Chapter 26
After Li Qinyue’s outburst, the entire bus fell silent.
The driver continued driving steadily, and the old woman sat on the floor, dazed, not daring to move.
Zhuo Zhi, after all the commotion, was now feeling warm. She held the old woman’s arm with one hand and supported her shoulder with the other.
She looked up at Li Qinyue, her cheeks flushed, her eyes shining.
The bridge was still brightly lit, the river still misty, and the cars moved forward in an orderly fashion, carrying people home.
Suddenly, there was applause from a corner of the bus. Someone shouted, “Well done!”
The applause spread throughout the bus. People looked at Li Qinyue with excitement.
Li Qinyue pointed at a young man in the back seat, “Delete the video.”
The young man said, “I was just recording the truth, in case she tried to scam you…”
“Do I look like someone who’s afraid of scammers?” Li Qinyue pointed upwards, “Can’t you see the huge camera on the bus?”
The young man reluctantly put away his phone. Li Qinyue repeated, “Delete it.”
The young man tapped his phone a few times, “I’m deleting it, I’m deleting it, can’t afford to offend you, can’t afford to offend you.”
Li Qinyue scanned the passengers, “Anyone who recorded a video of me, delete it. If any of it ends up online, I’ll come knocking on your door.”
The applause and cheers subsided, and the bus fell silent again.
Zhuo Zhi helped the old woman up and led her to a seat, then handed the wallet back to Li Qinyue.
Li Qinyue put away the wallet and didn’t sit down. She just stared at the old woman.
The old woman didn’t dare to look up, her eyes fixed on her legs.
The bus reached the end of the bridge, the next stop approaching.
Zhuo Zhi kept an eye on the old woman while tugging at Li Qinyue’s sleeve, “Sister, I’ll help her get on the bus in the opposite direction.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue responded simply, not saying anything more.
The bus finally stopped. The passengers getting off were waiting by the back door, but they didn’t leave immediately.
Zhuo Zhi helped the old woman off the bus, and Li Qinyue followed closely behind.
To get to the bus stop across the street, they had to go through an underground passage, which was a bit of a walk. Zhuo Zhi said, “Sister, wait for me here, I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue responded simply, not stopping her.
As Zhuo Zhi walked away with the old woman, Li Qinyue took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and put it in her mouth.
It was cold, and the wind blew her hair and the smoke around.
There was a young girl who had just gotten off the bus. After hesitating for a while, she approached Li Qinyue, stopping a step away and saying, “Thank you.”
Li Qinyue turned to look at her, the cigarette still in her mouth. Her lips moved, “Thank me for what?”
The girl looked excited, her hands unconsciously clenching in front of her chest, “If it weren’t for you and your friend on the bus just now, who knows what would have happened.”
“I just couldn’t stand her,” Li Qinyue said.
“You stood up for what was right…”
“Are you going to sing me a song?” Li Qinyue interrupted her.
“Huh?” the girl was stunned.
“It’s cold, go home,” Li Qinyue waved her hand.
The girl was obviously going to transfer to another bus, so after saying that, it was Li Qinyue who walked away.
She left the bus stop area, walking aimlessly for a while, then remembered something and turned towards the entrance of the underground passage.
When Zhuo Zhi came back, she saw Li Qinyue standing at the entrance.
The sky was still slightly bright, a deep blue. Li Qinyue’s figure was slender, her posture as she smoked dejected.
There were a few steps between them. Zhuo Zhi took three steps at a time and quickly ran to Li Qinyue.
Li Qinyue put out her cigarette and threw it into a nearby trash can.
“Sister Qinyue,” Zhuo Zhi called out to her.
“Hmm,” Li Qinyue responded.
“You were amazing,” Zhuo Zhi whispered.
“Really?” Li Qinyue smiled.
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded with certainty, then asked, “Are we still taking the bus?”
“Not today, I’m tired,” Li Qinyue looked at the road, “Let’s get a taxi.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi obediently stood beside her, looking at the road with her.
Li Qinyue didn’t speak, her face expressionless. Zhuo Zhi looked at her several times before finally speaking, “Do you want to smoke, Sister?”
“Hmm?” Li Qinyue glanced at her.
“It’s okay, you can smoke,” Zhuo Zhi said.
“I thought you told me not to,” Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.
Zhuo Zhi immediately understood what she meant. She rubbed her hands and hid them behind her back.
“You’re guarding against me like I’m a wolf,” Li Qinyue chuckled.
“No, I’m not,” Zhuo Zhi lowered her head, a little embarrassed.
Li Qinyue’s fingers suddenly reached out and touched Zhuo Zhi’s cheek. It was cold, and Zhuo Zhi shivered slightly.
“Let me see,” Li Qinyue cupped Zhuo Zhi’s face with both hands, turning it to face her.
The wind was cold, and Li Qinyue’s hands were cold, but Zhuo Zhi’s cheeks were warm, her whole body warm.
“Does it hurt?” Li Qinyue’s fingertips brushed against Zhuo Zhi’s neck.
She remembered the spot perfectly, the direction and location were spot on.
Zhuo Zhi looked at her, her heart melting with gratitude. She asked softly, “Were you so angry because she hit me?”
“No,” Li Qinyue said, “I was angry from the beginning.”
“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi lowered her eyes.
Li Qinyue’s hands remained on her cheeks, as if trying to decipher something, not moving for a while.
Zhuo Zhi, emboldened by a surge of hope, asked, “Then did you come over and argue with her because she hit me?”
