Chapter 28

28

Lin Ju returned to Hai City from Beijing and went to two places, Peninsula Villa and the building. She packed all her things overnight and called a truck the next day to deliver everything to her warehouse which had been closed for a long time.

This heartbreak was a major blow to her, damaging her vital energy and her blood vessels. All her internal organs ached, and she was in so much pain that she couldn't sleep at night and had no appetite.

She endured from autumn to winter in Hai City, and then spent the whole winter in a daze. By the Spring Festival of the following year, she finally had some energy and returned to Suzhou to celebrate the New Year.

After separating from Lin Ju, Zhao Xingcan deliberately avoided going to Hai City until the following year when he had to attend an event, then he returned to Hai City.

After the event that night, he was drunk and the driver wanted to take him back to the hotel.

Perhaps because of drunkenness, he asked the driver to take him to Peninsula Villa.

When he got inside, it was just as he expected, an empty house with no life in sight.

He paced around the house, passed by Lin Ju's favorite recliner, passed by the grand piano in front of the French window, walked out of the gate, and came to the back garden where withered grass grew.

The vegetable garden in the greenhouse was abandoned, and the swimming pool was full of dead leaves and weeds. He walked around and finally sat down under the pavilion.

He was accompanied by a dead tree, his shadow was infinitely stretched, the lonely winter was damp and cold.

Zhao Xingcan took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.

He leaned against the cold pavilion wall, raised his head, and looked at the dark night with wisps of blue smoke.

He returned to Beijing the next day. He thought his feelings for Lin Ju were still under control, but he was wrong.

The belated feeling of loneliness, like a small hammer of shadow, fell slowly and heavily on his heart.

The dull pain spread all around, gradually making him unable to sleep at night.

While waiting for the flight in the VIP lounge, he accidentally opened the photo album.

With a light stroke of his fingertips, his phone was filled with her photos.

Zhao Xingcan was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was so difficult for him to deliberately avoid thinking about her.

At the same time, Lin Ju woke up in her house in Suzhou, turned over, rubbed her eyes, and slowly sat up.

She pushed open the door and walked into the living room. Her mother was cooking noodles in the kitchen. Seeing Lin Ju get up, she smiled and said, "I made egg noodles for you. Come and eat."

Since Lin Ju's grandmother passed away, her mother seemed to have changed a lot. This time, her attitude towards Lin Ju was not as strict as before. She obeyed her in everything and even took the initiative to ask about Lin's father.

She had heard something about her ex-husband having stomach cancer. When she heard Lin Ju talk about her visit to her father in Beijing, she sighed slightly and looked a little lonely.

Lin Ju saw it, bit off the noodles and said nothing.

After dinner on New Year's Eve, Lin Ju helped to clear the dishes. Lin's mother disliked her for being too impatient and sent her to the living room to eat some fruit.

On the small coffee table in the living room was a big bowl of cherries that Lin's mother had just washed, allowing Lin Ju to completely realize cherry freedom.

She had no interest in this kind of fruit that required spitting out the pits, and was half lying on the sofa.

The Spring Festival Gala was playing on TV. Lin Ju turned up the volume slightly and listened to the host say that she could grab red envelopes. She picked up her phone and opened a shopping app.

After clicking hard several times, he only managed to snatch a two-yuan red envelope. Lin Ju sighed, turned over, and buried his face in the sofa.

When Lin's mother came out, she had already fallen asleep on the sofa.

The air conditioning in the living room was on high, so she wore a woolen skirt that reached her calves, with light apricot socks piled on her ankles. She curled up into a small ball, looking like a little child.

Without waking her up, Lin's mother tiptoed around the sofa, went to the bedroom, got a blanket, and covered her with it.

When Lin Ju woke up, there was only a desk lamp in the living room, and the light was dim.

The TV was playing faintly, and the Spring Festival Gala had already ended. She had been half asleep, her eyes wide open for a long moment before she slowly regained consciousness.

I picked up my phone and looked at it. It was already two o'clock in the morning.

Messages popped up on my phone one after another. I clicked them and saw that they were all New Year greetings.

