Chapter 28 "I'll listen to you, that's enough for now."...
Zhao Siqiao lay on the bed, studying Zhu Xu's face for a long time, and laughed, "He Yanzhou is quite fierce."
Zhu Xu turned around and turned off the light.
The room was plunged into darkness for a moment, and it took half a minute for my eyes to gradually regain their sight.
Zhao Siqiao protested, "Why did you turn off the light?"
Zhu Xu, with his eyes closed, said, "Are you sober now? Aren't you sleepy? Look at the time. Please, have mercy on me and stop bothering me for a while."
"It's not me who's bothering you." She turned around to face her back and poked her shoulder with her finger: "Can't sleep? Let's chat."
Zhu Xu ignored her.
Zhao Siqiao rested her arm under her cheek: "What exactly is your relationship with him now?"
Zhu Xu countered, "What's your relationship with that nightclub bodyguard?"
"Which bodyguard?" Zhao Siqiao was confused.
Zhu Xu remained silent.
That person knew Zhao Siqiao's name and must have seen her abandon her. It's hard to believe they had no connection. But Zhu Xu was too lazy to gossip. She hadn't even finished dealing with her own affairs and was feeling both annoyed and tired. If she didn't bother her, she probably would have fallen asleep in the next second.
Zhao Siqiao, however, had no intention of giving up: "I'm asking you." She was almost sober and now had no sleepiness at all, and was very excited.
"That's all there is to it," Zhu Xu replied dismissively.
“I can tell even if you don’t say it.” Zhao Siqiao gave a definitive conclusion: “He’s serious. He’s sincere towards you.”
Zhu Xu opened his eyes in the darkness.
"He blamed me for bothering you earlier, look at his tone. He's not actually that good-tempered." But Zhao Siqiao didn't care. Suddenly, she remembered, "By the way, what did his ex-girlfriend want with you?"
Zhu Xu was taken aback: "What ex-girlfriend?"
"You don't know?" She sat up. "She's a girl He Yanzhou used to date. I ran into her at your shop the other day. At first, she looked familiar, but then I remembered she used to come to our class to see He Yanzhou back in school. She's from the neighboring normal university. I looked down on her, thinking that dating He Yanzhou was something amazing. She was arrogant and had a superior attitude, always acting all high and mighty, like she was trying to assert her dominance over everyone..."
Zhu Xu had already guessed that the person who came with He Xi was the one Zhao Siqiao had mentioned, and understood why the other party was so hostile towards her when they were complete strangers.
Zhu Xu suddenly felt his throat was dry and couldn't help but swallow hard.
Zhao Siqiao stared at her motionless back and asked, "Are you listening?"
After a moment, she suddenly said, "They must have a very good relationship."
"You won't be angry if I tell you?"
"...Then don't say anything."
Zhao Siqiao, always eager for drama, leaned against the wall, swinging her legs: "Back then we were young, and when we first fell in love, we definitely liked each other. We went to class together, ate together, went on dates, and exchanged flowers..."
Zhu Xu suddenly remembered the girl's expression when she talked about the Corolla.
Even though that past had nothing to do with her and their relationship was just an ordinary romance, she still felt a pang of sadness.
She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted but unable to fall asleep.
After finishing his story about He Yanzhou, Zhao Siqiao sighed.
The bed was next to the window, and she sat leaning against it, raising her hand to lift a corner of the gauze curtain. The wind had stopped sometime earlier, and in the dim yellow light of the streetlamp, she could see ginkgo leaves scattered all over the ground.
Zhao Siqiao: "Zhu Xu?"
"……Um?"
"The bouquet you made is so beautiful."
Zhu Xu was puzzled and changed his position to lie flat: "Thank you for the compliment."
“Sometimes I feel like a liar, knowing full well what marriage will bring to girls, yet acting as an accomplice, turning the wedding venue into a sacred and dreamlike palace, deceiving them into willingly walking in.” She nudged her with her toe: “You’re a liar too.”
"..." In fact, Zhu Xu had always known that he was just unlucky. The world is so big, there are always perfect marriages and happy people.
She turned her head and looked at Zhao Siqiao's somewhat forlorn expression hidden in the darkness: "Why did you get a divorce?"
