Chapter 51

◎My longing is like a surging tide, impossible to suppress◎

This winter, Luzhou hasn't seen any snow. It's already past the twelfth lunar month, and not a single snowflake has fallen.

Although it didn't snow, Lucheng was still very cold, especially in the mornings and evenings.

When Cheng Jiamo left the hospital, it was 8:30 in the morning. The sky was overcast and a cold wind was blowing.

She pulled her down jacket tighter around her, wishing she could bury her head in her neck.

Li Zhuyue put her arm around Cheng Jiamo's shoulder, wanting to pull her into her arms, but unfortunately, she was thinner and more frail than Cheng Jiamo, so it was pointless to hug her and she couldn't provide much warmth.

Cheng Jia wrapped his arm around Li Zhuyue and patted his thin shoulder: "Come closer."

Li Zhuyue didn't lean on her, afraid of crushing her, but simply tilted her body and gently rested her head on her shoulder.

"Momo, I'm sorry." Li Zhuyue suddenly apologized, "I shouldn't have said those heartless things to you, but I've never looked down on you, nor have I ever resented you. I deliberately yelled at you back then, hoping you would cut off all contact with me to avoid being implicated. Now that I know your boyfriend is actually He Lin's cousin, then I..."

Cheng Jiamo lowered her eyes to conceal her emotions and replied calmly, "He's my ex-boyfriend. We've already broken up."

Li Zhuyue straightened up: "But He Lin contacted me specifically yesterday to inquire about your situation. It must have been at the behest of your ex-boyfriend. Otherwise, why would he care about you so much? Unless he likes you too."

Cheng Jiamo shook her head and smiled. She knew very well that He Qingzhao definitely did not instruct He Lin to do that; he wasn't that obsequious.

He Qingzhao is inherently arrogant, cold and haughty, a true unattainable beauty.

He was always calm and composed in front of her, never flustered or embarrassed.

Someone as aloof and arrogant as him wouldn't be greatly affected even if they broke up, and it's impossible for him to be unable to forget her or let her go. With his ruthless methods in the business world, if he really couldn't let her go, he would have firmly kept her by his side when she proposed breaking up, instead of casually saying "Then let's break up," or even telling her not to regret it.

What's there to regret?

It means that she broke up with him and could not find a better man than him, but he could easily find a girlfriend who was prettier and younger than her.

Look how arrogant he is!

Ultimately, their relationship was unequal from the start; she overestimated herself and tried to climb a mountain.

As for why He Lin video-called Li Zhuyue to inquire about her condition, she guessed it was because He Qingzhao had been with He Lin and the others the night before. The young men were probably having a good time at some club, and He Lin had seen her before and knew she was someone close to He Qingzhao. That's why he video-called Li Zhuyue when he saw her sick photos on social media.

The cause and effect are very simple, not complicated, and not particularly sentimental.

Cheng Jiamo sighed, "He Lin doesn't like me. I'm not familiar with him at all. I've only met him a few times with my ex and had dinner together. My ex didn't instruct He Lin either. He's a very aloof person, and we broke up very cleanly. It's just a coincidence. He Lin probably saw your post on WeChat Moments and was bored, so he contacted you to ask about my situation. And most likely, he was just curious to see if my ex would be upset."

Li Zhu looked incredulous: "Is that really what you're saying?"

Cheng Jiamo didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer, and asked with a smile, "Why did you come to my house yesterday? Did you come specifically to see me?"

Li Zhuyue: "No, it's not that. I didn't know when you would be back. Yesterday I went to the countryside to deliver an electric blanket to my grandma. After I finished, I was on my way back when I passed by your old house. I saw that the light was on inside and the door was open, so I went in. I didn't expect you to have come back quietly."

As the two were talking, the car they had called arrived.

Li Zhuyue opened the back door of the car, first helping Cheng Jiamo into the seat, and then bending down to get in herself.

Cheng Jiamo rested her head on Li Zhuyue's shoulder: "Yueyue, thank you."

Li Zhuyue asked her, "What are you going to do for the New Year? Are you going to your aunt's place, or are you spending it alone at home?"

