Chapter 122 Heartbroken This day was worse than ever before. ...
Her voice was naturally gentle, and when she spoke, she had an unconsciously coquettish tone that instantly captivated the person on the other end of the line.
"Liu Shuang, I..."
Anticipating that He Ming wouldn't give in so easily, Zhu Liushuang simply spoke up midway through, silencing all his rejections.
"Senior—" Her lips drooped, and her voice immediately trembled with a pitiful tone, "I haven't had a proper birthday celebration in years. This year it happens to fall on Laba Festival, and my mom has to go to the village to arrange the ancestral worship and Buddhist offerings. She can't take care of me at all..."
As she finished speaking, she sniffed seemingly casually, as if she was about to sob.
He Ming is the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force, and Zhu Liushuang knows this perfectly well. For the past six months, whenever she wanted him to agree to something, she would use this tactic, and it always worked.
But today, she felt uncertain because He Ming had been silent for too long.
"Senior, are you listening?" He didn't answer, so she continued in a muffled voice, "If you really can't get away, then I won't force you... Sigh, spending a birthday alone is a bit pathetic... But it's okay, it's just a birthday, I've been just going through the motions for years, so it won't make a difference this year!"
Her voice grew softer and softer, broken and intermittent, as if she were trying to comfort herself. This forced smile pierced through the layers of radio waves, striking straight into He Ming's heart.
A sudden cough came from the other end of the line, and the man's hesitant voice slowly escaped his lips: "Liu Shuang... I'm sorry. I'll book a private room for you at Mengyuan Restaurant. You don't need to worry about the food, drinks, or cake. You can invite... close colleagues or friends to celebrate your birthday with you."
Zhu Liushuang stared blankly at the wall and asked, "And what about you?"
"I... wish you a happy birthday in advance."
Although he did not answer her question directly, Zhu Liushuang already knew the answer.
He Ming still refused to face her!
What to do? Her method doesn't seem to be working anymore!
Her lips trembled uncontrollably; this time, she truly wanted to cry.
A wave of powerlessness rose from the soles of her feet, causing her knees to buckle. She slumped onto the living room sofa, tears welling in her eyes.
The phone call was made, she acted coquettishly, and even pretended to be wronged...
He Ming remained unmoved by reason.
He even thoughtfully offered to book a birthday banquet for her at the Dreamy Restaurant.
Dream Restaurant!
How ironic those four words are.
Zhu Liushuang remembered that once at home, her mother casually mentioned this restaurant to He Ming, saying that when her daughter was little, her biggest wish was to celebrate her birthday at Mengyuan Restaurant...
His mother mentioned it casually, but he remembered it.
If he cares about her so much, why does he run away from her?
Why give someone a sweet treat first, then slap them in the face?
Tears welled up in her eyes, and before she could suppress her sobs, Zhu Liushuang hung up the phone.
She rarely quit without saying goodbye, but He Ming didn't call her back.
The room was empty. She started by sobbing softly, which gradually turned into loud wailing, and finally she just burst into tears.
The pent-up negative emotions of the past few days almost brought her to tears.
In such a distressing moment, Zhu Liushuang didn't know who else she could confide in. It seemed that apart from Tian Xingyu, she had no one else she could share her secrets with.
Tian Xingyu is graduating next year and is currently struggling with her thesis and internship, so she doesn't want her friend to worry about her anymore.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and down to her chin. She lowered her head and, like an ostrich, buried herself deeply in her knees.
After venting for a while, my mood gradually calmed down.
As if sensing her emotions, the phone lying beside her sent a text message just as her mood was turning from rain to gloom.
【Dear Ms. Zhu, , Your reserved private room for dinner on January 26th (Monday) is room V06 on the second floor. We look forward to your arrival with your friends, and wish you a happy birthday in advance. Restaurant address…】
Staring blankly at the text message, Zhu Liushuang felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She grabbed her phone instinctively, wanting to throw it, her arm arcing through the air before falling limply to the ground.
I opened my palm, and there the phone lay there unharmed.
She stared at the black screen for a moment, then dialed the reservation hotline for Dreamland Restaurant.
"Hello, this is Mengyuan Restaurant. How can I help you?"
"Hello, I originally booked room V06 for the night of the 26th, but I have a conflict and would like to cancel."
