The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 53

After the old lady left, Zheng Qi stayed alone in the empty storeroom for a while longer before finally stepping out.

Li Ailun had been waiting at the door for quite some time.

“Boss, Miss Xiao hasn’t left her room since morning and is still inside. Aren’t you going back early to check on her?”

Zheng Qi glanced at Li Ailun, a faint, ambiguous smile playing at the corners of her lips. “You seem quite concerned about her.”

“I don’t have any improper thoughts about Miss Xiao. I’m just worried about your mental well-being. After all, if the lady of the house is unhappy, you won’t be too happy either, right?” Even at a time like this, Li Ailun couldn’t resist being cheeky.

Zheng Qi looked up at the sky. She was somewhat afraid to go back.

“Find out who that person is. I don’t want something like this to happen again,” Zheng Qi said coldly.

Li Ailun nodded. “Yes, boss. I’ll make sure that person never appears before you again.”

“Killing is against the law,” Zheng Qi mimicked the old lady’s tone, the words sounding as absurd as if they’d come from a TV drama character.

Indeed, her blood carried that detestable gene. She just didn’t know whether San’er would despise her if she knew this side of her.

Zheng Qi felt both fear and excitement.

She feared losing Xiao San’s care and concern, yet she was excited by the thought that if she revealed her true self to Xiao San, only then would Xiao San be accepting the real her.

She straightened her clothes.

It was time to get off work. She should go back.

As she opened the door, Zheng Qi immediately spotted Xiao San sitting in the living room, watching TV.

The room was filled with the lively music from the television, but Xiao San seemed drowsy, as if she might doze off at any moment.

“Ah Qi, you’re back!” Xiao San exclaimed excitedly, quickly getting up and rushing to the entryway. She took the clothes and crossbody bag from Zheng Qi’s hands, hung them up, and then pulled Zheng Qi to sit on the sofa.

“Ah Qi, I’ve been wanting to go hiking lately. I heard the temple on Chen Mountain is really effective. How about we go hiking in a couple of days?” Xiao San looked at Zheng Qi happily, as if the events of the day had never happened, and as if she were completely unaware of Zheng Qi’s lies.

Zheng Qi hummed in acknowledgment.

“I also want to dye my hair. What do you think of indigo?”

Before Zheng Qi could respond, Xiao San was already lost in her own world, chattering about wanting to dye her hair, go shopping, try the trendy snacks at the nearby market, travel to a city she’d never been to, take a walk by the lake, and shout from the mountaintop.

She eagerly poured out all sorts of plans and ideas.

By the time she finished, it was almost past ten o’clock.

Xiao San had talked endlessly, while Zheng Qi hadn’t been able to get a single word in. At ten o’clock, Xiao San suddenly exclaimed, “Oh!”

“I got so carried away talking, I didn’t realize it’s already this late. Let’s hurry up and wash up for bed. I’m exhausted.”

It seemed like Xiao San hadn’t eaten all day.

Watching Xiao San leave, Zheng Qi went to the kitchen and cooked a simple bowl of plain noodles, adding just an egg. She placed the bowl outside Xiao San’s door and knocked.

After Zheng Qi left, Xiao San opened the door and brought the noodles inside.

Ah Qi must have her reasons.

Xiao San thought this while eating noodles.

Ah Qi was, without a doubt, the female lead in a tragic story. The female lead in such a story was bound to have a miserable life, and all her lies were meant to avoid hurting others.

The female lead in a tragic story.

Xiao San silently repeated these four words.

Just sleep. Once you wake up, everything will be fine.

Chen Mountain wasn’t particularly high, standing at just over a thousand meters, and its slopes weren’t steep. Elderly people often came here to hike.

On Chen Mountain, there was an inconspicuous temple with three monks though they were more like temple caretakers who just wore monks’ robes.

Visitors to the temple would occasionally donate some money into the merit box.

Xiao San had been to Chen Mountain before, back when she was a child and came with her parents.

This was her first time visiting Chen Mountain with Zheng Qi.

“They say praying for wealth at Chen Mountain is really effective. Don’t try to stop me later, I’m going to bow to every single bodhisattva,” Xiao San chattered nonstop along the way. Zheng Qi, as usual, responded to everything Xiao San said with “Okay,” “Sure,” or “Fine.”

When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, Xiao San and Zheng Qi began their hike up.

The scenery along the way was beautiful, and Xiao San could hardly stay still. One moment she was taking photos with her phone, the next she was poking around corners, teasing frogs and insects.

She was like an energetic little deer, running around quickly and happily.

The more she behaved like this, the worse Zheng Qi’s expression became, as cold as an iceberg.

“Are you here alone, young lady?” An elderly grandmother, resting by the side, couldn’t help but ask when she saw Xiao San’s boundless energy.