"Extramarital affair".
This seemed to be the most direct and decisive reason to end the marriage. Zhu Xu touched her hand and squeezed it hard.
Zhao Siqiao laughed, "I'm fine, really. I'm more open-minded now, and I can have fun too." She said, "Relationships between men and women are just like that. Whoever takes it seriously loses. So when I first found out about your relationship with He Yanzhou, I actually had a pretty good impression of you."
Zhu Xu said, "Your thinking is very negative."
How proactive are you?
Zhu Xuyi remained silent.
Zhao Siqiao squeezed her hand back.
Even though He Yanzhou's attitude towards her was lukewarm, she was magnanimous and couldn't help but say a few words of truth: "He Yanzhou is quite reliable. I haven't heard of him having any scandals since then. I was too young back then, and my feelings were very superficial. But people will mature and settle down when they get older. If he treats you well, then there is a 70 or 80 percent chance that he has seriously considered the future."
Zhu Xu knew that she and Zhao Siqiao were equally hesitant and conflicted in their relationship.
She only asked her one question: "Do you still want to remarry?"
"In no mood."
Zhu Xu did not continue speaking.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Siqiao exclaimed in surprise, "Let's change careers!"
Zhu Xu followed her train of thought: "Plant rental?"
"right."
She answered almost without hesitation: "Okay."
The two hit it off immediately, without needing to waste any words, and it was a very quick and easy agreement.
In fact, Zhu Xu had long planned to make changes, but it was by no means an emotional decision. One impulsive act was enough; she didn't have the luxury of recklessly altering her career plans. Everything was the result of careful consideration.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Siqiao finally got tired of talking and fell asleep immediately.
Zhu Xu, however, suffered from insomnia all night.
As dawn broke, she quietly got up, picked up her phone, and went to the living room to call Zhu Zhen. Just then, her younger brother Zhu Luan's number suddenly popped up.
In an instant, Zhu Xu had a bad feeling.
She answered the phone immediately and was told that her father had passed away.
It took Zhu Xu a long time to recover. Before he could even grieve, he immediately booked a ticket back to Lincheng.
My father was already dressed in his burial clothes, lying there stiffly. It was another stroke; he had been constipated and sitting for too long, and he collapsed and never got up again.
Shen Jun fainted several times from crying and collapsed on the sofa, unable to do anything. Zhu Xu and Zhu Luan were left to handle the aftermath.
The farewell ceremony was held on the morning of the third day, after the body was sorted out the night before.
Zhu Xu opened the attic door, which was filled with clutter that hadn't been cleaned for many years. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and seeing those things from deep in her memories related to her parents made her want to cry again.
The wardrobe in front of her was the one her mother used when she was alive, and now it was filled with Zhu Zhen's old clothes. She sorted and packed the clothes into boxes, and as she was about to get up, she found a cardboard box on the bottom shelf, neatly stacked with her old musical scores, which were covered in dust from long ago.
She moved it out, dusted off the surface with a rag, and flipped through a few books.
A white document bag was tucked inside, with the words "Lincheng XX District Notary Office" printed on it.
Confused, Zhu Xu untied the rope and pulled out the notarized document.
The gist of the above is that the mother agrees to transfer ownership of the property under her name to Zhu Zhen, but on the condition that Zhu Zhen actively supports and supports his daughter Zhu Xu's education until she graduates from university.
Zhu Xu stared at the words, frozen in place. She had never known of their existence. The cramped space was warm, yet she felt cold all over, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
A piece of paper fell out from the interlayer. She picked it up, unfolded it, and saw that it was her mother's handwriting.
Her vision was blurry, so she turned on her phone's flashlight.
"A brief preface, Zhan Xin'an."
Being a daughter is hard work for you.
Zhu Xu choked up.
She brought the phone closer.
"By the time you read this letter, your mother will no longer be by your side. Leaving you is like a knife to my heart, but alas, humans are so insignificant, unable to even control their own lives."
I'm a very strong-willed mother. I forced you to attend all sorts of extracurricular classes, even though I knew you were tired and unhappy. I still hoped you would have a skill to rely on so you could become someone others would look up to in the future. But it seems like that's no longer possible.
