Chapter 57

The moment she saw those five words, her tears burst out all over again.
He’d been treated unfairly since the day he was born. No one had ever been kind to him; everyone bullied him. At six years old, he’d been thrown into an empty house and left to survive on his own.
And now even the system was tormenting him.
The more she thought about it, the harder she cried.
Fumbling, she pressed call.
Qiu Li picked up instantly.
Hearing her sobs, so raw and broken that she couldn’t even speak, his breath caught painfully in his throat. After a long pause, his hoarse voice came through:
“Don’t cry… I’m sorry, alright? Please don’t cry.”
Her sobs only grew louder, tearing straight through him.
He swallowed hard. “If it’ll make you feel better, then curse at me. Or hit me. Anything.”
After a long moment, she managed between hiccups, “Where are you?”
Thinking she wanted to confront him, he said quietly, “Downstairs. At your aunt’s place.”
Yan Xiao dropped her phone and ran.
Qiu Li had no idea what was happening on her end, he just heard a thud, then silence.
“Xiao-xiao?” he called again and again, but there was no answer. Just as he clenched his jaw, ready to knock on the door,
He heard a click, then hurried footsteps.
He looked up.
She came running out of the house. Seeing her safe, Qiu Li finally let out the breath he’d been holding.
The gate swung open. He braced himself, ready for her anger, her fists, her scolding.
But instead of fury, she crashed into him and threw her arms around his neck.
For a second he froze, then instinct took over, his arms came up and held her tight.
That hollow, desolate place inside him, the one filled with darkness for so many years, was suddenly warm again. He felt alive.
It was like falling off a cliff, and at the very last moment, someone catching him safely in their arms.
She was still crying, her sobs shaking against his chest, and it broke his heart.
What made it worse, she’d come out in her pajamas, barefoot, shivering in the cold night air.
He tightened his hold, murmuring, “You’ll catch a cold like this. Let me, let me take you inside, okay?”
But she couldn’t even hear him through her sobs, only clutching him tighter.
He blinked away the sting in his eyes and stopped asking, simply gathered her closer and started walking toward the house, though since she refused to let go, he couldn’t carry her properly. So they just moved together, chest to chest, step by slow step.
When he shifted his weight, she squeezed him even harder. The grip was so strong it hurt, but that pain made him oddly happy. It felt real.
“Do you…”
He started to speak, then caught the faint sound of her voice. He couldn’t make it out. Thinking she was in pain, he asked softly, “What?”
She pressed closer, almost melting into him.
“I do.”
Qiu Li froze. Then he realized, she was answering his message.
Do you still want me?
Even though he’d already known her answer the moment she ran into his arms, hearing her say it out loud made his heart swell so hard it hurt.
She always had that power, to undo him completely.
When they finally shuffled back inside like a pair of conjoined twins, the warmth of the heater hit them both. Only then did Qiu Li’s pulse begin to steady.
He loosened his arms, wanting to wipe her tears away, but she refused to let go. So he sighed and wrapped her up again, letting her cry until she calmed down.
He felt so sorry for her, but he also knew her too well. Pushing her to talk now would only make it worse.
Still, it was different from the phone call earlier. Back then, his heart had been pounding in panic. Now, it was just full, achingly, wonderfully full.
He didn’t know how much time passed before he sensed movement.
He looked up, and froze.
Standing a few steps away was her aunt.
She must’ve come out quietly at some point, because now she was just watching them.
Qiu Li’s eyes widened, and his face instantly flushed scarlet.
With his voice rough and awkward, he stammered, “Auntie.”
Chen Zilu didn’t respond, only nodded slightly, her headache and worry pressing down as she watched her niece sobbing in Qiu Li’s arms.
Really…what a headache!
It was only when Qiu Li called her “Auntie” that Yan Xiao finally stopped crying. She rubbed at her tear-streaked face against him one last time before letting go, raising her head with misty, tear-filled eyes to look at her aunt.
