Chapter Ten: The Distance Between Hearts

Chapter Ten: The Distance Between Hearts

Clutching my forehead, which throbbed from the double torment of alcohol and pain, I leaned against the wall as I stumbled down the long, spacious corridor.

With every closed luxury private room I passed, I would gently push the door open and peer inside, searching for Luo Qing among the many confused and dazed glances of the occupants.

It wasn't until I reached the very end of the corridor that I finally collapsed in despair, sitting on the floor by the staircase banister. I clutched my splitting head, powerless, as Luo Qing's parting words echoed in my mind over and over again: "We're never seeing each other again."

"Never again..." I muttered.

As if all life had been drained from me, I sat motionless on the plush carpeted steps. I wanted to go look for Luo Qing, but I had absolutely no idea where to start.

But even if I found her, what difference would it make?

In my daze, my body suddenly felt weightless. It seemed two people had hoisted me up and were carrying me downstairs.

"You... you guys... let go of... me..." By now, all the strength had been drained from my body. I was completely unable to struggle, as if the signals from my brain to my limbs had been cut off. No matter how hard I tried to move, my body refused to respond. "Please... I beg you... let me see her..."

Unmoved by my pleas, the two men carrying me pushed open the heavy main doors and threw me onto the roadside, which was covered in ice and snow.

"Don't go... don't..." Lying weak on the thin layer of snow covering the road, I watched the two men in black turn and walk away. I struggled to call out, but received no response.

Rolling over with great effort, I watched the snowflakes drifting down from the sky. My breath billowed out like a misty fog, starting thick and fading away into the freezing night air.

The golden, glowing letters of "Imperial KTV" shone above me. Staring blankly at them, a wave of desolation washed over my heart, and everything boiled down to those words: "We're never seeing each other again."

Tiny, crystalline snowflakes swirled in the air. A cold gust of wind blew, landing them on my face, which was still smeared with dried, clotted blood.

Closing my eyes wearily, I could no longer feel the freezing cold of the outside world, and my consciousness gradually began to fade...

In my haze, I opened my eyes and seemed to see Luo Qing standing before me, shaking my body vigorously and scolding me with an angry look on her face. I couldn't hear a word she said, but seeing her made me smile. I no longer dared to hope for eternity or growing old together; I only wished I could keep looking at her like this, just to be by her side...

Exhausted, I closed my eyes. In the darkness, I seemed to fall into a long dream. I felt as if I had returned to my hometown, to that familiar place... I saw my aging parents, who were chatting with me about trivial family matters, but I walked impatiently into the small inner bedroom where I had lived for over a decade. Standing alone, I quietly gazed out the window at the pitch-black night sky. Just then, a brilliant streak of light shot up into the sky and burst at its highest point, scattering sparks. As if signaling something, more and more fireworks bloomed in the night, painting the darkness red and illuminating my small room.

"Yang Chen, come eat!" My mother's warm, cheerful voice reached my ears.

"Okay," I called back and ran to the living room. Seeing the table laden with home-cooked dishes and a large basin of plump, round dumplings, I realized it was New Year's Eve.

Sitting at the table, looking at my parents whose hair had already turned completely gray, a sudden ache stung my eyes.

As I ate the dumplings, I suddenly noticed that at some point, a girl about my age had sat down next to me. She was dressed in white, with delicate and pretty features. Sensing my gaze, she turned her head and smiled at me.

At that moment, everything felt so natural, peaceful, and comfortable.

"Yang Chen." A voice suddenly rang in my ear.

In an instant, the scene before me shattered like a struck mirror. Terrified, I wanted to scream, but no sound would come out.

"Dreaming of her again?" Yang Xiaoyu's voice carried a hint of pleasant surprise mixed with mockery. "Oh my, you're even crying!"

I slowly opened my eyes to see Yang Xiaoyu looking down at me with disdain. Lacking the strength to reply, I shifted my gaze slightly to take in my surroundings. It was an unfamiliar place I had never been to before.

"Good, you're awake," Yang Xiaoyu said, yawning. She turned and walked into another room, returning shortly with a bowl of porridge, which she set on the small nightstand next to my bed. "Boss Yang, you should rest well today. I'll head to the shop in a bit. I made you some porridge. My cooking isn't great, so you'll just have to make do."

Seeing how tired she looked, likely from a lack of sleep, and noticing how messy her red hair was, I quickly shook my head. "Xiaoyu, don't go either. Take the day off."

"No way..." Sensing my eyes on her, Yang Xiaoyu quickly smoothed down her long hair and said with a pout, "It's the weekend, the busiest day of the week. We can't just throw that away!"

