HomeFalling In LoveZhui Luo - Chapter 52

Zhui Luo – Chapter 52

Though Zhou Wan was being treated roughly, her shoulder bones felt like they might shatter from the impact, making her furrow her brows in pain, simultaneously she suddenly felt extremely at peace, and utterly exhausted.

Like a weary bird returning to its forest, a lonely boat finding its harbor.

In her life of constant wandering, it seemed that at this moment, she could finally stop and rest her feet.

But it lasted only seconds before Zhou Wan sobered from her drunken state.

She blinked, looking at Lu Xixiao before her, as memories flooded her mind.

The youth’s smile, his radiance, his pride, the youth bending his knees to kneel, the youth’s blood, his pride and humiliation.

She was wrong.

She had promised Old Master Lu long ago, and promised herself, never to appear before Lu Xixiao again.

A scar needs to heal quietly, without being repeatedly disturbed, otherwise it will never heal properly.

It was just that moment earlier that had been too sudden.

So sudden that her mind went blank, with no time to think of anything except confirming if the person before her was the youth she hadn’t seen in six years.

Who could have imagined that in a city so vast its edges couldn’t be seen, on these endless streets, she would encounter Lu Xixiao here?

Her whole body trembled, and after a moment of shock, she instinctively wanted to flee.

But trapped within his grasp, where could she escape to?

In their last phone call, he had said it—don’t appear before him again.

Zhou Wan looked at his bloodshot eyes, filled with anger, resentment, and hatred. She wanted to say something but couldn’t get any words out.

The alcohol churning in her chest began acting up again, roiling in her chest, making her head increasingly dizzy, her limbs weak, and her heart rate steadily climbing.

As Zhou Wan’s vision went black, she only felt a pair of strong hands steadily supporting her waist.

Zhou Wan was very light, hardly weighing anything as she fell into his arms, like a floating piece of paper, barely feeling real in his embrace.

Lu Xixiao held her, belatedly noticing the smell of alcohol on her.

Of course, he remembered she was allergic to alcohol, and couldn’t drink.

One drink used to make her break out in red hives, but now there were none.

After so many years, even her allergy symptoms had changed.

Those behind him saw Lu Xixiao show anxiety on his face for the first time, as he called for an ambulance.

*

When she next woke, it wasn’t in a hospital.

Before university, Zhou Wan had spent so much time in hospitals she could recognize the smell of disinfectant without opening her eyes, but this wasn’t it. The air had a faint scent of aromatherapy, incongruously mixed with tobacco.

Zhou Wan opened her eyes, and sat up in bed, still slightly dizzy.

She pressed her temples and looked around to observe her surroundings. It was a very large bedroom, empty yet neat, without much human presence.

Zhou Wan went to the bathroom to wash her face and then pushed open the bedroom door.

Just then, there came the sound of the front door opening. She paused her movement, quickly turning away.

The person who entered was a woman, wearing a white shirt and pencil skirt, very professional attire.

Zhou Wan was startled for a moment.

The woman seemed at ease seeing her, smiling: “Miss Zhou, you’re awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Zhou Wan shook her head: “This is…?”

“Yesterday you fainted from elevated heart rate due to alcohol allergy. Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious. Since we didn’t know where you live now, President Lu brought you here temporarily.”

President Lu.

He was President Lu now.

That was good.

It seemed these years, he had steadily climbed upward.

Zhou Wan recalled his appearance yesterday—though his unruly air remained unchanged, in his suit and tie, his expression during the conversation was no longer that of the former Lu Xixiao. He had matured, and grown stronger.

Over these many years, everyone had changed.

No exceptions.

Zhou Wan lowered her eyes, saying softly: “Please thank President Lu for me.”

The secretary smiled appropriately: “You’re too kind.”

“Then I’ll head back now.” Zhou Wan picked up her bag and changed her shoes at the entrance. Before leaving, she paused, took one last look at this cold marble-tiled apartment, and asked, “Is this President Lu’s home?”

“No, President Lu doesn’t usually live here, it’s just one of his properties.”

Zhou Wan nodded, thanked the woman before her, and said goodbye, then turned to leave.

Fortunately, it was Saturday, no need to work, she could rest properly for a while.

Zhou Wan returned to her rented studio apartment, took a shower, and lay down on the bed.

When she closed her eyes, she saw Lu Xixiao’s face from last night.

Raising her arm to cover her eyes, her voice trembling slightly, she let out a soft breath.

Back then, she had left too decisively, and in that final phone call, her words had been too harsh.

She had been too young then, thinking that making a clean break would let Lu Xixiao let go of her, let go of everything, and live his own life well. She hadn’t realized that sometimes cutting things off too cleanly could become an obsession.

It wasn’t that he still liked her.

He just couldn’t forget how she had tripped him up, the deception he had suffered.

The inability to forget over these years had become an obsession.

He hated her, yet couldn’t forget her.

He had once said, that whoever betrays him, he would kill them.

Lu Xixiao always did what he said.

Zhou Wan turned over, burying her face in the blanket.

Did this mean she would have to leave here again?

She had another dream.

She dreamed of the past when she recklessly, presumptuously went to find Lu Zhongyue, promising him that from then on, she would disappear from Lu Xixiao’s world.

Then she had stayed in B City for four or five years, met him, and could only buy another ticket to leave.

Her whole life seemed destined for displacement.

When she woke, it was already dark.

Zhou Wan got out of bed barefoot and walked to the window to close it tight.

Winter had come again, the weather had turned cold again.

Back in bed, Zhou Wan’s phone vibrated—President Huang calling.

Zhou Wan frowned.

She didn’t answer the first call or the second. By the third, she picked up, worried it might be about work.

