Chapter 43 Heartbeat Out of Control "Who do you think Gu Zeming looks like?"...
During her rare holiday, Jiang Chuyu enrolled in an art class and learned to paint from her teacher. Her days were peaceful and leisurely.
Li Sen would occasionally drive to pick her up for dates, but they spent most of their time chatting on the phone.
The time for him to leave the country is getting closer and closer.
The sun was shining brightly that day. After finishing a still life painting, Jiang Chuyu took two steps back and tilted her head to examine her work.
The art studio teacher strolled over and paused behind her for a moment.
"The handling of light and shadow is much better than last week, but there are still some issues with the perspective of the jar."
Jiang Chuyu smiled sheepishly: "I'm always bad at drawing arcs."
"You'll get better with more practice," Teacher Chen patted her shoulder encouragingly. "You have talent, you just started a little late."
Jiang Chuyu smiled and nodded: "Okay."
When the bell rang, the students began to pack up their art supplies.
Jiang Chuyu's phone vibrated in her canvas bag. She wiped the pencil dust off her hands and answered the video call.
"get out of class is over?" On the other end of the screen, Li Sen sat in his study.
His eyes, behind his gold-rimmed glasses, held a smile. Behind him was a wall of bookshelves, and Jiang Chuyu could always tell from the background whether he was at home, at school, or in a coffee shop.
"Just finished." Jiang Chuyu leaned her phone against the easel and continued packing her things. "You didn't go to the company today?"
"I'm organizing the documents I need to take abroad." Li Sen paused. "Speaking of which, the departure date has been set for the day after tomorrow."
Jiang Chuyu slowed down: "So fast."
“So,” Li Sen carefully chose his words, “I’m asking you one last time, are you really not coming with me? Just think of it as a vacation, a chance to relax.”
Jiang Chuyu put the pencil into her pencil case and shook her head: "I've only just started learning to draw, and Teacher Chen said I've made progress. It would be such a waste to suspend classes now."
Li Sen smiled and didn't insist any further.
He was always like that; he never forced her to do anything.
They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.
Jiang Chuyu packed her things; the studio was already mostly empty.
This summer, most of her classmates went on trips or internships, but she suddenly had the idea to sign up for an art class. Fortunately, Jiang Shan didn't say much and even gave her financial support.
Sigh, it's good that my mom has money.
Jiang Chuyu was lost in thought when she walked out of the studio; the sun was already setting.
She bought a bouquet of lilies from the flower shop on the street corner and carried them back to her rented apartment.
She has become very accustomed to living alone and has come to love the feeling of being alone.
She can order takeout whenever she wants, eat junk food, and sit in the living room watching variety shows and spacing out, and nobody cares.
That night, Jiang Chuyu had a dream.
She dreamt that she was painting in a pale wilderness, but she couldn't seem to mix the colors on the canvas correctly.
There was a figure in the distance, it looked like Li Sen. She ran towards the person, but could not get close.
I woke up in the middle of the night.
Jiang Chuyu lay in bed recalling that dream, feeling empty inside.
Oh no, is my body rebelling because it's been on strike for too long?
Jiang Chuyu was a little embarrassed.
Since Gu Zeming completely withdrew from her life, she hasn't had that "want" feeling for a long time.
Jiang Chuyu picked up the phone and unconsciously found Li Sen's phone number.
The phone screen glowed faintly in the darkness.
Jiang Chuyu typed three words, her fingertips burning, but finally clicked send.
Are you awake?
After a while, the phone suddenly vibrated.
[Hmm, awake, having insomnia?]
Seeing the concern from her boyfriend, Jiang Chuyu felt half relieved.
She gritted her teeth and pressed her advantage.
"Um... could we video chat? I want to see you."
After sending the message, her face turned bright red.
It took them a long time to type that.
Just looking?
Her guilt and embarrassment, exposed, burned fiercely on her cheeks. Jiang Chuyu buried her face in the pillow, then lifted it again, her fingertips trembling, and resignedly replied with a single word: "...Mmm."
Then, the world went quiet.
The screen never lit up again.
Three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes...
The courage I had just mustered deflated like a punctured balloon.
