Chapter 4 Lace Butterfly It's Raining.
"...He has something to do."
Liang Yizhi glossed over the matter, not wanting to mention Xie Yun any further.
Anyway, Gu Yinyan doesn't care much about other people's affairs, and he never asks too many questions.
She hadn't expected Gu Yinyan to drive so fast; less than twenty minutes had passed before he was standing right in front of her.
The sky was overcast, the evening rush hour was over, and there probably wasn't much traffic on the road.
As expected, Gu Yinyan simply picked up the violin case from the side and said to her, "I'm leaving."
Liang Yizhi smiled and followed behind him with her bag on her back:
"I knew you were reliable."
She followed Gu Yinyan to the parking lot.
Liang Yizhi told Gu Yinyan about her experiences in City B, how magnificent the scenery was, how she still felt rusty during the performance, and how someone in the audience coughed, among other trivial matters.
She was speaking animatedly when suddenly, her raised forearm was grabbed by someone.
Gu Yinyan gestured to the cardholder she was clutching in her hand: "Are you still not giving up until you've lost it?"
Her wallet contained her ID card and bank cards, which she had been holding ever since she got off the plane.
Liang Yizhi stubbornly replied, "I'm holding it; I won't lose it."
"Turn around."
Liang Yizhi said "Oh," and finally turned around to cooperate, showing him the backpack on her back.
Because it was a short trip, Liang Yizhi packed her luggage simply, carrying only a backpack with all her belongings inside.
Gu Yinyan opened the wallet, took the cardholder, and was just about to put his things in when a bag on the top shelf of his backpack caught his eye.
—It was a semi-transparent clothing bag.
Inside was a small, exquisite set of lingerie.
His fingertips touched the curved surface of the cup, soft and slightly bouncy. He paused for a moment.
The clothing bag was semi-transparent, and a pure white bra lay quietly inside, its edges adorned with French lace and its shoulder straps tied with small bows—a style very much in the "Liang Yizhi" style.
It's both conservative and subtly alluring, its subtle intentions completely transparent. Without a second thought, everyone knows who it's for and why it's intended.
"Are you done?"
Liang Yizhi noticed that there was no movement behind her and turned her head slightly.
Gu Yinyan silently looked away, picked up the cardholder in his hand, and placed it over the clothing bag.
He discreetly and silently fastened the backpack back onto the clasp.
"alright."
-
The road back was pitch black, and Liang Yizhi was probably exhausted, unusually quiet. Gu Yinyan drove steadily, and she drifted off to sleep in the car's soothing fragrance.
When I woke up, the car had just arrived at the entrance of the residential area.
Gu Yinyan parked his car downstairs at her house. Just as he turned to the side, something was handed to him from the side.
Because she had just woken up, Liang Yizhi's eyes were not fully open, and a few strands of bangs were messy and poking her eyes, so she squinted.
"Here, this is for you." She handed over a box, which looked quite large. "Thank you for today."
Gu Yinyan took it and examined it: "What?"
"There's a candlestick inside that I picked out. Take it apart and have a look when you get back."
Before returning to Yucheng, Liang Yizhi bought a lot of souvenirs to bring back to her friends. She wanted to buy a gift for Gu Yinyan as well, so she chose this candlestick.
The candlestick is an irregularly shaped black design, shaped like a black hand with sharp, intricate lines. The palm faces upward, as if holding the world in its palm.
The moment Liang Yizhi saw it, she felt that it matched Gu Yinyan's temperament perfectly, and without much thought, she bought it.
"Thank you for picking me up, Young Master Gu. After all, your time is so valuable." Liang Yizhi yawned without any regard for her image and smiled at him.
While being gazed at by Liang Yizhi's bright eyes, Gu Yinyan's thoughts suddenly wandered.
Liang Yizhi is a very sincere person when it comes to every relationship, whether it is love, family, or friendship.
She seems easy to talk to, but in reality, she has her own set of criteria for selecting people around her and doesn't associate with just anyone.
Once she truly includes you in her circle, she will become like a scale that has lost its fulcrum, unconditionally tilting towards your side.
Inappropriately, the scene from just now inexplicably flashed through Gu Yinyan's mind.
The leather backpack was open, and inside was a small, soft white bra.
The night was deep, and the scenery outside the car was as dark and gloomy as the candlestick in Gu Yinyan's hand, but the streetlights shone through and illuminated his face, which remained clear and bright.
He didn't stand on ceremony with her, accepted the gifts and said directly:
Thanks.
-
Xie Yun probably still felt bad about standing Liang Yizhi up, so he's been unusually gentle and affectionate towards her these days, making Liang Yizhi feel like she's about to start a second passionate relationship.
Xie Yun said he would come to the concert hall to pick her up after get off work today.
As soon as Liang Yizhi stepped out of the exit, she saw Xie Yun holding a large bouquet of flowers, standing not far away.
They were extremely ostentatious, attracting the envy of passersby.
Today's date is at a high-end Western restaurant.
During the meal, Xie Yun took out a velvet box and pushed it in front of her.
Liang Yizhi opened it to take a look.
It was a very expensive designer necklace, probably worth four or five figures. It was the first time Liang Yizhi had received such a valuable gift from him, and she was both surprised and touched.
She asked, "Why did you buy me such an expensive gift?"
"It's not expensive. Only something like this is worthy of you."
Xie Yun was very pleased with her flattered expression. He got up, walked behind her, and bent down to put the necklace on her.
After putting it on, he sat back down and took out his phone: "Shall I take a couple of pictures of you?"
"Okay," Liang Yizhi replied with a smile.
