Push Me Away When I Come, Don't Hold Me Back When I Leave - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Why Does She Live So Far Away From My Home…

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“So… rain is this salty.”

Leaning against the railing, holding a tin can, Xia Ruoming felt the cold rainwater sliding down her face, mixed with tears that had fallen at some unknown time into her mouth.

“Sis, you should drink less!” Ji Chuan looked at the six empty cans on the ground again, feeling worried about Xia Ruoming.

“Stop nagging, I’m fine. Don’t you always brag about your alcohol tolerance? What’s wrong, are you afraid your sister is spending too much money treating you? You can’t handle just these few beers?” Xia Ruoming raised her tin can and clinked it with Ji Chuan.

The two were feeling the cold night wind on the open rooftop.

Since it was the Spanish Royal series with an alcohol content over 20%, and considering Xia Ruoming’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t that good to begin with, she was already somewhat tipsy.

For some reason, Ji Chuan suddenly received a call from Xia Ruoming, saying she was on the rooftop of his apartment building and asking him to come out for drinks. When Zhong Hui heard about it, she even had Ji Chuan bring up some of their homemade braised dishes.

Only when Ji Chuan saw Xia Ruoming’s face did he notice an expression more exhausted than ever before.

People can’t always face the world with 100% courage, and once that courage is temporarily depleted, one’s spirit becomes weak and fragile.

After feeling how Xu Fengwu’s life had intersected with her own again in a different way, Xia Ruoming’s heart had indeed wavered. The feeling of depleted courage didn’t come from rejecting Xu Fengwu, but from resisting her own wavering heart.

“What a beautiful moonlight, yet it’s raining…” Xia Ruoming looked at the sky, took another sip of beer, seeming to reflect on her already-ended past.

“Cheers!”

Ji Chuan helplessly raised his can, and with the sound of metal clinking, he continued to accompany Xia Ruoming in her drinking to drown her sorrows.

…

Xia Jingsong, who had picked up Liu Ruoxue from work, was driving home. They knew Xia Ruoming had called earlier saying someone was treating her to dinner, so she wouldn’t be home for dinner, so they had eaten out before heading back.

“It’s raining? I wonder if that child has an umbrella.” Liu Ruoxue noticed raindrops appearing on the car window and couldn’t help but worry.

“What are you worried about? When has our daughter ever not carried an umbrella?” Xia Jingsong looked at his wife with confusion. His wife should know about these things, wasn’t she being a bit too worried?

“You don’t understand anything.”

Liu Ruoxue sighed helplessly. Xia Jingsong was so busy with work, how would he know what their daughter looked like coming home from school every day? True, Xia Ruoming always carried an umbrella, but that didn’t help when someone else never brought one. If their daughter was using the umbrella herself, why would she end up soaked every time there was a heavy rain?

If Xu Fengwu didn’t bring an umbrella, would their daughter use it for herself?

Speaking of which, she wondered whose pig-headedness she inherited, not bringing two umbrellas.

Ah, not bringing two umbrellas, maybe she didn’t want her mother to know she was in love.

“Hey, Old Xia, look at that person over there.” The road was slippery in the rain, so Xia Jingsong wasn’t driving very fast. Liu Ruoxue stared out the window absently and called to Xia Jingsong, pointing at the window.

“What’s up? What’s so interesting about a passerby?” Xia Jingsong also looked where Liu Ruoxue was pointing.

“Isn’t that the person our daughter likes, called… Xu Fengwu? Why is she wandering around without an umbrella in the rain?”

“Did something happen? Do you want to check on her?” There was some reluctance in Xia Jingsong’s voice, he didn’t like getting involved in other people’s business.

“Stop the car, Old Xia.”

Xu Yihan wouldn’t be back until late at night, and Xu Fengwu had just realized… she’d left her keys at home.

Which meant she had nowhere to go now.

She walked dejectedly in the cold rain, crying with her head down. Having just been rejected by Xia Ruoming, she didn’t know where to go.

The spring rain had soaked her clothes cold, but it wasn’t as cold as her heart.

Suddenly the rain seemed to stop falling on her, and the light was blocked by a shadow. Xu Fengwu raised her swollen eyes to look ahead, and a woman was standing in front of her holding an umbrella to shield her from the rain.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m Xia Ruoming’s mother, Liu Ruoxue.” Seeing Xu Fengwu instinctively wanting to step back, Liu Ruoxue comforted her softly. Her red, swollen eyes showed she had just been crying.

Fragments of memories flashed through her mind, and she remembered seeing this woman standing with Xia Ruoming at a parent-teacher meeting in middle school long ago. Tears immediately burst forth like a broken dam, and she fell into Liu Ruoxue’s embrace.

“Auntie Liu… wuu…” She was too numb to feel the pain in her eyes anymore as she called out with a choked voice.

“Child, what happened… there, there, stop crying first. It’s not good to be out in the rain, why don’t you come to the car first, okay?” Liu Ruoxue took her hand and slowly led her while comforting her. That’s when Liu Ruoxue noticed that Xu Fengwu seemed light as a feather, without any strength at all.

In the car, Xu Fengwu thought of many things to say but couldn’t get them out.

Xia Ruoming had thrown her away, leaving her all alone. She could be gentle with Chu Suhe, going out in the heavy rain to find her; she could be gentle with Xiao Qinghan, embracing the drunk Xiao Qinghan, but she was no longer gentle with her. But what could be done about it?

She had made it very clear, just leave each other in memories, and from now on they would owe each other nothing.

Even if Xia Ruoming liked more than one person, two-timing or three-timing, what did it have to do with her?

True, Xia Ruoming had liked her, but hadn’t she rejected her?

From beginning to end, she was never Xia Ruoming’s girlfriend, so what right did she have to judge Xia Ruoming’s choices?

“My… my mother isn’t home, and I left my keys inside… I can’t get in…”

Xu Fengwu said softly between sobs.

“You still shouldn’t be out in the rain. Find somewhere to take shelter, call Ruoming about these things, or you can come to our place.” Liu Ruoxue said sympathetically.

“Ruoming… Ruoming she…” Xu Fengwu, who had somewhat calmed down emotionally, completely broke down upon hearing this and started crying again, lying on Liu Ruoxue’s lap.

Well, with her crying like this at the mention of her daughter, Liu Ruoxue understood what had happened.

Must be that the two had a falling out.

“Alright wife, stop upsetting the young lady, whatever needs to be said can wait until we get home.” Xia Jingsong started the car and headed straight for Chengdu International Community.

Xu Fengwu watched as the car slowly moved forward, until they reached Chengdu International before quietly asking a question.

“Xia Ruoming’s home, is it here…”

“Yes? What’s wrong? Didn’t Ruoming tell you?” Liu Ruoxue looked confused. How could someone pursue their daughter for so many years but not even know where she lived?

Hearing these words, Xu Fengwu just sat blankly in the car, feeling like she had no tears left to cry.

So, Xia Ruoming had been lying to her all along, she didn’t live anywhere near her at all, she lived so far away.

Then why did she tell her that she lived nearby, and help carry her bag every day, always being there whenever she needed anything?

Because she liked her… at that moment, Xu Fengwu had already told herself the answer in her heart.