Chapter 52 Even if it is melted, it is still real gold.
After hanging up the phone with Zong Chi, He Dongli returned the phone to the nanny. The other party said her last name was Tang, and Xiao Chi kept calling her Aunt Tang.
"I didn't know you when I went to Singapore with his parents, but Miss He, we all know you. Xiaochi has a No. 1 Middle School alumni directory. He moved back to Singapore a few years ago and brought nothing but this one. One day, his father flipped through it and found a photo of the orchestra rehearsing. Except for the two of you, everyone else's face was blacked out. One in the south, the other in the north, you two, so far apart that it was just you and him. His father said, who would see this and not yell, run!"
Aunt Tang seemed afraid that He Dongli would really run away, so she opened the car door for her and asked her to get out, saying that it was cold outside and she should wait for Xiaochi inside.
He Dongli asked, "Did he drive the car himself?"
"Who can stop him?" Aunt Tang nodded with a worried look on her face. Then, thinking of something, she tried to comfort Miss He. "Don't worry, he's just been drinking too much and eating too little these past few days. A grown man can't handle it. Seriously, I scolded him. You don't even take care of yourself. Anyone who follows you is blind. Miss He, don't worry about him. For so many years, his parents have never been able to outmaneuver him. Whether it's school or business, don't underestimate Mr. Zong's aggressive nature. At home, he's afraid of both his wife and his son. And Xiao Chi's mother, well, she has her own hardships, and of course, her faults. But she asked me to stay this time, saying I should work for you for a few more years. It's not too late to retire once you've settled down."
The electric door suddenly opened, and He Dongli walked into the villa's south garden. As the lights gradually lit up in the corners, she could see signs of sweeping and pruning. The purple roses, whose branches had been cut, were not yet in bloom.
But Aunt Tang said Xiaochi had already started to have the place renovated. "He's determined to do something, and as his father said, he won't stop until he dies."
He Dongli immediately got nervous. She took back her car keys from Aunt Tang and called out to her in Zong Chi's tone, "Aunt Tang, I'd better go find him. He's driving from the hospital, it's too far."
Aunt Tang was afraid of making another mistake, but unexpectedly Miss He smiled and said, "Don't worry, I can't get away. He has been watching over me for so many years."
*
Before He Dongli left, she called Zong Chi again. He didn't refuse, nor did he tell her to drive carefully. Instead, he threatened her after the fact, "That Wutong Road has been deserted for half a year. If you stand there, aren't you afraid someone will drag you into the bushes?"
"The surveillance camera in front of your house should be working properly. I don't think the murderer is that stupid."
"Yes, you reminded me. I'll check the surveillance camera when I get back to see how long someone has been standing stupidly in front of my house."
They agreed to meet halfway in a supermarket parking lot. This pursuit, in opposite directions, reminded He Dongli of the word problems she'd solved as a child. Ultimately, her total distance was shorter than the other person's, and there was no encounter as envisioned in the problem. The problem-setter was too idealistic; in reality, the road wasn't open for them.
He must have arrived early and waited in advance. He took longer than she expected, and he went off the mark to find her. He was afraid of missing her again, so he had no choice but to keep his promise and wait there.
The meaning of waiting for someone is that if she doesn't show up, everything will become a price or even a bitter fruit.
But He Dongli found it difficult to clarify that she was the one being waited for, and she was one step late after all. Just one step, she fell into a fantasy of infinite hypotheses. If she had been one step earlier that day, would everything have been different?
When the car climbed up to the parking lot on the top floor, she saw from a distance a car with its hazard lights flashing, parked diagonally between two parking spaces.
Zong Chi saw Ms. Yu's familiar yet old Reiz, parked his own car, got out, walked to He Dongli's car window, and without saying anything, motioned for her to get out so he could help her park the car.
Until the two cars were parked next to each other, Zong Chi got out again and took her bag and car keys.
He walked back to He Dongli, still without saying a word, and reached out to hold her wrist. The moment he held her wrist, He Dongli felt his heat, and the fever had not subsided yet.
He Dongli paused. Even so, he still dragged her along for several steps. Only when he realized that she had something to say did Zong Chi turn around and say, "Let's talk downstairs. It's too cold here."
"Isn't the car running?" she asked him.
