Chapter 54 He will definitely make Wen Zhi cry even more pitifully...
The white paper was folded neatly, and it seemed to still carry the faint fragrance of Wen Zhi. Her elegant handwriting shone through the back of the paper.
With her eyelids lowered, Song Juelan could almost picture Wen Zhi sitting at this desk, diligently writing each character, then carefully folding the paper and placing it in the most conspicuous spot.
Then, she left him, who was still fast asleep, and tiptoed away.
What was written in the letter?
Song Juelan tightened his grip on the paper, his lips pressed together, and remained frozen in place for a long time before slowly unfolding the paper in his hand.
As the paper was fully unfolded, his unease reached its peak. After a few seconds, he forced himself to focus his gaze on the first line of text.
The delicate handwriting was somewhat messy, revealing the writer's anxious state of mind, as if afraid he might suddenly wake up.
But Wen Zhi's worries were not unfounded. If he could wake up at that time, he would never let Wen Zhi leave, no matter what.
Song Juelan's dark eyes moved slowly as he read the first paragraph word by word, unconsciously crumpling the edges of the paper and causing the veins on the back of his hand to bulge.
That person... didn't die?
His pupils darkened, like bottomless, icy pools. He went back and read the passage again. When he read that Xiaotang would only have one father, his back teeth clenched uncontrollably.
Is this Wen Zhi's response to him?
So, Wen Zhi chose to leave without saying goodbye this morning because he said something he shouldn't have said last night?
Song Juelan's jawline was taut, regretting her impulsive words. She just wanted to find Wen Zhi immediately to explain that she didn't mean to force Wen Zhi to make a decision.
His gaze returned to the paper, and after carefully reading the remaining content, his dark pupils suddenly contracted, and he seemed to be frozen in place, as if his breath had been abruptly cut off by a hand.
Wen Zhi is gone.
He didn't just leave the lounge; he took Xiaotang away from City A and went to a place he didn't know.
Why?
The moment this question arose, Song Juelan found the answer on this piece of paper.
As Wen Zhi has already clearly stated, her "ex-husband" is still alive, so the reason why Wen Zhi left with Xiao Tang is obvious.
—To find the child's father.
Song Juelan gripped the paper tighter and tighter, his knuckles turning bluish-white, his slender fingers trembling slightly, almost uncontrollably crumpling the paper into a ball.
It felt like several volcanoes were erupting in his head at the same time, the scalding lava overwhelming all reason, leaving only the burning pain in his internal organs, making it impossible for him to calm down and think.
In Wen Zhi's heart, he could never compare to that person.
Perhaps it was precisely because of what he said last night that Wen Zhi was able to see her own heart more clearly.
The blinding sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the narrow lounge and completely dispelling the lingering intimacy of the previous night.
The tall figure stood motionless in front of the desk for a long time, like a cold sculpture.
After a long while, Song Juelan stiffly lowered his head, slowly unfolded the crumpled paper in his hand, scanned it from beginning to end with a deep look in his eyes, and then carefully folded it and put it in his pocket.
Immediately afterwards, without hesitation, he strode out of the lounge.
The party decorations from last night have long been removed, and the pool area has been restored to its original state. The midday sun shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the water reflects a cool blue light. Only a few guests are soaking in the water.
When Song Juelan came out of the corridor, several employees greeted him with surprise. Before they could ask any more questions, Song Juelan had already disappeared like a gust of wind at the entrance of the swimming pool.
The streets were scorching hot under the blazing sun, and the intermittent chirping of cicadas came from the lush trees along the roadside. A few gray sparrows hopped around on the ground.
Song Juelan headed towards the residential area where Wen Zhi lived, with a clear goal in mind.
He still held a sliver of hope, wishing that Wen Zhi was lying to him, or that she hadn't had time to leave yet.
Standing in front of that familiar door, Song Juelan took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell, his expression tense as he awaited a response.
However, he was met with only deathly silence.
Xiao Tang, who usually ran happily to the door to open it, and Wen Zhi, who stood behind the door looking at him with gentle, smiling eyes, were both absent.
In an instant, Song Juelan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. His blood froze, and his hands hanging by his sides lost their warmth, his knuckles stiffening.
