Shen Keqin was lost in deep memories.
Jian Mubai knew her well, like a worm in her belly, perfectly understanding her thoughts.
In the morning, he would thoughtfully prepare her school clothes, squeeze toothpaste for her, and when she liked to eat fish but disliked picking out bones, he would meticulously remove all the bones and place the fish in her bowl.
Since his appearance, she never had to worry about the weather; if it was windy or rainy, he would prepare umbrellas and rain boots in advance.
If it was a sunny day with strong UV rays, he would provide sunscreen and protective clothing.
However, Jian Mubai wasn't foolishly doting on her.
When she disliked science subjects and writing homework, she would ask him to do it for her. At such times, he would sternly tell her that her homework was her own responsibility.
But he would first review all the problems and then explain them to her one by one. His teaching methods were always simple and easy to understand, much better than those of her teachers, which was why her grades never dropped below third in her grade.
From the age of twelve, they had been together.
The time they spent together even exceeded the time she spent with her family.
She had always believed they would never part.
Yet, Jian Mubai chose to resign. Resigning was one thing; as long as they were in Jinghua City, there would still be opportunities to meet.
What's more, he was somehow involved in the incident that befell her father.
The more Shen Keqin cried, the more distressed she became. In these past few days, she had shed more tears than in the entire first half of her life.
Jian Mubai gently wiped away her tears with a tissue. "Drink the brown sugar water; your stomach will feel better."
Shen Keqin suddenly grabbed Jian Mubai's hand, crying and pleading, "Jian Mubai, will you let me go? If you let me go now, I'll plead with my brother, and perhaps he'll spare you and Lin Zhuyin."
Looking at Shen Keqin's tear-filled eyes, a suffocating pain seized Jian Mubai's chest. He only wanted her to be happy, yet she hadn't smiled once in the days she had been with him.
"Drink the brown sugar water first."
It was that same feeling of hitting cotton with a fist.
Shen Keqin was furious. She pushed the bowl out of his hand, "You're holding me captive, yet you pretend to be kind to me. Get out! I don't want to see you! And I won't drink anything you give me!"
Shen Keqin lay on the bed, burying her head under the quilt, crying aggrievedly.
Jian Mubai watched the quilt heave and fall, his expression grim.
As he picked up the shattered pieces from the floor to throw away, he saw a note left for him by Lin Zhuyin.
"Mubai, I'm sorry. I don't want to keep hiding, nor do I want to leave Jinghua City.
This is my home, and I've done nothing wrong. Why should I be forced to leave my homeland? I want to see Shen Zhengcheng brought to justice with my own eyes.
Also, I was married to Shen Liubai. Whether we loved each other or not, there must be a resolution.
As for Qinqin, I know you can't bear to part with her. But she is like a rose meant for the sun. If you keep her from the sun, she will surely wither. If you want her to bloom brightly forever, please let her go."
Jian Mubai took a deep breath. The moment Lin Zhuyin said she didn't want to live a life on the run, he had foreseen that she would go to Shen Liubai.
Heh… speaking of which, Lin Zhuyin was far braver than he was.
He was a coward, unsure of what to do, resorting to this method to keep her by his side.
After putting away the note, Jian Mubai returned to the small room.
Shen Keqin was still buried under the quilt. He walked over and gently pulled it back, but she covered her face with her hands.
Jian Mubai said nothing. He got onto the bed and pulled her into his embrace.
Shen Keqin struggled briefly, but Jian Mubai didn't let go; instead, he held her tighter.
Shen Keqin's stomach hurt. She knew that no matter how much she hit or scolded Jian Mubai now, he wouldn't react much.
She had tired herself out from struggling, so she decided to stop.
Let him hug her if he wanted; it wouldn't cost him anything.
But…
That darned guy dared to place his hand on her stomach.
Just as Shen Keqin was about to curse, she realized Jian Mubai wasn't doing anything inappropriate. Instead, he was gently rubbing her stomach, seemingly to alleviate her pain. Only then did she restrain herself from getting angry.
Her heart grew heavy again.
In the past, when her stomach ached during her period, he would also rub it for her.
But after she turned sixteen, he had stopped rubbing her stomach, stating they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
What did he mean by this now?
Was he no longer concerned about the boundaries between men and women?
Jian Mubai's hands were warm, and gradually, Shen Keqin's stomach pain subsided.
Shen Keqin lay with her eyes open, feeling Jian Mubai's tenderness, completely unaware of what he was truly thinking.
He claimed to be holding her captive, yet he was still so good to her.
But if he was so good to her, why wouldn't he let her go? He wouldn't answer her questions either.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Keqin, overcome by sleepiness, closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
When she woke up again, she had no idea what time it was.
With no phone and no windows, she couldn't tell if it was day or night.
Seeing that Jian Mubai was not there, she immediately got up and tiptoed to the door.
She tried the door handle, and to her surprise, it opened easily.
Jian Mubai hadn't locked the door.
She opened the door and stepped out, only to find the living room empty. Jian Mubai was nowhere to be seen, not even Lin Zhuyin.
This was the perfect opportunity to escape.
With a burst of energy, she ran towards the entrance. Suddenly, she saw Jian Mubai returning with groceries through the window.
This man… he still had the leisure to go grocery shopping!
No, today was the best chance. If she missed this opportunity, escaping would become much harder.
Shen Keqin glanced around frantically. Her gaze landed on a vase with roses.
Next to the vase, her phone was placed.
Without time to think, she grabbed her phone, quickly took out the roses, and holding the vase, hid by the door to wait for Jian Mubai to enter.
As Jian Mubai's footsteps grew closer, Shen Keqin's heart beat faster.
She had never done anything like this before; she was so nervous she dared not breathe.
The door was unlocked with a key, and Jian Mubai placed the key on the shoe cabinet.
Shen Keqin saw him changing his shoes. Her heart hardened, and she gritted her teeth. She picked up the vase and smashed it hard against Jian Mubai's head.
"Bang…"
The vase and his head collided with a loud thud.
Jian Mubai, supporting himself on the shoe cabinet, collapsed. The lychees he was carrying also fell to the ground.
He turned his head and saw Shen Keqin, pale and with tears streaming down her face.
Shen Keqin had never intended to harm Jian Mubai. Seeing the blood flowing from his head, her heart ached to the point of breathlessness.
But she quickly regained her composure, no longer looking at Jian Mubai, and ran past him.
Jian Mubai watched her receding figure, tears flowing down his cheeks.
"Qinqin, keep running, don't look back, never look back… If you look back, I… I won't be able to let you go anymore."