Chapter 67 Yielding "Don't talk back, admit you're wrong."...
"......."
Jiang Jiayun stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly released his hand.
Mu Tingyu's arm was a little sore from being pulled, and she subconsciously rubbed it, revealing some red marks on her fair skin from being gripped.
Suddenly, the force on my waist tightened.
She couldn't help but look over, only to see Xing Ze's gaze fall on her arm, his expression growing even colder.
Startled, she quickly called out to him, "Xing...Xing Ze..."
The man's gaze shifted and finally landed on her face.
Mu Tingyu trembled under his gaze and whispered, "Gently... I just finished eating, I'm so full..."
"......."
The pressure on my waist lessened, but the burning heat remained, clinging tightly to me without any sign of letting go.
She bit her lip, then turned to Jiang Jiayun and said, "Jiang Lu, um..."
Jiang Jiayun stood on the next step, gazing at her, and spoke softly.
"--predecessor?"
"........"
The moment those two words were uttered, she felt a gaze from behind her, as if it were a tangible force, focusing on her with an extremely strong presence.
“............”
Damn, what's with this atmosphere?!
She tried her best to maintain a calm expression, and without time to think further, she just wanted to get off this unfortunate step as quickly as possible. She nodded hastily and said, "Yes, that's right... we might need to talk alone. Thank you, Lawyer Jiang, for taking me to dinner. I can go to the back garden by myself..."
Her words clearly implied that she wanted him to leave. Jiang Jiayun, with one hand in his suit trousers, calmly replied, "Yes, be careful next time you go downstairs."
He stepped aside, passed by the two men, went down the stairs, and headed towards the main hall.
Just as Mu Tingyu felt a pang of guilt, she heard Xing Ze's voice beside her ear, warm against her skin: "Still looking?"
"........"
The main hall sounded incredibly lively, with waves of voices carrying from afar, indicating that the event had begun.
This space was eerily quiet; even the sound of breathing could be clearly heard.
Mu Tingyu has always been a coward. When the person she had thought about a thousand times in her dreams finally appeared in front of her, she retreated instead.
The grip around her waist was strong, and she struggled slightly: "You...why don't you let go of me first..."
Xing Ze remained motionless, his voice calm: "Why?"
"It wouldn't be good if someone saw us..."
Why is it not good?
Mu Tingyu couldn't explain, and could only stare at the man's cold expression.
So fierce.
She hadn't seen him like this in a long time. He must still be angry. Angry at her.
Two little figures were fighting in her mind.
One person said, "Isn't that obvious? Who else would I be angry at if not you?"
One person asked, "Then why does he still cling to her?"
Her head was throbbing from the noise, and her desire to leave grew stronger. Before she could even think, she reached out to push him away, but Xing Ze seemed to have mind-reading abilities and grabbed her hand tightly first.
"......."
Xing Ze pulled her closer to him, his breath brushing against her face: "Who was that just now?"
"......"
When she gets nervous, she instinctively tries to tug at his clothes, but then she realizes that he's not wearing the kind of easy-to-tug cotton T-shirt he usually wears.
He was wearing a formal suit, the material of which felt very comfortable to the touch, but he just couldn't pull it up.
"......."
The man's tone pressed on: "Speak."
"One, a lawyer."
Why are you with him?
"......."
This is a complicated issue to explain, and if we were to go into details, it would lead to a whole host of other problems.
"How about... how about we sit down and talk? Why do we have to stand on the steps like this... what if someone comes out?" she said pitifully.
Moreover, her feet hurt so much that she could barely stand.
Xing Ze glanced at her silently, then bent down and picked her up in his arms.
"Why!"
The soft, light pink satin cascaded down from her calves and hung on his arm like a pink waterfall.
"I can walk by myself..."
Her protest was very quiet.
Xing Ze didn't say a word, carried her into the side room, and put her on the sofa.
As soon as her bottom touched the sofa, she was about to speak when she saw the man kneel down in front of her, grab her feet, and take off her shoes.
"W-what are you doing..." She hurriedly tried to shrink back, but her calf was firmly grabbed.
Xing Ze pressed her down, lifted her leg, and looked at her heels.
The skin on that spot was rubbed raw, and a little blood was seeping out. The surrounding area was also red, making it look quite pitiful.
Mu Tingyu stopped struggling, her face showing a hint of guilt.
Xing Ze's voice was calm: "Did Chen Jiadong bring you here?"
She exclaimed in surprise, "...Huh? You know him?"
Xing Ze didn't answer, but instead lowered his head and took off her other shoe as well.
The other ankle was also damaged, with broken skin and bleeding. Compared to the clean, white skin next to it, it looked quite shocking.
Afraid that he would be angry, Mu Tingyu quickly said, "It doesn't hurt. I'll put some medicine on it when I get back."
But she still didn't hear him speak; she only saw him stand up and wave to someone in the distance.
Immediately, a waiter in uniform hurried over and bowed his head respectfully.
"Bring the first-aid kit and a pair of slippers."
The waiter responded.
Mu Tingyu's eyes widened slightly as she watched him casually instruct his servants as if he were in his own home.
