Chapter 44 "Get a good night's sleep."...
He Yanzhou asked his third uncle to help him find Liang Haiyang. If he failed to get revenge, Liang Haiyang might become desperate and reckless, making him a ticking time bomb.
My third uncle responded that whatever the outcome, he would give me a reply within a week.
At this point, no one dared to let their guard down, and He Yanzhou continued to pick up and drop off Zhu Xu at work. Zhu Xu himself was also extremely careful, mostly traveling with colleagues and avoiding going out alone.
Even though everyone was being very careful, things still went wrong in that short period of time.
Recently, the city's convention and exhibition center will be hosting a plant landscaping exhibition, which is a great opportunity to showcase your work and style to the public.
Given Zhu Xu's company's qualifications, they didn't get an admission ticket at first. It was Zhao Siqiao who found someone to help them squeeze out a display area in a corner of the venue.
Time is tight; we need to finalize the plan before proceeding with the next steps.
The design department stayed to work overtime, and Zhao Siqiao didn't leave either. He lay on the sofa in Zhu Xu's office, playing games to keep them company.
The outer office area was brightly lit, and music filled the entire space, stimulating inspiration.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened until the light and shadow of the incandescent bulb were reflected on the glass.
He Yanzhou called and said he was waiting at a red light and would be there in about five minutes.
Zhu Xu checked the work progress: "I might finish here a little later."
"No rush, I'll wait outside."
Zhu Xu hung up the phone and wanted to ask Zhao Siqiao to look at the renderings, but the young lady didn't even look up and said she would wait until she finished this game.
Her other phone buzzed, she glanced at it quickly, and tossed it to Zhu Xu, "I ordered milk tea, could you go out and get it for me?"
Zhu Xu saw the takeout number displayed on her phone, answered it, and walked out. He paused at the door, then turned back, took something out of his bag, and shoved it into his back pocket before feeling at ease.
She went to the outer room and looked at the only male colleague in the design department. "Xiao Ye, come with me for a bit." Actually, she could have asked him to fetch it himself, but thinking that He Yanzhou would be there soon, she decided to go out and wait for him.
The two walked out of the company. The corridor was dimly lit, and the music seemed to be locked in a box, instantly silencing them.
I waited for a while in front of the office building before the deliveryman finally found me. Their location is indeed somewhat remote and low-lying. The courtyard is right next to the national highway, and opposite is a row of self-built houses, most of which are vacant.
It's fine during the day, but at night, with insufficient lighting, it's easy for unfamiliar people to get lost.
Xiao Ye, carrying a handful of milk tea, waited to return with Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu looked up and saw a car turning off the road, two beams of light sweeping past as it drove towards him.
She then told Xiao Ye to go in first, and took two steps forward to greet him.
The courtyard wall blocked the view, but a faint light could be felt approaching the gate.
The accident happened in those few seconds. Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed a dark shadow rushing towards her. Before she could turn her head, a strong force pulled her toward the parking area on the right side of the yard.
Zhu Xu, no longer caring about being afraid, strained with all her might to break free in the opposite direction. She caught a glimpse of He Yanzhou's car pulling into the gate and called out to him loudly.
Liang Haiyang's pupils suddenly contracted in the darkness. She was all alone, and now she'd run into that man again. He gritted his teeth, grabbed Zhu Xu's hair, and dragged her towards a dilapidated van in the corner.
The disparity in strength between men and women was ultimately too great. Zhu Xu felt a sharp pain in his scalp and his feet were dangling in disarray as he was about to be shoved into the open, dilapidated car.
A long, drawn-out whistle echoed through the night, and a blinding beam of light shone in this direction.
At that moment, Liang Haiyang hesitated.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhu Xu braced himself against the door frame, reached into his pocket behind him with his other hand, pulled out an electric arc baton, and pressed it against Liang Haiyang's neck.
"Ah!" he cried out through gritted teeth, as if struck by lightning, "You bitch!"
Zhu Xu kicked him in the stomach and staggered away. In the instant she turned around, she caught Zheng Zhi brushing past her, moving so fast it was as if he were flying towards her.
Zhu Xu didn't stop running; he rushed into the arms of the man who was running at almost the same speed as him.
Liang Haiyang intended to drive away, turning around to climb into the driver's seat, but Zheng Zhi slammed the car door shut at that moment. His hand was caught in the gap, and he let out a painful groan.
He Yanzhou pressed down on the back of Zhu Xu's head, pulling her back a few steps, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "It's alright...it's alright..."
Zhu Xu was almost exhausted, her hands gripping his shirt tightly, unable to speak for a moment, only feeling the large hand on the back of her head gently massaging the spot where he had just grabbed her.
