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Chapter 113: I Can't Do It!
The first ray of morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting a halo over Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue on the bed. Zhang Qiu raised a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light, his gaze deep and hollow, appearing listless. All night long, Zhang Qiu sat motionless on the bed, turmoil churning within him.
Even at three in the morning, when sleepiness was most likely to set in, Zhang Qiu felt no fatigue. In his mind, two conflicting attitudes battled against each other. One child with a halo appeared before Zhang Qiu, saying, "You should take her to surrender; otherwise, you will ruin her life." At that moment, another child with horns jumped out to intervene, saying, "She loves you so much; how can you send her to prison? You must not do that. Take her away, far away to a place where no one can find you."
All night long, Zhang Qiu struggled internally, tormented and restless, until dawn broke. Jiang Xue shifted slightly, turning onto her side, which temporarily interrupted the fierce debate in Zhang Qiu's mind.
One of Jiang Xue's arms rested on Zhang Qiu's leg, her smooth and delicate left shoulder exposed to the air, her fair skin particularly radiant. Zhang Qiu gently pulled the blanket over Jiang Xue to cover her and studied her closely. Jiang Xue slept peacefully, like a lazy cat without a care in the world. The sunlight fell perfectly on her face; she seemed to be dreaming something beautiful, a faint smile gracing her lips that conveyed a sense of happiness.
Zhang Qiu smiled and recited two lines from the Book of Songs in his heart to describe Jiang Xue at this moment: "With a charming smile and beautiful eyes."
As Zhang Qiu quietly watched over Jiang Xue, she slowly opened her eyes and stretched out her hand from under the blanket to rub them lightly. Noticing Zhang Qiu staring at her, she smiled and asked, "Am I pretty?"
Zhang Qiu leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, replying with a smile, "Very pretty."
Jiang Xue sighed and said, "It's a pity you won't see it for long." She then lifted her head slightly and gently stroked Zhang Qiu's face in surprise, saying, "Did you not sleep well? Why do you look so pale?"
Zhang Qiu smiled faintly and replied that it was nothing.
Jiang Xue seemed to understand something; she moved closer and wrapped her arms around Zhang Qiu, resting her head against his well-defined abs.
"Hold me for a little longer," Jiang Xue murmured softly.
Zhang Qiu embraced Jiang Xue; they held each other in silence, both aware of what this parting meant.
Just as Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue were reluctant to let go of each other, He Jun called anxiously, asking, "Hey Zhang Qiu, it's already nine o'clock! Why aren't you two here yet? I’m telling you—they’ve already reported it to the police. You need to come in and surrender quickly."
Seeing Zhang Qiu's serious expression and hearing words like 'police' and 'surrender' from the phone so close by made Jiang Xue realize something was wrong. She had an inkling of what was happening and asked Zhang Qiu, "What’s going on?"
Looking at Jiang Xue, Zhang Qiu replied, "Liu Xiaofei's family has reported it to the police."
"Then shouldn't we hurry?"
"Yes."
Jiang Xue began to get dressed, and Zhang Qiu took her hand, gazing into her eyes. "Let me help you put it on."
"Okay." Jiang Xue nodded shyly, allowing Zhang Qiu to dress her. The constant physical contact and the warmth of their breaths made Jiang Xue feel a sense of security, gradually calming her anxious heart.
As Jiang Xue watched Zhang Qiu seriously helping her with her clothes, she was lost in happiness. No matter what awaited her, as long as Zhang Qiu was there, she had nothing to fear.
Once Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue were dressed and had finished washing up, they went downstairs. It was already past nine o'clock, and the living room was empty except for the two of them. Breakfast was laid out on the table; the porridge was still in the pot, and a plate covered some dishes. In one corner of the table was a note: "Son, I'm off to work. Your dad hasn't gotten up yet. The food is on the table; if the porridge is cold, heat it up."
Zhang Qiu smiled knowingly; parents are great. At this time, his mother must be heading to work. Usually, his father would have been up early watching TV by now. Today, his father probably stayed in bed to avoid any awkwardness.
"Come on, let's eat before we go," Zhang Qiu said gently as he sat down beside Jiang Xue, serving her a bowl of porridge and placing some buns next to it.
Jiang Xue shook her head lightly; just thinking about where she was going next made her lose her appetite.
"Just eat a little," Zhang Qiu urged as he looked at her.
"No, I really can't eat."
"Alright then." Seeing that Jiang Xue truly didn't want to eat, Zhang Qiu stopped insisting and said, "Let's go."
"You should eat something," Jiang Xue pushed the porridge toward Zhang Qiu.
"No thanks, let's just go." Zhang Qiu stood up.
Jiang Xue held onto Zhang Qiu and adjusted his collar before following him out. Their family dog, Big Yellow Dog, wagged its tail and ran over, affectionately rubbing against both Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue.
Zhang Qiu hailed a taxi at the front door. After Jiang Xue got in, Zhang Qiu sat closely beside her, their fingers interlocking tightly.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"To the police station."
The driver glanced back at Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue before skillfully shifting gears and stepping on the gas. The taxi quickly drove smoothly along the roads of Beilan County. Throughout the ride, the driver hummed cheerful songs while Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue in the back seat wore worried expressions.
Especially Zhang Qiu felt immense regret. If he hadn't agreed to bring Jiang Xue along, everything wouldn't have turned out this way. The one who should be lying in the county hospital bed is himself!
"Stop the car!" Zhang Qiu suddenly shouted, startling Jiang Xue.
The driver did not slow down, looking back at Zhang Qiu in confusion and asking, "Aren't you going to the police station?"
"Just stop here, thank you!" Zhang Qiu furrowed his brows, his tone firm and unquestionable.
The driver glanced at the meter and sighed before finding a spot by the roadside to stop. Zhang Qiu paid and took Jiang Xue's hand, saying, "Let's get out."
Jiang Xue followed Zhang Qiu out of the car, looking at him in confusion and asking, "What's wrong?"
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue, his expression suddenly twisting in pain. Grabbing his head with both hands, he spoke with a hint of tears in his voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I can't send you to prison; I just can't do it!"
Zhang Qiu shook his head in anguish. In the end, the demon defeated the angel within him. He truly couldn't bear to send the person he loved into prison.
"Let's go, let's leave this place. The farther away, the better," Zhang Qiu said as he grasped Jiang Xue's hand. He had made up his mind that no matter what the future held, he would take Jiang Xue far away to find a safe place.
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