"I'm closed. I'm going shopping." He said casually.
He Dongli was aware that what he was going to buy must not be a good thing, so he stopped him and said, "There's no need to park both cars here, I'll drive..."
Before she could finish her words, Zongchi asked her, "What's your answer?"
“…”
"Give me the perfect answer to explain it, Kagome."
He Dongli was indifferent. She didn't want to answer this question at all.
But Zong Chi didn't seem to want to let it go so easily. He stood under the streetlight, the light splitting his face into two halves, one dark, the other bright. He'd been working non-stop these days, and when he went to see her that night, he was already drunk and groggy. She interrupted him, and it was hard for him to remain firm. He only hated that he'd been so drunk that he hadn't even noticed she was lying right in front of him. She'd been right there with him that night, wanting to buy cigarettes, just a second later.
Zong Chi took out a newly renewed lease contract agreement from her windbreaker. It was drafted by her current landlord, Ms. Song, and there was an item on tobacco tax in the agreement.
It was during Miss Song's trip back to China that she discovered Dr. He smoking. She teased He Dongli that smoking in her house would incur additional rental taxes. He Dongli didn't mind and asked Miss Song how much it would cost.
Miss Song is surprised. Can't she quit?
Dr. He said slowly, it’s a bit difficult.
Actually, it was a joke, but Miss Song still wanted Dr. He to pay an extra dollar per month. This dollar was a small punishment for Dr. He's knowing violation. In any case, she still didn't want such a beautiful and educated girl to touch tobacco. It was not cool at all, and it smelled bad and was harmful to the body. It was obviously harmful.
With the help of the light, He Dongli saw the newly renewed lease contract clearly. This was another arrangement he made with her.
This is how her secret was exposed.
At this moment, he stood in front of her and said aggressively, "Ali, tell me why you smoke. I want to know what happened on the cigarette box that day. You are very sad. You must be very sad and miserable to touch these things. This is clearly the shadow of losing your father and your disgust for my repeated teachings. Why is it like this?"
He Dongli hated his asking so many questions all of a sudden! Her eyes were moist and she remained silent stubbornly.
Zong Chi crumpled the agreement in his hand, and as if that was not enough, he unfolded it again and tore it into pieces, simply because there was a tax clause attached to it that he could not accept.
Since she refused to say anything, Zong Chi then said something that he had been unable to say before. "I came back three years ago. I know you know, otherwise you wouldn't be there tonight. I didn't dare ask you until tonight why you didn't go. He Dongli, why were you so cruel not to go! But now I know, it's because of my mother's money, right! I thought about everything I could think of in those three days. I was too arrogant, I was too responsive to you, I thought I loved you so much, why did you always want to escape... I always felt that you didn't love me during those years, you seemed to love no one, and I forced you to do those things in bed, Ah Li, I don't know what to do with you. Compared to losing you, I would rather you didn't love me. But your mother told me that you dreamed of having my child, and you kept the phone you used when we first met, and you... why the hell did you go and smoke some cigarettes! He Dongli, why did you do this!"
Zong Chi's eyes turned red as he spoke. He told her, "You know, right after I received this email, your mother called me and told me that this daughter of hers was born for me and there was nothing she could do. How did I feel, Ah Li? I was so scared that I broke out in a sweat. I just wanted to go to the hospital to find you and wait for you. This is the trump card I told you about. If you didn't show up that time, would this trump card still be effective? I don't care. I said, compared to you, face is nothing! Ah Li, I came back to find you three years ago because I was so miserable that I couldn't bear it anymore. I didn't have the last thought of you staying by my side anymore. Bern Mountain, your beloved Bern Mountain is dead..."
As soon as he finished speaking, He Dongli suddenly reacted and pushed Zong Chi hard.
He continued without caring, "I came back and cremated him. I dismissed the people in the villa there. If it weren't because you liked him, I wouldn't have taken such good care of him for so long. He died..."
"Stop talking." He Dongli scolded him.
Zong Chi just didn't listen to her. "You liked Bernshan so much, but after you broke up with me, you never looked at him again. You abandoned both him and me."
