Her hand that held the box swung weakly like she had lost all energy in her.

Before she could get a word out, her eyes started to tear up. She bit on her lips and suppressed the waves of emotions that were attempting to overwhelm her. After she had a modicum of control her emotions, she finally raised her head to nod and respond, "I understand."

When she saw that box of pills, her heart had been a mixture of sadness and fury. In fact, she had thought, if he dared to admit to buying her the pills, she would slam the box in his face. However, when she was actually living the experience, she became surprisingly calm; she told him that she understood and even forced a smile, adding, "That's the only reason I came today. Since you've given me the answer, it is time for me to leave."

As the last word left her mouth, before Su Zhinian could say anything, Song Qingchun whipped around, gripping the box of morning-after pills in her hand, and walked quickly away.

When she walked past his car, Su Zhinian suddenly called out, "Wait."

Song Qingchun stopped moving but did not turn to look at the man. Su Zhinian stared at her back for a long time before turning to look at the old Chinese parasol tree whose leaves were yellowing in his yard. A breeze happened to blow then, carrying a few leaves to the ground. When the dried leaves hit the floor, Su Zhinian said, "Take the pills as soon as you can; they are more effective the closer the time of ingestion is to the deed."

Song Qingchun's body shook slightly, but she did not turn around or do anything else.

"Also, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday"

When Song Qingchun heard those few words from Su Zhinian, her lower lips started to quiver. Was there a greater injury than a woman being told by the man that she loved to take morning-after pills and for the man to apologize for accidentally sleeping with her the night before?

"I had too much to drink. If you need any compensation, feel free to ask"

Before Su Zhinian could finish his sentence, Song Qingchun, who had been facing away from him, suddenly turned around to look him in the eye. She did not say a word but ripped the box open and popped the pill into her mouth. Without the aid of any water, she swallowed the pill right before his eyes.

The bitterness followed the pill as it slid down her throat; it made her want to gag, but she kept her mouth shut until she could feel the pill settling in her stomach. Half a minute later, she asked Su Zhinian, "Now are you satisfied?"

Then, Song Qingchun gaped her mouth at him to prove to him that she had really swallowed the pill before she turned rapidly around and stormed off.

Her fast walking turned into a jog before evolving into a full-on sprint.

She was wearing high-heels, and it was very uncomfortable to run in them, but with a grit of her teeth, she powered on and only slowed down when she turned the corner.

She didn't bend over to take her breath or to take a look at her chaffed feet; instead, she just kept on walking. She left Su Zhinian's residential area and continued to wander aimlessly.

It was late at night, so there wasn't anyone else on the streets. Other than that, there also weren't many cars on the road.