Chapter 108 Thank you for loving me...
The car windows were fogged up. The rain hadn't stopped, and the reflections of the streetlights were shattered by the wind. Xia Zhiyao leaned against the passenger seat, her expression calm, as if she were just waiting for an ordinary dinner party.
Zhou Yue gripped the steering wheel, staring ahead, and after a while said, "Let's go in."
"Okay, I'll be back in a bit." Xia Zhiyao patted his hand.
He paused for two seconds, then said, "If anything happens, call me immediately."
Xia Zhiyao glanced at him sideways, her gaze indifferent: "What could possibly be wrong?"
Zhou Yue's jawline tightened, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he just took a deep breath, raised his hand to rub his temples, and said, "Go ahead, I'll wait here."
Xia Zhiyao nodded, opened the car door and got out. She opened her umbrella and walked along the street corner. The small Japanese restaurant was hidden under the dim yellow light. The warm yellow lanterns swayed gently in the dampness after the rain, making her silhouette half bright and half dark.
Because of the rain, there were very few people. When I opened the door, I saw Zhang Luyuan sitting by the window.
Xia Zhiyao immediately noticed the injuries on his face. His lips were bruised and purple, and there was a bloodstain on his forehead. His eyes were also dark and swollen. He looked like he hadn't rested well for a long time and was exhausted, which was very different from his usual elite demeanor.
Xia Zhiyao paused, walked over in a few steps, and stood there looking down at him: "What happened to you?"
Zhang Luyuan looked up and smiled, a smile that carried a hint of cynicism and also concealed weariness. "This—" he nodded at the corner of his mouth, "You saw it when I was hit." He then pointed to his forehead: "This, she hit me with a cup."
Xia Zhiyao didn't reply. He simply pulled out a chair and sat down. There were two pairs of chopsticks on the table, and only a small cup of sake remained in the wine glass. He had obviously been there for a while.
Xia Zhiyao sat up straight, placed her phone face down on the table, and looked directly at Zhang Luyuan: "What do you want?"
Zhang Luyuan was silent for a moment, twirling his fingertip around the rim of the cup before saying, "Will Zhou Yue let you out?"
Xia Zhiyao looked up and met his eyes. His eyes held so much: doubt, resentment, and a hint of heartache tinged with resentment.
“He’s waiting for me in the car outside,” she said casually.
The wind chimes by the door suddenly rang out, a sharp and jarring sound, as a guest pushed the door open, bringing in a gust of cold wind and the dampness of rain.
Zhang Luyuan lowered his head, raised the wine glass to his lips, and drank the remaining sake in one gulp. He then waved to the waiter to add more sake, put down the glass, and said softly, "So that's how it is." His voice was very soft, but it seemed as if he were talking to himself.
Xia Zhiyao shifted her gaze to the dim streetlights outside the window. Her profile was reflected in the glass, along with Zhang Luyuan's blurry outline. The two sat very close, but their shadows were far apart. They remained silent for a long time.
After considering for a long time, Xia Zhiyao finally spoke up: "Zhou Yue and the others have already told me what you did."
Zhang Luyuan paused for a moment, his hand holding the wine glass still. He didn't look up immediately, as if he was weighing his options.
Xia Zhiyao stared at him: "If you still consider me a friend, tell me who made you do this, and who is behind you?"
Zhang Luyuan then looked up, his expression a complex and ambiguous one. His lips twitched slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "There's no one behind me. I posted that photo myself."
Xia Zhiyao's gaze gradually turned cold. "Why?" she asked, almost uttering each word.
He said it casually, as if stating a trivial matter, "I can't stand him, and I can't stand you and him even more."
The lamplight on the table reflected off the wine, casting shards of light onto his face, making the wounds appear and disappear in the light and shadow. Xia Zhiyao didn't say anything more.
She looked at him, knowing in her heart that Zhang Luyuan, in his current state, was unlikely to tell the truth; the coldness in his eyes was mixed with resentment.
She originally wanted to yell at him and slam the door and leave, but she swallowed the words back. Being too impulsive wouldn't work; she had to slowly coax him to reveal his secrets.
So she looked away and said indifferently, "Never mind, I'm hungry, let's eat something first."
