Chapter 51

Xiao Chen parked a black car by the side of the road.

The location was inconspicuous, and his car was relatively low-key, not easily noticeable.

Ever since he saw Yu Na being dragged out of the car by Winston earlier, his heart had been hanging in suspense.

He had a vague sense of something not quite right.

Leaning against the front of the car, with his hands in his pockets, he restlessly kicked small pebbles on the roadside. Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps not far away.

Xiao Chen looked up at the sound and indeed saw Yu Na. She was clutching something in her hand and running frantically towards the exit of the residential area.

He hurriedly called out to her, "Hey!"

Yu Na's footsteps suddenly stopped. Following the direction of the voice, she looked over here.

It seemed like she was hiding from someone. Immediately changing her direction, she ran towards Xiao Chen.

Perhaps it was the result of just daring to argue with her father, all the accumulated grievances burst forth. The momentum had not yet subsided, and it felt like she had put on armor, allowing her to let go of all her worries and do what she wanted.

At this moment, she was afraid of nothing.

Yu Na ran up to him, and all the pent-up feeling of grievance surged in her heart. Regardless of everything, she threw herself into his embrace.

In that moment of holding him, it was as if she had let go of all dissatisfaction in the world.

His embrace was like fireworks in winter, a clear spring in summer, and a small boat gliding across a suffocating sea surface.

The cold wind was mercilessly drilling into his bones.

But at this moment, what filled Xiao Chen's ears was not the piercing cold wind. It was the sobbing of the person in his arms. What he saw before his eyes was not this old residential area, but the red mark left by a slap on her face just a moment ago.

He seemed to have guessed what had just happened.

Xiao Chen allowed her to hold onto him. His originally stiff body suddenly relaxed. He raised his hand, returned the embrace, and gently stroked her back without asking any questions.

This embrace, in their sober state, did not last too long. Yu Na was still afraid of Winston.

Back when she was still at home, Winston obeyed her every word, but he was still her father's subordinate.

Now, of course, he wouldn't protect her.

Yu Na wiped away her tears haphazardly. Her eyes were swollen and moist, as she pleaded, "Can you take me away?"

There was only him. It seemed that only he could take her out of this inescapable abyss.

Xiao Chen didn't hesitate and nodded, "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere is fine," Yu Na's voice was hoarse, and she repeated in a murmur, "Somewhere they can't find me, somewhere..." She paused and looked at him, speaking frankly, "Somewhere you are."

Xiao Chen's heart trembled. He probably knew where to go. "Get in the car."

Yu Na sat in the passenger seat, her gaze empty, staring at Building 9 not far away.

The house was ordinary, but it seemed like she couldn't live there anymore.

Lost in her thoughts, Xiao Chen suddenly approached her, and the unique fragrance on him enveloped her.

As if possessing a magical power, it instantly eased the anxiety in her heart.

Xiao Chen turned to the side and helped her fasten her seatbelt. His gaze fell on the red mark on her cheek, his expression complicated.

Yu Na didn't avoid his gaze.

Xiao Chen furrowed his brow and asked, "What happened?"

"My father found out about my job and my address. Without notifying me in advance, he came to Changwan. The driver brought him directly here, and my father wanted me to go back with him, but I refused. He even..." Yu Na choked up for a moment, "He said some things he didn't want to hear. My father slapped me, and he ordered his men to take me away. I resisted and threw things at them," Yu Na opened her palm, revealing a discount card from Song Yue Restaurant and a note left by Xiao Chen. "Then I saw this fall out of Doraemon's pocket."

As Yu Na spoke, her expression and tone remained calm, as if she were talking about someone else's story.

Only when she reached the last sentence did a ripple appear in her demeanor.

Xiao Chen held the steering wheel with one hand. After seeing what she was holding, he was momentarily stunned but quickly asked in a relaxed tone, "Miss, I left it for a long time before you noticed?"

Tears welled up in Yu Na's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to surprise you, fulfill your fairy tale dream," Xiao Chen looked at her. "Didn't you want to take out the thing you wanted most from Doraemon's pocket?"

Her gaze was bewildered. "You—"

Seeing her unable to speak for a long time, Xiao Chen remained calm and insincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, I happened to see the friend circle you deleted last time."

"..."

It was that day when she accidentally forgot to set her friend circle as visible only to herself.

He actually... saw it.

At that moment, two familiar figures suddenly appeared below Building No. 9.

Upon seeing them, Yu Na reflexively lowered her head.

Following her gaze, Xiao Chen also saw them and casually said, "Don't worry, they can't see inside the car."

As he spoke, he calmly started the car and drove Yu Na away from Jin Yu Jia Yuan.

After leaving the residential compound, Yu Na breathed a sigh of relief. "Where are we going?"

"You'll know in a little while."

At a red light, Xiao Chen stopped the car, still somewhat concerned. "But what about your family—" "I've already talked to them. Either they let me stay, or they take my dead body away."

Xiao Chen: "..."

Yu Na mustered up the energy and said with her head down, "I don't want to deal with them anymore, okay?"

"Okay, we won't bother with them." Xiao Chen used a tone reminiscent of coaxing a child and said, "I'll take you to have some fun, but it'll take about an hour. Do you want to take a nap?"

"I don't want to sleep."

The car remained silent throughout the journey.

The harsh words from earlier echoed in Yu Na's mind repeatedly, leaving her feeling suffocated.

Seeing her condition, Xiao Chen thought she might be feeling carsick and opened a window slightly for her.

The car smoothly traveled without obstruction, and Yu Na looked at the rapidly retreating scenery outside the window—passersby, bare trees, and the colorful neon lights of the streets.

Yu Na suddenly had a feeling that she was embarking on a journey to the end of the world with him.

She turned her head toward him, Xiao Chen's profile was distinct, with a tall and straight nose, earnestly driving the car.

Indeed, the more she looked at him, the more she liked him, even if it was just a casual gesture.

After about an hour, the car came to a steady stop.

"We've arrived."

Yu Na looked ahead. "The seaside?"

"Yes."

The two of them unbuckled their seat belts and got out of the car.

As dusk fell, the sky was adorned with evening hues, and the lingering sunlight spilled onto the sea like overturned cans of paint. The sea surface shimmered with shades of pink, purple, and gold, rolling and crashing against the rocks with the waves.

In the distance, as far as the eye could see, there were endless mountains.

Directly above, the sky seemed to have a tear in the clouds, and a cascade of golden light poured down, enveloping the mountains in a radiant glow.

The winter seaside was not as desolate as one might imagine.

The beach was filled with couples intimately snuggled together and groups of friends striking various poses for photographs.

There were even numerous food stalls, creating a lively atmosphere.

Yuna momentarily forgot about the unpleasantness from earlier and asked Xiao Chen, "Why are there so many people at the seaside in winter?"

"There's a fireworks show today."

Xiao Chen took her to the beach, where the clamor of voices mingled with the sound of the waves.

The chilly sea breeze blew against Yuna's face, making her hands turn red from the cold, and she exhaled heavily.

Sensing this, Xiao Chen grabbed her arm and said, "Come with me."