I transferred the house to your father on the condition that he supports your education until you graduate from university. I hope you can understand my decision; I've always believed that spiritual strength is far more important than material wealth.
Your father has never been a reliable person; I only discovered this after I got married. I won't waste time going into the details. Mom just wants you to remember that you must always be strong and independent. You can love your partner, but don't have overly high expectations. Be independent and have your own sense of self.
There are so many things I want to tell you, one after another, but I'll just leave it at that.
Foreword: Things don't always go as planned; it's normal for things to go wrong in this world. If you have a period of bad luck in the future, don't worry. Life has infinite possibilities, and the day you hit rock bottom and bounce back won't be too far away.
Mom will be watching over you from heaven. Hang in there, baby.
Zhu Xu never expected that at the age of twenty-eight, she would still hear her mother call her that.
She suddenly got up, buried her head in the wardrobe, and tried to smell it, but all she could smell was the musty, rotten smell.
In fact, the second year after my mother left, the closet no longer smelled of her. From that time on, the traces of her existence in this world began to slowly disappear, as if she had never been there at all.
On the day of the funeral, Zhu Xu did not shed a single tear.
His gratitude towards Zhu Zhen, like a candle flame flickering in a storm, eventually turned into a wisp of smoke.
She had once thought, with a stroke of luck, that her father loved her to some extent, but she never imagined it would become such a huge joke.
She observed the seven-day mourning period in Lincheng, then packed her things to return to Beidao.
Knowing she was leaving, Shen Jun pulled her aside for a heart-to-heart talk: "Your father left in a hurry, leaving us, a widow and orphan, what will we do in the future?" She wiped away tears as she spoke: "I only have a little over three thousand in retirement pension. Zhu Luan needs to study and will get married in the future, and all I have left is this dilapidated house..."
“Aunt Shen,” Zhu Xu interrupted her, “I will not give up the portion of this house that is rightfully mine to inherit.”
Shen Jun hadn't expected her to be so direct. In an instant, the anger at being abandoned by Zhu Zhen and the confusion about the future surged into her heart. She stood up, pointing her finger at Zhu Xu's nose: "I've always known you're a heartless child, but I never thought you would go so far. Are you deliberately trying to kill my son and me? You have money and a house. You can find a good man to marry and live a life without worrying about food or clothing. Why did you come back to fight us for this dilapidated house?"
"The house was bought by my mother before she got married."
"It's your dad's name now."
Zhu Xu glanced at the time; it was almost 7 p.m.
She walked to the door with her bag on her back and said slowly, "The transfer of ownership requires the consent of family members, but I was completely unaware of it. I don't know how you did it. I only know that if we pursue this further, things might not be so easy to resolve."
Shen Jun felt guilty and stopped in his tracks, standing in the middle of the living room staring blankly at the doorway.
Zhu Xu gripped the doorknob, paused, and finally couldn't bear it: "I'll cover Zhu Luan's tuition. In the future, when he gets married and starts a family, I'll help him as much as I can."
After saying that, she stepped out, closed the door, and heard a heart-wrenching cry coming from inside.
Zhu Xu hurriedly went downstairs, eager to escape this place. He took a taxi to the airport, and looking out the window, he saw that autumn in Lincheng was very different from that in Beidao; it was desolate and lifeless.
I find myself missing that city that was once filled with the sound of crashing waves.
Zhu Xu never imagined that her feelings for Bei Dao would surpass those for the more than twenty years she had lived in Lincheng.
Just before the plane took off, He Yanzhou sent a nearly four-minute video.
In the few days since he returned, he had called, but Zhu Xu made up excuses to brush him off, saying he knew nothing about his father's affairs.
Zhu Xu opened the video. The screen shook, and first his face appeared. He was wearing a blue hard hat, his gaze was down, and his chin was facing the camera. Even from this unflattering angle, there wasn't a single flaw. After a moment, he turned the camera around. It seemed to be a rooftop, with various equipment, instruments, and computers arranged in front of it.
