Chapter 7: Nowhere To Go

The next day, Jiajia still didn’t come.
“Damn her.”
With my phone gone, I had no way to contact her. After much deliberation and an unpleasant struggle with my pride, I decided to ask Ji Feiyang for help.
A knock on his office door brought his attention to me.
“Miss Tang.”
One eyebrow rose.
“What can I do for you?”
“I lost my phone. Could I borrow one to call Jiajia?”
He dialed her number on his own phone and handed it over.
That wretched voice again.
“Sorry, the person you are calling is not answering…”
Several more attempts got me nowhere.
Just wait until I see you again, Jiajia.
Returning the phone, I said, “If she calls back, let me know.”
Then I trudged out and resigned myself to a last resort. If there really was no other choice, I’d use my own card.
More than two hours dragged by before I went back to his office.
“Has Jiajia called?”
“No.”
Fine. My own card it was. As long as I went far enough away, it should be all right.
Disguised once more, I headed out—only to discover a flaw in the plan. No cash, no car.
Walking, then.
Before long, both legs were aching. How far was I supposed to get on foot?
Forget it. Somewhere nearby would do.
A fairly luxurious restaurant looked promising. Once inside, my appetite returned in full force. Soon, dishes covered the table, and I settled down to enjoy them all by myself.
Oh, delicious.
More than half an hour passed in leisurely contentment.
Then came something that had never happened to me in my life.
“I’m sorry, miss. This card has been suspended.”
What?
“You must have made a mistake.”
The cashier tried it again, then gave me a peculiar look.
“Miss…”
Apparently, she expected me to come up with a solution.
For once, nothing came to mind.
“You can pay in cash,” she suggested.
No cash. No phone. Not a single number to call for help.
To be honest, I didn’t even know our home number. Mobile phones were far too convenient.
“Miss…”
Was I going to have to run away again?
How had I, Tang Yijun, come to this?
“Miss…”
“You’re so annoying!”
The security guard was watching me closely now.
Ask my family for help? Tell them Dad owned Feifan Group?
No. Going home meant losing Big Brother.
Then Ji Feiyang came to mind, along with what he’d said yesterday.
“If you need anything, you can come to me.”
Seeing him again was the last thing I wanted, but it was better than letting someone steal Big Brother.
After what felt like an eternity, Ji Feiyang arrived.
“So you’re that broke, Miss Tang? You can’t even pay for a meal?”
He sounded thoroughly displeased.
A punch would have improved that face considerably.
“When will you be paying me back?”
That nearly knocked me over.
He actually wanted the money back? For one meal?
“Are you that short of money, Mr. Ji?”
“I don’t like people owing me money. And that wasn’t a cheap meal.”
What a miser.
“You still haven’t told me when you’ll repay me.”
“Soon.”
The word came through gritted teeth.
Just look at him. I bit my lip. He’d better remember this.
“Good.”
“Has Jiajia called?”
“No.”
Short and sharp.
“Lend me your phone again.”
Still no answer. Maybe she was in the hot springs.
Tomorrow, then.
By the third day, Song Jiajia seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
She knew I was here. Surely she ought to have come by?
Perhaps something had come up. A little more waiting wouldn’t hurt. She had to turn up eventually.
A knock at the door brought Ji Feiyang, carrying a bill.
“You’ve charged three meals to your room, Miss Tang. Then there’s the one I paid for yesterday. When do you intend to settle up?”
A debt collector. That was what he was.
Never in my life had anyone chased me for money.
“Has Jiajia called?” I asked, keeping my temper in check.
“When will you pay?”
“Answer my question first.”
“No.”
“Are you lying to me? How could she go this long without calling back?”
My finger pointed straight at his nose.
“You can check my call history.”
A sneer came easily.
“You could have deleted it.”
“Why would I need to?”
That superior tone was just asking for a beating. And to think I’d once thought he looked kind. He was a villain.
“Have you read Eugénie Grandet?”
“You read books like that, Miss Tang?”
He made a show of looking surprised.
