Chapter 16 Unconcealed Worries.

At first, Jiang Wansheng was worried about not fitting in, but when she actually arrived there, she felt incredibly relaxed and happy.

It was unlike the book club she had attended before, where although everyone organized around a common love for reading, the levels were quite uneven.

But Ling Nan’s team gave her a completely different feeling.

Each person’s soul was vibrant.

Each person’s thoughts were profound.

Gathering together for a sincere love, she felt it was truly magnificent.

In this world, finding something you love for a lifetime is already difficult, and encountering a group of like-minded companions is even more challenging.

Finding people who resonate with your soul is truly a touching and cherished experience.

What surprised her the most was that the mentor of Ling Nan’s team was her professor for a compulsory course, and he had also praised a paper she had submitted, with the two of them having private exchanges.

This afternoon, she seemed to glimpse the celestial beauty of words.

And she successfully joined the team’s reading group, preparing for the upcoming live event.

They chatted until late into the night before dispersing.

Jiang Wansheng rubbed her neck and returned to the family courtyard.

As the elevator opened, she walked to her door, but her steps halted abruptly.

Her suitcase was placed at the door, and she quickly approached.

She tried to open the door with her key, but it didn’t fit at all.

She knocked on the door, and soon a middle-aged woman in pajamas came to open it.

Jiang Wansheng’s tone was no longer pleasant, “Excuse me, what does this mean?”

The middle-aged woman was unfazed, her expression very harsh, “I’m the landlord here. If I want to move in, you have to move out.”

“But we signed a contract and paid the rent. Even if you change your mind, you should notify me in advance.”

The middle-aged woman was a bit annoyed at these words, raising her voice, “Who didn’t notify you? I’ve been texting and calling all three of you this afternoon. The other two responded, but you didn’t reply to any messages. I’ve already refunded your rent and deposit in full.”

“You’ve been unreachable, and I couldn’t contact you, so I had to pack your things. I’m not even angry yet, so why are you causing a scene here!”

Jiang Wansheng took a deep breath, finding it ridiculous, “You unilaterally breached the contract. You must notify me personally and receive my response for us to reach an agreement. What you’re doing is already forced eviction, do you understand?”

The middle-aged woman disregarded her, “Say whatever you want!”

Without waiting for Jiang Wansheng’s response, she slammed the door shut.

The force was so strong that the corridor echoed with a loud “bang.”

Jiang Wansheng felt like she had been slapped.

She opened WeChat, realizing she had put her phone on silent this afternoon and hadn’t checked it since.

Now, she saw messages from the two other girls and the landlord.

She received the landlord’s transfer, turned off the silent mode on her phone, and headed downstairs with her suitcase.

Now, she had to return to school.

Just as she reached the ground floor, her phone rang.

Unexpectedly, it was her mother, Luo Muyan.

She answered the call, “Hello, Mom.”

Luo Muyan’s gentle voice came through, “wansheng, are you on summer break?”

It had been a week since the start of the summer break, and receiving a call at this time made Jiang Wansheng instinctively feel that something wasn’t right.

She responded, “Yes.”

Luo Muyan asked, “So… what are your plans for this summer break? Are you coming back to Yucheng?”

Her mother’s gentle words suddenly filled her with a sense of anticipation.

Especially on this unexpected night when she was rushed out.

But before she could respond, she heard the rustling sound from the other end, as if her stepfather, Chen He, was urging her mother, “Hurry up and say it.”

Her mother’s voice came again, this time with a hint of apology, “It’s like this, Wansheng, Mom is sorry. Because Xingyan has been having a cold and fever recently, so Mom may not be able to take care of you.”

“…So, if you want to come back… can you try to stay with your dad as much as possible?”

A bucket of cold water was suddenly poured over her, extinguishing the faint warmth before it could even bloom.

Luo Muyan might have felt it wasn’t right, and added, “I’m sorry, Wansheng, it’s not that Mom doesn’t want you, it’s just…”

Jiang Wansheng tried to suppress the bitterness in her heart and interrupted directly, “It’s okay, Mom, I won’t come back.”

She sarcastically smiled, “You and Dad don’t need to worry. I’ve always wanted your family to be happy, right?”

There was complete silence on the other end. After a while, Luo Muyan’s dry voice came through, “Wansheng…”

“Mom, it’s already eleven o’clock now, I need to rest, good night.”

She quickly hung up the phone, unwilling to hear any more excuses from the person she called her mother, excluding her from her life.

She tilted her head slightly, trying to ease the bitterness in her eyes.

“Drip—”

A drop of water fell on her forehead.

She reached out, and the water droplets gradually fell down.

A rain to relieve the heat unexpectedly met her.

As if echoing the myriad wounds in her heart at this moment.

Was this comfort from heaven? Or was it mockery from above?

Mocking her for still holding onto illusions after all these years.

She didn’t want an umbrella, didn’t want to avoid the rain, and walked into the rain curtain with her suitcase.

Her delicate and beautiful face was numb, walking back to school in the rain.

The rain gradually intensified, the pedestrians on the road became scarce, and a light mist hung under the rain curtain.

The summer rain wasn’t cool, but her heart felt like it was in an icehouse.

Being labeled as an unwelcome child, once this tag was placed on her, it would take many years of difficult self-healing, and she clearly didn’t have the strength to face these cutting words.

Her pace was slow, the light from the street lamps blurred into diamond-shaped fragments, and she stood out awkwardly in the rain.

She was completely immersed in her own world, oblivious to her surroundings.

As the night fell, with a light mist and fine rain.

A black Bugatti pierced through the night’s cool rain, eventually stopping beside Jiang Wansheng.

And she didn’t notice.

The back door of the Bugatti opened, a man’s long legs touched the ground, and he quickly walked towards the girl on the roadside with a black umbrella.

Just as Jiang Wansheng was about to take a step, her wrist was grabbed by a large hand, and then a strong force pulled her abruptly into a warm embrace, cutting through the rain curtain, warmth enveloping her.

A cold and deep voice suddenly pressed down on her head, “Jiang Wansheng, how old are you to play self-harm?”

His voice clearly contained suppressed anger.

Jiang Wansheng heard the familiar voice, suddenly raised her head, and met a pair of deep and sharp black eyes that were now openly filled with anger, “Little Uncle?”

“Why are you here?”

Tonight, Qin Mo was in a bad mood, feeling annoyed when he looked at Qin Weizhao. Fortunately, Lin Tang had sent him back to Luqiu Mingdu, and he happened to pass by Fuhua University. Unexpectedly, he saw a slender figure walking slowly in the rain without an umbrella, not seeking shelter from the rain. The whole person seemed to be engulfed by immense sadness.

Without any thought, seeing someone in such a state, his heart felt like it was being clenched by a large hand, causing a suffocating pain.

“I saw a weirdo playing in the rain with a suitcase on the way home, so I got off to see if this person is a fool, specially getting off to watch the show.” Qin Mo’s voice sounded sarcastic.

Jiang Wansheng looked up at him. Although his voice was cold and harsh, it was much better than the gentle tone that stabbed into people’s hearts like her mother’s.

Because, in his eyes, she could see his genuine concern.