I Woke Up And My Girlfriend Was Gone - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Zuo Yin remained frozen in a cross-armed position, clutching her hoodie against her armpits. It partially veiled her shoulder blades but left the vast majority of her smooth, slender back exposed to the open air.

Shen Qingzi’s grip on the doorknob tightened involuntarily. A heavy, peculiar atmosphere filled the spacious room.

Their eyes met—one pair wide with surprise, the other flashing with embarrassment.

In the next heartbeat, Shen Qingzi slammed the door shut.

“I—I’m sorry, Xiao Yin.” Shen Qingzi leaned against the outside of the door, her earlobes turning a sudden, burning red.

Her mind was flooded with the image of Zuo Yin she had just seen. The girl’s waist was devoid of a single ounce of excess fat, hugged by a black leather skirt that traced a perfectly graceful silhouette.

She had once touched and tasted this exquisite beauty with her own hands.

“It’s okay,” Zuo Yin said from inside, pulling her half-removed clothes back on.

Compared to the accident, she was much more composed; after all, it was just a bare back. She reached back to touch her own skin, estimating that she had probably only exposed as far down as her waist.

While straightening her clothes, Zuo Yin asked, “Teacher, did you need something?”

Shen Qingzi snapped back to reality and squeezed the box in her hand. “Oh, I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

Before she could finish the sentence, Zuo Yin opened the door.

The light from the room spilled out. Shen Qingzi stood in the hallway with no intention of entering, simply handing a rectangular box to Zuo Yin. “I was tidying up a few days ago and found a phone I only used a few times before putting away. I saw your screen was shattered today, so I thought I’d give this to you to use for now.”

Zuo Yin felt a flicker of interest. Needing a phone was secondary; the primary reason was that since this was a “second-hand” device, taking it didn’t feel like such a heavy burden.

“Here.” Without waiting for Zuo Yin to overthink it, Shen Qingzi placed the box in her hands.

The box felt heavy and solid. It was so clean and well-preserved that there wasn’t a single scratch on it.

Zuo Yin held it like a treasure. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” Shen Qingzi smiled. “I won’t disturb you further. Go set it up and get some rest. You’re tired after accompanying me for so long today.”

“Okay.” Zuo Yin nodded.

What she really wanted to tell Shen Qingzi was that being with her wasn’t tiring at all. Perhaps because the sentiment felt too personal, she kept the words to herself.

“Alright then. Goodnight, Xiao Yin.”

“Goodnight, Teacher,” Zuo Yin replied, but she didn’t close the door immediately.

She leaned lightly against the doorframe, watching Shen Qingzi walk away. The warm yellow lights fell over her, lengthening her shadow and making her look exceptionally gentle.

This was the person who embraced her with such tenderness and led her to experience the true prosperity of S City.

Even though Zuo Yin was a local and spoke the dialect fluently, she had grown up in a dilapidated red-brick house. This metropolis was built of steel and iron, and she had always felt like a hollowed-out space the city had intentionally skipped over—a deep sense of fracture between her and the dream-like city outsiders yearned for.

As Shen Qingzi’s figure receded, the words she had whispered this morning echoed in Zuo Yin’s ears: “Then you must remember today.”

At the time, Zuo Yin hadn’t understood. Now, standing in one of S City’s most expensive apartments with a glittering river view behind her, she finally did.

“Shen Qingzi.”

Zuo Yin’s voice suddenly broke the silence behind Shen Qingzi.

“What is it?” Shen Qingzi stopped and looked back in confusion.

“I won’t forget today,” Zuo Yin said.

Shen Qingzi had pulled half her body out of poverty and shown her a corner of the city’s splendor. The rest was up to her. She would no longer struggle just to survive; she would escape the mire. Even if she was an nameless wild seed, she would grow rampantly to reach the heights of the woman everyone looked up to.

The girl’s eyes sparked with a brilliant light, like a magnificent, dreamy galaxy in the pitch-black universe.

A dimple appeared in Shen Qingzi’s smile. “Me neither.”

…

The Next Day, Noon.

With the frantic vibration of an alarm, Zuo Yin struggled to sit up. Still bleary-eyed, she lingered in bed for a moment before checking the phone.

Instantly, her eyes widened.

She had set three alarms: 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00. She thought this was the first one, but the screen showed 11:06 AM!

“Crap,” she hissed, leaping out of bed.

She had spent too much time exploring the new phone last night and didn’t sleep until the early hours. Her old phone was so ancient that she had to bumble around for half an hour just to figure out the features of this modern device. She had overestimated her ability to wake up at ten.

She had wanted to prepare breakfast for Shen Qingzi like her teacher did yesterday, but that plan was ruined. At this hour, Shen Qingzi was surely long awake.

After a quick wash, Zuo Yin stepped out of the room, hoping against hope that Shen Qingzi might still be asleep.

She was wrong.

In the living room, a woman with a graceful figure sat on a single-seater sofa. Shen Qingzi was wearing an indigo silk robe, the loose collar slipping slightly to reveal an exquisite collarbone. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on her bridge, and her long black hair was tucked behind her ears. She was focused intently on a book, radiating a quiet, elegant scholarly air.

