Chapter 62

It was clearly written casually, without any hint of affection, but Ye Zhi regarded it as very important. At the time, he carefully folded it up and later placed it in a compartment of his wallet. During the period when Huo Youqiao distanced himself from him, Ye Zhi treated that note as the only proof he had ever experienced warmth.

He didn’t want to lose it, even though no one else would consider it significant.

Ye Zhi became anxious. He remembered the direction the thief had fled and began to follow. After a while, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen the thief’s face clearly, and the thief wouldn’t be foolish enough to wait around to be caught.

What should he do?

In that moment, despair welled up inside Ye Zhi. The accumulated bitterness of recent days reached a breaking point, making him feel like crying out loud.

But he didn’t give up. He recalled that many thieves, to avoid being caught with evidence, would quickly take the money from the wallet and then throw the wallet into a trash can.

Thinking of this gave Ye Zhi a glimmer of hope, and he began to search through the trash cans along the street.

For someone young and well-dressed, rummaging through trash cans was embarrassing and easily attracted attention. Ye Zhi, who usually avoided standing out, didn’t care now. Ignoring the dirt and people’s stares, he started searching the trash cans frantically.

One, two, three… At some point, it started to rain. The cold raindrops fell on his face, but Ye Zhi seemed not to notice. He continued his urgent and meticulous search for his familiar wallet.

The money didn’t matter; as long as the note was still there, as long as that note…

His clean, pale fingers gradually became stained with dirt, his clothes soaked by the rain, his hair wet. The street emptied as night fell, with only dim streetlights illuminating his figure. Ye Zhi kept his head down, seriously searching through the trash cans, one after another. He didn’t know how long he had been searching when the rain stopped falling on him, and he realized someone was standing in front of him.

With a faint glimmer of hope, Ye Zhi looked up, only to feel disappointed when he saw the person’s face.

A stranger.

No, not entirely a stranger; they had met before.

Ye Zhi was startled. The other person recognized him and smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. “It really is you. I thought I had mistaken you. Do you remember me? We met before.” The other person blushed slightly with shyness. “My name is Qing Qing.”

Ye Zhi remembered. Qing Qing was the lover of one of Huo Youcheng’s friends.

“What are you doing here? Why…” Qing Qing hesitated, remembering their first meeting, which had been rather awkward. “Why are you digging through the trash? Did you lose something?”

Ye Zhi’s lips were pale from the cold, his senses dulled. Otherwise, he might have felt embarrassed. “Yes…”

Qing Qing said gently, “No matter how important it is, you shouldn’t be searching in the rain. Can’t you just buy a new one?”

Ye Zhi’s eyes darkened, and he replied softly, “Can’t buy…” It was proof of the warmth he once had, something he could never buy again.

Not far away, someone honked a car horn. Qing Qing glanced in that direction, hurriedly placed the umbrella in Ye Zhi’s hand, and said, “The driver is rushing me. I have to go. You should go home too. Keep the umbrella; don’t catch a cold.” Qing Qing ran towards the car, leaving Ye Zhi standing in the rain, holding the umbrella in a daze.

His cold heart suddenly felt a touch of warmth.

Fortune finally seemed to favor him. In the next trash can, he found his old wallet.

The wallet was old and plain, not a brand name, so the thief had discarded it after taking the money, even leaving behind the bus card. Ye Zhi carefully wiped it clean with his clothes and opened the compartment. Seeing the note still there, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The whole day had been filled with misfortune, so much that he felt he couldn’t go on. But now, holding the umbrella and clutching the wallet, Ye Zhi felt he could endure a little longer.

The weak and self-doubting are like this: they ask for nothing from life, so even at their lowest, they slowly climb back up.

Moreover, when it came to Huo Youqiao, Ye Zhi had never fantasized about any future with him. That man was too unattainable, far beyond his reach.