Chapter 25 : Interlude: A Love Lost to the Crowd

After Zhu Hanqi hung up, Ye Qingshu’s phone buzzed incessantly with messages from one person.

“I know it’s you setting me up.”

The first message nearly made her drop her phone in fright.

But with everyone bustling to handle the mess she’d sparked, shutting off her phone and ignoring it wasn’t an option.

If no one could find this guy, she might be the only one with a lead on Yang Xinwei’s movements.

Steeling herself, Ye Qingshu’s trembling hand opened the chat, reading his messages.

“It’s fine. I don’t hate you.”

“But your childhood friend, that Zhu Hanqi—he’s the one who blew this up, right? And Li Xiaowan too. You’re all in on it!”

“If you won’t let me live, I won’t let them either. I know where you live… We can still salvage this. If you don’t want something bad to happen to Zhu Hanqi, come out, follow my instructions, and meet me.”

[(Image)]

The photo showed Zhu Hanqi leaning against a wall, deep in thought, captured from a sneaky, tricky angle. He seemed oblivious to being watched.

“!”

Despite Zhu Hanqi sounding fine on the phone, time had passed with no word, no return—only him.

“Um, Shen Yingxu, can you call Zhu Hanqi again? I need to talk to him.”

Even asking Shen Yingxu to call yielded no answer—his phone was off.

Shen Yingxu reassured her it might be due to giving a statement, but Yang Xinwei’s increasingly unhinged messages, arriving every few minutes, gnawed at Ye Qingshu’s sanity.

“Guess you don’t care about him either, huh?”

“You and I are the same.”

“Ye Qingshu, I’m in this mess because of you.”

“You liar! Filthy b*tch!!”

“Aren’t you afraid he’ll die?!?!”

…

Finally, Ye Qingshu stood, forcing a smile to lie to Shen Yingxu.

“Shen Yingxu, I need to grab something from my place next door.”

“Huh? Right now? …Want me to come with?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s… personal. I’ll be quick.”

Leaving an oblivious Shen Yingxu, Ye Qingshu walked out.

I’m such a liar.

Sorry, Shen Yingxu.

…

How long had it been since she’d been to the middle school rooftop?

After that day when she said those words, she hadn’t returned for the rest of middle school. At first, she didn’t want to; later, she couldn’t.

Each step felt like a thousand pounds. The door, once pried open by Mu Ziqing and Zhu Hanqi through some unknown means, stood ajar. Sunset rays slipped through the gap, hitting the stairs, forming a square window of light that reflected past days.

“How’d you two even do this?! Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?!” her younger self had shouted.

“Not our fault—it’s just old and rusty~” Mu Ziqing had teased.

“Only the three of us know this secret. If it leaks—there’s a traitor!” Zhu Hanqi had declared, eyeing her.

“Who’re you calling a traitor!” she’d snapped back.

“Whoever answers is guilty!~~”

…

Ye Qingshu slowly reached out, touching the door buried deep in her memories.

Yang Xinwei was cunning, making her take a roundabout path before revealing his true location.

Midway, she’d texted Shen Yingxu the full context, withholding her destination to keep her out of danger.

As a fellow girl, she didn’t want Shen Yingxu to take the risk—but deep down, maybe there was a flicker of jealousy, a competitive edge toward her “ex-girlfriend” status.

If someone had to sacrifice, she wanted it to be her.

It began with her; it should end with her. No need to drag others in.

After Yang Xinwei confirmed the rooftop meeting, she followed his instructions to the school gate.

She sent her final location to Shen Yingxu and Mu Ziqing, urging them to alert the school and police, but she knew the truth.

Even if they acted immediately, they couldn’t reach her before she met Yang Xinwei.

And if she didn’t go, not only would he slip away… what if he really hurt Zhu Hanqi? Losing him was something she couldn’t bear, far outweighing her fear of Yang Xinwei.

Even if it was a lie, if she could hold out until Shen Yingxu and the authorities arrived… even the worst outcome would only affect her. And it was the rooftop…

Yang Xinwei might be bluffing, but it was a bluff she couldn’t take a chance on.

I can’t…

I absolutely can’t leave him alone again!!

With resolve, she pushed open the rooftop door, letting the sunset wash over her.

“Zhu Hanqi!”

Squinting against the blinding dusk, she called out, scanning for him and the surroundings.

Tears welled instinctively, but the scene wasn’t the disaster she’d feared.

“Idiot.”

Leaning on the railing, the boy propping his cheek turned, rolling his eyes.

The sunset bathed his face, gentle as ever, giving the illusion of returning to old times.

“You’re so slow.”

“But lucky you’re an idiot and slow enough.”

