Chapter 78 Calm down first.

Before the movie was finished, Yu Wu made an excuse that she was tired and went to sleep.

Cheng Yi noticed that Yu Wu wasn't in high spirits, so he didn't say much. After he finished getting ready, he carefully got into bed, trying not to wake her. Then he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and couldn't resist kissing the back of her neck. His warm breath lingered on the back of her neck and down to her ears, and his hot chest pressed against her smooth, delicate back.

Yu Wu was actually still awake.

But she didn't say a word.

I was preoccupied with thoughts and didn't sleep a wink all night.

......

The next day, on the plane back to China, Yu Wu put on an eye mask and rested as soon as she sat down. Cheng Yi, who was next to her, glanced at her slender figure but did not disturb her. He simply called a flight attendant to bring her a blanket.

They remained silent the entire way.

After getting off the plane, the weather in Nanhai City was bad; dark clouds pressed down, as if it were about to rain at any moment.

The driver picked up the person at the airport and first took Yuwu back to Xiting.

Inside the car, Yu Wu kept her gaze fixed on the outside of the window, her face expressionless, and she didn't make eye contact with Cheng Yi.

Upon arriving at Xiting, Chengyi took Yuwu's luggage inside and told her to rest well and not to overthink things before leaving.

He can give her more time to think it over.

......

Yu Wu stared blankly at him, her mind filled with many thoughts.

If Cheng Yi is indeed the scumbag who likes to play with used women that Ke Yanchen described, did he join Ke Yanchen in mocking and insulting her behind her back during high school?

Yu Wu told herself not to overthink it, but these thoughts kept popping up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. She could even picture the ugly faces of that group of people, laughing and judging her.

"Chengyi," she called to him.

Cheng Yi stood at the door, slightly raising his eyebrows. His breath hitched, and his dark, calm eyes fell on her face as he silently awaited Yu Wu's judgment.

Yu Wu took a deep breath, her eyes calm, her voice slightly hoarse.

"I want to ask you, back in high school, did you ever humiliate or ridicule me behind my back with Ke Yanchen?"

His senses seemed to vanish in an instant, and Cheng Yi found the question utterly ridiculous. He swallowed hard, then forced a smile and retorted, "What do you think?"

"I just want an answer."

Cheng Yi was very disappointed.

A chill ran through me, and a self-deprecating, mocking smile involuntarily rose on my lips. I laughed at myself for being so humble and losing myself for this ridiculous love, and at my own utter foolishness and incurable folly.

In the end, she still refused to give him the trust he deserved. Her shoulders slumped slowly, her face expressionless, her dark, cold eyelashes slowly lifting, her voice low and hoarse, carrying a pale loneliness.

"So, even now you still can't completely trust me."

Yu Wu stared blankly at him, when a thunderous roar struck her ear, making her clench her fists tightly.

Cheng Yi lowered his long, narrow eyes, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow, subtly revealing a fragile feeling that made people's hearts flutter.

Are you going to push me away again?

This is the fifth time.

There was a few seconds of silence around them.

Perhaps silence is the best answer.

After a long pause, Yu Wu stared into Cheng Yi's unfathomable dark eyes and spoke with difficulty.

"Chengyi, let's calm down first."

As soon as he finished speaking, a torrential downpour began outside with a loud crash.

The corridor was quiet.

The corridor window was open, and the cold wind brought dampness, making Cheng Yi stiffen all over. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and swallowing left him with a bitter feeling. After a long while, he gave a very faint smile.

His sharp, calm, dark pupils seemed to hold a thousand words, yet also seemed to hold nothing at all; he simply gazed at her silently.

He let out a low growl: "Do you really think I have no self-respect?"

These seemingly casual words struck Yu Wu's heart like a thousand pounds, causing her unbearable pain. Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she almost burst into sobs, but she turned her head away, desperately suppressing her fragile tears and sobs.

......

Several more rumbles of thunder came from outside the window, and it was pitch black outside.

