Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Don’t Look Back (Six)

Yu Manyi woke up later than usual the next day. She struggled to get up from bed, wrapped in the blanket, sitting up with only her head exposed outside the blanket.

Song Qi, who was sitting on the sofa, also looked up at her at this moment.

The two of them made eye contact, and the memories of last night came flooding back. Yu Manyi shot an unkind look at Song Qi and noticed that he had already washed up, every button on his clothes properly fastened, and he looked well-groomed, his appearance immaculate.

Looking at herself again, she was grateful for the blanket covering her, but beneath it…

She glared at Song Qi again, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, stood up, and stretched out a hand from the edge of the blanket. With a swift motion, she pulled her clothes into her arms and went to wash up.

Meanwhile, Song Qi watched her with amusement and elegance, his demeanor making her so furious it was maddening.

Yu Manyi silently tidied herself up in the bathroom, finally shedding her disheveled appearance. She gathered the courage to confront Song Qi later. With her hands on her hips, she walked out and stood before him, who was sitting upright on the sofa reading a newspaper, and angrily demanded:

“When are you giving me the gun?”

“Eat breakfast first.” Song Qi tilted his chin toward the small table in front of the sofa, where food was placed. It was still warm and looked like he had brought it in from outside, even the coffee was freshly brewed by him. Yu Manyi was indeed hungry, and as she sat down and took a bite, she heard him say with a serious expression, “I already gave it to you last night.”

“...Song Qi!” Yu Manyi bit into half of the fried egg, her face turning bright red in an instant, practically fuming. How could men be so shameless, acting like completely different people before and after?

“Alright, alright,” Song Qi saw that she was truly angry and surrendered with a raised hand, “You’ve already used your IOU on me. How can I refuse you now? The friend who helped you with your passport can handle it; I’ll call him when I get home.”

“How long will it take?”

“He’s not in Shanghai for the next few days,” Song Qi said, “But there’s a performance at the theater in two weeks, and many students and workers will be coming, so he’ll be here. I’ll have him bring it along on his way. Once I get it, I’ll give it to you, no delay… is that okay, leader?”Yu Manyi calmed down slightly.

Only then did the two of them finish their breakfast. Song Qi occasionally said things he shouldn’t have, earning several slaps from Yu Manyi. The two of them walked out of the villa, and just as they were about to leave, the stableman came running over.

“Mr. Song, Mr. Song,” he bent down slightly and spoke to him, “Are you coming over lately? No need for the horse, right?”

“Lately? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, Mrs. Song said…” The stableman looked embarrassed, “She wants to take the horse to her estate in Shanghai and keep it in the yard for a few days.”

“Is she out of her mind?” Song Qi blurted out.

“Song Qi!” Yu Manyi stopped him from speaking recklessly.

“She called this morning asking for it,” the stableman continued, “She said the horse was given to you to ride, but never said she couldn’t admire it. She also promised to show it to a few friends, so she’ll take it for a few days…”

Song Qi had nothing more to say and waved his hand, “It’s Miss Yu’s horse now. You can ask her.”

Yu Manyi certainly wouldn’t refuse. After all, the horse was hers, and sending it to Song Huazhang for a few days wouldn't make it forget her. Besides...

She raised her head and walked towards the black horse that the stableman had brought out, which was now grazing on the lawn.

It was truly beautiful, tall, and most importantly, after spending some time with Yu Manyi yesterday, it had started to recognize her. Yu Manyi had ridden a few horses before, but none of them felt as connected as this one. She placed her hand on its back and gently stroked its mane. As expected, it raised its head and made eye contact with her.

She then touched its side face with her forehead, and the black horse obediently lowered its head, allowing their foreheads to touch. Its hooves struck the ground with a “clop-clop” sound, and for the first time, Yu Manyi felt the bond between a human and an utterly loyal animal.“I really like it so much,” she murmured.

As expected, Song Qi began to say some inappropriate things, but because the stableman was nearby, he spoke in a rather subtle manner. He said, “You promised yesterday, you said you’d only like…”

He didn’t finish the last word, and Yu Manyi stepped on his foot before running away.

The two of them bickered on their way back to Shanghai. Yu Manyi knew that the horse would be sent to Shanghai in the afternoon. She loved it so much that she planned to visit it more often under the pretext of visiting Song Huazhang. And indeed, that’s what she did.

However, after only a few visits, Song Huazhang figured it out. That’s when Yu Manyi learned that Song Qi had given the horse to her. When he took her to visit the black horse, which was strolling around in the backyard, he smiled and said:

“Did he really give it to you? Well, in that case, I’m not so heartbroken. But I can’t believe he’d give it to you... He’s always loved good horses. He once even didn’t eat for days, sulking because he wanted me to take an old racehorse from my father instead of giving it to him.”

“Was he always this stubborn when he was young?”

