Chapter 102: On the Eve of the Grim News

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Only after confirming that Yang Yuqi’s supercar had left the underground parking lot did Huang Yu dial his father’s number to update him on the situation, briefly recounting the details of his meeting. He simply described the whole process, mentioning that he didn’t feel much for Yang Yuqi, nor did she seem particularly interested in him. Although they had exchanged contact information and added each other as friends, it was unlikely they would have much further contact.

Huang Tianhua did not press for more details over the phone. After a brief exchange and understanding the situation, he assured Huang Yu that he would personally speak to Boss Yang about it, telling his son not to worry.

After hanging up, Huang Yu left the parking lot and stepped outside. Glancing back at the brightly lit Tianhe International Hotel, he strolled leisurely through the bustling streets of KM City. His temporary residence was the KM City International Hotel, less than three kilometers away.

Having indulged in quite a feast with Yang Yuqi and her companions that evening, his stomach was full, so he decided against taking a taxi back. Instead, he would walk back to the hotel, enjoying the night views of KM City while helping his digestion.

Walking along the crowded streets, Huang Yu felt an unexpected pang of loneliness. He pulled out his phone—a habit he had developed over the past few days—as he remained unsettled by Li Jia’s unusual behavior and her constant unavailability.

However, he had already booked his ticket for early the next morning. Whatever troubles Li Jia was facing, he believed that as long as they were together, there was no obstacle they couldn’t overcome.

His phone showed a continuous stream of messages he had sent to Li Jia, but no replies from her.

“What exactly has happened to you, Li Jia?” Huang Yu worried silently.

The streets were alive with people, and from time to time, young couples passed by, laughing and chatting. Few walked alone these days, as single people rarely dared to stroll solo.

Seeing their smiles, Huang Yu was reminded of a time when he too was part of such a pair—with Li Jia by his side. He suppressed his emotions, took some photos of KM City’s unique night scenery, selected a few good shots, added some words, and sent them to Li Jia.

He didn’t know what had happened to her but wanted to let her know that no matter what, somewhere in another city, someone was thinking of her, waiting for her reply.

At 9 p.m., in the presidential suite of the KM City International Hotel, Huang Yu soaked in a hot bath, washing away the day’s fatigue. Although the hotel offered a large communal pool and bath for presidential suite guests, he preferred the privacy of his own bathroom.

Wrapped in a bathrobe, he picked up a book and sat at the suite’s desk, quietly reading. Before that, he had once again checked his phone—still no sign of Li Jia. Calls to her phone only reached a switched-off signal.

Time passed slowly. Apart from getting up to pour tea and checking his phone, he was absorbed in the book.

Though not a scholar by profession, Huang Yu was half an academic. Spending hours, even half a day reading, was routine for him.

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Back in university, Huang Yu and Li Jia often sat together in the library, each engrossed in their own books for hours on end without exchanging a word or disturbing each other.

The antique clock on the wall ticked from nine to ten, then eleven, and finally past midnight into the next day.

Huang Yu stretched and yawned, glanced at the time, and dove back into his book.

After some more time, his phone rang. The ringtone sounded piercingly loud in the quiet room, yanking Huang Yu out of his literary world.

“Who could be calling so late? Could it be Li Jia?” he wondered, alert. He quickly reached for his phone, seeing Li Jia’s name on the caller ID.

Overjoyed, he answered without hesitation.

“Hello, Li Jia? Finally got your call! I was about to head back to PE City tomorrow to find you,” he said, voice tinged with excitement and a hint of nervousness, afraid the voice on the other end wouldn’t be the one he knew.

“It’s me,” came the reply.

Huang Yu breathed a huge sigh of relief. He recognized that voice instantly—it was unmistakably Li Jia’s.

Li Jia’s voice carried a hint of laughter as she asked about his job interview, clearly in good spirits. This eased Huang Yu’s mind completely.

He had worried about her relentlessly these past days. Learning that she was alright and in good shape made him immensely happy, as if a heavy weight had lifted from his heart.

When Li Jia asked about his work, Huang Yu, proud and joyful, said, “Yes, I’ll officially start next week.”

Li Jia giggled, “Hehe, congratulations.”

Huang Yu teased, “Your boyfriend landed such an important job, and you just give a quick ‘congratulations’? That’s hardly sincere.”

Li Jia shot back, “What kind of sincerity do you want then?”

His eyes twinkled as he whispered, “Something tangible, like a kiss.”

Li Jia retorted playfully, “How can I kiss you from here?”

Huang Yu insisted, “No, if you kiss, I’ll definitely feel it here.”

They bantered like this for a while, exchanging sweet nothings until Huang Yu’s own words no longer embarrassed him.

Yet, Huang Yu noticed something odd—Li Jia seemed unusually reserved today. At first it was subtle, but the longer they talked, the clearer it became.

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He tried not to dwell on it, but once the thought took root, he couldn’t shake it off.

Suddenly, Huang Yu said, “Jia, it’s been days—I miss you. Let’s stop just doing voice calls on the phone. Let’s do a video call.”

Without hesitation, Li Jia agreed, “Sure.”

Huang Yu wondered if he was overthinking it. He quickly tidied his appearance in front of a nearby floor-to-ceiling window, satisfied with his reflection, and sent her a video call request.

The call connected quickly.

Huang Yu stared at the screen, seeing a corner of Li Jia’s bedroom—the same as he remembered from previous video calls—confirming she was indeed at home.

Then her stunning face appeared, gradually pulling back to reveal Li Jia herself.

He scrutinized her closely and saw little change from a few days earlier, though a faint blush lingered on her cheeks—probably stirred by his earlier sweet talk.

After about seven or eight minutes, Li Jia said she hadn’t rested well these days and was about to end the call.

Huang Yu had noticed the fatigue on her face. Since it was nearly one in the morning, he didn’t press to keep talking. He wished her a good rest and they ended the call.

Throughout both the phone and video calls, Huang Yu never mentioned that he had already bought a ticket to return early the next morning. He wanted to surprise Li Jia with his arrival.

What he never expected was that this video call would become their final memory together—the last time they would ever speak.

If only time could rewind, he would have told Li Jia he was coming back the next day. Maybe then she wouldn’t have left this world without waiting even a moment.

After hanging up, Huang Yu glanced at the book on his desk and then headed toward the bedroom.

He needed to rest well to be in good spirits when he saw Li Jia the next day.

At dawn, Huang Yu packed up and checked out of the hotel, heading to the train station.

KM City was not far from PE City—less than two hours by train. If all went well, he would see Li Jia in just over three hours.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but hum a little tune.

Around 8 a.m., Huang Yu boarded the train from KM City to PE City.

He hesitated whether to call Li Jia but dismissed the idea for two reasons:

First, it was too early—she was probably still asleep.

Second, calling would spoil the surprise. Not telling her about his early return the night before was meant to give her a joyful shock.

And so, the journey began.