Is he angry? Does he think she's...too casual?
A sudden sense of loss welled up inside me.
Jiang Chuyu turned off the desk lamp, curled up in bed, and tried to dispel the agonizing emptiness.
Just as she was lost in passion and her body was tense, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Jiang Chuyu trembled in fright, abruptly pulling her hand back, her heart pounding.
"...Who?" she asked in a hoarse voice, her voice still tinged with lingering emotion.
There was a moment of silence outside the door, then came the voice she most wanted to hear, yet most feared to hear.
"It's me."
Li Sen!
Jiang Chuyu jumped out of bed with delight and ran over to open the door.
Under the corridor lights, Li Sen stood there, still carrying the cool scent of the night breeze.
He casually threw on a loose, dark gray hoodie, his hair was a little messy, but his dark eyes held a gentle and profound look.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Chuyu asked in surprise.
I want to see you.
Li Sen stepped in, closed the door behind him, and pulled her into a deep embrace.
His arms were wrapped tightly around her, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head. He sighed softly, his voice full of helpless indulgence: "Do you see I'm unhappy?"
Before she could answer, a warm kiss landed on her lips. From the doorway to the living room sofa, and then stumbling into the bedroom, he patiently kissed her lips, his tongue gently entwining with hers, as if savoring them.
Jiang Chuyu felt the burning heat of his palm as it gently caressed her trembling skin. She tilted her head back in unbearable discomfort, her soft sobs silenced by his kiss.
"Li Sen..." she called out to him haphazardly, her body tense like a taut string.
Li Sen's breathing was heavy. He kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, but his movements remained unhurried, even with a hint of torturous patience. He completely controlled the rhythm until she completely collapsed in his arms.
He took a tissue and carefully cleaned her up, then pulled the blanket over them, wrapped them both up, and scooped her into his arms, holding her tightly.
The expected next step never came.
Jiang Chuyu turned to look at him, puzzled.
Li Sen kissed her shoulder gently, his voice hoarse: "Go to sleep."
The surging waves receded, leaving only the comforting warmth of his body.
Jiang Chuyu turned around in his arms, buried her burning face in his chest, listened to his equally rapid and unsteady heartbeat, and stopped thinking about anything else.
＊
Jiang Chuyu slept until noon, and when she woke up, Li Sen had already left.
He went to the Qin residence.
Upon seeing him, Qin Jiyuan smiled faintly. "You still came. Was it worth it for a girl?"
Li Sen was not surprised that the other party knew his purpose.
Any detour is a waste of time in front of Qin Jiyuan.
“It’s worth it,” he replied calmly. “Please be merciful and let me and Chu Yu go.”
Qin Jiyuan looked up from the document.
Approaching fifty, he remains remarkably energetic, his gaze seemingly piercing through to the heart, making one hesitant to look directly at him.
"Sit down." He gestured to the chair opposite him, and only spoke slowly after Li Sen sat down. "I've said it before, you are the most sensible, mature, and steady among the younger generation. Getting caught up in emotions is not like your personality."
Li Sen: "I'm serious."
"Oh?" Qin Jiyuan took a sip of tea and said slowly, "You've fallen in love with her?"
Li Sen paused for a moment, then readily admitted, "Yes."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Qin Jiyuan suddenly chuckled: "From the moment you willingly became my pawn, you should have expected this outcome. As a pawn, the worst thing you can do is develop feelings. I never thought someone as smart as you would make such a basic mistake."
Li Sen's expression remained unchanged: "It's only natural to like her."
Qin Jiyuan: "Is she really that good?"
Li Sen: "She's not that great, but I don't need to like a perfect person."
"Is that so?" Qin Jiyuan looked at him meaningfully. "This is the second time I've heard that. You're a step too late."
Actually, there is another way to be with Jiang Chuyu without asking Qin Jiyuan, but he doesn't want to gamble with the future of Baili Pharmaceuticals.
They all knew it perfectly well.
Ultimately, no matter how mature and composed Li Sen may be, he is still just a 23-year-old graduate student.
Faced with absolute power and pressure, he and Jiang Chuyu were merely pawns.
When Li Sen left the Qin residence, his steps were heavy.
