The Ice King's Little Trouble Maker-Chapter 558 - 522: Embrace Your Past Calmly

Lin Huai Shu was looking at Qiao Lech’s hand.

Suddenly, he saw Qiao Lech’s hand move closer.

He was startled, quickly coming to his senses, sitting up straight.

Then he saw Qiao Lech place a cup of tea in front of him.

He noticed that when Qiao Lech put down the teacup, her hand was trembling slightly.

Only then did he raise his head to look at Qiao Lech.

Qiao Lech withdrew her hand, placing it under the tea table, clenching her fingers.

Lin Huai Shu glanced at her, then picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea.

The osmanthus tea smelled delightful.

The taste was refreshing.

The aroma of tea and flowers made one feel comfortable and relaxed.

"How is the taste?" Qiao Lech said, "I don’t know if you’ll get used to it. I quite like it, especially when I’m nervous. Drinking a bit helps."

Lin Huai Shu put down the teacup, looked at her, and said, "It’s very fragrant, the taste is great."

Qiao Lech gave a slight smile.

Lin Huai Shu watched her take a slow sip of tea.

After putting down the teacup, he lowered his gaze and fell silent for a moment.

Lin Huai Shu sensed that she wanted to tell him something, but was very nervous.

She was regulating her emotions.

Lin Huai Shu waited for a while, noticing she was becoming more nervous, and began, "Lech, is there something you want to tell me?"

Qiao Lech raised her eyes to look at him, watched him for a moment, and said, "Yes."

"Go ahead," Lin Huai Shu said, "Say whatever you want, I’m listening."

Hearing his words, Qiao Lech gave a brief smile, then lowered her gaze again, her fingers rubbing the cup back and forth. Pausing, she said, "I had psychological issues because I was taken once. That time...was more serious than this time..."

"Lech." Lin Huai Shu didn’t react immediately, and after processing it, he interrupted her, "Lech, I’ve said before, you don’t need to tell me these things."

Qiao Lech shook her head: "Don’t be upset, let me speak first."

Lin Huai Shu looked at her.

Qiao Lech kept rubbing the teacup, trying to keep her voice normal, she said, "Without today’s incident, I also wanted to find time to tell you."

"I know you don’t mind, but I feel it’s necessary to clarify." Qiao Lech said, "You can guess about this, but you’ll only guess roughly. If I don’t say anything, you’ll always guess a rough idea. How exactly this rough idea is, you don’t know. And I don’t know if this rough idea will be a ticking time bomb in the future."

Lin Huai Shu furrowed his brow.

"I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about me." Qiao Lech spoke slowly, with difficulty, "It’s me who thinks too much. You may not think about this matter again. But I will think, I will always think, I will wonder if you are thinking, I will wonder if at any moment you might mind, I will wonder if you think I’ve really been... you know..."

Lin Huai Shu was puzzled by her pile of words, staring at her blankly.

He felt he knew what she was saying, yet felt he couldn’t understand what she was saying.

A bit afraid, why she suddenly told him these things.

Qiao Lech continued, "I still feel sorry for you. Because of your protection of me. This kind of protection for my privacy and secrets. That’s why you don’t let me say. I feel I owe you. If we’re really together in the future, I will always be mindful of this. I will be cautious and will yield to you in every possible way. Even if I am unhappy, I will endure it. Over time, it would not be good for both of us."

Lin Huai Shu was even more confused.

He felt he heard every single word.

But it seemed he only heard one sentence.

Or half a sentence.

If we are together...

He didn’t hear what was said afterward.

Qiao Lech continued, "So I want to find a time to tell you. Because by not saying it, this matter is, for me, the biggest thing that lies between us. Today again... I planned to say it today."

"Lech, I, I don’t know what to say." Lin Huai Shu said, "I, I didn’t quite understand. I, what should I do?"

"Just listen," Qiao Lech said slowly again, "I mean really listen."

"Okay, okay," Lin Huai Shu replied, still in a daze.

Qiao Lech’s hand under the table clenched a bit tighter, saying, "You saw it, Bai Cong tugged at my clothes."

Lin Huai Shu’s eyes trembled.

Qiao Lech said, "The last Xi Mei Media ceremony, when I was holding a camera and taking pictures everywhere. He saw me then. He was scheming. But you and my sister were always by my side, he didn’t dare."

Lin Huai Shu’s hand on his leg suddenly clenched, finally pinching his own leg to stop himself from rushing out of Qiao family and hitting Bai Cong again.

"He took me home, intending to assault me. I resisted." Qiao Lech said, "The recent practice helped a bit, but only a bit. His father arrived, he stopped. I luckily escaped this ordeal. But I was still too scared."

"Who wouldn’t be scared in this situation? If I encountered it, I’d be scared too." Lin Huai Shu said.

Qiao Lech smiled again, and continued, "Last time was more serious, I didn’t know how to resist."

Lin Huai Shu was shocked and froze again.

Qiao Lech said, "Last time that person... he... he took off my clothes."

Qiao Lech’s voice started to tremble.

Her breathing began to tremble too.

She kept telling herself in her heart.

Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.

Overcome it.

This is not your fault.

This is someone else’s fault.

Don’t burden yourself with someone else’s fault.

The shame and disgrace should fall on the perpetrator.

Not you.

Face it calmly.

There’s nothing you can’t do.

"Lech..." Lin Huai Shu called her.

Qiao Lech shook her head, took a deep breath, and said, "He took off my clothes, filmed videos, took photos. Then verbally humiliated me but did nothing substantial."

After saying it, Qiao Lech felt a rush of relief.

For the first time, she felt so relaxed.

It felt like the rotten piece inside her heart was finally removed.

Although bleeding, it was a place of renewal.

Now that it’s said, there’s nothing to fear.

She let out a breath of relief.

But Lin Huai Shu’s eyes turned red.

When Qiao Lech looked over, he quickly lowered his gaze.

His fingertips kept trembling.

In fact, his whole body was trembling.

A long silence.

Qiao Lech watched Lin Huai Shu.

Lin Huai Shu lowered his gaze.

Time passed, very long.

The sun tilted westward, the room became dim.

Only then did Lin Huai Shu speak, "Lech, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Qiao Lech’s eyes moved slightly.

She could sense a bit of Lin Huai Shu’s heartfelt pain.

She pursed her lips and said, "I... I just hope you, you can seriously consider the relationship between us. Think about it carefully. I’m in this situation, I don’t want us to end up unhappy. Friend relationship is friend relationship. Take a step further, many things will change. Take a step further and if we want to step back, we can’t go back to how it was."

All her words pointed to her worry that Lin Huai Shu would mind this.

Her feelings for Lin Huai Shu were too complicated.

To her, taking a step further would be wonderful. But if they ultimately step back, then they should not move forward.

They could still be ordinary friends.