Chapter Thirty-Nine: Why Come Back

"Perfect timing, let me give you a ride."

They had already reached the entrance of the mall when she suddenly remembered Lin Shuo’s cold warning, and her steps unconsciously slowed.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, really. I think I’ll just take a cab home. It would be a waste of your time for you to go back and forth.”

Xi Mintang said nothing. With his worldly insight, he could easily discern the reason behind her anxious, deliberately evasive expression, yet he made no comment. He left with grace and composure.

Left alone, gazing at the endless threads of rain, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“That client of yours—is it him?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be gone?”

Lin Shuo raised his eyebrows, amusement tugging at his lips. Xiaoxiao’s mind went blank for a moment; she hadn’t seen that mocking expression in so long, and now here it was again. He asked, “Are you disappointed?”

He had already arrived home, but the rain made him wonder if she had brought an umbrella, whether she would have trouble hailing a cab. Unable to ignore his worries, he had come back, only to witness the very scene he least wanted to see. In that moment, all the warmth in his heart was drenched away by the rain, leaving only coldness behind.

Xiaoxiao knew she couldn’t argue with him; whatever she said, she would not win. All she felt was a chill in her heart. She had spent the whole afternoon steeling herself, but with a glance, the past was gone.

Ignoring how heavily the rain was falling, she stepped out, but before she could descend the steps, Lin Shuo yanked her back. The force he used on her arm drew her brows into a sharp frown.

“What are you doing? Don’t you see it’s pouring outside?” Lin Shuo burst out, veins pulsing on his forehead, his breathing rough. In truth, what angered him most was not that she had met Xi Mintang, but that the person he had once cherished so carefully was now treating herself so poorly.

A crowd had gathered under the eaves of the mall to escape the rain, making her feel this was the worst possible place for such a scene.

“Let go.” Her voice was weak, and she didn’t even look at him. When her requests were ignored, she lost all composure, struggling furiously to break free from Lin Shuo’s grip. Her voice grew shrill: “Let go! I don’t need you to care! You left—so why did you come back? Why do you have to appear before me? Why do you come and go in my life as you please? Why do you have to remind me of the past? Why must you stir up dreams I shouldn’t have?”

She had thought herself strong enough, yet as she shouted her questions, tears streamed down her face in great drops, until she no longer even had the strength to cry.

A barrage of “why”s descended upon him, leaving him at a loss. His gaze flickered; these were the very questions he himself wanted to ask. From the moment they met again at Zeng Ziyu’s wedding, his life had spun out of control.

At last, she broke free from him and dashed into the rain. A taxi happened to pull up just then—never mind that someone else had hailed it, she ducked inside, told the driver to go, and silently wiped away her tears, leaving him behind in the crowd.

Raindrops beat against the window. The pale pink hydrangeas in her arms were battered and scattered. She carefully cradled them, picking away the fallen petals, sighing regretfully. In her dreams, she heard herself repeating those heavy questions again and again, her voice drifting as though she wasn’t speaking to Lin Shuo, but to herself. Yet when she awoke, she had no answers—nor did he.

It was rare to see the landlady up early in the morning; usually, she never rose before noon.

“Off to work?”

“Yes, today’s an early start.”

“Rainy weather’s good for sleeping, but everyone’s up early.” The landlady pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds, cracking them between her teeth as she asked, “Had a fight with your boyfriend?”

“You’re overthinking it. There’s nothing like that.” She didn’t know how to correct the landlady’s assumption; but really, who could blame her? A single woman with a man visiting, cooking, and basking in the sun together—anyone would jump to the same conclusion.

When Loneliness Strikes, Don't Speak of Love, Chapter Thirty-Nine: Why Did You Come Back? Complete.