Noticing Zuo Yin, Shen Qingzi tilted her head slightly. “Morning.”

Zuo Yin quickly withdrew her disrespectful gaze. “Morning.”

“The housekeeper was here earlier. I had her make a simple breakfast—actually, it counts as lunch now. We’ll head to the exhibition after you eat,” Shen Qingzi said.

“Okay.” Zuo Yin followed her to the dining room.

Perhaps because she knew it wasn’t handmade by Shen Qingzi, the meal felt a bit bland, and she finished quickly. Since she had already dressed before leaving her room, she spent the time waiting for Shen Qingzi to change by continuing to explore her new phone on the sofa.

“Xiao Yin, how do I look?”

A soft call made Zuo Yin look up, and she lost herself for a moment.

Shen Qingzi was standing before her in the pure white dress Zuo Yin had pointed out yesterday. The smooth, lustrous fabric clung to her body, and as the sunlight hit her, even her fair skin seemed to glow. She looked like a field of snow under the winter sun—vast, white, and tender.

Zuo Yin, never one for many words, could only nod and say, “Beautiful.”

Shen Qingzi’s smile deepened. Holding a smoky-pink coat, she waved Zuo Yin over. “Let’s go then.”

…

They soon arrived at the building hosting the exhibition. As soon as they entered the lobby, Zuo Yin saw the promotional poster. Unlike school club flyers or street advertisements, it was simple: a few brush-stroke characters against a wash-ink background, exuding high art.

“The organizer is Chen Yi. He isn’t the most famous artist, but he is the most famous businessman in the art world. His exhibitions are known for having a mix of high and low quality, but he’s invited several masters this time, so it’s worth seeing,” Shen Qingzi explained as she pressed the elevator button.

“Mhm.” Zuo Yin didn’t care about the other art; she only wanted to see Shen Qingzi’s work. “Where is your painting?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but likely in the center. It’s a piece I finished this year.”

“So today is its debut?”

“Yes.”

Zuo Yin fell silent, her anticipation rising with the elevator floors. When they reached the 28th floor and stepped out, a woman’s voice rang out.

“Miss Shen? I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

A couple approached from the other side of the corridor, greeting Shen Qingzi with broad smiles.

“Mr. Wu, Mrs. Wu,” Shen Qingzi nodded politely.

“We heard your work is here, and we are quite looking forward to it,” Mrs. Wu said.

“I finished it at the start of the year and didn’t spend much time refining it. I’m afraid it might be a bit crude,” Shen Qingzi said modestly.

“Miss Shen, you produce so few works these days. Just having one is a feast for the eyes,” Mr. Wu replied.

“And who is this?” Mrs. Wu noticed Zuo Yin and asked curiously.

“This is my student, Zuo Yin,” Shen Qingzi introduced.

Zuo Yin greeted them politely.

“No wonder Miss Shen hasn’t been out much lately—you’ve been carefully training a student. This Miss Zuo must be exceptionally talented,” Mr. Wu remarked.

Zuo Yin knew the praise was only for Shen Qingzi’s sake. “You flatter me,” she replied humbly.

“Where is Miss Zuo from? I haven’t seen her before…” Mrs. Wu was exceptionally enthusiastic, reaching out to take Zuo Yin’s hand. Because Shen Qingzi never brought anyone to events, Mrs. Wu was interrogating her like she was checking a census.

Mrs. Wu’s hand was warm and soft, but Zuo Yin detested the contact. She wanted to pull away but didn’t want to cause trouble for Shen Qingzi.

At that moment, Shen Qingzi smiled and gently put an arm around Zuo Yin’s shoulder. Her hand was warm and firm, easily drawing Zuo Yin back to her side. Like a spring breeze, she deflected the questions smoothly. “Xiao Yin is a local. She’s currently in university and doesn’t attend these types of events often.”

“I see…”

Shen Qingzi smiled at Mrs. Wu and then looked at Zuo Yin. “Xiao Yin, I’ll be a moment here. Why don’t you go in first? I’ll find you in a bit.”

“Okay.” Zuo Yin nodded, bid the couple farewell, and walked into the exhibition.

The warmth of Shen Qingzi’s palm lingered on her shoulder, and her clothes carried the faint scent of irises. Walking through the massive hall, Zuo Yin felt as if Shen Qingzi was still right beside her, which eased her discomfort in this high-end environment.

Following the map, she headed toward the center. Finally, amidst a sea of paintings, she saw it. Just as Shen Qingzi said, it was at the very heart of the exhibition.

Eager, Zuo Yin quickened her pace. She wasn’t looking where she was going, and neither was the woman walking toward her. They collided heavily.

“Ouch!”

Zuo Yin saw stars, but a groan that sounded even more pained than her own came from her side. A large shadow fell over her, and a slick, familiar voice spoke up.

“Little girl, why are you here all by yourself?”

Zuo Yin looked up sharply. Mr. Wang, the man from yesterday, was standing there holding a delicate young woman.