Chapter 185 You Look Great in Red
Perhaps it was because of this dream that Song Ni no longer cared whether her phone call would disturb Tan Zheng, or whether she would run into anything. She would call him exactly on time. She wasn't a clingy person, nor was she timid. But now Tan Zheng was too far away from her, standing right by the Xi Jin River. It was as if he were telling her he was as close as he had been five years ago.
She hadn't told Tan Zheng about the dream in detail, because she didn't want to recall the palpitations and pain from it. Yet, this dream would always surface at some point each day, impossible to forget, even becoming more vivid. Sometimes it was while acting and seeing fake blood on an actor, other times it was a car speeding past on the roadside. Song Ni had a nagging feeling that she would only find peace once she clarified what happened five years ago.
She received Qin Yang's message two days later. Her intuition was accurate; the Wei Wei she had saved twice was indeed Xi Jin Jiang's former fiancée, Yu Wei. Without any hesitation, once she confirmed this, Song Ni directly called Yu Wei.
As soon as the call connected, Song Ni stated her identity. "I'm Song Ni."
There was a long silence on the other end. Song Ni continued, "I'm Tan Zheng's wife, and I know who you are. Can we meet?"
Still no response, but Yu Wei's breathing became more rapid, deep and steady. Song Ni could tell. "I just want to know some things."
Yu Wei finally spoke. "Where?" Her voice was hoarse and trembling slightly.
"You set the time and place."
...
At two-thirty in the afternoon, at a coffee shop. Song Ni, dressed in black and wearing a baseball cap, entered the shop. Since it was a weekday, the coffee shop wasn't crowded at this hour. She spotted Yu Wei at a glance. Yu Wei was wearing a red sweater that day, which made her stand out.
Yu Wei was very beautiful, with a pure, innocent look. She wore light makeup, highlighting her delicate features. A hint of melancholy lingered in her eyes, making her seem as if she were viewed through a veil of mist. However, she was too thin. Her exposed neck, shoulders, and wrists were alarmingly slender.
Song Ni walked over, took off her hat, and sat down opposite her. Yu Wei looked a bit flustered, her hands clasped, her fingers tightly clenched. Song Ni smiled faintly. "You look great in red." The first time she saw her, she had also been wearing a red dress. If not for that red dress, she might not have gotten involved.
Yu Wei's expression flickered slightly. She lowered her head, a faint, bitter smile touching her lips. "He said I look good in red."
This "he" was Xi Jin Jiang. Song Ni instinctively straightened her back. She had expected to spend a lot of time persuading Yu Wei to speak, but to her surprise, Yu Wei brought up Xi Jin Jiang herself.
Yu Wei picked up her coffee and took a sip. "You came here probably to ask about him, right?" After all, she had no connection with Song Ni, other than Xi Jin Jiang. And years ago, when she was by Xi Jin Jiang's side, Song Ni wasn't with Tan Zheng. This meant Song Ni was here because of Tan Zheng. She didn't know much about what happened back then, only that the race was supposed to be for Tan Zheng, but something went wrong, so the participant became Xi Jin Jiang.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I know this is rather sudden."
Yu Wei shook her head. "Can I ask you a question first?" Song Ni paused, then nodded. "Go ahead."
"How is he now?" After he had his accident, she left resolutely the moment she knew he had survived. For the past five years, she had initially controlled herself, not looking for any news about him. When she finally wanted to know, she couldn't find anything.
"He's been undergoing treatment abroad for the past five years." Yu Wei's eyes widened slightly, and she looked at Song Ni expectantly. Song Ni, however, shook her head. "I don't know anything else. To be honest, the information I have about him wasn't even told to me by Tan Zheng. I was just curious about what happened five years ago and investigated it myself in secret, which led me to you."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Yu Wei's eyes. "Why do you want to know?"
Why she wanted to know? From initial curiosity to her current heartache for Tan Zheng. Song Ni took a sip of coffee, looking at the clearing sky outside, with no possibility of snow. "I just feel that Tan Zheng should be on the race track." Not in the background, just nurturing the young drivers in the club. Only when Tan Zheng stood by the race car did he seem like his true self.
"You might not find the answer by coming to me. I only know that the race that year was supposed to be for Tan Zheng." Song Ni's brow suddenly furrowed. "You mean Tan Zheng was supposed to participate, but Xi Jin Jiang ended up taking his place? Why?"
"It seems during a self-test, Tan Zheng's body tested positive for stimulants. For the team's performance, Tan Zheng had to find Xi Jin Jiang to compete in that race."
Song Ni's grip on her cup slowly tightened. No wonder Tan Zheng blamed himself. If it hadn't been for the stimulant test, he would have been the one competing, and Xi Jin Jiang wouldn't have had the accident that crippled his legs. But how could stimulants have been detected? If Tan Zheng was going to compete, he would have been extremely careful about his diet, and his food and drinks would have been controlled.
Song Ni voiced her confusion, but Yu Wei couldn't provide an answer. She didn't know the details of what happened back then. Moreover, she... truly didn't have the energy to focus on the race at the time.
Song Ni didn't ask further. Getting this piece of information was already beyond her expectations. She looked at the exceptionally beautiful person in front of her wearing red and couldn't help but ask, "You still remember him, still think about him. Back then, why did you..."
"Why did I heartlessly leave and abandon him?" Yu Wei finished Song Ni's unspoken question. Song Ni pursed her lips and looked at her. Yu Wei's eyes suddenly welled up with endless sadness. This immediately reminded Song Ni of what the man had said when she first rescued Yu Wei in the hotel lobby.
"Was it because of something that happened at home?" Yu Wei's eyes suddenly turned red. She nodded and shook her head, tears falling uncontrollably. She raised her hand to wipe them away. "I don't deserve him."
Song Ni fell silent. Seeing Yu Wei like this, it was clear she had a hidden reason for leaving Xi Jin Jiang back then. As for what it was, it wasn't convenient for her to ask. So, Song Ni patiently waited for Yu Wei to calm down, then offered her a tissue. "If you're in trouble, perhaps I can help."
Yu Wei looked up in surprise. Song Ni gave a slight pull at the corner of her mouth. "You know my phone number."
"Why?" Why was Song Ni helping her so much? Song Ni simply shrugged. "Don't overthink it. I'm just doing it for my husband."
(End of this chapter)