Broken trust
The moment Zhong Hua stepped into Ah Yu's apartment, a strong scent of tuberose perfume wafted towards her. The sweet, cloying fragrance dominated the entire space, completely overwhelming the familiar scent of cedarwood shower gel. Her brow furrowed slightly, and a strange feeling welled up inside her.
She instinctively walked towards the sofa, searching for familiar traces to try and dispel the unease in her heart. As she crouched down, her gaze was instantly drawn to a navy blue tie on the sofa. Her fingertips gently pinched the tie, bringing it closer for a closer look. The pale purple lipstick stain at the collar was particularly glaring, like a conspicuous wound. Next to the lipstick stain was a brown mark that looked like blood, dry and eerie. Zhong Hua's heart sank, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind, a flood of speculations surging forth.
Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and her thoughts became chaotic. "What exactly happened? How did Ah Yu get such a tie? And where did these lipstick marks and bloodstains come from?" A series of questions swirled in her mind, making her feel a suffocating pain.
Just as she was lost in painful thoughts, she suddenly heard the sound of a key being inserted into a lock in the entryway. She jolted as if electrocuted, instinctively trying to hide the tie in her hand. She frantically stuffed the tie back into the sofa cushions, so flustered that she completely failed to notice half a pawnshop receipt sticking out from under the sofa.
As the door slowly opened, Ah Yu appeared in the doorway. He saw Zhong Hua squatting in front of the sofa, a hint of surprise on his face, but he quickly regained his composure. "Why are you here?" Ah Yu's voice sounded somewhat tired, with a barely perceptible hint of nervousness.
Zhong Hua slowly stood up, her eyes fixed on Ah Yu, trying to find the answer in his face. Her lips trembled slightly; she wanted to question him about the tie, but the words caught in her throat.
Ah Yu noticed Zhong Hua's unusual behavior. His gaze swept around the room, and he seemed to understand something. A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, walked to Zhong Hua's side, and tried to hold her hand. "Zhong Hua, don't overthink it. It's not what you see."
Zhong Hua abruptly shook off his hand, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment. "Not what I saw? Then what is it? How do you explain the lipstick stain and bloodstains on this tie? And the perfume in this room—all of this tells me that I've never known you before!"
Ah Yu sighed helplessly, a hint of pain in her eyes. "Zhong Hua, let me explain, this really is a misunderstanding. I..."
Before Ah Yu could finish speaking, Zhong Hua interrupted him. "Misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding could leave such marks on your body? Do you know how heartbroken I was when I saw this tie!" Zhong Hua's voice grew louder, tears welling up in his eyes.
Ah Yu opened his mouth, wanting to explain again, but found that any words seemed so pale and powerless at this moment. He knew that Zhong Hua's trust in him had cracked, and everything seemed to be developing in an irreversible direction.
Silence spread between them, the atmosphere so oppressive it was hard to breathe. Zhong Hua took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She looked at Ah Yu, the disappointment in her eyes gradually replaced by indifference. "Since you're unwilling to talk about it, then I don't want to ask anymore. Perhaps, we really need to calm down."
After saying that, Zhong Hua turned and walked towards the door. Ah Yu wanted to reach out and stop him, but stopped in mid-air. He looked at Zhong Hua's back, his heart filled with regret and helplessness.
Zhong Hua walked out of the apartment, the door slamming shut behind her. Tears finally welled up and streamed down her cheeks. She didn't know if her relationship with A Yu could ever return to what it was before, or if those seemingly beautiful memories were just a fleeting dream. Inside the apartment, A Yu stood alone, staring blankly at the doorway. The navy blue tie seemed to still faintly smell of tuberose perfume, a reminder of this almost inexplicable misunderstanding and the cruel reality of possibly losing Zhong Hua's trust forever.
In the days that followed, Zhong Hua deliberately avoided Ah Yu. Whenever she thought of that tie, a sharp pain would well up inside her. She tried to keep herself busy, using work to numb herself, but those images would always inadvertently surface in her mind.
Ah Yu was frantic with worry. He tried to contact Zhong Hua multiple times, but she refused each time. He knew that this misunderstanding had caused Zhong Hua great harm, and he understood that mending the rift in her heart would not be easy. He began searching everywhere for evidence to prove his innocence and to tell Zhong Hua that it was all Lin Wanqing's conspiracy.
One day, Ah Yu accidentally discovered a video of Lin Wanqing mixing red wine and concealer. In the video, Lin Wanqing wore a smug smile, seemingly excited about her impending success. Ah Yu was overjoyed; he felt he had finally found crucial evidence to prove his innocence.
He eagerly took the video to Zhong Hua, hoping to clear up her doubts and salvage their relationship. When he reappeared before Zhong Hua, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Zhong Hua, look at this video. This is a video of Lin Wanqing fabricating evidence. The marks on that tie were deliberately made by her. I really didn't betray you." Ah Yu eagerly handed the phone to Zhong Hua, her eyes full of expectation.
Zhong Hua stared at the video on her phone, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Her eyes held surprise, but also a hint of hesitation. She didn't know if she should trust Ah Yu again, given the deep hurt she had suffered before.
"Even if she fabricated it, how do you explain everything between you and her? Were the scenes I saw also fake?" Zhong Hua's voice carried a hint of doubt.
Ah Yu quickly explained, "Zhong Hua, those are all misunderstandings. Lin Wanqing deliberately set them up. She and Gu Yanting would stop at nothing to ruin me. I've only ever loved you. You have to believe me!"
Looking into Ah Yu's sincere eyes, Zhong Hua's defenses began to crumble. She recalled all the moments she had shared with Ah Yu, those beautiful memories flooding her mind like a tide. She took a deep breath and slowly said, "I'm willing to believe you one more time, but if there's a next time..."
Ah Yu gripped Zhong Hua's hand tightly, her eyes glistening with tears of emotion. "There won't be a next time, I promise."
After this ordeal, Zhong Hua and Ah Yu's relationship deepened. They understood that trust is the most precious thing in a relationship, and once lost, it's incredibly difficult to rebuild. Meanwhile, Lin Wanqing and Gu Yanting's conspiracy gradually surfaced, and an even fiercer struggle awaited them…
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