Xia Zhi’s driver was surnamed Zhang, a muscular young man in his early thirties.
He was tall and sturdy, with large floral tattoos covering both arms. Rumor had it that he had been a seasoned figure in his youth and sometimes doubled as Xia Zhi’s bodyguard.
Zhang Siji took just one look at Xie Ning and immediately understood everything.
“Whoa, someone really went all out with the drugs, huh?”
Truly an experienced adult.
Sisi took the passenger seat and told the driver to start the car.
Turning around, she deliberately teased Xia Zhi,
“So, what’s the plan? Head home or book a hotel room?”
“What are you talking about!”
Xia Zhi’s face flushed red again. “He’s like this, and it’s not my fault!”
“Really?”
Sisi, being close to Xia Zhi, loved teasing her the most.
“My dear young miss, if it’s not your fault, why did you help him… why did you bring him into the car?”
Xia Zhi didn’t know how to explain and simply chose not to.
She glanced back at Xie Ning and instructed the driver,
“Find the nearest hospital… wait… better make it a small clinic.”
Hospitals were crowded and full of prying eyes. A man as shy and principled as Xie Ning probably couldn’t handle it.
Zhang Siji was a native of old S City and knew the area like the back of his hand.
“Hey! Miss Xia, I get it! I totally get it! I know a place, very reliable!”
With that, he maneuvered the multi-million-dollar van through twists and turns, driving into an unnamed alley.
…
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their destination.
It was a small clinic without even a signboard, located right next to a wet market.
The wall outside the clinic was plastered with small advertisements.
‘Male ailments…’ ‘A blessing for men…’ ‘Solving your most private troubles…’
Xia Zhi, the delicate and pampered young lady, had never set foot in such a place in her entire life.
She glanced outside, feeling as if the air itself might be filled with infectious bacteria.
“Zhang Siji…”
But Zhang Siji was no longer in the car, having already helped Xie Ning out.
…Fine…
Let it be…
Such a small clinic naturally didn’t have private wards.
Xie Ning was directly placed at the entrance, sitting on a hard green chair.
The doctor came out wearing a white coat and slippers, looking rather unprofessional.
Yet, he happened to be an expert in this field. With just one glance at Xie Ning, he immediately identified the problem.
“Tsk, Indian drugs! Someone really went all out!”
In no time, he gave Xie Ning two injections and hooked him up to an IV drip.
Professionally… terrifying.
From Xia Zhi’s perspective, Xie Ning sat in a cluttered, cramped environment under what looked like grimy lighting.
His long legs stretched out weakly as he leaned against the mottled, aged wall, his skin visibly cooling down.
She was still sitting in the van. Under normal circumstances, she would never have set foot in such a place.
But thinking of her own miserable experiences after her family went bankrupt…
Doing a good deed must be known to the other person, so they’ll remember the favor!
Xia Zhi gritted her teeth, wrinkled her face, and cautiously stepped out of the car.
The medicine from the small clinic worked fast and fiercely.
The desire in Xie Ning’s body finally receded. He half-opened his eyes, and his vision gradually cleared.
The man looked outside the clinic, his gaze settling on Xia Zhi.
The delicate young lady, from head to toe, exuded an air of carefree elegance crafted with immense wealth.
She sat in the luxury car with the door open, unwilling to get out. Not only did she wear an expression of disdain, but she also covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
Honestly, she might as well have pasted a large banner on the car saying, “I really despise this kind of place.”
But Xie Ning, watching her, didn’t think Xia Zhi was being pretentious. Instead, he felt it was only natural for her to act this way.
Xie Ning had grown up in the complex, old urban neighborhoods, where he had been deeply immersed in the essence of human nature.
Compared to hypocritical pretense, Xia Zhi’s pure disdain made him feel more at ease.
The next moment, the young lady stepped out of the car.
Xie Ning immediately lowered his gaze, avoiding looking at her.
Xia Zhi carefully lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, cautiously stepping onto the dusty, grimy floor tiles.
Once steady, she walked toward the clinic.
She stopped a meter away from the clinic entrance, refusing to go any further.
“Hey,”
Xia Zhi raised her chin arrogantly toward Xie Ning,
“You go get your IV. I’m leaving.”
