Chapter 14: Facing the Truth
Chapter 14: Facing the Truth
After the lecture, the huge crowd gathered into several groups and rushed to several exits, making the auditorium bustling.
Chen Huaixu exchanged a few words with several professors, said goodbye, and prepared to leave.
Mo Cheng packed up his speech materials and stood behind him with his briefcase.
Chen Huaixu asked him for the car keys and said, "Just go back. You don't have to see me off tonight."
Mo Cheng understood, so he nodded and said, "Okay, Boss."
He spoke calmly, but the gossipy expression of "I know everything" on his face betrayed him.
Chen Huaixu saw through it at a glance, but didn't say anything. He just reminded her, "Just know it. Don't talk nonsense in the company. Rumors can easily be distorted by those with ulterior motives. I don't want her to be misjudged."
Mo Cheng's expression suddenly turned serious, and he said, "I understand."
The two walked outside along the aisle. There was a table set up next to the stage. The operations staff who came with them were performing human resources duties and collecting students' resumes offline.
Mo Cheng wanted to go and explain something, so Chen Huaixu stood not far away and waited.
Several students with their backs to him were discussing:
"Didn't you see just now? Old Li specifically called her backstage. He must have introduced her to her in person! Why would she need to go through the tedious process of submitting resumes and preparing for interviews like us? Just the last name 'Yan' is enough to get her any position."
"It's really annoying. He's usually so high and mighty, but who does he look down on?"
"Maybe she didn't get in through exams. Her family is so rich, and her dad is a professor in the history department. Wouldn't it be easy for her to get in through the back door?"
"She must have gotten in through the backdoor. How could she get into Ningchuan University? She's pretty and has nothing else to offer. Without a family background, she really can't compete with others."
"Oh, you can't say that. It's rare to see someone this beautiful. It doesn't matter if she doesn't have any education. With that figure, as long as she's willing, why would she worry about not having money?"
Several boys gathered together, laughing obscenely.
"That's enough."
As soon as the words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent. The students turned around, and the expressions on their faces instantly turned into surprise, with a hint of panic.
Chen Huaixu usually looks distant when he's not smiling, let alone at this moment, looking down at him, with his eyelids pressed down and his lips tight.
Only Mo Cheng knew that this was a sign that the boss was angry.
"Gossiping about others behind their backs isn't a good trait." His voice was calm, yet one couldn't help but feel the suppressed anger. "Besides, she's your classmate. Making baseless and malicious assumptions about a girl you have no connection with, and erasing her personal efforts simply because of her family background, is disgusting. I don't think you're worthy of being students at Ningchuan University.
"If you have any questions about Yan Zhen's college entrance exam results, you can always check. Ningchuan Middle School must have archived her grades from her three years of high school. Professor Li only called her today because her brother and I are friends, and we have a good personal relationship. She will not be working for Hexia in the future, and there is no intention of misappropriating resources through any improper means."
"Please return these students' resumes." He spoke to the people at the table, then turned back to look at them and said coldly without any emotion, "I'm sorry, but Hexia will never welcome applicants who don't even know how to behave."
Amidst the shocked and painful expressions on their faces, he continued coldly, "Just now, I was expressing my opinion on behalf of He Xia. Now, putting aside my personal position, speaking from a personal perspective, unfortunately, I do have some connections in this industry. If you continue to fabricate and fantasize about Yan Zhen behind my back, it would only take a phone call, and your names will be permanently blacklisted for industry recruitment."
The words were so powerful that the surroundings fell into complete silence.
Chen Huaixu left the auditorium and walked to the location designated by Yan Zhen. It was in a small forest by the lake, and the location seemed very secluded.
Yan Zhen was sitting on a bench playing with her cell phone. When she saw him approaching, she put the phone in her pocket, stood up, and threw herself into his arms like the wind.
"Why did you come so late?" She said in a coquettish tone, "Are you lost?"
He touched her cheek and asked, "Have you been waiting for a long time?"
Yan Zhen looked up at him, then suddenly leaned over and kissed him.
Chen Huaixu was caught off guard, but his body responded instinctively. He hugged her tightly and lowered his head to deepen the kiss.
The two kissed for a while in the grove at dusk. Yan Zhen leaned on his shoulder and said with some satisfaction, "You performed very well in the lecture today. This is a reward."
Seeing Chen Huaixu was unusually silent, she raised her head again and observed his expression carefully.
"What's wrong with you?" She touched the corner of his lips and said jokingly, "Who owes you money? You look so bitter and resentful."
Chen Huaixu lowered his head to look at her and suddenly asked, "Are you happy at school?"
Sometimes, people's malice is often inexplicable. She did nothing wrong and should not endure those rumors.
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" she jokingly asked, "Did you hear someone say something bad about me?"