"He Dongli, I waited for you for three days and two nights. When I rushed to the airport, I happened to run into Tan Zhengjin. I hated you to death at that time, but when I heard that Second Brother Tan was traveling with you, I still didn't have the guts to call him after landing, hoping that he could use his connections to look after you. I hated you so much that I swore I would never land in your city again. I even melted down the Bern Mountain zodiac pendant you gave me, but then I regretted it. I thought you liked pearls, so I originally wanted to give that pair of pearls to you, but I ended up having the craftsman make them into a pair of cufflinks. I said, this is a unique pair in the world. Even if you don't want to be with me anymore, they must be tied together for life."
Even though she had already guessed the truth, and now he had confirmed it himself, He Dongli's heart was still torn. The dog they had grown up with had died, and the protective shield she had once prayed for, despite her superstition, had melted. When Zong Chi came to hug her, she resisted and pounded his chest several times, but his burning chest was as hard to shake as a mountain. He leaned over and embraced her in a searing warmth. When his cheek touched a tear, her heart instantly boiled over.
In the bitter cold wind, even as the burning hot people embraced each other, he had to check his heart. He did not forget the deal he had begged for. "Xixi, promise me that you will buy that painting, okay?"
“…”
"Let's start over. I want to be with you. Don't smoke anymore. Don't be sad anymore. Okay?"
"No, you just couldn't quit all those years. I just wanted to see what kind of magic it had. Now I know."
Zong Chi hugged her tightly, his voice soothing and warming against her cheek, "What magic?"
"A dog can't change its habit of eating shit," she cursed.
Zong Chi smiled, not without dismay. He always had a Plan B, just like the painting. He had originally planned to visit her in the winter, but Zou Yan's incident had disrupted his plan and brought it forward. Now, hearing her unwillingness to negotiate, he simply gave in and joined her.
He loosened his embrace, took her hand, and said he was going shopping. The next second, he said as a matter of course: "I haven't seen you smoking yet. Since you can't quit, then I will accompany you."
Zong Chi had originally wanted to walk with her for a while, go out for a bite to eat, and make up for the time he'd missed out on. But now, she clearly had no plans to go out with him. So, why not go back? He wanted to see her smoke for herself. He even had a terrible feeling that if they just stood there, she wouldn't tell him her last few words.
So, Zong Chi dragged her into his car. As he closed the door and restarted the engine, he said to her, "Let's go buy some cigarettes."
The car drove to a convenience store near his hotel, and he pulled her out together. He Dongli knew how stubborn he was at the moment just by feeling the warmth of his palm. She wanted to tell him not to go crazy. The two of them pulled each other to the door of the convenience store, and He Dongli hit him seriously, "Didn't you say that your portrait would never be exposed by the media? Then why did the photo of you drinking with that Dou guy leak out? Zou Yan said that Miss Feng has the secret of that Dou guy. You know it very well, Zong Chi, you have been too close to drug addicts. Your Zong family's luck has come to an end. You deserve it if you drink yourself to death!"
Zong Chi's fever subsided. He turned around to look at the person facing the light, smiled, and leaned down slightly to where her gaze was closest to her. He asked her, "Does the double insurance that Lin Jiaoyu mentioned before still count?"
She'd said he was hanging out with those shady people, so he shouldn't touch her. "It was just a social event. I owe the Dou family a favor for Zou Yan's incident, and for Jiao Yu's sake, I had to deal with it. He's close to that Dou guy, and they spent the night together the night before last. I got drunk, and Jiao Yu pulled me back halfway. If you don't believe me, ask him!"
Zong Chi was talking when he remembered something. He hummed and took out his phone to call Lin Jiaoyu. He exploded so quickly that He Dongli couldn't stop him. He blocked her hand with one hand and raised the other hand high on the speaker. When Lin Jiaoyu answered the phone, the old story of passing the message back then reappeared. Zong Chi warned Lin Jiaoyu, "Don't play with that Dou Yunong. Do you hear me? You're so close to that guy, it affects my credit. Ah Li is afraid that he will encourage you and lead me astray one day."
Lin Jiaoyu could hear the toilet flushing and the clatter of a belt being fastened on the other end. He cursed at Zong Chi, "Fuck you! I've been listening to them lecturing all day, and now I have to listen to you guys as well, right? Ah, give her the phone. She's busy, isn't she? Why'd she suddenly turn around and join us? I'm telling you, if Young Master Zong reports this, someone's going to be upset. Ah Li, I advise you not to be soft-hearted. He's been targeting the media with precision these past few years. Be vigilant. If you silence them, there might be a lot of gossip that won't be published!"
