The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 54

“Because I did farm work since I was young, I’ve done much harder things than this. Climbing the mountain isn’t really that tiring,” Zheng Qi said softly.

This seemed to be one of the rare times Zheng Qi mentioned her childhood.

“Did you grow up in the countryside?” Xiao San asked.

Zheng Qi hummed in agreement. “In the countryside. Our home was at the very edge of the village. Since my grandfather passed away early, my grandmother worked hard to raise her two daughters. Oh, I think I mentioned it before—I have an aunt, my mother’s younger sister, about ten years younger than my mom. My aunt was especially good to me. After my mother gave birth to me, she left me at my grandmother’s house, and my aunt took care of me. She was just a child herself, yet she had to look after me all day.” At this point, Zheng Qi suddenly chuckled. “Even though she really disliked me back then.”

“Do you miss her a lot?”

“A little, but it’s all from over ten years ago. Thinking about it now feels like a dream.” Zheng Qi smiled, summarizing those memories in just one sentence.

Xiao San didn’t press further.

When they finally reached Chen Mountain, Xiao San felt a bit awkward as Zheng Qi set her down.

She jogged a few steps ahead to the front of the temple. “Ah Qi, hurry up and take a picture of me!”

Zheng Qi took out her phone and had just snapped the photo when Xiao San ran back, grinning as she looked at the picture of herself. She then took the phone and said, “Your turn, I’ll take one of you.”

Zheng Qi walked over. Unaccustomed to being the center of attention, her movements were stiff and awkward.

Seeing Zheng Qi’s demeanor, Xiao San couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t be so rigid! Move your hands a bit yes, copy me, make a peace sign!”

Following Xiao San’s guidance, Zheng Qi stiffly raised her hand, but as soon as she did, Xiao San said the gesture looked too strange and directed her to try another pose.

By the end of the whole process, Zheng Qi felt more exhausted than she had from climbing the mountain.

“Here’s your phone. Let’s go get the photos printed tomorrow,” Xiao San said, already planning the next day’s activities even though today wasn’t over yet.

The temple wasn’t particularly bustling, but a steady stream of visitors kept it from feeling deserted.

As soon as Xiao San entered, she spotted a stall selling incense and immediately scanned her phone to buy two bundles.

“Since we’re at the temple, it’d be a waste not to burn some incense,” Xiao San said, shoving one bundle into Zheng Qi’s hand. “If we use three sticks at a time and bow at every altar, that should just about do it.”

After making her plan, Xiao San pulled Zheng Qi toward the nearest hall.

The temple housed many bodhisattvas that Xiao San didn’t recognize. She simply knelt down, made a wish, and then moved on to the next spot.

Zheng Qi followed behind her. She didn’t believe in deities.

To say Zheng Qi didn’t believe in deities didn’t mean she was an atheist; rather, she considered praying to gods and Buddhas a foolish act.

Placing hope in such illusory things only revealed a person’s incompetence and cowardice.

Zheng Qi wasn’t just an atheist, she despised deities.

Perhaps because her heart wasn’t sincere, even when she knelt and kowtowed, she could feel the hall’s rejection of her.

“Ah, I’m exhausted.” Xiao San collapsed onto the bench, only then noticing that Zheng Qi looked a bit strange. “Ah Qi, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Indeed, making Ah Qi carry her up the mountain was really too much. “Are you tired? Do you need to rest? Your face is so pale should we go to the hospital?”

Zheng Qi shook her head. “Maybe it’s a bit of low blood sugar.”

“Low blood sugar?” Xiao San quickly rummaged through her pockets and bag, finally finding a piece of candy. “Eat this quickly. How did you end up with low blood sugar? Did you not eat anything?”

As she spoke, Xiao San suddenly remembered that because of her earlier, Zheng Qi really hadn’t eaten much that morning.

“You didn’t eat anything, and I still made you climb the mountain and carry me for so long. I’m really too much.” Xiao San watched Zheng Qi’s expression carefully. Only after eating the candy and a while later did Zheng Qi’s complexion begin to look better.

Zheng Qi shook her head. “It’s not because of you. I just didn’t pay attention.”

“How can you say it’s not because of me?” Xiao San felt even more guilty. “It’s all because I was overthinking things and made you worry. I won’t let you worry about me anymore.”

As she spoke, tears began to fall. “No matter what happens in the future, you have to take care of yourself first, okay?”

Zheng Qi patted Xiao San. “I know. When have I not taken care of myself?”

“You’ve never taken care of yourself.” Xiao San, annoyed, lightly hit Zheng Qi.

She really was awful, how could she give Zheng Qi the cold shoulder just because she was angry? Zheng Qi was already prone to overthinking, and because of her, she probably hadn’t rested well these past few days.

Setting aside her own grievances, Xiao San finally noticed the dark circles under Zheng Qi’s eyes. “Look at your dark circles they’re almost like a panda’s.”