Seeing that Chen Huaixu didn't say anything, she was surprised and said, "No way... you really heard it?"
Yan Zhen pinched his cheek and comforted him, "It's okay, I don't care too much about it."
She paused and continued, "When I first enrolled, no one knew my family was the Yan family. There was a boy from the Foreign Languages College whose family was quite wealthy. He was arrogant and conceited. He pursued me for quite a long time, but I never agreed. Then one day, my brother was driving me to school and he saw us. Maybe out of jealousy or perhaps out of psychological imbalance, he spread rumors in the grade, saying that I was being kept, which was why I never agreed to him."
Chen Huaixu frowned, hugged her tightly, and said, "How could I not know?"
"It wasn't a big deal. I didn't even tell my brother about it." She leaned on his shoulder. "Afterwards, I drove that Rolls-Royce to his dorm and threw tens of thousands of yuan in cash in his face in front of everyone, calling him a piece of trash. Only then did the matter slowly die down. Later, someone dug up my background, and there were no more such noises."
Seeing that Chen Huaixu still looked unhappy, she tugged at his lips again and said, "Alright, don't think so badly of everyone. After all, it's only a very small minority, and you just didn't happen to meet them. There are a lot of good people in school, like those in the drama group. They're all very harmonious and friendly."
"Yeah." He responded, grabbed her fingers, put them on his lips and kissed them, "If you have any unhappy things in the future, or if someone says bad things about you behind your back, you must tell me."
Yan Zhen smiled with her lips pursed, and raised her eyebrows proudly, saying, "I don't want you to worry about this kind of thing. Don't worry, I never suffer any loss."
The two of them embraced each other as the sun gradually set in the west. Chen Huaixu glanced at his watch and asked, "Let's go eat?"
"No," Yan Zhen pushed him away, "My dad just called me. He came to school today too. He heard that the lecture was over, so he wants to take me home later."
Chen Huaixu raised his eyebrows when he heard this and asked, "When will we meet next time?"
Yan Zhen suddenly felt the excitement of an underground relationship. She took his hand and said, "I'm going to the Liang family for a banquet this weekend, so I should be able to slip away early then. I'll tell my mom I'm going to Ying Shu's house to play, and then I'll come to look for you secretly."
She blinked and said, "What do you think?"
"The weekend," Chen Huaixu certainly remembered this special time, "is the day our game ends."
"uh-huh."
"The whole night is mine?"
Yan Zhen glared at him and said, "You're thinking about those messy things again."
Chen Huaixu had already made arrangements and plans. He didn't explain, but just looked into her eyes and smiled, "Okay, it's a deal."
The day of the Liang family’s birthday party arrived as scheduled.
As old friends of many years, the Yan family gave enough face. Yan Hui and his wife, Yan Zhao, and Yan Zhen were all present, and they also prepared expensive birthday gifts to express their sincerity.
Liang's mother and Liang Yu stood at the door, smiling and politely greeting each group of guests.
Liang's father died unexpectedly in his early years, Liang's grandfather was in poor health, and Liang Yu had been pursuing his dream of photography abroad for many years. Therefore, Liang's mother managed the family almost entirely by herself. Even Yan Hui admired her perseverance.
The two sides exchanged greetings at the door. Liang's mother looked at Yan Zhao and said with a polite smile, "Xiao Zhao is so old now. I heard that he manages the company very well. He is really outstanding."
As soon as she finished speaking, her tone changed and she complained, "Unlike my disappointing son, who spends all day fiddling with that broken camera, the company doesn't care at all."
The smile on Liang Yu's face faded a little.
Yan Hui placed her hand on Liang's mother's and said, "You can't say that. Everyone has their own aspirations. Xiaoyu is very talented in photography. I heard from Zhenzhen that he just won a world-class award some time ago. This is something that many people can't achieve in their entire lives."
Hearing Yan Zhen's name, Liang's mother turned her gaze to her, nodded slightly as a greeting, and stepped aside to invite them in.
Yan Zhen sensitively noticed that Liang's mother didn't seem to like her.
The villa was ablaze with lights, and the banquet hall was beautifully decorated. It was said that even the colors of the tablecloths were carefully chosen, creating a grand yet dignified atmosphere.
Yan Hui nodded repeatedly and said, "I heard that she was the one who organized this birthday banquet. As the head of the family, she is really amazing."
"She" naturally refers to Liang's mother.
Yan Zhen looked back and saw Liang's mother and Liang Yu were still standing at the door.
The Yan family first visited the birthday girl. Liang Xing, the Liang family's grandfather, was delighted when he saw Yan Zhen. He waved and invited her to sit next to him. Then, looking her up and down, he smiled with satisfaction and said, "When your grandfather was still alive, you were only this tall. Now, in the blink of an eye, you've grown so big."
