He Yao let out a long sigh as she followed Zhan Jingrui out the door.
"Thank you for taking me out. I'm leaving now."
Zhan Jingrui, who had been prepared to invite her to his place, was taken aback. "Where are you going?"
He Yao couldn't possibly go to his house.
It would be awkward for him and his parents if a male classmate brought a female classmate home.
Besides, if he kept her for an hour or two and then let her leave, it would be too late, making it even harder for her to depart.
"To my aunt's house."
Zhan Jingrui recalled the address she had mentioned last time the class monitor took her home and asked, "Your aunt lives on Binhe Road?"
"Yes. It's where I ran into you last time."
It was so late, and she was alone. After just being frightened, she still had to take the bus. Zhan Jingrui felt an uneasy concern.
"Wait a moment, I'll take you."
Not wanting to leave her standing alone at the entrance, he took He Yao to the Tang family's home.
Zhan Jingrui had never lied to his family before; this was his first time.
He told his father, Mr. Tang, that he was going out with a classmate to buy study materials and would be back shortly, then smoothly drove out.
As the car drove slowly, Zhan Jingrui thought it over and finally asked her.
"You said it wasn't the first time, and your mother didn't believe you?"
He Yao looked out the window, paused for a long time, and then replied, not directly answering.
"My mother was pregnant with me before she got married. My father ran off when she was about to give birth... Over the years, she dated many boyfriends, but none of them worked out. This one is not only young and promising but also willing to marry her, so she's very grateful."
Zhan Jingrui was speechless.
After a pause, he said, "What if he asks you to go back tomorrow? Have you thought about what you'll do then?"
He Yao turned back to face forward, her tone indifferent.
"I've thought about it. I told my mother I wanted to continue living at my aunt's, but she disagreed. To be precise, he disagreed."
"He said that since my mother had married him, I should live with them. Otherwise, people would think he couldn't tolerate me."
"My mother is unemployed now and can't afford to pay extra money to my aunt."
In his eighteen years of life, Zhan Jingrui had never encountered a family situation this complicated.
Besides empathizing with her, he didn't know what else he could do.
"So what will you do?"
He Yao's tone was one of resignation, "I'll take it one step at a time. If it really comes to it, I'll confront him."
Zhan Jingrui's first thought was to report him, but He Yao shook her head.
"I haven't considered that. Given my mother's feelings for him, she would hate me if I ruined his marriage."
"I'll be eighteen next month. Just a few more days, and then I'll be free."
As the car made its way through winding streets to the entrance of her aunt's apartment complex, a figure on a bicycle speeding past caught He Yao's attention before she could even get out of the car.
She quickly rolled down the window and looked back. It was her cousin, He Chuan.
He wasn't carrying a schoolbag or wearing a school uniform. At this hour, riding a bike to go out meant her aunt was definitely not home.
"Excuse me, I need to make a call."
He Yao took out her phone to call He Chuan. As expected, He Chuan said his mother was on the night shift.
"What is it? Why are you suddenly concerned about my mom? If you're being so nice, there must be a catch. Are you thinking of coming to live with us again?"
He Yao: "Don't forget you owe me money. What's wrong with staying at your place for one night?"
"Don't mention money to me. You lived at our house for so many years, eating my food and drinking my drinks. We're lucky we didn't ask you to settle the bill... You can stay for one night, but you're not allowed to chase me for money anymore."
The car was quiet, and Zhan Jingrui heard everything He Chuan said.
Just as he thought He Yao was going to give in, she said to her phone with a blank expression.
"Dream on. I paid your mother when I lived at your place. That's a separate matter. If you dare not return my money, I'll tell my aunt all your dirty secrets. Try me if you don't believe me."
"Hey! He Yao! With you like this, you think I'll treat you well? Dream on!"
Her cousin hung up the phone.
Zhan Jingrui knew her plan to seek refuge with her aunt had failed. After a two-second silence in the car, he asked,
"Was the person who snatched your phone last time your cousin?"
"Yes, you remember?"
Her aunt wasn't home, and her cousin had a bad character. Going to his place would be like escaping one tiger's den only to fall into a wolf's lair, wouldn't it?
Zhan Jingrui asked, "Is there nowhere else to go?"
He Yao looked at the entrance of the complex with her beautiful, ethereal eyes, paused for two seconds, and said,
"Yes, could you please take me to the hospital?"
She wanted to find her mother. Staying in the hospital room was also an option.
But, "Isn't the hospital room crowded? Are you sure there's a place to sleep?"
"It's okay, just take me there."
Zhan Jingrui thought he was going to her mother's place. He reversed the car and took her to the hospital entrance.
Upon returning home, Mrs. Tang asked him why it took so long to buy study materials.
Zhan Jingrui told the truth, saying that the classmate was the daughter of their next-door neighbor.
"Isn't her mother hospitalized? I took her to the hospital on the way."
"Is that so? She really takes after her mother, such a pretty girl. But that hospital isn't far, is it? Why did it take so long?"
"Not far? Do you know which hospital she's in?"
Mrs. Tang said, "Your grandfather and I were out for a walk just now, and we bumped into someone who asked. Their nanny said they were going to the Maternal and Child Health Hospital. It's only about a ten-minute drive from here."
But He Yao went to the First People's Hospital.
Could it be that she didn't even know where her mother was hospitalized?
Zhan Jingrui was about to put the keys back in the drawer when he suddenly thought of something and turned to ask Mrs. Tang.
"I remember you saying before that many people, to save money on hotel rooms at night, would sleep in the hospital waiting rooms on free chairs..."
"Yes, that was common in our time. Hospital beds that were unoccupied, chairs in the waiting rooms. Under bridges. Park benches. Anyone could make a home out of public facilities."
As Mrs. Tang spoke, he grabbed the car keys and went out again.
"What's wrong? Where are you going now?"
"I suddenly remembered I left my study materials at her place. I'm going to get them back."
Zhan Jingrui drove quickly to the First People's Hospital.
He had been here before when accompanying Mrs. Tang for a doctor's appointment and was somewhat familiar with the inpatient department.
He searched from the first-floor lobby, room by room, until he reached the third floor without seeing any sign of He Yao.
The hospital smelled of disinfectant, and everyone's face looked numb. He stood out in the crowd.
As he searched, Zhan Jingrui's social anxiety started to act up.
Was he perhaps meddling too much?
She hadn't asked him for help, and she wasn't a three-year-old child. On the contrary, it was evident that she was a stubborn and opinionated person. What was he doing?
Zhan Jingrui felt a bit sheepish and decided to search one more floor. If he couldn't find her, he would go back.
As he turned around, he saw He Yao just coming out of the restroom, shaking water from her hands.
Because of his height and striking appearance, He Yao spotted him immediately.
Their eyes met, and there was a moment of awkwardness.
But they were both intelligent and tacitly agreed not to address the situation directly.