The two of them turned their heads to look out the window.

Yu Wu said softly, "I'll go get you an umbrella." She turned around and went to find an umbrella.

When they returned, Cheng Yi was no longer there.

Yu Wu looked out the window at the torrential rain, the tree branches swaying wildly, and felt a stagnation and indifference in her heart.

I can't quite describe how I feel.

He could only lament inwardly the capriciousness of fate.

So how could she possibly have true love?

*

Cheng Yi walked alone in the rain.

The torrential rain couldn't drown out the frantic pounding of my heart.

It was another rainy day like this. The last time was back in high school when he got into a fight with Ke Yanchen, was accepted into an American school, and before leaving, he went to Yu Wu's house to see her one last time.

Ke Yanchen was hospitalized with broken ribs after being beaten by him, while he himself also suffered serious injuries.

At that time, he couldn't understand why Yu Wu hated him so much and even called him disgusting and filthy.

He waited all night in the pouring rain.

But she didn't come.

Broken emotions are painted on the dark rain curtain, just like now, exactly the same.

The torrential rain soaked him to the bone. Cheng Yi braved the rain, forced the driver out of the car, and floored the accelerator.

......

In the pouring rain, a Mercedes-Benz van sped along and suddenly stopped in front of the Ke family's house.

Cheng Yi got out of the car without closing the door, and started moving his wrists as he walked.

Ke Yanchen's move was brilliant.

That's fucking amazing.

......

"Sir, you cannot enter without an appointment—"

"Sir, Mr. Ke will not see you, sir—"

The receptionist couldn't stop the out-of-control Cheng Yi. Ke Yanchen heard the commotion outside the door, opened it, and frowned as he looked at Cheng Yi, who was soaking wet and exuded a sharp, fierce aura.

"Cheng Yi?"

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Yi punched him hard, knocking him to the ground.

The surrounding staff screamed, dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

Ke Yanchen rubbed his cheeks, a metallic taste rising in his throat. He swallowed it and slowly stood up.

What's wrong with you?

“We were deskmates in high school.” Cheng Yi interrupted him abruptly, gritting his teeth as he continued, “You knew I liked Yu Wu, and you said you would help me pursue her.”

Ke Yanchen swallowed hard.

"Do you remember what you said to Yu Wu back then?"

Ke Yanchen raised an eyebrow with a cold smile, his eyes dark and ruthless. He wasn't going to pretend anymore; if anyone wanted to fight, he was ready. A murderous aura surged in his chest, but his face remained unabashedly smiling.

"Yes, I admit that I used some tricks back then. In her mind, you were just as bad as me."

"Because even if we had no relationship at the time, she was still my woman, and she could only ever be my possession—"

Bang!

The two began to fight violently, creating chaos all around them.

Ke Yanchen was pinned down by Cheng Yi, his handsome face beaten bloody and mangled. He spat out a pool of bright red blood, his teeth stained with blood, his eyes filled with a twisted, sinister, and desperately joyful gaze.

"Let me tell you, Chengyi, Yuwu is mine, and can only be mine."

"She hates me, and she hates you just as much. Her dislike for you is no less than mine. The thorn I planted will only annoy you both constantly. Even if she investigates, I'll only accuse you of insulting her behind her back!"

"If I can't have it, you can't have it either!"

Cheng Yi's face was twisted with a fierce and sinister expression, his muscles bulging, and the sound of bones cracking could be heard wherever his fist landed, directly knocking Ke Yanchen unconscious.

Chaos erupted all around.

Finally, the security guards arrived and, together with the male employees, forcibly pulled Chengyi away.

He was covered in blood, it was hard to tell if it was his own or Ke Yanchen's. He broke free from the security guard, wiped his mouth, and walked into the rain alone again.

That tall figure looked utterly lonely and forlorn in the torrential, dark rain.

Like being slammed into the mud by a torrential rain, a broken and frail feeling.