Xie Yun took many photos, opened the album, glanced at them, and was quite satisfied. He handed his phone to Liang Yizhi and said, "You choose, I'm going to the restroom, I'll be right back."
After handing the phone to Liang Yizhi, Xie Yun got up and left, heading towards the restroom.
Overwhelmed by momentary joy, Liang Yizhi forgot all the unpleasantness before and contentedly selected her own photos from Xie Yun's album, preparing to post one on WeChat Moments that evening.
The restaurant is located in front of floor-to-ceiling windows on a high floor. Candlelight flickers on the table. In the photo, she is wearing a necklace given to her by Xie Yun. Her pupils reflect swaying starlight, and the smile on her face is so sweet it could drip honey.
At that moment, a text message appeared at the top of Xie Yun's phone screen.
A message popped up in the notification bar.
Liang Yizhi paused for a moment, then subconsciously clicked on it.
The sender did not include a name; only a number was displayed.
In the past, Liang Yizhi would not have checked Xie Yun's phone. Her principle was that even with the closest people, one should give them privacy.
But the words made it impossible for her to ignore them.
Liang Yizhi opened the text message page.
Please don't treat me like this, okay?
I was too greedy. I don't want to end things with you.
[Weren't you doing just fine in Guangzhou?]
I really didn't want this to happen, Xie Yun... you're forcing me.
I'm going to find Liang Yizhi.
...
As she flipped further back, Liang Yizhi's smile gradually froze on her face.
In just a few lines, Liang Yizhi finally understood why Xie Yun could treat her with such respect and why he never made excessive demands on her.
It turns out he already had another partner to help him satisfy his sexual needs.
She had always mistakenly believed that the respect and appreciation she received were just another mask that the man had fabricated to sweet-talk her.
Her blood was so cold it seemed to freeze. As she trembled and put down her phone, Liang Yizhi accidentally knocked over the wine glass beside her.
The glass shattered, and champagne splashed everywhere.
Her fingers inadvertently brushed against a sharp shard, the calluses on which were so thick she could barely feel them.
Liang Yizhi lifted her eyelids and looked at the man beside her who had just returned from the restroom. Her pupils were upward, and a red ring appeared around her eyelids.
Xie Yun had never seen such a cold gaze before, until he glanced at the phone in Liang Yizhi's hand and froze on the spot.
Liang Yizhi looked at his face. She thought of that night, how he held her hand, his almost obsessive expression making her want to vomit.
-
Liang Yizhi went home alone.
She felt completely weak, too lazy to even lift her legs. She swayed a few times and kicked off her black high heels.
The bag was left on the floor tiles in the entryway, and Liang Yizhi collapsed into the soft sofa.
She didn't turn on the light.
All was silent; the room was so dark it seemed to engulf the entire person.
Liang Yizhi rarely felt such a deep sense of powerlessness, which numbed every inch of her skin and pierced every nerve.
Liang Yizhi took out her phone, opened her social media app, and scrolled through it repeatedly.
She wasn't actually looking at anything; she was just mechanically repeating the movements of her fingers. Her eyes scanned the numerous messages on the screen, but her brain wasn't absorbing their content.
After scrolling through her contacts, Liang Yizhi opened her address book, found a number, and dialed it.
The phone kept ringing.
Liang Yizhi counted in her mind.
On the fifth call, the phone was answered.
"--Hello."
"Gu Yinyan," Liang Yizhi asked, "what are you doing?"
"At the company."
"Still working overtime?"
"It's not considered overtime," Gu Yin said. "It's just that there are some things I haven't finished reading yet."
The sound has a metallic quality, deep and steady.
For some reason, she wanted to hear a few more words.
"Have you had dinner?" Liang Yizhi lay on her side on the sofa, her eyes closed, her arms hanging down, and her phone covering her cheek.
"Um."
"What did you eat?"
"takeout."
"Oh," Liang Yizhi replied lazily, "Why didn't you ask Aunt Jiang to make it for you?"
On the other end, Gu Yinyan seemed to have closed something, as the soft sound of paper hinges clicking could be heard. Liang Yizhi heard him speak in a deep voice:
"...Look at the time! Aunt Jiang should be off work by now."
Liang Yizhi: "I didn't expect you to be a capitalist with a human touch."
Gu Yinyan: "..."
After a moment of silence, no one started a new topic.
Liang Yizhi was still lying in the dimly lit room.
Not far from the sofa, directly opposite the floor-to-ceiling window.
A muffled ticking sound suddenly came from outside.
Liang Yizhi opened her eyes and saw that there were long, thin diagonal lines on the glass, with water stains cracking and being covered by them one by one.
It's raining.
What a timely rain.
Rainy days always have this magic, making you feel lazy all over, eroding your body, and even making your bones feel numb and tired.
Liang Yizhi and Gu Yinyan exchanged a few more meaningless words before drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed her. She put down her phone and drifted off to sleep on the sofa.
I opened my eyes again because I heard the soft ringing of the doorbell.
Liang Yizhi sat up, her eyes still blurry, and with great effort, got up from the sunken sofa and walked to the door.
When the video doorbell was turned on, Gu Yinyan's face appeared on the screen.
Liang Yizhi was unsure: "...Gu Yinyan?"
The image quality was low, and there was only a barely lit motion-activated light at the entrance of the apartment building. After her voice reached the building, the light went out briefly and then came back on, like a candle that had burned out.
Gu Yinyan was very tall, and the painting could not frame his body.
Only the lower half of his face could be seen in the shot, and it moved slightly.
"Do you want to come down?" Gu Yinyan asked the monitor.
Liang Yizhi's heart skipped a beat, her mind still foggy: "Why are you here?"
"Didn't you cry?"
He mentioned it casually, "On the phone."
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