"I'm the boss. If I say take a break, you take a break." Her dedication touched me, so I pulled rank on her.

"Pfft, think you're so tough just because you're the boss?" Yang Xiaoyu retorted as she began putting on her coat. She made a face at me. "I'm going anyway. Annoying, isn't it?"

I felt a pang of embarrassment, then sighed softly, softening my tone as much as possible. "Xiaoyu, if you do this, it makes me feel like I owe you too much, and I don't want that... Just listen to me this once, okay?"

Hearing the sincerity in my voice, Yang Xiaoyu paused mid-motion. She looked back at me skeptically, then laughed. "Alright then, Mr. Hopeless Romantic."

"Okay," I smiled and nodded. "Where are we, anyway?"

"My place, of course," Yang Xiaoyu said, rolling her eyes. "Have you ever seen a hotel this cozy?"

I found it amusing but quickly nodded. Indeed, the small room was decorated quite cutely, with walls covered in various cartoon stickers, which fit her tastes perfectly. But even a normal statement coming from her always sounded so matter-of-fact, which I found entertaining.

"How much did you drink last night anyway? You were dead drunk. If I hadn't gone, you probably would have frozen to death." She pointed to the bowl on the nightstand. "Drink up, or are you waiting for me to spoon-feed you?"

I picked up the porcelain bowl and took a sip of the porridge. "How did you know where I was? Did I call you before I passed out?" My memory of last night was fragmented. I only vaguely recalled being thrown onto the street by two men, but I had absolutely no recollection of what I said or did after that.

"You did. Don't you remember?" Yang Xiaoyu asked with a knowing smile.

I tried hard to recall, but apart from a slight headache, nothing came to mind.

"The call came from your phone, but you weren't the one who asked me to come," Yang Xiaoyu said, enjoying my confusion as she kept teasing me.

"What do you mean? Someone else called you?" An idea suddenly flashed in my mind. Could it be...?

"Take a look at this, and you'll understand." With that, Yang Xiaoyu walked over to the coat rack, took down a piece of clothing, and threw it onto my lap.

Staring at the red down jacket in my hands, a wave of warmth washed over me, quickly followed by a deep sorrow... My own coat must have been left behind in the KTV restroom. Had Luo Qing put this on me? But she had already left. This time, it wasn't just a long-distance separation; it was the distance between our hearts...

"It seems your ex-girlfriend might have dumped you, but she wasn't completely heartless. She gave you a coat so you wouldn't freeze to death." Yang Xiaoyu sighed and said to me with mock helplessness, "As the saying goes, 'Ask the world what love is...' though of course, that only applies to you."

I held Luo Qing's jacket to my nose, gently inhaling the faint scent she had left behind. My eyes grew hot again, but I fought back the tears.

"Anyway, you can wallow in your self-pity here. I'm going to get some sleep." With that, Yang Xiaoyu pulled up a stool to the table, sat down, rested her head on her arms, and closed her eyes.

Carefully folding Luo Qing's jacket and setting it aside, I struggled out of bed and walked over. I gently tapped Yang Xiaoyu, unsure if she was already asleep, and whispered, "Go sleep on the bed. Sleeping like this is too uncomfortable."

"With a bed that tiny, how? With you?" Yang Xiaoyu didn't even open her eyes, remaining slumped over the table.

I let out a helpless laugh. This girl's tongue was as sharp as ever.

"I've slept enough. You lie down on the bed and rest." Dragging my aching body, I patted her back gently once more.

"Fine. Can I consider this a reward from you?" Yang Xiaoyu smiled, opening her eyes to look at my embarrassed face.

"This isn't a reward, it's just what I should do. Besides, I need to thank you." I scratched my head, looking sheepishly at this quirky girl who was several years younger than me.

"Don't you dare say thank you," Yang Xiaoyu cut me off. She stood up, walked to the bed, and flopped face-down onto the duvet. In a muffled voice, she muttered, "If you want to thank me, give me a raise, boss."

"Alright, I will." Seeing how exhausted she was despite trying to act energetic, I quickly agreed. I knew she was just joking—she always said things like this in the past, and I would always brush it off with various excuses. Over time, asking for a raise had become an inside joke between us, something we brought up for a laugh. But this time was different. I felt I should not only give her a raise but also hire a couple of assistants to help her. Seeing how much effort she had put into the cold drink shop all this time, I couldn't bear to let her carry it all. No matter what, she deserved this.

"Xiaoyu," I wanted to ask for her opinion and discuss how much of a raise would be appropriate.

Looking at Yang Xiaoyu, who seemed to have already fallen asleep on the bed, I smiled warmly. *Get some rest, kiddo...*