incessantly.
The other classmates didn't quite know what to say, as the matter between Qin Chu and Huo Mian had already been seven years in the past.
Huo Mian clearly knew that Qin Chu was too dangerous, and that feeling was just like it had been back then, completely unsettling her mind. She thought she had long forgotten, but who knew, seeing him now still brought back that sensation.
Memories flooded back like an open dam.
Too much had happened on the night of her graduation seven years ago, and she had once believed she would never see Qin Chu again in this lifetime.
Then, he had mysteriously disappeared, and no one knew where he had gone.
And now he had suddenly returned, like a magic trick; it was truly unbelievable.
Huo Mian was someone who lived in a normal world, how could she endure such turmoil?
Regardless, Qin Chu was a man Huo Mian couldn't afford to get involved with, just like seven years ago. Even if they loved each other, it wouldn't lead to a positive outcome. They simply belonged to different worlds, and after what happened back then, she hadn't imagined any further connection with Qin Chu. For Huo Mian, her dream for the rest of her life was simply to find a dependable man to marry and live a stable life.
As she left the hotel and got into the taxi, her phone kept ringing; it was Zhu Lingling calling. Huo Mian didn't answer, because she didn't know what to say at that moment. Her mind was in such disarray that she had even lost the ability to think.
When she arrived back at her rented apartment, it was almost eleven o'clock. Huo Mian pushed open the door, and the interior was completely dark.
Only when she turned on the light did she realize the bedroom was empty. Had Ning Jia not finished her night shift yet?
This two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment was rented by her boyfriend, Ning Zhiyuan, after they graduated, and she also lived there. One reason was to make it easier to look after Ning Jia, and another was its proximity to the hospital where she worked. She didn't need to take the bus, could sleep in a bit longer in the mornings, and the environment was pleasant. The rent was also within their acceptable range. Huo Mian had always felt it was good to live here before buying a house; it was at least a safe harbor. With Ning Zhiyuan here, Huo Mian felt it subtly had the flavor of a home.
After being together for a long time, the dominant feeling was often reliance rather than love, something Huo Mian deeply understood.
Huo Mian took a quick hot shower, changed into her pajamas, and was about to rest in her room.
Just then, Huo Mian's phone suddenly rang. She glanced at it; it was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
There was no reply from the other end.
"Hello? Speak up! If you don't say something, I'm hanging up." Huo Mian felt a surge of irritation, wondering if it was a wrong number. Just as she was about to end the call, she heard that familiar voice.
"Why are you avoiding me?" The familiar voice came through the phone's earpiece.
"Qin Chu?" Huo Mian asked, trembling.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Qin Chu repeated the vexing question from the other end of the line.
"Qin Chu, could you please stop acting crazy? We ended things a long time ago, seven years ago..."
Huo Mian's words were cut short before she could finish.
"I'm downstairs at your place." With that, he hung up before Huo Mian could respond.
Huo Mian's first thought was, how did he know where she lived? Could it be that talkative Zhu Lingling again? Thinking about what had just happened in the restroom, Huo Mian absolutely did not want to see him, did not want to go downstairs.
But if she didn't go down, would he wait there indefinitely? And what if Ning Zhiyuan came back and ran into him?
Huo Mian's mind raced with wild thoughts. As she pondered, she put on her coat. After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly went downstairs.
Indeed, he was there, leaning against a silver-gray Audi R8, a lit cigarette between his fingers.
"Qin Chu, what exactly do you want?" Huo Mian walked over, her eyes wide, asking in an unfriendly tone.
He looked up, his deep gaze fixed on Huo Mian. It was that infuriating look again, one that gave Huo Mian the illusion that in that moment, his eyes held only her, just as his indulgence had been for her back then.
"Xiao Mian, you're still the same as before, completely unchanged." Qin Chu stared intently at Huo Mian, his eyes seemingly filled with so many complex emotions.
Huo Mian pulled at the corner of her mouth in a bitter smile and replied, "You're wrong, people change. Qin Chu, no matter what you want, I just want to say, let the past be the past. I'm tired, I don't want to get tangled up anymore. We both have our own lives now. Please, stop acting crazy, okay?"
"I'm not crazy. I've never been so rational," Qin Chu said very earnestly.
"Then what's your objective? A reunion?" Huo Mian sneered, looking at the man in front of her.
He looked at Huo Mian, his eyes flickering, then he quietly uttered six words: "Huo Mian, marry me."
Upon hearing this, Huo Mian almost went mad. This man had disappeared for seven years, and the first thing he did upon returning was propose?