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Autumn Wind was even more surprised to discover that Liu Jian was not just a naive classmate who only knew how to smile foolishly. He was handling the conversation with Qiu Mowen about stocks, golf, cars, and financial management with ease.
As their conversation continued, Autumn Wind suddenly felt emboldened. She lifted her head and listened to their banter. At this point, the dialogue had turned into an interview conducted solely by Qiu Mowen. Every question he asked felt like a rigorous examination during a job interview, delving deeply into topics such as: What do your parents do for a living? How many relationships have you had?
Liu Jian acted like a competent and dedicated Special Guest, responding to every request and question with utmost cooperation, radiating warmth and charm, much like a singer in the midst of a rare promotional interview.
Autumn Wind speculated that either Liu Jian had misunderstood something or he truly knew her real identity. Indeed, his next move almost made both Autumn Wind and Qiu Mowen gasp in shock.
After recounting the scene from when he first met Autumn Wind, Liu Jian quickly turned around, glanced at Autumn Wind with intensity, then discreetly leaned closer and gently placed his arm around her shoulder.
He then pulled Autumn Wind towards his sturdy chest and turned to Qiu Mowen, saying, "I know you and Autumn Wind are already acquainted, but now she is my girlfriend. I answered your questions so seriously just to let you know that we are very happy!"
Qiu Mowen's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth slightly agape, frozen in place.
In the distance, Chen Shanni burst out laughing loudly.
Chen Shanni's sudden laughter caused Autumn Wind to panic completely. Qiu Mowen awkwardly turned his head away, raising a finger to touch his nose, looking quite uncomfortable.
Autumn Wind shot Liu Jian a fierce glare, biting her lip but unable to say anything.
At the end of the banquet, Liu Jian insisted on driving Autumn Wind home. Throughout the journey, Autumn Wind maintained a stern expression and did not speak a word to him.
Liu Jian parked the car beside the garden in front of Qiu Mowen's apartment. Autumn Wind couldn't find an appropriate excuse to tell him that she had already moved away.
Liu Jian had dropped her off here several times before, and after he left, Autumn Wind would take a taxi back to Qiu Ruolan's mansion.
As soon as Liu Jian's car came to a stop, Autumn Wind couldn't help but take deep breaths; her nostrils quickly dried up. She swallowed hard, and the fire in her eyes was enough to singe her eyelashes.
After several deep breaths, Autumn Wind could no longer hold back. She glared at Liu Jian and shouted, "What did you mean by what you said to Qiu Mowen just now?"
He was taken aback, his hand that was trying to rest on Autumn Wind's shoulder froze mid-air. The smile on his face stiffened as his gaze quickly fell: "I was just asserting my claim!"
"Claim what? I’ve only met Qiu Mowen a few times; he’s just curious about you! Why did you have to make it seem like he wanted something from you? Liu Jian, I’m really curious about what’s going on in your head! Now look what you've done; it's embarrassing! You’ve made me the laughingstock of everyone! He has a girlfriend—his girlfriend is right behind us! Laughing so loudly; do you think it’s funny? Well then, how do you plan to play this out next? I’ll go along with you… ah…” Her anger was so intense that gestures could no longer express her fury; she clenched her fist and swung it at him.
He caught both of Autumn Wind's wrists with one hand and looked at her flushed face lightly: "I'm sorry! I just thought he…"
He still wanted to continue arguing, but Autumn Wind quickly broke free, opened the car door, and rushed into the apartment.
Autumn Wind didn't have the courage to hear Liu Jian's correct speculation about Qiu Mowen.
Autumn Wind impulsively rushed to the 11th floor, standing at Qiu Mowen's door, only then remembering that she had already returned the key to Qiu Mowen. Standing in the stairwell, Autumn Wind felt a wave of dizziness.
Liu Jian's phone kept ringing, but Autumn Wind pressed the button to end the call each time. Through the window, she saw Liu Jian's car parked below. After another call was ended by Autumn Wind, the car started, its lights flashing a few times before disappearing into the night.
Feeling parched and weak, Autumn Wind couldn't help but squat down on the stairs, gasping for breath. She had never felt so anxious as she did now; a huge sense of guilt surged along with her racing heartbeat after intense activity.
After a brief rest, Autumn Wind wobbled down the stairs. When she felt dizzy again, she stopped and took out her phone to call Qiu Ruolan.
The phone rang for a long time without anyone answering. Just as Autumn Wind was about to hang up, Qiu Ruolan's voice finally came through.
Autumn Wind held the phone without speaking, listening carefully to the sound on the other end. A calming piece of music played, and Qiu Ruolan gently said, "Is it you?"
Autumn Wind bit her lip as an ominous feeling washed over her. "I'll be back later; are you available?"
Qiu Ruolan didn't respond immediately. There was a sound of her swallowing on the line. A few seconds later, her voice came through, but it was filled with hesitant sounds and didn’t directly answer Autumn Wind.
Autumn Wind quickly understood what she meant: "Alright, I get it. I'll make my own arrangements for tonight!"
With that, Autumn Wind swiftly hung up the phone. She rubbed her phone in her palm vigorously and sat back down on the stairs, taking out a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
After wiping off the sweat, Autumn Wind took out her phone again; she decided to call Qiu Feng.
Autumn Wind felt that Qiu Feng had always played the role of a warm magician in her life—when she was hurt, when she was sick, when she was depressed, when she was in pain—especially when she was homeless; Qiu Feng always provided her with a warm place to stay.
The phone rang for quite a while before Qiu Feng finally picked up. On the other end of the line, Autumn Wind could clearly hear Xiao Yuan complaining. Qiu Feng's lazy voice came through: "It's so late; why aren't you asleep yet?"
Autumn Wind bit her lip and tried to force a smile but realized that Qiu Feng couldn't see it. She shook her head helplessly.
Autumn Wind controlled her tone so that Qiu Feng wouldn't notice anything unusual about her and then changed her words: "Actually, it's nothing much. Can I go back to work tomorrow?"
"Min, come find me this afternoon. Brother Kai has agreed. I’m so tired of this!"
Autumn Wind nodded and hung up the phone.
Yet inside her chest, a choking and stinging sensation began to churn. Autumn Wind stood up, trying to suppress this feeling of despair, and unknowingly walked out of the apartment. The lights in the garden flickered as Autumn Wind stumbled toward a bench near the roadside.
Never before had she felt such loss and sadness. Autumn Wind truly understood what it meant to be dependent on others, like a ball being tossed around. She pressed her index finger against her eye socket, struggling to keep the tears from flowing.
In early spring Taipei, the quiet night sky held a warm current slowly circulating, something flammable rapidly expanding, colorless and odorless, violently permeating every inch of air, ready to explode at any moment.
Autumn Wind looked around and, confirming that no one was nearby, finally couldn't hold back and squatted down to cry.
She didn't know how long it had been; her eyes could no longer produce any tears. In the distance, car lights gently illuminated the area, and with a hint of shame, Autumn Wind dared not look up.
But the lights did not leave as she wished; they flickered on and off but remained focused on her. Slowly, Autumn Wind raised her head; the blinding light shone in, and she stood up, shielding her eyes for a moment. She realized Liu Jian was sitting in the car, looking at her with a face full of sorrow.
Without needing a mirror, Autumn Wind knew she must look utterly disheveled at that moment.
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