In the somewhat noisy environment, he spoke in a low voice: "There's one minute left before the show starts. All the effects are controlled through this computer," he patted the laptop in front of him, "including the coordination with the music, the order of the effects, and the intervals between them."
Zhu Xu suddenly remembered that today was National Day.
The camera panned slightly, and he pointed in a direction: "There are fireworks displays stretching nearly 600 meters along the river, including four locations: Gulou, Wanhemen, Huainan Road, and the National Wetland Park near your home."
After speaking, he turned his gaze back, this time at a normal height. He looked at the camera, his dark eyes seeming to pierce through the screen, staring intently at her.
Zhu Xu pursed his lips.
He said in a deep voice, "Please watch the fireworks."
The image then focuses on his face; he is slightly hunched over, his arm resting on the railing, his gaze fixed on the distance, seemingly waiting quietly, gazing at something unknown.
Someone nearby reminded him of something, and he glanced at his watch. Then he picked up the walkie-talkie and gave the order: "All departments, prepare."
A static-filled voice announced: "Ready?"
He Yanzhou counted down for five seconds on the walkie-talkie, and then with a bang, his face was enveloped in golden light.
He Yanzhou glanced at the screen again and reminded her, "Adjust the volume, don't be startled."
Zhu Xu subconsciously pressed the volume button several times.
The view shifts, and the screen changes from portrait to landscape.
Zhu Xu saw a □□ bloom like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, making the sky dazzling and bright as day.
Immediately afterwards, a streak of light swept across the river from east to west, instantly making everything around it the center of attention. Then, the music abruptly stopped, and darkness descended. But in an instant, with a series of booming sounds, blue fireworks, like fans, shot upwards and burst forth along the riverbank.
The radiance that hovered in mid-air transformed into countless raindrops, slowly falling into the river...
He wasn't holding the phone steadily, and the picture wasn't as stunning as what he had seen in person, but Zhu Xu's heart was filled with surging emotions.
The plane had been taxiing on the runway for a long time, and with 1 minute and 33 seconds left in the video, she turned off her phone.
After a brief period of weightlessness, the plane took off.
Soon after, the flight attendants reminded passengers via announcement to watch the fireworks outside the window.
Zhu Xu turned his head and was momentarily stunned.
The city below is divided by a river, with steel bridges spanning the two banks, their golden light, like phoenix tails, reflected on the water like flowers blooming in succession. To the east, marigolds above the Drum Tower bloom joyfully, one falling as another opens. To the west, on Huainan Road, traffic flows like a red ribbon, winding through Wanhe Gate, where fireworks cascade down the gate tower, and the four large red characters "National Prosperity and People's Peace" suddenly burst into the air...
Neon lights, beams of light, and flames adorn every corner.
The night sky is ablaze with color, contrasting with the inky blackness; all things rejoice.
It was the fireworks empire he created.
Zhu Xu had no idea which building He Yanzhou was standing on, silently watching all of this, and what he was feeling.
This was the first time she had stood in his kingdom.
But the plane climbed higher and higher, moving away.
The city transformed into tiny diamond-shaped blocks, until it shrank to a single point of light and disappeared.
/
There were weddings every day during the Golden Week holiday, and Zhu Xu was eager to return home, so he went straight to the banquet hall.
The flowers were prepared in advance by Xiao Zhou. Before the holiday, the shop hired another apprentice, a young boy named Lin Yuan. He was tall, fair-skinned, and had two dimples on his face when he smiled. He looked very sunny and energetic.
In addition, a florist was temporarily hired and is currently on site.
She met with Zhao Siqiao briefly, inquired about Zhu Xu's family situation, offered a few words of comfort, and was then called away by a phone call.
For a whole week, we stayed up all night.
After gritting his teeth and getting through the busy work, Zhu Xu was finally able to rest for a day.
The next morning, when I went to open the door, I unexpectedly saw someone at the entrance.
Sun Ning, wearing a brown cashmere coat and carrying a small handbag, smiled at Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu returned the smile.
"I've been waiting for you for ages," Sun Ning said first. "Do you have time? I'd like to chat with you for a bit."
Zhu Xu stepped forward and unlocked the door: "Come in and sit down." After opening the door, she turned on all the lights and glanced at the woman following behind: "Leave the door open, no need to close it, let some air in."
