Chapter 20... Chapter 20... I felt like my heart was being ripped out...
Zhu Xu closed the car door, his heart still pounding wildly.
The warmth of her hand was still there. She walked ahead, as if she could feel his deep, unwavering gaze from the car behind her.
Zhu Xu became somewhat fascinated by this ambiguous and tug-of-war feeling.
The road beneath her feet was uneven, and she stumbled.
As she was about to pass through the iron gate, a sudden bright light appeared behind her. He had turned on his high beams, making the world in front of her look like a brightly lit mobile phone screen.
Zhu Xu paused, turned around, and saw a blinding light behind him, making it impossible to see the person in the car. A sudden, throbbing pain flashed through his mind, and without daring to think about it, he turned back and quickly walked away.
A few days later, Zhu Xu took some time to visit He Xi.
When I arrived, I found that the signboard above the door had been removed, and most of the items inside the house had been packed into boxes, with only some tattoo tools remaining in the inner room.
Zhu Xu sat down and asked her to help touch up the colors.
Looking around, Zhu Xu asked, "Are you really planning to end this place? It's a bit of a shame."
He Xi sighed, "I was unwilling, but I couldn't fight against the system."
Zhu Xu knew, of course, that the "big shot" referred to He Yanzhou. Generally speaking, he seemed easy to get along with, and when serious, he didn't show much emotional fluctuation. However, there was a stern and authoritative air about him in his eyes.
She asked, "What did you study?"
"sculpture."
"No wonder your painting skills are so good, you're an art student." Zhu Xu turned his head: "It might not be a bad thing, you can have two more years to develop your skills."
He Xi snorted, "I've learned everything I was supposed to learn, it's just a waste of time for me." She used a clean tissue to wipe away the excess paint. "In high school, my family thought I was a failure in my studies and my life was over. Later, I got the top score in the city in my art exam and was admitted to the provincial art academy, but they were only happy for a short time. The university courses weren't challenging for me, and I wasn't interested in them, so I took a leave of absence. My dad almost disowned me because of this."
Zhu Xu was surprised. He had only thought that she was not a conventional girl, but rather unconventional, flamboyant, and confident. It turned out that her excellence was her real asset.
Zhu Xu, with his arm draped over the back of the chair, couldn't help but turn to look at her: "So you opened this tattoo shop. Your brother is pretty supportive, isn't he?"
"Him?" He Xi shook her head: "If he wanted to support me, he wouldn't have forced me to go back to school. In the past few years, he was abroad, only taking care of his own business, but ever since he took over the company, my dad has gradually retired. He's become more open-minded and doesn't care about anything at home or outside, spending his days fiddling with those scraps of paper. So the burden has fallen entirely on my brother. If it weren't for some unavoidable situation, I guess he wouldn't bother with me either."
Zhu Xu thought of Zhu Luan. Although the two had lived together since childhood without any major conflicts, the bond between half-siblings was ultimately not as pure as that between biological siblings.
A slight pain came from my arm, but it wasn't as unbearable as last time.
He Xi added, "Actually, my parents don't favor boys over girls. It's just that my brother is more outstanding, and they are proud of him. From childhood to adulthood, he has rarely been restricted. He has a lot of freedom in his studies and work. Even when he had a girlfriend and then broke up with her for no apparent reason, they didn't ask him a single question."
Zhu Xu rested his face on his arm, not interested in prying into those private matters, but for some reason did not interrupt and listened silently.
“I’m the complete opposite. I always get corrected no matter what I do. Actually, I’m quite annoyed by my brother. He’s too lazy to even learn about the tattoo industry. It’s like he’s only doing it to complete the tasks my dad assigned. Why should girls be expected to study more and be quiet and elegant?” He Xi paused, then suddenly leaned closer to Zhu Xu and whispered playfully, “I won’t.”
Zhu Xu turned his head and almost bumped into her nose.
She smiled and touched her nose.
Zhu Xu couldn't help but laugh: "So you changed your name?"
"Oh! My brother told you about this!"
Zhu Xu immediately realized he had spoken out of turn, and his palms instantly became sweaty.
