Chapter 30: "Would you like to marry me?"...
Chapter 30
The night was as dark as ink. In the parking lot, the dim streetlights hung low, and the cold wind swirled fallen leaves on the ground. Only the occasional passing car could be heard humming softly.
In front of the silver-black Bugatti Centodieci, Fu Linzheng's shadow was reflected on the ground, and the wind made his reddened eyes feel sore.
The pressure on my chest was suffocating.
His dark eyes, beneath his long lashes, burned fiercely red. Finally, he lowered his lashes, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he sneered self-deprecatingly:
"You're right. Who you go on blind dates with or who adds you on social media is none of my business."
He curled his lip and said, "Your attitude was already very clear six years ago."
Just like that night on the teacher's birthday, he got jealous and forcibly kissed her behind the artificial hill, only to be slapped hard by her. She had already said that she hated him. Perhaps from the very beginning six years ago, his persistent pursuit had disgusted her.
The wind was silent.
A few seconds later, he slowly released his grip on her hand, his gaze falling into her dark, bloodshot eyes, and said, word by word:
"Rong Weiyue, then I wish you to meet the right person soon, and to be together forever, loving each other until old age."
Finally, he turned and left.
As Rong Weiyue watched his retreating figure, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, blurring her vision.
She opened her mouth, wanting to tell him not to leave, but a thousand words seemed stuck in her chest, and she couldn't utter a sound.
As Fu Linzheng disappeared from sight, she was left behind. The beautiful world that she had slowly built up and carefully cherished in her heart because of him suddenly collapsed, erupting with a piercing pain that swept through her entire being.
Her tears flowed uncontrollably, like beads falling from a broken string.
No, that's not how it is...
She wanted to chase after them, but her stomach felt like it was being violently gripped, the pain was excruciating, and she fell to the ground, leaning on the car, and burst into tears.
As night deepened, the moon hid behind the dark clouds, and the sky was a hazy gray.
The nights in Beijing are getting colder and colder.
The cold wind seemed to penetrate to the bone.
After a while, someone passing by the parking lot saw a little girl sitting helplessly on the ground, curled up and crying, her long hair covering her pale cheeks, like an abandoned kitten.
Someone helped her up and asked if she was alright and if she needed to be taken to the hospital. Rong Weiyue shook her head and said softly, "No need, I'm fine..."
The spasms gradually subsided, and she clutched her stomach, staggering forward.
My phone rang in my pocket; it was Xia Sili calling.
“Weiyue, Azheng just called and asked me to take you home. He… probably thinks it’s not safe for you to drink. Where are you? I’ll take you.”
She suppressed a sob and said softly, "No need, thank you. Yin Lu is here to pick me up."
Xia Sili paused for a moment, then said softly:
"Okay, feel free to contact me if you need any help."
After hanging up the phone, Yin Lu arrived shortly afterward.
Just now, Yin Lu was worried about her and asked her how she was going to get back. Rong Weiyue asked her with a sob in her voice if she could stay with her. Yin Lu sensed something was wrong and rushed over immediately.
Once in the car, Yin Lu noticed that she seemed completely lost and, upon learning that she had a stomachache, quickly bought her a hot drink. "Are you alright? Should we go to the hospital?"
"No need, I've recovered..."
When she gets too emotional, her stomach and intestines feel uncomfortable; this is because she often went hungry during her university years, which damaged her digestive system.
The hot drink slowly eased the pain as it went down her throat. Yin Lu asked her where she was going, and Rong Weiyue lowered her head and whispered, "To your place."
"good."
The car started, and Rong Weiyue rolled down the window. The wind lashed her cheeks, but she didn't feel cold.
She looked down and rubbed the crescent-shaped scar on her wrist. Yin Lu looked at her with heartache and couldn't help but ask, "Yueyue, what happened?"
Yin Lu guessed something. "Is it related to Fu Linzheng? I feel like you two are acting really strange tonight. He hasn't spoken to you at all. He's usually so clingy to you. What's wrong with you today? Did you two have a fight?"