Zhu Xu only brought a chair and didn't greet anyone else. She didn't even touch the bottle of mineral water that was replaced last time.
Sun Ning sat down and looked around: "Miss Zhu, how big is your flower shop?"
"About thirty-odd square meters."
"How much is the rent?"
Zhu Xu stood behind the control panel and glanced at her: "It's not outrageously expensive, but it's not cheap either."
Sun Ning nodded: "The location is good and it's popular, no doubt about it." After a pause, she turned to look at her: "Let's get straight to the point... I wonder if you have any plans to transfer the flower shop. To be honest, I really liked it when I first came here."
Zhu Xu didn't speak for a moment.
She said, "You can suggest the price."
Zhu Xu laughed: "How much can you give?"
Sun Ning looked away and pondered for a few seconds: "I'm willing to pay three times the price."
"Does He Yanzhou know how generous you are?"
Sun Ning was startled, not expecting Zhu Xu to suddenly mention his name. She turned to meet her gaze, and for a moment, her expression almost faltered. It seemed she already knew who she was and the true purpose of her words.
Sun Ning composed herself and smiled politely: "It's much easier. Or you can name your price."
"From what standpoint?"
"I……"
Zhu Xu noticed the fleeting panic in her eyes: "Three times the price? Why didn't I ask He Yanzhou for it?" She rested her chin on her hand, paused, and said, "I should have given more than that."
Sun Ning clenched her fist, her hostility now undisguised: "What exactly is your relationship with him?"
Zhu Xu said, "Lover? Bed partner? Friend with benefits? It's hard to define."
Sun Ning was surprised by her directness; due to her upbringing, she had never encountered this type of person before.
Sun Ning stood up and looked at her face carefully: "You're so beautiful, why do you want to maintain this kind of relationship with him? We're both women, we should both know how many years of youth we have, why not find a suitable person and have a proper relationship..."
"Stop for now." Zhu Xu interrupted her. "Why don't you talk to him first?" She thought for a moment. "That's not right either. He Yanzhou shouldn't be the kind of person who would go back to an old flame. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing here today. The temptation of me transferring the shop isn't that great. I don't know what your family background is like, but He Yanzhou is a strong enough tree for me. I'll continue to rely on him."
For some unknown reason, Zhu Xu's words were extremely aggressive.
Seeing her eyes redden, she felt a strange sense of relief. Once this twisted thought arose, she felt like a wicked and self-deprecating woman.
Sun Ning blinked and tightened the strap of her bag: "Although the He family is not a scholarly family, they are still quite prestigious in certain circles in Lincheng. You can act recklessly, but it won't be that easy to get into their family... Yanzhou's mother will not like someone like you."
Zhu Xu reached back for the apron: "Looks like he likes you. Go find his mother." The tone of this sentence was more like a swear word.
"you……"
After holding back for a long time, a single tear finally rolled down Sun Ning's cheek. She moved her lips and gently wiped away the tear stain with her finger. "I hope you will have this much confidence in the future, or maybe there will be no future at all. You said it yourself, it's impossible to define."
After saying that, she turned and walked away quickly.
The footsteps faded into the distance, and the room fell silent for a moment.
Zhu Xu lowered his head, put the apron around his neck, and struggled to tie the belt around his waist.
A sudden gust of sea wind slammed the open door shut with a loud bang.
Zhu Xu shuddered, extremely annoyed, took off the apron that was only half tied, and threw it on the table next to him.
When He Yanzhou came over in the evening, she was wrapping a bunch of yellow roses.
Sensing that he would come today, she looked up and asked with a smile, "When did you come back?"
"Noon," He Yanzhou said.
"I watched the video. It's a pity I wasn't there at the time; it must have been incredibly moving."
"It's alright." Hearing the slightly exaggerated tone in her voice, He Yanzhou's smile also stiffened slightly. "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Zhu Xu said, "I'm still thinking about how you felt back then. You must have felt a great sense of accomplishment."
"On the contrary, I was very nervous throughout the whole process." He Yanzhou walked to her side, picked up a rose and looked at it: "The effect of the setting off is unknown until the very end."
