Chapter Sixty-One: My Fate Is Sealed

Rong Qing slept so deeply, it was as if day had turned to night; little did she know that chaos had erupted outside because of her disappearance. Huo Lingtian was rushing all over X City, searching for her. Every major hotel was being checked one by one, and even the film crew had issued a warrant for her.

Drowsy and dazed, Rong Qing finally woke up to find that night had fallen. She realized that the place she was sleeping in wasn’t his luxurious big bed, and her once bright eyes gradually dimmed. The aroma of food drifted from the kitchen, and only then, feeling her empty stomach, did she realize she hadn’t eaten all day.

“Qing... you’re awake. I was just about to call you. I cooked some noodles. Come and eat,” Meng Lin said, turning to see Rong Qing emerge from the bedroom, her expression gloomy.

Rong Qing slurped the noodles, the heat burning her lips, but there was no one left to cool them down for her, to feed her, to give her warmth. She felt a wave of sadness, sniffed, and silently cursed her own weakness—after only one day away from home, she already missed him. Hmph! From today onward, she would take care of herself and have nothing more to do with Huo Lingtian!

“Qing, what happened? How did you end up running out like this?” Meng Lin asked worriedly. Rong Qing was always proud and strong, indomitable—even breaking up with Wang Chenhao after two years of dating hadn’t shaken the goddess Meng Lin admired. Yet this time, Rong Qing carried an air of exhaustion and desolation, and even her meteoric career could not hide her dejection. It was as if all her resolve and fighting spirit had been shattered in an instant, which was far more terrifying than any wound. The more Meng Lin thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

Rong Qing quietly sipped her noodle soup, her heart aching faintly. Huo Lingtian had seeped into every corner of her world, quietly and imperceptibly, and now, being torn away from him felt like all the blood was being drained from her body—a pain that pierced to the bone. She hadn’t left the villa because she didn’t want to see him, but because she couldn’t bear to face the flawless man who had bewitched her, nor could she accept the fact that he was now someone else’s husband.

“I... slept with a man,” Rong Qing said, disregarding Meng Lin’s gaping mouth—wide enough to swallow a whole egg—and continued, “Then I dumped him.”

“Ah!” Meng Lin was still trying to process the first sentence when Rong Qing’s second startled her even more. If she slept with him, why did she leave? Clearly, the difference between genius and fool lay in the gap between their thoughts. Otherwise, back in university, Qing would have scored full marks in every subject, while Meng Lin nearly failed.

“That’s it?” Meng Lin saw how Rong Qing was so open yet refused to elaborate, which was even more distressing than silence.

Qing nodded.

Rong Qing hid at Meng Lin’s house for two days. On the third day, as she was recovering, hundreds of messages flooded into her phone, buzzing incessantly.

“Qing, why did you turn off your phone? Listen to my explanation! What the media said isn’t true. I didn’t get engaged!” Reading this message, Rong Qing felt a little relieved, but compared to the Huo family, she was just a lonely orphan—worlds apart.

“Qing... turn your phone on! Let me explain.” She scrolled through dozens of messages; her phone screen was filled with texts from the same person.

“Rong Qing! Where are you? I’ve been searching for you all day, you little brat—turn your phone on!” Even through the cold words, she could feel Huo Lingtian’s furious, commanding tone. Rong Qing’s angry little chest instantly felt a chill of regret...

“Rong Qing, if you don’t turn your phone on, you’re dead! Where are you? I haven’t slept for a whole day and night!” She checked the timestamp—it was a record from a day ago. Immediately, the coldness in her heart solidified into ice.

“Baby, I love you, don’t hide from me. I miss you so much, Qing... I’m sick, I can’t sleep, every time I close my eyes, all I see is you leaving. Baby...” The pleading words crept into her heart. Huo Lingtian, a man so strong, was ill? Rong Qing’s calm composure finally cracked, overwhelmed by guilt. Her initial disappointment and heartbreak at running away turned into anxious worry. Her rational mind was gone, replaced entirely by concern for Huo Lingtian.

Buzz... Buzz... Rong Qing stared at the screen as the name kept flashing. Her heart tightened, and her finger cautiously pressed the answer button.

“Rong Qing, where the hell are you? I’m about to lose my mind looking for you!” Huo Lingtian roared. Heaven knows he braved the cold, searching for this little brat for three whole days—three days without closing his eyes! Just a moment ago, he was full of hope, praying that if Qing came back, he would give everything, even if she didn’t love him, he might let go. But now, all his fury was boiling over—he wanted to tie this brat up and give her a beating, so that from now on, she wouldn’t even deserve the name Huo!

Rong Qing: ...

Holding her phone, Rong Qing wondered about the odds of Huo Lingtian losing it if she ended the call right now.

Huo Lingtian, hearing no reply for a while, managed to suppress his blazing anger, steadying himself: Don’t rush, keep the brat calm first. He took a deep breath, his tone softened.

“Qing, where are you? I’m sick, really sick. I miss you.”

Rong Qing, hearing Huo Lingtian’s weak, ill voice, forgot all her worries and obediently murmured an acknowledgment, then reported her address.

“Alright, don’t move. Wait for me! Beep—” With those seven short words, the call was cut off.

Holding the phone, Rong Qing realized her intelligence had dropped sharply in a moment of panic, succumbing to Huo Lingtian’s gentle attack. She had blurted out the address—her running away had become meaningless. Just as she considered whether to escape again, the doorbell rang urgently, and she could hear someone’s impatient, agitated breathing outside.

Rong Qing turned dumbly, with only one conviction in her heart: My fate is sealed!

---- Author’s note ----

Phew~ I finally finished one exam...