"Ms. Zhu, I see that your order shows you booked a birthday dinner. The menu and drinks have been agreed upon, and the deposit has been paid. Are you sure you want to cancel?"
"Yes...cancel it."
"Okay, we will cancel your account shortly. A cancellation notification will be sent via SMS. The deposit will be refunded to the original payment method within seven business days, but a 5% penalty will be charged."
"Within seven business days..." Zhu Liushuang murmured, "How long does it usually take to get a refund, and how much is the penalty for breach of contract?"
"Ms. Zhu, it usually takes three to five days to get your deposit back. You paid a deposit of 2,000, so the penalty for breach of contract is 100."
"Okay, thank you. Thank you for your help."
Zhu Liushuang turned off her phone, leaned back on the sofa, and stared blankly at the bunch of dark-colored goldenrain tree branches by the wall cabinet.
It seems there's nothing she can do besides canceling the birthday meal.
She had considered going to Zhonghe to confront him, but He Mingruo deliberately avoided her and had plenty of ways to evade her.
If she makes too much noise and attracts onlookers to watch and laugh at her, she will be the one who loses face in the end.
Zhu Liushuang is not a shameless person; she also has self-respect and pride.
She couldn't bring herself to openly and relentlessly pursue He Ming.
So, she thought defiantly: Forget it! Maybe one day he'll come to his senses and be willing to see her again. At the very least, they still have a marriage certificate as a guarantee; even if he wants to file for divorce first, he'll need her consent.
————
It's one thing to act recklessly out of spite, but it's quite another to be unable to suppress your wild thoughts about He Ming.
After enduring immense suffering, Zhu Liushuang finally celebrated her lunar birthday.
That morning, what woke her up wasn't the alarm clock, but a WeChat transfer from her mother, Gu Chunling.
In previous years, when she was home, her mother would secretly slip 660 yuan under her pillow, symbolizing "everything going smoothly." This year, she wasn't home, and her mother finally learned how to transfer money.
On the mobile chat interface, in addition to the usual 660 yuan red envelope, a short blessing was also included.
[Shuang, Mom wishes you a happy and fulfilling life with your family, and that you be happy every day.]
Zhu Liushuang replied to her mother's message with slightly swollen eyes.
Soon, another line of text appeared on the chat interface.
Mom went back to Linjiang this morning. Xiaoshuang, Mom will give your regards to your dad.
When her father was mentioned, Zhu Liushuang's expression suddenly became solemn.
She had previously told He Ming that she hadn't properly celebrated her birthday in a long time, and that wasn't an exaggeration.
A week after her lunar birthday is the anniversary of her father Zhu Xiangdong's death.
In the years immediately following her father's passing, Zhu Liushuang noticed that her mother would always secretly hide away and wipe away tears on her birthday. Seeing her mother cry so sadly, she felt even more distressed. Sensitive as she was, how could she not understand her mother's longing for her father? Therefore, she sensibly suggested that she stop celebrating her birthday from now on.
Her suggestion was naturally met with strong opposition from her mother, but she insisted on it repeatedly, and her mother couldn't persuade her otherwise. In the end, the mother and daughter hugged each other and reached an agreement while crying: to treat her birthday as an ordinary day, without buying a cake or making a special effort to prepare a birthday meal.
Over time, her birthday became just a verbal celebration.
Aside from her mother and Tian Xingyu giving her a red envelope that day, there were no other grand celebrations.
Her memories abruptly ended. She got up, rubbing her aching temples, and after getting dressed, she walked to the entrance hall in a daze.
The motion-sensor light came on, and in the gap beneath the shoe cabinet, only a pair of women's leather shoes sat forlornly. Opening the wardrobe, He Ming's half of the cabinet was completely empty.
Did he not come back last night?
Zhu Liushuang pursed her lips, staring silently at the empty wardrobe, a sense of unease creeping into her chest.
That day, her mood was incredibly bad.
This feeling of frustration reached its peak after she accidentally saw Gu Xufeng's WeChat Moments.
It was 8 p.m. when Gu Xufeng posted a picture of a table full of delicious food on his WeChat Moments, with the caption: "Thank you for your kindness, client!"
Coincidentally, the location was in the neighboring county.
Therefore, Zhu Liushuang can conclude that Gu Xufeng and He Ming went on a field mission together.
