Chapter 58 "Her life is my life."...
After Sheng Yu finished speaking, he kissed her. Compared to the dazed state she was in during their last kiss, Tang Ci was clearly much more awake this time.
Sensing his suppressed emotions, Tang Ci took a breath and groped to grasp Sheng Yu's hand, asking him softly, "What happened?"
Sheng Yu seemed not to hear her words, grabbed her wrist with his other hand, and forcefully pulled her onto the bed.
As soon as Tang Ci's shoulder touched the soft bed, Sheng Yu's wet and burning kisses traveled down her taut neck, while one hand tightly gripped her waist, his fingertips tightening like a wild beast clamping down on its prey trying to escape.
Tang Ci swallowed hard, her throat constricted. She was a little afraid of Sheng Yu like this, and subconsciously reached out to push his shoulder, her legs also struggling.
Sheng Yu easily pinned her limbs down, bit her collarbone with his teeth, and used his cold fingertips to unbutton her cardigan.
A chill spread from her chest to her lower abdomen, and Tang Ci suddenly woke up. She struggled, but couldn't budge Sheng Yu's movements at all. When she opened her mouth, her voice was nasal, without her even realizing it: "What's wrong with you? Can you please stop..."
Sheng Yu's fingertips, which were pressed against her skin, paused for a moment. He then forcefully ripped open the remaining buttons, and one button broke free of the stitching, making a slight sound as it hit the floor.
Tang Ci raised her hand to cover her eyes, and choked out another question: "Why did you do this?"
Sheng Yu remained silent throughout, his palm pressed down on her lower abdomen, his breathing calm and devoid of any desire.
Just as he was about to unbutton Tang Ci's pants, his movements suddenly stopped. A few seconds later, he raised his hand and turned on the switch on the bedside table, and the room was instantly as bright as day.
Sheng Yu looked down and saw the unusual thing under his palm.
Tang Ci had a long, hideous scar on her fair skin on her lower abdomen.
The surgical suture marks are clearly visible.
As soon as the pressure on her body eased slightly, Tang Ci curled up and hugged herself, burying her face in her elbows, and could vaguely see a glimmer of light under her eyes.
Sheng Yu knelt at the foot of the bed, frozen for a few seconds, then wrapped Tang Ci in the blanket and turned off the light before getting out of bed.
Seeing the small bulge under the covers, he practically fled to the bathroom in a disheveled state.
The bathroom lights were off, and the air was cold, filling the dim space.
Sheng Yu braced himself on the edge of the sink, staring at his bloodshot reflection in the mirror, and then slapped himself hard across the face.
/
Sheng Yu never returned to Zizhuyuan after leaving that night.
Tang Ci works at a bustling company during the day and returns to her empty house to sleep at night, her life seemingly returning to what it was before Sheng Yu returned to China.
On sleepless nights, she would secretly open the master bedroom door, trying to find any trace of Sheng Yu's life, but it was always in vain.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, she might think that existence is just an illusion.
Therefore, when He Xiao mentioned Sheng Yu in the office, Tang Ci was stunned for a few seconds before reacting, and her heart skipped a beat.
A dull, aching pain.
"President Sheng sent an invitation to our company for Yunqi's cocktail party tonight." He Xiao was all smiles because of Sheng Yu's invitation: "Everyone who isn't working overtime tonight should go and make some new clients."
Colleagues responded one after another, some of them already taking out their lipsticks to touch up their makeup, and even discussing changing clothes after work before going.
Xiao Jing leaned closer to Tang Ci and asked, "Sister Xiao Ci, shall we go buy some clothes after get off work?"
Tang Ci glanced down at her clothes: a white shirt and jeans, standard work attire, not really appropriate for a cocktail party, so she nodded.
After get off work, they went to a shopping mall near the banquet hall. With a limited budget, they browsed around and chose a fast fashion brand.
As soon as they entered the store, Xiao Jing's eyes lit up instantly when she saw the champagne-colored satin slip dress on the mannequin. She took it off the hanger and stuffed it into Tang Ci's hands: "Sister Xiao Ci, you should try this dress. It will definitely look great on you with your fair skin."
Looking at the sparse fabric of the skirt, Tang Ci wrinkled her nose: "Isn't it too revealing?"
"No, no," Xiao Jing pushed her directly into the fitting room: "You have such a great figure, of course you should show it off."
