Volume 12
Chapter 9: The One I Love and the Ones Who Love Me
When was the last time he had seen her? Before the College Entrance Examination, right? She had suddenly disappeared from Lu Li’s world. If not for Long Jing’s help, they might have truly become the most familiar of strangers. After being separated for more than half a year, upon meeting again, Lu Li finally realized how much this girl had changed since they first met in their first year of high school. It seemed she had learned how to do her makeup, her hair was tied up more carefully, and over her goose-yellow long dress was a shawl-like jacket. Underneath were thick pantyhose. Her lips were red and her teeth were white, her features like a painting. She had become more mature, more beautiful than before, transforming from a green, unripe little apple into a fresh, delicious lychee.
She just stood not far away, looking at him with a mixture of resentment and joy.
The warm-hearted students beside Lu Li were still a little surprised and uncertain. “Hey, is Miss Chu looking over here?”
“Shh, don’t be so narcissistic, it’s embarrassing! She might just be looking this way by chance.”
“But she keeps staring at me. Could it be… ah, Miss Chu is walking over.” That boy cleared his throat and began to straighten his collar. His girlfriend was so angry she twisted his ear. “Cui Shimao, are you crazy? Who else would have you besides me?!”
Chu Jingyi finally stopped in front of them. Lu Li heard them suck in a sharp breath.
“Lu Li.”
“It’s me.” Lu Li sighed in his heart.
Tears welled up in Chu Jingyi’s eyes. “Why are you here?”
“I came to see you.” Lu Li didn’t know what to do with his hands. “I was afraid if I missed this chance, I might never see you again.”
Chu Jingyi let out a small whimper and threw herself directly into his arms. Lu Li subconsciously hugged her. The warm, delicate body of the young girl seemed somewhat unfamiliar; he hadn’t held her for a long time. When was the last time he had held her? During the Winter Camp last year? Or at the amusement park even earlier? …Speaking of the amusement park, did she still have the photos they had taken together?
The few students who had brought Lu Li in didn’t even dare to breathe. They realized that this time, it was the real deal who had come, truly Miss Chu’s old flame. They quickly ran through their minds, confirming that they hadn’t said anything bad about Miss Chu just now, and then fled without even saying goodbye.
Lu Li was caught off guard by the girl’s sudden and passionate embrace. His mind was a mess. He was wondering, where are this girl’s bodyguards? When are they going to come out and twist me up and send me to the police station? And there are more and more university students stopping to watch. Should we find another place to catch up?
“Why… why didn’t you notify me in advance…” Chu Jingyi sobbed in his arms, completely unconcerned about the surrounding gazes. They had clearly already broken up, but their feelings had only deepened with the distance, had only become more profound because of the entanglements. It was unclear if this was a blessing or a curse for this girl.
Lu Li wrapped his arms around the girl’s slender waist. Her waist was very thin, as if it would topple with a single blow, making one subconsciously want to protect her. “Let’s find another place. A lot of people are watching here.”
“Let them watch if they want… It’s not like it’s something that can’t be seen… or is it?” Chu Jingyi looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. “Will it cause you trouble?” Lu Li’s heart skipped half a beat. He knew what the Silly Goose was talking about. Hearing this so-called “causing trouble” from her mouth was particularly heart-wrenching.
“No, it won’t cause trouble. After all, it’s not something that can’t be seen.” Lu Li shook his head. “The fact that I like Chu Jingyi doesn’t need to be hidden from anyone.”
Chu Jingyi burst into tears. “Lu Li, I miss you so much. I also miss Baili so much. I wish I could go back to high school…”
The students standing nearby widened their eyes as if they had seen a ghost. Was this still that cold and aloof Miss Chu? The Chu family’s team of female bodyguards appeared at the right moment and cleared the area for the two of them, but they had no intention of driving Lu Li away. Lu Li knew that his coming to the Capital City couldn’t be hidden from Chu Xiaodong. Perhaps it was out of love for his daughter that he had tacitly allowed this meeting between Lu Li and his girl. After all, in Chu Xiaodong’s eyes, in a short while, Lu Li would inevitably have to flee abroad in disgrace. There was really no need to be the bad guy and break up the lovebirds at this time. Otherwise, if his own daughter held a grudge against him for the rest of her life, it would not be worth it.
“I miss you too. I think about you every day, thinking about when I can bring my little sun home.” Perhaps because he had been spending more time with Zhu Qiao recently, Lu Li unconsciously took on a tone as if he were coaxing a small child. If it were Zhu Xi who heard such words, she would have laughed her head off. But his Yibao was a sucker for this. The little girl cried even louder, her full breasts pressing against Lu Li without any reservation.
“Wuwu… you don’t miss me. I’m just a girl you picked up by the wayside…” the Silly Goose sobbed. “But I really miss you so much. I think about you during the day, in my dreams. I wait for your call every day, but you don’t call me every day…”
Lu Li hadn’t expected this girl to be waiting for his call every day. He had always been worried about disturbing the Silly Goose’s daily life, and also worried about arousing the Chu family’s suspicion, so the frequency of his calls had been strictly controlled. At this moment, of course, he couldn’t find any more so-called “rational” excuses to explain. Instead, he simply admitted his mistake. “It’s my fault, my fault. I’ll call you every day from now on. I promise. Let’s make a pinky promise…”
After coaxing Miss Chu for a long while, Lu Li finally took her hand and sat down on a bench in the campus park. The team of female bodyguards had long since driven away the other unlucky little couples in the park. The vast park now belonged only to Lu Li and the Silly Goose.
Lu Li wiped the tear stains from Chu Jingyi’s face. The girl’s cheeks were delicate, making one unable to put her down. “How have you been lately? Have you made any new friends? Has Auntie called you?”
Chu Jingyi held his hand, not letting her beloved’s hand leave her cheek. “…I haven’t been happy at all lately. I haven’t made any new friends either. Mom can still only call me once a month. It’s all because of you that I’m unhappy… You’re in such a dangerous situation now, how can I be happy…”
Lu Li gently rubbed her soft cheeks. “You’re not angry anymore?”
“…What is there to be angry about…”
“I thought you would continue to blame me for being a playboy.”
“Compared to that, I’d rather you be safe and healthy…” Chu Jingyi pouted slightly. It was a lie to say she wasn’t resentful. When they talked on the phone, this girl would let out a mournful line every few days. “You big liar… you definitely didn’t come to the Capital City just to see me.”
Lu Li shook his head. This was not the case. His coming to the Capital City this time, seeing Chu Jingyi and the husband selection were of equal importance. From an emotional point of view, seeing the Silly Goose was even more important.
The Silly Goose’s hang-up was that she believed Lu Li didn’t value her very much, always demeaning herself as a picked-up girl. It wasn’t that she was being dramatic, but that Lu Li had indeed lacked attention toward her. Lu Li knew that mending the wound in her heart couldn’t be done with words alone, so he simply didn’t talk about these things and took the little girl’s hand. “Yibao, take me for a walk. I haven’t been to the Capital City yet!”
The Silly Goose was not a girl who liked to be melancholic. Hearing this, she wiped away her tears, a smile blooming on her face, and excitedly took his hand. “Okay~!”