“Auntie…”
Choked, distressed, pleading.
Seeing her niece’s red, swollen eyes and tear-streaked face, Chen Zilu lost any temper she might have had. She pinched her brows and went to the bathroom, fetching a hot towel to wipe Yan Xiao’s face.
Just as she raised her hand, Qiu Li took the towel gently. “I’ll do it,” he said softly.
Chen Zilu wanted to throw the towel at him.
It was all your fault, this little brat! You’ve made my precious niece so heartbroken!
But seeing him, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, several scrapes across his face, and his clothes all rumpled, Chen Zilu couldn’t stay indifferent. After all, she’d watched him grow up.
In the end, she tossed the towel to him and folded her arms, watching with furrowed brows.
Her niece kept sneaking glances at her, as if they were tragic lovers and Qiu Li the villain tearing them apart.
Chen Zilu felt her temper flare.
But her niece was her only one. What could she do?
She swallowed her anger.
“Go sit down!” she said, nodding at the two of them, and turned to the kitchen.
She heated some chocolate, arms folded, glancing at the stove. Do kids these days really get into this much trouble? Back when she was young, she had never even heard of such heart-stopping drama, this was TV-level melodrama!
When she brought out two mugs of hot chocolate, she found Yan Xiao sitting on the carpet, carefully disinfecting the cuts on Qiu Li’s hand.
Chen Zilu raised an eyebrow. She had a feeling Qiu Li was exaggerating his injuries on purpose, otherwise, how could a meticulous boy end up looking this beaten?
Still…Even if she knew he was faking it a little, it was hard to be ruthless.
Whether real or not, he had already played the emotional card, he had won. Even Chen Zilu herself had to admit.
She set the hot chocolate on the table without expression.
Ding! Both of them looked up.
Seeing the two of them like this, disheveled, messy, really did make them look like tragic lovers.
“I’ll leave soon,” Qiu Li said softly, as if afraid she’d get angry. “I won’t be long.”
Chen Zilu pinched her brows, then sighed. “It’s too late; just stay here tonight. I’ll prepare the guest room for you.”
Qiu Li looked embarrassed. “Sorry for the trouble, Auntie.”
Chen Zilu only nodded and went upstairs to set up the guest room.
The trouble itself wasn’t the issue, what mattered was that if Qiu Li left now, she couldn’t guarantee Yan Xiao would sleep peacefully tonight. Keeping him there was convenient: she could interrogate him properly first thing in the morning and find out exactly what he was up to.
Once her aunt left, Yan Xiao finally looked up at Qiu Li. “Why haven’t you treated your wounds?”
His eyes were still red and bloodshot, exhaustion evident. He smiled faintly. “I forgot.”
Yan Xiao frowned. “You can forget that?”
Qiu Li didn’t answer, just smiled obediently, ready for scolding.
After disinfecting the cuts on his hand and applying a large bandage, she said, “Look up.”
He obeyed.
The scab on his forehead looked dirty and untidy, and Yan Xiao frowned sharply.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Qiu Li murmured softly.
Yan Xiao glared. “Close your eyes!”
He did.
She cleaned the scrapes on his forehead and cheek with alcohol pads, then asked, “How long were you outside?”
He blinked, about to answer, then heard her add, impatiently, “Tell the truth!”
“9 o’clock,” he admitted.
Nine o’clock? It was now 2:30. That meant he had been out for five hours in the freezing winter night of Rongcheng. Yan Xiao’s temper flared. “Are you stupid?”
Qiu Li said nothing, only smiled faintly.
Her eyes were red again.
“Why didn’t you call me?” she demanded in a sharp voice.
Qiu Li: “I was afraid you’d still be angry. Seeing me might make it worse.”
Yan Xiao: “So you just waited?”
Qiu Li: “I couldn’t think of another way.”
Yan Xiao: “…”
He pressed his lips together, nervous. “I’m sorry.”
Tears fell from Yan Xiao’s eyes again.
He quickly wiped them away.