Unable to refuse, Tang Ci had no choice but to take the dress into the fitting room.
After putting on the dress, she bent down to pull the side zipper. After zipping it up, she looked in the dressing mirror, and the corners of her lips that had been raised instantly drooped.
The skirt had lace trim at the waist, revealing glimpses of the skin underneath and the scar on her lower abdomen.
The scar that scared Sheng Yu away was hideous and ugly.
This also implies her incomplete and frail physical condition.
Tang Ci lowered her eyes and quickly changed back into her own clothes.
"Sister Xiaoci, are you really planning to wear this outfit?" Xiaojing asked, after paying the bill and changing into the dress she had just bought, as she took Tang Ci's arm.
Tang Ci nodded: "Nobody noticed me."
Xiao Jing asked curiously, "Aren't you going to socialize? This is a great opportunity to meet clients."
Tang Ci swallowed hard: "I just want to... take a look."
Yunqi's cocktail party was held on the top floor of a luxury hotel. As soon as she entered, Xiaojing was dazzled by the extravagant scene. She happened to run into an acquaintance, so she took a glass of champagne to socialize.
Tang Ci walked a few steps inside and saw Sheng Yu surrounded by a crowd.
He was tall, with thick black hair casually swept to his head. He wore a black shirt with a few buttons undone, and the platinum watch strap on his wrist flashed by amidst the clinking of glasses.
Even though he was the one who organized the party, his attire made it seem like he had just left a meeting.
She seemed more like she was there to work than she was.
Tang Ci hid in a corner and spied on the scene, holding a cup of tea in her hand as a cover.
When Sheng Yu was talking to someone, he leaned his body slightly towards her.
The magnificent crystal chandelier overhead illuminated his flawless face, and the faint blue under his dark eyes was clearly visible.
Tang Ci took a sip of tea, and it was bitter as it went down her throat.
Sheng Yu seemed to sense something, his dark eyes landing precisely on her across half the banquet hall.
Tang Ci felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She gripped the glass tightly, intending to pretend nothing was wrong and look away, but her neck remained stiff and wouldn't move.
She hadn't seen Sheng Yu for a week.
Tang Ci stared blankly at him across the crowd, her gaze momentarily interrupted by a passerby. Looking back, she saw a woman standing next to Sheng Yu.
The woman smiled brightly, her arm affectionately draped over Sheng Yu's shoulder, her smooth, long curly hair resting on the back of his hand.
Tang Ci recognized her as the woman who got into Sheng Yu's car on the night of their reunion.
Sheng Yu let the woman get close and turned to get her a glass of champagne.
Tang Ci looked at their figures under the glamorous lights, and felt a little unsteady on her feet as she held the cup in her hand.
She watched intently as Sheng Yu turned her head to listen to what the woman was saying, then smiled and flicked her wrist to clink glasses with her.
Despite being so far apart, the hall was incredibly noisy.
But Tang Ci heard that crisp "snap" sound.
It looks like something broke.
Tang Ci's neck, which had been holding the same position for so long, finally started to ache. She lowered her eyelashes, finished the tea in her cup, and got up to leave silently.
As soon as Qin Nong put her arm around him, Sheng Yu frowned.
Just as he was about to push her away, he noticed the gentle gaze from the corner and stopped moving.
After a second of thought, he handed Qin Nong a glass of champagne.
Qin Nong and her fiancé didn't forget to promote the hotel while on vacation, posting several updates on social media, which saved the publicity department a lot of money.
Sheng Yu smiled in praise and clinked his wine glass with hers.
When my gaze shifted to the corner, I noticed that Tang Ci had already lowered her eyes as if nothing had happened.
She seemed completely uninterested in everything at the party, finishing her tea and getting up to leave.
Qin Nong exclaimed in surprise, pointing at Tang Ci's departing figure and asking Sheng Yu, "That girl looks familiar, I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."
Sheng Yu pulled her arm off him and put down the untouched wine glass.
Once outside the banquet hall, the corridor was already deserted.
Sheng Yu drove along the familiar road toward his destination. When he arrived at the entrance of the building with its dappled lights, he did not get out of the car. Instead, he remained inside and looked up at the buildings high above.
The room, which we'll call home for now, was lit up, but there was no one in sight.
Sheng Yu suddenly remembered the day he first brought Tang Ci to Zizhuyuan Park. In a dimly lit back alley in the southern suburbs, a girl approached him and said she wanted to help him.