He now only has two choices: either take Jiang Chuyu away from here, or leave her life completely.
Either choice means he has to tell Jiang Chuyu everything.
He knew that once the truth came out, Chu Yu would likely no longer accept him.
＊
After finishing lunch, Jiang Chuyu rested briefly before going to her art studio for class as usual.
Teacher Chen said that they would be painting still lifes for a while longer.
Jiang Chuyu was concentrating on sketching the lines, capturing the perspective of the objects, when suddenly someone called from the doorway: "Jiang Chuyu, someone's looking for you!"
She looked up and was surprised to see Li Sen standing there.
He usually doesn't show up during her class time, so today was quite unexpected.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Chuyu put down her pen and walked quickly toward him.
Several classmates around him started whispering, their eyes lingering on Li Sen.
Today he was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, which made him look more formal and handsome than usual.
"I was just passing by and thought I'd drop by." He smiled, his gaze sweeping over the art studio. "Is this the place you talk about every day?"
Teacher Chen walked over, looked Li Sen up and down, and smiled at Jiang Chuyu, "Your friend?"
Jiang Chuyu blushed: "Yes, this is my boyfriend, Li Sen."
Li Sen nodded politely, "Chu Yu often mentions you, saying that you are an excellent teacher."
"She's talented and hardworking," Teacher Chen said with admiration. "You two are a perfect match."
A few bolder classmates started teasing, "Chu Yu, where did you snag such a handsome boyfriend? Share your tips!"
Jiang Chuyu felt her ears burning and joked, "It fell from the sky, and I just happened to catch it."
Li Sen chuckled upon hearing this.
As evening classes ended, the students gradually left the art studio.
Li Sen helped her pack up her art supplies and asked, "Want to have dinner together?"
Jiang Chuyu nodded: "Wait until I wash my hands, they'll be covered in pencil dust."
A few minutes later, they went to a small restaurant near the art studio.
Jiang Chuyu often comes here to eat.
While waiting for the waiter to serve the food, she excitedly recounted the fun she had been having with painting recently, proudly showing Li Sen photos of her artwork on her phone.
"My teacher said I have a lot of potential and suggested that I consider applying to art schools abroad after graduation," she said, her eyes sparkling.
Li Sen listened silently, then asked again, "Chu Yu, are you really not going abroad with me?"
Jiang Chuyu quieted down and carefully observed his expression: "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Li Sen was never a stubborn person; asking the same question several times was not his usual style.
Outside the window, cars were bustling and traffic was heavy, while inside the restaurant, people were noisy and bustling. But their table was unusually quiet.
Li Sen remained silent for a long time before finally looking directly into her eyes: "Chu Yu."
Jiang Chuyu: "Hmm?"
Li Sen: "Let's break up."
Jiang Chuyu was stunned, and it took her a while to find her voice: "Why... do you suddenly want to break up?" She forced a smile, "Is it because I refused to go abroad with you?"
“It’s not because of that,” Li Sen interrupted her, his voice low. “Actually, I had an ulterior motive when I approached you in the first place. I’m sure you’ve noticed some of it.”
Jiang Chuyu took a deep breath and smiled, "I know."
No one could remain calm seeing their girlfriend entangled with another man, but Li Sen never uttered a single complaint against her. His tolerance stemmed partly from his good temper, but also perhaps from his own conscience.
Jiang Chuyu held his hand, her tone light: "Actually, I don't care about those messy things. Don't take them to heart, being together is more important than anything else."
“But I do care.” Li Sen’s eyes churned with emotion, and he gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Jiang Chuyu looked at him, puzzled: "I don't understand why you're so concerned about those things?"
"Because I like you, even more than you can imagine."
Jiangchu Yu was stunned.
This was the first time Li Sen had told her he liked her, but it happened on the very day he wanted to break up with her, which was incredibly painful.
Jiang Chuyu muttered, "Since you like me, shouldn't we be together even more?" Like a pyramid scheme leader, she tried her best to analyze the situation with Li Sen. "For people like us who are well-matched and appreciate each other, I really can't think of any reason why we have to separate."
Li Sen stared at her, then suddenly asked, "Who do you think Gu Zeming looks like?"
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