Chapter 620April Fools’ Day
Faced with Yang Chen’s emotionless look, Zhenxiu started to worry for what was to come. But, she dared not object due to recent events.
After Yang Chen spoke, he turned the car around and headed to the opposite direction. He stepped on the accelerator rather forcefully causing the car to immediately speed up past the speed limit.
Since it was around midnight, the roads were basically clear. It was highly unlikely for the police to be patrolling at this time.
Zhenxiu used to race illegally, so being in a speeding car was not uncommon for her. However, what unnerved Zhenxiu quite a bit was the fact that Yang Chen had not spoken a word for the entire duration of their journey.
Occasionally, Zhenxiu would turn her head in Yang Chen’s direction. She would attempt to speak but ultimately remain silent. She could tell that Yang Chen wouldn’t answer any of the questions she asked.
Around ten minutes had passed when the car finally came to a halt next to a coastal area.
There were multiple small islands in the north coastal area of Zhonghai City. Most of them had recreational resorts built on it, while the rest were marine research facilities set up by various companies.
The islands were connected using cable-stayed bridges. While not being particularly long, they all contributed towards quite a magnificent view with more than ten of them intertwined together.
The dazzling lights on the bridges made it seem as though the bridges were dragons of light hovering above the waterfront.
However, since it was dinner time, there were very few cars that passed by the area.
Yang Chen drove the car to the center of a relatively long bridge before stopping on the emergency lane.
“Get down,” Yang Chen said after removing the car keys.
Zhenxiu was surprised at his request. Softly, she asked, “Over here?”
“Yes, right here.” Yang Chen opened the door and walked out right after speaking.
Zhenxiu hesitated for a while. Although clueless as to why she was brought there, she followed in suit.
The cold wind was strong, causing their clothing to flap noisily. Zhenxiu felt rather cold as she was dressed only in her uniform. Her hair fluttered around her face making it difficult for her to keep her eyes open.
Yang Chen had lit up his cigarette the moment he got out the car. The poor-quality tobacco burnt exceptionally fast in the wind—almost half of it was used up by now.
Walking towards the railing, Yang Chen stared at the surging waves. With a cigarette in his mouth, he sighed deeply and said, “Kid, come here.”
Zhenxiu curled her body up a little before she hugged herself and slowly approached Yang Chen.
When seen from the bridge, the surface of the sea seemed to be approximately thirty to forty meters away. The depthless ocean was no different from a beast hibernating in the dark.
Zhenxiu felt nervous. “Brother Yang… let’s go back, shall we? It’s scary here.” Her voice shivered a little due to the wind.
She was just a girl no more than twenty years of age after all. Had it not been for Yang Chen’s presence, she wouldn’t have dared to come out of the car to face the lonely bridges and the empty ocean.
Yang Chen laughed disdainfully out of the blue. Strangely turning his head over, he asked, “Go back? Where to?”
Zhenxiu was stunned. “Go home… of course.”
“Home? Is that your home?” Yang Chen asked with an odd smile.
Zhenxiu paled instantly, moisture filling her eyes. She couldn’t utter single word.
“Didn’t you tell me that none of it was yours? Didn’t you say you couldn’t accept how well we treat you by providing shelter, clothing and food? And everything you received up till this point was undeserved?”
“Brother Yang… you… I…”
“What are you muttering about? Or did you not remember your words?” Yang Chen asked scornfully. With a smile, he continued, “Since you feel that way, and you’re constantly causing us trouble, why do you still want to go back?”
Zhenxiu felt that her legs had weakened significantly. Dispirited, she stood still in silence.
Yang Chen smiled coldly. “Xu Zhenxiu, you just told me that everything would be made right if you were left to die in starvation, or left alone in the street racing gang… In my opinion, it isn’t too late for you to receive that relief that you so desperately crave. That is, if you want it…”
Zhenxiu raised her head violently, gazing upon Yang Chen in disbelief. “Bro—Brother Yang, you…”
Yang Chen finally finished smoking that cigarette of his. He turned his head to look at the turbulent sea waves. “I made a thorough analysis. If you fell from this bridge, even if you don’t drown, you’ll definitely be flushed by the torrent of waves or crushed by the reefs. It is quite a distance from here to the land, so by the time your corpse is discovered, you’d have probably started to rot or eaten by the fish already…”
Zhenxiu was so pale that there was no trace of blood on her face. Staggering backwards, she refused to believe what she just heard.
“Zhenxiu, you’re right. Living is really a burden sometimes. You you must be so tired… Brother Yang feels pained to see you suffer. So why not you relieve yourself from this duty called life?” Yang Chen was still expressionless throughout it all. “Don’t worry, no one will know if you jump from here. They will just chalk it up to a missing teenager and nothing else…”
Zhenxiu shook her head hurriedly while tears gushed out from her eyes. “Don’t… Brother Yang, I—I don’t want… You must be kidding, aren’t you? You’re lying to me!”
