Chapter 8. The sweetness lasts longer if you hold it in your mouth. ...
Zhu Xu was almost lifted into the air by He Yanzhou. The force on her waist was tight and steady. Her feet left the ground for a moment, she spun half a circle, and then landed steadily on the ground.
Zhu Xu turned around, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected it to be him again.
I've never stood this close to him before, and only now do I realize how tall and strong he is.
He Yanzhou released his grip, took a small step back, and looked at her calmly, showing no emotion whatsoever for saving the suicidal person.
Zhu Xu did not struggle violently. She avoided his gaze slightly and secretly rubbed her waist.
The two stood silently for a moment.
Zhu Xu's voice was very soft as he asked him, as if he were also asking himself, "Is it really that bad?"
He Yanzhou said, "Life is hard to please everyone, but there is always a solution to everything."
She looked up: "I just finished dealing with it."
"You're giving up like this. You'll probably regret it the moment you jump."
Zhu Xu pursed his dry lips, avoided the shadow cast by him, took two steps to the side, and returned to the chest-high concrete railing.
The river water lapped against the shore under the bridge, splashing everywhere, and the cold wind here seemed even more damp.
Not long after, He Yanzhou followed.
He glanced at her for a moment, then asked bluntly, "How did you get the head injury?"
"My dad smashed it with an ashtray."
He raised an eyebrow slightly, then pointed vaguely: "And here?"
"Liang Haiyang pinched him."
"yes?"
Zhu Xu explained: "My husband."
He Yanzhou paused sharply. Even though he had some guesses in his heart, her calm words, so gentle and understated, seemed to be crushed by the wind. He couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her, which was also quite inappropriate.
Zhu Xu looked at him and said with a smile, "I lost my job today, was pressured by my only relative in the world, and suffered domestic violence several times. I finally experienced what it means to feel like I have no will to live."
Despite it being an embarrassing experience, she was completely open with him at this moment and even thanked him for his patience, becoming an outlet for her emotions.
Zhu Xu said, “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything heinous, I haven’t pursued fame or fortune, I haven’t excessively sought material enjoyment, my circle of friends is simple, and my life has been uneventful… But even so, I lost my mother early, my father doesn’t love me, and the people I’ve met are not good men… I want a divorce, but he won’t let me go…” She spoke intermittently, looking up at him with regret: “People in this world are either very lucky or very unlucky, and it seems that I belong to the latter.”
He Yanzhou said, "Whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, it's hard to draw a conclusion until the very end."
"is that so."
She spoke very softly, and He Yanzhou didn't hear her clearly.
The two were speechless for a moment.
The lights on both banks gradually went out, and the scattered lights and shadows were reflected on the river.
He had just asked Zheng Zhi to deliver the medicine and was about to leave.
The car turned around ahead and passed the window of the casserole shop again. He glanced at it unintentionally and saw her with her hands spread out to cover her face, not moving for a long time. Her slender figure was embedded in the wide and bright window, looking extremely lonely and helpless.
He was inexplicably troubled and asked Zheng Zhi to stop at the street corner. A short while later, he saw her come out of the shop and walk towards the bridge, looking lost and dejected.
He Yanzhou's gaze returned to her, and he blurted out, "Do you... need any help?"
Zhu Xu recalled, "You seem to ask this every time." They had met three times in total, and he had asked her the same question each time.
"Perhaps this can help you get out of your current predicament."
Zhu Xu didn't take it seriously and still treated him as someone to confide in: "Then I'm afraid the only option left is divorce."
He Yanzhou remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
He Yanzhou is prone to impulsiveness and has less self-control at night. He may be too emotional when dealing with things and people, so he rarely handles important matters or makes decisions at night.
This is completely different from helping her change a tire or giving directions; meddling in other people's family affairs is definitely not his style.
She was the girl he had his heart's desire when he was young, but time can heal all wounds. Even if he has rekindled some unspeakable feelings for her now, it is not enough to go against his principles.
He might question his actions tomorrow, but he didn't give himself time to process his emotions: "I'll help you."
