Chapter 27: "Maintaining the status quo, or establishing a relationship..."

They declined the other person's invitation to go out for a late-night snack and returned the way they came.

They remained silent all the way back to their room, and no one turned on the hallway light by the door.

This night was more frenzied than ever before, as if everyone was venting something through it.

Zhu Xu was even in pain, but she bit her lip and remained silent, yielding to him as if this could cover up the dense, throbbing pain surging in her chest. He Yanzhou was not oblivious; his eyes were slightly cold as he stared intently at her below, as if he wouldn't be completely defeated unless he smashed her to pieces. However, when he saw her lips tremble slightly, he ultimately softened his movements.

The next day, He Yanzhou had something come up and returned to Beidao ahead of schedule.

Zhu Xu stayed another night and returned by boat on the third day.

Perhaps due to physical and mental exhaustion over the past few days, she felt seasick on the way. She got up and went to the deck, where she felt better after enjoying the sea breeze for a while.

Turning my head, the island of Jilin grew smaller and smaller, like a reef in a vast ocean, slowly being swallowed up completely.

Zhu Xu heard those three words countless times, like a thunderbolt shattering a ridiculous dream. The joy and freedom he felt, detached from reality, remained on that island.

The bright sunlight hitting her made her feel dizzy again.

Back in the cabin, she received a call from Zhao Siqiao, who said he had a new plan to discuss with her. They couldn't find a suitable opportunity to meet, so he said he would deliver it directly to her flower shop when he had time.

Zhu Xu rested for half a day and went to the shop near dusk, while Xiao Zhou went home to rest earlier.

There weren't many customers today, so she took advantage of her free time to frantically catch up on the orders she had missed. Before she knew it, it was already 8 p.m.

The wind chimes at the door tinkled twice, and someone walked in.

Zhu Xu looked up, her heart clenching suddenly. She looked closely and realized she had misread it. The guest was dressed in a suit and tie, his posture upright; for a moment, she mistook him for He Yanzhou.

Zhu Xu caught a fleeting sense of loss in his heart and vaguely understood what he had been anticipating all night.

She was suddenly filled with fear. Those painful memories flashed back in time like a fast-forwarded camera, each frame sending chills down her spine. She had sworn never to repeat her mistakes, and thought her heart was forged into an indestructible fortress, but because of that person, another crack appeared.

Zhu Xu decided to end this abnormal relationship and had already prepared her explanation, but He Yanzhou seemed to have disappeared and did not contact her for a long time.

Life went on as usual, and before we knew it, the sweltering summer was over, and a cool breeze began to blow through the air.

A new batch of flowers arrived at the shop, and she and Xiao Zhou unpacked and sorted them.

These are still some of the best-selling items, four boxes in total, including a slightly smaller long rectangular cardboard box, the contents of which I've forgotten.

Upon opening it, Zhu Xu was taken aback.

These were several types of flowers she ordered separately before going to Phuket: white ranunculus and dahlias, as well as St. John's wort berries and gradient orange astilbe for accents. She figured they would arrive around early autumn, and the warm colors of the flowers would create a warm, seasonal atmosphere on his desk.

Now it seems unnecessary.

Zhu Xu looked up: "Xiao Zhou, could you deliver a bouquet of fresh cuts to Building A for me later?"

"Okay." Xiao Zhou pointed to the cardboard box in front of her: "Is this it?"

"As for the others, you can decide how to match them."

"Okay," Xiao Zhou replied.

Zhu Xu carried the cardboard box to the workbench, took out all the flowers inside, trimmed their roots, removed the rotten leaves, found a glass vase behind him, put them in the vase, and placed it next to the gramophone.

Lost in thought, she heard someone calling her from the doorway.

Zhu Xu turned his head and saw He Xi, whom he hadn't seen for a long time. She was wearing a short jacket and wide-leg pants, with long, gray-pink curly hair that made her skin look especially fair and radiant.

He Xi waved her hand: "Sister Xu, I'm here!"

Zhu Xu was quite happy to see her and went over to greet her, asking, "Shouldn't school have started? Haven't you returned yet?"

"I'm just coming to visit you for a couple of days before going to school." She handed the fruit basket to Zhu Xu. "Eating more fruit is good for your skin."

Zhu Xu found it strange, but still replied, "Why are you being so polite?"

For a moment, He Xi's expression was unreadable. He scratched his head, stepped aside, and found that there was another person standing behind him.

She said, "Well... my friend, she happened to be on vacation, so she came with me."

