Chapter 17 Chapter 17: Listen, Get Down From The Rooftop First (Many Thanks To Di Xiu, The Flawless One, For The Reward)
Chapter 17: Listen, Get Down From The Rooftop First (Many Thanks To Di Xiu, The Flawless One, For The Reward)
No no no no!
Su Tao's breathing quickened, her eyes glued to the new message on WeChat.
Waiting for her on the rooftop?
In such a strong wind and rain!
She wished this was just one of Chi Xiaocheng's pranks.
In this kind of weather, with Chi Xiaocheng's frail body out in the rain for so long, Su Tao didn't dare imagine what would happen!
At that moment, Ye Liang walked over, noticing Su Tao's distressed expression. He asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Su Tao glanced at him, her trembling thin lips finding an excuse. "Xiaocheng is stuck outside in the rain and can't get back. She wants me to bring her an umbrella."
Ye Liang scoffed. "She should just wait until the rain stops. With such strong wind and rain outside, let alone people, even cars have a hard time driving. You're going to deliver an umbrella?"
He looked at Su Tao's slender frame hidden beneath her dress. "Forget an umbrella, even you'd be blown away."
Then he shrugged. "Just let that fellow fend for herself. The event is about to start, shouldn't we go inside?"
"You... wait for me a moment." Su Tao was still uneasy. She took her phone aside. "I need to make a call."
With that, she directly dialed Chi Xiaocheng's WeChat call.
Before she even heard Chi Xiaocheng's voice, her ears were assailed by the howling gale and the incessant drumming of rain.
The repeated crashes of thunder made Su Tao realize that Chi Xiaocheng was definitely not indoors.
She was on the rooftop!
Su Tao panicked, her voice laced with anxiety. "Xiaocheng! Xiaocheng, can you hear me?"
On the other end, Chi Xiaocheng, standing under a rain shelter on the rooftop, heard Su Tao's anxious voice and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
This was the heroine, the one adored by all.
Even though she was just a cannon fodder side character.
Even though she had done so many outrageous things to her.
Su Tao still embraced her, showering her with concern and trust without hesitation.
Chi Xiaocheng, who had been betrayed twice by girlfriends in her previous life, really loved this kind of concern that poured down like a torrential rain.
She kept up her act, her voice flat, devoid of emotion. "I can hear Tao Tao's voice. What's wrong?"
In the cruise ship's main hall, Su Tao breathed a sigh of relief while anxiously saying, "Xiaocheng, I can't get back that quickly. Can you go downstairs first, please? The rooftop has strong winds and heavy rain, it's very dangerous!"
However, Chi Xiaocheng seemed to only focus on one part of her sentence. "Downstairs?"
"Yes," Su Tao didn't catch the implication in Chi Xiaocheng's tone, but she realized her own emotions were getting the better of her, so her voice softened. "You go down first, go back to your dorm, take a hot shower, and rest. We can talk about anything when I get back, okay? I should be able to return around 11."
"But we agreed, I'm supposed to wait for you on the rooftop. We made a promise, didn't we?"
How could Su Tao not know that Chi Xiaocheng had entered that strange state again, like she had in the basement?
She couldn't spare a thought to whether this was her true nature, or if this state was temporary, a kind of illness.
Su Tao tried to keep her tone from sounding too rushed as she coaxed, "It's just talking, it's the same no matter where we are. When I get back, Xiaocheng, I'll listen carefully to whatever you have to say. We can have a good chat then."
"What will we talk about then?" Chi Xiaocheng asked again.
Su Tao bit her lower lip, stole a glance at Ye Liang not far away, then lowered her voice. "We'll talk about... your feelings for me, Xiaocheng. I also have a lot to say to you. So please, listen to me, go back and wait for me first."
"But it's the same if I wait for you on the rooftop, since we already agreed."
The rain was so heavy, how could it be the same!
When gentle persuasion failed, Su Tao had no choice but to be firm.
