石器盒子

Maybe Mu Sijue wanted to be kind and let her go this time?

It sounded... unimaginable.

Xu Youning surely knew their relationship well. Mu Sijue could do anything to her except for being nice to her.

After taking a shower, Xu Youning walked out of the bathroom filled with confusion. She saw Mu Sijue standing by a window of the room and the cigarette between his fingers quietly spread white smoke.

At the first look, her figure... seemed to be carrying the weight of a mountain.

Xu Youning felt something was wrong. She walked over and reached out her hand. But before she could pat Mu Sijue’s shoulder, he suddenly turned around to look at her.

After a short eye contact, Mu Sijue coldly ordered, “Pack your things. We’ll return to City G in half an hour.”

Xu Youning stared at Mu Sijue. If she hadn’t seen it wrongly, there was a sign of a troubled emotion in his eyes the moment he turned around.

She asked probingly, “Is there anything wrong?”

Mu Sijue evaded Xu Youning’s eyes. “No.” Then, he walked directly to the bathroom.

That was the first time that Mu Sijue evaded a question, ever.

But this question could be answered with only a few words.

Xu Youning looked at Mu Sijue’s figure and suddenly felt strange from the bottom of her heart.

It was neither a sharp pain nor a bitter sorrow. It was like a stronger power which severely peeled something important from her heart.

All of a sudden, Xu Youning felt empty.

Many years later, when Xu Youning recalled the feeling at the moment, she finally believed that one could have a premonition when something bad happened.

Xu Youning didn’t feel any better when she got on the plane.

“Mr. Mu, Miss Xu, good morning.” The airline stewardess placed two beverages before them. “We’ll arrive in City G in three hours. Enjoy your flight.”

Xu Youning blankly took up the drink and her hand suddenly trembled. The glass fell and shattered on the ground. The juice was spilled all over.

The reaction from the stewardess was quick. She swiftly passed a tissue to Xu Youning and asked after clearing the glass residue on the ground, “Miss Xu, do you need any help?”

Xu Youning stopped for quite a while and then covered her heart with her hand subconsciously.

She didn’t know what happened to herself, either. She felt empty inside, as if she had lost her favorite toy when she was little. A blunt pain covered her heart, as if a hammer were hanging there, striking her every once in a while. It couldn’t kill her but it made her anxious.

She needed help.

But, there seemed to be no one in the world who could help her.

“I’m fine.” Even Xu Youning’s voice sounded blank, “Sorry to have bothered you.”

“That’s all right. As long as you’re not hurt.” The stewardess quickly cleaned the aftermath and then left.

Xu Youning and Mu Sijue were the only ones left in the spacious passenger compartment.

“Xu Youning,” Mu Sijue suddenly called her name.

It took her a moment to answer, “Um?”

“...Under what circumstances would you lose the desire to live?” Mu Sijue asked as if he was coming up with a normal question. He looked calm, while he spoke with a relaxed tone. That calmness would make others ignore the darkness in his eyes.

“Do you want me to die by asking this question?” Xu Youning smiled. “Then you may be disappointed. I hold my life quite dearly. I will live through any circumstances. Even if I encounter a huge pain, I will live for my grandma.”

Mu Sijue frowned slightly, “If...”

“There is no if,” Xu Youning interrupted Mu Sijue quickly, “So, forget it. You can’t make me die.”

Mu Sijue leaned over and looked out the window. His eyes were deep as the sea. “It’d better be like what you said.”

Three hours later, the plane landed at The International Airport of G City. Ah Guang drove over and waited by the exit of the airport.

Seeing Mu Sijue and Xu Youning coming out together, Ah Guang wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t. He just passed the car key to Xu Youning and said, “Sister Youning, I drove your car here for you.”

“Thanks.” Xu Youning took over the car key and noticed something wrong with Ah Guang’s expression. So she asked confusedly, “Why do you look like this? I’m back. You’re not happy?”

“No, I’m so happy... that I don’t know how to face you.” Ah Guang suddenly rushed over to hug Xu Youning. He put so much effort into the hug, as if he were trying to make her stay. “Sister Youning, welcome back.”

Xu Youning was confused by Ah Guang’s warmth. It took her quite a while to realize what he was doing and politely hugged him back. “...I’ve only been gone for a few days. Don’t you think you’re exaggerating?”

Ah Guang shamefully nodded with a smile. Then he released Xu Youning and put up a bright smile for her.

Xu Youning took a look at the watch and asked Mu Sijue, “Seventh Brother, can I go back home first? I want to see my grandma. I’ll handle the club and bar matters tomorrow.”

“...” After a short while of hesitation, Mu Sijue agreed. “Um.”

Xu Youning didn’t find anything abnormal from Mu Sijue’s hesitation. She happily unlocked the car. When she was about to get inside, Mu Sijue said,

“Xu Youning.”

“Um?” She turned around and looked at him.

Mu Sijue stared at her for a while. Then he slowly said, “Goodbye.”

That was the first time Mu Sijue had said goodbye to her. But Xu Youning wanted to go back so badly that she didn’t think about the further meaning of that word. She just waved her hand to Mu Sijue. “See you tomorrow.”