Zhu Xu looked at the person behind He Xi and unconsciously glanced at her attire. She was wearing a beige silk shirt dress, carrying a designer bucket bag, with her hair half-tied up, wearing light makeup, and she was very pretty.

Zhu Xu greeted him, "Hello, please come in and have a seat."

The man didn't speak for a moment, but his gaze remained fixed on Zhu Xu for a longer time. His indifferent scrutiny was not very comfortable.

He Xi coughed lightly and whispered a reminder: "Sister Ning."

Sun Ning's eyes flickered, and she smiled slightly; "Hello, Sun Ning."

Zhu Xu nodded. She went to the storage room and brought out two chairs, then picked out two bottles of zero-calorie drinks from the small refrigerator and handed them to them. He Xi drank while complaining about the boring school life, then became interested in the bouquet of flowers that Zhu Xu had just arranged on the side table, walked over, and started taking pictures with her phone.

The shop was small. Zhu Xu leaned against the low cabinet next to the counter, remained silent for a moment, and then politely said, "Have a drink."

Sun Ning glanced at the bottle of drink on the table, but didn't reach for it. Instead, she turned to Zhu Xu with a smile and said, "Could you please replace it with a bottle of mineral water?"

Zhu Xu: "Okay."

She got her a bottle of water.

He Xi asked, "Sister Xu, what kind of flower is this?"

Zhu Xu looked over: "Dahlia."

"It's so beautiful, what kind is it?"

Seattle.

The Seattle rose has a full, open flower shape with a golden-yellow center. As it gradually blooms, the petals lighten into a refreshing pinkish-white. The ranunculus has layers of petals, resembling a ranunculus, and its creamy white color also looks like a round mille-feuille cake.

The two types of flowers are paired together, and astilbe is used to create different levels of depth.

Sun Ning tilted her head and suddenly said, "Don't you think it's too bright?"

Zhu Xu didn't speak for a moment, but He Xi took over: "No, it's not true." She took a half step back, leaned back, and took a full picture: "I think it's perfect for autumn. It feels like sunshine on your body, warm and cozy."

Sun Ning smiled and looked at Zhu Xu: "I'm sorry, I'm not a professional. Just take it as me talking nonsense. Don't mind me."

Zhu Xu said, "It's alright."

"However, it would be more harmonious to replace the ranunculus with the six-petaled flower. These two flowers are a perfect match."

"The six-petaled flower is relatively delicate."

Sun Ning casually remarked, "Isn't the main purpose of flower arranging to be aesthetically pleasing?"

Zhu Xu glanced at her for a couple of seconds, feeling that this person's words carried a hint of aggression. She smiled and said, "Miss Sun is too modest. You are clearly very knowledgeable."

“I’ve taken flower arranging classes when I was bored.” Sun Ning looked around the small shop: “Actually, I’ve always had the idea of ​​opening a flower shop, but I don’t have enough free time to make it happen right away.”

Zhu Xu didn't respond, looking at the bright bouquet on the sideboard: "I originally wanted to give it to a friend. He doesn't know much about growing flowers, so I prioritized that it's easy to take care of."

Sun Ning sensed something was amiss, her face instantly turning cold. She sat silently in her chair, asking no further questions.

The two stayed for about ten minutes before getting up to say goodbye.

Zhu Xu escorted them to the door. He was already familiar with He Xi, so there was no need for pleasantries. He only spoke politely to Sun Ning, saying, "I apologize for the poor hospitality. What kind of flowers does Miss Sun like? If you don't mind, I'll give you a bouquet to take home and arrange as you like."

Sun Ning glanced sideways at the display shelf under the window: "Red roses, I guess."

"Okay." Zhu Xu asked Xiao Zhou to bring over a bouquet.

Sun Ning took it: "Cherish?"

Zhu Xu nodded.

She touched the flower head with her index finger: "Actually, I prefer the Corolla; the petals aren't as cluttered and crowded."

Zhu Xu paused for a moment, not because of the rudeness and pickiness of the person in front of him, but because he suddenly thought of He Yanzhou, who seemed to be very attached to this kind of flower.

She had lost interest in engaging with her further and simply smiled.

Sun Ning took out a hundred yuan from her bag, placed it on the table, looked up at Zhu Xu again, and followed He Xi out. The moment she opened the door, she brushed past Zhao Siqiao who was coming towards her.

Zhao Siqiao paused belatedly, turned around to look, and felt that the person looked somewhat familiar.

\

The National Day Golden Week is fast approaching, and Zhu Xu and Zhao Siqiao have collaborated several times, developing an increasingly strong rapport.