Xiao San shook her head and smiled at the grandmother. “My friend is over there.”

“Oh my, you two girls are so pretty, like you just stepped out of a poster,” the grandmother gushed, her compliments flowing freely. “How old are you? Do you have partners? Oh, I know a few suitable young men should I introduce you?”

Xiao San quickly shook her head. “No need, Grandma. I’m doing fine for now and don’t need to look for a partner.”

“That’s fine too. Being alone can be happy. It’s good to be by yourself,” the grandmother said cheerfully.

Xiao San nodded, afraid that if she hesitated, the grandmother would actually start setting her up.

“Did you two have a fight?” the grandmother finally got to the point.

“Huh?” Xiao San waved her hands dismissively. “No, not at all. We’re perfectly fine.”

The grandmother wore a knowing expression. “There’s no need to be shy. I can tell. Even though you two seem lively on the surface, your eyes haven’t met once. Tell me, what’s going on? How did good friends end up like this?”

Hearing the grandmother’s words, Xiao San couldn’t help but glance over at Zheng Qi.

Zheng Qi was sitting about ten meters away. From where Xiao San stood, she could only make out Zheng Qi’s outline, but as she looked over, Zheng Qi turned to meet her gaze.

Xiao San sighed. “It’s nothing.”

From this distance, Zheng Qi probably couldn’t hear the sounds from here, so Xiao San no longer needed to keep up the fake smile on her face.

The old lady didn’t press further but instead looked at Xiao San kindly, waiting for her to continue.

“Grandma, what would you do if you found out that the most important person in your life had lied to you?”

“Lied?”

“Maybe it’s just about something trivial anyway, it’s not really important. But she deliberately cried in front of you, as if trying to make you feel guilty to achieve her goal.”

“So, your friend lied to you and even cried on purpose in front of you?” The old lady quickly grasped the key point, her eyes seeming to shine with wisdom. “In a situation like this, as someone who’s been through a lot, my advice would be to ask her why she did it.”

“But I’m afraid she won’t take it seriously, as if lying to me is just something she should do. I’ve always considered her my best friend and never thought of hiding anything from her. But she left without a word, and for two years, I couldn’t get in touch with her. Now she’s suddenly back, changed her name, and still hasn’t told me what happened during those two years!”

“It seems to me that you’re not angry because she lied, but rather hurt because she hasn’t shared the things she’s hiding with you.”

Xiao San nodded. “That’s why I don’t dare to ask.”

“Then just pretend like nothing happened.”

“Ah,” Xiao San said, sounding even more dejected. “That’s exactly what I’m doing now pretending nothing happened, acting like I don’t know anything. But Grandma,” she said with a pained expression, “I feel so awful. Every time, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back and ask her, and I’m also afraid of getting an answer that will make me unhappy.”

“Have you ever thought about trying to understand her from another angle?”

“From another angle?”

The old lady nodded. “From what you’ve said, you two are very close friends. You’ve been completely open with her, but it seems she’s kept a lot from you. Since you don’t want to ask her directly, why not try asking others? Learn more about her. Maybe once you understand, you won’t feel so agitated.”

“But I know her well! We’ve known each other for so long, how could I not understand her?” Xiao San insisted.

The old lady took a slow sip of water. “Do you really know her? Everything you’ve said suggests that your panic stems precisely from not understanding her.”

“Huh?”

The old lady said kindly, “I’m an outsider, so I can see things clearly. You’re too caught up in the situation to see what’s really going on.”

Xiao San looked at the old lady, feeling that her words made a lot of sense.

Her understanding of Zheng Qi had always come from the book. Every time Zheng Qi behaved a certain way, Xiao San couldn’t help but compare her to the tragic female lead in the novel. Even after genuinely considering Zheng Qi a friend, she still unconsciously contrasted her with the original character.

Was it really because she knew too little about Zheng Qi that she felt this sense of panic?

Just as Xiao San was about to thank the old lady, she noticed that the old lady had already started walking up the mountain.

Staying put won’t let you see everything you have to climb the mountain to gain perspective.

Xiao San cheered herself on and suddenly felt energized again.

“Qi, hurry up! If I reach the summit before you, you’re treating us to a feast today!” Once she sorted out her thoughts, Xiao San perked up, feeling as if she could soar through the clouds and reach the heavens.

Hearing Xiao San’s energetic voice, Zheng Qi quickly caught up.

Xiao San had shouted with great enthusiasm and determination, but as she continued climbing the mountain with Zheng Qi, she realized that a peak over a thousand meters high was no small feat.

Xiao San was too exhausted to speak, yet Zheng Qi remained as energetic as ever not only climbing effortlessly but even carrying her on his back.

“Qi, were you training as a special forces soldier or something? How are you this strong?”

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