Top-Tier Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 21
Chapter 21: The Taxi
Huo Yichi didn't live with her family; she had her own apartment.
Pei You, having not driven in a while, drove carefully, keeping to a slow speed, even though it was late and the roads were almost empty.
It took a full half hour to reach Huo Yichi’s apartment building.
Which meant they hadn't spoken for half an hour.
Pei You parked by the roadside, unsure of the building layout and unable to locate the parking lot entrance. After checking her surroundings several times, she finally called out to Huo Yichi.
Since they weren’t acting now, she used her real name. "Huo Yichi.”
Huo Yichi hadn't moved for a while. Pei You called her name again, gently patting her shoulder.
"Hmm?" Huo Yichi opened her eyes, looking slightly disoriented. "Are we there yet?”
Pei You had already withdrawn her hand. "Yes.”
"Where's the underground parking entrance? I didn't see it.”
Huo Yichi sat up slightly, then lowered the window, squinting as she looked around. "Just park here. It’s fine.”
Pei You nodded. "Okay.”
She pointed to the building entrance. "I’ll leave you here then," she unbuckled her seatbelt, smiling. "I’m a pretty good driver, right? Nice and steady. Didn’t even wake you.”
Huo Yichi rubbed her temples.
She was a little sleepy, but she'd been pretending to sleep the entire drive, secretly observing Pei You.
But Pei You hadn’t noticed, assuming she was sound asleep.
A self-deprecating smile touched Huo Yichi's lips as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
Pei You opened the car door, showing no sign of hesitation. "I’ll get a taxi back. Get some rest. Goodnight.”
Before Huo Yichi could say anything, Pei You, wrapped in her coat, hurried to the roadside and hailed a taxi.
The taxi drove away, disappearing around the corner.
Huo Yichi pressed her lips together, looking down as she took out her phone.
Unexpectedly, Pei You had sent her a message just after getting into the taxi.
It was the taxi's license plate number and the driver's name.
At the end, Pei You had added: 【If I don’t message you when I get home, call the police.】
It was a habit they'd developed in college, and now, after so long, Pei You had still sent her the information. Huo Yichi didn't know how to respond.
The reason she'd insisted Pei You develop this habit was because Pei You sometimes didn’t message her after parting ways with friends late at night, which worried her.
But back then, she hadn’t said it was because she was worried, only telling Pei You it would be good for their "relationship.”
Pei You had readily agreed, and since then, whenever she took a taxi late at night, whether hailed from the street or booked through an app, she would send Huo Yichi the information.
Huo Yichi stared at the chat window, her lips curving downwards.
She sat in the car for a few more minutes before replying: 【Okay. I’m home.】
Pei You, not questioning her, replied instantly: 【OK.】
Whether it was the lingering effects of the alcohol or something else, Huo Yichi felt like those two letters were mocking her.
Mocking how pathetic she seemed in front of Pei You.
Did she want to keep pretending with Pei You?
No, she didn’t. She wanted to make it real.
But…
How could she make Pei You open up to her?
Huo Yichi didn’t know the answer, but she was willing to wait.
When Pei You got home, she messaged Huo Yichi, then put her phone aside, removing her makeup and showering.
She turned on the electric blanket, hot water bottle, and heater. By the time she’d finished drying her hair, her bed was warm and inviting.
Huo Yichi didn't reply, and Pei You didn't think much of it.
It was late, and Huo Yichi had been drinking; she was probably asleep.
After playing on her phone for a while and checking WeChat Moments, Pei You started to feel sleepy.
She turned off the bedside lamp and put her phone aside. But the moment she closed her eyes, the incident at Sishan Base replayed in her mind.
Pei You was afraid of thunder, very afraid.
So, the sudden loud noise, like a thunderclap, had startled her, her mind going blank.
Thankfully, it had only lasted a moment; otherwise, Pei You thought she might have fainted on the spot.
And in that moment, Huo Yichi had covered her ears, pulling her into a protective embrace.
Pei You turned over, opening her eyes.
She felt that Huo Yichi was different now, in many ways.
Like that instinctive, protective gesture, so natural and effortless.
Honestly, it had surprised her.
The warmth of the blankets enveloped her. Pei You curled up, the memory, like superglue, stuck in her mind, refusing to be dislodged.
Just then, her phone lit up with a notification.
Pei You picked it up and unlocked it.
A message from Tian Jia, checking in on her.
Pei You pursed her lips, asking Tian Jia if she could talk on the phone. After getting a positive response, she called.
"What's wrong, Youzi? You don't sound happy," Tian Jia asked as soon as she answered.
"You can tell?" Pei You put the call on speaker, placing the phone on her pillow.
"Of course."
"Is it because of Huo Yichi?”
"Yes," Pei You admitted; there was no point denying it.
Tian Jia sighed. "I was so shocked when I heard the news today. You never told me you two would get back together. A few days ago, when I mentioned her, you looked like you wanted to kill me, and now…”
"So, what happened?"
The only light in the room came from the phone screen, barely illuminating anything.
Pei You stared at the ceiling, her voice low. "I don’t know.”
She still felt disoriented, like everything that had happened since last night was a dream.
"Well," Tian Jia said, “my friend told me you two looked really sweet tonight, just like before.”
Pei You said flatly, "Really?"
"Yeah," Tian Jia continued, "they said Chi-jie was blocking drinks for you, and you two were whispering to each other all night, like you were in your own little world.”
"That's an exaggeration." But thinking back, many scenes from tonight did fit that description.
Simply because she and Huo Yichi had been committed to their act.
Nothing more.
Tian Jia chuckled. "Youzi, well, since you and Chi-jie are back together, give it your best shot this time.”
"I’m going to sleep," Pei You said, ignoring her comment. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight.”
The phone screen went dark, and the world fell silent.
Pei You stared into the darkness.
After a long while, she finally drifted off to sleep.
And, unusually, she had a dream.
In the dream, Huo Yichi's face was clear, her protective embrace vivid and real.
The gesture played over and over again, like a CD on repeat, her mind the player.
When Pei You woke up, it took her a while to regain her senses.
Grandma Pei had already made breakfast. After washing up, Pei You sat down at the table.
"Grandma," Pei You said after breakfast, clearing the table, "shall we go out this afternoon?”
Grandma Pei adjusted her reading glasses. "Didn’t you just buy some clothes? I saw the bags."
Pei You smiled. "No, Christmas and New Year's are coming up soon. I want to buy some small gifts for the kids in the neighborhood.”
Having grown up in this neighborhood, Pei You had received many small gifts herself as a child. Now, as an adult, she wanted to do the same.
They were on good terms with their neighbors, after all.
Grandma Pei thought for a moment, then declined. "I don’t want to go. Ask your friend to go with you. I still haven't finished watching my drama; I need to see the ending.”
Pei You hadn't expected this ending. "..."
She sighed, resigned, and took out her phone. "I guess I'll go by myself then.”
She unlocked her phone and saw a message from Huo Yichi, sent while she was eating.
Just one short line.
Huo Yichi: 【Let's go on a date.】
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