He Xi didn't seem to care much: "My real name is He Qiupu. Yanpu means a beautiful stone that can be used as an inkstone. It's both old-fashioned and hard to pronounce, just to please my brother."
This name is indeed hard to evaluate. Zhu Xu muttered very quietly, "Yes, I would change it too."
Although the voice was soft, He Xi still heard it.
She happily leaned over, wanting to hug her, but because her hands were covered in paint, she could only pretend for now.
Zhu Xu asked, "Then what is the origin of your current name?"
"One day in class, the teacher recited a poem, 'Willows reflect the green hills, pear blossoms hide the evening birds,' and I chose the simplest word."
"..." Zhu Xu was stunned for a moment, marveling at how carefree the girl was. While admiring and liking her, he couldn't help but tease her: "It's a good thing you didn't choose the character 'mountain' in your name."
After saying that, the two burst into laughter.
After that, He Xi became quite familiar with Zhu Xu, and no longer needed to go through Zheng Zhi to go to the flower shop, without He Yanzhou knowing the truth.
She sometimes helps out with small tasks, sometimes takes pictures of flowers to gather material, and even if she does nothing or communicates, she still finds it very comfortable to be with Zhu Xu.
At the end of the month, the flower market delivered the flowers, and the quality of the flowers this time was very satisfactory, especially the few bunches of wind chimes, which had many plump buds and sturdy stems.
Zhu Xu suddenly remembered a special order, so he selected a bunch of flowers, made sure they were moisturized, and sent them to Building A.
She took the elevator directly to the eighth floor, handed the fresh-cut bouquet to the front desk, and then the front desk delivered it to her.
When He Yanzhou returned to his residence in the evening, he saw several bunches of weeds stuck in a vase on the table, with scattered white flower buds hidden in the middle. The scene was messy, crowded, and utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal.
He braced himself on the edge of the table with both hands, looked at it carefully again, straightened up, and loosened his tie.
I had planned to visit her tonight, but it was too late when I got to the hotel entrance, and the flower shop was probably closed.
He Yanzhou sent a message asking, "What flower?"
Not long after, Zhu Xu became even more concise with words: "wind chimes".
He Yanzhou stared at the screen, vaguely remembering that she had shown him a picture of this flower before, but it was completely different from the bunch in front of him. He leaned back on the edge of the table, fiddled with the flower buds for a few moments, and for the first time ever, used his phone to search for the care steps for bellflowers.
As shown above, the base needs to be cut at an angle of 2-3 cm, most of the leaves removed, and the plant thoroughly soaked in deep water for four hours. Wind chimes are prone to water loss, so timely replenishment is necessary. Avoid windy areas and direct sunlight, otherwise, they will wither quickly.
He Yanzhou put down his phone and searched the room for scissors.
After wandering around for a while, he suddenly stopped, shrugged, and looked back at the table, feeling somewhat ridiculous.
Finally, unable to find the scissors, he skipped that step, simply plucked off most of the leaves, and put them back into the vase.
Before going to bed, Zhu Xu was tallying up the flower shop's expenses and income over the past few days. After calculating, he found that it was barely enough to cover the water and electricity bills and rent.
This was somewhat different from what she had initially thought. If she didn't expand her business, her small shop might be enough to make a living, but she might not be able to earn money.
Zhu Xu had a headache, so he fell back onto the bed, his hand on the lamp switch, turning it on and off.
The room was dimly lit until her eyes started to sting, at which point she withdrew her hand.
As darkness enveloped them, Zhu Xu closed her eyes and suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to tell He Yanzhou how to care for the bellflowers. She reached for her phone, opened their chat window, and sent him a screenshot of the helpful tips along with a written explanation. These were usually included with the order, but she had forgotten to do so today.
After waiting for a while, there was no reply.
Zhu Xu then put his phone on silent and prepared to go to sleep.
He Yanzhou appeared at the flower shop entrance the following evening; she was busy at the time.
Summer arrives exceptionally early on the North Island, and the breeze is refreshing after sunset. The sky is like a vibrant palette, reflecting orange-pink and blue-violet hues onto the sea.
With the peak season approaching, there are many tourists.