After showing concern for Yan Zhen, he looked at Yan Zhao and said, "How's Xiao Zhao? Are you still single? Do you want grandpa to introduce you to some girls?"
Yan Zhao jokingly said, "Why should you worry about that? My mom is even more anxious than you. The blind dates she arranged for me are already scheduled for next year."
Liang Xing laughed heartily. He was sitting in a wheelchair due to his mobility issues. He gestured to the servant and said, "Bring the things here."
The servant turned around and quickly brought a small box.
The dark red velvet looked a bit worn. Liang Xing reached out and stroked it, seeming to be reluctant to leave, before slowly opening it.
"This is something Liang Yu's grandmother left behind. It's not a valuable piece of jade, but it carries a good meaning. I asked a master at the temple to bless it." Liang Xing took out the bracelet, a crescent of emerald green, gleaming translucently under the light. "It's been covered in dust for too long, and I've always felt it was a pity. Zhenzhen happened to be here today, and I can't think of anyone else who would wear it except you. I'm giving it to you as a greeting gift from my elder."
Although Liang Xing didn't say it explicitly, the meaning behind the things left by Liang Yu's grandmother was obvious. Yan Zhen was startled and didn't dare to take it. She lowered her hands and looked at Yan Hui for help.
Yan Hui stepped forward, held out her hand and gently blocked it for her daughter, saying with a smile, "How can you give such a valuable thing to Zhenzhen? She's so clumsy, I don't know how many bracelets I bought for her she's broken. We're grateful enough that you like Zhenzhen so much and have this thought."
Liang Xing insisted on giving it, but Yan Hui persuaded him to take it back. Coincidentally, Liang's mother and Liang Yu also came over after receiving the guests. Liang Xing glanced at them and did not mention the matter again.
Yan Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Taking advantage of the break in the banquet, she escaped to the small balcony nearby and secretly called Chen Huaixu, complaining in a low voice.
"...I'll be here for a while... It's so boring. We're all elders, so we have to be polite and follow the rules. We can't make any mistakes."
Chen Huaixu chatted with her for a few words, and Yan Zhen asked again: "Where will you wait for me later?"
"Shall I pick you up?"
"Don't! There are too many people here, and my parents are here too. It wouldn't be good if we were discovered."
"Then I'll wait for you at the entrance of the city park. The Liang family is relatively close there." Chen Huaixu paused for a moment, as if estimating the time. "Is an hour enough?"
"That's enough. I've almost finished my meal. I can find an excuse to leave later."
"Well, okay, I'll leave on time in half an hour." He smiled, "Miss Yan, I look forward to meeting you tonight."
After hanging up the phone, Yan Zhen's lips curled up unconsciously. In a very good mood, she emerged from behind the curtains and walked back to the banquet hall along the corridor. She saw a half-open door in front of her, and light leaked from inside, illuminating the corridor floor tiles.
"...I knew it..." The woman's sobbing could be heard intermittently from inside the door. "...For all these years, he's never looked down on me! He's never acknowledged me! I've been married for so long, what have I done wrong?! From treating my parents-in-law to educating my children, I've always done my best. I have a clear conscience towards the Liang family! And what's the result? He's kept that bracelet hidden for so many years, and today, in front of so many people, he gave it to a little girl, his future granddaughter-in-law, but he never gave it to me, his future granddaughter-in-law, for even a single day!"
The room was very quiet, and only heavy breathing could be heard faintly.
"Mom..." Liang Yu's voice came helplessly.
"How dare you call me that!" Liang's usually gentle and proper mother lost her composure at this moment, nearly breaking down. "You knew I didn't agree, so you went to find your grandfather, right?! Do you really have me as your mother? Have you ever considered my feelings?"
"Has it been easy for me to run this family for so many years?! Do you know that your cousins are all eyeing the Liang family? If I hadn't been watching over you, your title as the Young Master of the Liang family would have been in name only!"
Liang Yu said, "But I'm not interested. Whoever wants it can have it."
Liang's mother seemed to be getting even more angry, and she kept panting, "Do you think I'm interested? Do I really like doing this kind of thing? Isn't all this for you? You said you wanted to study photography, you wanted to pursue your dreams, and you didn't want to go into business. I said okay, I'll give you a few years, so you can freely do what you want. Now that you've won the award and done what you should do, isn't it time for you to come back and share your mother's burden?"
Liang Yu was silent.
"Okay, if you don't want to talk about this, then let's talk about something else." Liang's mother slowly calmed down. "First of all, let's make it clear that the future mistress of the Liang family must be well-educated, have a good sense of the overall situation, and be able to manage affairs. She definitely won't be the kind of spoiled, high-handed princess who is even worshipped like an ancestor at home—"
"Mom," Liang Yu interrupted again, "Don't worry about me."
