Chapter 45
The moment he saw Li Qingyao, Luo Huaizheng felt a surge of emotions: shame, embarrassment, and a hint of grievance. But this grievance can never be expressed to her.
He clearly boasted that he had been able to control his emotions very well over the years. But at this moment, those surging emotions seemed to have taken root and grown legs, crawling out from his already messy heart and instantly swallowing up his calmness.
Luo Huaizheng let go of the door handle before he completely lost his composure. He was too embarrassed to get into Xiang Siling's car again, so he turned around and was about to leave.
"Huai Zheng!" Xiang Siling had rolled down the car window and looked up at him, with clear pleading and heartache in her eyes.
"Mr. Luo." A familiar and calm voice came from behind.
Luo Huaizheng's steps were stopped. He thought, she called me Mr. Luo.
Luo Huaizheng had no choice but to turn around. The two policemen were standing under the bright lights. Although they were not wearing police uniforms, their temperaments were exactly the same, just like two equally tall and majestic poplar trees.
Luo Huaizheng's gaze fell directly on Li Qingyao's face.
Li Qingyao also looked straight at him, without any emotion in his eyes, and could even be described as indifferent: "We may have to question you again today, please keep your phone open and do not leave Xiangcheng."
Luo Huaizheng replied: "Yes."
It was obviously very noisy around, with cars coming and going, people coming and going, and the road not far away was also very noisy. But at this moment, the time between the two of them seemed to have stopped. Li Qingyao didn't say anything else, and Luo Huaizheng also remained silent. The two of them were still looking at each other from a distance of five or six meters. His eyes were pointed, while hers grew colder, almost glaring at him. But they all seemed to have forgotten to look away.
Xiang Siling looked at the two of them, and suddenly, she felt a long-lost sadness welling up in her heart. She turned her head away, no longer looking at them, made a soft "tsk" sound, and closed her eyes. After a moment, she laughed again in a very mocking manner.
At the same moment, Li Qingyao looked away and Luo Huaizheng turned and left. Xiang Siling didn't call him again, and he didn't look back. He walked to the roadside and took a taxi away.
Li Qingyao's eyes fell on Xiang Siling in the car. Just as she took two steps forward, her arm was grabbed by someone. Chen Pu had walked in front of her, bent down and said to Xiang Siling in the car: "Miss Xiang, we still have some questions that we want to understand from you. Is it convenient for us to find a place to talk?"
Xiang Siling had returned to her usual lazy and arrogant look. She first looked at Chen Pu, then at Li Qingyao. She smiled and said, "Okay, if the police comrade has any needs, I will tell you everything I know. I know there's a teahouse nearby. Is that okay with you guys?"
Chen Pu: "Okay."
Xiang Siling told him the name of the teahouse and asked, "It's only a few minutes away. Why don't you take my car and go there together?"
"No, we drove a police car."
Xiang Siling raised the car window and signaled the driver to drive ahead.
Chen Pu turned and walked towards the police car, and Li Qingyao followed.
Chen Pu fastened his seat belt and glanced at the person next to him. She still had that cold look on her face, sitting very straight with her hands folded on her legs, and her eyebrows and eyes were full of hostility. She was totally different from the willful and clever girl she was five minutes ago.
Chen Pu pulled the handbrake and paused for a few seconds before stepping on the accelerator.
He leaned his back somewhat heavily into the chair, holding the steering wheel with one hand, and resting his other elbow on the car window, looking at the neon lights outside the window flashing by.
He was a little confused just now.
It's not that he hadn't thought about it, that Li Qingyao would meet Luo Huaizheng again, and maybe during the investigation of the case. But she had sworn before that it was no longer related to him, and he believed it completely, and didn't mind at all and completely forgot about it.
So he completely forgot about the last time Li Qingyao became distracted and depressed when he saw Luo Huaizheng. He also forgot that she had changed her previous warm attitude and stopped messaging him or flirting with him for a whole week, completely forgetting about him as an insignificant person. Until he found her in the office, crying in her sleep.
How could he have completely forgotten about it? It turned out that he was so complacent these days.
Chen Pu's eyes were still looking forward, as if he was concentrating on driving. The hand that was resting on the car window, with the back of the hand against the mouth, was rubbing its thumb and index finger non-stop.
He asked himself whether he had rarely felt anxious over the years. The last time he felt so nervous was when Li Jincheng disappeared. At that time, his heart was beating like a grasshopper on the grass, jumping here and there. Even when he was sleeping, he would wake up from his sleep due to inexplicable tachycardia.
But now, that feeling of being lost is back again. He just felt panicked, as if he could vaguely see an abyss, and he could no longer tell whether he was still on the cliff or already in the abyss.