Zhu Xuzheng was packing a bunch of sunflowers when he looked up at him and smiled.
He Yanzhou stood by the door without moving, watching the golden bouquet in her arms, like a ray of bright sunshine. He didn't go over to disturb her, but looked away and sat down in a recliner in the corner to wait. Turning around, he saw some drinks in the mini refrigerator next to him, so he took a bottle of mineral water and drank it slowly.
Not long after, the door bell rang twice, and a young boy walked in and stopped in front of the flower display rack: "Boss."
Zhu Xu: "Please wait a moment."
The boy waited a while, then looked in her direction again: "Excuse me, how long will it take? I'm in a hurry to pick someone up from the airport."
Zhu Xu moved quickly and efficiently, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
The boy raised his voice: "Boss?"
Zhu Xu replied, "Wait a moment. Three minutes."
He Yanzhou looked up at her, and after a moment, put the water bottle on the table, got up and walked over.
He asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
The man turned his head and looked over. He saw that the man in front of him was dressed in a black suit, with excellent looks and temperament. The powerful aura emanating from him indicated that he was definitely not a shop assistant.
He paused for a moment before asking, "I want to buy a bouquet of flowers for my girlfriend, do you have any good recommendations?"
He Yanzhou said, "Rose."
"It seems rather ordinary."
He Yanzhou: "I just heard you say you went to pick someone up at the airport. Roses are passionate and direct, which is more in line with our current feelings if we haven't seen each other for a long time."
The other person raised an eyebrow slightly, his eagerness growing. His gaze swept over the flowerbed, and indeed, the bunch of red roses was the most beautiful and eye-catching. He then decisively followed He Yanzhou's advice.
He Yanzhou carried the entire flower bucket onto the workbench, just as Zhu Xu handed over the wrapped sunflowers. She subconsciously glanced at him, having overheard every word of their conversation, and secretly thought to herself that he was truly only familiar with roses.
After a while of being busy, the shop finally quieted down when the clock on the wall pointed to eight.
The ground was covered with gold dust, scraps of paper, and fallen leaves. Zhu Xu shoveled some dirt with his toes, looked up, and saw He Yanzhou leaning against a recliner looking at his phone.
Zhu Xu leaned against the control panel: "Is there still work to be done?"
He Yanzhou glanced at it casually, then flipped his phone over: "Games."
Zhu Xu rested his chin on his hand: "Thank you for earlier."
"Remember to order more roses next time."
Zhu Xu couldn't help but smile, "I didn't expect President He to have a talent for sales."
“I just discovered that too,” He Yanzhou said humorously. He quickly ended the game and put his phone in his pocket: “The store should hire someone to help out.”
"I'm considering it," Zhu Xu said.
"Going out for dinner?"
There was still some time before closing time, but Zhu Xu readily agreed: "I'll wash my hands and grab my bag while I'm at it."
He Yanzhou stood up, draped his suit jacket over his arm, walked past the workbench, and took a pair of curved-tipped scissors from the toolbox: "For trimming roots?"
Zhu Xu turned around and nodded again.
"Let me borrow it for a bit." He took the scissors and went out to drive off first.
Many seafood stalls have opened along the street, and the later it gets, the more bustling and noisy they become.
They randomly picked a place to sit down, and Zhu Xu, noticing the somewhat messy environment, asked for his opinion: "How about we go to another place?"
"I'm fine with anything." He's actually not that particular about food.
"Have you ordered yet?"
"good."
Zhu Xu flipped through the menu and ordered a signature seafood platter and roasted cheese sweet potato, while He Yanzhou added some grilled skewers.
While waiting for her food, Zhu Xu patted her pockets and realized she had forgotten to bring cigarettes. She looked around, intending to make an excuse to go to a nearby supermarket to buy a pack, but when she turned back, she found He Yanzhou watching her.
He leaned back in his chair and immediately recognized him: "Want a cigarette?"
Do you have one?
He Yanzhou shook his head.
She wanted to go buy it, but as she was about to get up, he pressed her hand down: "Wait."
Zhu Xu didn't understand what he was going to do.
He Yanzhou: "Borrow two."