I don't know how long I stood at the door, until I heard a soft "click" behind me, and someone came out of the house opposite Wen Zhi's house.
Song Juelan stiffly turned his neck to look at the cleaning lady in her uniform, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.
His thin lips moved slightly, and he heard his own voice dry as he asked, "Excuse me, have you seen anyone who lives here today?"
The aunt stopped and saw that it was a tall and handsome man. She lowered her guard and answered without thinking, "I saw him when I came to work."
She was a part-time cleaner hired by this family. When she came to clean in the morning, she happened to run into the family across the street leaving home.
Song Juelan immediately stepped forward, staring intently at her: "When did they leave?"
The aunt stared at the closed door and pondered, "I start work at nine o'clock today, so the family of three must have left home around eight o'clock."
A family of three?
A look of surprise flashed across Song Juelan's eyes, then she remembered what Wen Zhi had said in her letter: the house had already been rented to someone else.
He hadn't expected Wen Zhi to act so quickly; it seemed she had been prepared all along.
"...I understand, thank you." He nodded politely to the aunt, then turned and walked into the elevator.
Back under the blazing sun, Song Juelan's usually calm black eyes held a hint of bewilderment.
Aside from Wen Zhi's home, he couldn't think of anywhere else to find her. They had only known each other for a little over a month; if Wen Zhi was determined to leave him, she could simply disappear from his world without a trace.
His heart felt like it was being squeezed by a large hand, making it difficult to even breathe. His slender hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, sending a sharp, piercing pain through him.
Song Juelan stood at the entrance of the apartment building for a long time, the image of Wen Zhi walking out of the door last night, smiling, and rushing into his arms.
She recalled last night, when they walked side by side down the street, Wen Zhi shyly lowering her long eyelashes and softly replying to him, "I will miss you."
He still thought that Wen Zhi had feelings for him too.
Song Juelan wandered aimlessly on the street for a long time, as if she had suddenly lost her way and didn't know where to go.
Before he knew it, he was standing at the entrance of the swimming pool again, at the place where he and Wen Zhi first met.
He raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through the bustling crowd, as if he could see again that afternoon when they first met, when Wen Zhi stood in the crowd with Xiao Tang in her hand, looking at him with bewildered eyes.
Perhaps at that time, Wen Zhi had already quietly planted a seed in his heart.
A moment later, Song Juelan lifted his long leg and stepped into this familiar place again.
The afternoon was the busiest time at the swimming pool. He walked through the noisy crowd to the pool area, and his gaze unconsciously fell on the bench where Wen Zhi often sat.
As expected, the person he wanted to see did not appear there.
Song Juelan walked slowly to the bench and sat down in the spot where Wen Zhi often sat, his gaze falling on the swimming pool where he taught Xiao Tang to swim.
What is Wen Zhi thinking when she looks in this direction?
As the sun gradually set in the west, the sunlight falling on the water shimmered like scattered gold.
Song Juelan had no idea how long she had been sitting on the bench until a surprised voice came from beside her.
"Brother Song, what are you still doing here?" Zhu Zhenghao thought he was seeing things, but when he got closer, he realized it really was Song Juelan. "Weren't you supposed to be on a flight this afternoon? It's almost dark..."
He noticed something was off about Song Juelan halfway through his sentence, so he immediately shut his mouth and carefully observed her expression.
Could it be that Song Juelan hasn't left yet because he can't bear to part with Wen Zhi?
He asked tentatively, "What about Mr. Wen? Will he take you to the airport?"
Song Juelan was silent for a moment before squeezing out a few words from his dry throat: "He's gone."
Zhu Zhenghao was a little confused and subconsciously asked, "Gone? Where did he go?"
Another long silence followed. Song Juelan lowered her eyelids, a sharp pain shooting through her heart. Her voice was barely audible: "He doesn't want me anymore."
Zhu Zhenghao's eyes widened instantly, and his mouth gaped open.
After a long while, he finally processed the enormous amount of information and stammered, "No, isn't this...some kind of misunderstanding?"
These two were fine last night; they were even snuggling together in the lounge before the party was over. How did they turn out like this today?