Lin Ju bent her legs and sat up, resting her chin on her knees, and began to reply to the messages one by one.

When Lin Ju turned to a message, her fingers paused.

She stared at the name and slowly pursed her lips.

On the dimly lit phone screen, Zhao Xingcan sent a cold and desolate message: "Happy New Year."

There is no prefix of her name, so it should just be a group message from the other party.

Lin Ju bit her lip and threw away the phone.

Lin Ju was startled by the sound of "plop". He looked in the direction of the sound and saw snowflakes falling outside the window with occasional night light.

She raised her eyebrows and ran over without even putting on her slippers.

She leaned against the window, looking at the heavy snow, and suddenly thought of her time in Beijing.

The winter in Beijing is dry and cold, and the falling snowflakes look like balls of grayish-white cotton wool.

She spent most of her time in the studio. Zhao Xingcan came back from the office and hugged her from behind. They sat on the floor in front of the window. The room was extremely warm. He was wearing a thin shirt, and the heat from his body seemed to be burning her through bit by bit.

Lin Ju's nails scratched the glass window, making a harsh sound. She woke up suddenly and looked coldly at her own face reflected in the window.

Distracted and lost.

This is not who she wants to be.

Lin Ju lowered his eyes.

Lin Ju stayed at her mother's house for two days. Professor Li Tai sent a message asking them and other students to go to his house for dinner.

Lin Ju didn't want to just lie at home, so after receiving the news, he immediately set off for Hai City.

The winter in Hai City is as wet, cold and gloomy as every year. There is no snow here, but it has been drizzling for almost a week. The ground is full of wet puddles, and the cold penetrates into the bones.

Lin Ju carried a big bag and found a hotel to stay in. After resting for a night, she went to the mall the next day to buy some gifts and went to Professor Li Tai's house.

The taxi stopped at the gate of the community. Lin Ju got out and walked inside.

I happened to meet Wu Wangfeng in front of Professor Li's house. The two of us greeted each other and were both surprised to see each other as we hadn't seen each other for a long time.

"Junior Sister Lin, what a coincidence." Wu Wangfeng smiled. His skin was much darker than before. It seemed that he had been working on a lot of outdoor installation projects during this period.

Lin Ju called out "Senior Brother" and the two chatted as they walked.

Professor Li's house is a small Western-style house. The iron gate of the yard is open. Walking inside, the door of the house is also open. There are several pairs of shoes placed at the entrance. It seems that many people have come.

Lin Ju took off her shoes and went in. As soon as she stuck her head out, she was seen by Professor Li who was surrounded by students and called her over.

Lin Ju was the youngest among his students. Everyone looked at her and called her "Junior Sister" with a smile.

Lin Ju smiled and greeted everyone politely.

She was called over and Li Tai asked about her recent situation. Just before dinner, she was pulled aside by Li Tai.

Li Tai has always been a man of few words. He asked her straight away if she was interested in participating in a French project. This project was quite large and time-consuming, and would take about half a year.

Seeing Lin Ju's hesitation, Li Tai couldn't help but say, "The project team is the one you've worked with before. They're all people you know. Your Senior Brother Wu is also going. I'll have that guy take good care of you."

Lin Ju had been thinking about going out to relax. She had been living in a daze for a while, and now Professor Li offered her a way out. After a moment's hesitation, she agreed.

About half a month later, her visa was approved. She returned to Suzhou to have a meal with Lin's mother, and then went to Beijing to visit her father.

I had dinner with Xu Gaoyou in the evening, and it was copper pot lamb again.

Xu Gaoyou knew that she was going to France and would not be back for half a year. He was in a very low mood and didn't eat much of the mutton he ordered, saying that he had no appetite.

Lin Ju was planning to fly from Beijing tomorrow. When she thought about not being able to eat these domestic delicacies for a year and a half, she couldn't help but eat more.

At the end of the meal, she really couldn't eat anymore and leaned back in her chair in a daze.

Xu Gaoyou raised his eyebrows to look at her, and after thinking it over, he couldn't help but ask, "Sister, are you planning to leave here and go to France because of Zhao Xingcan?"