As she spoke, Xiao San reached out to touch the area under Zheng Qi’s eyes. Suddenly, Zheng Qi grabbed Xiao San’s hand and pressed it against her own face. They stayed like that for a long time, until the warmth of Xiao San’s hand gradually matched the temperature of Zheng Qi’s face, and only then did Zheng Qi let go.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head down the mountain.”

“Ah, right, down the mountain, down the mountain.” Xiao San immediately jumped up.

Just now, for some reason, when their eyes met, Xiao San couldn’t look away. The two of them had ended up staring at each other for so long.

She must be going crazy. While looking at Zheng Qi, she had even felt the urge to kiss her a few times.

Was it because she hadn’t been in a relationship that she was starting to have such thoughts about her best friend?

Crazy, she must be going crazy.

“San’er, do you want me to carry you down the mountain?”

Xiao San had already run ahead a few steps, descending the mountain quickly. After just a couple of brisk steps, she was already more than ten meters away from Zheng Qi. She turned back and saw Zheng Qi standing there, tall and straight like a tree, and instantly started swooning again.

“No need, I can manage going down the mountain.”

She ran quickly, speeding along, not daring to look back at Zheng Qi even once. Because of that, she didn’t see Zheng Qi throw a bottle of blood sugar-lowering medication into the trash can.

Xiao San ran so fast that she didn’t even feel tired.

She genuinely felt a flutter in her heart, a sensation entirely different from any she had experienced before.

Was it because Zheng Qi’s pale face after his hypoglycemia episode looked so pitiful that it stirred a feeling of tender affection in her?

On the way back, Xiao San kept questioning herself.

On the way there, the atmosphere between Xiao San and Zheng Qi had been awkwardly quiet. Now, on the return journey, although neither of them spoke, the air felt charged with intensity.

As soon as they got home, Xiao San hurriedly retreated to her room.

She buried her face in the bed, wondering why everything had suddenly become so ambiguous.

Even though nothing had been said, and their actions were no different from before, Xiao San felt as if she were watching a slow-motion scene in a movie.

When Zheng Qi merely turned his head, she found the scent of his cologne incredibly alluring. When his hair swayed gently, it seemed to tug at her emotions like delicate threads. And when he got out of the car and placed the keys in her palm, she felt as if his fingertips had lightly brushed against her skin.

It must be an illusion, Xiao San knew it clearly.

But these illusions were so frequent and vivid that they made her feel as if Zheng Qi was deliberately trying to seduce her.

She must be going crazy.

Xiao San picked up her phone, wanting to ask Lü Yu about the reason for these feelings.

After all, Lü Yu had a boyfriend and, in a way, was more experienced in such matters.

But, if she told Lü Yu, she would definitely be teased.

Ah.

Xiao San clutched her head, wishing she could bang it against the wall until it cracked.

If not Lü Yu…

Who else could she ask? Xiao Gai? Forget it, if that guy heard about it, he would surely announce it to everyone.

Ji Junhong? Ah, he was her boss. Why would she even think of him?

Come to think of it, she had originally intended to introduce Ji Junhong to Zheng Qi.

Just imagining that scenario made Xiao San cringe, even though she hadn’t yet figured out why she was feeling this way about Zheng Qi.

After running through all her options, the only person she could think of was Li Ailun.

Because of Zheng Qi, Xiao San had plenty of opportunities to interact with Li Ailun. Although he seemed carefree and nonchalant, he always completed the tasks Zheng Qi assigned him flawlessly.

In Xiao San’s mind, Li Ailun was undoubtedly the number one employee.

Moreover, Li Ailun always offered constructive advice.

Li Ailun?

Xiao San picked up her phone, but then her thoughts drifted back to Zheng Qi.

Lately, she had been neglecting Zheng Qi, causing him to lose sleep. On top of that, he hadn’t eaten breakfast before going hiking, which led to his hypoglycemia. Now, rushing straight to her room after returning would he think she was angry again?

Xiao San got out of bed and hurried to Zheng Qi’s room.

Knock, knock, knock!

Zheng Qi: “Come in.”

Xiao San pushed the door open. Zheng Qi was sitting on the bed, the room dimly lit by only a bedside lamp. He held a pill in his hand, and a cup of freshly poured warm water sat on the nightstand.

In the corner, his computer emitted a bright glow.

“Ah Qi, what medicine are you taking?”

“I’m not feeling well, just some painkillers.”

As Xiao San leaned in to look, Zheng Qi handed her the pill to examine. “San’er, what’s wrong?”

“I came to remind you to eat something. You’ve been tired all day.”

Zheng Qi smiled and said, “I’m going to cook some noodles in a bit. Would you like some, San’er?”

Xiao San shook her head. “I’m not hungry, and I haven’t really moved around much.” She glanced at the computer. “It’s too late, you shouldn’t work anymore. You can always do it tomorrow.”

Zheng Qi hummed in agreement. “I know.”

“Then I’ll go rest now. Make sure you eat before you sleep, and don’t skip meals again, okay?”

Zheng Qi nodded and waved Xiao San off. As soon as the door closed behind her, Zheng Qi threw the medicine in his hand into the trash can, and the smile instantly vanished from his face.

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