C7 A Stranger's Good Intentions

Du Xiaoxiao sat alone on the bench, under the Wutong Tree. No matter how big the world was, it turned out that she really had no one else to rely on. She thought that she had people she could trust...yet it seemed that she was proved wrong again and again.

The sky had become yellow and orange, but she couldn't really care any less. She slid her fingers down the bench, sniffling. Was the world really just this cruel?

When the first ray of sunlight came, a car stopped right by the entrance.

"Mayor, I'll send you in," the driver said, glancing back at the passenger.

"No need. You can just stop there." Lin Shaohan was the mayor of A City. He stared at the beautiful skies and pushed the door open. It was such a great day, so he'd rather just walk to the building instead of driving up the front entrance.

He inserted his hands into his pockets and looked around. While he didn't look old enough to be the mayor, his clothes certainly looked the part. There was something so elegant about his black suit and combed back hair that made it seem as if he had just stepped out of a canvas.

He glanced at his watch. He was supposed to be delivering something to his friend, but seeing as it was so early, he might be waiting around here for a while.

Just as he was walking, he noticed a small shadow leaning against the chair. It was a young woman. Her hair fell down to her chest in waves, blocking any semblance of her face, and he could see the shakiness of her shoulders. When he took another step closer, he could even hear her sobs.

Why was she sitting there crying so early in the morning?

He couldn't help but see for himself.

While he was getting closer and closer, Du Xiaoxiao still kept her head down–still too consumed by her sobs. She didn't even notice how a long shadow encompassed hers.

Lin Shaohan stared at her for a long time. A part of him wanted to just leave her alone, but then another part of him couldn't resist meddling in people's business. After all, shouldn't the mayor care for the welfare of his people? Thinking for a while, he finally pulled out a handkerchief from his pockets.

"Are you okay? Do you want to wipe your tears?" A gentle voice sounded from above her. She raised her head in surprise.

There was a gentle smile that had drawn its way into his face as he tried to seem as approachable as possible.

Du Xiaoxiao stared at his smiling face.

There was something about his bright eyes and his stunning smile that felt like a gush of wind. Her heart skipped a beat as she finally got a hold of herself.

Taking the handkerchief from his hands, she nodded. "Thank you."

Only when did she clean herself did she realize how awkward her situation must've been. Not only was she crying in public, but she even managed to catch a stranger's attention. Her cheeks flushed.

She didn't even waste any time as she stuffed the handkerchief back into his hands, lowering her head. "I'll be leaving now. Thank you," she murmured.

Du Xiaoxiao was about to leave the place, but as soon as her foot hit the pavement, a sharp pain coursed through her leg. She yelped, falling to her side.

However, before her hand could reach for the handle, Lin Shaohan had already reached out his arms to catch her. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her up. "Don't worry, I got you."

She was short and thin, so he didn't really feel the weight as he was carrying her. In fact, he'd even describe her as a light feather being blown into the wind.

He couldn't even find it in himself to tighten his grip, afraid that he'd hurt her.

"Are you okay?" He leaned over.

Du Xiaoxiao froze as soon as his fingers grazed against her skin. Memories flashed at the back of her mind, and she immediately jumped back, holding the bench to support herself.

Her cheeks became flushed. "I'm fine," she said again. "Thank you."

This was a stranger who she had just met. Not only did he offer her his handkerchief, but he had even saved her from falling down. The last thing she needed was to add it to the list she felt embarrassed about.

His gaze fell on her swollen ankle, and he frowned.

"Your ankle is swollen," he pointed out, placing his briefcase aside. He immediately squatted down to take a better look. "You're injured. Why don't I take a look?"

"I..." She pulled her leg back. "There's no need–thank you."

"I'm not going to try anything. I just want to take a look at your ankle, else you wouldn't be able to get home safely." He raised his hands up in the air as a small smile spread across his face. "Besides, it'll take an idiot to act recklessly in front of the police station. Listen, I'll just give your ankle a little push, just so you can at least walk back home, okay?"

"I...Okay..." She bit her lips and nodded. Seeing this, he immediately lowered his head and started to massage her feet.

This world was really unbelievable.

The closest person she had as a friend betrayed her, yet a stranger she had never met was willing to help her.

What was up with this world?

It seemed that the world truly is a balnced place. Yet, why did it have to hurt her so much?

As she thought about the events that had transpired the night before, she couldn't help but tear up again. The tears ran down her cheeks–one of them dropping on the back of his hand. Lin Shaohan blinked in surprise, but he didn't look up.

"Why are you sad?"

"Why are you helping me?" she finally asked. "You don't even know me."

"No reason." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm just a busybody, that's all."

She slowly wiped her tears and forced a smile. "You're strange."

"Am I?"

Du Xiaoxiao shook his head almost immeidately. "No, it's just...I've just had a rough night. Someone had screwed me over, and the guy who I thought was a good friend finally showed his true colors. I just didn't expect it, that's all." A warmth spread across her chest. "Thank you."

Lin Shaohan pursed his lips when he saw the tear in her pants. Shaking his head, he took off the brooch from his suit and closed the damage. While he may not be able to repair it, the least he could do was close the gaping hole temporarily.

Once he was done, he looked up. "God is a fair God," he finally said. "If He lets you meet monsters, then He'll also let you meet angels."

Du Xiaoxiao blinked. "Hm. I have met a lot of monsters," she whispered. "Maybe I'll be meeting angels in the future."

It seemed that her entire world had brightened at the thought. Her chest warmed as she took a step back.

Last night was a horrifying nightmare, but it was time to forget and move on.

It's not like she'd see Gu Tianqi ever again. And as for Jiang Chen, he was just another man who had upped and left. There was no need for her to think about them any longer.

Although they didn't treat her well, it wouldn't be any use if she just concentrated on her frustration and anger towards them. She still had such a long life to live, and she wasn't going to spend it on hatred.

When Lin Shaohan finally saw her pull herself together, he stood up. "You can walk now," he finally said. "I still have work to do, so I guess it's time I take my leave. Good luck with whatever you're going through."

Du Xiaoxiao's eyes widened as she finally let go of the bench.

"What's your name?" she called out. "I–I'm really thankful that I met you. As for the brooch, how do I return it?"

It seemed that at her darkest moments, he was there to save her.

Lin Shaohan turned around. The lights flickered all around him as his eyes glittered mysteriously. He looked like a god who had just descended from the heavens.

"You don't have to thank me," he said. "It's a gift–from me to you."

Du Xiaoxiao couldn't help but smile as she stared at the brooch on her pants. Her heart skipped a beat. The man was truly a handsome guy. Even if he didn't tell her his name, she'd remember him.

It seemed that things were finally looking up.