Chapter 31 Boyfriend
Seeing Fu Zhiheng in a photo from two years ago is no different from seeing a ghost.
Luo Xincheng was sweating profusely.
As for whether she was mistaken or simply misjudged?
Absolutely impossible. She could recognize Fu Zhiheng's face even if he were ashes.
She tried her best to keep a calm expression, took a couple of sips of water, and said to Xu Peiyi as if nothing was wrong, "Could you send me all the photos you took that day?"
Xu Peiyi looked at her speechlessly, "You said no when I asked you then, but now you want it?"
Luo Xincheng poked at the rice in her bowl and casually said, "After all, it's the twenties that can never be returned to, and I don't like taking pictures myself. Sometimes when I want to reminisce about the past, I don't have any photos to remember. And this photo of yours is quite nice... so are you going to give it to me or not?"
Xu Peiyi had already happily taken back her phone when she heard the comment, "The photos are quite nice," and sent them out in a package.
"Okay, I've sent them all to you."
Looking at the dozen or so photos she had just received on WeChat, Luo Xincheng thought for a moment and decided to look at them when she got home.
If I show any unusual expression when I see the photo, these people will definitely ask me all sorts of questions.
She sighed inwardly and finished the meal without tasting it.
After dinner, the group was eager to start hanging Christmas decorations on the Nobel Prize that Jiang Xushu had prepared.
To wrap the firecracker lanterns around the top of a 2.4-meter-tall tree, Luo Xincheng had to stand on a chair.
Faced with her question, "Why did you buy such a tall tree?", Jiang Xu retorted confidently, "Among the Nobel pines I saw the other day, this one was exceptionally upright, with lush branches and leaves, and a full shape. It looked very vibrant and like it would live a long time..."
Luo Xincheng quickly stopped her, "Hand me those flocked balls."
Jiang Xu: "...Oh."
The group were all maximalists, and they liked to pile together what they thought were beautiful and suitable ornaments. So after a lot of work, the Noble Pine was full of decorations, and at a glance, it was full of eye-catching items.
Fortunately, these things were not heavy, otherwise Luo Xincheng was really afraid that the tree would collapse under their weight.
After completing their mission, the group spontaneously took out their phones and started snapping photos of the flashing Christmas tree.
Then I sat under the tree and started unwrapping the gifts.
As the host, Jiang Xu naturally prepared gifts for them in advance, and colorful gift boxes were piled up under the tree.
Wang Jiayan opened a box first, inside which was a blue-lined stone Fu Bao watch.
His expression suddenly became subtle. "Your brother bought a bag for your sister-in-law and then threw the accessories to you, and you're throwing them back at us, right?"
Xu Peiyi looked over and said, "Hey, I don't have this color. Give it to me."
Then she handed him the belt she had just taken out, saying, "This one is more suitable for you."
What Luo Xincheng took apart was a coffee cup, which was very practical. "It's perfect for taking to the company."
Jiang Wei took a silk scarf out of the gift box, shook it, and tied it to Luo Xincheng's hair as a headband.
Although they complained, these people were all birds of a feather. They usually liked to give away small items that they bought as part of their luxury purchases under various pretexts. So when they saw the gifts Jiang Xu had prepared, they were not surprised at all and were quite obliging, wearing all the ones they could on the spot.
Seeing this, Jiang Xu couldn't help but smile with relief and said sincerely, "Thank you all. The house is much cleaner now that you've cleaned it up."
Then he bent down and unwrapped the housewarming gifts they had given him, the first one being the one from Luo Xincheng.
"It's..." He looked at the information on the packaging box, swallowed hard, "...more than five thousand building blocks? How long will it take me to assemble that?"
"Five days if it's quick?" Luo Xincheng smiled and turned to put the bow hair clip she had just taken out on Jiang Wei's head. "Anyway, it'll keep you occupied for a long time."
Jiang Xu: "..."
Fortunately, the gifts from the other people weren't as bizarre.
He put on the bracelet Jiang Wei had given him, along with Xu Peiyi's sunglasses and Wang Jiayan's scarf, and went to get a tripod and camera, aiming them at the Christmas tree so they could pose.
Then he sat in the center and raised a peace sign.
Click.
The image freezes.
After taking the photos, the group gathered together to look at them.
The figures melted like cream, while the Christmas tree behind them was as sharp as a razor blade.
Everyone: "..."
They turned their heads and stared silently at Jiang Xu.
Silence speaks louder than words.
Jiang Xu awkwardly deleted the photos, pretending nothing had happened.
Then, amidst everyone's disapproving looks, they went to change cameras and took several new group photos.
Although the photos taken later weren't much better, at least everyone's faces were clear, so they wouldn't be laughed at if posted on social media.
After taking the photos, it was already 10 p.m.
