Phi-Fic Chapter 58 Pure Love Fangirl (15)
Chapter 58 Pure Love Fangirl (15)
On the day of their release, prisoners are traditionally given a piece of tofu. Eating this tofu signifies a fresh start, a chance to live an honest and upright life from now on.
Li Ming looked at the piece of white tofu, and then, as if remembering something, he smiled. His smile was so bright that it lifted Xia Mingwei's mood, who was sitting beside him.
However, as the time drew closer, Li Ming became increasingly anxious. He kept glancing at the time and then out the window, his heart growing more and more tense.
At that moment, he was like a prisoner in court, awaiting the judge's final verdict. Restless, he got out of the car and waited outside.
With a creak, the prison gate opened.
A man came out. Li Ming stared at his face for a long time before he was convinced that the man in front of him was his friend.
He had a buzz cut and a fierce look in his eyes. A deep scar ran down his right cheek from fighting. His once fleshy cheeks were now sunken, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Years in prison had given him a more thuggish air.
Li Ming simply couldn't reconcile the person in front of him with the warm and cheerful friend he used to know.
But Li Ming didn't care about any of that. He smiled, waved at the person, and shouted, "Brother, I'm here!"
Following the sound, the man quickly located Li Ming's position.
When he saw that it was Li Ming, he walked over and said to Li Ming, "Ah Ming, what are you doing here?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ming scratched his head and said with a smile, "I heard today is the day you're released from prison, so I've come to pick you up and take you home!"
After hearing this, the man waved his hand and said, "No need, someone else is coming to pick me up later, so I won't trouble you!"
Upon hearing this reply, Li Ming instantly felt dejected. He lowered his head, his loneliness impossible to conceal. Then, as if remembering something, he handed over the bag he was carrying. "Brother, I bought this at the convenience store just now. Here, take it!"
With a hint of doubt, the man reached out and took the bag. Upon opening it, he was surprised to find a clean, white piece of tofu inside.
He saw the substance and smiled dismissively. He said to Li Ming, "Ming, I have some good stuff. Take a puff, and I guarantee you'll experience ecstasy you'll never forget. Want to try it?"
The "good stuff" he spoke of wasn't anything truly good; it was contraband. He'd been imprisoned for dabbling in it, but Li Ming hadn't expected that he'd never actually quit. He'd simply adopted a docile facade, pretending he'd broken free, hoping to get the least punishment possible and get out as soon as possible.
Li Ming suddenly realized how foolish his actions had been. Looking at his amused smile, Li Ming felt extremely ironic that there was still someone as stupid as him who believed he had changed for the better.
Unbeknownst to him, he was no longer the friend he remembered. Now, he was just a vicious drug addict! His former friend was long dead, lost in the long river of time.
Li Ming looked at the bag in his hand and snatched it away. He forced a smile, "I guess you won't need this. I guess I was just being presumptuous. I'll take it!"
With that, he left without looking back. As he passed a trash can, he glanced at what he was carrying, a mocking smile on his face, and tossed the tofu into the bin.
Xia Mingwei, who was in the car, naturally did not miss this exciting scene.
Seeing this, Xiao Ba asked Xia Mingwei, "Host, aren't you going down to take a look?"
Xia Mingwei watched Li Ming's departing figure and shook her head.
She felt that Li Ming needed some alone time to process this fact. After all, it wasn't easy for someone to have become a completely different person without anyone knowing what happened to them.
After a long time, seeing that Li Ming still showed no sign of returning, Xia Mingwei asked Xiao Ba, "Xiao Ba, can you help me see where Li Ming is now?"
Upon receiving the instructions, Xiao Ba quickly began searching for Li Ming's location.
A few minutes later, it replied, "Host, he is currently in a small restaurant."
"Send me the location information of this store!"
Ten minutes later, Xia Mingwei appeared at the store entrance.
She stood outside the door, sighed deeply, and pushed the door open to go inside.
Just as she had expected, she found Li Ming slumped over a table in a secluded spot.
Xia Mingwei walked over, patted his shoulder, and asked, "Li Ming, are you alright?"
He looked up and saw that it was Xia Mingwei. With her face flushed from drinking, she said, "You're here!"
As he said this, he let out a loud burp.
The smell was simply awful! Xia Ming covered her nose and fanned herself with her hand, seemingly trying to get rid of the unpleasant odor. She glanced around at the empty bottles; there were quite a few on the table and floor. Judging by this, they must have drunk quite a bit.
Xia Mingwei didn't approach to speak, and Li Ming, seemingly unconcerned, continued, "In my memory, he was a very kind and warm person, and he always smiled. He used to tell me, 'Ah Ming, in this world, one should always live an honest and upright life,' but now, however..."
As he was speaking, he suddenly choked up and couldn't continue.
Xia Mingwei knew that in those few seconds of silence, he was missing the smiling, warm boy he once was, not the ruthless man he had seen when he was released from prison today.
But to Xia Mingwei's surprise, Li Ming, who had endured many hardships and had never shown his vulnerable side to anyone, actually cried.
Faced with this situation, Xia Mingwei panicked. She would rather Li Ming throw a tantrum and make a scene. She thought that if he did, she could find someone to subdue him and teach him a lesson; but his current vulnerability made her feel somewhat helpless, and she didn't know what to do.
She stood aside, only able to offer dry words of comfort: "Whatever it is, we can talk it over and resolve it. Don't cry!"
Upon hearing this, Li Ming raised his head and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
His eyes were fixed on Xia Mingwei, bloodshot from recent crying. These eyes added to his broken appearance.
Seeing this scene, Xia Mingwei had only one thought in her mind: "They say beautiful women are a source of trouble, but I think handsome men are just as bad!"