She swatted his hands off, gasping in frustration. “You didn’t tell me anything! You treat me like an idiot!”
He hadn’t said a word about the resentment toward the Qiu family, the pressure he endured, or the system’s interference, nothing at all!
Qiu Li was flustered, apologizing as he wiped her tears. “I’m sorry, I was wrong, really wrong. I won’t do it again. I’ll tell you everything next time. Please don’t cry.”
By the time Chen Zilu had finished preparing the guest room and came back to tell them they could rest, she found them like this, crying together like tragic lovers.
She couldn’t help but admire them.
If anyone uninformed saw this, they would probably scold her for breaking them apart.
“It’s almost three o’clock,” she called from the stairs. “Go to sleep now.”
Even as adults, they acted like kindergartners, crying at the slightest thing. Back then in kindergarten, they hadn’t been this dramatic, why did they get even more teary as they grew up?
Yan Xiao had only cried this time because she couldn’t hold back her emotions. It wasn’t an endless flood. She wiped her tears and nodded at her aunt. “Okay, I’ll go sleep now.”
As she turned to leave, Yan Xiao asked Qiu Li, “Have you eaten dinner?”
Chen Zilu: “…”
Qiu Li blinked. “Yes.”
Yan Xiao frowned.
Qiu Li: “No, but I’m not hungry.”
Yan Xiao: “I’ll make some noodles then.”
Chen Zilu was completely impressed.
She walked down. “Sit down. There are wontons in the fridge; I’ll cook them. You didn’t eat much tonight, do you want some?”
Yan Xiao nodded shyly.
Chen Zilu leaned closer and whispered, “Go wash your face, put something on your eyes. Otherwise, tomorrow your eyes will be puffy. If your parents see, they’ll…”
Yan Xiao immediately smiled gratefully at her aunt.
Chen Zilu didn’t accept her smile, keeping a deliberately stern expression. “Hurry up!”
Yan Xiao nodded and turned to Qiu Li, pointing to the bathroom, then hurried off.
After washing her face and applying some ice to her eyes, the wontons were ready.
“Just leave the dishes in the kitchen when you’re done,” Chen Zilu said, drying her hands and heading upstairs. “I’ll clean up tomorrow. Eat quickly and go to sleep.”
Yan Xiao nodded obediently, still trying to please her.
After dinner and washing up, she returned to her room under Qiu Li’s watchful gaze.
Before closing the door, she poked her head out, gesturing to Qiu Li to go to sleep quickly, then made a texting gesture.
Qiu Li nodded. Once she went inside and shut the door, he turned to the guest room.
Once inside, he pulled out his phone; her message had already arrived.
“Go to bed early. Good night.”
Qiu Li smiled, replying: “Okay, good night.”
After sending it, he stared at his phone for a while, making sure she wouldn’t send another message, then set it down, tilting his mouth into a small smile as he looked at the moonlight on the ceiling.
He’d barely enjoyed a moment of peace when a familiar annoying voice appeared, changing his expression.
“See, my predictions and advice are always the most accurate. She really forgave you.”
In the darkness, Qiu Li’s gaze turned sharp and dark.
“Tomorrow, follow my advice: keep playing the emotional card, team up with the Yan family, and deal with your family.”
Qiu Li gritted his teeth. “Shut up!”
“Why? Are you angry? Why? I’m helping you! Haven’t you always wanted revenge on the Qiu family? Such a good opportunity, and I’m helping you so much!”
Qiu Li forced himself to stay calm. “How could I let you disappear?”
The correction system was silent this time. After a while, the mechanical voice coldly said: “I will not disappear, because the path you are taking is wrong. Once you follow the correct path, I will automatically disappear.”
Qiu Li frowned. “Right or wrong is something I decide! What I consider right is right!”
“If you insist on going your own way, you cannot bear 99.2% of the consequences.”
A wild gleam appeared in Qiu Li’s eyes; the corner of his mouth curved into a disdainful smirk. “Try me?”