Lin Siya cried for half an hour straight, sobbing until she was gasping for breath. She thought that after crying for so long, the oddly dressed woman beside her would at least say something comforting.
But instead, the woman just stood there, quietly smoking, watching her with that faint, melancholy gaze — until Lin Siya couldn't cry anymore.
Being stared at by some non-mainstream, old-fashioned woman who probably had a few screws loose… even the saddest sobs started to sound like a comedy performance.
Clutching the tissue in her hand — already soaked through — she was just about to ask for another when the woman casually handed her an entire pack.
Fine, Lin Siya thought, after being laughed at by this woman for so long, taking one pack of tissues wasn't too much to ask.
"I'm leaving."
Goodbye, you tacky, outdated country bumpkin. Hope I never see you again.
Ah Xin answered lightly, "Mm."
That indifferent tone — like she was just leaning on the railing for a while — completely ignored the fact that only moments ago she'd delivered a whole lecture about how Lin Siya's death would disrupt the city's operation.
Lin Siya didn't want to talk to someone like that, but there was one thing she really wanted to say. Lifting her head, she shouted,
"You kind of ruin the city's image! I suggest you get a new hairstyle! You look so tacky — it's like you're stuck ten years in the past! Sis, did you time-travel here from a decade ago?"
After yelling that, she felt… better.
She might have fallen low, but she still had her temper. If someone talked back to her, she had to return the favor — or she'd stew in frustration forever.
Ah Xin stayed leaning lazily against the railing, watching her. In those dull gray eyes of Lin Siya's, something faint flickered back to life — a bit of spark, a trace of vitality. Ah Xin's lips curved ever so slightly.
Just when Lin Siya thought she'd been provoked into a fight, the woman smiled.
It was a small smile — not particularly beautiful on her heavily made-up face — but somehow, when Lin Siya met those warm, gentle eyes, she froze.
For a moment, it felt like that smile was a beam of sunlight piercing straight into the cold darkness inside her, lighting a road filled with warmth and light.
"Mm."
That soft reply again. Lin Siya was speechless.
Why did this obviously eccentric woman's voice sound so calm and gentle? Someone dressed like that should be brash and mean, shouldn't they? The type to grab her by the collar and say, "You piss me off — I feel like hitting you!"
She bit her lip, lowered her head, and muttered, "I'm really leaving now."
"Mm."
Still that calm answer. Lin Siya took a deep breath, a little deflated.
Looking down at herself, she realized how pathetic she must look. Just minutes ago, she'd actually wanted to jump in front of a car. She must've been insane.
She let out a helpless little laugh — a laugh with a bitter edge.
"One of your slippers fell off."
Lin Siya froze mid-step. Looking down, sure enough, one of her feet was bare.
Scanning around in panic, she heard Ah Xin's voice: "It fell into the bushes below."
She ran to the railing — and there it was, her familiar slipper lying peacefully in the grass below. Her face turned bright red. Covering her cheeks, she groaned inwardly. How embarrassing!
With cars constantly passing by, it wasn't like anyone would stop and let her retrieve it. She must have kicked it off earlier in her panic.
To make matters worse, she was still in her pajamas — the police had dragged her out like this. No phone, no money, and now… one missing shoe.
Was she supposed to walk home barefoot across who knew how many streets?
Staring at that lonely slipper in the grass, Lin Siya's eyes reddened again. Tears welled up. Even my shoe's bullying me now…
"Got it, Sister Yuan."
Chen Yi returned, holding a plastic bag. He still didn't understand why Ah Xin was bothering with this obviously unstable woman — but he remembered how she'd nearly jumped earlier.
Saving a life, after all, was a virtue. He didn't question it further.
Ah Xin took the bag, pulled out a pair of new slippers — bright red, cheap plastic, maybe ten yuan at most — and held them out. They were plain, and certainly not as stylish as the one in the grass.
Lin Siya stared at the slippers for a moment. They were ugly, yes, but at least they were a pair.
She took them with a quiet "thank you" and bent down to change shoes. Maybe… this tasteless woman wasn't so bad after all.
"My name's Lin Siya. What's yours?"
"Yuan Xin."
Lin Siya frowned. The name sounded familiar, though she couldn't recall where she'd heard it. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I wasn't really planning to die," Lin Siya said with a weak laugh. "I don't even know why… I just saw all those cars passing by and suddenly felt like I couldn't take it anymore. Maybe it's just… feeling like the whole world's abandoned me. It gets lonely."
Ah Xin nodded, smiling faintly. "Go home."
Lin Siya stopped talking. Why was she telling a stranger all this anyway?
She turned to leave — but then remembered she didn't even have a single yuan on her. Glancing awkwardly at the woman beside her, she hesitated.
"Um… could I borrow ten yuan?"
She had never borrowed money from anyone before — especially not while looking like this.
But since this woman had already seen her at her absolute worst, what did it matter now?
"I'll pay you back double next time," Lin Siya promised quickly. "I'm not scamming you."
"I know," said Ah Xin. "I'll call a car for you."
Lin Siya was so touched she nearly burst into tears again.
She hadn't expected to meet someone kind even in her lowest moment.
When Ah Xin helped her into the car, Lin Siya turned and said earnestly, "You know, you're really not ugly. If you took off that makeup, I bet you'd look great. You wouldn't ruin the city view at all."
Ah Xin didn't mind the comment and slid into the passenger seat.
Lin Siya blinked. "Uh… you don't have to come with me. I'm really fine now, I won't do anything stupid."
"I'm heading the same way," Ah Xin said simply.
That shut Lin Siya up. The same way, huh? What a coincidence.
When the car pulled into her neighborhood, Ah Xin got out and followed her inside. Lin Siya glanced back, uneasy.
"I'm home now, you don't need to follow me anymore."
"Mm."
Lin Siya sighed. She was already at her building — why was this woman still tailing her? Did she really look that suicidal?
"I'm really home," Lin Siya insisted, pointing at her door. "I live right here." Then she remembered the money she owed. "Since you're already here, wait a second. I'll go grab the money for you."
Hurrying to the door, she instinctively reached for her keys — and froze.
She was still in pajamas. No phone, no wallet… and no keys.
"Sorry," she said softly. "I can't pay you back right now. I forgot my keys." Her eyes reddened again. Even the lock was bullying her now. Hugging her arms, she squatted by the door, miserable.
Then came the sound of footsteps in the stairwell. A man carrying a toolbox appeared.
"This is 4th floor, unit 7, right?" he asked.
Lin Siya didn't answer, staring at the floor. Then she heard Ah Xin's calm voice:
"Yeah. Please help open the lock — she forgot her keys."
Lin Siya's head shot up, tears spilling down again.
She looked at Ah Xin with a complicated expression — like she wanted to ask, How are you always one step ahead?
This woman really was too good.
Had she used up all her lifetime's luck just by meeting her?