They were all too exhausted to rush to the next event, and their unanimous thought was to go home and find their own mothers.
So Luo Xincheng said goodbye to them one by one and drove home.
As we entered the central villa, Fang Shiyue's blue and golden macaw, Yuan Miaomiao, was walking around on the ground with its wings outstretched, just like a free-range chicken.
Seeing Luo Xincheng approach, it tilted its head, flew over, and landed on her shoulder.
Luo Xincheng suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder and complained in a groan, "Do you even know how much you weigh?"
The little parrot didn't know.
It nuzzled her cheek with its head and barked loudly.
That's a really loud voice.
Luo Xincheng patted his ear, "Your mother isn't here; she went on a business trip to your hometown."
She scratched its head and then stroked its pointed beak with her fingertip. "I'm your aunt."
The little parrot didn't understand and continued shouting to itself:
"Mmm." Luo Xincheng went upstairs and said in a serious tone, "Your mother misses you too."
The little parrot turned its head and smacked its lips.
"Delicious! Delicious!"
"What would you like to eat? Fruit or nuts?"
"Delicious! Delicious!"
"Then let's eat blueberries. I'll have some too."
She had someone wash the blueberries, and after sharing them with the little parrot, she played with the noisy, left-behind parrot for a while.
She loves touching birds' breasts, which are plump and have fluffy, soft feathers. But Yuanmiao is very stingy and only lets her touch them for two minutes at most. If she exceeds that, she will angrily peck at her hand.
This time it was especially outrageous; he only touched her a dozen times before nagging her.
Luo Xincheng touched the spot where she had been pecked, looking hurt. "How could there be such a stingy little chick like you?"
Yuan Miaomiao twisted her neck and leaned over to look at her hands, which were immediately grabbed and kneaded from head to toe.
It grew impatient with being petted and started yelling loudly, stretching its neck:
"Hello! Hello! Mom! Mom! Grandpa! Grandma! Auntie! It's delicious! It's delicious!"
Yes, it's a chick with a very limited vocabulary.
After petting it to its heart's content, Luo Xincheng took it back to its room, then opened the photos sent by Xu Peiyi and zoomed in to look at them one by one.
As she strolled down the street chatting and laughing with her friends, he casually sipped his coffee, like an ordinary passerby, standing at a distance on the street corner.
She must have seen something interesting, because she was excitedly taking pictures with her phone. In the corner of the photo, he was also holding up his phone, pointing it in the exact same direction as her.
While she was buying flower petal ice cream by the roadside, he was looking down at his phone, half of his body blocked by pedestrians, and she almost couldn't find him;
When she and her friends came out of the boutique with bags full of purchases, he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight and gazed into the distance, the coffee in his hand now turned into flower petal ice cream;
While she was eating a croissant in the bakery, he sat on a wooden chair outside, completely enveloped in the large shadow cast by the parasol, propping himself up on his elbows and looking in the direction of the camera...
The more Luo Xincheng looked at him, the more horrified he felt; goosebumps were about to appear on his skin.
Fortunately, she and her friend took a taxi to another place, and his trace was finally gone from the newly taken photos. Otherwise, she would have really suspected that he had installed a GPS tracker on her.
It's a bit scary.
It's also strange, why was he in Chicago at that time?
She looked at the largest photo and recognized that he was wearing fast fashion brands. So he probably hadn't been recognized by the Fu family yet. How long would it take to save up enough money for a trip abroad...?
She regretted faking her amnesia once again, and she didn't even know how to ask.
"Wow, I suddenly realized that you're in a photo I took two years ago! What a coincidence! Were you traveling in Chicago at the time?"
"You actually recognized me?"
"..."
"The person's face in the photo is completely blurred, I didn't expect you to still recognize me, thank you."
"..."
A development similar to this.
On the contrary, it made it seem as if I knew him very well, and that I spotted him at a glance in the blurry crowd.
If you don't ask, no trouble will happen.
But if she didn't ask, she would be genuinely curious!
What would he be doing in Chicago? It couldn't be to see her, could it?
Although thinking like this might make her seem narcissistic and self-important, she genuinely couldn't think of any reason for him to go to Chicago. After all, if it were for tourism, popular cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco would obviously be more worthwhile...
I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out.
No, why is she so upset about something like this?
Does it matter why he went to Chicago? No, it doesn't matter!
Can you please stop having so much inexplicable curiosity?
She shouldn't be the one racking her brains and going through heartbreak for her ex.
With this in mind, she asked Jiang Xu for a group photo of the group of them taken under the Christmas tree and posted it on her WeChat Moments.
And the accompanying text:
Merry Christmas! I'm spending Christmas with you all again this year! Let's celebrate together again in the future!
Ugh, so cheesy!
She screamed inwardly and pulled down to refresh the page.
Not long after, the post got a like, and sure enough, it was Fu Zhiheng who liked it.