“Indeed, extremely stubborn,” Song Huazhang sighed, “Once he’s set his mind on something or someone, he truly sticks to it. Later, when that horse got sick and died, he buried it himself and was gloomy for days. My father offered to get him another horse of the same breed, but he wouldn’t take it.”

This was the first time Yu Manyi heard about Song Qi’s childhood. She still didn’t know much about him. The two women stood in the backyard, watching the black horse lower its head and walk slowly. Yu Manyi walked over to stroke its mane and suddenly asked:

“What was that horse’s name?”

“Which one?”

“The one Song Qi was so attached to.”

“I just randomly gave it a name, I have many horses,” Song Huazhang thought for a moment, “But Song Qi also gave it a name, and when he talked about it, he always used that name... It was called Qilin.”

“Qilin? That Qilin from Song Qi?”“Indeed.”

“He doesn’t call the one he has now by that name, I remember.”

“He only recognizes the one named Qilin.”

“I see. I thought, if I named this one Qilin, he might be happy…”

Song Huazhang thought for a moment, then said:

“It’s different. If you call it that, maybe he would accept it… Manyi, you never quite understand your place with him. He gave you this horse… I know him. If he’s willing to give you such a horse, he’ll accept whatever you do.”

Yu Manyi turned to look at Song Huazhang, gazing for a moment before shifting her eyes back. She leaned in and whispered into the black horse’s ear, “Then I’ll call you Qilin.”

The black horse raised its head and touched its head to her cheek.

Song Qi only took that one day off, the fake one he got with Yu Manyi’s background picture, and then didn’t come to find her again. The only sign of life from him was a call to her apartment building one day, telling her to pick something up outside the theater at a scheduled time.

“Ah, could it be…?” Yu Manyi quickly stopped speaking when she saw someone passing nearby.

“Yeah, it’s here,” Song Qi’s voice was hoarse, sounding exhausted, “I really don’t have time to bring it over to you again, so I have to trouble you to come pick it up yourself.”

It wasn’t troublesome at all. He was so polite on the phone, unlike the shameless way he acted that day. Perhaps there were others nearby, but Yu Manyi couldn’t help feeling a bit unhappy at his coldness.

She didn’t respond. After a moment of silence, Song Qi seemed to realize this. From the tone in the receiver, Yu Manyi guessed that he had probably turned his body away from the others nearby.

His voice was low, a little hoarse, and very tired."Don't you have anything to say to me? I still have time to listen to one thing."

Yu Manyi thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I... I named the black horse. It's called Qilin."

Song Huazhang said he wouldn’t be angry, but Yu Manyi wasn’t sure. She was just testing the waters, thinking if Song Qi didn’t like it, she’d change it. But Song Qi clearly didn’t mind. He chuckled into the phone and said, “Alright, nice name, well chosen.”

"Can I say one more thing?"

"Go ahead."

"I miss you."

Yu Manyi heard a heavy breath on the other end of the line. He seemed to sigh. After a brief silence, Song Qi said, "Then come find me when you’re doing the play. When I go out to give you something, I’ll stay with you for a while... That broken machine, it won’t break down when we’re performing again."

Yu Manyi felt a little happy, and Song Qi seemed to feel a little happy as well. The noise on his side grew louder, someone came over to speak with him, and he quickly responded to a few sentences before hanging up the phone.

The day for the play arrived soon.

Yu Manyi already understood the secrecy of their work, so before she went, she made sure to dress very low-key. She didn’t wear a cheongsam or a dress, but changed into long pants and a top with pockets. However, her shoes were meant to go with a skirt, and after looking for a long time, Yu Manyi simply put on her riding boots.

She looked at herself in the mirror and thought that her outfit really made her look like a stableman from out of town.

She had been to the theater twice, both times with Song Qi, but this was her first time going by herself. As Yu Manyi got closer to the theater, she felt something wasn’t quite right. She kept feeling as though there were eyes—no, many eyes—staring at her from behind. But when she turned around, those eyes were gone.

Walking down the bustling street, she couldn’t help but recall Song Qi’s words: "If you told the servants of the Yu family that they should be paid more, would they treat you with respect? This Shanghai Bund, it's just another version of the Yu family’s big courtyard without a roof or walls."

Yu Manyi suddenly stopped in her tracks and no longer walked.Could it be someone from the Ministry of Public Works? Could it be the Scarface Fish and their group? Yu Manyi felt a cold chill rise up her spine. No… she couldn’t go find Song Qi!

He never directly told Yu Manyi what the play was about, but the nature of the play was probably very similar to the idea of "telling the servants of the Yu family that they should be paid more." So many progressive students and workers had come to the theater today. When Song Qi published an article in the past, he nearly lost his life. If they found out about this venue today, what would those students and workers do? What would happen to the actors who once held Yu Manyi’s hand with warmth?