Zhu Xu just smiled, still taking it as a consolation.
After a while of cold wind blowing, Zhu Xu's mood miraculously recovered quite a bit.
She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, and turned to look at He Yanzhou, saying, "Actually, I didn't intend to jump down just now. I was just curious about how high the bridge is above the river, so I peeked out to take a look."
He Yanzhou raised an eyebrow.
"But I still want to thank you for saving me." Zhu Xu opened his palm, the candy already warmed by her touch and slightly softened: "So life and death are just a matter of a moment. Thank you for the candy."
He Yanzhou smiled and said, "Why don't you thank my little niece?"
Zhu Xu did not understand.
He Yanzhou took the candy from her palm: "This is my cousin's little princess, she's three years old this year. She hid this candy in my pocket and asked me to keep it safe." He looked at her: "I guess you might want something sweet after taking your medicine."
Zhu Xu was suddenly taken aback.
He lowered his eyes and slowly peeled off the outer layer of candy coating with cartoon patterns: "She also told me that you should suck on the candy to make it sweeter for longer."
Zhu Xu watched his movements. His hands were large and had distinct knuckles. Perhaps he had been outside for a long time, because his skin was spotted and red, especially at the joints.
"Try it." The plump, white candy was held between his fingers and offered to her.
Zhu Xu instinctively took it: "Try what?"
"Eat it by holding it in your mouth."
Zhu Xu did as instructed, and soon a sweet taste spread through her mouth, making her feel slightly relieved. She was surprised that the candy actually had a healing effect. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine; she wondered why she had even considered suicide. She thought it would be better for him to die than for her to die.
Zhu Xu turned his head: "Your little niece must be a very cute child. Please thank her for me."
One of her cheeks was puffed out, and although her smile wasn't strong, her relaxed expression no longer showed any signs of gloom, and she had regained some vitality, unlike the broken and lighthearted look she had when we first met that evening.
She was really beautiful in the dim light.
He Yanzhou looked at her and said okay.
It was late, so we didn't linger.
He Yanzhou suggested that they take her back to her residence first.
Zhu Xu didn't refuse any further; it was difficult to hail a taxi on the bridge, and she had no energy left to make any more trouble.
I followed him into the car and sat in the back seat. The space shrank, and I realized that the powerful aura of the person next to me had come to the fore, and I also realized that his role as a listener had come to an end.
She felt a little reserved, but fortunately he asked her for the address, gave Zheng Zhi a few instructions, and then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
The car was completely silent. Zhu Xu was exhausted, but he still sat properly. The milk candy was now very small, but the rich sweetness still lingered on his lips and teeth.
/
After leaving the hospital, Liang Haiyang took a taxi home, still feeling resentful.
He bought two cans of beer at the convenience store downstairs, stood in front of the counter by the window, and drank them both in one gulp. Only when the cold liquid slowly slid down his throat did it extinguish his burning anger.
Perhaps because he drank cold wine and didn't eat much in the evening, he had a stomachache in the middle of the night and tossed and turned in bed.
He had no choice but to turn on the lights and search the entire house for stomach medicine. Zhu Xu used to keep all these things; he could just ask her if he needed anything. He searched the living room and study thoroughly, then returned to the bedroom and started looking through the bedside table on the other side.
Pulling open the bottom drawer revealed some receipts and odds and ends. After rummaging through them, I found a yellow medicine box.
Liang Haiyang picked it up and looked at it. In the center of the label was written "Levonorgestrel ethinylestradiol tablets," and the next line read "long-acting oral contraceptive."
He reacted in two seconds, and suddenly blood rushed to his head.
She once thought of improving their relationship by having a child, but it's laughable that Zhu Xu was secretly using contraception. And when did she start doing that?
He crushed the medicine box in his hand, got up, dressed, and walked out, wanting to tear it to shreds immediately.
Liang Haiyang took a taxi to his residence in the western suburbs, but no matter how much he banged on the door, there was no response from inside.
After much commotion and noise disturbing the neighbors, he had no choice but to retreat to the stairwell. While he was smoking a cigarette, he happened to see Zhu Xu getting out of a black Bentley. The back window was rolled down, and she was bending slightly to talk to the man inside.
