Unraveled

Bailing Him Out

Gu Quan was puzzled. They'd just met last night—so why was Yuan Ye asking her out again today?

Things developing too fast, meeting too often… never a good sign. Without hesitation, she shot back:

"I'm busy."

She'd already booked a midnight premiere—for one.

Yuan Ye saw the reply and didn't text again.

Just then, two girls came into the restroom to wash their hands. Gu Quan instantly recognized Mo Li's voice:

"Getting off early today. I'm going clubbing with friends—wanna come?"

The other girl laughed.

"Wow, you look so well-behaved. Do your parents know you're out partying all the time? You're at a nightclub every other night—be careful someone doesn't start targeting you."

"It's not that serious. I always go with friends," Mo Li giggled.

…

Heh. Annoyance pricked under Gu Quan's skin. She hadn't asked, but she could guess—Yuan Ye had probably meant to invite her to the very same place Mo Li was headed.

So he really was that kind of petty, brooding boy.

It was obvious Mo Li wasn't the sweet, innocent girl Yuan Ye had imagined. She was more like a butterfly, leaving a little scent everywhere she landed, and she clearly didn't take him seriously. Yuan Ye must have realized as much and, unwilling to accept it, was thinking of using Gu Quan to provoke her.

Gu Quan pushed open the stall door and went to wash her hands. Mo Li smiled sweetly at her; Gu Quan didn't bother responding—she angled her body and left. The other girl clocked Mo Li's awkwardness and muttered under her breath:

"God, how rude… no wonder they say she's fooling around with her boss."

Mo Li only smiled and said nothing.

Before the midnight show, Gu Quan wandered the shopping street alone, bought a pair of earrings and a beret, and put them on right away. Her phone had been buzzing with work messages since she got off—random, trivial, endless. She was used to it, but it still needled at her.

That was why she chose the midnight screening—only then was it truly quiet.

When the movie let out around two a.m., she pulled her coat tight and started walking home. The mall was close to her complex.

The winter night was empty and bitterly cold; the sidewalks were nearly deserted. Even so, Gu Quan stayed alert, senses pricked. Nearing the gate of her community, her phone rang so suddenly she flinched.

Yuan Ye.

On the other end, his voice was low and muffled.

"Gu Quan… can you come to the police station and get me?"

She pursed her lips. His calls were never for anything good.

"Are we that close? Find someone else."

But she didn't hang up. He sighed, helpless, and lowered his voice further:

"Consider it a favor—I'll owe you. I've got an expert seminar at school tomorrow. I can't miss it. If I'm stuck at the station, my advisor will blacklist me…"

Her tone cooled.

"Send me the address."

Yuan Ye chuckled. He knew she'd come.

When Gu Quan walked into the station, five or six young men in their early twenties were slumped around the lobby. She recognized only Yuan Ye—spread out in the far corner, legs apart, head tipped back, eyes closed like he was catching a nap. Not a trace of panic.

A duty officer came over with a form.

"Who are you here to pick up?"

Gu Quan scrawled her name, handed over her ID without expression.

"Yuan Ye."