The food stalls are set up in the owner's self-built courtyard, with several plastic chairs around each round table, the tables connected together with little space between them.
He Yanzhou leaned back a few steps, turned his head to greet the older brother with his back to the table, and whispered something to him.
The surroundings were too noisy for Zhu Xu to hear the conversation, but he saw him put his middle and index fingers together and touch them to his lips. He was wearing a white shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows. His forearms were taut, and the veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible.
His hands weren't the pampered, delicate kind; instead, they were powerful, with large, thick palms and long, slender fingers.
Zhu Xu suddenly remembered something, his face inexplicably flushed, and he quickly shifted his gaze to his older brother beside him.
The older brother was drinking to his heart's content, shirtless, his face flushed, and he generously shoved a whole bag of Liqun cigarettes at me.
He Yanzhou thanked him, but only took out two and returned the rest.
The older brother then enthusiastically lit the lighter.
He Yanzhou, with a cigarette in his mouth, leaned over to extinguish the flame. After a moment, he tapped the other man's hand to indicate that it was ready. They chatted for a couple more minutes before he turned back.
With the cigarette still in his mouth, he brought another one closer, took two quick puffs, lit it, turned the cigarette butt inside out, and handed it to Zhu Xu.
Even in the bustling city, he acted with a relaxed and carefree demeanor.
"Thank you." Zhu Xu took it and held it to his lips.
After she took a couple of puffs, he asked, "Are you getting used to it?"
"OK."
The two stopped talking and each started smoking.
Beyond the waist-high brick wall lies the sea, where waves repeatedly crash against the shore, their sound monotonous and lonely.
Fortunately, the night breeze was gentle, softly blowing through my hair.
The man behind the table was having a lively discussion with his friends, covering everything from national affairs to business and women. He suddenly became very emotional and said that "making money" was the most important thing in his life.
He Yanzhou flicked away his cigarette ash and looked at Zhu Xu: "What do you think?"
"What do you think?"
"What is most important?"
Zhu Xu casually mentioned two things: "Eating and sleeping."
He Yanzhou didn't respond, sensing the perfunctory answer. With a half-smile, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
Zhu Xu misunderstood, thinking that he was over-interpreting, and hurriedly emphasized: "Don't think too much about it, it's just the literal meaning."
He Yanzhou looked completely innocent, shrugged, and smiled helplessly, "I didn't say anything."
Zhu Xu paused for a moment, then said, "Eating and sleeping well is a simple kind of happiness." He then asked, "And what about you?"
"sleep."
Zhu Xu remained silent.
He laughed heartily and added frankly, "At this stage, it's not entirely the literal meaning."
He said this while looking at her.
Zhu Xu pursed his lips, almost trapped in his gaze.
Just as they were wondering how to react, the waiter came over with a seafood platter, his body positioned perfectly between the two of them.
He Yanzhou, who was sitting with his legs crossed, moved aside to make way for him.
Zhu Xu could only see his leg that was crossed over his shoulder. For some reason, she took the opportunity to retaliate by kicking the sole of his shoe with her toe. His leg moved slightly due to inertia, but he didn't react much or look up. He moved the plate toward her while silently smiling, his expression containing a hint of indulgence.
The meal consisted of mostly meaningless conversations.
The man with the back table had already left, and the quiet environment amplified the sound of the waves. A song was playing from the speakers, but the lyrics were indistinct and hard to understand.
He Yanzhou wiped his mouth with a tissue, his gaze sweeping over the wall to the distance, quietly waiting for Zhu Xu to finish the roasted cheese sweet potato.
The sweet potato was soft and glutinous, and the outer skin was baked with a crispy, salty cheese flavor. However, it had cooled down a bit and didn't taste as good as when it was first served.
Zhu Xu finished eating and then took a tissue to wipe his mouth.
He Yanzhou looked back and suddenly asked, "Is it convenient for you?"
Zhu Xu's heart pounded twice, understanding his meaning: "Should I say it's inconvenient?"
He Yanzhou didn't respond and stood up directly: "It's getting late, I'll take you home." Sometimes, he had a kind of domineering attitude that didn't allow others to say "no."
They remained silent the entire way.
