The rain intensified, washing the ruins of the great fire with black water that meandered and flowed. Gradually, the burnt smell vanished, replaced by the earthy scent of fields and vegetation from all directions.
An unfamiliar scent.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, and the rain became even more torrential, hitting her face and body with a faint sting.
Quan Jiu stared blankly at the pile of ruins before her, finally taking a step, then another, then a third.
Just as she was about to step into the ruins, a powerful tug pulled her back.
Unprepared, Quan Jiu's feet slipped on the muddy ground, and she stumbled and fell.
"It was just a house, and you wanted to be buried with it?" a lazy voice sounded from above.
Quan Jiu looked up, the rain so heavy she had to squint.
In the light of the car headlights behind her, she clearly saw the person in front of her.
"Why are you here?" Quan Jiu stood up, looked at the mud on her hands and the mud all over her body, and simply wiped herself, looking like half a mud doll.
Gu Si wiped the rain from his face. "Came to do something. Heard there was a fire here, wanted to see what a big fire looked like. Didn't expect to be late."
Quan Jiu looked around, found a burnt wooden board, placed it on the ground, and sat down.
Seeing this, Gu Si also sat down beside her.
"This was my home. Even though I went abroad later, even though I bought a house now, in my heart, these ruins were always my home. Now, home is gone."
Gu Si closed his eyes, letting the rain fall on his face. "Normally, I hate people talking in my ear, but you helped me once, so today is my repayment."
"The bed I slept in with Grandma, the cabinet where our clothes were kept, the stool Grandma sat on, the drawings I made on the walls... they're all gone," Quan Jiu said calmly. "I was planning to go back home for Chinese New Year this year... I hadn't been back for Chinese New Year since I was fifteen. I'm twenty-seven now, I thought... this year would be it."
Gu Si tilted his head slightly, looking at Quan Jiu. "A woman like you should be living a glamorous life. Sadness doesn't suit you."
Quan Jiu let out a light laugh and sighed. "Sad? Looking at this pile of ruins, I don't feel sad. It's strange, at this moment, my heart is very calm."
"The house is gone, but the land is still here, and you don't seem to be short of money. Build another house, and you'll have a home."
Quan Jiu pursed her lips slightly, and after a long while, murmured, "Why, I always feel like this fire came too suddenly, too unexpectedly, as if it shouldn't have happened, but it did because of certain people, or certain things."
Gu Si raised an eyebrow, fell silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps."
"Then I just need to wait. If it wasn't an accident, there will surely be a second, a third time. Someone will always be waiting, won't they?"
Quan Jiu stood up, looked at her muddy self, then at the car, and walked towards it.
After taking only two steps, she seemed to remember something and turned back to ask, "Do you have a place to stay?"
Gu Si raised his eyebrows, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Although when a beauty asks me this, I usually gladly take her home. But today, I really don't have a place to stay."
"Do you have your ID? There's a hotel in town, and I didn't bring my ID."
"Wait a moment, I'll look in the car." Gu Si ran to the car and soon returned, holding up his ID and smiling, "Looks like we're quite lucky."
...
Yuan Lai Hotel.
The receptionist handed over the room keys while reminding them, "Driving in such heavy rain is too dangerous. Be careful with your muddy clothes; don't stain the bedding, it's hard to wash."
Afterward, she handed a room key to Quan Jiu and Gu Si respectively.
The two went up to the second floor. Seeing the door lock, Gu Si smiled lazily. "I haven't seen this kind of lock in many years, and I haven't stayed in a place like this in many years either."
"Don't be so particular in a small town," Quan Jiu opened the door and went in. As she closed it, she said, "Thanks."
Gu Si touched the corner of his mouth, a nonchalant, lazy smile appearing. "We're even."
Back in the room, Quan Jiu changed out of her muddy clothes. Only then did she have time to check her phone. She saw that Wang Feifei had called her three times, and Mimi and Tutu had also called twice. She quickly called them back, briefly explained the situation, and reassured them before hanging up.
...
The next morning, Quan Jiu heard the sound of the opposite door opening and quickly went to her own door.
As soon as the door opened, she directly asked, "Just in case, I need to confirm something with you. Your coming here has nothing to do with me, right?"
Gu Si narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"I find the coincidence very strange. I'm a bit of a worrier."
Gu Si pursed his lips and smiled before saying, "If you were truly a worrier, you would have quietly asked for my contact information to inquire about my identity."
"I did think of that, but since you were willing to listen to me talk so much, I felt you had no ill intentions."
"So you're unwilling to exchange contact information with me?" Gu Si stepped forward, looking at Quan Jiu with a smile.
Quan Jiu thought for a moment. "Is there a possibility we'll have contact in the future?"
"Perhaps, who knows." Gu Si shrugged.
Quan Jiu suddenly smiled. "Since it's a coincidence, then there's no need. Even if we add contact information, we won't be in each other's lives, so why clutter our address books?"
Gu Si looked at Quan Jiu intently, then after a moment, smiled and nodded. "Goodbye."
Quan Jiu watched Gu Si go downstairs before closing her door and sitting by the head of the bed for a while. Finally, she opened Wang Feifei's WeChat.
【Is the person who helped me inquire about information last time reliable?】
Wang Feifei replied quickly: 【Reliable, what do you want to inquire about?】
Quan Jiu thought for a moment and replied: 【Give me his contact information, and I'll contact him directly. I'm not quite sure yet, I'll tell you after I've confirmed.】
Wang Feifei didn't ask further and immediately sent Quan Jiu the phone number.
【His name is Song Ren. When you add him, use my name as a note, otherwise, he won't accept the friend request.】
Quan Jiu replied with "Okay," then added Song Ren on WeChat. She put down her phone to wash up. By the time she was done, checked out, and got into the car, Song Ren had finally accepted her friend request.
【With only the license plate number, can you find information about the owner?】 Quan Jiu asked immediately.
【Yes, thirty thousand, pay first.】
【Will the other party notice?】
【No.】
Quan Jiu immediately transferred thirty thousand and sent him a license plate number.
【I'll give you the information this afternoon.】
...
Gu Si returned to the Yu Hui Club at eleven in the morning.
The club was not yet open, making it unusually quiet.
Gu Si closed his eyes in enjoyment, standing in the vast hall. "Actually, I really hate the noise here."
Su Bin carried a person over. "Boss, we've caught the person."