Chapter 44 A swift and decisive approach—her tact and reluctance might only prolong the process further…
"Senior... what are you doing here?" Zhu Liushuang seemed somewhat incoherent.
Her inner thoughts were probably: Why haven't you left yet?
He Ming's lips were pursed tightly, and his phoenix eyes held a sharp edge when he wasn't smiling. He looked at her silently for a few seconds before uttering a few words: "I had a meal here."
Despite the sweltering summer heat, Zhu Liushuang shivered from the chilling coldness in his words.
But as soon as she thought of the extremely vicious curse from that "Aunt Yao," she was no longer afraid of He Ming's indifference.
"Is this Dreamy Restaurant? What a coincidence... I'm here to deliver a dessert." She smiled in what she thought was a pretty curve. "I haven't been setting up my stall on weekends lately, so I've been taking orders to deliver desserts to the restaurant."
He Ming nodded almost imperceptibly. His gaze lingered on Zhu Liushuang's smiling face, and he couldn't look away.
It seems like every time I run into her, she smiles at me like that.
An indescribable emotion stirred within him.
As he left the restaurant, his mind was uncontrollably filled with a series of events that had occurred after his mother's death. His father's cold stares and rebukes, his stepmother's feigned gentleness and harsh words, all surged towards him like a raging tide.
He sat silently in the car for a long time before the resentment and regret in his chest began to subside.
But the words of his stepmother Yao Ying still echoed in his ears. They seemed to be kind and caring, but in reality, they made him deeply trapped in a vortex of guilt from which he could not extricate himself.
His gloomy demeanor inside the carriage contrasted sharply with the bright smile of the girl outside. He couldn't help but feel a pang of envy, admiring her radiant smile.
It's clear that her life isn't easy.
"What's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me, senior?" After being stared at by He Ming for a long time, Zhu Liushuang's cheeks flushed slightly, and even the tip of her nose was covered with fine beads of sweat.
He Ming coughed lightly, awkwardly looked away, and said, "The complete set of materials for applying for high-tech enterprise status is due next month. Prepare them as soon as possible. Send them to me for a look when they're ready..."
"Oh, thank you for reminding me, senior. I've already started preparing, and I should be able to send it to you around next week." Zhu Liushuang thought to herself: Sure enough, the first thing that comes to mind for this workaholic is always work.
"Are you... getting ready to go home now? Where did you park your car...?" Before he could finish speaking, someone shouted from not far away.
"Xiao Shuang! You've finally come out! I've been waiting for you for so long." The man's voice came from afar.
Lu Feng ran up behind Zhu Liushuang, and when he reached her side, he took advantage of his height to gently pat the top of Zhu Liushuang's head, "Come on, let's go home for dinner."
Such familiar and ambiguous behavior highlights the unusual relationship between them, which could easily lead onlookers to misunderstand.
Zhu Liushuang's smile froze instantly. She awkwardly moved her hand behind her back and pulled Lu Feng's arm away.
Anger surged within her, but she couldn't show it in front of He Ming. Frustrated, she turned her head and glared at Lü Feng, warning him in a low voice, "Don't touch my head again!"
After saying that, she quickly turned around to look at He Ming.
She wanted to explain something.
However, He Ming's features were even colder than when they first met. She saw him nod at her expressionlessly as a farewell.
Then, the windows of the black SUV closed, creating a dark wall between them.
She could only watch helplessly as his car drove away, a sense of powerlessness welling up inside her.
"Still looking? Everyone's gone." Lü Feng said, concealing the gloom in his eyes.
Zhu Liushuang was furious and was about to loudly question him about why he had acted so ambiguously just now.
But when she actually turned around and met Lü Feng's eyes, she changed her mind in frustration.
"Brother Xiaofeng, didn't I send you a message? Why did you wait until now?" Her eyes showed dissatisfaction, but even more so, helplessness.
Lu Feng lowered his eyes and forced a smile, saying, "I didn't wake up properly this afternoon, so after parking the car, I took another nap. Who would have thought I'd sleep until this late? What message did you send me? I haven't had a chance to read it yet..."