The car was still parked on that narrow, dark road, with an iron gate in front of it, and there was still not much light on the other side of the gate.
The road beneath their feet was uneven and full of potholes, but unlike before, He Yanzhou was beside her, holding her hand. That hand was warm and dry, strong and powerful, and she could feel the slightly rough texture of his skin with her fingertips.
"Which building?" he suddenly asked.
Zhu Xu snapped out of his daze and pointed: "It's the first building across the street."
Which floor?
"Third floor."
They went up one after the other, unlocked the door and entered. Zhu Xu reached for the light switch along the wall, but He Yanzhou stopped him as soon as he touched it.
She turned around, her back against the wall. The faint moonlight streamed in through the window, and when she looked up, she saw a dark shadow looming over her head.
Before he could say anything to ease the tension, his kiss landed squarely on her lips.
Zhu Xu felt the soft, wet touch on his lips and for a moment forgot to breathe. It took him a long time to catch his breath. In the darkness, those sounds were extremely deadly.
He Yanzhou was also flustered by her, and gently kissed her lips, one hand rising up to support the back of her neck, the other hand bracing against the wall.
The height difference between the two forced Zhu Xu to stand on tiptoe, pressing his palm against his chest to share his strong heartbeat.
At what point, she began to respond to the kiss, parting her lips slightly and touching his tongue to his. In the darkness, he only felt a pause, and the next second, he lost control.
Their lips and tongues intertwined and sucked, the surroundings were quiet, with only the chaotic and overlapping breaths remaining.
After a while, Zhu Xu couldn't breathe properly; the narrow corridor seemed to have been vacuumed.
She quickly patted his chest.
He Yanzhou stepped back a short distance, his breathing heavy, and asked in a deep voice, "Hmm?"
Zhu Xu looked up at him and said, "I... I'm so hot, go turn on the air conditioner."
She tried to slip away from him, but as soon as she took a step, he grabbed her wrist. Instantly, the force pulled her around, lifting her wrist high above her head and forcing her to retreat until her buttocks hit the cabinet opposite her.
The cabinet on the side of the door is divided into two parts: a row of top cabinets with a hollowed-out middle section, and a shoe cabinet below.
At this moment, her hands were clasped together, and then his large hands also pinned her to the top cabinet.
Zhu Xu had to lift his heel again, exclaiming in surprise, "Wait!"
"Why don't I feel hot?" he said softly.
"...I was covered in sweat."
"Take a look." After he finished speaking, he grabbed her shoulders and made her turn around so that her back was to him. Then he pressed down on her lower back with more force.
Zhu Xu whimpered inwardly. Her body was like a supple bow, stretched out to its maximum extent. She felt an upward pull on her arms, her body standing upright with no support in front of her. Her waist was arched sharply by his force, almost bending to ninety degrees... and she was presented to him, perfectly aligned.
His voice was in my ear: "Where's the sweat?"
Zhu Xu bit her lip, unable to resist, and defiantly retorted, "President He, you're asking unnecessary questions. The person is in your hands, you yourself..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly held her breath, feeling as if her heart was being ripped out, aching and tight, trembling back and forth on both sides.
Zhu Xu pressed his forehead against the cabinet door and suddenly remembered that he had observed his hands during the meal. They were so large and thick that they could envelop everything and also had the ability to crush everything.
He Yanzhou kissed her ear and whispered, "Lie." Beneath his fingertips, her skin was delicate and smooth, without a trace of sweat.
Zhu Xu ignored it.
Her shirt was wrinkled and out of shape, and she was wearing a skirt. After some time, I vaguely sensed that He Yanzhou had cut straight to the point.
She suddenly tensed up, her brain filled with a buzzing white noise. She didn't pay attention to what he was saying in her ear at all, and only after a long time did she hear the words "turn your head".
Zhu Xu obeyed like a puppet, tilting her head to gently kiss his lips, gradually relaxing.
He was extremely domineering and ruthless, from beginning to end.
Throughout the entire ordeal, she was in a small, dark corridor, like a tiny boat, her only support the cabinet door against which she rested her forehead. For a long time, she could only helplessly endure the onslaught of the raging storm.
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