Zhu Xu didn't say anything more. She lowered her eyes and held a bunch of pale yellow roses in her hand. She adjusted the shape until it was perfect, tied it with tape, and then took out crepe paper and cellophane to wrap them.
Unable to choose between rose pink and off-white, she held up the ribbon and asked him, "Which one is better?"
He Yanzhou pointed to one at random.
“Sun Ning came this morning.” She tied on a rose-pink ribbon.
He Yanzhou took two seconds to react, his brow twitching slightly in surprise.
Zhu Xu raised his head and emphasized, "I'm talking about Sun Ning."
He Yanzhou: "I didn't expect her to come looking for you."
His mother had called a while ago, saying that Sun Ning and He Xi were visiting Beidao and asked him to take good care of them. But he didn't have the time, so he let them do whatever they wanted, told his assistant, and then forgot about it.
He had never mentioned Zhu Xu to his family, and he was unaware of when Zhu Xu and He Xi had established their friendship. It was his oversight that he hadn't thought of this aspect.
"What did she say to you? There are some things I might need to explain."
The bouquets were wrapped up; it was already closing time.
"No need." Zhu Xu put on his coat, picked up the bouquet, walked to the door and turned off the light. "She offered me three times the price to sublet the flower shop, but I made her cry and she left."
He Yanzhou followed behind her, remaining silent for a moment.
Zhu Xu locked the door, turned around, and handed him the bouquet of flowers: "She likes roses, just like you."
For no apparent reason, a slight bitterness welled up in her heart.
He Yanzhou didn't take it; his expression had already turned somewhat somber.
The music from the bar next door masked the sound of the wind. The two stood facing each other for a moment, then Zhu Xu said, "Yellow represents apology. Take it and try to appease her."
She offered it to him again, but he kept his hands in his trouser pockets and didn't reach out to take it.
Zhu Xu didn't dare offer any more flowers, suddenly feeling that he was being extremely pretentious and boring. Holding the flowers in his hand, he wanted to turn around and leave.
At this moment, He Yanzhou grabbed her wrist and pulled it back slightly: "Are you angry because of this?"
"No." Zhu Xu remained calm, trying to twist his wrist. "She wanted me to transfer the flower shop for three times the price, hoping I could find someone to date properly and stop this ambiguous relationship with you. Later, I seriously considered it, and it did make sense. I even regretted not accepting her terms... Ouch... It hurts..."
He tightened his grip on Zhu Xu's wrist, making Zhu Xu feel as if the bones in his wrist were about to be crushed.
"Let go, it hurts!" she whispered, patting the back of his hand.
He Yanzhou subconsciously loosened his grip, rubbed his fingers against her skin a few times, and gestured towards the roadside with his chin: "Let's talk in the car."
Where to?
"Let's go up and talk about it." He led her to a black Porsche parked not far away.
Zheng Zhi could tell through the glass that the two people were not in a good mood. After they got in, he immediately felt the air pressure inside the car drop.
He adjusted his posture and asked cautiously, "Mr. He, where are we going?"
"Drive however you like."
Zheng Zhi reluctantly started the car and secretly glanced at the two people in the back through the rearview mirror. One of them was looking out the window, while the other, who seemed to be able to control other people's emotions, was holding a bouquet of flowers and had his eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.
Zheng Zhi quickly averted his gaze and looked straight ahead without glancing to the side.
Driving east along the coastal highway, you'll pass the pier to Phuket, the night market, and the beach, and then the airport.
There was no conversation inside the car.
Zheng Zhi was considering making a U-turn at the next intersection when the person behind him suddenly said, "Pull over for a bit."
"Okay." Zheng Zhi lightly turned the steering wheel and turned on the hazard lights: "I drank too much water and was just about to go to the toilet."
Once the car came to a stop, he immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and slid out.
It's a secluded spot; the sea lies below the railing, and there are hardly any houses or people around.
The streetlights on both sides were scattered, their faint orange glow quickly swallowed by the darkness.
The silence was almost unbearable. Zhu Xu shifted and decided to speak first: "Do you have something to say to me?"
