Chapter Eighteen
As soon as it was time to leave work, Xing Bei couldn't wait to pack her things and rush downstairs. Zhou Xuzhe immediately stepped forward to stop her when he saw her.
Xing Bei was also stunned when she saw him. She was in such a hurry to get off work that she had forgotten about this ancestor.
She took a step back, creating distance between them: "Zhou Xuzhe, are you so free that you come to ambush me every day?"
Zhou Xuzhe knew that Xing Bei disliked him, but he still couldn't help feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart: "I didn't mean anything by it. I just came to apologize to you these past few days."
Apologize?
She didn't hear wrong, did she?
Xing Bei could hardly believe her ears when she heard Zhou Xuzhe say those words.
It's been so long since we last met, could it be that he's really had a change of heart?
“When you first got together with me, I didn’t really like you. I just considered you a friend. Later, when I realized my feelings, it was too late.” Zhou Xuzhe said with a mocking smile. “Whether as a friend or a lover, I’ve failed miserably. If it weren’t for Han Jun’s guidance, I don’t know what stupid things I would have done.”
It was only when this was mentioned that Xing Bei realized she hadn't seen Han Jun in a long time. Back then, Han Jun had played a significant role in her pursuit of Zhou Xuzhe.
Zhou Xuzhe looked at her and bowed deeply: "Xing Bei, I'm sorry. I've delayed you all these years. I don't ask you to forgive me, I just want to say it to make myself feel better."
The bow startled Xing Bei, and she stepped back a little: "There's no need to be so formal. Let's just part ways amicably."
When Zhou Xuzhe stood up, his eyes were red and moist. He said softly, "I will settle down in Lingcheng in the future, and I may visit Chanjing very rarely."
His hometown is Lingcheng, and it's good for him to go back and pursue the career he loves. Xing Bei smiled and nodded: "As long as you have your own plans, that's fine."
Zhou Xuzhe looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and finally tentatively asked, "Xing Bei, can I hug you?"
Xing Bei was taken aback when she heard his request. Considering that they had been friends before and would not see each other again, she agreed to Zhou Xuzhe's request as a farewell.
Not far away, the man in the black Maybach watched this scene, his eyes growing increasingly intense, his hands clenched tightly on his lap.
Secretary Lin, who was sitting in the front row, was so nervous when she saw this scene that her heart was in her throat.
They were talking peacefully, why did he suddenly pick them up?
Secretary Lin glanced cautiously at the rearview mirror, and sure enough, the boss's face was growing increasingly dark.
After saying goodbye to Zhou Xuzhe, Xing Bei saw the car parked in the distance. She adjusted her bag and jogged towards the Maybach.
After getting into the car, Xing Bei clearly noticed that the atmosphere around her was a bit strange. Just as she was about to ask, Lu Runxu took out the flowers beside him and handed them to her.
"Are you tired today?" Lu Runxu asked with concern, as if he wasn't the one who had just gritted his teeth to pieces.
Xing Bei wanted to say something, but he interrupted her. She held the flowers and shook her head: "It's okay. The lotus flower pastry was delicious today. Thank you for preparing it for me, otherwise I would have been hungry this afternoon."
Lu Runxu smiled at her, but his tone was somewhat indifferent: "If Mrs. Lu likes it, that's good."
She noticed that Lu Runxu rarely called her by her name, and he became more and more accustomed to calling her "Mrs. Lu".
In the car, Xing Bei told him about the interesting things that happened at the company, just like before, but the atmosphere around her always made Xing Bei feel strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.
Upon arriving at Zhuqing Bay, Xing Bei casually lay down on the sofa, but less than two seconds after touching it, Lu Runxu pulled her up.
"Lu Runxu, what are you doing?" Xing Bei was too tired to move, so she snuggled into Lu Runxu's arms.
Lu Runxu looked at the person in his arms and pulled away a little with disgust: "Go take a shower. You smell like wildflowers, it hurts my eyes."
Xing Bei pulled up her collar in confusion, sniffed it, and looked at the person in front of her with a puzzled expression: "There's no smell. Is there something wrong with your sense of smell?"
Lu Runxu stared at him without saying a word. Xing Bei then pulled up her collar and smelled it. It was indeed the perfume she often wore; how could it possibly have any other scent?
After a second or two of stunned silence, Xing Bei finally realized what Lu Runxu meant by the smell of wildflowers.
