Cruel Romance - Chapter 2.4

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In the twilight sky, at dusk.

The howling wind of autumn, felt even colder because of the dark, gloomy skies. Since afternoon, the sky was grey. In the evening the dark clouds grew denser, but the rain didn’t seem to fall. On the streets, people rushed about, during such a time, who wasn’t rushing back home, looking forward to a warm dinner, bright lights, the smiles of one’s family, to wash away the exhaustion of a busy day out.

Jin Xiu hurriedly walked on the streets. The roads in Shanghai were too complicated, it was completely foreign to her. She held on to the map and asked for directions all the way through, and finally found Hua Ying primary school. The requirements on the hiring advertisement in the newspaper didn’t seem that strict. Only reaching there did she realise, that without any teaching experience, and only a simple few years of schooling, without even a guarantor, to think of becoming a teacher, was impossible.

After leaving Hua Ying primary school, Jin Xiu was so dejected that she couldn’t even lift up her head. A whole day of anticipation and hope were now just a burst dream. She walked over a few streets, then Jin Xiu suddenly realised, she was lost! She hurriedly walked back but the more she walked the more confused she got, before her eyes were hoards of cars and people, tall buildings, where was the path she initially took?

She didn’t have a cent on her, occasionally when trishaw riders saw her by the road looking left and right, and would come over touting for business, she could only furiously shake her head, how could she afford the fare?

The humid air was pressing and the cold left her breathless.

Jin Xiu only had a thin woollen qipao on, Auntie Lan only got it at the last minute, it seemed alright in the house only when she walked out did she realise that it was too thin, even her legs and hand were covered with goosebumps. She was most worried that it would rain, it was getting dark, and she had to hurry back to Lion Grove. Without even informing, she snuck out to find a job, would Ying Shao go and look for her today? He was too busy over the past two days, she didn’t even catch a glimpse of him.

Her sprained ankle already felt much better and she no longer needed crutches but after walking for a long while, it still throbbed with pain, as though it was pierced with a nail.  And at the crossroads, the chaos of people around, Jin Xiu felt her head grow big with worry, unable to get a hold of a matter.

The rain finally fell. Initially it was a drizzle, soon the raindrops grew heavy, Jin Xiu’s hair and shoulders were completely drenched, bumping left and right, her clothes could no longer get any wetter, and could only run to the nearest sea facing shelter in the church to hide from the rain.

Who knew that the rain had no intention of stopping and only grew heavier. Jin Xiu was so worried that she was in a mess, and each time she thought of rushing out she stopped herself–she couldn’t even recognise the way back, what was the point of running in the rain?

The neon lighted sign at the opposite Hua Long back lit up, like a beacon in the gloomy rain. Jin Xiu hugged her arms tightly, so cold that she was shivering, her hair was so wet that it was dripping with water, wandering around, feeling disjointed from the place around her.

A car sped past, splashing water from the puddles on the street onto Jin Xiu. Luckily she moved away quickly and only her calves and the bottom half of her qipao were splashed a few drops of mud–she almost become a dalmatian. Jin Xiu bent down to wipe herself with a newspaper, that car suddenly drove back and stopped right before her.

The chauffeur nimbly got down, and pulled open the back door, holding a black umbrella, a pair of shining leather shoes extended out from within the car, stepping into the rainwater, a pair of smart looking pants just above.

Jin Xiu stunned and she stood up, eyes widening. Under that umbrella was Zuo Zhen! The sky was darkening, the cold rain was depressing, yet his voice had a warmth that penetrated her heart,”Jin Xiu, get on.”

His tone was so matter of fact, impossible to refuse, he took the umbrella from the chauffeur’s hands and held it over Jin Xiu, “Don’t wander around on a rainy day.”

This was Jin Xiu’s first time sitting in a private car, the leather seats were wide and comfortable, there was warmth in the air around. She curiously moved forward to see the chauffeur driving, that round thing was probably used for steering the car, and there was even the handbrake beside the seat, the chauffeur was so familiar with the controls, it truly wasn’t easy, to be able to drive such a complicated huge machine. Zuo Zhen wasn’t someone who talked much, but for some reason, at this moment he seemed so close to her. Although they had only met twice, Shanghai was huge and since she only knew a few people, the way Zuo Zhen treated her was not all that bad.