So she said to Chi Xiaocheng, "Xiaocheng, listen to me, go down from the rooftop first. If you don't listen, then I won't come back, and I won't talk to you."
It was always like this when they were little.
As long as she put on an angry face.
No matter how much Chi Xiaocheng fussed, she would always obediently listen.
She was occasionally mischievous, but most of the time she was very sensible.
It would be the same this time.
Upon hearing Su Tao's stern voice, Chi Xiaocheng's voice softened, just like before, with a hint of grievance. "Alright then, I'll listen to you."
"Good, good. Go down first, I promise I'll be back very soon!"
At this, Su Tao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been in conflict with Chi Xiaocheng for the past two months and hadn't been able to get close to her.
She wondered what had happened.
It must have been that group of so-called friends who led Xiaocheng astray!
Once the banquet was over, she could have a good talk with Xiaocheng.
As she thought this, apart from the sound of rain, Chi Xiaocheng's voice added itself to the WeChat call. "If I go down from the rooftop, will Tao Tao definitely come back?"
"Good girl," Su Tao's tone softened again. "I won't lie to Xiaocheng, don't worry."
"Okay!"
Chi Xiaocheng's voice brightened slightly.
The conversation seemed to end there, but the WeChat call didn't hang up. Su Tao wanted to confirm the sound, to make sure the rain sound lessened and Chi Xiaocheng had obediently returned to her dorm.
But as she listened, she realized the sound of rain hadn't lessened at all.
There was no sign of her being indoors.
After a while.
The voice on the phone finally changed. Chi Xiaocheng's soft, emotionless voice added, "If I go down from the rooftop, Tao Tao will come back."
"The 14th floor, it's a bit high."
Su Tao froze at her words.
"Xiaocheng!"
She realized too late, shouting out loud without any regard for her image.
"Beep, beep, beep—"
The call had already disconnected.
She fumbled to redial, but couldn't get through no matter what she tried.
"Su Tao, are you done with your call? The event is about to start. We need to go to the exhibition hall inside the cruise ship."
At that moment, Ye Liang walked over, but saw Su Tao fumbling frantically, her face filled with extreme anxiety.
She couldn't get through to Chi Xiaocheng's WeChat call, and even her cell phone number showed a message that it was off. She lost her composure.
She even imagined Chi Xiaocheng and her phone falling together from the 14th floor.
The phone shattered beyond repair.
And the person...
She didn't dare to think further, quickly saying to Ye Liang, "Ye Liang, I... I need to go back to school. I won't attend the banquet. Can you drive me back?"
Ye Liang frowned, the slight dissatisfaction that had been building since they got in the car finally showing on his face. "Su Tao, what are you talking about? This banquet is crucial to me. For your sake, I even invited my own family. The official event is about to begin, what are you going back for?"
"Xiaocheng is in danger, I have to go back!"
Su Tao knew this wasn't the time for lengthy explanations. She simply stated her direct purpose.
It would take half an hour to drive back to school from here.
She needed help!
But—
Ye Liang was displeased.
He had never liked Chi Xiaocheng; she had annoyed him to death before, and the girl he liked had been kidnapped to the basement, not only ruining his reputation at the last banquet but also almost getting Su Tao injured.
And now she was popping up again, as if nothing had happened.
His fists clenched involuntarily. He raised his head proudly, his face ashen. "Chi Xiaocheng, Chi Xiaocheng, it's always Chi Xiaocheng! She treated you like that, why do you still care about her?"
It was the usual sternness, assertiveness, and refusal to be defied.
The aura of a CEO or young master, cultivated in a prominent family and accustomed to a position of power for years, erupted instantly. He was like the thunder outside, overwhelmingly fierce.
With such a display, let alone ordinary girls, even those in high positions of authority would yield a bit after learning Ye Liang's identity.
Several times, Ye Liang only needed to get slightly serious and lower his voice, and Su Tao would shrink her neck, indicating her concession.
But this time, Ye Liang noticed that in the stubborn girl's eyes, there was only determination and resolve.
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