But after connecting, she pressed record.

“Hello, President Huang,” she said, “Is something the matter?”

“Xiao Zhou, I’m in the underground parking garage below your apartment. Come down for a bit.”

Zhou Wan paused, said: “I’m sorry President Huang, I’m not home right now. If you have something to discuss, please tell me over the phone.”

President Huang laughed: “Xiao Zhou, I saw your room light was on when I came in just now. It’s not good for someone so young to lie.”

Zhou Wan was silent, her fingertips digging into her palm.

After his laugh, his voice grew heavier: “Alright, come down. I have a document for you, that needs to be rushed over the weekend.”

Zhou Wan had no choice. Though she knew he must have ill intentions, she still had to go down.

She changed out of her dress and put on a loose sweater and jeans. Before going downstairs, she grabbed a small screwdriver from the toolbox by the entrance and put it in her pocket.

The elevator went all the way down to B1. Before walking out, Zhou Wan set up her phone to record.

Over these years she had met all kinds of people, learned how to endure hardship, and also learned how to protect herself.

As soon as she entered the parking lot, she saw the Porsche parked to one side.

President Huang lowered the window, waving to her: “Xiao Zhou.”

Zhou Wan walked over: “President Huang, where’s the document?”

“What’s the rush? Get in, let me explain first.”

At this point, Zhou Wan naturally understood there was no document. She didn’t move, just stood by the car, unable to maintain even a perfunctory smile.

President Huang wasn’t worried about the situation being exposed. He got out of the car casually, took out a gaudy bouquet of bright red flowers from the back seat, and pushed them into Zhou Wan’s arms.

“Xiao Zhou.” He took the chance to put his hand on her shoulder. “You came all this way, must be thirsty. Won’t you invite me up for a drink?”

Zhou Wan stepped back, avoiding his hand, saying softly: “President Huang, you’re already married.”

He smiled: “But I truly like you. If you stay with me, I’ll treat you well.”

Zhou Wan raised her eyes, her gaze unafraid, looking directly at him.

The woman’s pure, clean face was pleasing to look at. After a while, she smiled gently, her eyes curved, containing a hint of unworldly innocence and embarrassment.

“President Huang, I may be only 24, but I’m not stupid. No matter how nice a man’s words are at times like this, they’re useless. If people found out about us, it wouldn’t matter to you, but I would be ruined.”

Zhou Wan’s words were unexpected—he had thought she would be the type to make a fuss over the slightest impropriety.

He had misjudged her.

President Huang’s smile deepened: “Don’t worry, my wife and I are already preparing for divorce.”

Zhou Wan wrinkled her nose in barely perceptible disgust, putting the flowers back in his hands: “Then President Huang should come find me after the divorce.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Her words hadn’t completely rejected him, instead carrying a hint of playing hard to get. President Huang wouldn’t force things and would be willing to wait a while longer.

But the moment Zhou Wan turned around, the smile completely disappeared from her face.

She quickly returned to the elevator and went upstairs.

Back in her room, she washed her hands with soap, opened her computer, and typed President Huang’s name into the search bar—Huang Hui.

*

The next day.

As Lu Xixiao walked into the company, he received a call from Huang Ping.

All these years, Huang Ping had stayed in Pingchuan City, never leaving, watching over his small supermarket and motorcycle.

Lu Xixiao answered: “Brother.”

Later, Lu Xixiao had almost completely cut ties with the Lu family, barely even returning for New Year’s. Only last year when Old Master Lu fell ill did he go back once, flying straight back to B City as soon as he recovered.

He had never dramatically severed relations with the Lu family, just grown increasingly distant day by day.

Now, Huang Ping was the only one who could get a “Brother” from his lips.

“Busy?” Huang Ping asked.

Lu Xixiao said: “Just saying what you need to say, might help me be less busy.”

Huang Ping laughed and cursed, then got straight to the point without a preamble: “Luo He is dead.”

Lu Xixiao’s steps faltered.

To say he was shocked would be an exaggeration—it felt quite ordinary.

Yet from this ordinariness rose ripples of sourness, as if all those past events were disappearing, both good and bad, almost all traces being erased.

Huang Ping said: “He served five years in prison, his health was poor after release, spent all day drinking, got sick with no money for treatment, and died this morning.”

The elevator doors opened, and Lu Xixiao continued walking forward, just twitching the corner of his mouth: “Oh.”

“Know why I’m telling you?” Huang Ping asked.

“Why?”

He cursed: “You better cut down on smoking and drinking, or you’ll die early too!”

“…”

Lu Xixiao laughed, “Hanging up.”

“Xiao.” Huang Ping said, his voice growing heavy, “So many years have passed, and even Luo He is dead now. Let what happened back then go.”

Lu Xixiao’s expression unchanged, said softly: “Hasn’t it been let go long ago?”

Huang Ping didn’t speak.

He was just being stubborn.

Lu Xixiao paused, and said: “I saw her yesterday.”

Huang Ping was startled.

“Do you still like her?”

Lu Xixiao smiled indifferently: “How many years has it been?”

He looked at the light falling through the window ahead, saying softly, “I just can’t forgive her, so I can’t forget her either.”

Lu Xixiao felt he had long since stopped liking Zhou Wan.

Back then she had left so ruthlessly—why should he continue loving her unchangingly for ten years? He wasn’t that kind of deeply emotional person to begin with.

What he felt for Zhou Wan was more resentment and hatred, eating away at him night after night all these years, making him unable to forget, unable to break free, losing control at the mention of her, going crazy upon seeing her again.

Lu Xixiao thought, that to completely forget Zhou Wan, he would have to entangle with her one more time.

Until he became thoroughly tired of her.

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