At this moment, Yan Zhen heard footsteps, and it seemed that Liang Yu was coming out. She was neither going forward nor backward, and happened to bump into him. She said awkwardly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Before he finished speaking, a small porcelain vase was thrown out from the room. Yan Zhen was shocked and subconsciously wanted to pull him back, but Liang Yu rushed towards her, grabbed her shoulders and turned away, and used his back to meet the flying vase.
With a thud, the bottle hit him, shattering into pieces. At the same time, the two of them fell to the floor in a mess. Liang Yu's hand, resting on Yan Zhen's back, dug into the tiny fragments.
Yan Zhen hurriedly got up, and Liang Yu also stood up, pulling her hand and walking to the other side of the corridor: "Don't stay here for now."
They turned the corner together before he let her go. Yan Zhen looked down and saw blood oozing from his hand. The spreading bright red color was glaring and terrifying, staining the cuffs of his pure white shirt.
She was startled and quickly grabbed Liang Yu's wrist to examine it carefully. The tiny porcelain shards were piercing the flesh, densely packed together, and it looked extremely painful.
Liang Yu frowned, struggled a bit, and tried to pull his hand back, pretending to be calm and saying, "I'm fine."
"No, with so much blood, we must treat the wound. Let's go to the hospital immediately."
Yan Zhen pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and tried to wipe the bloodstains. Liang Yu let her do it, looking at her profile. The displeasure on his face gradually faded, and he smiled, "Zhen Zhen, the photos have been developed."
Yan Zhen took out his phone and said anxiously, "It's already this late and you're still thinking about this? I'll call someone."
Liang Yu stopped her, "Don't do that. Today is my grandfather's birthday party, and I've seen blood again. It's not auspicious to make a big fuss about it. The old man believes in these things, so it's best if the fewest people who know about it know as much as possible."
Liang Yu was injured to protect her, so Yan Zhen couldn't just leave it alone. She gritted her teeth and said, "Then I'll go with you. The wound must be treated. Too much blood loss will be bad."
Uncle Li, the driver of the Yan family, had been waiting at the door. Yan Zhen took Liang Yu into the car and asked Uncle Li to take them to the nearest hospital and then come back to pick up Yan Hui and the others.
Uncle Li glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror and said, "Okay, miss."
The car sped along the night road and soon arrived at the hospital. Liang Yu's hand was injured and it was inconvenient for him to move, so Yan Zhen rushed around to register him and help him bandage the wound. It took a long time before everything was finally settled.
The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant from the hospital, and pale lights hung from overhead. Two people sat on a bench in the corridor, silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry." Liang Yu suddenly spoke in a low voice, "I'm sorry that you have seen the joke of our family."
He lost his usual gentle smile and revealed a rare gloomy mood. Yan Zhen felt a little reluctant and said, "It's okay."
"Am I a very irresponsible man?" He looked at his bandaged palm. "In pursuit of my own dreams, I hurt those close to me."
"But we only live once, and if possible, living for ourselves is the happiest way," Yan Zhen said. "I'm not trying to persuade you to do anything, and I don't have that position. I'm just speaking from a friend's perspective. No matter what you choose, I hope you can always be happy."
Her words struck heavily on his heart.
Liang Yu took a deep breath and spoke with all his courage: "Zhenzhen."
He gently grasped her wrist. His cheeks were slightly pale from blood loss, and he looked a little fragile under the light. The smile that had always been gentle in Yan Zhen's memory now turned tired and bitter.
"Can you stay and talk to me?"
Yan Zhen froze for a moment, and the phone in her hand vibrated at that moment. The WeChat notification sounded.
She almost forgot that Chen Huaixu was still waiting for her.
After hearing Liang Yu's words, Yan Zhen's mind instantly emerged with the lonely figure of Chen Huaixu standing alone at the park entrance.
Can't let him wait, this was her first reaction.
But what should Liang Yu do? He was injured and now his mood was obviously not right. After all, they had been friends for so many years, she couldn't just leave him here.
Liang Yu sat aside, watching her hesitation. He felt a little disappointed, but he didn't want to force her, so he withdrew his wrist and said gently, "It's getting late, let's go back."
"It's okay," Yan Zhen said, comforting him after sending the WeChat message. "Sit for a while. I'll chat with you. We're waiting for someone to pick us up. Your hands aren't working properly, so I'll take you home later."
Upon hearing this, Liang Yu relaxed his body and slowly leaned back. His back hit the edge of the plastic chair back, which was a bit uncomfortable, but far less painful than the pain in his heart.
He just looked up at the ceiling in a daze. Time passed slowly. He suddenly said, "I'm sorry."
Another apology.
"Grandpa wanted to give you a bracelet today, but I didn't know." He was very tired, "If I had known, I would have stopped him.
