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墨書 Inktalez
Jono hailed a taxi and quickly left the place.
"Miss, are you alright?" The driver noticed Jono had started crying as soon as she got in. At first, it was just soft sobs, but soon the sound grew louder, uncontrollable.
The driver now believed that women were made of water.
"I... I'm fine..." Jono shook her head, but how could she be fine? Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable.
No matter how brave Jono was, her strength had always been fragile when it came to Jin Chengyan.
It was true before, it was true now, and it would surely be true in the future.
Her mind was filled with Jin Chengyan's words, the ones that echoed the sentiment of never truly knowing someone.
The greatest disappointment one can feel towards another is realizing that knowing them was the biggest regret, wishing everything had never happened.
When not together, one always tries to find ways to be together; once together, they find ways to hurt each other.
Now, they were finally apart.
Wasn't this what Jono wanted?
As she cried all the way, she managed to compose herself by the time the car reached the Qiao Family residence. She realized she hadn't brought any money when she left. Just as she was about to call the housekeeper to bring her wallet, she saw Qiao Chen's car returning.
In the passenger seat sat a quiet girl.
Unlike Jin Mengxi's flamboyant personality, this girl seemed like a delicate daffodil—pure and elegant.
If her guess was correct, this must be the girl Qiao Chen liked.
If he preferred someone like her, then it made sense that Jin Mengxi wasn't his type.
But this only reinforced Jono's belief that Qiao Chen had been with Jin Mengxi out of revenge against the Jin Family.
Now, Jin Mengxi's state was even worse than before.
Qiao Chen saw his sister standing outside the car, turned off the engine, got out, and after understanding the situation, handed some money to the driver.
The girl in the car also unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.
"Is this the girl you like?" As the girl walked closer, Jono found her somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't recall where he had seen her before.
"Yes, she is the woman I want to spend my life with." Such a bold declaration, having just abandoned another woman, and now he was saying he wanted to spend his life with this one.
Jono's gaze drifted past Qiao Chen, focusing on the girl who was slowly approaching. She seemed a bit reserved and shy.
But no matter how good she was, Jono couldn't bring himself to like her more. It wasn't that he favored Jin Mengxi; he simply felt that Jin Mengxi had given too much to Qiao Chen, making it impossible not to feel sorry for that girl.
At dusk, the three of them stood at the door. Jono didn't invite the girl inside, and Qiao Chen was also at a standstill with Jono. This was a woman he cared about, and Jono felt the same way; he couldn't let either woman get hurt.
Just then, a phone rang, breaking the tense silence.
Jono turned to answer the call.
Qiao Chen looked apologetically at the woman who had come with him, reaching out to hold her hand as if to say it was okay; his sister was a good person.
The woman nodded in response, her eyes conveying a sense of reassurance.
Jono finished the brief call and turned around; his expression had completely cooled down.
"I have something to take care of. I'll step out for a bit." With that, Jono got into Qiao Chen's car without even taking the time to drive his own car and didn't say another word.
The woman stood there in shock, tugging at Qiao Chen's sleeve. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Does your sister not like me?"
Qiao Chen ruffled the woman's hair and comforted her, "No way." However, deep down, Qiao Chen felt uncertain. Jono wouldn't treat a girl this way; did that mean he really... didn't like her?
"I'm fine with it. Even if the whole world opposes us, I still want to be with you."
...
Jono drove all the way to the bar, dressed in loungewear. Thinking about it, it was quite ridiculous.
As soon as he walked in, he was hit by a strong smell of alcohol and blaring music.
Jono never liked places like this. If it weren't for Xining calling him to say she saw Jin Mengxi here, he wouldn't have come.
In the dimly lit bar, men and women indulged themselves, shedding the pretense of the day and letting loose.
"Jono! Over here!" Xining ran over upon spotting Jono.
"How is Jin Mengxi?" Jono asked immediately. She had just had a miscarriage and was out drinking; he knew that would only harm her health, so he rushed over as soon as he found out.
"She's over there drinking," Xining pointed in a direction. Jono followed her gaze and indeed saw Jin Mengxi in a corner, wearing thin clothing. Several empty bottles were already in front of her; he wondered how much she had drunk so early.
Just as he was about to walk over, he noticed a man approaching Jin Mengxi, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey there, drinking alone? Want me to keep you company?" the man said with ill intentions.
Jin Mengxi, who usually held her liquor well, was already somewhat drunk due to her bad mood. Faced with the man's deliberate grip on her shoulder, she frowned but couldn't push him away.
"Get away from me..." she said softly, her vision blurring.
"Don't get upset; I'll make sure you have fun later!" The man insisted, trying to pull Jin Mengxi away.
"Did you not hear her tell you to get lost?" Jono stepped forward and grabbed the man's hand firmly. "If you don't leave now, I won't let you go."
The man turned around and was taken aback to see a woman in loungewear daring to confront him in such a place; anger began to rise within him.
"Mind your own business, or else I..."
"I advise you not to stir up trouble." A deep male voice interrupted.
Jono turned around and saw a familiar face.
"Ye Yun?" It had been a long time since Jono had seen Ye Yun. Four years ago, he had taken Yan Beiting away, claiming that Yan Beiting didn't want her to see him die.
Seeing more and more people gathering, the man decided it was best to leave before things escalated.
Once the crowd dispersed, Jono quickly stepped forward and supported Jin Mengxi's shoulder.
"Miss Jin, in your current state, you shouldn't drink. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to conceive in the future." Having been through similar experiences, Jono felt a pang of sadness seeing Jin Mengxi like this.
Jin Mengxi shook her head. When she lifted her face, it was streaked with tears, making anyone who looked at her feel heartbroken.