He was full of disdain at the time, and could never have imagined that he would be willing to use such a clumsy trick just to win a glance from Tang Ci.
Sheng Yu stared intently at the lamp, clearly understanding that it represented the quagmire of his youth.
He was already twenty-six years old, yet he was still deeply trapped in it and unable to save himself.
It turns out that fate had never been kind to him, and Tang Ci had never loved him.
Only today did he have to admit to himself that it was true.
/
In the few months since Sheng Yu returned to China, he has received numerous invitations from friends, all of which he declined due to his busy work schedule.
Today, Zhou Yiyang hosted a gathering at his bar and finally managed to invite this big shot.
After Sheng Yu arrived, he started drinking one glass after another. Zhou Yiyang wanted to stop him because he was determined to drink until he was drunk, but after being swept over by Sheng Yu's clear-headed gaze, he swallowed his words of advice.
"Shenghong is in financial trouble recently, you know?" Zhou Yiyang asked.
A hint of disdain flashed in Sheng Yu's eyes, and he responded with a "hmm".
Zhou Yiyang lit a cigarette and said in a heavy tone, "It's inevitable that news of your company will leak out as you go along, and Shenghong will come after you sooner or later."
Sheng Yu casually put down her wine glass: "I broke off all contact with him when I went to Australia for university. He needs a reason to contact me."
At this point, his expression suddenly paused, and his brow furrowed as if he had remembered something.
Zhou Yiyang gripped the cigarette butt tightly: "What's wrong?"
Sheng Yu asked abruptly, "Did you also think I should go to Australia with my aunt back then?"
"Of course." Zhou Yiyang was puzzled and asked doubtfully, "Were there any other people trying to persuade you back then?"
Sheng Yu's dark pupils darkened, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the cup bulged. After a few seconds, he chuckled and shook his head.
Zhou Yiyang exhaled a puff of smoke and continued talking about the most important thing at the moment: "That grandson Lin Yao went to the drug rehabilitation center several more times. He just got out a while ago. Pan Zi ran into him near No. 1 Middle School."
“He seems to know you’ve returned to China,” Zhou Yiyang said in a deep voice. “You’d better get some security before you go back to Australia.”
Sheng Yu nodded noncommittally, and the phone on the coffee table rang.
It was Xiang Wen calling, and he reached out to answer it.
As soon as the call was answered, Xiang Wen's anxious voice came through the receiver: "President Sheng, the roads in Changning District are flooded. Our hotel is on higher ground, and many citizens have gathered in the courtyard. What do you think we should do?"
Sheng Yu got up, pushed open the door of the private room, and looked out the window in the corridor. The street where the bar was located was also flooded by the rainstorm, and rescue boats could be vaguely seen in the swaying shadows of the trees.
He immediately said in a deep voice, "Open the hotel doors and let them in. Also, spread the word that Yunqi is a safe haven."
Xiang Wen paused for a moment, then immediately raised his voice in agreement.
Sheng Yu hung up the phone and immediately called Tang Ci.
After three unanswered calls, his temples throbbed, and he found He Xiao's number and dialed it.
"Xiao Tang, she went to Xizhen to look at houses with a client," He Xiao said, puzzled. "What's wrong, President Sheng? Do you need to see her?"
"Send me her client's phone number."
Hearing Sheng Yu's suppressed emotions in his voice, He Xiao immediately said seriously, "I'll send it to you right away."
A few seconds later, He Xiao sent over Xia Yi's phone number, but Sheng Yu was unable to get through when he dialed it.
Zhou Yiyang had just left the private room with him and watched as he made several phone calls, his eyes turning bloodshot.
"Wait a minute—"
Before Zhou Yiyang could finish speaking, Sheng Yu interrupted him sharply: "I remember you participated in the rescue team."
"Help me contact them now," Sheng Yu gritted her teeth, "I have to get to Xizhen right away."
/
Tang Ci didn't know when the rain started.
Upon arriving at the villa, she and Xia Yi huddled in the study to discuss the renovation plan. By the time they realized something was wrong, the floodwaters, mixed with mud and sand, had already spread to the first floor.
The two frantically dialed for help, but neither phone had a signal.
Tang Ci told Xia Yi to wait on the second floor while she went downstairs to check the rain outside and see if they could drive away.
