Leaving again (5)

Qiu Zhi didn't walk very far before another voice stopped him again.

"Qiu Zhi." Although the words spoken were low, calm and controlled. It was a voice which he can recognize it right away to be Xi Rin's.

Stiffly turning around, he was met with Xi Rin's dark, questioning gaze. She was leaning against a wall, her posture relaxed and her arms crossed against her chest. Her clear, big eyes stared at him unblinkingly, holding no emotions. Her face blank, giving him know hints to her thoughts nor feelings. And although she was a whole head shorter than him, the domineering aura she was releasing at the moment was suffocating enough that it made his heart trembled.

Cold and calm, she opened her mouth to speak, but he already knew what she wanted to ask.

"Yes." He answered her question before she even said it. "Yes, I'm leaving."

"And you won't even say goodbye?"

His back stiffened but he said nothing.

Xi Rin just smiled bitterly. Then she asked again, "Where... are you heading to?"

"...."

"Are you leaving because of yesterday's night?"

He still doesn't answer, his eyes looking at anything but her. She started to get frustrated at his silent answers but kept her temper. The air turned quiet, heavy with unspoken words. Yet neither of them spoke as Xi Rin just one-sidedly stared down Qiu Zhi.

Suddenly the girl said, "Bring me with you."

Qiu Zhi's head that was facing down suddenly whipped up. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Why not?" She said calmly. Compared to his panicked tone, her voice was monotonous to a degree that could bring you chills.

"No means no. You're not coming."

Frustrated at how unreasonable and uncooperative Qiu Zhi was being, she snapped.

"Qiu. Zhi!" She said each word, seethingly. Although her voice barely raised, you can hear the underlying anger in it.

However, her anger surprised Qiu Zhi. Since he met her, he had never seen her mad. Maybe playfully, but truly angry? Never. She always brushes it off with that playful and nonchalant attitude of her's that made him often think that almost nothing can affect her.

"Lookie here, boy." She stomped up to him. "You can't just randomly leave without saying anything. Not even a single farewell!"

She grabbed his collar while she's at it, leaving him flabbergasted.

"Stop being so selfish! Have you thought about how the villagers might feel or think?!"

Yet even though she said all of that, he just simply pulled himself from her grasp and looked at her coolly. A look which speaks of his stubbornness and refusal to change his mind. She grabbed at her hair in frustration when she suddenly got an idea.

"If you won't bring me along... Then I'll just follow you." She said suddenly,

A weak threat that Qiu Zhi simply brushed off. However, her next sentences stopped him dead in his tracks

"You know... If a man yesterday came to kill you, can you guarantee that another one won't come back to kill me too? I mean... they have already seen my face. "

Thining about it, her sentence made so much sense that he can't even reply. As much as he didn't want to bring her along with him, he also can't guarantee her that those people won't come back looking for him. Furthermore, since they have already seen her together with him, they might kill her, thinking she was in cahoots with him. This time... it looks like he had dragged her into his business.

The least he could do now was to protect her since he has already dragged her into this mess. Sighing in defeat, he conceded. "... If you're slow, I'll leave you behind."

Xi Rin's eyes lit up with joy as she smiles victoriously. Qiu Zhi could only sigh at her antics as he sulks in defeat.

"Pack your bags." He told her, unable to bear the victorious smile she's wearing. "We're leaving at midnight. "