So what happened next? How did that story end?
As the chill of late autumn deepened, the hazy night wrapped in the unique coolness of spring seeped in through the cracks of the window. Lin Jinran, hugging herself tightly in search of a bit of security, trembled slightly with her long lashes, and her lips were pale from the cold.
What happened next was that she accidentally ran to a sparsely - populated area. Yang Jinzhi and Lin Tingnian seemed to have anticipated her resistance. They brought bodyguards and forced her into the car to return to the imperial capital.
During the struggle, she tried to call for help. Lin Tingnian quickly snatched her phone and turned it off.
In the car at that time, Yang Jinzhi shook her head regretfully. "Jinran, we all know about your mother's passing. Now that your college entrance examination is over, it's time for you to go home."
Then her tone changed. Yang Jinzhi sneered sinisterly. She didn't even bother to pretend anymore. Her words were like a venomous snake spitting out its forked tongue. "It's a pity that you didn't go crazy."
Lin Tingnian burst out laughing and clapped her hands in glee. "Excellent, Lin Jinran. You finally got what you deserve."
They returned to the imperial capital as quickly as possible. Yang Jinzhi shed tears and said that her depression had flared up again. She kindly proposed to send Lin Jinran to a nearby depression rehabilitation center.
This was definitely not a good suggestion. The so - called depression rehabilitation center was surely under Yang Jinzhi's control.
Once she went there, there was no way she could come back safely.
She strongly opposed it, but her opposition was in vain. Lin Cheng readily agreed, as if looking at her once more would dirty his own eyes.
Yang Jinzhi immediately made a call. Soon the people from the center came and took Lin Jinran away. She didn't even have a chance to escape. Despair welled up in her heart.
It all seemed pre - planned, one step following another.
She was taken away like this, and she knew nothing about what was happening in Wannan City.
And then?
Lin Jinran, sitting on the sofa for security, forced a bitter smile. If possible, she wished she could erase the memories of her time in the depression rehabilitation center.
It was not a depression rehabilitation center at all, but a living hell. She endured each day like a year. During this period, she filled out her college application. It was Lin Tingnian who, out of "mercy", told her the results of the college entrance examination and brought a computer for her to fill it out.
She scored a little over 400 points, which was far from satisfactory.
Half a month later, Xu Jiaxin and Shen Tingsi couldn't get in touch with her. By chance, they heard something from Lin Tingnian and realized something was wrong.
Xu Jiaxin and Shen Tingsi directly kidnapped Lin Tingnian and used threats and bribes to finally rescue her. Unfortunately, by that time, she was so emaciated that she was barely recognizable, and her mental state was on the verge of collapse.
For more than a whole year, Xu Jiaxin and Shen Tingsi accompanied her. Only then did her condition gradually improve, and she began to emerge from the shadow of the past.
She also learned that when her phone was taken by Lin Tingnian that year, a WeChat post was sent, telling everyone that she was going back to her "own life".
A life of depression?
Everyone was looking for her and questioning her. Among them, Su Qinian searched especially frantically. He kept calling and sending messages and shuttled back and forth between Wannan City and the imperial capital. But all his efforts were in vain.
Yang Jinzhi and Lin Tingnian dared not say anything, fearing that their tracks would be exposed.
Xu Jiaxin and Shen Tingsi pitied her haggard appearance and chose to keep it a secret from Su Qinian.
She wanted to tell him in person several times. But every time she saw how crazy Su Qinian was looking for her, she hesitated. She was afraid that he would collapse if he saw her. So she planned to tell him after she got better. But she never got the chance. More than half a year later, it seemed that Su Qinian had given up looking for her. There was no news of him.
More than a year later, she could go out normally and face the light. But after being locked in a dark room for so long, she still felt terrified when alone in a closed and dark room.
It was autumn then. She had lost the contact information of all her friends in Wannan City. All her friends were studying in their dream universities.
Relying on her past memories, Lin Jinran went to Aunt Ying's house alone. Song Langqing happened to be at home on vacation, and Aunt Ying was in tears.
Aunt Ying said that she didn't believe Lin Jinran would leave without saying goodbye. She had once asked Lin Cheng, but Lin Cheng only said he didn't know. Maybe he also knew that the so - called depression rehabilitation center was not a good place and didn't want to expose his true nature.
Lin Jinran only briefly summarized that experience in one sentence. She talked with Aunt Ying and Song Langqing for a long time. Then she summoned up the courage to ask about Su Qinian.
Song Langqing said that Su Qinian was the top scorer in the province that year and was admitted to Qingbei University as he wished. He was majoring in Computer Science and Technology and was in the main campus.
At that time, Song Langqing and Su Qinian only met a few times and didn't leave any contact information. He didn't know how to reach Su Qinian either.
Actually, if she wanted to, Lin Jinran could ask Aunt Ying to help her get Su Qinian's file from No. 1 Middle School. The file would contain his home address and contact information.
But she didn't have the courage to take that risk. More than a year had passed. She didn't know what had happened to Su Qinian or whether he had started a new life.
Qingbei University was located near the suburbs of the imperial capital, quite far from her home, one in the south and the other in the north.
Lin Jinran made an appointment for a visitor visit on the WeChat official account in advance. She put on a mask and rushed there in a hurry.
Computer Science and Technology major.
According to the campus map, she came to the teaching building of their college. It was the break time between classes, and there were many people coming and going. Lin Jinran didn't know if he had classes. She stood alone in the pavilion opposite the entrance of the teaching building and waited.
She waited from morning until three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Lin Jinran sat in the pavilion. The tree shadows were mottled and swaying. She never left, fearing that she would miss him if she did.
Actually, she was quite silly at that time. She stubbornly sat in the pavilion waiting. She could have just asked a passer - by where the dormitory of sophomore Su Qinian was and waited there directly.
Around five o'clock, a figure suddenly appeared. The moment she saw it was him, Lin Jinran's heart skipped a beat.
The boy walked forward lazily and casually. His posture was leisurely. His eyes under the short hair were dark and deep. He was the same as before, yet also seemed different. There were some changes.
Suddenly, he glanced to the side. Lin Jinran, hiding in the pavilion, was startled, thinking she was about to be discovered. But that wasn't the case. The boy who suddenly turned his head lowered it slightly and listened attentively to what a strange girl beside him was saying.
His dark eyes also showed a bit of a smile. He bent down extremely cooperatively to listen to her and said in a familiar tone, "Even our Miss Luo doesn't understand this?"
The strange girl glared at Su Qinian angrily. Su Qinian seemed helpless and further extended the knowledge points. The girl listened attentively and nodded continuously.
The two walked and talked. Their words were full of confidence and pride.
Lin Jinran didn't step out to recognize him. She stared blankly as they walked further and further away until they were out of sight.