Upon seeing the car, Liang Haiyang immediately recognized who the other party was.
He was furious, threw the cigarette butt at his feet and crushed it, then went downstairs and out.
Zhu Xu thanked him again, then looked at the man in the car whose expression was rather cold when he wasn't smiling, and after a moment's consideration, said, "If it's convenient, I'll treat you to a meal sometime."
He Yanzhou said, "No need to be so polite."
Zhu Xu nodded. "Be careful on the road."
"Don't worry." He Yanzhou leaned forward slightly and reminded him, "You still need to have your head injury treated."
"good."
Goodbye, feel free to contact me on WeChat if you need anything...
Before He Yanzhou could finish speaking, his gaze suddenly shifted to behind Zhu Xu, his expression hardening. He quickly reached for the car door, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zheng Zhi in the driver's seat had already rushed out.
A dark figure flew in from the building entrance, about to grab Zhu Xu's hair. But Zheng Zhi was too quick; he grabbed the man's wrist first, using the momentum to swing him halfway around and throw him several steps away.
Zhu Xu, who had his back to the building entrance, felt a tugging sensation in the hair behind his head. Startled, he turned around, stumbled back two steps, and was caught by He Yanzhou, who got out of the car afterward.
A moment of stillness.
Liang Haiyang suddenly laughed: "Wife, where have you been? Why are you only coming back now?"
Zhu Xu remained silent, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Liang Haiyang stared at the two people leaning against each other across from him, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.
He walked forward.
Zheng Zhi stepped forward and blocked his way.
Liang Haiyang looked up and saw a tall, muscular man in front of him, wearing only a close-fitting short-sleeved shirt despite the cold weather. He tried to move forward again.
Zheng Zhiyi.
Liang Haiyang had no choice but to stop where he was, beckoning to Zhu Xu and speaking softly, "Come here, let's go home."
Zhu Xu desperately wanted to control her trembling body, but this fear came from instinct, and she couldn't suppress it even as her fingertips dug into her palms.
She said coldly, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm your husband, what do you say?"
Without hesitation, she shouted, "We're getting a divorce."
Liang Haiyang's expression gradually darkened, and he squeezed out two words through gritted teeth: "Bitch."
Zhu Xu pursed his lips.
"So you insisted on divorcing me because of this man." He pointed at He Yanzhou, and after a long pause, said, "Did you only want his money or his looks? Have you two no shame? One is a married woman, and the other is seducing a married woman. Staying out all night, fooling around outside, you two are shameless..."
Zheng Zhi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered what He Yanzhou had said to him in the car a few days ago. Could it really be true?
But now is not the time to listen to the boss's gossip. He pointed at the man's nose and said, "Watch your mouth."
Liang Haiyang fell silent.
He Yanzhou kept his hands in his pockets the whole time, watching the man opposite him go crazy, without much reaction from beginning to end. He had already let go of Zhu Xu's hands a second after Zhu Xu regained his footing, opened the car door, took the coat that was on the armrest, and casually draped it over Zhu Xu.
He asked in a low voice, "Should I take you in, or do you have somewhere better to go?"
Zhu Xu was speechless. An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over him again. Lincheng was vast, yet at this moment there was nowhere to go.
He Yanzhou glanced at her for a few seconds, then opened the car door and helped her decide: "Get in the car first."
The car drove towards the entrance of the residential area, and Liang Haiyang's cursing was shut out, finally becoming less jarring.
He said he wouldn't let her go unless she didn't come back.
The car was quieter than when we arrived.
Zhu Xu remained silent, having already made up his mind.
She found a hotel nearby and will stay there for the night.
After getting off the bus, Zhu Xu wanted to thank them, but felt it was too insincere, so he simply kept quiet.
As the Bentley disappeared into the night, she remembered that she was still wearing his coat.
On the other side, Zheng Zhi drove directly towards He Yanzhou's villa to the east.
He said, "Take a nap, I'll wake you up when we get there."