"I... I feel awful... Drinking will make it better..." As she spoke, Jin Mengxi grabbed a cup from the table and tilted her head back, downing its contents in one go.
Jono snatched the cup from her hands and pushed all the alcohol on the table away.
"Xining, help me take Miss Jin outside." Jono called for Xining, feeling uneasy about leaving her alone there; he needed to ensure she got home safely.
"I'll handle it." Ye Yun stepped in. Being a man, he easily lifted the slightly intoxicated Jin Mengxi into his arms.
Jin Mengxi resisted, squirming uncomfortably in Ye Yun's embrace.
"Let go of me... Where are you taking me? ... Let go of me... I want to stay here... waiting for Qiao Chen... waiting for him..."
The debt owed by Qiao Chen!
"Alright, I'll take you to find Qiao Chen right now!" Jono thought about how Qiao Chen was still with that girl. Did he ever consider even a tiny bit of Jin Mengxi's feelings?
Jin Mengxi felt a sense of calm wash over her when Jono mentioned taking her to see Qiao Chen. She obediently settled into Ye Yun's embrace.
Once Jin Mengxi quieted down, Jono let out a sigh of relief and allowed Ye Yun to carry her out.
However, Jono suddenly grasped Xining's hand, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her—a familiar sensation of insufficient blood flow.
"Jono, what's wrong?" Xining asked anxiously, supporting Jono. She was the only one who knew about Jono's pregnancy, and even in the dim light, she could see that Jono's face looked pale.
"I'm a bit dizzy; I guess... the air here isn't good."
"I told you that your pregnancy is taking a toll on your body. You insisted on carrying it to term; I don't understand why..."
"Alright, let's go outside." Worried that Xining would say more, Jono quickly urged her to leave with her.
Xining voiced her concerns but was even more worried about Jono's condition, so she helped her out.
Outside the bar, Jono unexpectedly spotted the man she had crossed paths with before. He was standing next to Ye Yun—did they know each other?
"Just put Miss Jin in my car; I'll take her home. Thank you, Ye Yun," Jono said gratefully, but her gaze remained fixed on the man beside Ye Yun. Unable to resist, she asked, "Do you two know each other?"
Ye Yun glanced at Yan Beiting but said nothing.
"Yes, I'm Ye Yun's classmate. I didn't expect you two knew each other," Yan Beiting replied with a slight smile, pretending not to be himself.
"Oh..." Jono responded but still felt that this man bore some resemblance to Yan Beiting. Perhaps that was why Ye Yun got along with him so well?
"You don't look so well; are you alright?" The last time he had taken Jono to the hospital and called Xining over before leaving, he hadn’t known it was Yan Beiting who had brought her there, nor did Yan Beiting know about Jono's pregnancy.
"I'm fine." Had everyone really noticed that she looked unwell?
"Take good care of yourself; otherwise, someone will worry." The subtle remark left Jono momentarily stunned.
"Ah?" Jono thought she shouldn't be particularly familiar with this man, yet his words carried a concern that left her somewhat puzzled.
He merely glanced at her, a gaze so familiar that Jono instinctively grabbed his arm without thinking.
"You..." Jono stared at him, those eyes seemed to penetrate her soul, as if they could see into the depths of her thoughts.
"What's wrong?" he asked, confusion evident on his face, with no other expression present.
It was as if they were merely strangers who had crossed paths.
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else." Jono snapped back to reality and released his arm. "Your eyes are very similar to a... friend who is more important than life itself."
Jono felt a heaviness in her heart; thinking of Yan Beiting only brought pain.
If she could, she would rather not come off the operating table than let Yan Beiting send her off, ruining his life in the process.
"Jono, let's go." Xining stepped forward and linked arms with Jono. The warmth of her hand gradually pulled Jono back to the present.
"Okay..." Jono glanced at him once more. An indescribable feeling washed over her; just seeing him stirred all her emotions, as if they were long-time friends.
However, aside from those eyes, he bore no resemblance to Yan Beiting at all, yet still felt familiar.
After getting into the car, Jono looked back at the man standing outside. He was next to Ye Yun, and for a moment, she thought the person beside Ye Yun was Yan Beiting.
It wasn't until Xining started driving that she saw their figures growing smaller in the rearview mirror until they finally disappeared.
"She just said I'm a friend more important than her life," Yan Beiting remarked as he watched the car drive away, his hands tucked into his suit pants, feeling contemplative.
Ye Yun scoffed lightly. "If a man were willing to give up his life for me, I could easily call him a friend more important than life itself—he could even be my boyfriend!"
Yan Beiting shook his head; Ye Yun's attitude was too strong and not charming at all.
"But Ye Yun, I really want to see her a few more times. I'm afraid I might never see her again." Fear surged in his heart; the worst thing was the thought of never seeing her again.
Ye Yun turned around and saw the sadness on Yan Beiting's face.
Four years were merely borrowed time, and with Yan Beiting's health deteriorating day by day, he couldn't reveal the truth to anyone. He preferred to bear it all alone. Call him selfish if you must, but it was indeed selfish.
Yet what he bore was a heavier burden than others. What right did anyone have to blame such a man?
...
"Jono, what happened just now? Did that man remind you of someone?" Xining asked, glancing at Jono through the rearview mirror. Her expression was growing increasingly troubled.
Jono snapped back to reality, still supporting Jin Mengxi beside her.
"Yeah, I just feel like he resembles Beiting a bit."
"Don't think too much about it. Yan Beiting is gone, and that's that. There are plenty of people in this world who look similar. I could find someone to make them look like Yan Beiting if I wanted! We need to look forward, and you can't let your mood get heavy; it's not good for the baby," Xining advised earnestly.
"The baby..." Jin Mengxi, who had been listening quietly, suddenly burst into tears upon hearing the word "baby."
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