Chapter 26: Zhou Ai is indeed... very troublesome.
The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long spots of light on the floor.
It was almost noon when Chu Yi woke up. The hungover Qi Yuan and last night's bizarre party seemed like a faded dream.
He habitually reached for the phone on the bedside table, his eyelids still feeling heavy.
When the screen is unlocked, push notifications from various news apps pop up one after another, filling up the notification bar.
Most of the pushes point to the same focus -
[Breaking News] Zhou Ai posted a selfie late at night, looking great and attracting fans to go wild!
[Hot] Zhou Ai's goodnight photo without makeup, is this man really immortal?
The entry [Good night Zhou Ai] quickly climbed to the top of the hot search list!
His brain was still in a chaotic state as if it had just been turned on, but Chu Yi's fingers had already clicked on one of the push notifications before his consciousness.
The loaded page is instantly occupied by an enlarged high-definition picture.
In the photo, Zhou Ai is wearing the same dark shirt he vaguely remembers wearing when they parted last night. His hair is slightly damp, and he looks refreshed and relaxed. He flashes a faint smile to the camera, one that's enough to drive fans crazy. The background is the familiar decor of his home, and the light is warm.
Chu Yi's eyes immediately caught sight of the same piece of clothing—clearly the same item of clothing as the intimate, close-up photo he'd received last night showing the wound. This realization made his heart skip a beat.
His gaze subconsciously shifted downwards, landing on the simple two-word copywriting by Zhou Ai:
good evening.
boom--
It was as if a tiny but extremely clear electric current suddenly shot up from the deepest part of his heart without any warning, rapidly spreading along the nerve veins, instantly piercing his fingertips, bringing a tingling, almost shuddering sensation.
These two words are exactly the same as the last sentence he sent to Zhou Ai last night.
Is it a coincidence?
still……
Some indescribable, hot associations and speculations suddenly seized him, making him feel suddenly dizzy and at a loss in the haze of just waking up.
“Bang!”
The phone in his hand suddenly lost its strength and fell straight down, hitting his nose and cheek squarely, making a crisp sound that was not loud but clear enough.
"hiss--"
Chu Yi cried out in pain unexpectedly and instantly regained consciousness.
He sat up, covering his face, and picked up the culprit's phone. The screen was still on, and Zhou Ai's face, with a "good night" smile, was still dazzling.
Chu Yi walked to the bathroom mirror and saw that there was a small, clear red mark on his cheek near the bridge of his nose where the corner of the phone had hit him. It was slightly warm and had a dull pain.
He looked at the sudden red mark on his face in the mirror, then looked down at the photo and the two words on his phone that had caused the "accident"...
An extremely complex and indescribable emotion surged in my heart.
It was embarrassing, ridiculous, and a little bit of panic and helplessness after being inexplicably aroused by those two words and that photo.
He rubbed his sore cheek, but the red mark was obviously not going to go away anytime soon.
Finally, Chu Yi looked at himself in the mirror and the small red mark and came to a conclusion -
Zhou Ai is indeed... very troublesome.
———
Today was a rare day off. When Chu Yi walked into the old house carrying the nourishing gift box he had prepared earlier, he could hear the clattering sound of mahjong and the laughter of women coming from inside through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the living room.
He pushed the door open and walked in. The living room was filled with smoke. Chu Ruoyin was facing the door with her back to the door, concentrating on the cards in her hand. She seemed not to have heard anyone come in, or if she did, she was too lazy to pay attention.
Chu Yi quietly walked to the sofa beside him and gently placed the gift box in his hand on the coffee table without making a sound to disturb him.
The other three well-dressed ladies at the card table noticed him first.
"Hey, Ruoyin, your Xiaoyi is back." An aunt with curly hair said with a smile.
Chu Ruoyin seemed to have just realized it. Without even turning her head, she only snorted lazily, "Hmm," and touched a card with her finger. She said in a flat tone, "Are you back? Sit down by yourself."
His eyes never left the card game.
Chu Yi had long been accustomed to his mother's attitude and did not care. He just nodded slightly to the ladies as a greeting, and then sat down quietly in a corner of the sofa.
The game continued, but the topic inevitably turned to him.
Another lady, wearing a Xiangyunsha cheongsam, looked at Chu Yi with admiration in her eyes. "Ruoyin, let me be honest, your two sons are truly impeccable. They're both handsome and handsome. Yan Qing, needless to say, is now helping out with the family business and is thriving. Even our Xiaoyi, look at his aura, so cool and aloof, like someone who walked out of a painting. You can tell at a glance that he has a promising future."
"That's right," the curly-haired auntie immediately replied, her tone envious, "Ruoyin, you are so lucky! Your son is so outstanding and filial, and he knew to come back to see you."