*

It had been raining for several days in a row, leaving faint watermarks on the windowpane. When I opened the window in the early morning, the damp, cold air seeped into my bones through my collar.

Yuwu has been working for several days now; today is the weekend.

Zan Ya urged Yu Wu on the phone to go to the hospital to see Cheng Yi, "Both of them went too far. Cheng Yi caught a cold after getting caught in the rain, and he's been running a fever for the past few days. He's only gotten a little better today. Aren't you going to go see him?"

Yu Wu gazed indifferently at the bare sycamore branches swaying in the rain below, breathing silently.

"I'm going to see Chengyi with Shu Yueqiao later."

"Yu Zi, I heard that Cheng Yi is planning not to return to China in the future."

Her heart tightened suddenly, and Yu Wu's breath seemed to stop. After a long while, she finally managed to utter a sound.

"I think I'm not going."

"What happened to you two? You were telling me you'd made up before you came back to China, how did things suddenly turn out like this?"

"I need some peace and quiet, Ya Ya."

Zan Ya sighed deeply, "Yu Zi, I'll come to your house tonight to keep you company."

"...good."

......

That afternoon, Yu Wu actually went to the hospital where Cheng Yi was.

On a rainy day, pedestrians entering and leaving the hospital wrapped themselves tightly in coats and down jackets, quickly getting into their cars.

She was wearing a long down jacket, with a scarf wrapped around her neck twice, revealing only her pair of moist eyes that were red from the cold.

It started raining again.

She looked up at Chengyi's window, her gaze falling on the cold, damp rain.

She knew she had pushed him away again and hurt his feelings.

However, the ridicule she received in high school remains an insurmountable obstacle in her heart.

She couldn't imagine Cheng Yi participating in it, criticizing her with a contemptuous and ugly face.

This is a thorn stuck in my heart, a collapse of faith.

The better he treated her, the sharper his sarcasm became. It's unimaginable that the person who loves me so deeply now was a participant in that bullying frenzy back then.

The events were too far in the past for her to pursue the truth.

She needs time to think it over.

*

Time flew by, and Ke Yanchen launched the Xique project, which dominated the headlines in Nanhai City for a week, with news of its booming market prospects constantly emerging.

The immense potential value of the Xique project attracted numerous investors, directly revitalizing the previously struggling cash flow of the Ke family.

Yu Wu didn't actively search for news about Ke Yanchen, but such information always appeared in various nooks and crannies around her.

Yu's recent projects have been going very well, and she's even given a raise. She originally wanted to treat Zan Ya to dinner, but she said it wasn't possible today and suggested she treat her another day. She also mentioned that Cheng Yi is really leaving.

"Chengyi's flight is at 3 PM tomorrow, are you really not going?"

"I'm not going." Yu Wu's thick, curled eyelashes trembled as she softly asked, "Is his injury healed?"

"He's not doing well. The last time I visited him, he barely ate anything and looked listless. It's rare to see him so pale and weak. I heard he insisted on being discharged early so that all of Note Technology in Nanhai City would be handed over to Shu Yueqiao."

"He's a very casual person; he gave away such a large business to someone else without hesitation."

"Hey, Yuko, are you listening?"

Yu Wu gave a soft "hmm".

"Bad mood?"

"Um."

"Because of Cheng Yi?"

"It seems so, but it also seems not," Yu Wu sighed. "Actually, I know it's my own problem. But it also seems like it's not just my problem."

"How about we go out for another trip? I'll come with you this time."

"No need, I took too long a leave of absence last time, and I still have a lot of things to do at home."

Zan Ya nodded, "That's true, but Yu Zi, you should think it over carefully. If you need me, just give me a call and I'll come."

Yu Wu nodded in agreement.

*

Airport.

Cheng Yi's face was still bruised, his expression indifferent. Tall and long-legged, he wore a casual overcoat, exuding a relaxed and unassuming air, quite conspicuous, and radiating an aura that warned others to stay away. As he stepped into the VIP room, he casually glanced at the curtains—

I spotted a woman in the crowd, all bundled up and wearing a baseball cap.