"My grandfather loves me very much, and my mother loves me too, but they...sometimes I'm caught in the middle and don't know what to do."
He wanted to say something and tried to explain, but the more he spoke, the more powerless he felt. How could he ask others to accept an environment that even he himself was disgusted with?
Perhaps his insistence on going abroad to pursue his dreams is also a form of escape for him.
Yan Zhen handed him a paper cup filled with steaming hot water. Liang Yu said "thank you" and took it, lowering his head to blow gently, then quickly returned his gaze to her face.
"My studio is fully prepared and will be officially operational soon." He seemed to be talking to himself, but also to her. "I'm now quite well-known in the industry, and I've already received many large contracts. As long as I maintain the quality of my work and maintain my reputation, I will make a lot of money in the future."
Yan Zhen nodded, patted his shoulder, and encouraged him: "Come on!"
Liang Yu took advantage of the situation and pressed down her hand on her shoulder. He looked at her with some emotion and said, "Zhenzhen, I think..."
The phone suddenly rang. Yan Zhen took a look and said to Liang Yu, "He's here. I'll go get him."
As she spoke, she stood up and her back quickly disappeared around the corner.
After walking a few steps, Yan Zhen ran into Chen Huaixu, who was rushing over. The man's brows were furrowed, his lips were tightly drawn, and his expression was clearly not good.
"Are you sick? Or injured?" He walked quickly to her, stretched out his hand to clasp her shoulders, his voice slightly deep and anxious, "Why did you come to the hospital suddenly? Where's Yan Zhao? Didn't he take care of you?"
"It's not me..." Yan Zhen's voice lowered and she explained to him briefly.
After hearing the reason, Chen Huaixu's frown finally relaxed a little bit, and he said nonchalantly: "It's just a scratch on the hand. Men are not that fragile."
"You can't say that. Didn't you have a fever too?"
He stared at her closely, raised his eyebrows in displeasure and said, "Can I be the same as him?"
Yan Zhen snorted, said nothing, and dragged him back.
Liang Yu was sitting on a chair, and soon he saw Yan Zhen walking towards him with a man.
At first he thought it was Yan Zhao, but when he saw his face clearly, he realized it was a strange yet somewhat familiar man. He seemed to have seen him somewhere.
"This is Chen Huaixu, my... friend. Your hands aren't working very well, and since he's nearby, let him come pick us up and take you back." Yan Zhen introduced briefly, "This is Liang Yu."
Liang Yu's right hand was injured, so he could only extend his left hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Chen."
Chen Huaixu responded politely: "Hello, Mr. Liang."
"Mr. Chen looks familiar." Liang Yu looked at his face, frowning in thought, as if he had suddenly grasped something. "Have we met in western Sichuan? Is this the second time we've met?"
"Strictly speaking, this is the third time." Chen Huaixu said slowly, "I spoke to Mr. Liang on the phone once before, but you probably didn't know it was me."
Liang Yu's expression was full of surprise. He suddenly understood something and turned his head involuntarily to look at Yan Zhen. He pursed his lips tightly and slowly tightened his hanging left hand, with his fingertips sinking into his palm.
Yan Zhen was confused and asked, "Have you actually seen this before?"
Neither man answered. They just stood there in the corridor. The stagnant atmosphere was very strange.
During the stalemate, her stomach growled with hunger, and she was so embarrassed that she covered her mouth with her hands, making an awkward expression as if to say, "You didn't hear anything."
Chen Huaixu asked, "Didn't you eat at the banquet?"
"I wasn't very hungry then... but now..."
"I'm sorry for not hosting you well enough." Liang Yu hid his emotions and forced a smile. "Let's go eat now. It's my treat."
Yan Zhen looked at Chen Huaixu, then at Liang Yu. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Chen Huaixu take the initiative to respond, "Let's go."
The three of them walked to the side of the car, and Chen Huaixu naturally opened the passenger door and motioned Yan Zhen to sit in.
It's like treating Liang Yu as a guest.
Liang Yu said nothing, sat in the back seat alone, and said, "Zhenzhen really likes the dim sum from the shop on Yun Street."
"She doesn't eat these at night. She feels sick of them." Chen Huaixu held the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. "She usually eats something light."
The two men clashed, and the choice finally fell into Yan Zhen's hands.
"Anything is fine," she said, unaware of the situation, scrolling through her phone. "Just find a place to eat."
The process of eating was also very painful.
The three of them sat in a small private room, eating without much interaction. Chen Huaixu was quiet, and Liang Yu wasn't interested either, until Yan Zhen offered to pay. Chen Huaixu handed her his card and said, "Use mine. You know the password."
Liang Yu smiled and said, "I agreed to come."
"It's okay, don't worry about his money." Yan Zhen came out in a hurry, so he brought a cell phone with him. At this moment, he didn't hesitate and took Chen Huaixu's card. "You wait here for me."