“You’re the spitting image of old Grandet right now.”
He shrugged, a faint smile on his lips.
“I’m not particularly concerned about whom I resemble. I’m more interested in when you’ll pay me back.”
My teeth clenched.
“Find Jiajia for me, and I’ll pay you immediately.”
“Finding Jiajia and paying your debts are two separate matters.”
“You’re really asking for a punch.”
“In any case, if you haven’t paid by tomorrow…”
A nasty smile spread across his face.
“Don’t blame me when I make you leave.”
Make me leave?
Anger nearly blew the top off my head. Then the memory of his cold expression brought a fear I’d never felt before.
He really would throw me out.
That night, Tong Xueyou appeared in my dream, holding Big Brother’s hand and smiling smugly at me.
“Yijun… Yijun…”
Her voice was shrill and eerie, like a ghost calling from the dark.
Then a low male voice sounded behind me.
“Pay me back… Pay me back…”
Ji Feiyang’s eyes glowed green. Both hands reached toward my throat.
“Ah!”
I jolted awake.
The next morning, he arrived right on schedule to demand his money.
“I’m trying to work something out! Nag, nag, nag. How am I supposed to think with you making all this noise?”
“All right. You can have the rest of the morning. I’ll be back at two.”
This was insane.
My stomach was growling, so I called to order food.
What? No more room service for me?
He really meant to starve me to death.
Ji Feiyang, I could have torn you limb from limb.
At precisely two, he threw me out, hungry as I was. My suitcase landed on the street.
Well, there went every reason to hold back.
With a flying stride worthy of a martial-arts heroine, I punched him right in the eye.
He hadn’t expected it. Hadn’t even tried to dodge.
Everyone froze. Apparently, nobody had imagined I’d dare attack their boss outside his own hotel.
“Sir!”
The guards waited for instructions.
Ji Feiyang steadied himself and touched his eye. His glare was vicious, like a wolf ready to tear someone apart.
The air grew taut.
He let out a heavy breath and straightened his clothes.
“Forget it.”
Nobody had expected that.
Brushing himself off, he went back inside. The guards glowered and bristled at me, but none dared lay a finger on me. They obediently followed him.
He was letting it go?
After hounding me so fiercely for money?
Clearly, money mattered more to him than his own life. A miser through and through.
The sky was dark. Then rain began to fall, fitting my mood perfectly: miserable, helpless and on the verge of tears.
Dragging my suitcase, I wandered without knowing where to go. Raindrops stung my face and mingled with the tears running down it.
Mom.
Suddenly, I missed her terribly. If she could see me now, it would break her heart.
On I went, crying harder and harder.
The rain grew heavier. People scattered for shelter, and before long the street was empty.
So lonely.
The sky kept weeping. I ran beneath a covered walkway outside a shop to escape the rain. It was getting darker still. Night must be coming.
A beggar hurried in from the downpour. With practiced movements, he spread a filthy, worn quilt on the ground, pulled another over himself and crawled beneath it.
Hungry, cold and aching from all that walking, I crouched beside my suitcase and hugged myself for warmth.
How lucky he was to have a quilt.
Gradually, everything grew quiet. Only the two of us remained beneath the walkway.
Then he rolled over, lifted his head and stared at me.
Have you ever seen Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils? If you have, you’ll remember Duan Yanqing, the villain called “Evil Incarnate.”
That was exactly what he looked like.
A shudder ran through me.
My eyes stayed fixed on him. His stayed fixed on me.
My heart pounded.
What did he want?
Every nerve went taut. Slowly, my hand crept toward the suitcase handle.
If he came near me, I’d smash him with it.
After looking at me for a while, he buried his head beneath that revolting quilt again.
A breath of relief escaped me. Then the misery came flooding back, and so did the tears.
Was I, Tang Yijun, really going to freeze to death on the street tonight?
It was all Tong Xueyou’s fault. Without her, none of this would have happened.
No. I couldn’t die.
If I died, she’d have Big Brother all to herself.