428 The dread left behind
A few minutes before, when Yating was casually walking from window side in his office with a file in his hands, he noticed Ai at Dream High’s entrance to his shock.
Ai?
She was holding a cat in her hands, heaving breathlessly as if she had come running here. It was the first time in months since Ai left Dream High that she was here again.
But then to his more shock, she started looking pale as she clutched her head. He didn’t know what was wrong with her but it felt as if she was getting some sort of an attack.
The file fell on the floor with a thud, and Yating sprinted towards the building’s entrance. He almost crashed into Zhan Yahui, making her frown at him. “Hey, go slow. Where are you rushing off to?”
“Sorry…Will talk to you later. I am in a rush,” and without explaining much, Yating hurried towards the lift.
When he reached outside, Ai’s condition was even more ghastly as she was muttering something to herself. She looked frightened about something. The guard was also staring at Ai with confusion and starting to walk towards her when Yating glanced at him to stay put.
“Ai?” Yating quickly asked, bending on his knee to her level.
When she didn’t answer, he shook her harder. It was then when she finally snapped out of the seemingly horrifying trance she was in.
“Ai, what happened to you?” He asked, bewildered. “You suddenly collapsed.”
Ai blinked her eyes and looked around. “T-The clock…where is it?”
“Huh? Which clock?”
“The go-golden clock…it was in the sky,” she mumbled, pointing towards it. Even she wasn’t quite sure what she was saying. But the one thing she knew for sure that the whole experience had left a dreadful mark in her heart.
Yating noticed her tear stains on her cheeks and widened his eyes. “Why a-are you crying? Ai, what’s going on? Wait, first stand up.”
He helped her gain her posture and composure back.
“Y-you didn’t see that clock? It was golden and it was shining so brightly…It was also s-so loud…My head still feels so buzzing…” she whispered. “Very loud. You heard it right?”
Yating furrowed his brows, perplexed.
Which clock? And what sound?
“Then those voices…” her expression paled once again. “I heard your voice, Guiying’s voice…even Mom’s…But I don’t know what was going on…”
Yating felt his heart stir with how helpless, confused and fearful her eyes seemed right now. Ai wasn’t the type to talk about vague things like these, and he felt even more furious at himself for not being able to understand her. Her shoulders were mildly trembling, making his heart ache further.
“S-sorry Ai, I don’t understand…First, come inside. You really need to calm down. It’s also going to rain. Quickly!”
He pulled her hand, but she said, “The cat!”
“Cat?”
The cat because of whom Ai was here in the first place was still at his place, unfazed and unmoved. Feeling relieved, she tried to pick him up. But he hissed at her. Nevertheless, she didn’t let him go. “I don’t want to leave him alone.”
*Meow!*
The cat struggled quite fiercely.
Let go of me human!
Yating blinked, wondering when did Ai become interested in a cat?
“Sure, you can bring the cat inside too.”
The guard outside was dumbfounded.
Sir, we are not allowed to bring pets inside the office premises…
Yating then noticed a small crowd which had gathered because of Ai’s strange behavior, whispering amongst themselves.
“What?” He narrowed his eyes.
The employees scurried back to the office while the rest of the crowd quickly dispersed too with his stern look.
For the whole way up to his office, Ai wasn’t quite sure what was happening around her. Her mind was still occupied with the phenomenon which just came to her out of nowhere.
The employees were quite surprised with Ai in Dream High’s office and carrying a cat at that.
“How is Zhou Ai here?”
“And Chief Gu is with her too…”
“Don’t tell me she plans to join back?”
“Impossible. Don’t you know she is Liu Jun’s girlfriend? He is Sky’s CEO and they are still in a relationship…”
“Yeah but didn’t you hear the rumors of Chief Gu having feelings for Zhou Ai?”
“Oh yeah he had planned a whole project for her sake!”
“I wonder why she came here today.”
Stepping into his office, Ai quietly sat on a chair. She hugged the cat firmly against her chest, still lost in her thoughts about the golden clock.
Yating offered her a glass of water. “Drink some water.”
“…Thank you.”
It was then slowly she remembered Jun telling her the exact same incident which occurred with him where he had witnessed a golden clock too with some people talking in his ears.
It felt so real…
There was Guiying’s voice and then…
She peeked at Yating, thinking she had recognized his voice as well. He was apologizing to her.
The cat finally jumped down from her arms and instead hopped on the couch but not without throwing a glare towards Yating once.
Yating stared at the cat, his brows twitching.
Why do I feel so annoyed with this cat’s presence? He strangely reminds me of Liu Jun…
His expression turned unsightly.
“About what I said…” Ai brought his attention back to her. “Can you please forget about it? It was just some babbling,” she coughed.
He raised his brow. “Like how you told me to ignore the ten years part when you met me at the hospital?”
“…Pretty much,” she averted her eyes.
Yating softly exhaled. “Are you okay, Ai? You looked pretty frightened of something. It almost felt like you got a seizure. I think I should take you to the hospital-“
“No, no. I am fine now. Really.”
“But what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly freeze like that?”
Ai lowered her gaze. “…I don’t know either.”
How should I explain this to him? This must be definitely connected to Jun and my rebirth…