Chapter 2661 It’s raining in Nancheng tonight 22

Xie Linzhou returned to his previous apartment and barely spent the night there.

The feeling of unease is pervasive.

The house had been uninhabited for too long. Even though a cleaning service had been hired in advance, it couldn't shake off the bone-chilling coldness left by the long period of closure. The lack of human presence and the quietness were unsettling.

He slept fitfully through the night, his dreams a jumbled mess of bizarre and fantastical images. When he woke up, he felt a splitting headache, as if he were being repeatedly struck by a blunt instrument.

I walked into the living room and drew back the curtains. The rare sunlight streamed in, making my eyes hurt.

Xie Linzhou had little appetite, so he stuffed a few bites of bread into his mouth and swallowed painkillers with warm water to suppress the dull pain.

In the morning, the doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole, Xie Linzhou saw someone standing outside. He was even a little unsure of his own mindset when he opened the door for him.

Ren Xian stood at the door, his expression somewhat complicated. He hadn't expected Xie Linzhou to open the door, and he forced a somewhat unnatural smile.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Xie Linzhou turned to the side, his face expressionless, his tone cold, "If I were you, I would never have the face to come back here again."

Upon hearing this, Ren Xian chuckled softly, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice.

"It's a pity you're not me. I'm much more shameless than you, and you've always known that."

Xie Linzhou: "..."

Xie Linzhou didn't reply, but turned around and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Ren Xian followed him in, looked around the empty and deserted apartment, and sat down on the single sofa opposite him, with a glass coffee table between them.

Looking at this "friend" he hadn't seen in a long time, he inexplicably felt a urge to light a cigarette, and his fingers groped for a cigarette pack in his pocket.

But considering that Xie Linzhou always hated the smell of smoke, and with the attitude of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," he managed to restrain himself from the urge.

“It’s really rare,” Ren Xian started a conversation. “I thought I would never have the chance to sit down and talk to you so calmly again in this lifetime.”

Xie Linzhou looked up at him, his gaze devoid of warmth. "If you want to be kicked out immediately, that's fine too."

Ren Xian narrowed his eyes slightly, unable to discern how much of his words were a joke and how much were serious.

He toned down his casual demeanor. "I'm here to apologize."

"I don't care," Xie Linzhou replied quickly, almost without any pause.

Ren Xian paused for a moment, then smirked, "That's true. You ruined three of my best-performing bars, almost bankrupting me. This revenge is worth it."

He changed the subject, "Did you confront Jinchen?"

Xie Linzhou's tone grew even colder, and he sounded very resistant, "What does this have to do with you...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped, remembering Jin Chen's confession that night. Jin Chen and Ren Xian had known each other longer than he had, and they might even have a good relationship.

Xie Linzhou looked at Ren Xian and said sarcastically, "You and Xie Shao are really good at scheming."

Ren Xian remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again, his tone carrying a rare, genuine emotion that wasn't so hypocritical.

"The plan was proposed by Xie Shao. Back then... how could I not have considered it for you at least a little bit?"

He seemed to be recalling something, his tone somewhat elusive, "I just felt that Jin Chen was a cold and aloof person, unlikely to develop genuine feelings for anyone. I figured that even if he agreed, he probably wouldn't actually pursue her, let alone have any deep affection for her... that's why I recommended him to Xie Shao."

Xie Linzhou added with a hint of self-deprecation, "Who knew... he would treat you so differently, it was completely beyond my expectations."

Xie Linzhou lowered his eyes, looking at the wood grain on the coffee table, and did not respond to that sentence.

Are you telling me all this to make yourself feel better?

Ren Xian remained silent for a moment.

He took a deep breath, as if giving up on something, and stood up. "Xie Shao has been in a terrible situation lately because of Jin Chen. He was overwhelmed and asked me to come to you to plead for him... But it seems it's no use now."

Ren Xian walked to the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, glanced back at Xie Linzhou, and said, "Goodbye."

Only after leaving the apartment building and getting into the car did Ren Xian take out a cigarette case from his pocket and light one.

As the smoke rose, he leaned back in his chair, reflecting on how he and Xie Linzhou had become friends in the first place.

Perhaps it was because they were so similar back then, living in a quagmire of hopelessness, struggling desperately to escape the shadows and yearning for a little pure love.

But unlike Xie Linzhou, who would choose to wait in place, he would seize opportunities at all costs, like Xie Shao in the past.

It's a pity that Xie Shao's acting skills were too good; it's a case of him misjudging people.

But there's also... Jin Chen.

Ren Xian stubbed out his cigarette, took out his phone, and sent a message to Xie Shao.

There was nothing I could do; he refused to see me.

-

It was the third day since Xie Linzhou returned to his apartment.

The rainy season in the southern part of the city has begun to intensify again. The sky is overcast, and the continuous autumn rain falls without stopping, dampening the entire city with the autumn atmosphere.

A black car slowly pulled up in front of the apartment building.

The windshield wipers swished tirelessly back and forth across the windshield. The car door opened, and Jin Chen got out, holding a long-handled umbrella.

The raindrops hit the umbrella, making a sound like hot red wine being simmered.

Inside the room, Xie Linzhou was curled up in a single sofa, hugging his knees.

The sky outside the window was gray and gloomy, making the room feel unusually dark as well.

He stayed here for three days, but it seemed he couldn't bring much life to the long-abandoned apartment; instead, it only added to its loneliness.

The screen of the phone next to me lit up.

Jin Chen: Zhou Zhou, come open the door.

Xie Linzhou was startled, his heart pounding inexplicably. He got up and quickly walked to the window, pulling back a corner of the curtain to look downstairs.

He lived on a low floor and could see the familiar black car parked in the rain.

Based on his understanding of Jin Chen, that person was definitely not sitting comfortably in the car waiting; he was probably already standing outside his house.

But... how did Jin Chen know he lived here?

Xie Linzhou stood by the window for a long time, holding his phone, as rainwater trickled down the glass.

Zhouzhou: You should go back. I'm resting and don't want to see anyone.

After sending the message, he stared intently at the screen.

Jin Chen, standing outside the door, slowly narrowed his eyes.

Zero Rolling: [Host, I'm sure he met the protagonist just two days ago.]

Soon, Jin Chen's next message popped up.

Jin Chen: Open the door, be good.

Xie Linzhou: "..."

He looked at the words, raised his hand to press his throbbing temples, and muttered to himself, "I can't be this pathetic..."

Three minutes later.

The spineless Xie Linzhou turned the lock.