“I’m kidding?” Yang Chen shook his head. Coldly, he replied, “Is it April Fools’ Day today? Why would I be kidding?”
Zhenxiu forced a smile. “No, it can’t be… Brother Yang, you’re teasing me aren’t you? Why would you want…”
The smile on Yang Chen’s face vanished—it was replaced by indifference.
“Xu Zhenxiu, if you don’t climb up the railing yourself, I’ll gladly help you out by throwing you off this bridge. It’s a piece of cake to me.”
Zhenxiu was petrified as Yang Chen didn’t look like he was kidding. The tone he used combined with his facial expression made her feel that he wanted to stab her to death!
Zhenxiu shook her head and started to step backwards as she muttered something, but her feet were firmly planted to the ground.
Yang Chen said nothing more. He leaped forward and grabbed Zhenxiu’s waist, lifting her light body above his head!
Zhenxiu was dumbstruck. When she regained awareness, she noticed that she was floating mid air. No matter how much she struggled or screamed, Yang Chen refused to release his iron grip on her.
“Stop moving. You’re too weak to do anything to me let alone escape,” Yang Chen said indifferently as he walked closer to the railing.
Zhenxiu saw with her own eyes that her body was shifted beyond the railing. The violent sea waves were right underneath her feet!
The ink-black ocean looked just like a demon trying to devour her, growling unstoppably!
“Brother Yang! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!!!” cried Zhenxiu.
Yang Chen snorted lightly. With the release of his grip, he let go of Zhenxiu…
All Zhenxiu felt was her body losing its support. Before long, an immediate force pulled her downwards at an increasing speed…
Zhenxiu widened her eyes in shock, forgetting to breathe.
In her mind, the appearance of her parents she remembered when she was young surfaced. The memories she had from the orphanage where she had fun with the other children emerged as well…
The moment where her grandmother-like President Cha carried her up and teased her; the moment where she started learning pinyin and alphabets; the moment where Lin Ruoxi came to visit her with the Old CEO…
She recalled each and every one of her memories which she had almost forgotten in the last few years.
She clearly remembered the time when she sobbed and ran on the streets after leaving the orphanage, the time when she joined a group of bad teenagers for street racing, and the time when she was caught being a burglar…
She met Yang Chen, then Lin Ruoxi. Before long, she had found herself a new family…
The voices and smiles of Wang Ma and Guo Xuehua filled her mind. She could even hear Wang ma calling her from downstairs for dinner…
At last, Yang Chen was the last thought in her head. He was the man who had brought her to heaven, but was currently sending her to hell…
Zhenxiu had no clue what was happening. She was going to be swallowed by the ocean, but she felt no fear, and instead felt a little sad at how her life was going to end…
Pearl-like tears spread out into the sky before disappearing away.
Zhenxiu shut her eyes…
The duration of any fall from that height was not a long one, but felt like a century.
Zhenxiu’s body was becoming lighter as she relaxed herself. She felt her body become so light the winds could have blown it away.
Isn’t the ocean supposed to be cold? Why am I feeling warmth instead? she thought.
Zhenxiu soon realized that the situation was different from what she imagined. She slowly opened her eyes, only to realize Yang Chen right in front of her. However, his face held a gentle smile like before.
Although what happened earlier was abrupt, tossing Zhenxiu down from the bridge before jumping down as well to catch her on the sea surface was an easy task for Yang Chen. To Yang Chen, leaping back and forth from a bridge was too easy of a task for him.
Unfortunately, Zhenxiu couldn’t process the split second time of events.
“Kid, do you understand now?” Yang Chen asked with a smile while carrying Zhenxiu horizontally.
Dejected and resentful, Zhenxiu opened her mouth and bit Yang Chen’s shoulder without speaking a word!
Though it was separated by his clothing, Zhenxiu bit as hard as she could while tears fell from her eyes and onto his shirt.
Yang Chen didn’t stop her from doing so. When Zhenxiu soon got tired, he said, “I thought you’d bite my face instead. I was still concerned about whether I would be disfigured. You’re very kind you know that?”
“I hate you!” Zhenxiu punched Yang Chen’s chest with her soft fist. Only now did she finally understand what had taken place. Although she was clueless as to how Yang Chen managed to save her, it was obvious that it was his plan to frighten her all along.
Yang Chen smiled, relieved. “Hate me all you want. I prefer this than if you hated yourself.”
Zhenxiu’s eyes had reddened. She then wrapped her arms around Yang Chen’s neck and hugged him tightly.
Yang Chen helplessly patted her back gently. “Xu Zhenxiu, don’t ever feel that you’re a burden to the ones who love you. In this world, you’re the one and only Xu Zhenxiu. Your life, to you or to all of us, is the most precious thing in the world…”