"Tingyun..."
Xu Lin Yun was put down by Huo Ting Yun, her face still flushed red.
Su Qi glanced at the kitchen. Wu Sao had made many of her favorite dishes today, but she had no appetite now.
With the two of them here, she felt a bit superfluous.
Su Qi went upstairs to get a coat. As she came downstairs, she heard laughter, paused for a moment, and then quickened her pace.
Opening the door, the late autumn night was cold, but Su Qi didn't look back. She just walked out, closing the door gently.
After the old man passed away, she had lost her focus in life.
She didn't know where to go. It felt like the vast world offered no place for her to belong.
Wandering aimlessly, she found herself at that bus stop.
Tired from walking, Su Qi sat down directly on the bus stop platform.
This was a villa area, and it was already past eight in the evening.
The shops on both sides of the road were almost all closed.
Only a coffee shop not far across the street was still lit.
Su Qi sat there blankly, as if her memories were pulled back to the long and arduous wait of the past.
She had sat there for so long that a mark had formed.
Her mood, however, was unexpectedly calm.
Perhaps it was the coolness of the autumn night that made her mind so clear.
After sitting for a long time, Su Qi got up, crossed the road, and entered the coffee shop.
Not wanting to return to Shallow Water Bay, there weren't many people in the coffee shop. Su Qi ordered a cup of hot milk and found a seat by the window.
The night was as dark as ink. Su Qi felt a bit sleepy and rested her head on the table, falling asleep unconsciously.
Seeing Su Qi sleeping so soundly, the proprietress couldn't bear to disturb her and simply covered her with a thin blanket.
At eleven o'clock, when it was time to close, the proprietress saw that Su Qi had not woken up. She went behind the counter and took out her phone.
Just as she was about to call Xu Lin Chuan, the coffee shop door was pushed open.
An extremely handsome and distinguished man walked in.
"Sir, I'm sorry, we're closing now."
The proprietress said this as she was about to step out from behind the counter to stop the man.
The man seemed not to hear her. He simply looked around the shop and then walked towards a certain direction.
In a daze, Su Qi felt herself being held in strong, capable arms.
She frowned, and the next second, she opened her eyes.
Her vision was filled with Huo Ting Yun's sharply defined face.
"You... let go of me."
Su Qi reached out to push Huo Ting Yun away. She struggled to stand up, but the man gave her no chance, directly carrying her out the door.
The proprietress watched them leave in surprise. The phone she was about to dial to Xu Lin Chuan remained in her hand, uncalled.
And so, they walked through the night.
There was a streetlamp every so often.
Su Qi squinted her eyes. She was still feeling drowsy. Once fully awake, she found herself already carried back to Shallow Water Bay by Huo Ting Yun.
Xu Lin Yun was nowhere to be seen, and the entire villa was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Huo Ting Yun carried Su Qi upstairs. As soon as he let go, she landed and immediately rushed into her bedroom, locking the door.
The next morning, Su Qi left early.
After arriving at the company, she sat for a while before getting out of the car.
During lunch, Su Qi mentioned renting a place to Yang Tian Hao.
Upon hearing this, Yang Tian Hao said, "I know a friend who's looking for a roommate."
"A guy?"
"A girl, don't worry, she's a great beauty just like you."
"Really?" Su Qi's spirits lifted. "Take me to see the apartment after work this afternoon."
Yang Tian Hao initially thought Su Qi was joking, but he didn't expect her to be serious.
"You have so much money at home, and you still want to rent a place. Did you have a fight with your family?"
Su Qi gave a wry smile. "I really need to rent a place."
Yang Tian Hao didn't press further.
When it was time to get off work, Yang Tian Hao got into Su Qi's car. Looking at the car Su Qi was driving, which was worth five to six hundred thousand yuan on the market.
"Su Qi, you drive such an expensive car, and you still want to share an apartment."
Yang Tian Hao deeply suspected that Su Qi was trying to experience life.
The car was a commuter vehicle gifted to her by the old man before he passed away.
It was registered in her name.
Therefore, it did not belong to Huo Ting Yun's assets.
Su Qi cherished this car very much.
Even if she was short on money, she would not sell this car.
Su Qi smiled and said nothing. Following Yang Tian Hao's address, she parked in a residential complex.
The complex environment was quite good, considered mid-range, with excellent greenery.
Yang Tian Hao made a phone call first, then led Su Qi upstairs.
Standing outside the door, they waited for a moment, and then the door was pushed open from the inside.
Su Qi saw the woman who opened the door, and the woman also saw Su Qi outside. Both of them were taken aback for a moment.
The beauty Yang Tian Hao mentioned was indeed a great beauty.
She was tall, with fair skin, an oval face, and long, straight black hair. She was slender, which made her look even younger, appearing to be only in her early twenties, with a look that could be that of a celebrity.
"Two beauties, stop admiring each other and let's get down to business..."
Yang Tian Hao led Su Qi inside.
It was a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. Although not large, only seventy to eighty square meters, it was very tidy. It was evident that it had been recently renovated, and the girl was also very clean. The room was spotless, and there were even many luxury bags and shoes.
"This is my friend, Gu Tang Xue. Tang Xue, this is my colleague, Su Qi."
Yang Tian Hao acted as an intermediary, introducing the two to each other.
"Tang Xue, the girl I told you about who wants to share an apartment is Su Qi. She's very clean. If you two beauties share an apartment, you might be able to support half the business district nearby."
Gu Tang Xue chuckled and extended her hand. "Hello, my name is Gu Tang Xue."
"Su Qi," Su Qi replied faintly.
"I think there are no problems. You can move in after signing the contract."
Gu Tang Xue was very satisfied with Su Qi as a roommate, especially since she was Yang Tian Hao's colleague.
Su Qi inquired about the rent, and the utilities were to be split fifty-fifty. The price was acceptable.
After signing the contract, Gu Tang Xue gave Su Qi the spare key. "Here, your room is that one, facing north and south. It's quite large. You can move in tonight. If you need any help, just tell me."
"Yes, do you need us to help you?" Yang Tian Hao also worried that with Su Qi's build, he was afraid she wouldn't be able to handle even slightly heavy items.
"I don't have many things. I'll be here with my bags shortly." Su Qi did want their help, but when she counted her belongings, it was not much.
Su Qi drove Yang Tian Hao home. There was some traffic on the way, and by the time she returned to Shallow Water Bay, it was already late.
Su Qi didn't have time to eat. As soon as she entered the villa, she went straight upstairs.
Fortunately, Huo Ting Yun seemed to be busy today, and she didn't see him around.
After packing her things simply, Su Qi left with her bag.
As she passed the living room, she paused. Su Qi placed all the villa's room cards on the coffee table.
Turning around, she took one last look, without a trace of hesitation, and closed the door firmly.