She secretly turned her head and saw that Zheng Zhi had already dragged Liang Haiyang out and thrown him to the open space to the side. The front of the beat-up van was facing the iron gate of the backyard. She couldn't imagine which road he would be bumping along if he had really stuffed him into the van just now.
He Yanzhou reached out and covered her eyes: "Are you feeling better?"
Zhu Xu: "Hmm."
"Honey, go buy me a pack of cigarettes."
Zhu Xu paused, realizing that he had been deliberately trying to get rid of him, and looked up, almost pleadingly, "Why don't we just call the police?"
"Don't worry, nothing will happen." He Yanzhou pressed his lips to her forehead, glanced ahead, and saw Liang Haiyang clutching her neck and stumbling towards the backyard, with Zheng Zhi following behind at a leisurely pace.
He grabbed Zhu Xu's shoulder and pulled her away, saying, "Go." When she refused to leave, he pushed her back harder.
He Yanzhou turned around and strode towards the backyard.
The security management in this area is not standardized. The only two security cameras are facing out onto the street and pointing at the entrance of the office building, respectively.
I rented this place because it was cheap and close to the flower market; I never considered that something like this would happen.
Zhu Xu was afraid that He Yanzhou would get hurt, and also afraid that he would hurt someone, but in the end she chose to trust him, so she obediently rushed to the small supermarket outside. It was as if if she acted quickly and completed the task he had given her, he could completely resolve the matter and get away unscathed.
After running a few steps, I couldn't help but look back; there was no one left in the front yard.
When He Yanzhou arrived, Zheng Zhi had already locked the iron gate.
Liang Haiyang leaned against a large tree, curled up, his sinister eyes fixed on him, his hand secretly placed behind his body as he lowered it.
Having lived in the shadows for so long, he had become emaciated, his mind agitated and split, sometimes grinning wickedly, sometimes gritting his teeth, like an antisocial thug ready to slash wildly with a knife at any moment.
He Yanzhou paused, hands in his pockets, and glanced at him for a few seconds from a distance. He had never dealt with this scumbag directly before, and seeing his current wretched appearance, he didn't care to do anything.
However, the hatred was hard to dispel.
In the darkness, He Yanzhou's face showed no emotion.
Guan Zhengzhi asked for a cigarette case, slowly shook out a cigarette and held it between his teeth. Zhengzhi lit it and handed it to him, but Guan Zhengzhi simply took the lighter and lit it himself.
Liang Haiyang's ghostly eyes darted between the two men: "What are you doing? What do you want?"
Zheng Zhi stood next to He Yanzhou, looking up at him: "I didn't want anything, I was just looking for you, and here you are, walking right into my line of fire. Why didn't you just go in there unharmed and stay there?"
Liang Haiyang swallowed hard and reached for the dagger tucked into his waistband: "Injuring someone is a serious crime. Think it over."
Zheng Zhi spat and said, "You have the nerve to say that?"
"Anyway, if anyone dares to touch me, I will call the police immediately."
"The police are looking for you too."
"Okay, I'll turn myself in right now."
Zheng Zhi laughed: "Are you trying to fool me? You think I can come and go as I please?"
A cool breeze blew through the backyard, dispelling the heat of the whole day.
This secluded spot was overgrown with weeds and rarely frequented. Even the iron gate was rusted and off track; no one knew how he had managed to open it.
Zheng Zhi hadn't stopped talking when he caught a glimpse of He Yanzhou taking a step forward. He stopped talking and followed closely behind, his attention fully focused.
Walking up to Liang Haiyang, He Yanzhou took the cigarette from his lips, bent down, and placed it on a nearby stone.
He was surrounded by smoke, and as he stood up, he suddenly punched Liang Haiyang in the abdomen.
Before the other person could react, a scream escaped their throat. He curled up and slowly slid down, taking a while to get up by bracing himself against the tree trunk. He reached for his lower back again, a cold glint flashing in his hand, and stabbed at He Yanzhou haphazardly.
He Yanzhou slowly retreated as Zheng Zhi approached. When he saw Zheng Zhi about to step forward, he raised his hand to stop him, dodging left and right, and felt a slight pain in his wrist.
He suddenly stopped, grabbed Liang Haiyang's wrist from the side, braced himself with his right leg to gather strength, and then raised it to deliver a flying kick to Liang Haiyang's chest.
Liang Haiyang staggered back several steps, fell flat on his back, and dropped the dagger in his hand. He hurriedly turned over to pick it up, but in an instant, a leather shoe crushed his hand.
