Chapter 52: The Abyss of Truth
The voice was extremely penetrating, carrying a kind of spoiled, self-righteous possessiveness and accusation, piercing straight into Yu Ling's eardrum!
"Brother Chen! You finally answered my call! Why have you been avoiding me?! Why did you block all my numbers?! I've been looking for you for a long, long time! Do you know how worried I am about you?! I called Azhe and the others, but they all said they didn't know where you were! Are you still mad at me? I was wrong last time in New York. I shouldn't have been so willful and shouldn't have thrown things... But that's because I love you, Brother Chen! I care about you so much! You can't do this to me!"
Gu Qianqian's voice rang out like a rapid-fire cannon, thick with nasal twang and sobbing, filled with grievance, anger, unwillingness, and a hint of hysterical paranoia. Every word was like a poisoned needle, piercing Yu Ling's heart!
Brother Chen?!
Avoid her? Block her?!
Throwing things? Caring too much?!
New York? !
The overwhelming amount of information and the nauseatingly intimate address sent Yu Ling's mind into a state of complete silence! She gripped the phone as if it were a red-hot iron, her blood rushing to her head, yet her cheeks felt icy cold and devoid of any warmth! She opened her mouth, but no sound emanated, her throat as if being strangled by an invisible hand!
On the other end of the line, Gu Qianqian seemed to notice something unusual about the silence. Her delicate sobs paused for a moment, and with a hint of doubt and vigilance, her voice suddenly rose, questioning, "Hello? Brother Chen? Why aren't you talking? Are you listening? Or... or is there another woman next to you?!" The last sentence was so sharp it nearly pierced her eardrums!
At this critical moment!
"Lingling?! What are you doing?!"
A loud shout of shock and anger rang out behind Yu Ling like a thunderclap!
Zhao Chen had burst out of the kitchen without anyone noticing! He was still clutching a greasy spatula, and the gentle smile on his face had vanished, leaving only extreme shock, anger, and a cold, venomous aura as if someone's reverse scale had been touched! His amber eyes were fixed on the connected phone in Yu Ling's hand, their gaze as sharp as a tempered blade!
He took a step forward, his movements as fast as lightning, and with an irresistible force, he snatched the phone from Yu Ling's hand!
"Gu Qianqian!" Zhao Chen's voice was as cold as the Siberian cold wave. With undisguised disgust and warning, he growled into the phone, "I warned you! Don't call me again! My business has nothing to do with you!" He didn't even give the other party any chance to react. With a fierce force, his fingertips stabbed the red hang-up button heavily!
beep--
The busy tone sounded.
The world fell into silence again.
The only sounds in the living room were the two people's heavy breathing. The air was filled with the smell of burnt food (apparently the food in the pot had already burnt) and a suffocating, cold smell of gunpowder.
Yu Ling remained frozen in the same position where her phone had been taken from her. Her face was as pale as paper, and her body trembled slightly with extreme shock and fear. Gu Qianqian's coquettish questioning and Zhao Chen's cold warnings still echoed in her ears. The immense fear and anger at the invasion of privacy intertwined, leaving her body cold.
Zhao Chen clutched the phone, a hot potato in his hand, his chest heaving violently. The low pressure emanating from his body threatened to freeze the air. He stared at Yu Ling's pale, terrified face, his eyes swirling with shock, anger, fear, and a hint of...the embarrassment of being caught and the anger he couldn't vent.
"You..." Yu Ling finally found her voice, but it was hoarse and trembling, "...Who is she? Why does she call you Brother Chen? What does she mean by New York...breaking things...?!" Her voice was filled with tears and uncontrollable questioning.
"Lingling!" Zhao Chen suddenly interrupted her, his voice low and rapid, with an unquestionable strength and deliberate understatement, "Just a neurotic old acquaintance! I met her when I was studying abroad, her mind is a little... unclear!" He forced a very forced, even a little annoyed smile on his face, trying to whitewash the situation, "Her family has some background, she's been spoiled, and always thinks the whole world should revolve around her!
"She pursued me for a while, and when I rejected her, she kept pestering me! I've already blocked all her contact information! Who knows where she got this new number to call me! It's so annoying!" He said, throwing his phone heavily on the sofa in annoyance, as if throwing away something dirty.
He strode over to Yu Ling, ignoring her stiffness and resistance, and forcefully extended his hands, pulling her into a tight embrace! His arms tightened, with a sense of lingering fear, a force that refused to let go. His chin rested heavily on the top of her head, and in a low, rapid voice, with a strong sense of comfort, he repeated in her ear:
"Don't listen to her nonsense! Don't let your imagination run wild! Lingling, believe me! There's nothing between her and me! Not in the past! Not now! And certainly not in the future! She's just trying to disgust us on purpose! Don't let her influence us!"
His embrace was still warm, his heartbeat was still steady and strong, and his words still carried the power to bewitch people. But this time, Yu Ling could not feel the slightest warmth.
She was frozen in his embrace, her breath filled with the clean scent of his soap and a faint... burnt smell. Gu Qianqian's coquettish, tearful "Brother Chen," her possessive accusations, her hysterical questions... every syllable was like a cold, venomous snake, hissing repeatedly in her ears, gnawing at Zhao Chen's now pale and powerless explanation!
Neurotic? Unclear? Clingy?
Then why did Zhao Chen explode with such terrifying fury the moment he heard her voice? The disgust and warning in his eyes clearly carried a deep-seated... familiarity and complexity!
And that "Brother Chen"... was like a sharp dagger, piercing through the illusion of being an "ordinary employee" that Zhao Chen had carefully woven for her! A spoiled rich girl would call an "ordinary employee" "Brother Chen" so affectionately and obsessively?!
Yu Ling was instantly overwhelmed by a profound sense of absurdity and a chilling chill that penetrated her bones. She leaned into the embrace that had once given her such immense comfort, only to feel a chill run down her spine, as if she were sinking into an icy cave. The false sense of security that the lease had provided her with completely crumbled at that moment, revealing the bottomless, terrifying abyss of truth beneath.
She didn't question him, nor did she struggle. She simply let him hold her, her body stiff as a cold stone. She closed her eyes and buried her face deep in the warmth of his neck, not seeking comfort, but to hide the icy despair and immense fear that she could no longer conceal.
Zhao Chen hugged her tightly, feeling the stiffness and coldness of her body. The anxiety and fear in his eyes were replaced by a thick, indissoluble gloom.
He knew that Gu Qianqian's call, like a boulder dropped into a deep pond, had completely disturbed the calm he had carefully maintained. He needed to use stronger means and a more gentle trap to firmly grasp this fish that was about to escape the hook.
He lowered his head, and his warm lips pressed soothing kiss after kiss against Yu Ling's cold head. His voice was low and tender, like the whisper of love, yet it carried an unquestionable control:
"Don't be afraid, Lingling. I'm here. No one can hurt you. No one... can take you away from me."
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