She pushed the door open and there were only two people left in the box.
The two looked at each other and sat back in their seats.
The door quickly opened, and the waiter poked his head out and said, "There's a local delivery here. May I ask if this is Miss Yan Zhen..."
"Give it to me."
"I'll do it."
Two voices sounded at the same time. The waiter, holding the bag, looked at the two handsome guys in a daze as they stood up at the same time.
"Mr. Liang's hand is injured, so he should rest. Let me do it for you." Chen Huaixu walked over.
Liang Yu was speechless for a moment, took a step back, and sat back down.
The door closed again.
"Mr. Chen seems very hostile to me."
"Mr. Liang, why do you ask such a question when you already know the answer?"
Liang Yu was silent for a while, then said, "She didn't acknowledge you."
Chen Huaixu asked back: "Do I need to admit it?"
The intimate and natural atmosphere between the two people says it all. They even know each other's bank card passwords, so it's not something a third person can easily get in on.
Unconsciously, she had become so dependent on another man that he had invaded her life to this extent.
Liang Yu exhaled heavily and said, "To be honest, I'm very unconvinced."
When Chen Huaixu said that the man who answered the phone that morning was him, he had a premonition of failure. Yan Zhen was in the hospital tonight, and when something happened, the first person she thought of was him, not even her brother Yan Zhao, which could explain a lot of problems.
He had clearly already determined the answer, so why did he insist on coming with him tonight? The reason was that he was unwilling to give up.
He originally thought that with their sincere feelings that had lasted for many years, he would be able to impress her by taking his time, but he didn't expect that someone had already taken the lead.
"Life is not always smooth sailing. Mr. Liang understands this and is more open-minded."
Liang Yu forced a sarcastic smile and said, "Are you trying to teach me a lesson with the attitude of a victor?"
"You're wrong. I never considered this a victory, and she wasn't a prize." Chen Huaixu explained calmly, "I needed her very much, and she chose me. It's that simple."
Liang Yu suddenly felt dejected and collapsed in the chair. His bandaged right hand clenched tightly, and bright red blood slowly seeped out.
Chen Huaixu glanced at him and said, "There's no need to compete with yourself. You won't get anything in return. It's better to say that I was once jealous of you."
Liang Yu suddenly raised his head.
"I met her when she was in high school. You, on the other hand, were a part of her life from a very early age, and share memories with her that I will never be able to touch," Chen Huaixu said. "You were the prince charming of her teenage years, and that admiration made me incredibly jealous. I'd even have to work a hundred times harder than you to win her favor, until I finally captured her heart."
After hearing this, Liang Yu's neck collapsed again as if the bones had been pulled out.
“If I hadn’t gone abroad…”
"So what?" Chen Huaixu said lightly, "The result won't change."
"Even without me, can you guys last? Romance can't be eaten. Have you really considered everything?" Chen Huaixu looked at his injured hand and pointed out mercilessly, "The most important thing for a man is responsibility and commitment. You only escape when faced with family problems. How can you bear to let her waste time with you? Is this love? No, you just want to satisfy yourself."
When you love someone, you should learn to restrain yourself when you realize that you are unable to give her enough happiness, instead of dragging her to sink with you.
Liang Yu was speechless and retorted without much confidence: "You are only a few years older than me..."
"This is a truth I understood when I was 22 years old." Chen Huaixu said calmly.
The atmosphere in the box was gloomy. The curtains were gently lifted by the breeze and then fell down. Liang Yu stared out the window for a while before slowly speaking, "I was planning to confess my feelings tonight.
"After the banquet, I took her to my studio. I spent a long time preparing it, photographing the sunrise in western Sichuan and her, trying my best to create romance, but I didn't expect——"
An accident caused by a bracelet completely ruined everything.
Chen Huaixu didn't say anything.
"But it's better this way. She's already made her choice in her heart. This way I can save myself the embarrassment of never being able to face her again."
Chen Huaixu looked at Liang Yu, as if he saw himself wandering a few years ago.
To be honest, Liang Yu did nothing wrong. He treated Yan Zhen gently, patiently and politely, and always protected her purity.
But love is so unreasonable and selfish. It will not favor anyone just because they are pitiful, and there is no possibility of giving in.
Yan Zhen pushed the door open at this moment, holding the receipt in her hand. She saw the bag on the table and asked, "Have they been delivered? My feet hurt from wearing these high heels, so I asked someone to send me a pair of low heels to replace them."
Liang Yu turned his head away, sniffed softly, stood up and said with a smile: "Zhenzhen, I should go now."
"Okay, then let Chen Huaixu take you back first—"
"No need, I just contacted my family and a car will be here to pick me up soon."
Yan Zhen looked at his hand and asked in surprise, "Why is it bleeding again? You should pay attention to the wound."