Liang Haiyang's fingers trembled: "Ah!"
He Yanzhou stepped up his efforts.
"ah!!"
Zheng Zhi's eyes widened in shock; it was the first time he had ever witnessed his boss resort to violence, and with such ferocity. He Yanzhou was usually a low-key person, generally warm and gentle to everyone he met, and when displeased, he would only show a cold face, rarely getting angry.
Zheng Zhi was no longer in a hurry and stood aside with his arms crossed, watching the excitement.
Liang Haiyang's eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly burst into laughter: "Pathetic, truly pathetic. Even if you beat me to death today, you'll still be using what I used."
He Yanzhou punched him in the face.
Liang Haiyang was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. It took him a long time to recover: "I really regret it... I should have... drowned that bitch," he said with a sinister smile, "beat her to death... so she wouldn't be so shameless as to seduce anyone..."
He Yanzhou threw another punch.
He pressed his knee against his chest and punched him repeatedly, giving him no chance to utter a sound.
Zheng Zhi loosened his grip, fearing someone might die, and quickly stepped forward to remind him, "President He."
He Yanzhou's gaze was cold and sharp, his chest heaving. He glanced at him, then stopped, got up to retrieve the cigarette he had placed on the rock. The cigarette was almost burned out; he took two deep drags, the embers reigniting, and bent down, pressing it hard against the skin of He Yanzhou's chest.
Liang Haiyang's eyes seemed to pop out: "Ah!"
Immediately afterwards, He Yanzhou lit the second one.
Zhu Xu had three acupuncture points on his body, and being generous, he planned to give him two more.
Seeing the bloody soot stains covering his chest, Zheng Zhi stepped forward to stop him. He Yanzhou ignored him, seemingly having lost his mind in the escalating violence, and nothing seemed to satiate his anger.
He took a drag of his cigarette, turned his palm over, and stabbed at the carotid artery.
Zheng Zhi's expression hardened, and he immediately grabbed the man's wrist and flung him far away: "President He, that's enough."
He Yanzhou pointed at him and warned him.
Zheng Zhi stepped forward and pressed his hands against his chest, refusing to budge. He looked up and saw a figure running towards him from behind, so he looked back at him and reminded him, "Zhu Xu is coming."
He Yanzhou paused, turned his head to look, then stubbed out his cigarette and threw it at his feet. The sinister look in his eyes softened a bit as he stared at Zheng Zhi until the latter nodded in understanding. Only then did he turn around and quickly face Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu, panting as he ran, clutching a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, was about to turn the corner when he suddenly bumped into He Yanzhou's arms.
He led his men toward the door.
Zhu Xu couldn't help but turn her head by his shoulder, and vaguely saw Liang Haiyang lying motionless on the ground. A sense of dread filled her: "He..."
He raised his hand to block her view: "You won't die."
Walk to the front yard.
He Yanzhou helped Zhu Xu into the driver's seat, then walked around to the other end and got in himself.
The lights flashed twice, and the car drove out of the gate and sped away.
Zhu Xu was initially puzzled as to why he wanted her to drive, until a fishy, rusty smell entered her nostrils.
She turned her head quickly and took a deep breath. His right hand was gripping his left wrist, and blood seeped out between his fingers, staining the clean white shirt with a shocking dark red.
"...You're hurt." She tried to hide her trembling voice.
"Just a small cut. It's nothing."
"oh."
"Go to the hospital."
"Um."
There was no sound inside the car for the time being.
He Yanzhou lowered the car window a little to let the fresh air dissipate the bloody smell in the car.
Zhu Xu stared straight ahead, searching her chaotic mind for directions to the nearest hospital. She was so focused that her eyes ached, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
"Oh no, I think I can't hold back anymore..." She bit her lip guiltily and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her fingers.
He Yanzhou breathed a light sigh of relief, turned his head and gently comforted her, "It really was just a scratch, the wound is very small. I didn't notice it just now, that's why it got on my body."
"……Um."
"Don't cry." He looked at her gently, the sharpness and intensity in his eyes completely gone.
Zhu Xu was still crying, but obediently answered, "Okay."
"Drive slowly, don't rush."
"Okay," she obediently replied.
At that moment, the phone on his lap started buzzing. Zhu Xu was still in a bad mood and couldn't answer it, but the other party kept calling.
He Yanzhou leaned over to answer the call and turned on the speakerphone.
Zhao Siqiao's lazy voice came over: "Hey Miss Zhu, why did you disappear just to get some milk tea? The proposal is waiting for your review, when are you coming back?"