At the same time.
Fu Zhiheng: [Merry Christmas.]
I already sent a Merry Christmas message at midnight.
They're just making conversation for the sake of it.
Looking at his message, Luo Xincheng suddenly realized that all her previous agonizing over the matter had been just asking for trouble.
After expressing her feelings, she put down her phone and went to take a shower.
Half an hour later.
She burrowed under the covers, pretending she'd just seen the message: [Sorry, I was taking a shower and didn't check my phone.]
The reply came instantly: [It's okay.]
Then I asked: "[I saw the photos on your WeChat Moments. Did you spend Christmas at a friend's house? The Christmas tree in the background is so big and beautiful.]"
Luo Xincheng said with some pride, "[Isn't it beautiful? We spent over an hour decorating it, and I even put up the brightest star on top!]"
Fu Zhiheng: [No wonder, that star seemed to be placed exceptionally straight.]
Fu Zhiheng: [Clapping.gif]
He was exaggerating. Luo Xincheng felt like he was being treated like a child.
Fu Zhiheng: [I also saw Mr. Jiang. Do you two spend Christmas together every year? You seem to have a very good relationship.]
Luo Xincheng rubbed his nose, feeling a sour smell.
With a slight shift in her mind, she steered the conversation in the direction she wanted: "[No, it's not that. I didn't go back to China for the past two years; I spent Christmas alone in Chicago.]"
The moment the message was sent, two more messages popped up one after the other.
Fu Zhiheng: [Alone?]
Fu Zhiheng: [Wasn't your boyfriend there for you then?]
Luo Xincheng wondered where she got a boyfriend back then. Could it be that she mistook that junior for her new love?
So she asked, "How did you know I had a boyfriend at the time?"
The chat interface suddenly fell silent.
Two minutes later, he mumbled, "[When I went to Chicago before, I happened to see Miss Luo shopping with a brown-haired, blue-eyed guy. Isn't he your boyfriend?]"
Luo Xincheng didn't answer his question directly, but continued to ask: [When?]
Fu Zhiheng: [About two years ago.]
She took a deep breath and, seemingly casually, asked the question that had been troubling her for a long time: "[Traveling?]"
Fu Zhiheng gave an ambiguous answer: [Not really, I just went to take a look.]
Luo Xincheng started scratching his head.
It's either yes or no, so what does "not count" mean?
I just wanted to see what's interesting about Chicago...
Fu Zhiheng started talking about her fictitious boyfriend again: "[But, to leave you all alone for Christmas, that boyfriend was really incompetent. It's a good thing you two broke up later.]"
Luo Xincheng almost laughed, and almost blurted out, "[How did you know we broke up later?]"
After these words were spoken, the conversation fell into its longest, most deadly silence.
Luo Xincheng timed it, and there was a five-minute gap in between when the other side started bombarding her with messages.
Fu Zhiheng: [You two haven't broken up?]
Fu Zhiheng: [A long-distance relationship?]
Fu Zhiheng: [But long-distance relationships are tough, why are you willing to have a long-distance relationship with him?]
Fu Zhiheng: [You like him that much?]
Fu Zhiheng: [Is he really that good?]
Luo Xincheng quickly called out to stop her: "[Calm down.]"
He then stopped his barrage of questions: [Sorry.]
After a while, he said again: "[I didn't ask clearly about your current emotional state, and I said some inexplicable things without thinking. I'm sorry.]"
It's really ugly to make unwarranted expectations and then break down your defenses.
Fearing things might go too far and develop in an unexpected direction, Luo Xincheng immediately explained: "[It's okay, I was just joking.]"
The other person replied instantly: [So, does that mean we've already broken up?]
Luo Xincheng: [No.]
She wanted to explain that he wasn't her boyfriend at all, but before she could finish typing, a message came from the other end.
Fu Zhiheng: [Is it because you can't let go of your relationship that you haven't broken up? I understand, but people always have to move on. You're currently in a long-distance relationship and can't be together all the time. When you're feeling down and need companionship, he can't be there for you right away, offering no comfort or security. Having a boyfriend like that is practically pointless, isn't it? If you can't forget this relationship, why not start a new one to distract yourself? That way, you won't keep thinking about him.]
Luo Xincheng's hand trembled, and he clicked the green "send" button.
Luo Xincheng: [The person you're talking about isn't my boyfriend at all; we've never dated.]
The next second.
Fu Zhiheng retracted a message.
Large blocks of text vanished instantly.
Luo Xincheng: ...
It's no use withdrawing it now, I've already seen it.
The author's note: The reason I think Chengcheng is unlikely to have a long-distance relationship is because that's the reason this guy was dumped in the first place, hmm.
It's Friday! To celebrate the weekend, I'm giving away 30 small red envelopes in the comments section! [cat paw emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