It turned out he had arrived long ago. The reason she felt the atmosphere was off as soon as she got in the car was because Mr. Lu was jealous.
Xing Bei chuckled and stepped forward to hug his waist: "It was Zhou Xuzhe who made the request, and since we wouldn't be seeing each other again, I agreed."
"He said he'd hug you, so you hugged him. When did you become so obedient?" Lu Runxu looked at her coldly. "Does that mean you only listen to him?"
Xing Bei also admired his thought process: "No, he came to say goodbye to me this time, which can be considered as drawing a clear line. If I don't agree, it would seem like I am still attached to him."
"Really?" Lu Runxu still felt a little uncomfortable thinking about the image of them laughing and hugging, and muttered to himself, "I think he just can't forget you."
Xing Bei hugged his waist and softened her tone: "What's the point of being unable to forget him? I don't like him. I like you now."
Seeing the slight upward curve of his smile out of the corner of her eye, Xing Bei knew Lu Runxu's smug little thoughts: "Little Lu, don't be jealous."
"Hmph." Lu Runxu still pushed her away with disgust. "Go take a shower. I don't like the smell of him on you."
Xing Bei immediately released him, placed her fingers together on his temples, and said with a smile, "Yes, sir, Little Lu."
"Walk carefully up the stairs, be careful not to fall." Seeing her skipping up the stairs, Lu Runxu shook his head and smiled.
After she finished washing up, Lu Runxu was still cooking. She sat on the sofa with nothing to do, so she replaced the withered flowers on the table. Seeing the busy figure in the kitchen, she secretly took a picture with her phone.
She was staring at the photo on her phone when a notification popped up on the screen. Xing Bei opened WeChat, saw the name of the applicant, and froze on the spot.
Tian Yue.
When she first became a cartoonist, Tian Yue followed her and would actively praise and encourage her, and would even write her short essays from time to time.
Later, she gradually became famous, and the works she took on started to improve. She and Tian Yue also became friends. Later, she took on a book signing event and made an appointment to meet with Tian Yue.
Tian Yue had something to do at home and arrived at the event very late. The autograph session ended at around 7 p.m. The two of them ate dinner and went out to play. By the time they were ready to go back to the hotel, it was almost midnight.
As Xing Bei walked down the street, she felt like someone was following her. She looked back but didn't see anything. Suddenly, a man dressed in black rushed out from around a corner, startling her.
The man smelled strongly of alcohol, and Xing Bei didn't dare to upset him. She nervously moved back and forth.
The other person's expression became increasingly strange, so Xing Bei turned around and ran away. The man quickly caught up and tried to pounce on her, thinking she was doomed. She had no idea where Tian Yue had come from.
She rushed over and pushed the man away, but she wasn't strong enough. The man pushed her back and she hit some debris on the side, bleeding profusely on the spot.
Later, a passerby subdued the drunk man, and Tian Yue was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, her life was not in danger, but she suffered temporary blindness due to eye damage.
During that time, she couldn't sleep well and would dream about the scene every time. Tian Yue knew she would feel guilty, so she kept comforting her.
The image from that time remained a knot in her heart, and later, Xing Bei also began to develop a certain resistance to painting.
She wondered if none of these things had happened.
From then on, she temporarily stopped painting, shutting down her favorite art form, and refused to let herself off the hook.
While I was still in a daze, a message popped up on my WeChat screen.
Tian Yue sent her a photo, which she immediately recognized as the orphanage she had visited a few days ago. In the photo, she was talking to a child.
Tian Yue: [Let's meet up sometime.]
Lu Runxu brought the last dish out of the kitchen and looked at the person on the sofa: "Girlfriend, wash your hands and eat."
Xing Bei looked at her phone screen, hesitated for a few seconds, and then quickly tapped the page.
Looking at the delicious-looking dishes on the table, Xing Bei felt a sense of relief from her heavy mood.
Xing Bei ate a lot at this meal. Lu Runxu noticed that she was acting strangely, but he didn't ask too many questions. Not long after dinner, he took her out for a walk to clear her head.
Lu Runxu held her hand tightly the whole way. They separated for less than two seconds before he grabbed her hand again. Xing Bei glanced down at him but didn't say anything.
As April approached, a faint chill still lingered in the night air, and a half-moon hung in the sky, radiating a cool glow.
Xing Bei saw that the light shining from the street lamps looked particularly beautiful, so she pulled Lu Runxu over to take pictures.