He Yanzhou casually placed his hands on his lap, turned his gaze from the car window to her, and said, “Sun Ning is a friend I used to know, and our families have some connections, so we can’t completely sever ties. I knew she was coming to Beidao, but I didn’t expect her to come to you. Whatever she said, don’t take it to heart. I have no connection with her now.”
Zhu Xu nodded: "I know."
Seeing her calm demeanor, He Yanzhou gave a cold laugh: "It seems the problem isn't with her."
Zhu Xu remained silent.
He tried everything, from soft to hard, but he had run out of options.
He never dared to mention her unresolved issues.
But it seems the two have reached a fork in the road, and she is hesitant and eager to get away, unwilling to walk with him any longer.
"You're still dwelling on those past experiences," He Yanzhou said. "Did you get bitten by a snake and now you see everyone as a snake?"
"...I didn't." She was eager to defend herself, and her voice involuntarily rose a couple of decibels.
"Then why try to distance yourself?"
Zhu Xu tightened the ribbon on the bouquet with his fingers, saying, "I'm tired of always being with the same person."
"I didn't see it coming." He still looked calm, but only he knew that he was so angry with her that his head was throbbing.
He paused for a moment. "Let me think about it," he took a deep breath. "You feel that after all the hardship of getting a divorce and leaving your ex-husband, you should live a different life. So you do whatever you want, decide to stay in North Island, decide to open a flower shop in a place where you know no one, you get tattoos, go to bars, and casually have one-night stands with men..."
“It wasn’t casual,” Zhu Xu said.
His words pierced her wounds, but hearing them made her want to argue, as if she wanted to clarify that she wasn't a casual person. But thinking about it, it seemed that she had indeed done something casual with him. She was conflicted and torn, but she was still certain that if she hadn't met him that night, she wouldn't have had a one-night stand, and she wouldn't have ended up in this embarrassing situation.
After a moment, a casual "Hmm" escaped his chest, sounding almost self-deprecating. "I'm honored."
“You…are excellent in every way. President He underestimated your own charm.” Her voice trailed off, as if trying to cover something up with a very superficial statement.
He Yanzhou almost laughed out of anger. "My value has always been based entirely on physical strength." He seemed to have been interrupted and forgot where he was. It took him a long time to catch up with what he had said before: "You want to play? Fine, I'll play along. But you find you can't afford to play. You get off my bed, pat your butt, and think you can just walk away? You probably don't know, but I'm not so easy to use."
His words were icy, and Zhu Xu pursed his lips tightly: "You're the one who can't take a joke."
“You’re right, we’re all the same.” He Yanzhou turned to look at her, his voice cold. “Look at Zhao Siqiao, that’s a real player. If you don’t have her skills, you should give up now. Have you ever really enjoyed all these tricks? Have you gotten rid of the shadows? Are you feeling more positive? None of this is living for yourself, it’s just wasting your passion for life.”
Zhu Xu's fingertips were icy cold, and he felt fear in his heart.
She was like a lab rat, dissected by him. He studied and dissected her like an executioner, coldly rubbing her flesh and tendons, and raising the knife, proudly displaying: "Look, these are her internal organs."
She realized that even if they separated, they might not be able to maintain even the most basic dignity.
She retorted, "To put it nicely, you can't empathize; to put it bluntly, you're just talking without understanding the pain."
"No one can stand at the same emotional level."
"Then what is the point of your lecturing?"
“Outsiders see things more clearly. We've both been fairly clear-headed, and I was just trying to offer a friendly reminder.” He Yanzhou admitted he was acting impulsively at that moment; he knew where her sore spot lay: “Do you understand selfishness? It’s what’s hidden beneath your pursuit of a carefree life. Sun Ning was right about one thing: life isn’t short, find someone to date and marry normally…”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Xu suddenly shouted, "I am selfish, I admit it." She was wrong, so she decided to go all the way and throw a tantrum: "Then please, Mr. He, have mercy on me. I'll find someone to marry right now, is that alright?"
After she finished speaking, she reached back to open the car door, took a step, and ran out.
"Zhu Xu!" He Yanzhou didn't have time to react. He reached out to grab her, but only touched the hem of her clothes. He turned around to pull the door open beside him and chased after her, saying, "Zhu Xu, come back."
