53: Between you and me, a tangled web of fate.
The red wine stains on his white shirt looked like blood, and the atmosphere in the room was suffocating; Shang Zhi felt like she couldn't breathe.
"If you let me go, I'll listen to you, I won't divorce you, I'll stay by your side, I'll always stay by your side." Shang Zhi's voice softened.
"What, do I look like an idiot?" Pei Yanxiu frowned and chuckled, pinning her down completely with one hand while reaching inside with the other.
She wanted to resist, but her body was not rational; it kept getting hot and burning. She wanted to escape but couldn't bear to let him breathe. His movements were slow, and his eyes were fixed on her indifferently, his gaze growing increasingly intense.
The two were locked in a fierce and desperate struggle.
He was both very close to her and very far away.
When Pei Yanxiu woke up the next day, Shang Zhi was gone. He had expected her to leave, but he hadn't expected her to leave so quickly.
He never imagined she would leave so completely, taking all the cash and jewelry from the cabinet with her. He couldn't find her anywhere. Her home, her favorite cafes, the little shops she used to frequent—he followed her footsteps throughout Hong Kong, searching from day to night. She had even changed her phone number; her old phone's location was now in the middle of the ocean.
"Xixi..." He wanted to leave her a message, but his voice was already hoarse before he could even speak. He sent people to the school to inquire, but no one had any news about her.
Shang Zhi knew she couldn't go back to school right now, because he would find out if she did. When she ran away to buy a new phone that day, she ran into Lu Ke, who was recording a program nearby. Lu Ke was shocked and couldn't believe what she had to say.
It's unbelievable that people still do things like this in this day and age.
Lu Ke offered to help Shang Zhi by renting the apartment next to hers in his own name, without leaving any of Shang Zhi's identity information, thus ensuring that no one would find out.
For Lu Ke, it was a pleasant surprise; the opportunity he had been looking for had come to him.
Shang Zhi is the person he has been searching for for a long time, and he will not let go of her.
He brewed tea for Shang Zhi and then brought her a blanket to drape over her shoulders. She seemed to still be caught in the shadows of her emotions. Lu Ke squeezed her hand; it was icy cold.
Shang Zhi instinctively pulled her hand back.
"I'm sorry, Brother Lu, for causing you so much trouble."
"It's no trouble at all. The conditions here are so-so, just make do for now. What are your plans for the future?"
"I want a divorce from him."
"I can help you. I know a few really good lawyers. If you need them, I can provide them to you. Xixi, don't be afraid. Trust me, I can help you solve this problem."
“A person as emotionally unstable and terrifying as him should indeed be left as soon as possible. You don’t need to worry about the divorce. If he does anything excessive to you again, come to me and I will expose him to the media.”
"Thank you, Brother Lu. I'll stay here for about half a month. Once the school has made arrangements, I'll go there. I won't be coming back anytime soon."
Lu Ke leaned towards Shang Zhi and reached out to put his arm around her.
"Actually, this is good. You can start a new life."
Shang Zhi turned her body slightly to avoid his hand and looked down into the distance.
"I don't want to think about relationships for now. My last relationship drained too much of my energy. Right now, I just want to do things I enjoy and nothing else."
“I understand, I get it, Xixi. We’re friends. I just want to help you. You don’t need to feel any pressure.”
Shang Zhi opened her phone; it was full of missed calls from him. She sighed softly.
"Brother Lu, can I borrow your computer for a moment? I need to check if my application to return to school has been approved."
"No problem, I'll bring it to you in a bit, feel free to use it."
After running away from home, Shang Zhi gradually calmed down. Now she just wanted to do things without being affected and to plan her future.
But Pei Yanxiu couldn't calm down. He couldn't find him, and he was in a state of constant anxiety, as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart.
He couldn't understand it, he just couldn't understand it. He was clearly the one who loved her the most, and everything he did was for her, so why did she always leave? Why couldn't she understand him?
His hand resting on the table betrayed his anxiety. As he looked out the window, he recalled the day they broke up four years ago.
He merely checked her phone, contacted a few people she had been chatting with who were somewhat ambiguous with her, and warned them that if they messed around again, he would chop off their hands, etc. She got so angry that she broke up with him immediately.
He remembers that day, he's always remembered it.
"They are my friends, this is my life, this is my phone, what right do you have to stand by and tell me what to do!"
"Pei Yanxiu, who do you think you are!"
"I'm doing this for your own good, Xixi. You're too young to see it, but I'm a man, I know better than you that they have bad intentions."
"Then what?"
"Then I'll help you take care of it!"
"On what grounds?"
"What, on what grounds?"
"What gives you the right to decide my life? What gives you the right?!"
He was usually eloquent, but he was speechless on this issue. He remembered how decisively she left that day, just like this time. He thought she wouldn't leave, but she just disappeared so suddenly and so completely.
Over the years, he felt that his personality had become much milder than before. He thought that the two of them had matured and become more stable, but he did not expect that the same problem would occur again.
Yes, why should we?
He felt he also had a problem; he was sometimes too direct with her, which she might not understand. But that was just his personality; he wasn't used to explaining himself.
Xixi, where are you? I miss you so much, do you know that?
Xixi, come back, I really want you to come back.
Xixi, did you take any money with you when you left? If not, remember to come home and get it.
I know I'm a little bad, can you forgive me? I want you by my side.
Even if it's fake, it's fine.
He may never be able to say these words aloud in his entire life; he can only repeat them in his heart over and over again, hoping that the moon will carry the message to him.
He recalled the days when they were married. He was truly happy to have her by his side. He was happy even when she made mistakes or teased him. As long as she was by his side, every day was a bright and sunny one.
Angina pectoris, the night is slightly cool.
"President Pei, we've located Miss Shang's location and provided photos. I've sent them to you for your reference." A phone call pulled Pei Yanxiu back to reality. Looking at the photos of Shang Zhi and Lu Ke chatting together, he felt like killing someone.
He looked at the location; it was in a high-end apartment building.
The fire in my heart was raging.
Didn't she say it had nothing to do with him? Is this what you call having nothing to do with him?
"Keep an eye on it. Record everything you did each day, including when you left and when you came back, one by one!" He said this with his back teeth practically grinding to powder.
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