She waded through the water to the window, looked outside, and saw that the car parked in the yard was long gone, and the road leading up the mountain was covered by floodwaters.
When I returned to the second floor, the water on the first floor had spread from my calves to my waist and abdomen.
Xia Yi gripped the stair railing tightly, reaching out to her with all her might, her voice trembling with tears: "Tang Ci, come here quickly."
Tang Ci panicked, but she still tried her best to steady herself and walk towards the stairs. Fortunately, there was nothing blocking her way, and she successfully grabbed Xia Yi's hand and broke free from the murky water.
Xia Yi was so frightened that her eyes turned red. She didn't even bother to wipe away her tears and ran up to the attic with Tang Ci's help.
They ran up to the attic one after the other, their hearts pounding in their throats.
Seeing the water still spreading inch by inch, and knowing that the cramped attic could only guarantee their temporary safety, Xia Yi could no longer hold back and began to cry softly.
Xia Yi trembled all over. Tang Ci took a deep breath, pulled a blanket from the nearby shelf, and was about to cover her with it when she saw what was under the blanket. Her eyes widened instantly.
“There’s a kayak!” Tang Ci turned and patted Xia Yi’s arm. “Xi Town at the foot of the mountain is only three kilometers away from here. There’s a lake below the town, so there should be a place to take refuge.”
Xia Yi quickly wiped away her tears, got up, and together with Tang Ci, carried the kayak out.
When the kayak was placed on the floor, both of them were stunned.
This kayak is only big enough for one person.
Xia Yi sniffed: "Let's try it with two people first, and if that doesn't work..."
Before she could finish speaking, tears began to fall uncontrollably, and she helplessly clutched her stomach with both hands.
Tang Ci swallowed hard, took out a still-damp paper and pen from her bag, quickly wrote down a phone number, then found a plastic bag in the shelf, crumpled the paper up, and stuffed it into Xia Yi's pocket.
She grabbed Xia Yi's arm, looked into her eyes and said, "Listen to me, row to town now and ask the rescue team to come find me if you find one." Tang Ci closed her red eyes and steadied her trembling voice, "If you don't find one, find a cell phone with a signal and call this number to tell him where I am."
Xia Yi shuddered, grabbed her arm and shook her head: "No, it's too dangerous for you to be here by yourself."
"Your hesitation is dangerous. If you leave now, you can come and save me sooner." Tang Ci, afraid that she would cry, pulled Xia Yi out of the attic.
Xia Yi followed closely behind her as they carried the kayak out, asking anxiously, "Will this person definitely come?"
Tang Ci felt a moment of confusion, but to reassure Xia Yi, she nodded and said, "Yes."
/
The road down the mountain was completely submerged by floodwaters, and the rescue team stopped their lifeboats at the railing leading down the mountain.
“The rain is too heavy, it’s too dangerous to go down the mountain now, and it’s not necessarily safe to stop on the side of the road either,” the experienced rescue team leader said. He immediately gave the order: “Let’s go back to the city first, and come back to see if we can go down after the rain stops.”
The team members readily agreed and changed direction by sliding their paddleboards.
Sheng Yu grabbed Zhou Yiyang's arm as he swung the oar: "I can't leave."
"Don't act rashly," Zhou Yiyang said, looking at his pale face from the water. "Going down now would be suicide, let alone saving anyone."
Sheng Yu's face was cold and stern. Without saying a word, he took the oar from his hand: "Tang Ci is still waiting for me."
“She’ll find a way!” Zhou Yiyang scratched his head in frustration. “You know how smart she is! Maybe she’s already home. Just wait for her call.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Sheng Yu's phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number. When he answered, a sobbing female voice came from the other end: "Is this Sheng Yu? Tang Ci asked me to call you. She's trapped in a villa halfway up the mountain leading to Xizhen. Please, please go and save her."
Sheng Yu gripped her phone tightly with her fingertips: "Tell me about the surrounding environment."
Listening to the intermittent description from the other end, Sheng Yu ignored Zhou Yiyang's objections, put her phone in a waterproof bag, and jumped onto an empty lifeboat.
"Are you out of your mind?" Zhou Yiyang gripped the rope of the kayak, veins bulging on his forehead. "You want to risk your life again for her?!"
Sheng Yu ignored his roar, pried his fingers apart, and said in an extremely calm tone, as if stating something as self-evident as, "Her life is my life."
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