Lost in a haze, living life in a daze, as if soaring into the clouds, floating like an immortal.
Unsure when, she weakly rested on his chest, lazily closing her eyes, "A Ye..."
"Hmm?"
The man held her with satisfaction, his fingertips caressing her cheek, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Mmm..."
Meng Jingwei let out a faint sound from her breath, but said nothing, only wanting to call his name.
"Good girl, get some sleep."
The man reached for a blanket from the back seat, draped it over Meng Jingwei, patted her back like comforting a child, and soothed her.
Exhausted, Meng Jingwei truly slept for a while in his arms.
Her previous insomnia had gradually healed since meeting Qing Muye, which Meng Jingwei found somewhat miraculous.
...
Lan City.
Shi Ran returned to her apartment, her body weary, and went straight to the bathroom to take a bath.
Thinking about what had happened in the Huo family's bathroom, she felt an overwhelming sense of shame and humiliation, and tears welled up.
She soaked in the bathtub, unsure how long passed, the water in the tub turning cold, and she was oblivious.
As she cried, she grew tired and fell asleep.
On the other side, Tang Si felt guilty seeing Shi Ran's dejected and sad appearance after what happened.
After leaving the Huo family, he went to a bar alone to drown his sorrows.
But no matter how much he drank, his mind was filled with Shi Ran's wronged and tearful, moving appearance. He felt a surge of frustration and picked up his phone to call Shi Ran.
He made a call, but no one answered.
Tang Si called again, but still no answer.
He made five or six consecutive calls, but still no response.
Tang Si panicked, his heart sinking, and a bad premonition surged through him.
He picked up his drink, downed the remaining half glass, and got up to leave the bar.
He first went to her company but didn't find her, so he went to the hospital where Yuan Wei's mother was, but Shi Ran wasn't there either.
Finally, he went to Shi Ran's rented apartment.
Since he had lived there before, Tang Si knew Shi Ran's spare key was under the doormat. He found the key, opened the door, and rushed inside.
"Shi Ran?"
The living room was empty. He went to the bedroom, but she wasn't there either.
Tang Si saw her bag and phone left on the sofa, clearly indicating Shi Ran was home.
His gaze finally fell on the bathroom, and he walked over.
The bathroom door was ajar. He called out, "Shi Ran?" but received no answer.
In that instant, his heart constricted with pain, and his fingertips trembled slightly.
"No way."
A bad thought flashed through Tang Si's mind, but he quickly shook his head and denied it.
He tiptoed and pushed the door open, entering. Every movement felt like it was in slow motion.
As he entered the bathroom, he saw a person floating in the bathtub.
Buzz—
Tang Si froze, his pupils dilating as he stared at the small woman floating in the bathtub. His face instantly turned pale.
"Shi... Shi Ran?"
He called out Shi Ran's name with all his might, but to his surprise, his voice came out hoarse and low, barely audible.
Tang Si tried to step forward, but his feet felt as if they were cast in lead, too heavy to lift.
When he tried to call Shi Ran's name again, he realized belatedly that he couldn't make a sound.
The scenes that had unfolded in the Huo family's bathroom flashed through his mind, one after another, the memories turning black and white.
For the first time, Tang Si felt a wave of remorse wash over him.
Had he gone too far?
"Shi Ran... Shi Ran?"
After a long while, Tang Si regained his composure, rushed to Shi Ran, and pulled her out of the water.