Chapter 59

After a long while, Shen Zhirou finally sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

Inside the bar, the music pounded deafeningly loud. Lu Yao and Shen Zhirou made their way to the booth area, where the ear-splitting noise from the dance floor finally dulled a little. Lu Yao found an empty corner and came to a stop. Her gaze shifted to Shen Zhirou, eventually settling on the right side of Shen Zhirou’s shirt. There was a glaring lipstick smudge printed there, standing out obnoxiously against the white fabric.

Lu Yao took two hurried steps forward, reaching out from behind to grab Shen Zhirou’s wrist. But Shen Zhirou instinctively stepped back. Lu Yao’s hand hung frozen in midair. She stared at Shen Zhirou in disbelief, her eyes turning red. “Jie Jie, can’t I even touch you anymore?”

“Miss Lu, say what you have to say. I need to get back.”

“Get back for what? To take care of your new little girlfriend? Do you like her that much? You even wiped lipstick off for her—you’ve never done that for me.” A sharp pain twisted through Lu Yao’s stomach. She clenched the front of her clothes tightly, barely holding it together. She’d finally gotten a chance to talk to Jie Jie like this; she couldn’t let her just walk away.

Shen Zhirou hadn’t expected Lu Yao to put it that way. She let out a scoffing laugh and shook her head, then nodded instead. “Who I date is none of Miss Lu’s business. It’s getting late. I’m heading back.”

“Jie Jie, wait!” Lu Yao blurted out in a panic. “Please don’t go back to her. Jie Jie, I haven’t eaten anything all day. My stomach hurts so much. Can you just stay with me a little? Just a few minutes. Please, Jie Jie.”

Shen Zhirou hadn’t imagined hearing Lu Yao beg like that. But she was bone-tired. Her relationship with Lu Yao had exhausted her, every day feeling like a tightrope walk. They didn’t interact like lovers at all. And with Ning Jianfang’s drama and Lu Yao’s mother piling on recently, Shen Zhirou’s face drained of color.

“I’m sorry, Miss Lu. I no longer have any obligation to keep you company. Also, I’ve blocked your parents’ phone numbers. Please tell them to stop harassing me. I’m already struggling enough as it is—I can’t take their repeated torments. And in the future, please keep your distance from me too, so your parents won’t get the wrong idea that I’m trying to latch onto you.” With that, Shen Zhirou turned to leave.

A wrenching pain seized Lu Yao’s stomach, intensifying at Shen Zhirou’s final words until she doubled over, squatting down. Tears blurred her vision; she couldn’t tell if it was the agony in her gut or the ache in her heart. “Jie Jie, I’m sorry. I won’t let them bother you anymore. Can you stay with me just a little longer? A few minutes, okay?”

“I have to go. Suit yourself, Miss Lu.” Shen Zhirou didn’t look back. She was afraid she’d give in. She and Lu Yao weren’t right for each other in any sense of the word. She’d made that mistake once already and had no intention of repeating it. With those thoughts, Shen Zhirou quickened her pace toward the outer booths, leaving Lu Yao curled up alone on the floor.

Tears streamed down her face one after another. The pain left Lu Yao dazed. In the past, Jie Jie never would have abandoned her like this—she’d have scooped her up and fussed over her endlessly. But now? Was Jie Jie rushing back to hold some other girl? Would they spend the night together? Would Jie Jie touch her?

Waves of bitter anguish crashed over Lu Yao, threatening to swallow her whole. The mere thought of Shen Zhirou with someone else left her gasping for air.

Back at the booth, Shen Zhirou had lost all interest in the night. She asked Huang Qingqing and the other female colleagues to help get Fu Ning home, then slipped away herself.

Lu Yao stayed crouched there for more than ten minutes. When Chu Su and Zhao Ke noticed something was off and came looking, they found the usually aloof and untouchable Lu Yao sobbing like a drenched rag doll. Chu Su was at a loss for how to comfort her. Seeing Lu Yao clutching her stomach the whole time, she and Zhao Ke bundled her off to the hospital emergency room.

The on-duty doctor gave her a quick once-over and diagnosed acute gastroenteritis. They’d already started her on an IV.

Zhao Ke dashed out and bought some bland vegetable porridge, hoping to coax Lu Yao into eating a bit.

Lu Yao glanced at the time. It was nearly midnight. What was Jie Jie doing right now? Had she already helped her new little girlfriend with a bath? Would Jie Jie hold her while they slept? Or do something even more intimate?

The thoughts alone sent fresh tears spilling from Lu Yao’s eyes without warning. Food was the last thing on her mind.

Chu Su took one look at her half-dead state and said, “Eat something first. Do you even want Shen Zhirou anymore? If you keep pushing yourself like this, she’ll end up belonging to someone else for good.”

