Chapter 374: Her name is He Xiao.
It's not the blow that shatters the fragile, but the sudden offer of comfort.
Zhao Dong's words caused the woman's emotions to collapse completely. She clutched her head and cried bitterly, her sobs no longer suppressible.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Dong squatted down and gently patted her back. He had actually stepped out while she was on the phone. Of course, he was wary of her, but he never expected to overhear her reporting good news to her family.
She had just narrowly escaped being violated by a scoundrel, yet on the phone with her family, she insisted that everything was fine. The pain in her heart reminded Zhao Dong of his former self. He understood that lonely agony and knew that she needed someone to confide in right now. That was why he had spoken up.
After a long while, the woman finally stopped crying.
Through her sobs, she said, "My name is He Xiao. I'm a country girl. Many years ago, my dad was tricked into working in an illegal brick kiln and ended up disabled. Ever since, the burden of our family has been on my mom's shoulders. As soon as I was old enough, I came to the city to work, thinking I could help ease the pressure on my parents. But the people in the city are too cruel!"
Reaching this painful part of her story, He Xiao burst into tears again. "Because I'm from the countryside, they not only gave me the lowest pay for the most work, but they also bullied me every day, calling me a bumpkin from some backwater town. Then, when I finally saved enough money to bring my dad to the city for medical treatment, I was scammed. They took all of my savings. Why… why do the people in the city treat me like this? Is it just because I'm from the countryside? Because my life is already so hard?"
He Xiao's story felt like a vice gripping Zhao Dong's heart. It's said that misfortune preys on the miserable, and a rope always snaps at its thinnest point. The saying couldn't be more fitting for her.
Zhao Dong didn't know how to comfort her. After all, he was one of the "city people" she spoke of. All he could do was stay by her side and listen as she recounted the injustices she had faced over the years.
Finally, after a long time, having vented all her grievances, He Xiao's emotions stabilized.
Zhao Dong ordered a late-night snack and handed it to her.
"No... I..."
GRUMBLE.
Just as He Xiao was about to refuse, her stomach protested loudly.
"See? You might not want to eat, but your stomach can't resist," Zhao Dong said.
Zhao Dong's words amused her, and she broke into a tearful smile. She accepted the late-night snack he offered.
"Thank you..." He Xiao looked at Zhao Dong quietly, her eyes filled with gentleness. "You're a good person. The first good person I've met in the city!"
"Why do you say that?" Zhao Dong asked with a smile. "Just because I saved you?"
"No!" He Xiao shook her head. "Your gaze is very pure, just like my parents'."
"And other people's gazes aren't pure?" Zhao Dong countered.
He Xiao replied with displeasure, "Other people look at me with either disdain or that lecherous stare. But you're different!"
Different? Zhao Dong smiled wryly and shook his head. When it came to women, he was hardly a virtuous gentleman. At best, he was merely someone who exercised a degree of restraint.
"Alright, hurry up and eat." Zhao Dong didn't chat any longer and went back into the room.
After He Xiao finished eating, Zhao Dong came out carrying a quilt. He pointed to the bedroom and said, "You sleep in the room tonight. I'll take the couch."
"Ah?" He Xiao was stunned and quickly shook her head. "No, no! I'm already so grateful you're not kicking me out. I can't sleep on the bed!"
"I told you to sleep there, so just do it. What's with all the arguing?" Zhao Dong said helplessly. "Did you forget you told your mom you're doing well? How would she feel if she knew you were sleeping on a couch? Now, hurry up and get in there."
With that, Zhao Dong spread the quilt on the couch and lay down. He was no saint, but this pitiful girl truly tugged at his heartstrings. He couldn't help her much based on a fleeting encounter, but he could at least ensure she had a comfortable night's sleep.
Seeing his firm attitude, He Xiao's eyes welled with grateful tears. It was the first time in so many years that she had felt such continuous warmth from a stranger. It was almost too much for her fragile heart to bear.
She rushed over to Zhao Dong and grabbed his arm. "I can sleep on the bed, but you have to sleep on it too."
"Me too?" Zhao Dong shook his head decisively. "An unmarried man and woman... what kind of talk is that? I have things to do tomorrow. Hurry up and go to sleep. Don't bother me!"
"No~ No~" He Xiao suddenly started shaking his arm, acting coquettishly. "You're a really good person, so I don't believe you'd do anything to me. This couch is so hard. Either let me sleep on it, or you sleep in the bed with me. Otherwise, I'll just keep bothering you all night~"
She's playing this card?
Zhao Dong intended to refuse, but He Xiao was pouting, her large, watery eyes looking up at him like a pitiful kitten.
What man could possibly resist such a plea?
Zhao Dong was defeated. "Fine, I'll sleep on the bed," he said with a sigh. "Just let go of me first."
"Yay! That's great!" He Xiao jumped up excitedly and pulled him by the arm toward the room.
Entering the bedroom, she immediately kicked off her boots, hopped onto the bed, and neatly arranged the covers for Zhao Dong.
"All set! Time to sleep!" He Xiao knelt on the bed, pointed to the prepared space, and beamed at him.
With a look of resignation, Zhao Dong handed her the quilt he was holding and then slipped into the spot she had prepared for him. Only then did He Xiao contentedly take off her coat and slide under her own quilt.
Perhaps it was from the day's exhaustion and the effects of the alcohol, but it wasn't long before He Xiao's steady breathing filled the room.
In the darkness, Zhao Dong's eyes opened. Gazing at the woman before him, he felt a sudden sense of unreality.
He Xiao was beautiful, but not in the stunning way Su Yurou was. Hers was an enduring, comforting kind of beauty that grew on you. Seen this close, her beauty was even more reassuring. If the beauty of Su Yurou and Lin Qingyun was like the stars in the sky—giving the impression they might slip away if you looked away for even a moment—then He Xiao's beauty was like jade found in the earth. While it might not be as dazzling as the stars at first glance, it offered a sense of security, something you could hold in your hand.
As he watched her, Zhao Dong's brow furrowed.
This woman... she feels inexplicably familiar!
In fact, he had felt a vague sense of recognition from the moment he first saw her. As they interacted, the feeling had only grown stronger. But even now, Zhao Dong couldn't recall where he had seen her before.
Soon, he too drifted into a deep sleep.
「The next day.」
The warm sun pierced through the window, spilling lazily across Zhao Dong's face. A faint, pleasant fragrance filled the air, enough to lift one's mood for the entire day.
Zhao Dong's eyes fluttered open, and then he shot up in bed.
He Xiao was gone!?