Mr. Su's Love Investigation Report
Chapter 143: Never Forgotten, So How Could It Be Remembered?

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Never Forgotten, So How Could It Be Remembered?

An autumn rain brought a chill.

During the day, the remnants of summer lingered, but as night fell, the wind carried a faint chill. Taking a deep breath, the scents of the night infiltrated the airways—the aroma of street-side pancake stalls, barbecue skewers, and an unknown whiff of old Chongqing hotpot oil—blending with the high PM2.5 smog, leaving the chest feeling overstuffed. The bustling pedestrians, the stalled flow of traffic, the noise, and congestion of the city had never been more glaringly apparent.

A person with an empty heart feels unfulfilled, even in the most crowded world; a person with a full heart feels content, even in a barren world.

He walked at an unhurried pace, matching her slightly hurried steps. Listening to her complaints, he squinted his eyes, "Hmm... don’t you still owe me quite a few debts?"

"..." Debt collector! Huang Shiren!

Under the streetlamp, he tilted his head to look at her, his eyes bright with mischief, "You have nothing to repay me with, so you’ll have to pay with yourself!"

She saw the fleeting teasing in his eyes and knew he was joking. After considering for a moment, she said earnestly, "Mr. Su, Grandma has been living alone for a long time. It’s understandable that you want someone to be with her during her illness, and I’m more than willing. But you can tell me directly; you don’t need to beat around the bush."

He nodded slightly, "You’re very smart."

She smiled, about to feel a sense of pride, when he continued, "And also very silly."

Her short temper was ignited, about to burst with anger when he suddenly reached out and brushed aside the stray hair on her forehead, "Silly is good. People don’t need to be too smart."

She was momentarily dumbfounded, feeling as though the scent from his palm lingered around her, unwilling to dissipate.

Her face suddenly turned red.

It was strange, considering that when she was hospitalized in Jin County, they had shared more intimate moments. Why, lately, did these little actions of his make her blush? She lifted her head to steal a glance at his profile and looked at the tree leaves swaying in the wind over his head, recalling a phrase: "When the heart is still, all things are still."

He toyed with her bangs and said, "Why not clip them back?"

Her hair texture was quite unusual, matchingly akin to her personality. Though appearing thin and fluffy, it was rather unruly and often looked messy, especially the bangs, which always seemed to shift into various odd formations with the wind. When she was young, Mom used a clip to pin back her bangs, which was cute enough for a little girl, but would she still style her hair this way in her present age? Was she crazy?

She slapped his hand away, "Don’t mess up my hairstyle!"

He couldn’t help but chuckle, "With a head of grass like that, and you call it a hairstyle?"

"... What’s wrong with grass? Grass has its own dignity too! Haven’t you heard the saying, heads may roll, but hairstyles must remain intact?"

He suddenly said, "It looks nice pinned back."

"Eh?" Her mind didn’t muddle at the critical moment, "Did you see me with my hair clipped back before?"

He remained silent, his eyebrows smooth as the wind brushed across his face.

"Have you seen me like that or not? Tell me, have you?" She looped around to stand in front of him, persistently.

He lowered his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Hmm, maybe I saw it in a dream? A little girl sitting on the steps, looking foolish, as if she was about to cry. She had a bob haircut with a red hair clip, appearing rather pitiful."

Unconsciously, the two had reached the subway entrance. Tu Hengsha’s eyes widened in astonishment, "That’s me! It’s me, it’s me! Did you really dream of me? You even gave me a lollipop! Later, I fainted, and it was you and your mom who took me to the hospital! Did you dream of all that too?"

She clutched his clothes in excited disbelief, her tears welling up, "Did you dream of all that? Did you? Is it true?"

He hadn’t anticipated such a big reaction from her, hesitating for a moment, then reached out to wipe her eyes, his fingers slightly damp, "Yes, I dreamed of it all."

"Xiao Xu..." She suddenly plunged into his arms, hugging his waist, choking with emotion, "I knew you’d remember! I knew you wouldn’t forget me! Xiao Xu, I am Tu Hengsha, that little girl you saved. You finally remembered."

Waves of the night flowed at the subway entrance, a throng of people moving.

She held him tightly, oblivious to the world.

His hand slowly rested on the back of her head, a trace of bitter smile on his face.

Never forgotten, so why need to remember?

"Xiao Xu! When do you have time to visit my home? My mom has always been grateful to you for saving me back then; she often talks about how she can’t repay such a lifesaving grace!" She withdrew from his embrace, noting the curious glances around them, her face flushed red as she lowered her head.

"Going to... meet Mom?" He became unexpectedly rigid.

"Yes! My mom wants to thank you! Of course, if you feel uncomfortable, I can bring my mom out instead." Her smile had tears lingering at the corners of her eyes, bright as pearls suspended in the moonlight.

"Alright... alright, either way!" He cleared his throat to disguise his discomfort.

"Then it’s settled!" Her eyes curved as she laughed, "After Grandma is discharged, we’ll plan it. You don’t have the energy for it now! I’ll go back and tell Mom, she’ll be thrilled! Oh, we’re at the subway station! I’m leaving! You head back to the hospital, I don’t need you to see me off!"

"No, I’ll walk you back!" he insisted.

"Really, no need! I was taking the bus by myself when I was five! No point going back and forth! Waste of time! Bye-bye, Xiao Xu! See you tomorrow!" She waved, and in good spirits, hopped down the steps.

Yet he followed closely behind her.

"Really, there’s no need! You better head back!"

Walking beside her, he said softly, "Back then, it was because you didn’t have anyone with you."

"..." Tu Hengsha was completely bewildered.

From then on, she remained in a daze; whatever he said, she felt as though she was listening through a fog, unaware of her own responses. Until she got home and locked herself in her room, her mind was still a jumbled mess, unable to sort out all the moments since meeting him the first time in Nan County. He said he never remembered who she was, that his private space and time couldn’t be infringed by trivial people and matters; he used coldness and harshness to push her further away, yet, yet, he also said, from then on, he’d just be Xiao Xu...

Fan Yue’s call came amidst the chaos, asking which hospital and what ward Grandma was staying in. They chatted about Grandma’s condition, and as their call was about to end, Tu Hengsha hurriedly called out, "Yueyue..."

"What is it?"

She hesitated.

"Little Sha? Is something wrong? I’ve felt something off in your words today," Fan Yue inquired.

"Yueyue..." she hesitated again, "I..."

"Tell me! You’re killing me with suspense!"

"Oh!" She sighed, "Yueyue, in fact, I am someone who rarely takes the initiative to pursue things. I accept whatever life throws my way, but whenever something requires... requires courage, I tend to retreat, except for work."

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