Zong Chi yelled back, "Stop your bullshit! Take my photo down right now."
"Get out of here, you bastard. It's you who's trying to torture me. Stop pretending." After saying that, Lin Jiaoyu hung up the phone.
Liu Zongchi was furious at being tricked. He exchanged glances with the person before him, finally proving himself helplessly, "I didn't. I collapsed as soon as I got back. I was ill yesterday and today. Aunt Tang and the doctor confirmed it."
He Dongli didn't say anything. Instead, he became even more furious. "I remember when I was drunk, I asked you about the retroactive period, but you ignored me. Eventually, my phone ran out of battery and shut down. When I woke up, I was in my bed, already on an IV drip. The best remedy I could think of was what you said in the letter. I waited for you to call me, to scold me or just tell me to return the painting. Anything was fine. But you just ignored me."
"Is the painting so important?" He Dongli asked quietly.
Zong Chi was stunned for a moment, his frame dropping like an electric current. After a moment, he said seriously, "It's important. First, you like it. Second, without it, I don't know how to talk to you."
"I gave you a chance to speak before I drew you."
Zong Chi stood before her with a clear and vulnerable expression, forcing her to lose focus and harden her heart. "I asked you twice about Senior Brother Tan, but you avoided answering both times."
"Yes, that's because Tan Zhengjin was a godfather my mother arranged for me when I was a child. I was weak at the time, and my mother preferred to believe in folk remedies like this. Later, she went to Singapore and had little contact with the Tan family. I only resumed contact with the second brother Tan because of you. I didn't want to tell you because it would involve my mother. I was angry with her at the time. I also know about the kidnapping in Hong Kong, and you got angry with her but didn't tell me, right?"
He Dongli was momentarily lost in thought. A moment later, Zong Chi reached over and took her hand. His actions spoke for themselves, saying that a thousand words weren't worth one. The fundamental reason she'd lost contact today was because she'd assumed he'd returned to Singapore. Zong Chi simply wanted to tell her that when she needed him, even if he were ten thousand meters in the sky, he'd still think of circling down to her.
He took her into the convenience store and bought the same pack of Marlboro, and one other thing he had asked her if he could buy it in advance.
Right now, he felt that it was no longer a matter of advance, but a necessity.
When he took out a box of condoms in front of He Dongli, He Dongli wanted to leave first, but he held her hand tightly, so she had to criticize him a few times, "The cigarettes you bought are fake."
"Well, then tell me what happened on October 17th."
"Nothing, just the cigarettes I bought the other day. I'm afraid they'll expire if I open them for too long, so I wrote this to remind myself."
"Oh, you're not telling the truth. I'll continue buying it then."
"Zongchi, you pervert, don't drag me down with you if you die."
"I forgot to tell you, I do have a will where you are the sole beneficiary."
He Dongli finally lost her temper. She hit him hard with the bag in her hand. Zong Chi dragged her hand to the cashier, and while telling her to pay, he turned back to comfort the tense-faced man, "What are you afraid of? I have to get into an accident. If I'm alive and well, you won't get the money. If something happens to me, don't be so hard on the money, you hear me? This is how my mother treated you when she gave you money. If she gave it to you, you should take it. Anyway, you don't want her bastard son anymore, so why bother with her? Whatever she says is what it is. She's not the Queen Mother. If she were, she wouldn't have eaten her meals with tears."
The last sentence must have touched a woman's naturally tender heart, and He Dongli's angry eyes dimmed. Without a second thought, Zong Chi reached out, cupped her chin, and kissed her lips. The cashier, scanning the QR code, was practically petrified, gripping the scanner. The person he kissed quickly withdrew and cooperated with the payment.
Then, they got back into the car and drove a few steps back to the hotel entrance. Zong Chi helped He Dongli out of the car and handed the car keys to the receptionist to help with parking.
He took her back to the room upstairs. He Dongli prepared herself mentally for several moments until she heard the door snap shut. She had no choice but to bring out her trump card and negotiate with him, "Zong Chi, I'm going to tell you what happened on October 17th. Just lie down, take your medicine, and go to sleep, okay?"