Zheng Zhi, who was on the phone nearby, was startled and instinctively turned around, wanting to chase after her. However, he saw out of the corner of his eye that He Yanzhou had taken several large strides past him and grabbed her wrist, so he stopped in his tracks.
The sea wind raged at night, and huge waves crashed against the rocks, opening their gaping maws as if they wanted to swallow the road whole.
The two were positioned right between two streetlights, where the light was extremely dim.
He Yanzhou pulled the person into his arms: "There's not a soul in sight here, where do you think you're going?"
"Go ahead and get a taxi." Zhu Xu turned her back to him. She was stronger than an ox at this moment, and broke free from his arms, but the next second, he grabbed her back. She said angrily, "What do you want! You brought me here to destroy the evidence?"
He Yanzhou snorted coldly: "I don't have that ability." He suppressed his temper: "Let's talk in the car if we have something to say."
"There's nothing to say."
Since things had already come to this, Zhu Xu struggled and pushed as if she was going all out. The bouquet of flowers was still tightly held in her hand. The two of them were squeezed and deformed in the struggle, and the petals fell to the ground and were instantly blown away by the wind.
Somehow, in her struggle, she grabbed a long thorn that hadn't been cleaned off the flower stem, and her fingers felt a piercing pain.
He Yanzhou noticed it too, pulled her tightly into his arms, and lifted her hand: "Let me see."
Zhu Xu finally behaved and let him take tissues from her pocket and wipe her face.
After a long pause, she said softly, "My father has passed away."
He Yanzhou was stunned: "When...?"
“That’s not the point.” Zhu Xu stepped out of his arms, her gaze lowered. “Remember I told you that I’ve always been grateful to him for supporting me through college… but the irony is that it was only on one condition, a condition he gave me a house in exchange for my mother.” She suddenly looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. “My dad doesn’t love me.”
“You…” He Yanzhou paused.
Zhu Xu brushed away the strands of hair that were blowing all over his face: "And Liang Haiyang, I saw all the ugliness in the world in him. It seems that men can be gentle and affectionate, but they can also be violent and ruthless. He grabbed my hair and shoved me hard into the water, and he stubbed out his cigarette on my arm. When he did these things, there was no pity in his eyes. It was as if he had completely forgotten that he had once vowed to love and cherish me."
"Who could be as unlucky as me? How could I dare to try again?" Zhu Xu sniffed, looking into his long, deep eyes. "That night on Jidao Island, I heard those three words very clearly, but I was so panicked. And the National Day a few days ago, the fireworks that filled the city were spectacular, all thanks to you. You were once high above, admired by all, so why should I be?"
She felt a tearing pain in her heart, gritting her teeth to leave herself no room for regret: "You've seen all my flaws. I can walk a part of the road with you, but I don't have the confidence to continue. It was wrong of me to get involved with you, and I've regretted it countless times. Let's just... let's just... let's stop contacting each other."
He Yanzhou released her arm and suddenly felt powerless. He had been so foolish as to try to influence someone who had an unhappy childhood and had suicidal thoughts.
That marriage left her scarred and broken.
However, his medical skills were lacking, and despite his deep pity, he did not know how to treat a patient who was reluctant to seek medical help.
“Zhu Xu,” he said, his voice hoarse, “if you can’t judge other people’s feelings for you, you might as well ask yourself, who do you care about right now?”
Zhu Xu froze, a sharp pain shooting through his chest. It was as if his words were the beginning of untangling a tangled mess, the antidote to a hundred poisons.
But she didn't dare.
She clenched her fists, her lips trembling slightly: "I don't care about anyone."
He Yanzhou was speechless this time. He stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded to himself and turned to look elsewhere.
After a moment of silence: "I'll listen to you, let's stop here."
Zhu Xu felt a stinging sensation in his nose, and a stone stuck in his throat.
"Let's go, let's go back." His voice was low. An unprecedented sense of defeat weighed on him, almost bending his back.
"...I'll walk by myself."
"Get in the car." His voice was extremely cold, a commanding tone that brooked no refusal from her.
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