The waiter brought out several more dishes, all of which were her favorites. Xia Zhiyao picked up her chopsticks, lowered her head to pick up food, her expression calm and her movements light, as if the confrontation just now had never happened.
Zhang Luyuan leaned back in his chair, watching her movements. For a moment, he was in a daze. The familiar atmosphere of everyday life made his heart tighten suddenly: "I remember you haven't eaten this much in a long time."
He paused, his gaze falling on the tip of her chopsticks, and said in a low voice, "Before... when we ate together, you would only eat a couple of bites and then you couldn't eat anymore."
Xia Zhiyao's hand paused slightly, the chopsticks falling back onto the plate with a soft sound. She looked up at him, a barely perceptible smile on her lips. "So you knew," she said softly. "I thought you hadn't noticed at all back then." The smile was so faint it was almost devoid of warmth, yet it was more unbearable than any reproach.
Zhang Luyuan's expression froze for a moment, then he looked away and said in a low voice, "Are you blaming me?"
Xia Zhiyao didn't answer immediately. She wanted to say something, perhaps "I don't need to blame you," or perhaps "You don't deserve my blame," but before she could speak, Zhang Luyuan interrupted.
“I really am sorry,” he said, his tone suddenly turning somber, tinged with barely suppressed emotion.
"But you left so heartlessly."
Xia Zhiyao paused for a few seconds, then slowly raised her gaze. "Heartless?" she repeated softly, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Zhang Luyuan, do you want me to remind you why I left?"
Zhang Luyuan didn't reply, but just looked at her, his gaze gradually darkening. "Why did we end up like this? Zhiyao, why do we have to fight to the death?"
Xia Zhiyao looked at him calmly, her expression serene. "Shouldn't I be asking you?" She paused, her tone even softer, yet every word seemed to strike his heart: "I've never thought of arguing with you about anything. Work is work; don't mix it with your personal life."
In that instant, Zhang Luyuan collapsed completely. When he looked up, the light shone on his face, revealing subtle signs of exhaustion.
She forced a smile: "I lost, Zhiyao. I lost completely, even my fig leaf has been torn to shreds."
Xia Zhiyao looked at him quietly, her expression calm, her eyes devoid of any ripples. The man before her, no matter how proud or sharp he once was, had now been gradually corroded beyond recognition by her own greed, jealousy, and regret.
Zhang Luyuan chuckled softly, the laugh almost broken: "Sometimes, I really hate you." He looked up, the light in his eyes dim and uncertain, "I hate how heartless you are, but most of the time, I hate myself. I hate myself for losing you with my own hands."
Xia Zhiyao pursed her lips slightly, revealing an almost transparent coldness in her eyes. She said softly, "A fig leaf? Zhang Luyuan, things between us have never been clean from the very beginning."
Her voice was steady, yet every word was like a needle: "Back then, I knew nothing. You said you were all alone, and I believed you. But what happened later?"
Zhang Luyuan looked up, his eyes narrowing: "Zhiyao, it was me back then..."
“You said ‘Give me some more time,’ you said ‘She will leave sooner or later,’ you said ‘Everything will be alright after the pandemic ends.’” Xia Zhiyao interrupted him, her tone flat, but colder than crying. “You didn’t say a single wrong word, but year after year, you never kept your promise.”
Zhang Luyuan drank in silence.
"You say I'm heartless." She chuckled softly, "But the truly heartless one has never been me from beginning to end."
Zhang Luyuan's gaze trembled, and he finally raised his head, a bitter smile appearing on his lips: "I lost." He said, "Zhiyao. I lost because of greed, I lost because of cowardice. I wanted to keep you, but I didn't dare to give up that family."
Xia Zhiyao's gaze was firm: "So you left, and then you started to hate me, hate Zhou Yue?"
Zhang Luyuan's Adam's apple bobbed, his fingers gripping the cup tightly. "Zhiyao, I truly love you." He practically forced out those words through gritted teeth.
Xia Zhiyao sneered: "Love?" She exhaled softly, "Your love is too filthy, Zhang Luyuan, so filthy that it took me three years to wash it before I dared to look in the mirror again."
Suddenly, Xia Zhiyao spoke again, "However..." She slightly raised her eyes, her gaze cold and sharp, "I still have to thank you."
