Day passed by, and it was already the school trip day in the blink of an eye. Unlike her friends, Li Caiyi could hardly think about which place to visit because her head was occupied by her conversations with Meng Renshu the other day.
She was too distraught that day to think clearly, but after she calmed down, she realized how little she knew about Meng Renshu. Too afraid to hear the answer, Li Caiyi never faced him properly, which resulted in their estranged relationship.
[I want to live happily with you until we grow old.]
[I don't want you to keep misunderstanding my feeling toward you]
[I never take you as Xiaohua's substitute]
Those words echoed in her head non-stop, making her doubtful. She was so busy trying to protect her heart that she didn't bother to find out about Meng Renshu's true feelings. And from his expression that day, it didn't seem he was lying.
Li Caiyi shook her head, trying to shake away those unnecessary thoughts. She slapped her cheeks a few times to get her mind out of the gutter.
'No use thinking about that. Just focus on your current life. You have worked hard to reach this point, so don't backtrack now.'
"Caiyi, is he not here yet?"
Li Caiyi turned her head to a familiar voice and saw Feng Nian standing beside her while spreading her gaze around.
They were currently standing in the school yard where all students gathered, and everyone wore the student's gym uniform, so it was hard to find someone among the crowd.
"It's about time to depart, but where is your boyfriend?"
Li Caiyi bit her lips anxiously. She wanted to know about that too.
Dai Zhiqiang said he would participate in the school trip, but she couldn't find him among all the students there. She tried to reach him and even waited for him at the school gate. But not even his shadow could be seen after waiting for half an hour.
"Did he probably get the date or assembly time wrong?"
Li Caiyi shook her head. "No, that can't be. I made sure to call and remind him last night. I'm worried something happened to him on the road."
After Meng Renshu's interference, those debt collectors never showed up around the school anymore, but Li Caiyi was still worried. Dai Zhiqiang was strong, but he was still one person.
What if those people came to bother him in numbers, just like what they did to Dai Shenqiang?
"Maybe I should go check the area around here, after all," Li Caiyi, who couldn't calm down, was about to take a step when Feng Nian held her back by the shoulder.
"Where are you going? The bus will come to pick us up soon. Do you want to miss it?"
"But what if something happened to Zhiqiang? He is nowhere to be seen, and I can't reach him."
"Calm down. He is probably just oversleeping or forgetting something in his home and has to go back. Anyway, there is no guarantee you will meet him even if you loiter around, so better stay put and wait for him."
What Feng Nian said was reasonable, but after knowing Dai Zhiqiang's real job, Li Caiyi was always anxious that something could happen to him. Those bruises and wounds on his body must be the result of his dangerous job, and it made her uneasy.
Feng Nian waited with her, which calmed her down a little. Still, her anxiety perked up again when they heard the gathering announcement because the bus would depart soon.
"It's already this time? Damn, your boyfriend is so slow. You still can't reach him?"
Li Caiyi nodded weakly, and Feng Nian sighed in exasperation. "What are you planning to do? Are you still going to wait for him?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Nian. We planned to play and eat together on the bus, but I can't leave Zhiqiang behind." Li Caiyi said apologetically.
Feng Nian shook her head, but Li Caiyi knew she was pretty disappointed. Travelling with friends was something Feng Nian looked forward the most, after all.
"It can't be helped. Do you want us to stay behind with you too? We can take a train to reach K city together later."
"No, I can't possibly make you guys wait with me here. Don't worry about me, and just go ahead. We will catch up to you guys soon."
Feng Nian cast a doubtful look at her but relented in the end. "Fine. If he still doesn't come or inform you after an hour, just ditch him and have fun with us. It's his fault for coming late, anyway."
Li Caiyi chuckled. "Sure, I'll do that. See you later, Nian."
With that, Feng Nian waved her hand and left her alone. Li Caiyi waited for another hour restlessly, but there was no sign of Dai Zhiqiang anywhere. This wasn't his first time suddenly going missing without words, but Li Caiyi still couldn't get used to it.
By now, her friends must be having fun on the bus. She couldn't wait to spend some time with them, but first, she needed to find Dai Zhiqiang.
"As expected, I should check on his house just in case."
"I'll take you there."
Li Caiyi's body stiffened all overhearing that familiar voice. She jerked her head and found Meng Renshu standing behind her with his hands stuffed in his pocket. He smiled refreshingly at her as if nothing had happened between them.
"You wanted to check on Dai Zhiqiang, right? If we use my car, we can reach there in 20 minutes."
"N-No, thanks. I will just use a taxi. More importantly, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on the bus driving to K city right now?" Li Caiyi asked in an appaled tone.
"I can't find you anywhere, then I found you waiting for someone here. I don't have to ask to know who it is. It's not like I have to ride a bus to reach K city, so I thought, why not stay behind to wait with you?"
"Then, you have been here the whole time?!"
Meng Renshu scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I guess so?"
Li Caiyi couldn't believe this person at all. How could he be so thick-headed after she made it clear to him that she didn't want anything to do with him?
Looking at her expression, Meng Renshu could immediately tell what was in her mind, so he added, "If you don't want me to follow you, stop making me worry. Why would you wait for him when he didn't even reply to your message or take your call?"
Li Caiyi got annoyed hearing that, so she snapped back, "None of your business. And you, out of all people, have no right to say that."
She left him without waiting for his response. Although she appeared calm from the outside, she was actually nervous inside.
'I hope nothing happened to you, Zhiqiang.'
Behind her, Meng Renshu watched her back helplessly. It irked him to see her care so much about someone else, especially when the said person treated her feelings carelessly.
However, Li Caiyi's remarks rendered him speechless.
For now, he chose to be more patient with her as he followed her silently.
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