She subconsciously clicked on the photo, and besides the sumptuous dishes, she also saw glimpses of the clothing worn by her companions. She zoomed in to examine the details repeatedly, but none of the clothes seemed familiar to her.
He Ming...didn't he have dinner with them?
Her finger clicked on Gu Xufeng's WeChat profile picture without her control, and after a moment's thought, she typed a line of text.
[Poor thing, Teacher Gu, the dinner you posted on your WeChat Moments looks delicious! Which restaurant was it? Could you tell me?]
The questions, asked with ulterior motives, were simply a roundabout way of trying to find out about He Ming's situation.
Gu Xufeng, being straightforward, immediately sent her the restaurant's location.
[This restaurant is pretty good, especially the fish, it's freshly caught and killed... I'll have Lao He take you there next time! /chuckles Too bad Lao He won't get to eat there today, he went home early.]
The progress was unexpectedly smooth; she didn't even need to try to get information out of him before Gu Xufeng proactively revealed He Ming's whereabouts.
Zhu Liushuang frowned and continued, "[Surprised? He Ming wasn't with you? He told me he went out on fieldwork today.]"
Two seconds after the message was sent, Gu Xufeng changed it to a voice message.
Amidst the clamor of toasts and encouragement, his voice became muffled: "We finished early today, and he rushed back at 3:30, saying there was something urgent... Hey, didn't he tell you? Heh... Old He is used to doing things alone..."
After a few seconds, Gu Xufeng seemed to realize something and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation for He Ming, saying, "Overtime is commonplace in our work. Old He was probably called back to the office at the last minute. Liu Shuang, please be understanding..."
Zhu Liushuang didn't listen to what Gu Xufeng said next.
All she knew was that He Ming had already returned to the city.
But he didn't return to Chunhua Lane.
Mechanically typing "thank you" on the keyboard, she stubbornly changed the person she was inquiring about.
[Shuting, are you working overtime at the office today? I have some compiled materials I'd like you to take a look at. It would be even better if Teacher He could give me some pointers. /Happy]
The waiting felt like an eternity. She stared intently at the notification bar above the chat box until her eyes ached, and only then did the other party finally reply.
[Sister Liu Shuang, Lin Hui and I are still at the office. Please send the materials over first, and I'll review them after I'm done with my work. / Unfortunately, both Teacher He and Teacher Gu are out. If you're in a real hurry, please call Teacher He separately!]
He Ming is not here.
His so-called important matters had nothing to do with her!
With the last glimmer of hope extinguished, only this one resolute thought remained in my mind.
Zhu Liushuang threw down her chopsticks in frustration and haphazardly pushed away the fried rice she had only eaten a few bites of.
The phone screen was still flashing; it was a message notification from Jiang Shuting.
[Sister Liu, remember to send me the file!]
She didn't have any materials that required their help or guidance; she was just making things up on the spot.
Disheartened, Zhu Liu's eyelashes drooped, her entire being seemingly drained of energy, her face lifeless. With her last remaining willpower, she hastily replied to Jiang Shuting.
As night deepened, not a single star or moon could be seen outside the window.
She was still all alone in the huge house.
Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, her gaze shifting back and forth between the front door and the wall clock.
At this moment, there are less than four hours left until the end of Zhu Liushuang's birthday celebration.
The motion-sensor light in the entryway was dim.
She had lost all hope.
This day, in the end, passed by so uneventfully, just like every birthday she had had in the first ten years of her life.
Even worse than before.
————
In the dead of night, the silent, deserted stairwell was as cold as an ice cellar.
He Ming stood at the entrance door with a handbag in his hand. He hesitated for a moment on the door panel with his fingertip before gently pressing the combination lock.
The front door opened, and the light in the entryway illuminated his hands, which were red from the cold. Even brighter than the light above his head was the light from the living room.
As midnight approached, the living room, which was usually pitch black, was still brightly lit. Unusually, there was no sound from inside; the entire house seemed frozen in a suffocating silence.
As He Ming took off his coat, he turned his head, his gaze urgently sweeping over the corner before landing on the sofa with restraint and stoicism.
The place was so clean that not even a single wrinkle remained, and there was no chance of a figure he both longed to see and dared not appear out of nowhere.
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Author's note: [Please] I'm finally home, and we're about to make up!
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