Cheng Jiamo said, "I'm at home by myself. My aunt lives in Lucheng City, and my cousin-in-law just had a baby this year. They probably won't be coming back."

Li Zhuyue: "Why don't you stay at my place? I'm all alone anyway. My parents both have their own homes, and my grandma is staying at my second uncle's house this year. I'll be spending the New Year alone."

Cheng Jiamo smiled and agreed, "Okay."

-

On New Year's Eve, Cheng Jiamo and Li Zhuyue got up early and started working. They put up paper-cut window decorations, couplets, and the character "福" (fortune). They also made dumplings, fried fish, and fried meatballs. They worked on and off from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon, finally preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. They were just waiting to eat at six.

The TV was playing last year's Spring Festival Gala, a very cheerful song sung by a group of stars, adding a touch of liveliness to the quiet room.

Cheng Jiamo opened the glass door to the balcony and stood on the balcony to watch the sunset.

She suddenly thought of He Qingzhao, and his sacred appearance under the Bodhi tree, bathed in golden light. This thought overwhelmed her with longing, which she could no longer suppress.

My eyes felt sore, dry, and painful, and my heart felt heavy too.

She originally thought she would spend the Spring Festival with He Qingzhao this year, and she was already looking forward to it before the holiday even started. But in reality, she didn't spend more than a few days with him after the holiday started before they broke up.

Although she initiated the breakup, deep down she wanted He Qingzhao to persuade her to stay.

To be precise, she wanted a passionate love that would cling to her tightly, so that even if she threw a tantrum and threatened to break up, the other person would hold her tight and refuse to leave her.

She wanted a powerful kind of love, and clearly, He Qingzhao couldn't give her that.

He's so aloof and arrogant, it's impossible for him to lower himself to keep her, let alone love her with all his might.

In his eyes, she was the one who was humble.

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. Cheng Jiamo took a few deep breaths to control her emotions, but she inhaled too quickly and choked on the cold air, coughing violently.

Hearing her cough, Li Zhuyue hurriedly called out, "Momo, come in quickly, let's eat now and watch TV while we eat."

Cheng Jiamo: "Okay."

She walked into the house with a red nose and red eyes.

Li Zhuyue: "You cried?"

Cheng Jiamo smiled and rubbed the corners of her eyes: "No, it's cold outside, I got chilled."

Li Zhuyue pulled her to sit down, sat next to her, put her arm around her shoulder, and they rested their heads together, taking a photo together with her phone.

"Momo." Li Zhuyue finished taking the photo, put down her phone, and looked at her. "Were you thinking about your ex-boyfriend just now?"

Cheng Jiamo lowered her eyes guiltily: "No."

Li Zhuyue patted her shoulder with a smile and said in a tone of someone who had been through it all, "When I was in a relationship, you were still buried in your studies. My love was purer and more passionate back then, so I understand how you feel. But I still want to say that with your ex-boyfriend's background, breaking up with him early might not have been a bad thing for you."

Cheng Jiamo: "Yes, I know."

Li Zhuyue then said, "Imagine if you stayed at his place in Beicheng during the Spring Festival, would he spend New Year's Eve with his family or with you alone?"

Cheng Jiamo pursed her lips and remained silent.

Li Zhuyue smiled and said, "On New Year's Eve, he will definitely be with his family. You might be alone in the house he arranged for you, watching TV in a cold and lonely atmosphere. He is unlikely to take you to his house."

Li Zhuyue took her hand and squeezed it.

“Momo, whether you break up or not, you'll be the one suffering the most if you stay with him. Because you have no family, you grew up in a broken environment lacking love, so you'll see him as your only one and put all your emotions into him. But he doesn't. He has his own family, and a powerful one at that. Whether it's blood ties or interests, he has a lot on his mind. You can only occupy a tiny bit in his heart, just the tip of the iceberg.”

Cheng Jiamo: "I know."

She had always known, but she was deceiving herself and unwilling to think about it, only wanting to greedily possess He Qingzhao for a while.

Until she saw him treat her like a cat or dog, at that moment, she woke up from her dream and could no longer lie.