Her feet sank into the soft, warm cotton carpet.
Xing Ze turned around to face her again and asked calmly, "When will you answer my question?"
The man looked down at her, the overhead light casting shadows on his face.
He asked several questions, and then asked which one?
Mu Tingyu tilted her head back and suddenly said, "Can you sit down and talk to me? I can't see your eyes clearly."
Xing Ze looked at her and said, "This is not good."
"......"
She lowered her eyes in disappointment and said "Oh".
She recalled his questions from earlier and explained them to him one by one on her fingers: "Why was I with Jiang Lu? I was hungry, and he just brought me here to eat. He's a really nice guy; he even said he'd take me for a stroll in the back garden."
"As for why it's not good if someone sees us..."
She glanced at his well-fitting, sharp, and obviously expensive custom-made suit, and thought to herself that his family was actually richer than she had imagined.
People who are rich like this must care a lot about their reputation, right?
Her voice was clear: "Because we've already broken up, it's not appropriate to hug and kiss anymore. Besides, there are a lot of people there, and if photos are taken and gossip spreads, it won't be good for you either."
"......."
Xing Ze looked at her silently, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Mu Tingyu forced herself to maintain her composure, her voice strong despite her lack of conviction, and suppressed the urge to look him straight in the eye.
Just then, the waiter returned quickly with a first-aid kit. She breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to take it, but the kit was intercepted.
Xing Ze knelt down in front of her again and opened the first-aid kit with a click.
"......"
His clothes and shoes were all wrinkled from the movement. Mu Tingyu's obsessive-compulsive disorder was bothered by the sight, so she pulled her foot away and whispered, "I can do it myself."
Xing Ze patted her calf lightly: "Sit properly."
Mu Tingyu was hit and remained silent, watching as he took out cotton swabs and iodine from the medicine box and skillfully applied the medicine to her.
When she injured her foot before, he would squat in front of her like this, applying ointment and bandages. More often than not, she would put her feet on his legs, stretch out her arms to reach his neck, and tease him. He wouldn't get angry, and would just lean over and let her hug him while his hands kept moving.
The memories are all fresh, and the scenes seem to be right before my eyes, but the two of them are no longer in the Little White Building, and their relationship has changed.
Mu Tingyu stared at the back of his head with his short hair sticking out, then at his broad shoulders and long, strong fingers. His long eyelashes drooped down, casting a shadow on his face.
As Xing Ze applied iodine to her heels, he casually asked, "How did you two meet that lawyer?"
Mu Tingyu opened her mouth: "Well, a friend introduced us."
"Why would you need to introduce a lawyer?"
"......."
He then asked, "How did you meet Chen Jiadong?"
He asked so many questions that Mu Tingyu was completely bewildered, and could only say, "Why are you asking so many questions?"
After Xing Ze applied the medicine and carefully put on the bandage, he put slippers on her.
He stood up, stomped his leather shoe on the floor between her feet, and moved closer to her: "Can't I ask?"
Mu Tingyu then noticed that his expression looked a little off; his eyebrows were lowered and his lips were tight.
She didn't know what he was angry about, and instinctively shrank back. But the leather sofa back behind her didn't have any room to retract, completely blocking her way back, so she could only look up at him.
She swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly, and pointed to her feet: "By the way, these... these slippers, are they... are they disposable? They're quite comfortable... and they're made of coral fleece... I can wear them later..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xing Ze suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin, his eyes dark and brooding, like the clouds before a storm.
He asked her calmly, word by word, "Mu Tingyu, who said we broke up?"
She stood there, stunned.
"......."
After a long pause, she hesitantly spoke, "N-nothing...?"
Her back was pressed firmly against the sofa back, and in front of her was a man's imposing body. Her chin was also being firmly pinched. She had nowhere to escape, so she could only say, "But...but I've already done that to you..."
"What?"
She stammered, "...just...just..."
"Did you secretly cancel your flight? Delete me from your contacts? Thank you for taking me in? Or did you lie and say we'd travel together, then deliberately abandon me without a word?"
With each sentence he spoke, he leaned down a little, until finally his nose was almost touching hers.
"......."
Mu Tingyu stared at him blankly, speechless.
Do you know how I got back from the street?
"......."
“I bought you ointment, wine, and the things you liked to eat when we went to town last time,” he said casually. “Then everything spilled, and the wine bottle broke. The shopkeeper said it was the last jar.”
"......."
Mu Tingyu's eyes slowly reddened.
Xing Ze didn't know whether this heartless little rascal was sad because he had no alcohol to drink, or because he felt guilty towards him. He let go of his hand and straightened up.
“Apologize,” he said.
Mu Tingyu choked up for a moment: "Actually, actually I'm like this... You don't need to..."
"--Apologize."
He looked down at her and spoke, word by word.
She stared into his cold eyes, trying her best to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.
Because she was wearing makeup, with glittery eyeshadow and mascara, she would look like a panda if she cried. Besides, she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Xing Ze; she didn't want to appear too fragile or cry easily.
"...I'm sorry," she whispered, fighting back tears.
Xing Ze looked into her bright eyes and hummed in agreement: "What did you do wrong?"