After finishing work that day, Zhao Siqiao had arranged to have hot pot. He went upstairs to discuss some business and asked her to wait for him in the lobby of the hotel in Building A.

Zhu Xu sat down on the sofa in the waiting area on the right, opened his phone, and found that the five thousand yuan he had transferred to Zhu Zhen had not yet been received, which was a bit unusual. He thought about making a call, but decided against it because it was too late.

Zhu Xu put away his phone, looked up, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

He Yanzhou thus entered her line of sight without any warning.

The waiter steadied himself against the sturdy metal door frame as a group of men in formal attire filed in, the one at the head of the group being him. He wore a pure black suit with a matching turtleneck underneath, his face serious, and strode towards the elevator at the far end, his gaze fixed on nothing else, followed closely by the others.

As expected, the person walking at the front of the crowd was the most eye-catching.

Zhu Xu had never seen him from this angle before, and it felt somewhat unfamiliar. She rested her chin on her hand, gazing at his back. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. The fabric of his suit was stretched taut without a single wrinkle, and a metal watch on his left wrist would occasionally slip into his sleeve as he walked.

He's a man who can wear a suit very stylishly.

Zhu Xu looked away, unsure whether to feel fortunate or disappointed to be in a corner.

We haven't been in contact for almost a month since then. Perhaps no outcome is the best outcome for us.

Zhao Siqiao patted her on the shoulder: "What are you looking at so intently?"

Zhu Xu said, "Look at the handsome guys."

"Where?"

Zhu Xu stood up: "Let's go upstairs."

The two exchanged a few jokes and walked outside together. After finishing their meal, they parted ways at the entrance of the hot pot restaurant.

Zhao Siqiao had a midnight show and wanted to invite Zhu Xu to join her, but she declined. She called a car back to her place, took a shower, and still couldn't sleep, so she watched a movie to kill time.

I don't know how much time passed, but my eyelids felt heavy, and suddenly I was startled by a piercing ringing sound, which made my heart race.

It was Zhao Siqiao. Judging from her voice, she must have drunk quite a bit. She came up and immediately gave him her address, asking him to come pick her up.

Zhu Xu asked, "Didn't you drive there?"

So...you have to come pick me up.

"Isn't anyone going to give you a ride?"

She burped: "I don't like any of today's...

"I'll call a designated driver for you..."

"Please, can't you just come pick me up?" she interrupted, pleading incoherently, "Hurry up, I'm waiting for you!" She then repeated the address before quickly hanging up.

Zhu Xu frowned, intending to call back, but his finger hovered over the screen for a moment before he finally locked the screen, grabbed a coat, and went out.

A breeze picked up at night, and a few ginkgo leaves, not yet fully yellow, drifted down from the sky.

There were few pedestrians on the road, but the sound of the waves could still be heard clearly from several streets away.

Zhu Xu pulled his coat tighter and took a taxi to the address she gave him. From afar, he saw the woman slumped on the steps of the club. Her head was resting on her arm, an unlit cigarette was between her fingers, her long hair covered her face, her high heels were lying to the side, and she was barely supporting herself on her toes to avoid falling.

Zhu Xu stepped forward and tried to pull her up, but she didn't budge an inch.

As we got closer, the air was thick with the stench of alcohol.

Zhu Xu raised his hand and waved it a few times, his tone inevitably unpleasant: "Can't you use a little force yourself?"

Zhao Siqiao slowly brushed aside his disheveled hair and squinted at her.

Are you leaving or not?

Zhao Siqiao said listlessly, "Let's go, but I... I don't have the strength."

Zhu Xu grabbed her arm with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulder from below, trying to help her sit up. She had never known a drunk person could be so heavy. Sweating profusely, she snapped, "Why did you get yourself into this state? You look like a ghost... Get up! Put some effort on yourself, quick!"

Zhao Siqiao chuckled and said lazily, "We're both equally bad, so why are you pretending to be so virtuous?"

Zhu Xumo paused for a moment, then released his grip and turned to leave.

She ignored a cry of pain behind her and quickly walked towards the intersection.

With twenty seconds left on the red light, Zhu Xu stopped and gradually calmed down. As the light turned green, pedestrians around her stepped forward. She shifted her toes and turned around, only to see a man squatting there, one hand gripping Zhao Siqiao's ankle, the other hand trying to put her high heels on her feet.

Zhu Xu was startled and quickly ran back.

She had no experience dealing with similar problems. In just a few seconds, her mind raced, and she subconsciously judged any man who approached a drunk woman late at night as having ulterior motives.