…

“Don’t you think, deep down, you expected to open this door and see Yang Xinwei with a villainous sneer, barking orders?”

Standing side by side at the railing, Ye Qingshu nodded softly.

“Yeah.”

The boy chuckled, turning to her.

“Don’t you find it weird? We were all planning together, so why did Zhu Lulubing vanish halfway?”

Ye Qingshu’s eyes widened slightly.

“I-I thought she went home. She seems so busy…”

“Knowing that, why would I let her leave? We use talent to death around here. She was in the RV outside, watching. She noticed the second you left.”

“S-So…”

“Come on, it’s obvious. That guy stabbed Li Xiaowan—think he’d spare you or me? Shen Yingxu’s better than you two, but she’s a softie, a dumb healer, not vigilant enough.”

Seeing her puzzled look, Zhu Hanqi waved dismissively. “Let’s just say I didn’t trust Shen Yingxu to watch you alone, so I got backup. We’ve known your every move since you left.”

“But I only just got Yang Xinwei’s location. How did you…?”

Zhu Hanqi smiled, reaching out. Under her misty gaze, he brushed something off her shoulder, then showed her a map trace on his phone.

“Tracking device, borrowed from Zhu Lulubing. No clue why she has one, but it’s fitting for a national treasure. Sorry for not telling you.”

He spoke calmly.

“Look, his instructed path. He made you circle to ensure you were alone, that it was safe—so he’s at a spot where he can watch you.”

“So, these three Xs are…” Ye Qingshu looked up.

“Yup, the likeliest spots. I know him—he’d pick here. School’s out, but clubs are active, so it’s crowded, easy to blend in.”

“Plus, choosing our middle school rooftop has a fateful vibe. He’s a performative nut, loves dramatic nonsense like ‘my stuff’ or ‘you owe me.’ Just a narcissistic lunatic.”

The boy laughed softly. “But I had Zhu Lulubing, Shen Yingxu, Jiang Xiang, and Liu Senyao check other spots too—just in case. I planned for every possibility.”

“So, it’s not magic that I’m here waiting, watching the view. It was a pain, so don’t do pointless stuff like this again.”

He turned, stretching, gazing at the sunset with a nostalgic look.

“The view here hasn’t changed much.”

But his eyes lowered, hiding a fleeting vulnerability.

“But we’ve all grown up.”

He walked past her, not lingering.

“Let’s go. We’re having dinner together, right?”

Ye Qingshu grabbed his sleeve, clutching it tightly in his stunned gaze.

“It’s not pointless. I know I caused you trouble, but it was the only thing I could do.”

If she didn’t speak now, she might never.

Then she’d truly lose something…

Despite his frown, she pressed on.

“I’ve always wanted to properly apologize to you.”

Bowing her head, she stared at the ground.

The cracked tiles on the rooftop seemed to split them onto different planes.

“And thank you, Zhu Hanqi. My mistake back then might never earn your forgiveness, and I know I don’t deserve it…”

“But you still helped me, held my hand when I was scared. Like Mom said, I can’t expect too much or dream of going back… but please, don’t push me away again…”

“I was the fool who didn’t cherish what I had! I made empty promises and broke them. I deserve punishment! Even for a lifetime, I’ll prove it with time! I’ll do anything to make it up, just to earn your trust again…!”

“A lifetime’s long. Really long.”

“Don’t throw around ‘lifetime’ when you’re only seventeen.”

Her head snapped up, meeting his shifting gaze. He cut her off, his tone a mix of seriousness and chilling detachment she’d never seen.

“Only fools and kids make lifelong promises so lightly.”

He smiled, gently pulling his sleeve free.

“Time doesn’t prove or fix anything. It only makes problems, troubles, needs, and feelings fade into insignificance.”

“No need for compensation or rebuilding trust, Ye Qingshu.”

“In my heart, you’ve always been my childhood friend. Why else would I help you?”

The boy who grinned at their first meeting, shyly offering treasured cards and toys at her house.

The boy who ate with her on this rooftop, grumbling about her cooking while hunting rare recipes for her.

The boy she’d left in the classroom with harsh words, who hesitated to speak, kept his distance, sent timely holiday and birthday wishes online, while she never joined his birthday plans.

Now spoke with the gentlest, yet most distant words.

Ye Qingshu collapsed to her knees in pain.

She’d resolved the rumor issue, no longer living in fear.

But the punishment for mistakes falls equally on all.

If Li Xiaowan’s greatest fear was “being unloved,” Zhu Hanqi’s understated words struck Ye Qingshu’s deepest wound.

“I never hated you, Ye Qingshu.”

“You’re just… no longer special to me. That’s all.”

All unfulfilled loves

Start with seeing you in the crowd.

And end with you fading back into it.