Mu Tingyu sniffed and said slowly, "...I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have let you come with me..."
Xing Ze's expression froze.
"I'm sorry..." The girl lowered her head dejectedly, her voice choked with emotion, "If... if I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have said those things to you, and I wouldn't have asked you to come with me..."
"......."
Xing Ze felt a surge of anger, and his breathing became rapid.
He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't hold back any longer, and coldly commanded, "Look up."
Startled by him, she trembled, and two tears fell with a "plop" onto her pink satin dress, leaving dark stains. She lowered her head even further.
"......."
"...Mu Tingyu," he gritted his teeth, his voice filled with anger, "Are you deliberately trying to drive me crazy?"
Mu Tingyu shook her head with tears in her eyes.
The girl's fair cheeks were taut, her long, snow-white neck curved in an arc, and even the strands of her hair seemed to exude "stubbornness."
"......."
“...That’s what I think,” she choked out. “If you’re angry, then you can yell at me.”
"You can beat me up if you want."
"......."
Xing Ze was so angry that his lungs ached, and he wanted to grab her by the neck and sew her mouth shut.
In order to gain a foothold in Hangzhou as soon as possible, he worked day and night, cleaning up her messes. After taking care of her when she was drunk, he didn't even get a nap before going to a meeting. He was so tired that he couldn't distinguish between day and night, and all he got in return was two incredibly awful words from her.
He hadn't originally planned to come today, but then he thought that social interactions were necessary, and even if he was tired of flattery, he had to bite the bullet and go. Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the banquet, Chen Jiadong mysteriously came up to him and told him that there was a surprise waiting for him in the next hall.
So he walked over there and immediately saw Mu Tingyu coming down the stairs. She was wearing a beautiful dress and makeup, smiling and talking to the man beside her, her smile extremely irritating. Although the man politely kept his distance from her, his eyes were fixed on her, making him feel incredibly angry.
He knew it all along; this little rascal could attract attention wherever she went. He could hide her away in the small village, and he assumed it would be the same in Hangzhou. He planned to settle the score with her properly once everything was settled.
But he was busy for a few days and then he wasn't watching her closely enough, and another man immediately appeared by her side.
How could he not be angry?
The words "I shouldn't have let you come with me" stung him deeply. Suppressing his anger, he knelt down and asked her, "Do you regret it?"
"...What?" Mu Tingyu clutched the fabric of her skirt at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes.
"You shouldn't have said those things to me, you shouldn't have let me come with you." Xing Ze repeated her words through gritted teeth, then asked, "And what about being with me? Do you regret it too? Should you also tell me that you shouldn't have been with me?"
Mu Tingyu opened her mouth, then said aggrievedly, "I didn't say that."
That's what you mean.
"I didn't," she said sadly. "Why did you misinterpret my meaning?"
"Then why did you tell others that you broke up? Did I agree to it? Why did you tell others that I was your ex?"
Mu Tingyu sobbed, "I didn't know breaking up required your consent, and we've never broken up before..."
Her voice sounded extremely aggrieved, "I... I've treated you like this, how could I possibly expect to be with you? Would I have no shame?"
“............”
Xing Ze took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
The soft light from above fell silently upon the two of them. The girl's face was hidden in shadow, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her hands were clasped together on her lap, her fingers curling nervously.
After a long pause, he said in a hoarse voice, "...Don't talk back. Tell me you're wrong."
"......."
Mu Tingyu's lips drooped, her eyes filled with tears, but she still went along with him and said, "I was wrong."
"......."
Xing Ze slowly exhaled the breath, reached out and separated her intertwined fingers, then held them tightly.
I won't ask you why you left me.
“I just want to ask,” he said in a low voice, “…am I really that unworthy of your trust?”
Mu Tingyu's eyelashes trembled violently.
"...Aren't you tired from rushing to catch a plane? Aren't you tired from taking the subway?"
"Are you stupid? You're not even fully recovered, why are you putting yourself through this?"
His voice was hoarse as he gently stroked her fingertips.
"You want to leave me. You want to solve things on your own. You don't want to be a burden to me—no matter how difficult it is, you want to handle it all by yourself, right?"
Mu Tingyu realized what he was saying and suddenly opened her eyes wide.
Have you thought about what I'll do?
Xing Ze tilted his head back and quietly met her gaze.
"If I am nothing, and have no other options... then where should I look for you?"
Mu Tingyu lowered her head, but tears still rolled down her powdered cheeks. There were napkins on the table next to her, but she couldn't remember to get them.
Her heart was filled with a bitter taste, and even her mouth felt astringent.
"I...I don't know..." she said, her voice trembling, "But now you've found it, and that night you...you even went to the art studio..."
"Remember?" Xing Ze looked at her and said in a hoarse voice, "You cried like that and still wanted a hug. Even though you couldn't live without me, you still ran away."
Mu Tingyu bit her lip, and large tears fell onto her dress.
"You little liar...you lied to me, and now I have to comfort you..."
Xing Ze knelt in front of the girl, holding her hand, and took one step back from the bottom line.
"But you just apologized to me, so I forgive you."
So, please stop running, okay?
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