Lin Ju felt dizzy from eating. After hearing his words, she was stunned for a few seconds before slowly replying, "We broke up, so why would I leave for a man? I'm going to pursue my career. What do you know, little brat?"

Xu Gaoyou was speechless, then he chuckled twice, sniffed, and said, "That's good. I won't worry about you anymore."

Lin Ju smiled but said nothing.

When he returned to the hotel in the evening, Lin Jia, who was not very drunk, fell on the bed as soon as he returned to the room.

Her face was a little red. After lying there for a while, she opened her eyes. She didn't know what she was thinking about. She took out her cell phone and found a message from a long time ago.

She clicked it gently, and Zhao Xingcan's "Happy New Year" was still quietly displayed in the dialog box, like a valuable exhibit in a museum that was heavily protected and could only be viewed but not touched.

She held the phone, staring at the four words over and over for a long time. Perhaps it was the alcohol that made her, for some unknown reason, pinch the phone, press it and speak, her tongue straight and her words slurred, "Bullshit, Happy New Year, Zhao Xingcan, you big bastard."

After saying this, she fell unconscious and couldn't fall asleep.

When he woke up the next day, he had a splitting headache. Lin Ju covered his head and heard a knock on the door.

"Lin Ju, are you awake? We have to go to the airport." It was Wu Wangfeng's voice. She blinked blankly and it took her a while to react. She and Wu Wangfeng had agreed to go to the airport together.

Lin Ju immediately stood up and shouted to the door, "Brother Wu, wait for me for five minutes."

She packed up quickly, put on some clothes, put on her hat, picked up her suitcase, and rushed to the door.

She grinned, revealing her snow-white teeth, "Brother, I'm here."

Wu Wangfeng looked at her messy appearance and couldn't help but be stunned. Then he smiled and raised his hand to help her straighten her crooked hat. "Junior sister, you really don't treat me as a man."

Lin Ju laughed “hehe”.

The entire team consisted of more than a dozen people, most of whom Lin Ju knew. They had worked together on the last park art installation project and had met each other before.

There was still some time before boarding, so after checking in their luggage, they went to a coffee shop to buy bread and coffee.

Lin Jutou was still feeling groggy, so she ordered a glass of iced American coffee. After taking a sip, a chill rushed to her throat, and her temples felt a little numb. She took a deep breath, drank most of the cup, and suddenly felt a dull pain in her lower abdomen.

After estimating the time, it was her period. Lin Ju looked unhappy. After saying goodbye to Wu Wangfeng, she took her small bag and went to the bathroom.

About ten minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, her head heaving and her feet light-footed, her face slightly pale.

She really had her period. She had just eaten something ice-cold. Lin Ju covered her aching abdomen and felt depressed.

She walked back to the coffee shop and sat on the sofa. Wu Wangfeng saw her listless look and couldn't help asking, "Junior sister, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lin Ju shook his head and lowered his eyes silently.

This junior sister always had a faint sense of alienation in her behavior, as if she was deliberately keeping a distance from others. Wu Wangfeng was already used to it, and seeing that she didn't want to talk more, he stopped asking.

"It's time to board the plane. Let's go." Wu Wangfeng looked at the time and reminded softly.

Lin Ju was stunned, blinked, and stood up slowly, but her feet went weak and she staggered and almost fell.

Fortunately, Wu Wangfeng was quick to act and grabbed her arm.

Lin Ju's shoulder couldn't help but touch Wu Wangfeng's arm, and from the side, it looked like Wu Wangfeng was hugging her.

As they walked, the assistant reported to Zhao Xingcan about his itinerary after arriving in France. Zhao Xingcan had headphones on one ear, which played a conference call in France. He occasionally made brief remarks, and listened to the assistant's work report with the other ear.

Suddenly, he paused and glanced to the side.

After staring for a few seconds, the assistant couldn't help but look over and exclaimed, "Isn't this Miss Lin?"

Zhao Xingcan's gaze swept across her and the man standing close to her, then he withdrew his gaze indifferently and walked straight forward.