Living With a Temperamental Adonis: 99 Proclamations of Love

The road sprinkler truck just passed the road, and the street was wet. The night breeze gathered, and the air was humid. The wind was strong, messing up Song Qingchun’s hair and clothes. She walked on slowly until she collapsed to the floor when her legs could not carry her any further.

Across the street, several people exited the bar, and in their alcoholic high, they hugged each other and sang at the top of their lungs.

She hugged her knees, pulling her body into a protective huddle. She sat in that state quietly for a long time until the conversation she just had with Su Zhinian drifted back into her mind. Her eyes started to tear up as she buried her face in her knees.

”Why… are you here?”

”Hmm?”

”Is this for me?”

”Yes.”

…

”Wait.”

”Take the pills as soon as you can; they are more effective the closer the time of ingestion is to the deed.”

”Also, I’m sorry for what happened yesterday.”

”I had too much to drink, if you need any compensation, feel free to ask…”

His words were like a curse, repeating themselves again and again in her mind. She finally could not hold her emotions in and broke down like a baby.

…

Not far away from the girl, a car was parked by the roadside. Su Zhinian sat in the car, staring blankly ahead. The sounds of the girl crying were like knives flaying him alive.

He knew he had done the right thing, but when he saw her swallow the pill right before his eyes and stumble out of his porch… when he saw her stagger about the streets like a broken doll, completely unaware of her surrounding… when he saw her collapse onto the floor in a heap of tears… his conviction started to break. In fact, there were several times when he almost hit the gas pedal to chase after her, park the car by her side, get down, and pull her into a deep hug.

The harder Song Qingchun tried not to let her crying be heard, the greater the struggle in Su Zhinian’s heart.

As if operating on its own mind, Su Zhinian’s hand reached into his pocket to pull out the diamond ring.

The waterworks started in earnest, and the girl’s open wailing crunched Su Zhinian’s heart. A compulsion to get out of his car, rush to her side, get down on one knee to apologize to her, and ask her to marry him swept through him crazily.

She wailed with such intensity that her breath was caught in her throat. Looking at her shivering frame, his rationality was completely shattered. Throwing all caution to the wind, Su Zhinian reached for the car door.

However, before he could push the car door open, Song Qingchun staggered up into a standing position. His movement stopped, and through the windshield, he saw the girl walk toward a public phone booth. She tossed a coin in and made a call.

The phone rang for a while before it was answered, and Qin Yinan’s soft-spoken voice came from the other side. ”Hello? Who is this?”

”Brother Yinan…” Song Qingchun’s voice was nasal from the heavy crying.

”Song Song?” Qin Yinan had heard the distress in her voice, so he asked concernedly, ”What’s wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?”