"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." He walked over and ruffled her hair. "Zhenzhen, goodbye."
This sound is a farewell to one's past feelings.
"Goodbye." Yan Zhen waved, "Take good care of your injuries. The photographer's hands are very important."
He smiled and nodded, and his figure quickly disappeared at the door.
After Liang Yu left, Yan Zhen turned around, looked at Chen Huaixu who was standing aside, and winked at him suggestively.
Chen Huaixu raised his eyebrows slightly.
She pointed to the bag and said, "I need to change my shoes first."
"Well, so?"
She sat on the chair, rubbed his calf with her toes, and said coquettishly, "Please change it for me."
Chen Huaixu bent down, held her throbbing calves, and said with a slight curve of his lips, "Miss Yan, this isn't a good idea, is it?"
Yan Zhen never expected that he would actually refuse. She pursed her lips and said, "What's wrong with that?"
He glanced at the shoebox beside him and said slowly, "Between friends, isn't this behavior too much of an inappropriate behavior?"
friend……
It turned out that he was still resentful that she had just introduced him to Liang Yu as just a friend.
"Why are you so petty?" She stepped on his leg with her toes again and said, "I don't care. I want you to put it on me."
Chen Huaixu seemed to compromise, kneeling on one knee, holding her legs, and putting her feet on his knees.
He didn't help her put on her shoes directly. Instead, he gently stroked her thin ankles with his fingertips, then moved to caress her calves, his movements slow and teasing: "What's in it for me?"
Yan Zhen propped herself up on the chair with both hands, lowered her head to look at him, and asked, "What benefit do you want?"
He leaned over and kissed her on the knee, raised his eyes to look at her, and said, "Listen to me tonight."
That look was so aggressive that Yan Zhen dodged it in panic, her ears burning. She nudged his leg with her toes and said coquettishly, "Hurry up and put on your clothes."
This is promised.
Chen Huaixu didn't move yet. He tapped his lips with his other hand and said, "Pay the deposit first."
"You're so annoying..." Yan Zhen complained, but still leaned over and hooked her hands around his neck.
She held his lips. Chen Huaixu knelt on the ground, gently raised his head, put his arms around her back, and deepened the kiss.
The passionate and lingering kiss, the ups and downs of breathing, slowly echoed in this quiet little box.
The door of the box was suddenly opened, and a panicked apology came: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, there was no movement for so long, I thought all the customers in the box had left. I'm sorry, both of you -"
The door quickly closed again. Yan Zhen raised her head and only had time to see the corner of the waiter's clothes.
The beauty was shattered, and Yan Zhen's face quickly turned red.
"I'm too embarrassed to face anyone!" She buried her head in his arms and said anxiously, "It's all your fault."
"Yeah, it's all my fault." Chen Huaixu replied with a smile, touched the back of her head, and comforted her, "I'll put on your shoes for you. It's time to go."
Yan Zhen's fingers were entangled in the corner of his clothes, her heart pounding. She asked, "Are we going home?"
"No hurry, I'll take you to a few places first."
Chen Huaixu drove her to a place.
It is an old residential building that looks very old. It stands eerily in the night, and the peeling paint on the wall looks like ugly scars, with different shades of color.
Chen Huaixu used his mobile phone to shine a light and led her upstairs.
The building was empty, and the sound of Yan Zhen's heels hitting the steps echoed with a panic-inducing sound.
Chen Huaixu stopped in front of a door and opened it with a key. The old door was pushed open, and dust fell down. The dust was blinding, and she couldn't help but take a step back.
It was obvious that no one had lived in the house for a long time. The furniture was covered with white cloth. With the light from her mobile phone, she could barely see the structure of the living room.
Yan Zhen was a little surprised and asked, "What are we doing here?"
"You'll know soon." He put his arm around her shoulders and led her to one of the bedrooms.
The bedroom door was pushed open, and in the light, she saw the blue and white school uniform hanging on the hanger.
This was the kind of school uniform Yan Zhao wore when he was in high school.
She was a little stunned and asked, "What is this?"
"This is my room. I lived here until I was 18."
Yan Zhen raised his eyes and looked around, moved his lips, but didn't say anything.
"What's that expression on your face?" Chen Huaixu smiled and pinched her cheek. "This house was built in the 1990s, so it's a little old, but other than that, it has no flaws. It's going to be demolished soon. It's in the city center. How much do you think the compensation will be?"
Yan Zhen's expression immediately changed, and he said, "You are going to be rich, Boss Chen."
"It's okay, but still a lot."
"What's missing?"
Chen Huaixu put his arm around her waist and said jokingly, "If you want to marry a princess, this amount of money is still far from enough. You have to work harder."
"What are you talking about!" Yan Zhen glared at him, "I have money, I don't care how much you have."
