16 A Mad Woman (I)

With gentle eyes, the old lady didn't have to take the details out from her as she could understand that the young woman was having a hard time in her life.

"Why don't we take shelter in a cafe? The cold wind will freeze you if you stay here and we could get a cup of coffee." The old lady offered.

However, Yan Xiaoran rejected her kind offer, "it's okay, but thanks for the offer." She already rejected Robert Qu's kind offer to her, rejecting another wouldn't be too bad since she wanted to be by herself at this moment.

The old lady didn't get angry at her rejection since she thought that Yan Xiaoran wouldn't want to come and enjoy a cup of coffee with a stranger which was a normal thing and didn't insist, but she was slightly sad that she couldn't speak a bit longer with Yan Xiaoran.

Suddenly, the old lady reaches for Yan Xiaoran's hand and made Yan Xiaoran hold the handle of the umbrella.

With furrowed eyebrows, Yan Xiaoran didn't know what the old lady was planning to do but didn't stop her actions.

She then, heard the old lady speak with a soft and comforting tone, "Take it. You will need it when the rain becomes strong and heavy."

"What about you?" Yan Xiaoran said as she raised her beautiful hazel eyes at the old lady.

The old lady was only wearing a thick fur coat and a scarf around her neck, but that wasn't enough to shield her away from getting soak because of the rain.

The lady was about to answer but then, the sound loud honking was heard and when they turned to look at where it came from, Yan Xiaoran found a Mercedes Benz parked near the park, the window to the front passenger's seat was open.

The old lady smiled at her and said, "My husband's here. I don't think the rain would do much to me."

"I'll go first, then." The old lady said and turned back towards the parked car near the children's park.

Yan Xiaoran nodded her head and smiled, watching the old lady get in the car. Once the car finally left, Yan Xiaoran looked at the umbrella in her hand.

…

Yan Xiaoran looked up at the stars twinkling up above. She didn't know how long has she been sitting on that bench in the park that the sun was nowhere to be seen and only the light posts in the park and the moon brightened the whole place.

With the rain gone, Yan Xiaoran had long folded the umbrella and put it beside her, on top of the bench. Her clothes that were soaked with rain were slightly dry in some places while her underwear and bra were still drenched and making her uncomfortable.

'Grumble…'

With her stomach protesting and demanding for it to be fed, Yan Xiaoran didn't know what to do with no money.

This was one factor she didn't think of when she left the apartment without money.

She could beg for food, but who would give 22 years old woman who looked nothing like a beggar some money? Besides, even if she thicken her skin and shamelessly beg to people, where would she find them in this desolated children's park?

Everyone who came to relax and play in the park already went home when the rain first touched the ground.

'Gruuumble'

Sighing, Yan Xiaoran rubbed her stomach and comforted it, "I'll feed you tomorrow, but for now, sleep through this hunger."

As she was speaking to her stomach, a voice sounded beside her, "Miss, are you alone?"

Yan Xiaoran paused, she didn't hear anyone coming so close behind her. She whipped her head to look at the person and saw a man.

She frowned at him and almost rolled her eyes. Anyone who has eyes could clearly tell that she was alone so, what's the point in his question?

Of course, Yan Xiaoran understood what was this guy trying to do with his lines to pick up girls.

Yan Xiaoran cautiously looked around her without being too obvious. She saw that they were the only people who were still in the park.

Being alone in the park was dangerous but not as dangerous as having a person other than yourself who looked like he hadn't seen a woman for years.

Slightly disturbed by the sudden arrival of the stranger, Yan Xiaoran stood up and said, "No I'm waiting for my friend who had just left to buy some drinks."

'Great. What a lame excuse, Yan Xiaoran.' Yan Xiaoran bit her cheeks. She didn't have a friend for years and now, she's using that word like a protective charm.

"Really? But I've been observing you since earlier and saw no one approached you." The man flashed his million watts smile that looked like the clown in the movie IT.

Yan Xiaoran stopped herself from rolling her eyes.

She met a kind old lady who gave her an umbrella in the morning and in the night, she met a creep who has been stalking her since earlier. What a great day to start her journey to find and change herself.

"Well… You're right, I'm alone and about to leave." Yan Xiaoran raised her foot when a hand stopped her by the shoulder.

"Let go." She said with gritted teeth.

"Come on, there's no need to rush. I saw you sitting here for hours. You must be having a lot of problems to think of. I can lend an ear." The man said.

Glaring at him, Yan Xiaoran leveled her tone as she said, "Let. Go. Of. Me."

However, her glare didn't work as the man raised an eyebrow and seemingly turned on at her reaction, "I like your face when you're mad."

Disgusted at him, Yan Xiaoran took a firm grasp of the man starting from his hand that was on her shoulder before pulling and twisting it then, she lifted his feet from the ground.

Yan Xiaoran used all of her strength and threw him to the wet ground.