CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 155-156: SONG XIAOYANG’S INJURY / YE XUAN’S EXPLANATION

March in Island City is definitely bitingly cold, with high humidity in the air; the wind feels like a knife cutting against the face. Luo Ye tightened her scarf and quickened her pace towards home. Walking from the villa to home takes about twenty minutes, and running could slash it to under ten. For such a short distance, Lady Luo naturally didn’t bother taking a car.

As she neared the entrance of the City Committee Family Courtyard, Luo Ye spotted a familiar figure—her affectionate elder sworn sister, Song Xiaoyang. The latter was wearing only a thin day coat with her neck exposed, displaying an expression of deep melancholy and hanging head, clearly indicating her mood was far from good. Luo Ye initially thought to pass by unnoticed if the other did not see her, but just as they were about to meet, Song Xiaoyang’s eyes swept over. Luo Ye could only muster a smile: "Sister Xiaoyang."

Song Xiaoyang reflexively stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at Luo Ye for a moment before producing a forced smile: "Luo Ye, finished with school?"

"Yep, Sister Xiaoyang, where are you headed this late without dressing warmer?" Luo Ye grabbed Song Xiaoyang’s hand to check its temperature, finding it ice cold, and then slipped her own gloves on the other’s hands to warm them.

"Luo Ye, will you sit with Sister Xiaoyang for a bit?" Song Xiaoyang, trying hard to hold back tears, could no longer control them, and they rolled down like beads off a string.

"Sure, I’ll call home and let them know," Luo Ye said while taking out her cellphone.

"Don’t mention me..."

Before Song Xiaoyang could finish, Luo Ye hastily interrupted: "I know." As her words ended, Wen Xin picked up the phone: "Hello, who are you looking for?"

"Mom, it’s me. I’m hanging out with classmates tonight, so don’t wait up for dinner, um... not sure when I’ll be back, I’ll call you later, okay, goodbye!"

Song Xiaoyang watched in astonishment as someone hung up the phone: "That’s it?"

"What else should I do?" Luo Ye replied while hailing a taxi: "Tell me the destination, Sister Xiaoyang, you’re almost frozen solid. It’s beauty at a chilling cost."

Song Xiaoyang sniffed: "I just want a quiet place where nobody bothers us, where we can talk and drink. You decide, Ye’er."

Seeing Song Xiaoyang like this, probably wishing to drown her sorrows in alcohol, it would still be more assuring to stick to familiar territory, in case she gets drunk. Comfortably seated, Mou Ye then figured out the address: "128 Nanjing Road, Liangyou Hotel."

"Okay!" The driver responded cheerfully, and the car shot forward significantly.

Luo Ye shook her head helplessly: "Your speed is astonishingly high. Is it that all taxi drivers are so impatient?"

"Young lady, there’s no choice, we taxi drivers can’t earn money without being urgent. This car is rented, and we need to pay rent for it; time is money. You youngsters still live without worries. Once you start a family, you’ll understand how these daily necessities can pile up the expense!" The driver was quite chatty, Luo Ye’s brief comment drew a lengthy reply from him.

Upon seeing Song Xiaoyang shiver from the cold, Luo Ye quickly said: "Master, could you turn up the heat a bit? My sister dressed too lightly when she left."

"Sure thing. Young ladies love to look pretty, but catching a cold could trouble you for a lifetime," the driver said while turning up the heater.

The most noticeable change after cranking up the car’s heat, was the floating dust in the vehicle began to swirl and dance. The driver apologized with a laugh: "Miss, just bear with it. Ladas’ heaters are all like this. This car still holds up better than a Xiali. Oh, if only I could one day drive a Santana, life would be wonderful!"

Song Xiaoyang couldn’t help but interject: "Master, you really have a sense of humor. If you got a Santana, I bet you’d soon want something even better!"

"That’s the thinking of you young folks; if it’s good, you want better. At my age, if the parents are healthy, the wife is caring, the kids do well at school, and I have a car I like to earn money for the family, that’s contentment!"

"You’re really easily satisfied," sighed Song Xiaoyang. "Would be nice if everyone could think like you."

"That’s the thing; once you understand your capabilities, you know how much you can handle. This is all I’m capable of; aiming too high is just making life difficult for myself. So, once I figured it out, the best way is always trying to keep oneself happy!"

"But how many can really see it that clearly?"

Luo Ye patted the once again disheartened Song Xiaoyang for comfort, as the driver glanced from the rearview mirror: "Miss, no matter how big the problem, once it’s over and you look back, it’s all trivial!"

...

"You guys go ahead, if anything, I’ll contact you on the internal line." After the dishes were served, Luo Ye asked the waiters to leave. The room she booked was a large suite, similar to a one-bedroom apartment structure. It wasn’t out of extravagance, but knowing that it might not be a small matter if Song Xiaoyang was in such a state, it seemed prudent to be cautious.