Chapter 23 Only You

"Then you shouldn't be one."

In front of so many people, Lu Zhenyu showed no respect for Duan Xier, crossing her arms and keeping her distance.

"From now on, please pretend I'm dead and stop jumping around in front of me and my friends, because I'm not sure if I'll be able to help but say something."

After saying that, under everyone's gaze, she pulled Feng Manman along and walked out of the private room.

As they reached the door, they bumped into Siwei, who was leaning against the door with a bottle of red wine in his arms, watching the show with great delight.

The man grinned slyly, showing his teeth as he waved his hand. "Hey little pearl~ long time no see, missed your brother?"

Lu Zhenyu forced a smile and replied, "I miss you terribly, but let's talk another day."

She was tired, really tired.

Why can't I shake off this group of people no matter where I go?

She just wanted to cherish this moment of freedom and experience the warmth of standing in the sunlight.

Why is it so difficult?

Actually, Shen Jingsi wasn't the only one who listened to Lu Zhenyu; it's just that this man was too dazzling.

Wherever he was, it became difficult for others to be seen.

Siwei raised an eyebrow, stepped aside, and made a sly gesture of invitation, "Princess Pearl, please take care."

Shaking her head helplessly, Lu Zhenyu pulled Feng Manman out of the crowd, but after taking a few steps, she turned back.

"Jinchuan."

Shen Jinchuan had already followed behind Feng Manman, "Sister Zhenyu."

She pushed Feng Manman towards him, saying, "Send her back."

Feng Manman was surprised, "Why? I want to go with you."

Lu Zhenyu shook her head. "Come see me another day. Let me be by myself for a while tonight."

Then, looking at Shen Jinchuan, he asked, "You can take good care of her, right?"

"This is my responsibility."

Lu Zhenyu nodded in satisfaction. She had always trusted Shen Jinchuan.

The three of them arrived outside the lobby.

Shen Jinchuan said, "Sister Zhenyu, I'll send a car to take you back."

Lu Zhenyu declined, saying, "No need."

At this moment, she looked exhausted, and having drunk some alcohol, she couldn't even manage a smile for him. She casually hailed a taxi.

“Manman, text me when you get home.”

"The same to you."

Exhausted, Lu Zhenyu got into a taxi. The moment her back hit the seat, she slumped down.

With no outsiders around, she finally no longer needed to control herself, letting her hands hanging at her sides tremble uncontrollably.

I closed my eyes and leaned back, breathing in oxygen in short, shallow breaths.

When a person is extremely sad, tears will still flow even if they close their eyes, their throat will feel a suffocating pain, their heart will be tightly clenched, and their ears will be filled with the echoing sound of its pounding.

It was a feeling of being on the verge of death, as if the soul and body had separated, and there was a barrier between the senses and everything around.

Lu Zhenyu has experienced it and is currently experiencing it.

Since there are no tissues for tears, let them flow freely.

Not all tears need to be wiped away, and not all grievances can be spoken out.

The girl curled up in her seat, her only wish at that moment being that she wouldn't fall ill on someone else's bus.

It will cause a lot of trouble for innocent people, and everyone's life is already difficult enough.

But a moment later, something fell off her leg.

Lu Zhenyu opened her tear-blurred eyes and saw the female driver smiling at her from the rearview mirror.

She was a woman in her forties, slightly plump, with a round face, and her wide smile made her seem very approachable.

"Girl, you've been wronged out there."

Lu Zhenyu pulled out a tissue with trembling fingers, but instead of wiping her tears, she clenched it tightly in her palm.

"I've been a bit tired lately."

It doesn't necessarily have to be recently. Was it five years ago, or even earlier?

Perhaps it was after her parents passed away one after another that the girl, knowing she had no one to rely on, quickly put away her childlike nature and became a sensible and understanding adult.

Shen Jingsi used to say that she was boring and dull, that she only knew how to read and draw all day, and that she never talked back or fought back when people talked to her or hit her.

But the answer is simple.