Then she got in the driver’s seat and drove away.

In less than ten seconds, Xu Youning’s car disappeared from the sights of Mu Sijue and Ah Guang.

Without any sign, as a man, Ah Guang’s eyes suddenly turned red.

He turned around and kicked on the tire. Then he lost control; he crawled inside the car and started to cry.

Mu Sijue gave Ah Guang two minutes.

Two minutes later, Mu Sijue ordered expressionlessly, “Take me to the club.”

Ah Guang dried his tears and stared at Mu Sijue with red eyes. “Why did you do that?”

This was the first time he talked to Mu Sijue in a interrogating tone, just for Xu Youning’s sake.

“I have my reasons.” Mu Sijue didn’t answer. “You don’t need to know.”

“Then why did you hide her real identity from me?” Ah Guang struck the car again, with more helplessness than anger.

“Because you would have let the cat out of the bag,” Mu Sijue said coldly, “I had to use Xu Youning to deliver fake news to Kang Ruicheng. If you had known she was the spy, could you make sure that you wouldn’t let her find out?”

“...”

“...”

“Seventh Brother,” Ah Guang suddenly calmed down and looked at Mu Sijue, who looked as if nothing was wrong. He asked blankly, “Did you ever...”

Mu Sijue knew what Ah Guang was about to ask so he interrupted him, “Get in the car!”

“Mu Sijue!” Ah Guang was annoyed. He wanted an answer anyway.

Mu Sijue’s eyes turned cold. “Xu Youning is the spy Kang Ruicheng sent here! What she said to you and what she did for you were to make you believe in her. On this point, she succeeded. Now you know Xu Youning’s real identity, you shouldn’t believe her anymore and do what you ought to do! Besides, this is the last time I tell you she’s not as she seems in your eyes! She doesn’t deserve your pity or your sympathy. Everything today was what she asked for! Forget about your Sister Youning. Keep in mind that she’s Kang Ruicheng’s spy!”

“...” Ah Guang stopped there. He even forgot about the sadness.

He had followed Mu Sijue for many years and knew Mu Sijue seldom spoke much. This was the first time he heard Mu Sijue say so many words at a time.

Besides, Mu Sijue obviously didn’t say those words to Ah Guang.

Just then, he actually wanted to ask Mu Sijue if he had ever liked Xu Youning. Now he knew the answer—

Mu Sijue didn’t like Xu Youning.

He just, loved Xu Youning.

Ah Guang suddenly felt less sad, because he knew there was someone sadder than him.

On the way back to the club, Ah Guang kept silent. Mu Sijue sat on the back seat and didn’t use the time in the car to deal with the business, which was rare for him. He just stared at the scenery outside the window which rapidly paced backwards.

He knew that day would come.

But he didn’t foresee that Kang Ruicheng would do something in between, making this day come earlier than expected.

Both he and Xu Youning could finally stop acting.

By then, Xu Youning’s car had just arrived at the gate of her house.

She happily got out of the car and wanted to give her grandma a surprise.

But after she got in, she found no one at home. She searched every corner of the house but still didn’t find her grandma.

She had no choice but to call out loudly, “Grandma? Auntie Sun?”

“...” There was no response.

“Auntie Sun? Grandma?”

“...” There was still no response.

It was quite different from what Xu Youning had expected. She blankly stood in the yard and was overtaken by panic. Her mind sank quickly and she desperately asked, “Grandma!”

“...”

“Youning?”

Finally, another voice came from the door. Xu Youning became happy and turned around but only found Auntie Sun there.

Auntie Sun’s eyes turned red the minute she saw her. “Youning, you’re finally back.”

“Where is my grandma?” Xu Youning hastily asked, “Auntie Sun, where is my grandma?”

“Your grandma...” Auntie Sun couldn’t control herself and tears quickly poured from her eyes. “Youning, your grandma left us yesterday.”

“Left?”

The word was too simple. At the moment, Xu Youning suddenly couldn’t recognize the word or its meaning.

She caught Auntie Sun’s hand. “Where has my grandma gone? She’s so weak. How could you let her go outside? Forget it, just tell me where she is. I will take her back.”

“Youning, don’t be like this...” Auntie Sun said in a broken voice, “Your grandma passed away.”

Xu Youning had been avoiding this message, this fact. But she failed. Auntie Sun just directly told her that her grandma had passed away.

She felt as if she had been knocked down by something. Then, a strong coldness came from the top of her head, going through her back and finally to her feet.

She remembered the dream which had bothered her for the whole day yesterday. So it wasn’t just a nightmare. It was real. Her grandma really left her.

Tears fell down from Xu Youning’s eyes, but she didn’t cry out loud.

She begged Auntie Sun while shivering, “Auntie Sun, please don’t joke with me. I beg you, please tell me where my grandma is.”

Granny Xu was the only one in the world who was blood related to her. Auntie Sun knew how sad she was, but she had to face reality.

Auntie Sun made up her mind and told Xu Youning the whole thing that happened the day before...