“Yes,” Li Qinyue answered this time.
A glimmer of light flashed in Zhuo Zhi’s eyes. She looked up at her, “So if she hadn’t hit me, you wouldn’t have come over?”
“Why are you so troublesome?” Li Qinyue frowned at her, “You want me to care about you and also act like a hero.”
“The two aren’t mutually exclusive,” Zhuo Zhi said proudly.
“Oh. I wouldn’t have come over,” Li Qinyue looked at her coldly. Seeing Zhuo Zhi’s lips about to pout, she added, “What’s the point of having a bodyguard if I have to handle such a small matter myself?”
Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. Li Qinyue’s hands on her cheeks turned into a pinch, “Have you forgotten that you’re my bodyguard? Hmm? Do you want me to yell and argue with people? How embarrassing.”
“It’s not embarrassing! You did the right thing, Sister, although your methods were a bit…”
“A bit what?” Li Qinyue squinted at her.
“Cool!” Zhuo Zhi said, “So cool!!!”
Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.
Zhuo Zhi continued to flatter her, “What I fear most in life is getting into conflicts with unreasonable old people. I was so scared, but you gave me so much courage!”
“How ambitious, your life has just begun.”
“Anyway, now I feel like I’m not afraid of anything,” Zhuo Zhi said excitedly, reaching out to hug Li Qinyue’s arm, “Sister, it’s so good to be rich.”
“Tsk,” Li Qinyue was very disappointed, “So you’re just after my money.”
“No, no, no, it’s my fighting skills plus your money, it’s so awesome!!! So awesome!!!” Zhuo Zhi shook Li Qinyue’s arm, “Sister, do you understand, do you understand?! There are many rich people, but not many rich people with a sense of justice like you. And we just happened to meet, and you didn’t stop me when I went to help that old lady. You understand what I mean, right? You know what I’m thinking, right?”
What else could she be thinking? Whether it was worrying about the old lady’s safety or worrying that others might get hurt because of her, it was all to prevent accidents and ensure a smooth day.
Li Qinyue had met all kinds of people, rich and poor, good and bad. Zhuo Zhi’s thoughts were as transparent as crystal, easy to read.
She wasn’t someone who went out of her way to be a hero, nor did she like yelling at idiots, but she couldn’t stand to see someone like Zhuo Zhi being wronged, couldn’t stand to see her disappointed.
There weren’t many beautiful things in this world, so if there was a little bit, it was best to preserve it.
Lost in thought, Li Qinyue didn’t answer Zhuo Zhi’s question. Zhuo Zhi stared at her, still waiting. Li Qinyue felt a little dazed.
“Stop looking at me,” Li Qinyue said.
“Huh? Why?” Zhuo Zhi, eager to share her ideals, immediately asked.
“If you keep looking at me like that…” Li Qinyue paused, her finger brushing against Zhuo Zhi’s nose, “I won’t be able to resist bullying you.”
Zhuo Zhi’s face flushed even more. Although Li Qinyue’s words were about bullying, her expression was a little helpless, which gave Zhuo Zhi a strange feeling.
It was like, she knew that Li Qinyue liked her, she knew what kind of her Li Qinyue liked most. She might subconsciously, deliberately, present that side of herself, just to be liked by Li Qinyue even more.
There were many benefits to being liked by Li Qinyue, but to be liked and then forbid her from being bullied because of it, Zhuo Zhi felt that she was being a bit too much, even a bit cruel.
But then again, Li Qinyue was a strange person.
Shouldn’t you be nice to someone you like, spoil them, pamper them? With Li Qinyue, it was all about teasing, forcing, and doing things that made Zhuo Zhi embarrassed and flustered.
This rebellious way of dealing with her own emotions was childish, too childish!
After a moment of mixed emotions, the two of them stood like telephone poles in the cold wind, their postures steady, looking at each other absentmindedly.
The sky had completely darkened, and the dim streetlights elongated their shadows. The road was empty, this place was desolate. They had been waiting for a while, but no taxi had passed by.
Li Qinyue suddenly took out her phone. Zhuo Zhi hurriedly asked, “Are you calling a car, Sister?”
“No,” Li Qinyue replied, putting the phone to her ear. After a few seconds, she said to the person on the other end, “Something came up, I can’t make it.”
Zhuo Zhi was stunned. Li Qinyue continued talking on the phone, her brows furrowed, “It’s nothing, let’s do it another day. Bye.”
She really just hung up. Zhuo Zhi observed Li Qinyue’s expression, “You’re not going, Sister?”
“No.”
“Did I make you unhappy?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can get mad at me, you can hit me too. Is it okay to cancel on your friend?” Zhuo Zhi’s heart was racing, “Are you tired? Then should we…”
Li Qinyue raised her hand to cover Zhuo Zhi’s mouth, her voice cold and stern, “Shut up.”
It was a familiar tone and gesture. Zhuo Zhi obediently stopped talking and moving.
Li Qinyue looked around, spotted her target, and pulled Zhuo Zhi along.
Zhuo Zhi’s eyes darted around, her lips moving silently. She held back her questions.
Li Qinyue took large strides, pulling Zhuo Zhi along for a while before suddenly laughing, “Do you want to ask where we’re going?”
Zhuo Zhi blinked, indicating yes.
Li Qinyue turned to look at her, her eyes narrowed into a sly smile like a fox, “To bully you, of course.”
Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. Li Qinyue pointed ahead. Not far away was a grand-looking chain hotel, “We’re getting a room, just to bully you.”
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