Rong Weiyue felt a lump in her throat, and after a few seconds she spoke:
“Yan Huai saw me having dinner last night and he thought we were on a blind date.”
"ah?!"
“When I got home last night, Fu Linzheng tested me, but I lied to him and said I was having dinner with you…”
Yin Lu was stunned, then murmured in realization, "No wonder, no wonder he was like this today. He's jealous, isn't he? The key is that you kept it from him, which makes the matter seem even more real and believable to him."
Rong Weiyue choked with guilt: "I didn't tell him because I had already clearly rejected Yan Huai... It was my mistake. I shouldn't have lied to him. I should have noticed that something was wrong with him last night..."
Fu Linzheng's words kept echoing in her ears, and Rong Weiyue's vision blurred with tears under the streetlight:
“In his mind, I was seeing him while going on blind dates with other people, as if I was toying with his feelings time and time again… This was how I dumped him six years ago, and it’s the same now… He said he was being pathetic and delusional because I was the one who never reciprocated his feelings…”
Fu Linzheng always rushed towards her with great enthusiasm, just like that night when they were together. She said she wanted to eat a green orange cake, and he braved the cold wind, his arm bruised and purple from the fall, but he still ran towards her without wavering.
As long as she takes one step toward him, he is willing to take the remaining ninety-nine steps, even if he is frustrated time and time again. He will always be behind her when she needs him.
And what about her...? What did she do to him...?
Tears streamed down her face: "Yin Lu, do you know how rare it is to see Fu Linzheng cry? He's such a proud and spirited man, but he just cried. He cried six years ago when I broke up with him..."
As she spoke, her throat felt choked up, her chest heaved violently, and memories of the past were like a book suddenly turned upside down by the wind outside the window.
As the torrential rain poured down, memories replayed in my mind like a movie.
Six years ago, in early autumn, she changed her college application and went to the China Academy of Art alone. A whole month had already passed since the start of the semester.
That afternoon, the sky was overcast with dark clouds overhead. She had just finished a professional class and was on her way to the teacher's office with her classmates to deliver materials when she saw Fu Linzheng standing under the camphor tree in front of the teaching building.
The boy was dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants, his face was haggard, and he looked unusually thinner. He seemed to have been waiting for a long time, and his gaze was fixed on her.
She had broken up with him more than two months prior, deleted all his contact information, and he had not responded to her messages.
She assumed that Fu Linzheng had already accepted their breakup.
Rong Weiyue was stunned when she saw him. She didn't expect to see him in Hangzhou. She was stunned for two seconds and turned to leave, but Fu Linzheng walked over and grabbed her wrist.
After the boy pulled her to an empty teaching building, she tried to leave but was grabbed. Fu Linzheng laughed in exasperation.
"Rong Weiyue, I've been chasing you for a year, and in the end you're still the same as before, running away whenever you see me. Is it that you get annoyed the moment I show up?"
Having not heard his voice for so long, a sharp pain shot through her heart. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him. "Is there something you need?"
Fu Linzheng looked at her, his brows furrowed: "It's only been two months since we last met, how come you've lost so much weight? Rong Weiyue, did I raise you for nothing? Didn't I tell you before what the punishment would be for losing a pound?"
Rong Weiyue bit her red lips and remained silent.
Fu Linzheng raised his hand and rubbed her head. "You're quite bold. You changed your college application and came to Hangzhou without saying a word. I almost couldn't find you. But it's nice here. The Jiangnan water town suits you well. It's only a two-hour flight from Beijing. I can come here often."
He touched her face and coaxed her in a low, husky voice, "Yueyue, have you had dinner yet? Shall we go eat? Or you can show me around the school. I took some pictures of Huhu for you; it's grown so much."
Rong Weiyue felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and she broke free from his hand: "Fu Linzheng, I made it very clear on the phone before, we've already broken up..."
Fu Linzheng's voice was tense, suppressing his anger: "Take back those words. Do you dare to make such a joke again?"
A few seconds later, she looked up at him, her gaze strained.
Do you think I'm joking?
"I told you, let's break up."