The third, younger-looking lady added with a smile, her tone exaggerated, "More than just excellent! I heard Xiaoyi was an incredible student back then. How many kids from a family like ours can actually settle down and study hard? Your Xiaoyi went straight to a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate program, right? And to a top medical school! If you tell anyone about this, who wouldn't envy you for having such a brilliant son?"
Chu Ruoyin listened to the praises from her fellow card players, and a faint smile appeared on her face, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
She played a card, her tone deliberately understated, even with a hint of subtle disparagement: "What's the use?"
He sneered, "Reading so many books, working tirelessly in the hospital, and having to read people's faces, you can see the end of it in your life. How can it compare to..."
She didn't finish her words, but her unspoken meaning was obvious - how could she compare to his brother Cheng Yanqing, who took over the Cheng family business and had unlimited glory and a bright future.
The atmosphere at the poker table was subtly stagnant for a moment.
The ladies exchanged glances, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and tried to smooth things over with a smile: "Oh, that's not right. Doctors are so stable and respectable..."
"That's right, saving the dying and the wounded, and accumulating virtue..."
Chu Yi sat on the sofa, with his eyelashes drooping, quietly looking at the blurry light and shadow of the crystal chandelier reflected on the smooth floor tiles.
He's used to it.
In his mother's eyes, all his choices, the life he worked hard for and felt satisfied with, always seemed to be inferior to the "right path" under the halo of the Cheng family.
He did not refute, nor did he show any displeasure, but just sat there quietly, as if they were discussing someone else who had nothing to do with him.
It wasn't until Chu Ruoyin won a hand and smiled as she collected the money that she finally seemed to remember his existence. She tilted her head and tapped the gift box on the coffee table with her chin, her tone still cold: "What did you buy again? I told you not to spend money recklessly. Keep that little salary for yourself."
Chu Yi raised his eyes and said calmly, "Some bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin to nourish your body."
The card game lasted nearly an hour before it ended. Chu Yi sat quietly by the side, occasionally getting up to pour tea or water for the aunties. His manners were polite, but he was as silent as a shadow.
After seeing off the last card-playing friend and closing the door, only the mother and son were left in the living room, with the mixed smell of cigarettes and perfume still lingering in the air.
The hustle and bustle just now suddenly died down, and instead there was a sense of indescribable awkwardness.
Chu Ruoyin walked to the coffee table, picked up the water cup and took a sip. Her eyes swept over the beautifully wrapped gift box, and then, as if she had finally had to fulfill some obligation, she spoke without any emotion: "How have you been lately?"
Chu Yi stood beside the sofa, his eyelashes fluttering slightly at the words. He was silent for a few seconds before replying in a very flat, unmoved tone, "Not bad. Work continues as usual."
"Is there anything wrong in the hospital?" Chu Ruoyin asked again, still not looking at him, her fingers unconsciously stroking the wall of the cup.
"No." Chu Yi answered briefly.
"I heard that you met Mr. Li from South City last week?" She finally glanced at him with a scrutinizing look in her eyes.
"Yes, it was arranged by my eldest brother. We met." Chu Yi answered truthfully without adding a single word.
Chu Ruoyin seemed to be accustomed to his way of answering, but she couldn't help feeling a little impatient.
She put down the water cup with a slight clinking sound, and finally fixed her eyes on him, looking him up and down as if assessing the condition of an object.
"You're already 27," she said, her tone heavier, with an undeniable reminder, "There are some things you don't need me to nag you about all the time, right? It's time to put emotional issues on the agenda. The Cheng family doesn't expect you to marry into a family, but you have to give a decent explanation."
Chu Yi listened quietly, his expression unchanged. He walked over to the coffee table, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a half-cup of the now slightly cold tea. His fingertips were steady, without a trace of trembling.
He lifted the teacup to his lips and took a sip. The slightly bitter tea flowed down his throat, bringing a hint of coolness.
Chu Yi put down the teacup, raised his head and met his mother's gaze. His eyes were as calm as a pool of deep water, without a single ripple.
He nodded, his tone still indifferent, even with a hint of submission: "As you say."
This sentence sounded like an agreement, like compliance with the arrangement, but combined with his expression and eyes without any emotion, it was more like a silent and complete alienation and rejection.
It was as if Chu Ruoyin was not talking about a major event in his life, but a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him and only required her to make the decision.
Chu Ruoyin choked at his impassive attitude, and the resentment in her chest, which had just subsided, began to rise again. She looked at Chu Yi's overly calm, even indifferent face, and suddenly felt powerless.
She waved her hand, as if she was tired of this meaningless conversation, and her tone became cold again: "Alright, I understand. I'll take the things. If there's nothing else, you can go back. I'm tired."
Chu Yi nodded again, without any intention of stopping.
"Then I'll go first, you have a good rest."
He turned around and walked steadily towards the door, opened the door and walked out, then closed the door gently without looking back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
