To You Whom I HATE The Most Chapter 3 (1/2)

Third Letter

The temperature had barely warmed up before the rain returned over the weekend, ruining the plans for the spring outing. People were lamenting all over their Moments.

Cen Wei had no time for such idle concerns. Her design proposal needed revision, and she had to move into a new home.

She packed up everything she wouldn't need for the time being and sent it back to her hometown. In the end, she only had a few sets of clothes and daily necessities left.

The driver helped her load her luggage into the trunk and casually asked, "Beautiful lady, are you here for a vacation?"

Cen Wei replied, "No," but she didn't know how to explain further.

The driver smiled. "I see. Visiting your boyfriend, huh?"

Cen Wei forced a smile and let him misunderstand.

Raindrops tapped against the car window, blurring the view of the streets into smudged blocks of color on a canvas.

As she heard the radio host talk about Chengdu's local snacks, Cen Wei suddenly remembered there were still several shops saved on her phone that she hadn't checked off her list.

Looking back now, the few years she spent here felt like the quick nap a commuter takes while leaning against the subway railing, only waking when the conductor announces the next stop. At that moment, it hit her: another stage of her life was coming to an end.

"It's raining, so I can't drive properly. Is it okay if I drop you off at the end of the alley?" the driver asked.

Cen Wei: "Sure."

The fine raindrops felt cool against her skin. They say spring rain is as precious as oil, but the gloomy sky always put one in a bad mood.

Cen Wei opened her umbrella and pushed her suitcase down the street. The wheels made a clattering sound as they scraped across the ground.

A month ago, she had received the notice that the landlord's son had set a wedding date, and the family was preparing to buy a house for him. The landlord planned to sell her current apartment.

The landlord said she would be given plenty of time to move, but after that, people came by to view the place every few days. Cen Wei's privacy was seriously compromised, and the sense of security she used to feel when returning to her little house after work was completely gone.

When it came to finding a new place, the cheap ones weren’t good enough, and the ones she liked were too expensive. She couldn’t bring herself to make the leap.

She hadn’t saved any money for almost half a year. Every month, it felt like she hadn't spent much, just eating, drinking, and occasionally buying a couple of new outfits, but at the end of the month, her balance was only three digits.

Late at night, lying in bed, Cen Wei mindlessly scrolled through short videos, her mood low. At one point, overwhelmed with negativity, she switched to WeChat and posted a status update.

【Men and houses have both been taken away from me. Is the universe hinting that I should pack up and leave? Such a huge city like Rongcheng can't even make room for someone as small as me?? Who can save me?.../cry/cry/rage/rage】

The glow of the screen lit up her face as Cen Wei stared expressionlessly at the unread messages, watching the count rise from 1 to 17.

The comment section was flooded with messages of concern, comfort, and inquiries about her well-being, all from the little green-clad figure giving virtual hugs.

But her mood didn’t improve. In that moment, she realized something: having contacts didn’t mean having friends, and social media interactions weren't the same as real-life social interactions.

These people could message her at 2 AM saying, “Are you okay, dear?” but not one of them was capable of actually helping her solve her problems.

She had received some emotional comfort, but the chaos in her life remained as tangled as ever.

Cen Wei sighed, turned off her phone screen, and tossed it onto the pillow, pulling the blanket up to her chin and closing her eyes.

Let the world end, she thought, resigned and ready to give up.

The next morning, the first thing she did after opening her eyes was to grab her phone and delete that vulnerable post from her feed.

After clearing out the push notifications from public accounts, she was surprised to find two unread messages from a contact named "He Zhiying."

He Zhiying: "Hello, Cen Wei. I remember you're working in Rongcheng now, right?"

He Zhiying: "I saw your post. Are you having trouble finding a place to live?"

Cen Wei scratched her cheek, feeling confused. She had little memory of this person.

She clicked into He Zhiying’s profile and scrolled down. She worked in fashion, frequently posting store promotions and live stream announcements. Cen Wei had assumed she was a direct seller and had blocked her earlier.

After a bit of scrolling, Cen Wei came across a photo from their school days, and she vaguely remembered that He Zhiying was from the same high school as her. They had both taken the art exam together, but they hadn't kept in touch for years.

She got out of bed, tossing the blanket aside, and walked toward the bathroom, typing on her phone: "Yes, my landlord's son is getting married, and suddenly I'm homeless. Haha."

On the subway to work, Cen Wei received He Zhiying’s reply.

She wrote: "My boyfriend has an empty apartment in Rongcheng. If you can't find a place to stay temporarily, you can come stay at ours."

Cen Wei reread the message carefully, double-checking to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood.

Yes, she was right, a bodhisattva was offering her a place to live.

Her fingers trembled as she typed her reply, her eyes starting to well up: "Thank you so much, but is it really okay?"

He Zhiying quickly responded: "What's not okay about it? We're in Hangzhou right now, and that apartment is one my boyfriend's family bought for him when he went to university. It's just sitting empty, so you should just go ahead and use it. Don’t be shy."

A moment later, she added: "You probably don’t remember, but during our senior year training camp, I had really bad period cramps one night and couldn’t sleep. It was freezing winter, but you ran out to buy me painkillers. I’ve never forgotten that, so please, don’t feel awkward about it!"

Cen Wei’s lips curled down as she sniffed and wiped her nose.

11-12-08. After a beep, Cen Wei pressed the handle and pushed open the security door.

"Hello, sis."

"Your mom got the stuff you sent back. She asked if you want her to unpack it."

Cen Wei mustered some strength to drag her suitcase into the hallway. "No need, just leave it there. I’ll sort it out when I get back."

"Got it. Have you arrived at the new place yet?"

"Just got here." Cen Wei looked around the room, her lips curling into a smile. "It’s pretty nice."

She wrinkled her nose and sniffed. "Doesn’t even smell like it’s been empty for half a year. No musty smell at all."

"That’s good."

She heard a dog barking in the background. Cen Wei asked, "Are you at work?"

Cen Yuetong sighed wearily, "Just finished examining a black Shiba Inu. It had eaten some chocolate, and its owner was almost crying when he brought it in."

"Is everything alright?" Cen Wei pulled open the living room curtains. Below, cars were passing by on the street. It might be a bit noisy during the day, but it wasn't a big deal.

"It's fine. It can run and bark now, and it's being scolded by its dad."