He looked at her, his eyes gradually reddening, and the scars hidden beneath his white T-shirt reopened, causing him pain. He suppressed the discomfort, his voice hoarse:
"Rong Weiyue... It's been more than two months since you last saw me. Don't you have anything you want to ask me? Why don't you ask me anything? Is it that you don't care about anything about me?"
She turned her eyes away, her voice trembling: "There's nothing to ask. We don't need to contact each other in the first place."
Upon hearing this, he completely lost his temper, raising his hand to grab her chin: "I've been chasing you for so long, and you just turn around and dump me like that? Don't you deserve an explanation?!"
"I said in the text message that we are incompatible."
Fu Linzheng wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her against a stone pillar. His face was grim, his eyes red, and he gritted his teeth as he asked, "Incompatible personalities? You're asking me for the first time what kind of personality I have? We've been together for so long and you're telling me we're incompatible? You're trying to fool me with this excuse?!"
"We agreed to stay in Beijing for university together, and our scores were good enough. You even said you were happy with me before, and before summer vacation was even over, you're breaking up with me like this?!"
His voice was hoarse and trembling as he struggled to maintain his last shred of rationality: "Yueyue, did I do something wrong? Tell me, I'll change. Or, is something wrong? Don't be afraid, I can handle it."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled and looked at him: "How rare, is Young Master Fu trying to keep me now? In the past, it was always the girls who pursued you, and now you're experiencing what it's like to try to keep someone else?"
Her almond-shaped eyes were misty and soft, but her words were sharp and barbed: "Fu Linzheng, when I started dating you, it was just because I wanted to rebel and have a puppy love. I just wanted to see what it was like for a high and mighty young master like you to pursue someone. Besides, you only pursued me because of the bet, right? I was just bored and wanted to try it out and see who was playing whom in the end."
Upon hearing this, Fu Linzheng stared at her in a daze.
“Fu Linzheng, we’re both people who only have a short attention span. I… I’ve never taken your feelings seriously.”
She looked at him and smiled: "So we're not compatible, even if we were together, it wouldn't work out."
"I'm going to university now. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and wish each other well. Please let me go."
The sky overhead was overcast, and soon thunder rumbled, followed by torrential rain.
Raindrops pelted her as Fu Linzheng listened to her dagger-like words, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at her: "Rong Weiyue, do you know... how hard I tried to come back to find you?"
"Yes, I initially pursued you because of the bet, but every time I said I liked you, it was true. I don't believe you couldn't sense it."
Rong Weiyue lowered her head.
Fu Linzheng found it ridiculous: "I thought that even though I was being persistent and annoying, at least I made you like me. Now I know that you never liked me at all."
Fu Linzheng opened his trembling palm, and rainwater slid down his fingertips, quietly submerging the two matching rings they had once made together.
Hers was left in his apartment when they broke up.
The next moment, the man raised his hand and flung it, sending two metal objects flying into the wet grass.
Fu Linzheng's eyes were red and stinging, tears mingling with the rain as they slid down his cheeks. His voice was hoarse and almost broken, completely swallowed by the sound of the rain.
"Rong Weiyue, you were the one who rejected me first. From now on, don't even think that I'll ever come back to you."
Scenes of the breakup flashed before my eyes.
And tonight feels like a replay of the past.
Rong Weiyue lowered her head, tears falling drop by drop, her voice choked with sobs:
“Yin Lu, I was so heartless when we broke up. I thought Fu Linzheng would never like me again, so after we met again, I didn’t dare to think about it. I didn’t dare to have any expectations because I thought Fu Linzheng’s pride would never make him turn back…”
At first, she didn't dare to analyze her feelings for Fu Linzheng.
She felt a little regretful and sad, but she comforted herself that even if they got back together, it wouldn't last long, and that Fu Linzheng was probably just driven by a desire to conquer her.
She kept deceiving herself, afraid to face her own feelings.
Until tonight, Fu Linzheng's words finally made her see things clearly—
In truth, he chose her once again over pride.
Even after six years and many changes, he still walked firmly toward her, offering his true heart to her.
