“Hu Ying said she’ll come a bit late in the afternoon,” Mu Qi finished texting and placed her phone on the bedside table before diving into the blankets.
Su Yanxi covered herself entirely with the quilt, exposing only her eyes, and curled up at the edge of the bed, afraid she might unconsciously get closer to the other person.
Mu Qi, glancing over, saw her completely wrapped in the quilt and couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Aren’t you feeling stuffy?”
Su Yanxi quickly shook her head.
Mu Qi didn’t tease her further; instead, she arranged the quilt and said, “Go to sleep.”
“Okay.”
In no time, Mu Qi drifted into the realm of dreams. Su Yanxi, on the other hand, remained awake. When she was sure Mu Qi had fallen asleep, she softly called out to her. Seeing no response, she confirmed that Mu Qi was indeed asleep. Quietly, she shifted closer and lay down inside the blanket.
With a distance of only two fists between them, she stopped. Inside the quilt, she gently held Mu Qi’s hand, gazing at her profile for a long time. Slowly, she closed her eyes and entered the dreamland.
In her dream, Su Yanxi seemed to have returned to when she first met Mu Qi.
At two o’clock, Mu Qi woke up from her dreams, a bit dazed as she looked at the ceiling. After a moment, her thoughts returned, and she turned to look at Su Yanxi.
She found the girl leaning against her, forehead against her shoulder, looking incredibly obedient. Mu Qi observed her but didn’t move, maintaining this posture.
At this moment, Mu Qi realized she was holding Su Yanxi’s hand. Just as she was about to let go, the girl stirred. Mu Qi immediately dared not move and continued holding her hand.
She hadn’t noticed before, but today she realized that the girl’s hand was very soft, almost tender. Mu Qi couldn’t help but squeeze it a couple of times.
By the time Su Yanxi woke up, Mu Qi had already gently squeezed the girl’s hand several times, and there was even a hint of reluctance at the end.
“Awake?” Mu Qi quickly concealed her reluctant expression, lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and casually glanced at the girl’s hand without making a sound.
“Yeah.” Su Yanxi didn’t notice her expression. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and quickly got out of bed.
Mu Qi’s bed was very warm, and with her favorite person sleeping beside her, she naturally slept even more sweetly.
After washing their faces, when they came out of the room, the doorbell rang. Mu Qi said, “It must be Hu Ying.”
Sure enough, outside the door stood Hu Ying, her expression a bit off. Mu Qi frowned slightly, let her in, closed the door, and asked, “What’s wrong? You seem troubled.”
Hu Ying slumped on the sofa, took the water Mu Qi handed over, covered her hands with the cup to warm them, and sighed, “That man came over today.”
Mu Qi furrowed her brow, sat beside her, and held her shoulder, asking, “Is everything okay with you and your mom?”
Hu Ying shook her head, then said irritably, “We’ve already divorced, and he’s cut off ties with me as his daughter. How can he have the face to come back now?” She grabbed Mu Qi’s hand and worriedly said, “Qi Ge, I’m afraid he’s back to ask for money from my mom again.”
Su Yanxi stood silently on the side. Hearing Hu Ying’s words, she looked at her in surprise. She hadn’t realized that Hu Ying’s parents were divorced. Looking at Mu Qi and Hu Ying, she pursed her lips.
After finishing her words, Hu Ying remembered that Su Yanxi was still there, making her blush with a hint of apology. “I’m sorry, Yanxi, for letting you hear such things.”
Su Yanxi quickly shook her head, sat beside her, and held her hand, silently comforting her because she didn’t know what to say. She was not familiar with the situation and knew that saying something hastily might only make Hu Ying more upset.
Mu Qi was well aware of the situation in Hu Ying’s family. She had witnessed Hu Ying’s father coming home drunk, causing a fight with her mother. At that time, Hu Ying herself had been hit on the leg with a stool leg by her father, taking a while to recover.
It was on that day that Hu Ying’s mother, gritting her teeth, had proposed a divorce.
To get money, Hu Ying’s father had agreed without hesitation. He hadn’t disturbed them for these past few years, but now he had returned.
As soon as he got involved with gambling, it was challenging to quit.
Hu Ying’s father had long been addicted to gambling; how could he possibly give it up?
“Where is he now?” Mu Qi asked.
Hu Ying’s eyes were filled with hatred. “He’s already gone, but he said he’ll come back in three days.”
Su Yanxi had never seen such an expression on Hu Ying’s face. During the time she had known her, she had always seen carefree smiles on Hu Ying’s face.
