I stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Then, Chen Qiao Luo noticed me. A storm of emotions flickered in his eyes, but before I could decipher them, they were replaced with an unsettling calm.
He walked toward me and asked, “Zhu Yun Hao, what are you doing here?”
I stared into his eyes for a long time before saying, with despair in my voice, “Chen Qiao Luo, you lied to me.”
I thought we were best friends. I thought there were no secrets between us. But deception often happens in an instant. I demanded, “Didn’t you say you were working at the fast-food restaurant after school? Then why are you here? And who is that man?”
My loud questioning drew the attention of several onlookers, including the man who had been standing next to Chen Qiao Luo.
Li Zi tugged on my hand nervously and whispered, “Yun Hao, everyone’s staring at us.”
I ignored her and bit my lip, keeping my eyes fixed on Chen Qiao Luo.
The burly man noticed us and walked over, addressing Chen Qiao Luo: “A-Luo, what’s going on?”
As the man approached, Chen Qiao Luo’s expression shifted. He plastered on a smile and said, “It’s nothing, Brother Lei.”
Seeing him like this, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this really the Chen Qiao Luo I knew? Why did the person in front of me feel like a stranger?
I grabbed his hand and said coldly, “You’re coming back with me.”
I had promised Aunt He Pei that no matter what, I would always pull Chen Qiao Luo back from the brink. Now that I saw him slipping into old habits, how could I break my promise?
The man called Brother Lei seemed to notice me then. His gaze lingered on me for far too long, and a lewd smile spread across his face.
Feeling deeply uncomfortable under his stare, I turned to Chen Qiao Luo again and repeated firmly, “You’re coming back with me.”
Before he could respond, Brother Lei spoke first. Clicking his tongue, he said, “A-Luo, is this your girlfriend? She’s gorgeous. But coming to a place like this so late—it’s not very safe.”
His tone made my stomach churn, and I frowned in disgust. Before I could retort, Li Zi tugged at my sleeve from behind and pleaded, “Yun Hao, can we just go home? Please?”
This place was full of trouble, and Li Zi had nothing to do with any of it. Her words made me waver, but I kept holding onto Chen Qiao Luo’s hand, unwilling to let go.
I had promised Aunt He Pei, and no matter what, I couldn’t just stand by and let him ruin himself.
Time seemed to freeze. Then, Chen Qiao Luo pried my hand off his with deliberate calm and looked into my eyes with a chilling detachment. He said, “Zhu Yun Hao, go home.”
“Yeah, Yun Hao, let’s go home,” Li Zi urged from behind me.
I looked down at my now-empty hand and felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. But maybe, just maybe, I should trust him one more time. Perhaps things weren’t as bad as they seemed.
I raised my head to meet his gaze, only to hear him repeat, “Go home.”
This time, there was a hint of pleading in his eyes.
I pressed my lips together and stared at him for a long moment before silently grabbing Li Zi’s arm and walking back the way we came.
Behind me, I could still hear Lei Zi’s voice. He said, “A-Luo, why did you let your girlfriend leave? Since she’s already here, why not let her join the fun? Do you think I’d eat her or something?”
His words made my fists clench tightly.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I lay awake, staring into the endless darkness until dawn. Thoughts of Chen Qiao Luo clung to me like a nightmare—I wanted to fight it off, but it was no use.
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