At this moment, all the pain and sorrow that had been suppressed in her heart and dared not be touched came crashing down on her, overwhelming her and crushing her.
She finally realized that she was the one who had lost him...
It was the same six years ago, and it is the same today...
She broke down in tears: "Fu Linzheng said he wished me to meet the right person soon, to be together forever, and to grow old in love... He doesn't want me anymore, he really doesn't want me anymore..."
"It's because I didn't know how to cherish it; I'm not worthy of his affection at all..."
Now, he completely let go of her hand...
From childhood to adulthood, she was suppressed and compared, and became accustomed to suppressing all her emotions, never daring to express them directly. Many times she seemed brave and rebellious, but many times she was also timid, hesitant, and indecisive.
Perhaps if she had been braver back then, they wouldn't have broken up...
But time and time again, she lost the best things because of her cowardice.
How could someone like her deserve Fu Linzheng's affections...?
Back home, Yin Lu hugged her tenderly and comforted her, "Yueyue, don't doubt yourself. If you're so unworthy, why would Fu Linzheng like you again and again?"
Yin Lu's voice was gentle: "Yueyue, no one can guarantee that every choice in life is correct. You are caught up in your relationship and are too blinded by it, so sometimes you can't see yourself clearly."
"But now, there's no point in regretting the past."
Yin Lu looked at her seriously: "You also had your difficulties back then, but that's all in the past. Now that you understand his attitude, what you can control is your own attitude, understand?"
"You should ask yourself, if Fu Linzheng really lets go, are you willing to disregard everything else and turn around and grab him?"
"This time, you must follow your heart and stop running away."
...
One night, Rong Weiyue's figure was shrouded in the shadows of the living room.
Her stomach ached slightly, and she curled up, staring at the sky outside the window, unable to sleep.
Scenes of being with Fu Linzheng kept flashing through my mind, whether it was six years ago or now.
Many things that had happened since their reunion were pieced together in her mind, like fragments that were gradually pieced together to form a complete puzzle, accompanied by Yinlu's words that kept echoing in her ears.
The next morning, the sky outside was gray and gloomy, the waning moon had not yet set, and the sun had not yet risen.
After a while, Yin Lu woke up and went out of the room. She saw that the living room was empty. She looked around but couldn't find Rong Weiyue.
Yin Lu's heart sank, fearing that she might do something foolish, so she immediately called Rong Weiyue, who answered quickly.
Rong Weiyue said softly:
"I'm fine, I'm on my way back to Heshengting now."
"Yueyue..."
"I want to go back and see if Fu Linzheng is home."
In the taxi, Rong Weiyue looked out the window. The thick fog was gradually dissipating, and the sky was getting brighter.
A torrent of emotions surged within me.
She couldn't untangle the mess, but deep down, all she wanted was to go back and confront those problems.
Half an hour later, she returned to Heshengting.
Feeling uneasy, she opened the door and saw that the curtains were tightly closed and the room was dimly lit. Huhu was playing in the living room and ran over when she heard the noise, rubbing against her legs.
It was completely empty inside; you could hear a pin drop.
She looked down and saw Fu Linzheng's slippers in the entryway.
Didn't he come back last night...?
Rong Weiyue put on her shoes and walked inside, only to find that the room slowly lit up as she walked.
Each light, like a lighthouse in the night, casts a warm glow, illuminating the darkness ahead.
She was stunned, and then noticed that there was a small moon-shaped night light installed in every corner of the room.
Even without her glasses, she could clearly see the originally dimly lit areas of the house.
Many cabinet corners and sofas, especially those on the balcony, have been fitted with rounded corner protectors.
Rong Weiyue was stunned for a moment, then realized that when she returned home the night before, Fu Linzheng was sitting alone in front of the French windows, with a screwdriver and many empty boxes on the table in front of him.
She didn't pay attention at the time, thinking he was just fiddling with things out of boredom. It turned out that she had accidentally bumped her knee while doing laundry a few nights earlier, and he silently remembered it and then installed a night light for her.
He remembered everything she didn't care about.
Even though he was jealous, he still silently did so many things for her...