Song Juelan pursed her lips tightly as she recalled the letter she had seen that morning.
If it hadn't been so clearly written in the letter, he would have hoped it was just a misunderstanding.
After finally calming down, Zhu Zhenghao scratched his head and asked again, "Did he tell you he wanted to break up?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Song Juelan's eyes as he carefully recalled the contents of the letter: "...No."
In the letter, Wen Zhi did not say that she wanted to break up with him. But they never had a clear relationship to begin with, so perhaps Wen Zhi felt there was no need to say it.
Zhu Zhenghao visibly relaxed upon hearing this: "Then maybe it really is a misunderstanding! You should have a good talk with him again, and don't overthink it."
Song Juelan stared intently at the shimmering water for a while, lost in thought. Suddenly, he stood up and strode towards the lounge.
With a soft "snap," the lights in the lounge came on, dispelling the dimness of the room. Everything inside was just as it had been when I left that morning: the bedding was piled haphazardly in the corner of the bed, a button that had popped off Wen Zhi's shirt lay scattered on the floor, and the pen she had used to write letters still sat on the table.
Song Juelan walked to the bedside, bent down, and silently tidied up the bed where the two of them had slept the night before, removing the soiled duvet cover and sheets.
The scene of what happened on this bed uncontrollably flashed before his eyes: Wen Zhi lying beneath him, her face flushed, letting out a soft, kitten-like whimper with each thrust of his hips, her soft, white thighs pressed tightly against his waist.
He paused in tidying the bed, his fingers slowly tightening as he clenched the sheets, which still seemed to retain Wen Zhi's warmth, into a ball.
A belated anger mixed with resentment surged to his head, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge and his temples to throb.
Just last night on this bed, Wen Zhi was so obedient, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, begging for mercy, saying he was better than her ex-husband, saying she liked him, and that she could leave him without hesitation today.
If he finds Wen Zhi, he will definitely... he will definitely make Wen Zhi cry even more pitifully than last night, so that she won't even be able to beg for mercy.
Even if Xiao Tang only recognizes that one person as her father, so what? He only needs to be Wen Zhi's only man.
Song Juelan's dark eyes were slightly red, churning with intense emotions. His breathing was heavy, and his chest heaved violently, like a trapped beast with nowhere to run.
His movements were tinged with anger; after tearing off the duvet cover and sheets, he crumpled them into a ball and stuffed them into the large bag next to him.
After cleaning up the lounge, it was already completely dark outside the window.
Song Juelan sat on the iron frame bed, which was now just a bare metal frame, picked up her phone, and unconsciously opened the chat window with Wen Zhi.
He didn't call or message Wen Zhi all day because he knew that if Wen Zhi wanted to disappear completely from his world, she would never have any contact with him again.
Now that Wen Zhi had made up her mind, she wouldn't skip the simplest step—blocking his phone number and WeChat. He was afraid of hearing a busy tone on the phone, and he didn't want to see a red exclamation mark in the chat window.
But by the end of the day, his longing for Wen Zhi had reached a breaking point, and he couldn't control himself from opening the chat window and typing away on the keyboard with his cold fingertips.
A mix of intense emotions—sadness, anger, and resentment—ultimately resulted in typing only four words into the input box.
Song Juelan: [Where did you go?]
The message was sent successfully without any notification of being blocked.
He paused for a moment, but his eyes remained dark and gloomy.
This message is destined to disappear without a trace.
Since Wen Zhi has already decided to abandon him, how could she possibly reply to his messages?
They're not like those idiots in romance dramas.
The next second, the phone in my hand suddenly vibrated twice, and the screen lit up.
Two messages popped up.
Wen Zhi: [Have you arrived at school yet?]
Wen Zhi: [Did you eat dinner properly?]
The two messages were reflected in Song Juelan's dark eyes, and his expression suddenly froze.
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Author's Note: Bonus chapter for 8,000 nutrient solutions! Updates will be completed before midnight tonight.
Thanks to those who went with the flow and _CreamyKiss for the grenade~
Thank you to moonlight, three days, only for the heartbeat, guilt, and sweet wine for the landmines~
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution!
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