Li Zhuyue stood up and went to the kitchen to bring out the dishes: "Let's eat. We must eat well in the New Year so that next year will be even better."

Cheng Jiamo stood up and followed her inside. Together, they carried the food to the dining table.

Li Zhuyue opened another bottle of red wine and poured two glasses.

"Cheers! Happy New Year to us, and may everything go well for us."

Cheng Jiamo smiled and raised her glass: "Happy New Year, and good health."

Li Zhuyue held a wine glass in one hand and her phone in the other: "Don't move, just stay like this, let me take a picture."

Cheng Jiamo burst out laughing, her watery peach blossom eyes curving slightly, as if they held a dazzling galaxy.

After dinner, Li Zhuyue pulled Cheng Jiamo downstairs to set off with sparklers. The two of them held one in each hand, lit them, and sparks flew up.

"Cheng Jiamo, Happy New Year!" Li Zhuyue swung her arms, drawing large circles in the air, the electric sparks in her hands burning beautifully and dreamily.

Cheng Jiamo also stretched out her arms and circled around, shouting loudly, "Li Zhuyue, may your career be as bright as the stars and as successful as a superstar!"

Li Zhuyue took another picture of her with her phone and said, "Say what you just said again, I want to record it."

Cheng Jiamo smiled, her eyes crinkling with a charming and alluring smile: "Wishing Li Zhuyue great success and a blazing star!"

Li Zhuyue found the best angles to record videos and take photos of her, even more meticulously than a professional photographer.

After playing around, the two went back inside hand in hand.

Cheng Jiamo sat on the sofa watching the Spring Festival Gala, while Li Zhuyue sat next to her posting on WeChat Moments.

Li Zhuyue posted nine photos, six of which were of Cheng Jiamo, and also posted a short video she filmed of Cheng Jiamo igniting sparklers.

In the video, Cheng Jiamo is charming, cute, and alluring, possessing a particularly captivating beauty under the lights.

After posting, Li Zhuyue kept checking her WeChat Moments to see if He Lin had liked her post. She admitted that she had ulterior motives; she wanted to get in touch with He Lin through Cheng Jiamo.

Her friendship with Cheng Jiamo was genuine, and she was forced to use Cheng Jiamo. To gain entry into the entertainment industry, a huge arena of fame and fortune, it's extremely difficult without connections and resources!

A few minutes later, Li Zhuyue saw He Lin's like, and a minute later, she received He Lin's comment: "Happy New Year."

Li Zhuyue didn't reply immediately; doing so would have seemed too deliberate.

After a few minutes, she replied: 【Happy New Year.】

He Lin did not spend the New Year with He Qingzhao. Their two families lived separately, spending New Year's Eve alone. The He family would only gather together for a meal on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Upon seeing the photos posted by Li Zhuyue, He Lin sneered inwardly, already seeing through Li Zhuyue's intentions. However, he still saved Cheng Jiamo's photos and videos and forwarded them to He Qingzhao.

Upon receiving the photos and videos, He Qingzhao's gaze remained fixed on his phone screen until He Zongxun called him, at which point he hurriedly turned off the screen and put his phone away.

He Zongxun invited him to play cards, and the four brothers made up a table.

He Qingzhao played a game, then made an excuse to smoke. Just as the clock struck midnight, he went to the balcony to send a message to Cheng Jiamo.

He used a different new number and sent an unsigned text message.

Happy New Year! May you have peace and safety every year.

Cheng Jiamo was grabbing red envelopes in various group chats when a text message popped up—a New Year's greeting.

She switched back to the text message interface and saw the message from the unknown number; her heart skipped a beat.

After a moment's hesitation, she dialed the number, but it wasn't a Beicheng number; the address belonged to Haicheng.

Cheng Jiamo's heart beat even faster. If she remembered correctly, He Qingzhao had many friends in Haicheng, and he also had a branch company in Haicheng.

When the call connected, Cheng Jiamo asked softly, "Hello, who is this?"

No one spoke; there was silence on the other end of the phone.

Cheng Jiamo has confirmed that it is He Qingzhao.

She bit her lip and chuckled softly, "Thank you for your blessings, and I wish you a happy new year and a bright future."