Dai Zhiqiang wasn't surprised by the so-called 'trusted person' Li Junjie called.
After making a phone call, an expensive-looking car stopped in front of the house in fifteen minutes. A young man, who was still wearing a pair of slippers, came out of the vehicle with a panicked expression.
"Xiaoyi! Junjie!" Meng Renshu called out once he entered the house. Li Junjie waved at him from the second floor, and he hurriedly climbed up the stairs.
"Junjie, where is Xiaoyi?!"
"Sshh, lower your voice. She is sleeping now." Li Junjie glanced in Li Caiyi's direction, and Meng Renshu quickly followed. However, his expression changed into annoyance once his gaze met with Dai Zhiqiang.
"What are you doing here?" He asked with thick hostility.
"Senior Meng as well. What are you doing here?" Dai Zhiqiang asked back in a deadpan tone.
Meng Renshu shifted his gaze to Li Junjie, demanding an explanation, but the latter only shook his head while sighing. "He is here because he was worried about Xiaoyi. I can't just chase him away after he went through such trouble. Besides, I know better than to leave him alone with her; that's why I call you here."
The young master wanted to retort but held himself back after seeing how tired his friend was. This really wasn't the right time to bicker about trivial details. "How is Xiaohua and Auntie's condition?"
"I got a call from my mother after I called you. She said Xiaohua had been examined, and no physical injuries were found. However, her body has weakened severely, so she will need to stay in the hospital for the time being."
Meng Renshu tapped his shoulders, feeling sympathetic for him. "I see. Don't worry too much, and leave Xiaoyi to me. Tell me if there's anything I can do to help."
"Thanks." Li Junjie looked in Li Caiyi's direction for a moment before continuing in a small voice, "She is probably the one who got it the hardest tonight. But this is the best I can do for her."
"Sorry? Did you say something?"
"Nothing. I have to go now. I will leave the rest to you then." Li Junjie closed his eyes before walking away.
Meng Renshu stared at his friend's back and thought that he seemed different than usual. Did something happen between him and Li Caiyi? He had to ask about it later when everything calmed down.
But now, he had to do something about this awkward situation he was put into.
Staring vigilantly at Dai Zhiqiang's figure, who didn't pay him any attention, he approached closer to get a better look at Li Caiyi. He frowned in displeasure when he saw Dai Zhiqiang holding her hand but realized that Li Caiyi also held onto it tightly. His heart immediately turned uncomfortable.
"Senior Meng, how about you sit down instead of staring like that?"
"Don't tell me what to do." Meng Renshu replied, but this time with less hostility. Then, he sat down on the only chair in the room. As much as he liked to sit by Li Caiyi's side, he wasn't that childish to fight over the spot with Dai Zhiqiang.
There was an oppressive silence after that. Dai Zhiqiang preferred this better as he didn't feel like talking to his love rival. However, Meng Renshu broke the silence first by asking, "I came here as soon as I got the call from Junjie, so I haven't heard the full story yet. Care to explain?"
"There is no need for me to explain everything. I believe you probably already used your connection to figure out what happened before coming here."
Meng Renshu was a bit surprised by his response. He smiled mockingly. "You seem to know a lot about how I do things. Is this a sign that I should be more careful of you?"
"You overestimated me. I'm just a normal student."
Yeah, right. Meng Renshu wanted to scoff at his 'humility'. Even if he wanted to ask about his criminal record in the past, he knew the current Dai Zhiqiang wouldn't be able to provide an answer.
His gaze fell on Li Caiyi's face again. Knowing that something terrible almost happened to her making his heartache.
"What I want to know is how did she cope after that? Did she cry?"
Dai Zhiqiang was silent. Li Caiyi was indeed crying, but for a completely different reason than he thought.
She cried because of him. Because she was disappointed in him.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" Meng Renshu asked in annoyance when his underclassman ignored him.
"She tried not to, but she cried in the end."
There was a brief silence before Meng Renshu gloomily responded, "I see. It must be a scary experience for her."
Dai Zhiqiang clenched his free hand into a fist. "Senior Meng, can I ask you something?"
"What is it? If you have something to say, just say it."
"What will you do if you see someone you like cry because of you?"
Meng Renshu's frown deepened. "Why are you asking me that? Did you do something to her?"
Dai Zhiqiang: "...."
Meng Renshu wanted to laugh at Dai Zhiqiang's pathetic back. However, when he thought back on how much Li Caiyi had to suffer and cry alone because of him in the past, he couldn't say anything.
No, he didn't have any right to say anything.
"I want to do anything I can to make her smile," Meng Renshu answered thoughtfully. Almost like talking to himself.
"Even if she is probably happier with someone else?"
Meng Renshu snickered. "So you are the type of guy who backed down in the name of love? Suit yourself. It will be better for me. Because I believe no one can make her happier than me."
Dai Zhiqiang looked at her face. It felt like she could open her eyes anytime and smile warmly at him again. With only a smile from her, his whole body would feel lighter.
His heart ached when he thought about how her smile could disappear because of him. The possessive part of him didn't want to let her go, but his rational side told him that he shouldn't implicate her life more than this. She already gave a lot of happiness in his life just by being there, but he couldn't do the same for her.
No words could describe what her existence meant for him and his family. A person like her shouldn't be begging for him to stay because he wasn't worthy of her.
Was letting her go the only thing he could do?
Meng Renshu got impatient as he looked at Dai Zhiqiang's solemn face. He didn't even know how lucky he was, yet he had the gall to ask that to Meng Renshu, who spent all his time wishing he could be in his position instead.
"Did you finally realize how unworthy you are of her? If yes, then just leave silently without words so you won't burden her anymore. I will gladly replace you and make her the happiest woman in the world."
"Are you that confident? From where I stand, I don't think you are qualified for that, Senior Meng."
"What did you say?" Meng Renshu's eyes narrowed down dangerously.
Dai Zhiqiang looked at him before answering, "You only realized how precious she was after you lost her. I can accept being called unworthy by anyone but you."
Meng Renshu felt like he was being punched in the gut. His expression was ugly, but he couldn't say anything back.
"And you seem to misunderstand something. Unless Yi Yi is the one who asked me, I have no intention of giving her to anyone. So please don't get the wrong idea."
Dai Zhiqiang couldn't care less about him after that. He laid his head on the bed while staring at her sleeping face.
He wondered what Li Caiyi thought about it. If she loved someone else and wanted to break up with him, could he willingly let her go? Just thinking about her being with someone else made him want to kill that person.
'Who am I kidding? I'm already falling too deep to return. Tomorrow, this silly hesitation should already be gone.'
His words to Meng Renshu earlier were just bravado. In reality, he had no intention of giving her to anyone.
Even if people called him shameless and unworthy, he was willing to be the devil who stole her from everyone if that meant he could be with her forever.
Darkness swirled in his eyes as he envisioned the future with her. A happy future.
Mine.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