She was in a daze, and when she regained her senses, she was already home.
Lu Kai, with a stern face, helped her into the house, strolled around for a while, and poured her a cup of tea. The tea was ice-cold, making her shiver and barely come back to her senses.
A wave of overwhelming shame washed over her, causing her to lower her head, unwilling to speak or move.
After pouring Xu Zhenzhu a cup of tea, Lu Kai was probably also holding back his anger, but seeing Xu Zhenzhu's expression, he didn't know what to say.
Finally, in a fit of anger, he kicked the table, cursed, and without caring whether Xu Zhenzhu could hear him, said, "You get some rest tonight. I'm going to my parents' place and won't be back tonight. I have to go to the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow, so keep an eye on your time. I have to go to work, so I won't be able to go with you!"
After saying that, he walked to the door, then turned back and said, "When you go to the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow, you can't do it the same way as today! Practice makes perfect. Just grit your teeth and close your eyes, and this is the last time. After you finish writing your self-criticism, ask your supervisor for a few days off to avoid listening to those gossips. Go back to work after things have calmed down."
The door opened, and a cold wind blew in, making Xu Zhenzhu shiver.
She looked up as if to say something, but the door slammed shut with a bang. She could only hear Lu Kai's footsteps and the sound of pushing his bicycle as they slowly faded into the distance.
There were no lights in the room, only a little light from outside. The wind creaked open the door, and the whole room felt like an icebox.
Xu Zhenzhu felt incredibly cold! It was as if she were the only person left in the world. She just sat there, staring at the creaking door…
It's probably true what Lu Kai said: practice makes perfect.
At the review meeting of the supply and marketing system the next day, Xu Zhenzhu didn't know whether she had given up or had finally figured things out.
Although her face was pale, with dark circles under her eyes, and she seemed somewhat dazed, her attitude had become much more docile.
If they tell her to go up and read a self-criticism, she reads it; if they tell her to bow, she bows; if they tell her to step down, she steps down.
The supply and marketing cooperative staff couldn't help but marvel. They had heard about his performance at the machinery factory yesterday, but they didn't expect him to be so well-behaved today.
The leaders of the supply and marketing system also breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
After all, no matter what mistakes Xu Zhenzhu has made, she is still backed by the Lu family.
The next day, Xu Zhenzhu did not come to work and asked someone to help her apply for sick leave, saying that she was sick.
Some people didn't believe it, but after going to her house to see for themselves, they found that she really was sick.
They said he caught a chill, developed a high fever that night, and were taken directly to the hospital.
When the people who went to see her saw Xu Zhenzhu, she was still in a hospital bed receiving an IV drip. They heard that she looked much more haggard and had lost her former arrogance.
They seemed hesitant and timid, probably because they were frightened.
Taking advantage of the situation, the Lu family spread rumors that Xu Zhenzhu truly knew she was wrong, and that after apologizing, she couldn't let go of the mistake she had made, which was why she fell ill.
Some people agreed with him, some laughed, and some cursed him out.
Lin Hong was in the warehouse, eating sunflower seeds and cursing: "Pah! Does he think everyone doesn't know? Lu Kai is a real scoundrel, and Xu Zhenzhu is no better. I heard that Xu Zhenzhu made a self-criticism at the machinery factory and went back home, but Lu Kai left her alone at home and she didn't come back all night!"
"Lu Kai's neighbors said that he slammed the door and left. There wasn't a sound in their house all night, and they didn't light a fire. They guessed Xu Zhenzhu just got cold all night. What do you mean she can't let go of her feelings and is sick? She clearly got sick from being cold!"
...
Xu Ningyan grasped a key point: "Lu Kai didn't go home that night? How did you know? Did he go back to the Lu family at the machinery factory?"
Lin Hong blinked, looked around, and then whispered, "She did go back, but she left again at night. I don't know where she went! I guess she didn't want to go back and face Xu Zhenzhu, so she went to someone's house for the night."
Xu Ningyan's eyes darted around. "How did you know Lu Kai left?"
Lin Hong blushed and said shyly, "Well, I went on a blind date before the New Year, right? We both felt the other was okay after the New Year, so after the meeting, I went for a walk with him—"
Xu Ningyan complained, "Going on a date is fine, but what do you mean by 'just taking a walk outside'? Sure, you came back from a date late at night, didn't your aunt break your legs?"
Lin Hong, both embarrassed and annoyed, punched Xu Ningyan twice until Xu Ningyan begged for mercy. Then, with a mix of shyness and embarrassment, she spoke: "My parents are quite satisfied with him! They know he's a decent person, not like what you think! Anyway, we just walked around outside, and when we came back, we were talking in the grove when we saw Lu Kai coming out of the Lu family home. I went inside, and almost an hour passed, but Lu Kai still hadn't returned—"
"Oh, I see! An hour! What took so long to talk about? You were so reluctant to part~" Xu Ningyan teased.
Lin Hong, having been teased so much, decided to go all out. Though her face was still flushed, her tone was proud: "You're asking me? When you and your boyfriend are dating, aren't you always clingy and reluctant to part? How dare you laugh at me?"
“I saw it all that day. Your boyfriend was so considerate. He stood upwind to shield you from the wind, and the way he looked at you was so affectionate, wasn’t it? You don’t know, everyone in the factory is saying that they never expected that Xiao Gu, who usually seems so cold and unapproachable, would be so good to his wife!”
"What was this called again? Right, it's called a tough guy with a tender heart! Which of the women in the factory doesn't envy you these days? They say Lu Kai calls you 'my love' all the time, and Xu Zhenzhu always runs around the factory bragging about how good Lu Kai is to her and how deep their relationship is! Bah, you only see the truth when something really happens!"
Xu Ningyan wanted to say, "You're overthinking it. Gu Zhiyuan and I are just pretending to be a couple. You two look loving because we're good actors!"
As for Lu Kai and Xu Zhenzhu, she had already anticipated it!
However, Lin Hong's words reminded her of Meng Ruyi.
Just as Lin Hong said, Lu Kai returned to the Lu family home, but left in the middle of the night and never came back, nor did he return to his little home with Xu Zhenzhu.
So where did he go?
Xu Ningyan's first thought was Meng Ruyi.
It seems she'll have to go to Chang Le Lane again sometime.
The aftermath of this apology was not as simple as Lu Kai coaxing Xu Zhenzhu. First, Xu Zhenzhu's job was reassigned.
He was temporarily transferred from the bicycle counter at the Changning Street Supply and Marketing Cooperative to a general service post.
This miscellaneous job is nothing like the leisurely and respectable job of a sales clerk. Instead, it involves cleaning the supply and marketing cooperative, opening and closing doors, and various odd jobs and temporary tasks.
Lu Kai also wrote a self-criticism, made a small self-criticism in the design department, and was verbally warned to manage his family members and not to affect the normal work of the factory.
Lu's father also made a self-criticism at a routine meeting of the factory's leadership team, which was nothing to him.
What upset Lu's father the most was that an opportunity that was almost within his grasp was ruined because of this incident, which benefited Wu Jie instead!
Mr. Lu was so angry he almost vomited blood, and locked himself in his study all night.
Lu's mother, who used to be so arrogant, is now ashamed and keeps her head down, walking quickly past people without talking to them.
Lu Bo and Lu Tao are already at school, where everyone dotes on them. These past few days, they've been the subject of gossip and even had their food stolen, causing them to come back crying and complaining.
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