His thumb and index finger rubbed harder and harder. The scene where Li Qingyao and Luo Huaizheng looked at each other just now was like the saddest and most beautiful painting. Even he, a bystander, felt that the picture was incredibly profound.
He finally realized something.
When she was with him, no matter whether she was happy, angry, sad or excited, her emotions were all calm and controllable. She was a master at manipulating emotions, not only keeping a firm grip on herself, but also dominating him.
But every time she saw Luo Huaizheng, it was different. Her emotions were so naked, so straightforward, and so unconcealed that she forgot to control them, and perhaps was unable to control them.
These days, there was probably always joy in the look in Li Qingyao's eyes when he looked at him. It was that hidden joy and dependence that gave him secret hope and assurance.
But today's scene was like a wake-up call.
Because when she looked at Luo Huaizheng, there was only pain in her eyes.
Chen Pu felt that at this moment, he was like a piece of frozen and cold wood. He couldn't move his hands or turn his face. He didn't want to talk, and couldn't speak, so he just drove mechanically. And the heartless woman next to him obviously no longer cared about all this.
Because her heart is no longer here.
Li Qingyao was indeed thinking about Luo Huaizheng and the scene he had just seen: at the entrance of a magnificent five-star hotel, the stunningly beautiful yet disgusting Xiang Siling was sitting in a luxury car that Li Qingyao could never afford in his lifetime, looking dignified and charming.
Luo Huaizheng was dressed like a real businessman, and his temperament was still as handsome and elegant as before, but one of his hands was on Xiang Siling's car door handle.
What Li Qingyao saw was not Luo Huaizheng getting on the car.
What she saw was the purest and clean male god of that year, that truly noble man, who had one foot on the edge of the world of fame and fortune filled with money and beauty. He was ready to bend down and become a vassal of someone like Xiang Siling.
She couldn't stand such degradation and defilement.
Even today, he has nothing to do with her. But she still couldn't help but speak in a sarcastic tone.
Li Qingyao is a person who always does what she wants to do. Even if she thinks back on it now, knowing that it was inappropriate and impulsive, she will not regret it.
Anyway, it's good to vent my anger.
But, is it really relieved?
She thought about the feeling when she and Luo Huaizheng looked at each other just now. It was very cold, with a kind of dull pain. Memories that had been buried for so long seemed to attack her again at this moment. As soon as she saw Luo Huaizheng's reaction, she knew she had hurt him just now. She shouldn't have hurt him, he was already the most pitiful one.
But what is Luo Huaizheng doing?
One time it could be said to be forced, it was a coincidence. But what about twice? Why not dress up properly and get into that person's car?
What is he...thinking about?
She no longer understands and has never wanted to understand, right?
Her expression became colder.
She knew that whenever she came across people and things related to those years, especially Luo Huaizheng and her brother, she would get emotional. There's no way, I just can't get over it. Her heart had once been torn apart because of them, and she had to sew it back together secretly with great difficulty. Even now, it still hurts when touched. Let it hurt, she did nothing wrong.
Thinking of this, she felt relieved, calmed herself down, and reminded herself that she was still investigating the case, so she should be calm and stop at the right time.
Then she thought of Chen Pu. Turning around, she saw that he looked quite calm. Li Qingyao felt relieved for no reason. She touched her nose subconsciously and asked, "What are you thinking about? Why haven't you said anything for such a long time?"
Chen Pu seemed to have heard it, but also seemed not to have, and his expression remained indifferent. After a few seconds, he looked at her, his eyes dark and quiet, and asked, "Do I look like a fool to you?"
He even raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
Li Qingyao was stunned for a moment. Her mind was still in a mess. She just felt confused and didn't think about it carefully. She answered casually, "Not bad." After a pause, she said coldly, "Don't you think Luo Huaizheng is the idiot?"
What she meant was that Chen Pu also knew about the case back then, but now, Luo Huaizheng was actually hanging out with Xiang Siling. Anyone who can't stand watching this, what else can he be but a fool?
Li Qingyao didn't notice that even the last bit of forced smile on Chen Pu's face had completely disappeared. He turned his head away, his neck tense. After a while, he uttered "Huh" very softly, without turning his head.
They arrived downstairs at the teahouse and parked the car. Li Qingyao got out first. Chen Pu unbuckled his seat belt but remained seated without moving. Li Qingyao: "Why don't you get off the car?"
Chen Pu then got out of the car, and he had returned to his usual solemn look when investigating a case. There seemed to be a layer of frost in his eyes. He said, "Li Qingyao, I don't care what you are thinking or what emotions you have. Just concentrate and stay calm. We are investigating the case."
Li Qingyao's heart trembled, he lowered his eyes and answered, "Yes."
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