Chapter2 NO Thankyou
1466 Words
He Heng slammed on the brakes without even thinking. Before he could ask what was up, Yu Hanshen had already popped the door open and stepped out.
“It’s you.” The streetlight cast a dim yellow glow, and Yu Hanshen recognized her as the little maid from the Qin house.
The girl’s skin was so pale it made the gash on her elbow look brutal. Yu Hanshen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Get in. I’ll take you to the hospital,” he said, his voice low and smooth, like it could pull you in.
Si Tong clocked him right away—he was the guy she’d seen at the Qin place. His suit jacket hung open, showing off a dark gray shirt underneath, tie still crisp, that fancy silver pin holding it all together. Polished, mature, and giving off major “don’t mess with me” vibes.
She froze for a sec, then shook her head. “No thanks, I’m good.”
She didn’t even know him.
With that, she turned to bounce.
This chick’s got some serious walls up, Yu Hanshen thought, smirking a little. He didn’t rush her, just said coolly, “Nearest exit’s eleven kilometers that way. You really gonna hoof it out of here on foot?”
Si Tong stopped dead in her tracks.
“Get in,” he said again, keeping it short and sweet.
She glanced at the endless road ahead, thought it over, and finally muttered, “Alright… thanks for the trouble.”
Knowing he was some big deal, she kept it polite and formal, but there was still this quiet distance in her tone.
…
The car hit the road again.
He Heng couldn’t help sneaking a peek at Yu Hanshen in the rearview mirror. Weren’t you just gonna leave her, boss?
Then he flicked his eyes to Si Tong. Oh, maybe it’s ‘cause she’s cute?
“Eyes on the road,” Yu Hanshen’s voice cut in out of nowhere. It wasn’t loud or sharp, but it made He Heng’s scalp tingle anyway.
He let out an awkward chuckle and quit rubbernecking.
Half an hour later, the Maybach rolled up to the nearest hospital.
As it started pulling into the entrance, Si Tong piped up fast.
“I’ll hop out here. Thanks for the ride to the hospital—see ya.” She threw out a quick, genuine thank-you, then bolted out the door before Yu Hanshen could say a word.
He watched her practically sprint away, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
The car took off again. He Heng caught his boss’s little smile in the mirror—honestly, kinda rare.
“Boss, who’s that girl?” He’d been driving Yu Hanshen around forever and hadn’t seen her before.
Yu Hanshen shot him a look but didn’t answer.
He Heng got the hint, laughed it off, then remembered something. “That Benz’s license plate looked familiar… Oh, yeah! I saw it last week in the Qin family’s parking lot when you and Zhiheng went for the proposal.”
“So who’s she to the Qins? Why’d they ditch her like that… Wait, no way—she’s not Qin Anxu’s side chick, is she?”
The “Boss Qin” he was talking about was Qin Anxu.
The more he rambled, the more it made sense to him. Young, pretty girl tangled up with a rich old dude? Yeah, that tracked.
“Shut up,” Yu Hanshen finally said, his voice icy.
He Heng caught the vibe—boss wasn’t thrilled. He shut his trap with a sheepish grin.
…
Si Tong didn’t actually go into the hospital. Once the Maybach peeled out, she headed straight for the subway station nearby.
Looking like this, she couldn’t hit up the milk tea shop, so she went back to the dorm instead.
She rinsed her scrapes, took a quick shower, and washed her clothes, hanging them up to dry. Wrapped in a bedsheet, she sat there—those were her only clothes. She’d been doing this all week: wash at night, wear during the day.
She figured she’d grab some spares once she got paid in a couple days.
After tidying up, she crashed on the bed.
Eyes closed, her mind started spinning—random thoughts piling up until, for some reason, they settled on Yu Hanshen.
All fancy and untouchable.
The gap between people was wild. Some floated up there, spotless and out of reach; others were stuck in the mud, drowning with no way out.
…
Sunday afternoon, Si Tong cashed out her paycheck and left early.
She took a bus to a cheap market near the university district—best spot for bargain clothes, according to her milk tea shop coworkers.
After grabbing what she needed, she stood by the road with her bags, waiting for the bus. While she had a minute, she pulled a palm-sized notebook from her pocket, crammed with English vocab words.
Four years out of school had left her rusty. She had to grind harder than everyone else to catch up.
“Si Tong?”
A blue BMW screeched to a stop in front of her. A young woman decked out in designer gear stepped out—early twenties.
Si Tong’s face tightened at the voice.
She looked up, and sure enough, it was a face she knew all too well: Qin Sihan, her old best friend.
The same one who’d landed her in jail four years ago.
Her grip on the bag tightened, nails digging into her palm, but she didn’t even feel it.
Qin Sihan looked down at her, smirking. She’d been out of town on a work trip after the Yu family’s proposal visit and just got back today. Driving by, she thought she’d spotted Si Tong—had to double-check.
Seeing Si Tong in beat-up clothes, clutching high school English notes, she laughed. “Huashuo High’s star student, the teacher’s pet, the future top scorer—out of jail already? Congrats, huh.”
Si Tong just stared at her, ice-cold.
“Don’t give me that look,” Qin Sihan leaned in close, whispering in her ear. “If you’re gonna blame someone, blame yourself. Too much of a flirt—got what you deserved.”
She stepped back, flashing a diamond ring like she’d won the jackpot. “Oh, guess what? Me and Zhiheng are tying the knot. French castle wedding, baby.”
French castle…
“TongTong, where do you wanna get married someday?”
“French castle, maybe.”
“Why there?”
“Just popped into my head.”
“Oh, you’re messing with me!”
“Ah, stop tickling me—I’m sorry, Zhiheng, I take it back…”
Four years, over a thousand days—plenty of time for things to change. Especially people.
…
Si Tong sat on the bus, leaning against the window, watching the city blur by. The sky was a dull gray.
Qin Sihan’s words hit her like a pebble in a pond—ripples spread, but they faded quick.
Just staying alive took everything she had. No energy left for pointless crap.
…
With some cash in hand, Si Tong paid Ms. Song back the hundred bucks right away.
“Keep it for living expenses—why the rush?” Ms. Song was Class 20’s homeroom teacher and had noticed Si Tong’s broke-but-hardworking vibe over the past few days.
“Gotta pay what I owe. I’m already grateful you helped me out,” Si Tong said. That hundred might be nothing to Ms. Song, but she had her own rules.
Seeing how stubborn she was, Ms. Song didn’t push. Girl had some pride, that was clear.
“Alright, I’ll take it. If you ever need help, don’t be shy—tell me, okay?”
Si Tong relaxed a bit, giving a tiny smile. “Yeah.”
“Head back to class,” Ms. Song said.
A random snicker cut through the air behind them.
Ms. Song turned. It was Zhou Guocai, Class 19’s homeroom teacher.
The school had originally slated Si Tong for Class 19, but Zhou didn’t want a four-year dropout tanking his class average. He’d stormed the principal’s office and made a stink about it.
Nobody else wanted her either after that. In the end, Song Xiao took her in.
“Think you’re some kinda hero?” Zhou didn’t want Si Tong, but Song’s goody-two-shoes move made him look like a selfish jerk, and he was pissed.
“Taking in every trash student—no wonder your class bombs every year. Bleeding heart nonsense. Why don’t you just find a guy, get hitched, and pop out some kids?”
The office crew cracked up.
“You—” Song Xiao’s face went red with anger.
- Writer