Rong Weiyue's eyes welled up with tears. At that moment, she barked at her and wagged her fluffy white tail as she ran forward, glancing back at her as she ran, seemingly signaling her to follow.
She followed and stopped at the door of Fu Linzheng's bedroom. She turned her head and looked inside, only to find that it was clean and tidy as usual, but empty.
The blankets on the bed were neatly made, but his laptop and tablet, which he usually used, were gone from the table, and several coats were missing from the hanger, as if they had been deliberately cleared out.
Her heart sank, and she suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
She rushed outside, opened the storage cabinet in the entryway, and discovered that the two spare suitcases that Fu Linzheng had previously placed there were gone.
In the living room, the dog bed's pee pad had been changed, and the water dispenser was filled with water.
She tidied up all the toys on the sofa, then went to the kitchen. There was a large box of cherries and strawberries in the refrigerator, along with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Her heart sank, and she caught sight of a piece of paper lying quietly on the dining table.
Rong Weiyue rushed over, picked it up and took a look. It was covered with a densely written dog care guide, from diet to games, as well as Huhu's bath card, swimming card, and so on, all with specific usage procedures marked on it.
Only one sentence was left on the paper by Fu Linzheng:
Take good care of Huhu.
Rong Weiyue clutched the card, her mind went blank for a few seconds, and then tears welled up in her eyes.
She felt as if she had been violently smashed to the ground.
Fu Linzheng is gone...
She was still too late...
She choked back tears and saw breakfast still on the table. When she touched it, the plate was still warm, as if he had just left.
With trembling hands, Rong Weiyue quickly took out her phone and dialed Fu Linzheng's number.
Beep beep beep—
Once, twice, three times...
The long wait continued, but no one answered the phone.
Tears streamed down her face. Panicked and disoriented, she immediately called Huaiyu after thinking of something.
A dozen seconds later, the call was answered: "Miss Rong?"
Rong Weiyue apologized for bothering him so early, "I couldn't get through to Fu Linzheng on the phone, it seems he left early this morning..."
She forced back the tears welling up in her eyes: "I have something I want to tell him. Do you know where he went? Could you ask him for me..."
Huaiyu paused for a moment, then spoke in a low voice: "Brother Zheng's flight to Japan is at nine o'clock this morning. He has a training program abroad. He said he's finished with things in China recently and probably won't be back for the next few months. He doesn't know when he'll be back... Miss Rong, is there anything you need me to pass on?"
I won't be back for the next few months...
Rong Weiyue's nose tingled with emotion: "No need to thank me..."
After hanging up the phone, she glanced at the time, didn't care about anything else, grabbed her car keys, and rushed out the door.
The wind lifted her clothes as she ran wildly toward the parking lot.
Once she got in the car, she started it and sped off.
As the wheels rolled over the ground, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Just then, Yin Lu called, saying she had left her glasses at her house. Rong Weiyue then told her about Fu Linzheng's upcoming trip abroad, "Yin Lu, Fu Linzheng is really leaving..."
The person on the other end asked in astonishment, "So what are you going to do now?"
"I'm on my way to the airport. I'm going to catch up with him. This time, I can't back down..."
Rong Weiyue stared ahead, her mind uncontrollably recalling everything Fu Linzheng had done for her during this time—
When her luggage was thrown out by the landlord, he was the first to appear. He rushed over and beat up the landlord for her, getting back the compensation that was rightfully hers.
She couldn't find a suitable place to live, so he offered her the best rental terms, furnished a warm room, cooked all sorts of delicious food for her every day, and took care of her when she was sick.
When she was a child, Rong Chengye thought she had no talent for playing the violin. Only Fu Linzheng cherished her little dream, made a violin for her, and prepared a music room for her at home.
When she was sexually harassed by Du Haibin a while ago, he beat him up for her. He was injured but didn't say anything. He just gently told her that he would never let anyone bully her again.
When she was arguing with her parents and feeling incredibly frustrated and sad, it was Fu Linzheng who hugged her and told her not to care about what others thought. He would always remember her birthday and would always cherish her...