"No. Don't tell me, because I'll know right away."
He Dongli hated his expression and was about to call him shameless. He took out a lighter, opened the cigarette box for her, knocked out a cigarette, and urged her in a curious tone, "Light it up and smoke it for me. Let me see how many you have smoked and how skilled you are."
She took out the cigarette, tore it into several pieces, and the tobacco stuck to her hands. She quickly clapped her hands to get rid of it.
Zong Chi watched her with great joy, cracked out another one, and reminded her very patiently, "Go ahead and pick it. Once you finish this pack, I'll ask someone to buy more."
"Is this your attitude of asking for reconciliation? You melted the zodiac card I gave you, and I didn't blame you at all!"
"Real gold is real gold, even if it's melted it's still real gold. He Dongli, who told you to choose hard currency to give to me? Also, don't try to change the subject, acting like a spoiled child won't work."
"You wish, I won't act like a spoiled child with you!"
Zong Chi's face showed a hint of unhappiness. She was stingy, but he wasn't. He walked a few steps towards her, took the bag off her hand and threw it away, showing her how to act coquettishly. "Really? But I really want to hear you act coquettishly. You haven't acted like this in a long time. I've almost forgotten what it looks like. I'll give you two choices, Ah Li. Either smoke a cigarette for me, or act coquettishly for me."
He Dongli was so angry that he could only vent his anger for a while, and soon he was sweating all over.
Zong Chi lit a cigarette for himself. He said if she didn't want to act like a spoiled child, then she would smoke it for him to see. He really couldn't imagine what she looked like smoking.
He Dongli was really irritated by him. He took the cigarette from between his fingers, put it to his lips, took a deep breath quietly, and then spit it all out on Zong Chi's face.
Some people just crumbled in an instant. The more skilled she became, the more she fueled his uncontrollable rage. There were some mistakes everyone could make, but she was the one she couldn't allow. Zong Chi let a few puffs of smoke seep into his lungs as he studied her silently. He Dongli glared at the person across from her, only then did she begin to explain the reason for her cigarette...
Zong Chi snatched the cigarette from her hand and placed it between his lips. He turned around to pick up something, then turned back and almost lifted her up sideways, carrying her inside.
When she was thrown onto the bed, He Dongli didn't even have time to turn around and curse back at the lunatic, but unexpectedly found a Bunny Rabbit doll on his bed.
The color and brand were exactly the same as the one she bought. She grabbed the rabbit and held it up in the air, questioning him, "Is this the one I gave to Brother Tan's daughter?"
"Yes. I took it, and she smells like me. I mean..."
He Dongli was so angry that she punched him in the face. "Zongchi, you pervert, I gave that to the kid, take it..." She couldn't even finish her words, "You psychopath!"
Zong Chi raised his hand and caught the rabbit. He put one hand to her cheek and looked at her from above. With a cigarette in one hand, he knelt on one knee between her knees.
When he put the cigarette to her lips again, she refused, shaking her head from side to side. His voice was cold and pleading, and his breath was so hot on her face that it was unbearable. "Take another puff and let me see."
"Zongchi, I'm angry!"
"I'm angry too, Ah Li, you have to say something to soften me up, otherwise I can't guarantee that I won't get it on your face like a rabbit!"
He Dongli was still angry that he had taken the rabbit she had given to her child... If he said such obscene words again, she would push him away. Zong Chi threw away the cigarette, freed his hands to hold her face, and bit her lips directly.
Cut off all her ways of communicating with the outside world.
He Dongli whimpered and patted the bed to signal, but it was no use. Zong Chi pushed her back, his lips and tongue even hotter than his breath.
He Dongli was so hot that she felt dizzy. Their lips met, and it was hard for her not to be soft-hearted, but it was also hard for her to say anything against her will. She was only worried about his fever, so she could only buy time. She held his chin, her breath lingering on him, and said to him, "Let's talk after your fever goes down."
Zong Chi felt that her words were even more cruel than declaring his surgery a failure. He could endure it once, but not a second time. So, instead of rushing to free himself, he exposed her. He knew perfectly well that no matter how many times they had done it, her clothes would always hold her body and soul securely. He did this, one piece or two at a time, this was the only way, to induce release, to show weakness and plead, moving from her lips and tongue all the way to her heart, watching her tremble, moan, and become wet.
