CH 4.1

Like a Old Man Talking About the Past (Part 1)

“Go away… Don’t come closer…”

Tian Jingzhi held her neck as blood gushed out from her fingers. She backed away in panic, and used everything she could grab to block the approach of the man in front of her, but it was all in vain.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, but there was a wall behind her. She has nowhere to go. Tian Jingzhi sat down desperately along the wall, "Don't kill me, I don't want to die!"

……

“CUT!” The director's voice interrupted, “Enough! Thanks for your hard work, Xiaozhi. Where’s the next audition attendee?” 

Tian Jingzhi endured the stickiness all over her body and got up. She watched the next actress who auditioned come in. She didn't even have time to talk to the director as she ushered out by the staff.

What a joke, didn’t they say she was already decided to be the second female lead? Why are there more than a hundred more audition attendees? So exaggerated, are you picking an actress or a concubine?

Tian Jingzhi sat in the rest area while awkwardly wiping the liquid off herself. Feng Dongdong came over with a box of pomegranates in his arms and was startled when he saw the blood on her arm, “Miss Tian, you’re injured?”

“It's fake blood.” Tian Jingzhi indifferently glanced at the pomegranate in his arms, “You bought it?”

“Yeah, the sweetest variety... But why do we need this, Miss Tian?”

Tian Jingzhi replied angrily: “The juice contains antioxidants.”

“Then, how was the audition?”

Tian Jingzhi did not answer, but just pointed to the actresses who were chatting with each other to pass the time. Feng Dongdong shut his mouth and did not dare to ask more questions.

Taking home the pomegranates, Tian Jingzhi saw Xue Lingqiao sitting on the sofa. She weakly greeted him, “Hi Snorlax, I'm back. Have you been a good boy today?” Xue Lingqiao continued to look at the album in his hand as if he hadn't heard her. Tian Jingzhi didn't mind either, and pushed the pomegranates in front of him, “Your dinner.”

Xue Lingqiao gestured to the hamburger bag on the coffee table with his eyes: “Your dinner.”

Tian Jingzhi was stunned for a moment, “You went out today?”

Xue Lingqiao finally raised his head, “I went to see someone.”

Judging from all the clues that he has collected, Professor Li Kunqing is his prime suspect.

In order to validate his hypothesis, he followed Professor Li Kunqing into University F. It was lunchtime, so the cafeteria was crowded with people coming and going. When Professor Li was trying to find a seat with food in his hands, Xue Lingqiao passed by him and pretended to bump him accidentally. Professor Li turned and apologized to Xue Lingqiao with a natural expression before heading to a seat by the window. He then took out the materials he carried with him, and read while eating.

Xue Lingqiao secretly observed the change in his expression and found nothing unusual.

He couldn't say if he was disappointed, maybe he was too impatient, “I thought he was an old acquaintance, but his reaction said otherwise.”

While eating the hamburger, Tian Jingzhi opened the refrigerator to look for water to drink, “What do you mean ‘his reaction’?”

“If someone saw a person he had killed over a hundred years ago, no matter how good they are at concealing, their first instant reaction will never be fake.”

Tian Jingzhi was even more confused, “It’s your old acquaintance, how can you not recognize them? They shouldn’t be a normal person either, right? This is almost like a drama where the protagonist loses their most important piece of memory…”

Xue Lingqiao looked up at her silently and for the first time, he did not refute her.

Tian Jingzhi was stunned and carefully asked: “You really have amnesia?”

“Mild symptoms.”

Tian Jingzhi's eyes widened, “Just the most important memories?”

“About...a dozen years, maybe twenty years…”

“Stop!” Tian Jingzhi quickly interrupted him, “I don’t want to know anything about you. The more I know, the more troublesome it will be. The best relationship between us is to maintain as a pure landlord and tenant. Similarly, my business…” Suddenly Tian Jingzhi realized that Xue Lingqiao was browsing through her photo album. He was currently looking at a photo of her and Li Yanzhi. She jumped up and snatched the album from him and said angrily, “Who told you to mess with my things?!”

Xue Lingqiao was sure, “You love him very much.”

“I love him? Where do you see that?... Oh, this album…” Tian Jingzhi raised the album, “...these photos I took with him were when we were young. There’s two copies, his family has one set and my family has the other. Thank you for helping me dig it out from the drawer, I almost forgot to throw it out."

After speaking, she simply threw the album into the trash can.

“I can tell from the photos that he loves you very much too.”

“He loves me? Fine, I admit, before our childhood relationship turned to a romantic one, both our hearts were filled. However, when the relationship deteriorated, the original heart was like a balloon filled with flammable gas. A small spark caused a large fire and left nothing in the end.”

“Since there's nothing left, then don't be angry anymore.”

Tian Jingzhi was furious, but she smiled, “Angry? I'm not angry at all, how would you know I’m angry?”

“With my eyes.”

Tian Jingzhi was speechless. She turned the other way, trying to calm herself down. When she turned around, she saw Xue Lingqiao drinking pomegranate juice gracefully with a goblet. Provoking other people's sadness, watching others struggling in pain, and then doing nothing but watch. 

This man was pure evil.

Tian Jingzhi's anger reached its peak, “You’re in charge of taking out the trash.”

She slammed the pillow onto the sofa and stormed back to her room with a dark face. 

Tian Jingzhi continued to toss and turn on her bed. Her heart felt like a ball of cotton, stuffy and full of small gaps. Nothing lasts forever, be it life or love. With this thought, Tian Jingzhi was able to calm down. She then jumped up from bed and sneakily made her way downstairs to the living room. 

The trash can is empty, and the photo album she threw in was gone. She remembered telling Xue Lingqiao to throw out the trash, how come he listened to her now? Great. She hurriedly rushed to the large trash can at the door and rummaged through it anxiously. She turned the entire trash can upside down, but found nothing. 

That burger she had for dinner must have been bad, otherwise why would her mouth be so bitter? Tian Jingzhi sat on the ground weakly and burst into tears. 

Nothing lasts forever, including love and life, but this did not include garbage trucks. 

Tian Jingzhi was a crying mess when a photo album was handed to her. She raised her head to see Xue Lingqiao standing in front of her. That person was clean and gentle and she was like a pile of useless garbage in front of him. 

“I still love him, how embarrassing is that?”

Xue Lingqiao realized that he was now meeting her for the first time. She was like a porcupine that turned over her belly, revealing her fragility. Not everyone is how they portray themselves, including yourself and the person in front of you. 

Not embarrassing. (You’ve) become much more likely. Unfortunately, Xue Lingqiao didn't have any talent in comforting others. 

Xue Lingqiao looked at her quietly, and suddenly smiled. He had a gentle look in his eyes, “Do you want to fly?”