Qin Yichi’s Past Life: Unrequited Love (5)

Graduating from university.

For the past two years, Qin Yichi has focused entirely on his racing career, training day and night, pushing his limits as if his life depended on it.

He wanted to bring glory to his country.

He wanted to win the world championship, to stand at the very pinnacle, and to let Qiao Zhen see it.

Would she, like she did when they were children, crinkle her bright eyes and smile at him, saying:
"Brother Chi, you are so amazing!"

As Qin Yichi thought of this, he slowly lowered his eyes, a tide of bitterness rising in his chest.

She probably wouldn't anymore.

But at least, he hoped she wouldn't forget him.

—

Since graduation, Qin Yichi had not seen Qiao Zhen for a very, very long time; even their conversations were pitifully few.

The last time they spoke was when he sent a "Happy New Year" message.

Since then, he could never find another chance to talk to her. He would repeatedly type messages in the chat box only to delete them, not knowing what to say.

So, it was true that people could drift through different "phases" of life.

Qin Yichi could only follow her every move online.

She successfully broke into the public eye on a music competition variety show and signed with a media agency to debut.

On the night of the finale, her Weibo followers exceeded eight million.

But Qin Yichi had been silently following her personal account since the very day she opened it, back when her follower count was still in the single digits.

He would subconsciously save every selfie Qiao Zhen posted, carefully read every sincere post she made, and keep every song she sang on loop.

Fortunately, she had successfully become famous.

He hoped her career would be brilliant.

—

As Qiao Zhen’s popularity grew, she also faced a barrage of rumors and slander.

The trolls attacked her indiscriminately, using the most vicious language in the world to malign her, editing ugly photos of her, and cursing her to die in a wealthy benefactor's bed.

The most severe rumor even reached the top of the entertainment trending list, with the comment section filled with open mockery and veiled insults.

It was as if she had offended someone; malicious hit pieces from marketing accounts were everywhere, and even passersby who didn't know the truth were swayed to join in the pile-on.

Seeing those dark remarks, a dense, suffocating pain surged in Qin Yichi’s heart, as if countless silver needles were piercing him until he bled.

It hurt so much he could barely breathe.

He thought, Qiao Zhen must have seen it.

She must be very sad and heartbroken.

—

Qin Yichi made a habit of checking her Weibo every day.

In the beginning, she was like a bright, energetic little sun, sharing countless bits of her daily life:
Sometimes it was a makeup-free photo, sometimes a beautiful sunset, sometimes a stray cat or dog on the street... She was chirpy and would often sincerely reply to fans' comments.

But after the trolls began to maliciously take her words out of context, the frequency of her posts decreased significantly.

She must have seen them—the extreme comments.

She was never a particularly confident person to begin with, and lately, her condition seemed to be deteriorating.

Qin Yichi’s Weibo handle was "Waiting for a Pearl," and he would always leave comments below her posts, encouraging and supporting her.

Even though she would most likely never see them.

—

Qin Yichi had not missed a single one of her concerts, and today was no exception; furthermore, it was her 23rd birthday.

He arrived at the venue early to wait.

Soon, a young girl came over and started handing out small gifts to many people.

Qin Yichi received one too—a canvas bag printed with a cartoon image of Qiao Zhen, containing handmade photo cards and a standee.

He accepted the gift: "Thank you."

The girl appeared to be a high school student, her hair tied with a golden ribbon, wearing a gold dress.

It was Qiao Zhen’s cheering color.

Her seat was right next to Qin Yichi’s. Judging by how excited she was, it was likely her first time at a concert, and she was very chatty:
"Hey, when did you start liking Qiao-jie? I’ve liked her since she first went on that show. I love her so, so much!"

Hearing this, Qin Yichi paused. He curled his lips into a faint smile, his eyes stinging:
"I’ve liked her for a long time, too."

He had liked her since he was a child.

It had been many, many years.