Zhang Luyuan's breath hitched. He looked up at her, his expression weary and empty.
Xia Zhiyao's lips curved into a smile, so faint it was almost transparent: "Thank you for not posting my bed photos all over the world."
After a long pause, Zhang Luyuan said in a hoarse voice, "I wouldn't do such a thing, whether you believe it or not... I really love you."
"I believe you." Xia Zhiyao only said these two words.
Zhang Luyuan was stunned.
Xia Zhiyao seemed to have just emerged from her memories: "I know you're serious. In those years, you were there for me, understanding my emotions, enduring my anxieties, and you helped me a lot."
Zhang Luyuan's throat tightened; he wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a word. That little bit of regret and grievance was finally swallowed up by the silent emptiness.
Xia Zhiyao looked at him, her eyes almost transparent with indifference, filled with utter disappointment. She knew that she could not get anything meaningful from him anymore—no truth, no apology, no explanation.
"Never mind," she said softly. "Let's call it a day." She stood up. "Zhang Luyuan, don't contact me again."
Xia Zhiyao slowly stood up, as if she had finally extricated herself from all the quagmire and shackles, her whole being clean and resolute.
She stared intently at Zhang Luyuan, her gaze clear and resolute, her voice gentle yet carrying an unshakeable strength: "Thank you for loving me, and thank you for telling me today that it's all over."
Zhang Luyuan's throat tightened; he wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a word. That slight regret and grievance were finally swallowed up by the silent emptiness.
She turned around, took two steps, then stopped, and uttered only a sentence almost swallowed by the sound of rain: "What a pity, Zhang Luyuan, you can't even love someone properly."
After saying that, she turned and left. Her steps were light yet firm, as if she were stepping through a long shadow and walking towards her own light.
Zhang Luyuan sat there, his eyes following her retreating figure, his fingers trembling slightly on the table, but he didn't reach out. He didn't turn around, nor did he try to stop her.
The drizzle started falling again outside, and a cold wind carrying the smell of alcohol crept into the room, sending a chill down one's spine.
That past, intertwined with love and hurt, has finally come to a complete end at this moment.
Xia Zhiyao pushed open the glass door. The night was deep, and the drizzle fell silently. The streetlights along the street were bathed in soft light from the rain, making the street seem to melt into a dream.
She stood on the steps, the wind swept by, carrying raindrops that brushed against her forehead and eyelashes, fine and cool. She tilted her head slightly, letting the coolness seep into her skin little by little. There was no noise, no escape, only complete silence.
She had no intention of using an umbrella, and stood there at the boundary between light and rain, until a familiar voice called her name again, through the sound of rain.
Xia Zhiyao lowered her gaze and looked through the misty rain to see Zhou Yue standing beside the car not far away.
He didn't use an umbrella either; his black trench coat was soaked in the rain, and rainwater slid down his hair. He stood motionless, his shoulders and back straight, his expression calm, yet carrying an unspoken certainty.
His gaze was so gentle it could almost pierce through the wind and rain. When it fell upon her, it was as quiet and warm as a lamp, without urging her, just waiting for her silently. Xia Zhiyao's nose tingled with emotion. She slowly walked down the steps, the rain pattering on her umbrella-like eyelashes, blurring the world into a hazy light.
Every step she took was a step out of the past, every step brought her closer to him. When she reached him, she stopped. The two were half a meter apart, and rain fell between them like a thin curtain.
Zhou Yue slightly opened his arms, his movements restrained yet resolute, and whispered, "Zhiyao, come here." His voice, carrying the unique warmth of the rainy night, touched her heartstrings.
Xia Zhiyao's eyes welled up with tears, but she smiled. The next second, she took the initiative to step forward and throw herself into his arms.
Zhou Yue was stunned for a moment, then reached out and hugged her tightly. The drizzle fell, wetting their hair and washing away the remaining fatigue and shadows.
The whole world receded, leaving only this quiet embrace. They said nothing, and they didn't need to say anything.
Zhou Yue lowered his head, his chin gently resting on the top of her head, his breath hot yet restrained.
The night was deep, the rain was fine and dense, and the light from the streetlights slid down the raindrops like scattered gold flowing in the air. The whole city was still, except for this silent embrace, which burned brightly in the cold rain.
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