There are so many things she can't even remember them all; every single one of them is a testament to his concern.
But she only saw it at this moment.
All thoughts cleared away at this moment, becoming perfectly clear.
She realized what she wanted.
Fifteen minutes later, the car arrived at the airport.
She got out of the car, and just then her phone rang. It was a call from Fu Linzheng.
Her heart pounded, and she answered quickly. A man's hoarse voice came through, seemingly suppressing a lot of emotions: "You were looking for me?"
She forced back her tears: "Fu Linzheng, I have something to tell you. Can you wait for me? Don't go through security yet..."
The man on the other end paused slightly. "You're at the airport?"
He was at the luggage storage and didn't check his phone.
"Yes, I've arrived..."
She rushed into the airport terminal against the wind.
She wanted to ask him where he was, but Fu Linzheng directly asked her where she was, then told her to stand still, his voice low and deep:
"Don't move, I'm coming to find you."
The waiting hall was brightly lit and bustling with people.
Rong Weiyue stood there blankly, glancing around as tourists dragged their luggage to and fro, going their separate ways.
Whether we meet or part, our steps never falter.
After a while, her gaze finally caught sight of that figure.
The man was dressed in a black sweater and cargo pants, and a crisp gray-black overcoat accentuated his tall figure. He had deep-set eyebrows, a high nose, and his gaze was fixed solely on her.
He walked against the flow of people toward her.
Suddenly, everything around faded away.
Rong Weiyue's heart sank, and tears streamed down her face.
Fu Linzheng walked over, looked down at her, and said in a hoarse voice, "Why are you here?"
Her heart was pounding, and she tried to speak softly, "I wanted to talk to you about something, but... but I just got home and found you were gone. Huaiyu said you were going on a business trip and wouldn't be back for a long time, so I came after you..."
Fu Linzheng's dark eyes burned with intensity, and he was about to speak when she spoke first: "Fu Linzheng, you have something to say to you, so please let me finish."
She looked up at him, her almond-shaped eyes wet and red:
"The person I had dinner with that night was named Yan Huai. He's the son of my parents' business partner. They've been trying to set us up lately, but I don't like him at all. I only ate the dinner to appease my elders. That night, I made it very clear to Yan Huai that I paid for the meal and threw away the flowers he gave me. I don't want to have anything to do with him."
Fu Linzheng was stunned. She blurted out, "I was supposed to have dinner with Yin Lu that night, but we couldn't make it. I didn't dare tell you because I'm not interested in Yan Huai. He's really not important to me, and I don't know why... I just didn't want you to misunderstand. I didn't want you to be unhappy."
The wind was biting cold outside, and the winter wind blew in through the gaps in the automatic door.
Rong Weiyue's nose stung with tears: "Fu Linzheng, I never intended to play with you. After we met again, I dared not have any expectations of you. You told me that there was no need for us to reminisce. You also said that you hate me too much to even think about it..."
Fu Linzheng frowned, lowered her head, and said, "I know I have a bad personality. I'm indecisive, hesitant, and always looking back and forth. But starting today, I won't be like that anymore..."
“My parents used to urge me to get married, and I always told them I didn’t want to get married. I never fantasized about marriage because I had never met the person I felt was worth it. But recently, I changed my mind.”
People came and went around me, their footsteps hurried, and various announcements echoed in my ears.
But at this moment, all the figures are blurred into gray and white flowing lines, and only they stand facing each other, frozen in a scene like a movie still.
Rong Weiyue's heart pounded like a drum. Feeling his intense gaze, she belatedly blushed. "Fu Linzheng, I don't know what I'm saying. Yesterday I heard your parents urging you to get married, and I... I just wanted to ask, if your parents are really anxious and pressuring you, and you don't have a girlfriend but still want a wife—"
Outside the glass windows of the lobby, the sky was brightening, and in the distance, planes taxied across the runway and soared into the sky.
Rong Weiyue looked up into the light, her clear, watery eyes meeting the man before her. Her voice was soft, yet incredibly firm at that moment:
"Would you like to marry me?"
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