It's someone I know.

The next second, the woman wearing a baseball cap had disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Cheng Yi paused, took out his phone, and sent a message.

Then, without any hesitation, they entered the VIP lounge.

The woman wearing a baseball cap peeked out again, but didn't see the figure she was hoping for, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

This is probably the last time I'll ever see him.

Suddenly, a familiar man appeared before them.

The taut string was suddenly snapped, and the woman felt a surge of fear. She bit her lip, and large tears streamed down her face.

She broke down in silent sobs, completely disregarding her image.

The man, somewhat at a loss, knelt down, took out a tissue, and gently wiped away the woman's tears, offering unconvinced words of comfort: "Don't cry..."

Passengers in a hurry either cast curious glances or stopped to watch.

The woman's tears flowed uncontrollably, and at one point she couldn't even utter a sob.

Helpless, the man had no choice but to pick the woman up in his arms and carry her back to the car.

*

The following afternoon, Yuwu received a phone call from an unknown number.

The person on the other end of the phone was a woman who claimed to be Chengyi's mother and wanted to meet her.

Yuwu arrived on time, and the weather was still foggy and overcast when she went out.

Located on the 33rd floor of a building in the heart of Nanhai City's CBD, this tea room is a tranquil oasis high above the city. While floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the dazzling city skyline, the interior is decorated with a gentle, ink-wash aesthetic, creating a serene atmosphere. Every furnishing exudes understated elegance; from the selection of teaware to the creation of fragrances, sophistication is seamlessly integrated into the refined ambiance, carving out a tranquil haven for tea contemplation amidst the bustling city.

Cheng Yi's mother, Shi Muqi, is very different from Ke Yanchen's mother, Yan Congrong.

Shi Muqi is taller, with neat, slightly wavy short hair and a confident, composed gaze. Paired with a sharp, light brown business suit, she exudes the aura of a powerful woman. At first glance, she gives off a very sharp and unapproachable vibe, but when she smiles and reveals her kindness, she also gives off a generous and comfortable feeling.

Shi Muqi smiled and handed Yu Wu the menu, telling her to order whatever she wanted.

Yu Wu casually ordered a cup of tea, handed the menu to the waiter, and noticed that Shi Muqi was gazing at her with gentle focus.

Yu Wu smiled sheepishly and got straight to the point, "I wonder if Auntie wanted to see me about something?"

Shi Muqi smiled, picked up her tea, and her elegant ladies' watch was visible on her wrist as she took a small sip. "Actually, we should have met a long time ago."

Yu Wu blinked gently, puzzled.

Shi Muqi took a notebook out of her bag and pushed it to Yu Wu, "Xiao Yibai's caretaker burned the things on his desk in his study. I happened to see it and thought you might want to take a look at this."

As Yu Wu gently stroked the laptop's casing with her fingertips, Shi Muqi stood up, carrying her bag. "Regarding the Xique project, Xiao Yi has always prevented Lao Cheng and me from touching it. After a thorough investigation, we discovered there's more to it than meets the eye. I can tell you, the St. Oswald United University, which the Xique project is bringing in, is arriving soon."

"At that time, the Ke family will be utterly defeated and will have no chance of rising again."

"I didn't mean to force you to make a decision, I just wanted you to know the truth." Shi Muqi blinked, a smile on her lips, and turned to leave briskly.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Actually, I was quite conflicted about writing this chapter. I didn't want them to argue anymore; I just wanted things to stay sweet.

However, I had to write it this way because I had set up many plot holes beforehand.

We'll be together soon, I promise.

My writing hasn't been going well lately, I keep getting stuck, so I'll temporarily switch to updating every other day. But if I finish a piece, I'll update it earlier. [heart emoji]

Some parts of this chapter that weren't clearly explained, such as Cheng Yi's high school crush and the woman at the airport, will be covered in a side story.