And over these years, he seemed to have grown accustomed to that bitter, aching feeling...

—

Qin Yichi watched Qiao Zhen’s performance with intense focus.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that something was off about Qiao Zhen today.

The concert ended.

Qin Yichi whispered "Happy Birthday," but the blessing was ultimately drowned out by the screams of countless fans.

Just like in the past, that unremarkable paper star of a confession had been lost among all the other stars.

—

As he walked out of the venue, a torrential downpour began.

Qin Yichi held an umbrella, wandering aimlessly through the rain, his headphones looping Qiao Zhen’s "Music Box."

In the next second, amidst the pouring rain, his pupils suddenly constricted, his gaze fixed on a person by the roadside.

Even though she was wearing a mask and sunglasses, Qin Yichi had a strong intuition.

The silhouette looked just like Qiao Zhen.

Realizing this, Qin Yichi’s heart hammered against his ribs. The longing of countless days and nights seemed to suddenly find a place to vent, and every cell in his body burned with excitement.

Excitement, nervousness, fear—complex emotions transformed into a surging tidal wave, completely submerging him.

She didn't have an umbrella and was drenched in the downpour.

The next instant, a red car sped toward her, its speed continuously increasing.

Qin Yichi reacted instantly. Without a second thought, he rushed forward and pulled her toward him as he ran.

The heavy rain pounded against the ground, splashing like tiny flowers.

The woman’s sunglasses fell to the ground, and Qin Yichi caught a glimpse of those familiar eyes.

It really was Qiao Zhen.

—

It was truly, actually her.

Qiao Zhen froze, her voice choked with emotion: "Qin... Yichi...?"

In that instant, it was as if only the two of them existed in the whole world.

Qin Yichi’s chest heaved as he fought to suppress the excitement and bitterness in his heart.

After a long silence, he let go of her, his voice hoarse: "Long time no see."

It had been, truly, a very long time.

Qiao Zhen nodded blankly and also said, "Long time no see."

Qin Yichi picked up the black umbrella that had fallen to the ground, held it over her head, and feigned nonchalance:
"I was just passing by, so I came to see your concert."

He tilted the umbrella slightly toward Qiao Zhen with a heart full of tenderness.

"Happy Birthday, Qiao Zhen."

—

A wonton shop.

Both of them were soaked to the bone, sitting face to face.

The owner enthusiastically brought over two bowls of steaming wontons: "Here you go!"

There were no other customers in the shop. Qiao Zhen took off her mask, sniffled, and silently bowed her head to eat.

She didn't say a word, looking downcast and miserable.

Qin Yichi didn't know if she was still Ji Xian’s girlfriend, and he didn't deliberately ask; he had no intention of interfering in or ruining someone else’s relationship.

He just sat quietly, eating wontons with Qiao Zhen.

Just like in the past, when they used to eat breakfast together.

He remembered that Qiao Zhen liked to add vinegar and scallions, liked eating deep-fried dough sticks with salty tofu pudding and custard buns, and loved bacon-filled *jianbing guozi*.

Back then, he had taken it all for granted. Now, things were different; even sharing a meal felt like a luxury, a fleeting and illusory dream.

After a long while, Qin Yichi turned and said, "Owner, check, please."

—

A few days later, through a mutual friend, Qin Yichi learned that Qiao Zhen and Ji Xian had broken up.

It was Qiao Zhen who had initiated it.

For some reason, even though he had longed for this news countless times, now that it had actually arrived, Qin Yichi felt no joy or excitement.

He only felt his heart tightly bound by chains, suffocatingly heavy.

He couldn't help but wonder what Qiao Zhen had endured in her relationships over the years, as she seemed to be shrouded in a layer of bleak disappointment.

She must have suffered so many grievances.

She must have shed so many tears in secret.

Qin Yichi rubbed his brow. After a long pause, he typed on his phone screen:

"Do you know where Qiao Zhen is living now?"