Zong Chi picked it up with his fingers, his eyes lingering. When he was about to lower his head, someone made a fuss, and she pinched him in a mischievous way. Zong Chi couldn't help but laugh, and let the desire go. He asked her what was wrong and said sorry.
He Dongli used the rabbit to cover up his crime, which made Zong Chi's thoughts burn even more fiercely.
He called her name and begged her to nod. He Dongli hated him for being such a hypocritical gentleman. He used to order me to want you, but now it's just a bit of a reversal. Xixi, please give it to me.
She took the rabbit and threw it at his face. Zong Chi smiled and put his other hand into her upper mouth. She bit him, which was exactly what he wanted. If she didn't agree with her mouth, he would drag out this game indefinitely.
He Dongli called him a bastard, but Zong Chi pretended to be weak and whispered, "Aren't you worried about my health, Ah Li? I'm also afraid that I have the will but not the strength."
Yes, He Dongli was more kind-hearted than her. Even if someone was burning with anger, he was still murderous, but his eyes were a little redder.
When he tapped in one more finger, He Dongli couldn't help but frown. When she was asked for the third time whether to give it or not, He Dongli suddenly grabbed Zong Chi's hand and bit it hard. The pain came over his brow, but he didn't beg her to let go. Instead, his face was controlled by lust. He heard the words of the person in his arms clearly: "October 17th has nothing to do with you, but we admitted a patient that day. She was transferred from a local hospital with scalp avulsion. The local hospital's method of preserving the scalp is no problem, but the injury is too serious and we came too late. The conditions for replantation are not met. The patient is a woman under 40 years old. I was so depressed after get off work that I went to the canteen to buy a pack of cigarettes. That day wasn't my first time smoking, but it was definitely the saddest part for me. Xiaochi, it turns out that I can't always save everyone by staying at my post diligently. These past few years, what I've feared most is a scalp avulsion. Whenever it happens, your name pops up in my mind. That year, you came back to see me. I saw the flowers and the card, but I had to go to the next city with my teacher to assist with a major car accident. One of the cases was a scalp avulsion. During the operation, I was distracted by you, and my teacher severely reprimanded me. By the time I came back and made arrangements, I went to look for you, but you were gone..."
Zong Chi didn't wait for her to finish her words. As soon as he heard her call him Xiaochi, his lust had reached an extreme point. As soon as he loosened his hand, every grain of powder that sprinkled down from the top of the mountain could easily destroy an indestructible armor.
His gaze broke into several parts, but it was particularly thorough and resolute.
It wasn't until he heard the sigh of the person in his arms that he came back to his senses, several beats too late. He held her tightly, hugged her and kissed her, too late to appreciate the overwhelming pleasure. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible. If blood couldn't connect them, then body. Only in this way could he and her heart grow together. Let her feel it. He's here. Xixi, I'm sorry, I just heard...
Impulse and longing drive people to escape from cages and worries. Because of Zong Chi's low fever, the entanglement of their bodies seemed deeper and hotter. He Dongli snuggled in a fire, and soon, her eyebrows and eyes were sore from the steam.
She wanted to crawl out of the stove for a breath of fresh air, but she was met with a pair of young eyes. He looked at He Dongli the same way he had on the day they first met. He leaned in close, his eyes grazing on hers, demanding, trying to please her. He refused to let her close her eyes, and with the force of a wild animal bursting into a cage, he made He Dongli unable to utter a single word, crushing all her willpower. Uncontrollable tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.
She begged him to stop, but all she got in return was a fresh start. His eyes, mouth, and heart were filled with something not enough. For a moment, feeling unsatisfied yet still wanting her happiness, He Dongli almost unconsciously called out to him, "Xiao Chi..."
It is both a voice from the heart and a plea for mercy.
The man who was restrained kissed away the tears that had fallen from her dizziness, then grabbed her by the crotch and lifted her up, letting her sit on top. He held her with one arm and wiped the wetness from her face with the other, their eyes lingering, their embrace absorbed. He was sweating, and in a voice that was still stagnant, he answered with sincerity, "I'm here."
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