He Yanzhou said, "She's not feeling well, so I'll take her with me."
There was silence for two seconds on the other end, then a strong, rhythmic background sound came through the receiver.
Zhao Siqiao's joking tone vanished, replaced by concern. "What happened? She was perfectly fine just now. Is she feeling unwell?"
"We'll talk later."
"Hey!" she said hurriedly, "She took my phone."
He Yanzhou glanced at the unfamiliar phone case in his hand: "I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
He hung up the phone without listening to what she said next.
Looking up, I could already see the Red Cross logo of the city hospital.
There weren't many people in the emergency room at night, so Zhu Xu told him to sit still in the chair while he ran around taking care of things.
I finally saw the wound clearly; it wasn't as small as he had described.
It's clear that the knife tip made a clean cut, indicating that Liang Haiyang had murderous intent from the very beginning.
The wound was a bloody mess, with the skin turned inside out, and it was a full 4 centimeters long. In addition, he had multiple contusions to the bones in his hand.
Zhu Xu felt a pang of heartache and turned to look at the people coming and going, trying to distract himself.
While the wound was being stitched up, Zheng Zhi called.
He Yanzhou glanced at the screen and turned to Zhu Xu: "I'm a little thirsty."
"I'm going to buy water." She asked, "Room temperature?"
"It's cold, isn't it?"
"good."
Watching her walk away, He Yanzhou answered the phone.
After Zheng Zhi took Zhu Xu away, he picked up all the cigarette butts on the ground, carefully inspected the scene, dragged the man into the dilapidated van, and drove it through the back door to a remote and secluded place.
Considering the possibility of being recorded by the surveillance cameras at the office building entrance, we have already asked someone to help us handle it.
He wiped away the marks on the car, called the police using Liang Haiyang's phone to prevent being recorded, and then threw the phone into the sea afterward.
He hid in the shadows until the police arrived and took the man away before leaving.
Zheng Zhi walked ahead to hail a taxi: "He can report back later when he gets out."
He Yanzhou: Let's talk about it when I can get out.
After a brief silence, Zheng Zhi asked nothing.
The two arrived home after midnight. He Yanzhou's left wrist and right hand were wrapped in gauze, making it extremely inconvenient for him to do anything. Zhu Xu did everything for him, helping him take off his clothes, wash up, and change into a clean set of home clothes.
After getting ready, they lay in bed together.
The smell of blood finally dissipated, and all that remained was a familiar and pleasant fragrance.
In the stillness of midnight, in the darkness of the room, the sound of the air conditioner shutting off was surprisingly reassuring.
Zhu Xu touched the skin next to his gauze: "Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt."
"You're definitely lying."
He Yanzhou turned sideways and pulled her closer to his chest, then lifted his leg to clamp her legs together: "Men feel less pain than women."
"Why?"
He closed his eyes: "Different pain thresholds lead to different ways of processing them in the brain."
Zhu Xu didn't ask anything more. After a while, probably remembering the time she broke her leg, he told her, "If you want to go to the toilet, remember to tell me. Although I don't have the strength to carry you, I can still help you there."
"...My hand is injured, not my foot."
Zhu Xu looked up and nuzzled his chin with the tip of his nose: "Would it be convenient for you to unbutton your pants? I can help you. You taught me, I know how to do it."
He Yanzhou opened his eyes a crack. "My pajama pants don't have buttons, thank you."
“Then I can help you…” She paused, then suddenly leaned her head close to his ear and whispered the last three words.
Even though there were only the two of them in the room, she acted like a thief, sneaking around.
He Yanzhou hesitated for a moment, then said, "Take it out now and let me see?"
She seemed to finally feel some shame, burying her head in his arms and remaining silent.
He Yanzhou chuckled silently in the darkness. Actually, he couldn't stand her serious way of making lewd remarks. Usually, he would definitely make her do it, but tonight, he just wanted to hold her tight and fall asleep.
The two chatted casually, from the project in Jidao to the exhibition rental in a few days, talking about the movies she had recently watched, the new plants she had acquired, and asking him what he wanted for his birthday and what kind of pet he liked...
Before we knew it, a faint blue hue appeared on the horizon.
He Yanzhou could tell that she was very tired, but she was still talking to him excitedly, as if she could release the fear and anxiety of the whole night.
He responded softly, patting her back rhythmically.
Gradually, she slowed down her speech, and even stopped speaking for a while.
He Yanzhou lowered his head: "Preface."
"Hmm?" Zhu Xu opened his eyelids slightly.
"Get a good night's sleep."
"……Um."
"good evening."
Zhu Xu closed his eyes: "Good night."
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