But now, because of her father’s actions, those smiles were gone, replaced by sorrow.
Mu Qi didn’t know how to intervene in such a situation, but thinking about the possibility of Hu Ying’s father coming back and causing harm to Hu Auntie and Hu Ying, she thought for a moment and asked, “How much money does he owe this time?”
“Fifty thousand,” Hu Ying said with despair. Their family couldn’t afford such a sum. Her mother worked multiple jobs every day, and after a month, they only had a little over three thousand. Considering living expenses and school fees, there was no surplus at all.
Thinking about this, Hu Ying was full of regret and guilt. Her mother worked so hard to earn tuition for her, and all she wanted to do was waste time. She planned to work after high school graduation to relieve her mother of the burden, but now, remembering her mother’s smiling face when she came home and encouraged her to study seriously every day, tears welled up in Hu Ying’s eyes.
Mu Qi furrowed her brows and then spoke in a serious tone, “Hu Ying, I’ll give you fifty thousand, and you give it to him.”
“No,” Hu Ying immediately looked up at her, refusing, “Qi Ge, I won’t take your money, and I won’t give it to him. If necessary, I’ll fight him to the end.” As she spoke, determination filled her face.
Mu Qi, however, stopped her and said, “Listen to me. This fifty thousand is a loan from me. When you give it to him, make him sign a promissory note. From then on, cut off all ties with him, even if he accumulates more gambling debts, it won’t be your concern.”
Hesitation crossed Hu Ying’s face upon hearing this.
Mu Qi continued, “Otherwise, if he has a first time, there will be a second time. Do you want you and your mom to keep being bullied by him?”
Hu Ying lifted her head, looking gratefully at Mu Qi and said earnestly, “Qi Ge, thank you. Consider this fifty thousand as a loan from you. I’ll write a note and make sure to repay you. From now on, whether it’s going through fire or water, I, Hu Ying, won’t hesitate!”
Mu Qi flicked her forehead and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? Go back and discuss it with your mom. If everything is settled, I’ll go with you tonight to get the money.”
“Okay.” Hu Ying nodded and hurriedly left.
When only Mu Qi and Su Yanxi remained in the living room, Mu Qi sighed, leaned against the sofa, and looked at Su Yanxi, who had been silent since the beginning. She smiled and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you disapprove of what I did?”
After all, it was Hu Ying’s family matter, and Mu Qi, as an outsider, interfering might cause resentment in the future. However, she had personally witnessed the injuries on Hu Ying and her mother caused by Hu Ying’s father.
She didn’t want her good friend and Hu Auntie to be bullied again. Even if they resent her in the future, she wanted to come up with this idea.
This made her think of her own parents.
Su Yanxi sat beside her, holding her hand, and shook her head, saying, “Mu Qi, I support whatever decision you make. I think Hu Ying and her mom are also very grateful to you.”
For Su Yanxi, who came from a happy family, she couldn’t fully understand the feelings of Mu Qi and Hu Ying, but she could see the pain in their expressions.
After all, family members were precious, and it was hard to let go of anyone.
In the evening, Hu Ying, who had already clarified things with her mother, came with her to find Mu Qi.
Hu Auntie’s eyes turned red when she saw Mu Qi, and she trembled as she held Mu Qi’s hand, saying, “Xiao Qi, thank you, thank you, thank you. Our Hu Ying can have a friend like you; it’s truly a blessing for several lifetimes.”
Mu Qi smiled and said, “Having a friend like Hu Ying is also my blessing.” After all, Hu Ying had helped her a lot and had been accompanying her for many years. For someone who didn’t have many friends, Hu Ying had been a great companion during many dull times.
“Mu Qi, I’ll go back first,” Su Yanxi knew that Mu Qi had things to handle with Hu Ying, and it wouldn’t be convenient for her to tag along. She bid them farewell, planning to come back and hang out with Mu Qi tomorrow.
“Sure, take care on your way back.” At this moment, light snow had started to fall outside. Mu Qi was concerned about slippery roads and advised the girl to walk slowly.
“Okay.” Su Yanxi nodded obediently.
As she walked away, Mu Qi led Hu Ying and Hu Auntie towards a nearby bank.
In reality, Hu Auntie had already divorced Hu Ying’s father. However, their initial decision only severed the father-daughter relationship verbally. If they didn’t resolve it now, issues like child custody could arise in the future, and five thousand wouldn’t be enough to solve those problems.