"What are you doing?" Zhu Xu tried his best to make his voice sound confident.

The man turned his head and glanced at her indifferently, still holding Zhao Siqiao's ankle tightly.

In a moment of panic, Zhu Xu went over to pry his hand open, only to find that the man's bones were as hard as pliers. Meanwhile, Zhao Siqiao, lying there, was still giggling, thinking someone was playing a joke on her.

The man shoved Zhu Xu's hand and slapped Zhao Siqiao's instep hard: "Don't move your toes, straighten them out."

Zhu Xu paused for a few seconds, then suddenly remembered that he should find his phone to make a call.

“No need to call the police, he’s not a bad guy.” The other person spoke calmly, finally putting his high heels back on. He stood up, showed his work ID, and nodded in the direction of the club: “Bodyguard.”

He was tall and strong, with a rugged face, and his appearance certainly fit the role.

“Miss Zhao is in the way lying here,” he said in a rough, hoarse voice. “It’s affecting our business.”

"Excuse me, I'll take her away right away."

The man glanced at Zhu Xu for two seconds, then suddenly asked, "You won't abandon her halfway through?"

Zhu Xu ignored her, bent down and wrapped his arm around Zhao Siqiao's shoulder, then put his other arm around her waist, struggling to stand up. But she wouldn't cooperate, and instead slumped down against him.

They lost their footing and both fell back down.

Zhu Xu felt like strangling her, so he gathered his hair and bent down to pull her away.

"I'll do it."

Zhu Xu hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside.

The man squatted down again, stared at Zhao Siqiao for a long time, took the cigarette from between her fingers, tucked it behind his ear, easily picked her up, and walked towards the black Audi parked by the roadside.

Zhu Xu thanked her and drove Zhao Siqiao's car back to his home. She took a nap on the way and then vomited again after entering the residential area due to the bumpy ride. A lot of the alcohol in her body had been metabolized, so it wasn't so difficult to get her upstairs.

It was past midnight, and Zhu Xu was exhausted from her antics. She kept asking for water and complaining that the room was too hot and stuffy.

Zhu Xu prepared the bathwater, threw her into the bathroom, and finally got some peace and quiet.

Her phone was buzzing on the coffee table. She glanced at it and her heart skipped a beat.

After hesitating for a long time, she answered the call.

He Yanzhou: "I see your window light is on, you're still awake?"

Zhu Xu: "Hmm."

"I'm at the door, can you open it?"

Zhu Xu held the phone to his ear and softly hummed in agreement.

She got up to open the door. He Yanzhou outside looked travel-worn, still wearing the same clothes she had seen him in the evening.

Having not seen her for a long time, he looked down at her, still angry, but the anger in his heart slowly dissipated the moment he saw her.

Zhu Xu didn't know what to say to him, so he remained silent for the time being.

He Yanzhou smiled: "What, don't you recognize me?"

Zhu Xu took a breath and looked up to meet his gaze: "Is there something you need? Why are you here so late?"

He Yanzhou's smile froze at the corner of his mouth. He took a step forward, lifted her arm that was bracing against the security door, held it in his hand, stepped over the threshold, and closed the door behind him.

Zhu Xu hurriedly said, "Zhao Siqiao is here."

He Yanzhou frowned slightly: "What's she doing here?"

“We had dinner together tonight.” Zhu Xu only explained this one sentence. Fortunately, he stopped and did not move forward. She used a little force to twist her wrist out: “Perfect, I… have something I want to tell you.”

He Yanzhou remained silent.

Zhu Xu: "Let's... stop here."

"What's the meaning?"

She leaned back against the wall, head down: "I mean, our relationship was never healthy from the start, so let's just... stop contacting each other."

In the silence, the faint sound of dripping water could be heard.

Zhao Siqiao was singing, but the lyrics were off-key.

He Yanzhou laughed: "You can't even afford to play games?"

Zhu Xu looked away thoughtfully, then turned her gaze back to him after a short while. "Whether it's a game or not, you know in your heart." She said, "This is who I am in this life. I will never have any thoughts of dating or marriage again. No matter how far you want to develop the relationship, it will not end up in the end. So think about it, don't waste your time."

Her words flowed smoothly and fluently, as if they were a pre-prepared draft, without a single emotional fluctuation.

He Yanzhou had never felt so defeated; she was the first person to put him in a passive position.

He chuckled coldly: "You're the one who made the promise, and you're also the one who broke it off. Do you think I'm easy to talk to?"