Such a clumsy excuse, it was obvious that it was a lie, but Zhu Liushuang did not expose it.
She looked away from Lü Feng's face and walked forward on her own, her voice clearly weak and listless: "Aren't you going? Let's go back."
"Okay!" Lu Feng jogged a few steps to catch up with Zhu Liushuang. He was still smug about how she hadn't exposed his made-up excuse earlier. "My parents aren't home today, so... how about I come over to your house for dinner? I really want to eat Aunt Gu's boiled pork. The dipping sauce is amazing. My mom can't make it."
Zhu Liushuang didn't speak, her pace quickening. She didn't notice where Lü Feng's car was parked, her mind still replaying He Ming's unfinished words.
So... what was the second half of what he wanted to say?
If Lü Feng hadn't interfered, perhaps they would have had a more significant interaction today.
Thinking of this, Zhu Liu felt like his lungs were about to explode, and he had a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent it.
“You’ve gone too far, Xiao Shuang.” Lu Feng’s voice suddenly reached her ears.
Zhu Liushuang stopped, gave a curt "Oh," and then walked to Lü Feng's car, opened the back door, and got in.
At this point, she didn't care whether she was treating Lü Feng as a driver or not. She was afraid that if she sat in the passenger seat, she wouldn't be able to help but yell at him.
Lu Feng opened the driver's side door, hesitated for two seconds before finally getting into the car. The passenger seat was empty, just like his empty heart at that moment.
He knew Zhu Liushuang was angry, and he also knew that she was angry because of his transgression earlier.
But if given another chance, he would still do the same thing.
When he received Zhu Liushuang's WeChat message, he was briefly saddened before continuing to sit in the car and wait.
He was unwilling to give up, always thinking that if he silently stood behind her, she might be moved and look at him more.
However, Zhu Liushuang was not looking at herself.
After waiting for half the afternoon, he finally saw her come out of the restaurant. He immediately opened the car door and got out, wanting to give her a surprise.
Unexpectedly, a black SUV pulled up beside her. He saw her smiling and talking to the person inside the car, even subtly standing on tiptoe.
The streetlights were dim, and he couldn't make out whether the person in the car was male or female, but his intuition told him it should be a man.
He jogged over, and when he saw the face of the person inside the car, alarm bells went off in his mind. In a moment of panic, he made such an impulsive move.
"I'm sorry, Xiaoshuang." Lu Feng glanced at Zhu Liushuang's silent face in the rearview mirror and said bitterly.
"It's alright." Zhu Liu stared straight ahead, his eyes unfocused.
After much thought, she concluded that it was all her fault. If she hadn't asked Lü Feng for help, none of this would have happened.
The car kept stopping and starting in the congested streets, and the female radio host was aggressively promoting a certain brand of premium bird's nest. Zhu Liushuang couldn't listen; she was preoccupied with figuring out how to explain things to Lü Feng.
She wanted to be as tactful as possible, but Lü Feng was the type to never give up until he hit a wall, and her tact and reluctance would only delay things for both of them more.
A swift and decisive action is always better than hesitation. Zhu Liushuang made up her mind.
The two remained silent the entire way until the car pulled into the residential complex and stopped in front of the building. Only then did Zhu Liushuang slowly raise her head.
Her expression was serious and solemn: "Brother Xiaofeng, I have something I want to tell you."
"Oh dear, I'm so hungry. Let's eat first... or we can talk after we eat?" Lu Feng started to dodge the question. "While we were waiting at the traffic light, I texted Aunt Gu, and she said she'd make me boiled pork for dinner."
After saying that, he got out of the car before Zhu Liushuang could respond.
Years of getting along with him had allowed him to thoroughly understand Zhu Liushuang's temperament.
After her junior year graduation ceremony that year, she solemnly walked up to him and smiled as she drew a line between them.
Is she going to completely cut off his escape route and all hope this time?
Lu Feng lowered his head and smiled bitterly, swallowing his dejection.
He ran into the dimly lit stairwell first, refusing to accept Zhu Liushuang's "judgment" like a cowardly escapist.
Zhu Liushuang followed behind, panting heavily.
