Never Leaving Qiao'an - Chapter 3

Chapter 4

During my sophomore year, I was followed by a pervert.

I ran all the way to the foot of Xu Zhizhou’s apartment building, my fingers shaking so badly I couldn’t press the right floor button.

He came downstairs in his pajamas to get me and pulled me into his arms.

“Don’t be scared.” He stroked my hair. “The passcode is your birthday. I’ll never change it. You can come here anytime from now on.”

That night, I slept in his bedroom while he slept on the floor.

In the middle of the night, I had a nightmare and woke up crying.

He climbed onto the bed and held me, patting my back again and again.

“Qiao’an, I’ll always be here.”

Moonlight fell across his face, so gentle it felt like an illusion.

Later, after he fell asleep, his arm was still wrapped around me.

I secretly kissed the corner of his mouth.

I thought that was the beginning of love.

But later, because of a debate competition, he met Su Ling.

They could talk about anything, and the scales in Xu Zhizhou’s heart began to slowly tip.

He started forgetting my birthday.

Started standing me up. Started changing the passcode.

Started saying, “Qiao’an, Su Ling needs me more.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and furrowed my brow as tears streamed down my face.

I mumbled, “Xu Zhizhou, you liar…”

The arm around me tightened instantly, squeezing hard enough to hurt.

Chapter 5

When I woke again, it was early the next morning.

The sunlight was blinding.

I propped myself up in bed, my head splitting with pain.

When I looked down, I was wearing a men’s shirt, loose and empty on me.

There were several conspicuous red marks near my collarbone.

My mind went blank with a buzz.

The comments appeared again, this time with a hint of gloating.

[Congratulations, supporting female character. Though you didn’t go all the way last night, the villain definitely “took care” of you inside and out.]

[A lunatic like Jiang Jingci-did you really think you could provoke him and then run?]

I jolted in fright, grabbed my clothes, and hid in the bathroom.

After quickly tidying myself up, I opened the bedroom door with the guilty conscience of a thief.

As luck would have it…

The door across from me opened too.

Xu Zhizhou was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, carrying a breakfast bag in his hand.

Behind him, Su Ling, dressed in a nightgown, poked out a fluffy little head.

Our eyes met.

The smile on Xu Zhizhou’s face froze instantly.

His gaze swept over my messy hair and the men’s shirt, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

“Qiao’an?”

His voice rose. “Why are you at Jiang Jingci’s place?”

Su Ling covered her mouth and looked at me in surprise. “Qiao’an, you two…”

Her gaze shifted downward, her eyes suggestive, as if I’d done something shameful.

“What’s all the noise so early in the morning?”

Jiang Jingci walked up from behind me.

He was wearing the same black bathrobe from last night, leaning lazily against the doorframe with two cups of coffee in his hands.

Casually, he handed one to me.

Then he lifted his eyes and swept an indifferent glance over Xu Zhizhou.

“Whose place she’s at is none of your damn business.”