After she finished speaking, she realized that something was wrong. How could she have assumed that the "princess" he was talking about was her?
She immediately shut her mouth and turned her head away from him. In the dim moonlight outside the window, he could vaguely see her slightly red cheeks.
"But I care." Chen Huaixu ended the topic, "Come over here."
Yan Zhen followed him into the bedroom, walked around the bed, and saw him open the drawer of the desk.
Chen Huaixu rummaged around for a while and took out an envelope.
"What is this?" She couldn't help but feel curious.
"These are from high school." He wiped the dust off them with a tissue. "I originally wanted to bury them with this building, but after thinking it over, I decided a little more ceremony would be better."
He handed the envelope to Yan Zhen. She took it, opened it, and asked, "What's inside?"
"love letter."
Yan Zhen's hand paused, a feeling welling up in her heart. She threw it back to him angrily and said, "Why are you showing me the love letter you wrote in high school?"
He couldn't be here to show off to her how much he liked that girl, right?
"You'll know once you open it." Chen Huaixu handed it to her again. "At that time, there was a guy in my class who was pursuing a girl and asked me to write a love letter for him. I wrote it and showed it to him, and then he never came to see me again."
Yan Zhen didn't expect this answer. She pulled the paper out of the envelope with her fingers, raised her eyebrows, and said with a gloating look, "Could it be that your writing skills are too poor and you are being disliked?"
Chen Huaixu lit the picture for her. She lowered her head and soon understood why the boy had left the scene.
This can't be called a love letter at all. Although Chen Huaixu's handwriting looks pleasing to the eye, a closer look reveals that he is arguing point by point that love doesn't exist.
Through this piece of paper, she seemed to see Chen Huaixu ten years ago, sitting at the desk in front of her, expressing his pessimistic remarks about love with an expressionless face.
"Due to family circumstances, I didn't believe in love or marriage in high school. I thought relationships were incredibly fragile. At the time, I was both incredibly arrogant and pessimistic, firmly believing I would never be captured by something so illusory."
She was looking down at the letter and he was looking at her.
"But later, time proved that I was wrong."
He took out a lighter from his pocket, rubbed it lightly, and the jumping flame burned brightly in the darkness.
"Zhenzhen," he handed her the lighter, "burn this 'love letter' for me."
He brought her with him to say goodbye to his young, confused, stubborn and directionless self.
He finally met his love.
The two walked out of the residential building. The night was very quiet. Chen Huaixu helped her wash her hands, then hugged her and kissed her downstairs for a while before taking her to the car.
Yan Zhen's cheeks were flushed, and her lips were wet with moisture. She asked him, "Are we going anywhere else?"
“The last place is also the beginning.”
The car sped through the night, turning left and right, and finally drove into an open space.
The street lights on both sides cast a clear light on the ground, illuminating the scene in front.
A tall wire fence surrounded the basketball court. Yan Zhen's heartbeat quickened as memories were evoked. "This is..."
Chen Huaixu took her hand and walked into the basketball court, saying, "We first met here. Five years ago, on July 23rd."
"So your password..." She suddenly understood.
610723.
61 is her birthday, and 0723 is the day we first met.
"Actually, before I met you, I heard Yan Zhao mention you." Chen Huaixu seemed to recall something and said with a smile, "He said he had a younger sister who was a troublemaker at home. She was very difficult to deal with and annoying."
Yan Zhen said in disbelief: "Yan Zhao actually said that to me!"
"Yeah, so I had a preconceived notion that you were a very difficult girl to get along with."
He clasped her fingers and said, "But when I first saw you that day, you hid behind Yan Zhao and looked very obedient, completely different from what I imagined. Most importantly, you looked at me and blushed.
"At that moment, I felt like I was struck by something." Chen Huaixu laughed. "It's amazing, right? I still find it hard to describe that feeling. Anyway, I really wanted to meet you, and I couldn't help but look at you on the sidelines. So, I played very poorly that day and was sent to buy water in the end."
Everything is connected.
Yan Zhen poked his waist and said in a reserved manner, "So it was love at first sight?"
"Yes," he admitted, "very tempting."
The two held hands and walked slowly side by side in the empty night until he stopped.
Chen Huaixu let go of her hand, turned around and looked at her face to face.
Yan Zhen sensed the sudden tense atmosphere and lowered her head uneasily, her red cheeks being stained with a layer of fine white light by the light.
He reached out his hand and gently placed it under her chin, lifting her cheek up to look into those beautiful eyes.
His expression was very serious, and her heart seemed to be seized, beating wildly, almost jumping out of her throat.
Yan Zhen's palms were sweating, and her cheeks and ears were all burning.
There was silence all around. Under the moonlight, he looked at her, his dark eyes filled with light: "Yan Zhen, I love you."
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