She grabbed Lu Feng's wrist just before he was about to knock on her security door.
She used all her strength because she was afraid he would break free.
What she didn't know was that once she grabbed him, he wouldn't break free on his own.
“Brother Xiaofeng, you know what I’m going to say.” Zhu Liushuang’s tone was serious, forcing him to accept it. “Running away is not the solution. We must make things clear today.”
Lu Feng's gaze lingered on his wrist.
He had longed for her to take his hand countless times, but he never imagined it would happen at such a cruel moment.
"It seems... I won't be able to have Aunt Gu's boiled pork." Lü Feng gave in, letting her hold his wrist and lead him aside.
The summer heat was intense; even at night, the temperature never dipped below thirty degrees Celsius. Her palm gripped his wrist, the burning sensation sending shivers down his spine.
Seeing that Lü Feng was facing her seriously, Zhu Liushuang finally let go of his hand.
Her first words pierced Lü Feng's heart: "Brother Feng, I have someone I like."
"Was it him?" I had only caught a fleeting glimpse of the person in the car, but he left a deep impression on me.
"Yes," Zhu Liushuang answered affirmatively.
"So... I have absolutely no chance?"
Zhu Liushuang couldn't bear to look into Lü Feng's eyes, and quickly lowered her gaze, saying, "Brother Feng, I like him. I like him very much..."
"I understand, you don't need to say anything more." The last glimmer of hope in Lü Feng's eyes vanished, and he forced a smile that was more like a grimace. "From now on, I'll still be your Brother Feng... just Brother Feng."
"sorry……"
"Xiaoshuang, you don't need to apologize. Love is inherently selfish... Besides, forced love is never sweet. If my feelings have caused you a lot of burden, then I should be the one apologizing."
Even now, as he faces reality, Lü Feng is still pondering how to comfort the girl he has liked for so long.
He was afraid she would blame herself.
"Go home and have dinner quickly, don't keep Aunt Gu waiting."
A sigh came from above. Zhu Liushuang lowered her head and bit her lip, her throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton, unable to utter any high-sounding words.
She heard Lü Feng open the iron gate of his house, and then she heard the sound of the security gate being closed.
Soon, the man who had been with her throughout her youth disappeared completely from her sight.
Zhu Liushuang stood in the corridor for a while in a daze before rubbing her stiff cheeks, taking out her keys, and opening the door.
"Xiaoshuang, you're back. Where's Xiaofeng? Didn't he say he was coming over for dinner?" Gu Chunling looked around in confusion when she saw that only her daughter was at the door.
"Oh, he said something came up and he won't be coming for dinner," Zhu Liushuang said calmly.
She walked to the standing fan by the dining table and held it against her face for several minutes to cool off. But the irritation in her heart lingered.
"Why are you blowing the fan directly on your head, child? You'll catch a cold!" Gu Chunling turned around to pick up a dish and saw her daughter blowing the fan without any restraint, so she quickly came over to stop her.
When I got closer, I noticed that my daughter's expression was off, so I asked, "Why are your eyes so red? Did you have a fight with Xiaofeng?"
"No, it's probably because the fan was on too high and the water was getting watery," Zhu Liushuang said, trying to cover up her mistake, as she turned down the fan.
Since her daughter was unwilling to tell the truth, Gu Chunling naturally wouldn't force her, and simply pretended that she hadn't seen anything: "Then let's eat first, we've made too much food."
Four dishes were laid out on the long wooden dining table: two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one soup. In the very center was the boiled pork that Lü Feng had specifically requested.
Zhu Liushuang had already eaten a large meal of fried rice at Mengyuan Restaurant, and now that she saw the boiled pork, she lost all interest in having a couple more bites of dinner just to make an appearance.
"Mom... the restaurant owner treated me to some snacks, and I'm a little full. You can have dinner... if you can't finish it, put it in the fridge, and I'll pack it up for lunch tomorrow." Zhu Liushuang pursed her lips. "I'm a little tired after a busy day, I'll go back to my room and take a nap."
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Author's note: Alright, Brother Feng has quickly cut off the connection!
Next, I'll write about team building activities.
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