He Yanzhou propped his head up, already very tired. Remembering something, he instructed Zheng Zhi, "The girl who sat next to me just now is named Zhu Xu, the 'Xu' in 'preface.' Look up her husband; he's the one who was standing outside acting crazy."
Zheng Zhi glanced at him through the endoscope.
He Yanzhou added: "It depends on what he does and whether he can find fault with things."
"Okay. I'll take care of it tomorrow." Zheng Zhi hesitated, then continued, "You mean..."
In the darkness, his face remained expressionless: "She wants a divorce, help her."
Zheng Zhi coughed twice, secretly clearing his throat. He felt like there were several small insects crawling all over his body, and he kept wanting to scratch them.
He Yanzhou glanced over and gave a slight smirk: "What do you want to ask?"
Zheng Zhi: "You were talking about this girl in the car that day, weren't you?"
"curious?"
Zheng Zhi chuckled.
I won't tell you.
Zheng Zhi: "..."
Joking aside, He Yanzhou still reminded him, "Don't bother Uncle San with such a small matter."
"rest assured."
The He family had three brothers in the previous generation. The eldest, who was also He Yanzhou's father, inherited the family business. The second brother died young, and the youngest brother was involved in industries such as real estate, entertainment, and finance.
The eldest brother, He Cheng, was a respectable businessman who followed the rules and regulations. Jintu had steadily progressed thanks to his diligent management. It wasn't until He Yanzhou completed his studies and gained several more years of experience that the company was truly handed over to him.
The third son, He Sheng, is ambitious and well-connected. Due to the shady nature of some of his businesses, his interpersonal relationships are quite complicated. He Sheng has an only son, who is He Yanzhou's cousin. He has no interest in business, married and had children early, and is a doctor in the cardiology department of Lincheng Hospital.
Therefore, with no one to inherit He Sheng's business, the father and son hadn't eaten together for several years. Later, they had no choice but to turn their attention to He Yanzhou, intending to have him take over.
He Yanzhou politely declined, but did not resist cooperating with his third uncle. The 300,000-square-meter resort hotel on Beidao Island was built with funding from both parties.
Zheng Zhi was recruited by He Yanzhou from his third uncle's side. He had been following him ever since he took over Jintu, and was known for his loyalty and reliability. His third uncle's people had their own information channels and methods of doing things, so he didn't need to explain things to them in detail.
He Yanzhou glanced at the time through his sleeve; there was still half the journey to go, so he leaned back in his chair and took a nap.
/
Zhu Xu turned off his phone and nestled into the soft, large bed in the hotel, falling into a deep sleep.
When I woke up it was already afternoon, and the wound on my forehead caused a dull ache throughout my head.
When I turned on my phone, two WeChat messages and a missed call notification popped up.
She first checked WeChat and saw a message from Zhu Luan saying that her father, Zhu Zhen, was out of danger and had been transferred to a regular ward this morning. He was basically conscious.
Zhu Xu replied with two sentences, then logged out and checked the missed call; it was from an unknown number.
She called back immediately.
Sure enough, Liang Haiyang's voice came from the other end of the phone.
Zhu Xu gave him a location and asked him to meet him at noon the next day.
After hanging up, she suddenly realized her palms were sweaty, and her body was shivering with cold, just like when she had a persistent high fever. She didn't know when it had started, but the name Liang Haiyang had become a physiological response.
Zhu Xu slowly adjusted and relaxed, and after a long time, he finally felt better.
She looked up and saw two bottles of medicine sticking out of the handbag on the table. She was lost in thought for a moment, then glanced at the men's overcoat on the hanger.
Zhu Xu picked up his phone and searched for He Yanzhou's profile picture in his contacts.
When you click on it, the dialog box only contains the two lines of dialogue that pop up when you accept friend verification.
Zhu Xu typed a paragraph, then thought it wasn't good and quickly deleted it. He then pressed voice mode, but after saying a few words, the text suddenly stopped, so he quickly swiped up to undo it.
I find it shameless no matter how I look at it.
After thinking it over and over, I had no other choice but to make a voice call.
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