His tone was soft, as gentle as ever, yet it instilled in Zhu Xu a sense of inexplicable fear and tension. She was enveloped in his approaching shadow, involuntarily straightening up, but behind her was a wall, leaving her nowhere to retreat. Zhao Siqiao's voice drifted back: "Zhu Xu, could you get me a towel?"

Zhu Xu did not move.

He Yanzhou lifted her chin: "You really think I'm a PR person?"

“I didn’t,” Zhu Xu said. “It’s my fault. I was wrong from the very beginning. I was grateful but didn’t know how to repay your kindness. I wasted your good intentions and ruined our relationship. So… knowing when to stop is the right thing to do.”

At first, they were attracted to each other.

Zhu Xu's feelings for him were rather superficial. His personal charm and appearance were a fatal attraction for her; if his skills were top-notch, that would be an unexpected bonus. Having weathered many storms, happiness is only in the present; there is no future.

However, He Yanzhou's affections were genuine and intended to develop further; he was seriously considering including her in his future life plans. He wasn't opposed to sex happening sooner or later, depending on her circumstances.

The out-of-control situation at this moment surprised both of them.

From the bathroom: "Zhu Xu? Are you asleep? Where's the towel?"

Zhu Xu felt he had expressed everything he wanted to say, so he lowered his gaze, turned his face away from her hand, and tried to slip away from the side. But as soon as he took half a step, He Yanzhou gently grabbed his wrist.

The surroundings were extremely quiet. He let out a soft sigh and gently pulled her back into his arms. "I won't allow it."

Zhu Xuxin shuddered.

His kiss landed on her face, instantly stealing the air from her surroundings. She gasped for breath, raising her hand to press against his chest.

Footsteps came from the direction of the bathroom. Zhao Siqiao put her dirty clothes back on and searched the room for someone: "Zhu Xu? Are you there?"

Zhu Xu was horrified and struggled even more fiercely.

He Yanzhou remained unmoved, supporting the back of her neck with one hand and temporarily holding her arm behind her back with the other, allowing her to punch and push with her free hand.

He repeatedly licked her lips, his tongue pressing against her teeth. She refused to cooperate.

Both of them had their eyes open. He Yanzhou's eyes were unfathomable, and he couldn't understand what her heart was made of, or why he couldn't warm it.

He bit her lip hard.

Zhu Xu's voice trembled: "It hurts..."

He Yanzhou paused, then stepped away slightly, noticing a drop of blood welling up from her moist, swollen lower lip.

Zhao Siqiao had already found the porch and caught a glimpse of the intimate scene between the two. Her head was still spinning and she wasn't fully awake. She was stunned for a moment, unsure how to react.

He Yanzhou, still staring intently at Zhu Xu, suddenly spoke loudly: "Want to look at him a little longer?"

Zhao Siqiao was startled, muttered "How rare!" and quickly slipped away.

Zhu Xu was also somewhat taken aback, as it was the first time he had heard him speak to someone in such a tone.

It turns out that he had been harboring extreme emotions since the moment she said she wanted to break up, but he was indulgent enough when facing her.

He Yanzhou took a deep breath, lowered his gaze slightly, and used his fingertip to wipe away the trace of blood on her lips, asking softly, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Zhu Xu remained silent, his nose inexplicably stinging with tears.

There was only one floor lamp on in the living room, so the lighting was already insufficient, and it couldn't even reach the hallway.

He Yanzhou's eyes traced Zhu Xu's face, as if he sighed, "I'm sorry." He pinched her chin and lifted it up, then lowered his head and gently kissed the tip of her nose, the corner of her lips, and the small wound on her lower lip.

Zhu Xu closed his eyes, a feeling of grievance welling up in his heart. He wanted to draw a line between himself and Zhu Xu, but his chest felt like it was being squeezed full, bulging and wanting to burst out.

Her fingertips twitched, slowly moving upwards to grip the back of his suit jacket tightly. From some unknown moment, she began to respond to his kiss.

A tear slid down his cheek and landed on the back of his hand.

He Yanzhou was taken aback and released her.

She looked at him silently, her eyes red, her nose slightly red, and her eyelashes wet and clumped together.

He Yanzhou thought to himself that she probably didn't know what kind of appearance she would make his heart soften. Like right now.

He couldn't list a single reason for his feelings for her; rather, it was something that would unexpectedly make his heart flutter repeatedly.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly for a moment; he probably couldn't let go.

Taking a step back, He Yanzhou offered two options: "Maintain the status quo, or establish a relationship. The choice is yours." He paused for a moment, then added, "We can discuss the rest later."