My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

When Su Xiaoyue hung up the phone, her fingers were still trembling slightly.

She held her phone to her chest and let out a long breath, as if she had just accomplished something extremely difficult.

The ward was so quiet that only the beeping of the electrocardiogram monitor could be heard. The sunlight outside the window was already setting in the west, casting a warm orange glow on the white sheets.

"Are you done talking?"

Gu Qinghan's voice came from the side, carrying a tone of "I've been putting up with you for a long time."

Su Xiaoyue turned her head and saw her best friend sitting cross-legged on the hospital chair, peeling her third banana, her expression saying, "You better give me a reasonable explanation."

"I'm done talking." Su Xiaoyue guiltily stuffed her phone under her pillow.

"So you're really leaving next Wednesday?" Gu Qinghan mumbled, taking a bite of her banana. "You're not fully recovered yet. The doctor said you can be discharged, but didn't say you can travel around. It's a two-hour flight from Shanghai to Beijing. Can you handle it?"

"I can handle it." Su Xiaoyue's voice wasn't loud, but her tone was firm.

Gu Qinghan stared at her for three seconds, then threw the banana peel into the trash can and clapped his hands.

"Okay, then tell me, where will you stay after you get there? What will you do after you meet that man? What if he's a scammer? What if he's not the person you imagine him to be at all? Have you thought about these things?"

Su Xiaoyue's fingers were intertwined under the blanket, her knuckles turning slightly white.

She had thought about it.

I've thought about every single problem.

During those sleepless nights, during those afternoons spent staring blankly at her phone screen, and during every surgery and recovery period these days, she thought about these questions over and over again.

"Qinghan." She raised her head, looked into Gu Qinghan's eyes, and spoke as softly as a feather about to fall.

"I know you might think I'm crazy, that I'm too impulsive, and that I should get to know him better before meeting him."

"but--"

She took a deep breath, as if making a major decision.

"I've waited 872 days. Every day I think about what kind of person he really is. The way he speaks, the tone of his voice when he comforts me, the perfect timing when he appears whenever I'm sad... all of these things combined are more real to me than anything else."

"I just want to see him with my own eyes."

As Su Xiaoyue spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, but she didn't shed a tear.

"Even if he's a fraud, even if he doesn't look like the person in the photos, even if everything is fake—I'll only be satisfied when I see it with my own eyes."

After hearing these words, Gu Qinghan remained silent for a long time.

She has known Su Xiaoyue for ten years.

Ten years of friendship had allowed her to see Su Xiaoyue in so many different ways:

The way she hid in the toilet and cried after being ridiculed by her classmates; the way she trembled with nervousness before surgery; the way she made a wish on her birthday cake when she was alone.

But she had never seen Su Xiaoyue like this before.

There was an almost obsessive light in her eyes, like a drowning person grabbing onto the last piece of driftwood, knowing that the log might not be able to support her weight, but still holding on tightly.

Gu Qinghan opened his mouth, wanting to say something to shatter her illusion.

For example, "Wake up, online dating is unreliable."

For example, "You haven't even video chatted with him, aren't you afraid the other person is some burly man?"

For example, "You've spent so much money on him, if he truly cares about you, why does he never suggest meeting up?"

But seeing Su Xiaoyue's reddened eyes, Gu Qinghan swallowed all her words.

She knows Su Xiaoyue too well.

This girl has never been truly and unconditionally loved by anyone from childhood to adulthood.

Her parents gave her money, the best medical care, and the best teachers, but never gave her time.

The housekeeper accompanies her to every surgery.

Every birthday, the nanny orders the cake.

Every word that comes out of a parent's mouth eventually becomes, "Please understand, your parents are doing this for the family."

Su Xiaoyue, who grew up in this environment, seems to have everything, but in reality, she has nothing.

So when she met someone online who was willing to chat with her every day, listen to all her nonsense, and stay with her until dawn when she was at her lowest point, how could she not fall for him?

"Alright then." Gu Qinghan sighed, put his legs down, and took out a pack of tissues from his bag, placing it next to Su Xiaoyue's hand.

"I don't care about you anymore, I'm going with you. If you get scammed, I'll beat them up for you; if you get bullied, I'll call the police for you; if you get scammed out of money, I—"

She paused, then gritted her teeth.

"I'll help you get it back. If I can't get it back, I'll make it up to you."

Su Xiaoyue was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, tears streaming down her cheeks, glistening in the sunlight.

"Qinghan, you're so kind."

"Don't give me that." Gu Qinghan rolled her eyes and stood up to pack her bag.

"But let me make this clear: I'll book the plane tickets, I'll book the hotels, and I'll arrange the itinerary. Don't get carried away when you see that guy and run off with him; then I won't be able to find you."

"Okay." Su Xiaoyue nodded obediently.

"Also, the meeting must be in a public place. You can't go to his house, a hotel, or any secluded place. It's best to go to a crowded place like a coffee shop or shopping mall, so that if anything goes wrong, I can hear you if you call out."

"Qinghan, why are you even more long-winded than my mother?"

"Because your mom doesn't care about you, I will." Gu Qinghan slung his bag over his shoulder, walked to the door, and glanced back at her.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. You should get some rest and stop staring at your phone so much; it's bad for your eyes."

"Okay."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Um."

Gu Qinghan opened the door and was about to walk out when Su Xiaoyue's voice came from behind him.

"Sparse and cold".

"Um?"

"Thank you."

Gu Qinghan didn't even turn his head, waved his hand, and strode out.

The moment the door closed, Su Xiaoyue's smile slowly faded.

She leaned against the pillow, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, then pulled her phone out from under the pillow and opened the chat interface.

The last message was sent by her:

"Honey, I'll be arriving next Wednesday. You have to come pick me up, okay?"

There has been no reply from the other side yet.

A strange emotion surged into Su Xiaoyue's mind once again.

It wasn't unease, it wasn't doubt, but rather...

A vague emptiness that she was unwilling to acknowledge.

She exited the chat interface, opened the travel app, and started checking flight tickets.

Shanghai to Kyoto, next Wednesday morning flight.

She chose a flight that landed at 10:00 and arrived at 12:00.

Then her finger stopped above the payment button.

I hesitated for a few seconds.

I exited the page for next Wednesday and scrolled back one day.

on Tuesday.

Flying to Kyoto, arriving Wednesday.

Su Xiaoyue stared at the option, her heart suddenly racing.

She wanted to give him a surprise.

No, to be precise, she wanted to give herself a chance.

Arriving a day early would allow her to explore the area around the company he mentioned, catch a glimpse of the person she had only seen in photos, and confirm some things before their official meeting.

For example, whether he actually exists.

For example, how much of what he said was true?

Su Xiaoyue bit her lip and tapped the "Tuesday" option with her finger.

Choose a seat.

payment.

Tickets issued.

All in one go.

She clutched her phone to her chest, her heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of her throat.

I'm sorry, honey.

It's not that I don't trust you.

I just... really wanted to see you.

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