Because other people have parents, but she doesn't.

Later, she had one too. Shen Jingsi always protected and guarded her, and then gradually became spoiled and favored.

Even so, Lu Zhenyu only showed her rare childishness and arrogance to him.

Just like what he said to Duan Xi'er today: "You only dare to break off relations with me, why are you so cowardly in front of outsiders?"

Recalling what he had once said to her, "You dare to bully me every day just because I like you. Be careful, I might fall in love with someone else later, then let's see who you dare to mess with."

People always like to think about past sweetness when they are in pain, so as to find a temporary way to escape reality.

Lu Zhenyu didn't want to look anymore. She smiled at her older sister and said, "It's not a grievance, it's all my own fault."

The older sister, being perceptive, didn't pry. "Judging from the looks of it, the girl must be married."

"What do you mean by that?"

The older sister glanced at the reflection in the rearview mirror at Lu Zhenyu, "That car behind us has been following us all the way. If I'm not mistaken, it's your husband, right?"

Such a beautiful girl, she must be the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family.

Lu Zhenyu turned around and, using the streetlights along the way, made out the Rolls-Royce.

Having guessed what was going on, he calmly turned around and said, "Others' are dead. Mine are dead."

Eldest sister: "..."

She lost her father at a young age and was then entangled with a married man.

Not only are they not allowed to climb out of one grave, but they are also dragged into another doomed tomb.

...

That's definitely something I should cry about.

That's incredibly unlucky.

Lu Zhenyu said nothing more, took a wad of cash from her bag and put it in the passenger seat.

"Could you please try to get rid of that car for me?"

She added, "It's okay if you can't get rid of them, don't feel guilty."

The older sister glanced at the thick wad of money and liked it too; who doesn't love money?

But she didn't take it; instead, she held onto it and slapped it against Lu Zhenyu's leg. "Talking about money is vulgar. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a lousy taxi driver; I also enjoy watching 'Fast & Furious'."

After saying that, he reminded Lu Zhenyu, "Sister, sit tight," and stepped on the gas, and the little yellow car sped into the night.

The Rolls-Royce that had been following behind didn't react at first, but then sped up to catch up.

"Sir, the other party is trying to shake us off."

Sitting in the back, Shen Jingsi leaned his head back with his hand, displaying a rare calm and stern demeanor in public.

"If you can't even catch a taxi, you can retire with honor."

The 35-year-old driver choked, gritted his teeth, and stared intently at the taxi the entire time.

The next thirty minutes could easily be described as a scene from "Fast & Furious 11".

But no matter how powerful the Rolls-Royce's driving force is, it can't compare to a taxi driver who knows this area so well he could drive it with his eyes closed.

After weaving through several alleys, the Rolls-Royce was completely out of the loop.

-

It was a late autumn night, silent and desolate.

A dim, eerie lamp was lit in the study on the second floor.

On the desk lay three pages of manuscript paper, weighed down by an unclosed fountain pen, the edges occasionally fluttering in the wind.

The window was wide open, and a thin figure sat there with his back turned, his legs dangling in the darkness.

The cigarette in the ashtray was nearing the end of its burning, and a thin wisp of white smoke drifted upwards, dispersing in the air.

Lu Zhenyu sat quietly by the window, gazing at the endless darkness.

He seemed to be deep in thought, but actually he wasn't thinking about anything.

Because such peaceful moments are so precious, she couldn't bear to go to sleep hastily every night during her stay here.

I don't even want to think about Shen Jingsi, Duan Xi'er, Zheng Yaozong...

If possible, let time stand still at this moment.

Lu Zhenyu is tired, so tired.

Before returning, she could hold on a little longer by clinging to that sliver of hope.

Nowadays...

Looking at the boundless darkness in the distance, Lu Zhenyu felt a longing in her eyes.

"I really want to just jump in and hide with you all before dawn."

But the last vestiges of reason told me: it's not ready yet.

Even if she dies, she wants to leave cleanly after the divorce, instead of being tied down by the Zheng family and Zheng Yaozong for another lifetime.