She didn't have high expectations for Lu Runxu's photography skills, after all, Zhou Xuzhe's photography skills were quite poor, and she subconsciously believed that boys' photos were just not good.
To her surprise, when she went closer to take a look, she found that the photos had a great atmosphere and were clearly taken by professionals. Several of them looked like candid shots taken by passersby, and they were very natural.
Xing Bei looked at the man beside her with envy. How could there be such a perfect man in this world? Not only was he handsome, but he could also cook, take photos, and make money.
Lu Runxu turned his head and met a pair of bright, sparkling peach blossom eyes, like moonlight shining on a rippling lake, stirring a ripple in his heart.
He looked away and smiled, as if a spring breeze had swept over him. Lu Runxu quickly smiled, and the two hands clasped together tightened their grip.
On her way back, Xing Bei saw a couple walking hand in hand on her right, with a little golden retriever slowly following behind them.
The happy wagging tail reminded Xing Bei of a puppy her family used to adopt, which unfortunately died in a car accident, and she never raised another one.
After graduating, she adopted a hamster, but it died in less than a month. She was heartbroken for a long time, and she never kept any pets again after that.
The person beside her followed her gaze, their eyes falling on the little golden retriever before returning to Xing Bei, a slight smile playing on their lips.
After washing up, Xing Bei lay in bed, idly scrolling through her WeChat Moments. She rarely posted on Moments, but after spending so much time with Lu Runxu, she started to enjoy sharing.
Most of the comments below were from university classmates, most notably Chi Qingtang's post:
- Mr. Lu is so virtuous. She works during the day to earn money to support you, and cooks for you at night. I'm so envious!
Later that night, I even saw Zhou Xuzhe's comment:
Seeing you happy puts my mind at ease.
Look at this, what a classic breakup line from a scumbag.
She scrolled up and saw Lu Runxu's post from half an hour ago.
It's a nine-grid photo set, which includes photos she secretly took of him cooking, sunflowers in a vase, and streetlights at night.
The copy is only a few words long:
It is my honor to serve Mrs. Lu.
Seeing the photos in the nine-grid layout, she couldn't help but recall Lu Runxu's jealous expression that afternoon. His feeling of wanting to express himself but not knowing how was particularly endearing.
When Lu Runxu came out of the shower, he saw the person dressed and laughed heartily. He lifted a corner of the quilt and snuggled into Xing Bei's arms. Xing Bei was scrolling through Weibo and was tickled by the sudden wisp of hair.
She gently nudged Lu Runxu's shoulder: "Stop rubbing, it tickles."
"Mingzhu, smell me! Do I smell good?" Lu Runxu rubbed against her.
Xing Bei finally managed to create some distance between them, but Lu Runxu came closer again, like a little fox begging its master to stroke its fur.
She knew Lu Runxu was still bothered by the hug with Zhou Xuzhe, and looked at him helplessly: "Little Lu, how childish are you?"
Lu Runxu looked at her without saying a word, and Xing Bei smiled and leaned over to kiss the corner of his lips: "Little Lu, you should be more magnanimous."
"Is that so?" Lu Runxu pinched her chin and kissed her. "Unfortunately, I'm just a bit stingy."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Runxu's kiss landed again, his breath filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, mixed with the fragrance of his bath, like the snow pines on a snow-capped mountain, tranquil yet alluring.
Xing Bei hooked her arms around his neck to meet his embrace. The sandalwood scent in his breath grew stronger and stronger, like a raging fire burning her skin, and her shimmering peach blossom eyes were veiled with a thin mist.
After an unknown amount of time, Xing Bei lay limply in Lu Runxu's arms, her body as soft as water.
Lu Runxu put his arm around her shoulder with satisfaction, their heads touching: "Mingzhu."
"Mmm," Xing Bei replied lazily.
"I like you."
Xing Bei turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling closer to him. She looked up at him and said, "I like you too."
Lu Runxu chuckled and nuzzled her neck. Xing Bei's eyelids began to droop. In her hazy state, she seemed to hear Lu Runxu whisper something in her ear, but she couldn't quite make out what it was.
Not long after, Lu Runxu heard even breathing in his ear. He glanced at the person in his arms, his eyes crinkling into a smile, and placed a kiss on her forehead.
He still couldn't bring himself to say it to her face, and this current way of getting along was fine.
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