Afraid that Xie Ning might seek revenge later or cause trouble, she added,
“Don’t go looking for them. It’s unnecessary.”
She was so radiantly beautiful, completely out of place in the dull, gray world behind her.
Xie Ning remained silent, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes.
He didn’t respond with a single word.
Sure enough, the young lady left angrily,
“Zhang Siji, stay here and watch over him. Later, take a taxi and send him back.”
Only then did Xie Ning open his eyes again, watching Xia Zhi’s retreating figure as she got into the car.
What crossed his mind, however, was that the young lady would likely discard the shoes she was wearing.
Sure enough.
Xia Zhi stopped by the car, kicked off her high heels, and slipped into the Hermès slippers her assistant handed her.
Without looking back, she got into the car and drove away.
Hah~
Xie Ning closed his eyes again, quietly feeling the cold medicine.
Flowing into his veins, spreading through his limbs and heart.
As for Xia Zhi, he didn’t think about her again.
After all, they were from two different worlds, only crossing paths by coincidence.
They would never intersect again in this lifetime, so there was no need to dwell on it.
In the car, Xia Zhi listened quietly as Sisi talked about Xie Ning.
The more she listened, the more uncomfortable she felt.
She was a pampered young lady who had grown up in a honey jar, never having suffered any hardship.
Although she had guessed earlier that Xie Ning’s childhood must not have been easy, her imagination of what “not easy” meant was quite limited.
Just hearing Sisi casually mention a few details about Xie Ning’s situation made Xia Zhi’s heart ache for him.
…
“I actually had a crush on Xie Ning once…”
“But aren’t you a few years older than him?”
“What? Can’t I like a younger guy?”
“Of course you can… So why did you stop liking him later?”
Sisi focused on driving, sighing only when they stopped at a red light before answering,
“…Xie Ning, he locked himself in the darkness. I couldn’t save him.”
Xia Zhi was moved by Sisi’s sudden melancholy, reminded of Xie Ning’s fate in her dream.
Such an outstanding man, yet he would die tragically at a young age, and just before his family found him.
What a pity.
So, Xia Zhi spoke with determination,
“I can save him.”
Two hours later, Xie Ning finished his IV, and the effects of the medicine had completely worn off.
The unusual flush had faded, leaving his face somewhat pale. The “warmth” in him had vanished entirely, and he felt cold to the bone.
Refusing Zhang Siji’s offer to escort him, Xie Ning turned into a dirty, chaotic alley.
This area wasn’t far from his home, and Xie Ning knew it well.
Just as he reached the lane where he lived, his phone began buzzing incessantly.
A barrage of WeChat messages from his childhood friend Shisan:
【Ning-ge, did something happen when you covered my shift at the hotel tonight?】
【I heard the assistant manager was fired overnight because of you, along with Wang Wei and a few others…】
【Oh right, they sent me a video, I’ll forward it to you…】
【I heard the young lady in the video stood up for you? My god, how do you know such a beautiful, rich, and stunning girl? I’m so curious, can you answer the phone and tell me about it…】
…
Xie Ning stopped walking, leaning against the wall in an unlit alley, and opened the video Shisan had sent.
…
It was a clip filmed secretly from a corner, the location appearing to be a small hall on the hotel’s second floor.
Xia Zhi was still wearing that goose-yellow evening gown, though she had changed into a different pair of high heels.
The proud young lady walked straight up to Tang Yun and slapped him across the face.
Tang Yun froze for a moment, instinctively raising his hand to strike back, but was immediately restrained by two wealthy young men beside him.
Then, Xia Zhi picked up a wine glass from the table and, in front of all those rich second-generation heirs, poured the entire glass of wine over Tang Yun’s face.
The young lady glared with her beautiful eyes, warned Tang Yun a few words, then turned and left—no one dared to stop her.
The person secretly filming was too far away to hear what she said.
But from the shape of her lips, Xie Ning saw his own name.
…
The late-night alleyways of the old neighborhood carried a complex mix of smells.
Behind every window in the buildings on either side was a different household, crammed tightly together in such narrow spaces.
A child wailed loudly, a woman cursed a man, a man committed domestic violence…
Chaos and noise—this was his world.
Xie Ning closed the video, and with it, the inexplicable flutter in his heart.
He replied to his childhood friend:
【Don’t know her.】