As her fingertips trembled, the stack of manuscript papers she was holding slipped down and escaped.

Lu Zhenyu subconsciously bent down to grab it, and the next second as her body tilted towards the window, a hand appeared around her waist, and she was pulled back into the study.

"Lu Zhenyu, you're insane!"

Lu Zhenyu's body was pressed hard against the window. The man who came into view had bloodshot eyes, a chilling aura, and his chest heaving violently.

I was surprised by his sudden appearance, yet not so surprised.

Lu Zhenyu's lips curled into a bitter, helpless smile. "What, chasing me all the way here isn't enough? Mr. Shen, are you determined to catch me to avenge your fiancée?"

Shen Jingsi, who had run a hundred meters, was panting heavily. Recalling the woman's actions just now, the anger in his chest was so intense that he wanted to kill her!

No matter how much pain his right leg was in after the fall, it couldn't bring him back to his senses.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Looking at it now, it seems like you're the crazier one between us."

Shen Jingsi slapped Lu Zhenyu's face with both hands, gritting his teeth, "Why do you have to talk to me like that!"

Lu Zhenyu remained upright and motionless. "Then why don't you kill me? I won't be able to speak if I'm dead."

The word "death" was like a bucket of ice water poured over Chen Jingsi's head.

As he extinguished the flames, he looked at that stubborn face and remembered the psychologist's words.

“Mr. Shen, if, as you say, your friend is a severely depressed patient with a history of suicide attempts, my advice is to bring her to me as soon as possible.”

"Do I need to tell you if she can come?"

"What do you mean? She..." The doctor swallowed the rest of his words.

He committed suicide?

Shen Jingsi suppressed the inexplicable anger rising within him. "Zhang Bang has flown away, and we haven't caught him yet."

The psychologist understood; he saw it clearly.

He nodded thoughtfully. "If that's the case, I can only advise the patient's family to give her plenty of understanding and warmth."

"Is this all?"

Shen Jingsi felt that this self-proclaimed world-leading expert on mental illness was being a bit perfunctory with him.

The expert remained unfazed, because he hadn't finished speaking: "Of course, it would be even better if she still had someone she deeply loved."

"What's the meaning?"

The psychologist looked at Shen Jingsi, who was frowning, and said meaningfully, "Because only the person she truly loves can save her."

His eyes lit up. "How do we save them?"

"Your love can save your wife."

In the dimly lit study, Shen Jingsi gazed once more into Shang Luzhenyu's eyes.

I remember that place used to be very bright, watery, and seemed to be able to talk.

Every time they made eye contact, he would lose himself in the moment, his heart itching with the urge to lean in and kiss her.

Now, the place is deathly silent, and upon closer inspection, the pupils are unfocused, like a luminous pearl covered in dust.

He wanted to brush off the dust, but she always escaped, and just chasing her had already exhausted most of his energy.

Five years have passed. Everyone thought he would hate this woman to death and should have forgotten her long ago to love someone else.

But only Shen Jingsi truly understood what hatred and forgetting meant.

Damn it, if he really had that kind of potential, he wouldn't be called Shen Jingsi.

He's a good-for-nothing. Shen Jingsi is a complete loser.

He is heartbroken and loves a woman every night because he is still unsure whether she loves him after more than 20 years.

At that moment, he truly understood what it meant to be helpless.

And who knows, as the man knelt before the Buddha statue, what he was thinking was nothing more than:

"I don't hate anymore, God. Please let her have a better life. Don't let her suffer with Zheng Yaozong."

"Don't scold me for being useless. I am useless to begin with. I will suffer her misfortunes in this life."

"Damn it, in the next life, I'll definitely snatch her away."

Why the next life?

Even now, Shen Jingsi is not omnipotent, nor can he control everything.

There's nothing he can do; he's never been able to do anything with her!

The once unruly man finally crumbled his pride at this moment, shaking his head in resignation and compromise.

"I have no fiancée, never have."

There is only you.