The street was bustling with people coming and going, but those eyes behind her were still watching her without making any further move. She couldn’t keep walking; if she did, she would lead them straight to him. She couldn’t go down a small alley either—if she did, they would definitely act. Yu Manyi stood still on the street, her hands and feet ice-cold, her vision going dark—what should she do? Where should she go?

Suddenly, a shadow passed in front of her, a car driving by. The moment the car blocked her view, Yu Manyi felt the fabric of her waist tighten. Before she could even scream, she was swiftly dragged into an alley.

Yu Manyi was so scared that tears were about to fall, but when she looked up, those tears almost turned into a sigh of relief. The person holding her was Song Qi. He pulled her into his arms and pressed her against the wall, pulling a gun out of his pocket and placing it in her hand.

"Song Qi, someone…" Yu Manyi whispered. "Someone is following me."

"Even you?" Song Qi was momentarily surprised, then quickly regained his composure. "There’s someone following me too."

He had his own gun and pulled it out, gripping it tightly in his hand.

"Following you? Did they follow you from the theater?"

"No, they’ve been following me since I left the apartment."

The alley was very narrow. They hid under a cart, watching two pairs of feet approach the cart, then walk away. After waiting for a long time and ensuring no one was coming, Song Qi finally helped Yu Manyi up and slowly crawled out from under the cart.

Her face was deathly pale. Song Qi took the gun from her hand, looked at her outfit for a moment, then tucked it into the side of her riding boots.

"Go find my aunt," Song Qi said. "Go now. No one would dare make a scene at her place.""Then you..."

"I need to warn them, have them cancel the performance immediately," Song Qi's expression was cold, and it seemed the situation was more serious than Yu Manyi had thought. "There's something wrong with this performance. There must be something wrong... I think Director He..."

"Director He?"

"Don’t ask any more questions. Go find my aunt. Don’t leave unless I come for you."

The gun tucked into her riding boots was both uncomfortable and heavy, and it was the last thing Song Qi gave to Yu Manyi. He pointed to a narrow alley in the opposite direction from the one they had come in, almost sternly urging her, "Hurry."

"You come with me..."

"I can’t go. I need to notify the theater people."

Yu Manyi understood. These people from the Yu family on the Shanghai Bund were waiting for the theater's actors and audience to arrive, intending to arrest everyone all at once. As long as the performance was canceled, they would be left empty-handed.

But Song Qi... but Song Qi!

Yu Manyi knew she couldn’t take him with her. He was the kind of person who, when surrounded by the You family at the train station, had instructed Lu Xiangcang to take the You family concubine away while he stayed behind to buy time. He had always been like this. How could he possibly go with her to hide at his aunt’s house?

In her extreme panic, Yu Manyi saw the gears of fate spinning before her. Song Qi had saved the You family's concubine and caused a scandal that had been so damaging that it kept Director He from being reinstated to Shanghai after being sent to Shaoxing. Now that Director He had returned to Shanghai, didn’t it mean... Song Qi!

She was already heading towards her aunt’s house, but at that moment, she couldn’t stop herself from turning back. Song Qi was watching her. He couldn’t speak loudly, so he lowered his voice and spoke to her in his hoarse tone, as though speaking through a microphone.

"Yu Manyi," his gaze was as calm as when she had first seen him on the second floor of the Yu family estate, "Don’t look back."

Yu Manyi, don’t look back. Yu Manyi, don’t look back.The gun was still pressing against her calf. Yu Manyi forced herself to turn her head back, truly not looking back again, and instead started running with big strides.

She had to find Song Huazhang. She couldn’t look back. She couldn’t be too slow. Once she found Song Huazhang, everything would have a chance to turn around. She could be safe. Even if the Public Security Bureau really captured Song Qi, Song Huazhang would have ways to handle it...

Yu Manyi ran desperately, her throat dry, her lungs aching from the effort, running so hard that the gun hidden in her boots was digging into her calf, probably already bruising her skin, maybe even cutting it open.

She ran frantically, recklessly, not looking back, passing through several streets, until she finally saw the gate of Song Huazhang’s villa! There was no one at the gate. Yu Manyi leaned against her knee, took a few breaths, and used every bit of her strength to press the doorbell.

However, just as Yu Manyi raised her hand, she suddenly heard the sound of a stick cutting through the air behind her.

The gate of Song Huazhang’s villa didn’t face the busy main street but was instead on a quiet little road lined with plane trees. Yu Manyi let out a short, sharp scream, but that scream was quickly muffled by someone pressing a wet cloth over her mouth and nose.

In the last moment before she lost consciousness, Yu Manyi heard two voices.

One was human. The person said, “Damn it, this bitch really can run. No wonder Boss Liu said she’s hard to catch. So many people have been waiting outside her house, and it wasn’t until this point that we caught up.”

The other was from a horse. It came from the nearby villa garden, where the horse Qilin, who had been strolling, heard her short scream and then let out an angry whinny.