Lu Yao’s unfocused eyes slowly turned toward Chu Su after hearing those words. With the hand not hooked up to the IV, she took the small bowl Chu Su offered her. Chu Su had a point—right now, Jie Jie was at most spending some time with another girl. Once she recovered, she’d have the strength to go after Jie Jie. In her current state, how could she possibly chase after Shen Zhirou?

Lu Yao took a few sips of the porridge and told Chu Su and the others to head back. With the IV fluids and some food in her system, she was already feeling much better. Her stomach wasn’t as queasy anymore. Once the two bags were done, she could just take a cab home.

Chu Su was still worried about Lu Yao and told Zhao Ke to go ahead without her. She planned to call a cab, see Lu Yao home first, and then head back herself.

She glanced at Lu Yao and sighed. “Why put yourself through this? If you’d just apologized to Shen Zhirou back then, the two of you might have made up by now. You’re always so stubborn, refusing to back down.”

“Yeah… why put myself through this,” Lu Yao murmured in agreement. She checked the time—it was nearly one o’clock. Had Jie Jie already fallen asleep in that other girl’s arms?

A wave of bitterness washed over Lu Yao’s heart. After more than an hour, the two bags of IV fluids finally finished dripping. She and Chu Su went outside to hail a cab. Chu Su made sure to drop her off at the entrance to her neighborhood before letting the taxi drive away.

Lu Yao walked slowly along the paths lit by the streetlamps in the complex. At this hour, most of the lights in the residential buildings were out. She glanced toward her own place—it was pitch black. The person who’d once waited up for her had moved out.

A pang of sorrow hit Lu Yao. Could she really win Jie Jie back?

~~~

On Sunday morning, Lu Yao called Zhang Huichun bright and early. Before Zhang Huichun could even say hello, Lu Yao cut in: “Did you call Shen Zhirou again?”

“So what if we did? Hah, that Shen Zhirou thinks she can string you along. Did she go crying to you, complaining?” Zhang Huichun was getting worked up too. Her own daughter wasn’t even calling her “Mom” anymore, just firing off accusations.

“You’re underestimating her. I went begging her to come home with me, and she turned me down flat. She told me to stay away from her from now on, so you wouldn’t get the wrong idea that she was trying to climb the social ladder with me.”

“She is climbing the ladder—what’s wrong with saying it? I didn’t just call her; I called her mother too. I gave her an out, but she threw it back in my face. Good riddance. Now that Wen Jin’s back, Yaoyao, Mom thinks she’s a fine choice. Great family background, project manager at the company, makes as much as you do every year if not more. You’d have it easier together. And you used to like her so much anyway.”

Zhang Huichun sounded like she’d found a lifeline. Anyone was better than Shen Zhirou by a hundredfold—especially someone who dared give her the cold shoulder and still dream of being with her Yaoyao. She’d compromised before out of desperation, but not anymore. With Wen Jin back, her daughter didn’t have to hang herself from one tree.

A chill ran through Lu Yao. No wonder Shen Zhirou didn’t want to be with her. She was awful, and her family’s behavior was disgusting. She deserved to fail in chasing Shen Zhirou.

Lu Yao took several deep breaths, her voice trembling with tears. “Can you please stop pushing me? Stop harassing Shen Zhirou. She’s the one I like—insulting her is the same as insulting me. And as for Wen Jin? Don’t even think about it. To me, she’s just some random stranger.”

Lu Yao let out a scoffing laugh, her eyes rimmed red as she pressed on. “But none of that matters anyway—you never listen. Fine, just pretend I don’t exist as your daughter. My taste is what it is. I’ve set my sights on Shen Zhirou, and if she can’t measure up to you, then neither can I.”

With that, Lu Yao hung up and blocked both Zhang Huichun’s and Lu Jitong’s numbers on the spot. If only she’d known sooner about the grievances Shen Zhirou had endured. Even if Jie Jie really ended up with another girl now, it would be no more than she deserved—her own doing, her own punishment.

Zhang Huichun felt an inexplicable unease after hearing Lu Yao’s words. “Old Lu, what do you think she meant by all that? Why can’t I get through now? This girl isn’t thinking of doing something rash again, is she?”

“Sigh, what a mess this is. I thought Wen Jin coming back would help, but look how it’s turned out.” Lu Jitong sighed. He hoped their daughter wouldn’t stay away for good this time.

Zhang Huichun grew anxious. With no one else to turn to, she hesitated to call Shen Zhirou after what Yaoyao had said. In the end, she dialed Wen Jin.

“Hello, Auntie. What’s up?”

“Oh, Xiao Wen, sorry to bother you. We’ve had a little misunderstanding with Yaoyao. The girl’s so stubborn—she won’t come home. Could you help us out?”

“I’ll call Lu Yao right now and try to persuade her. Please don’t worry,” Wen Jin replied with a smile.

“You’re still the reasonable one. I really can’t handle this child Yaoyao anymore. Sigh.”

“Auntie, don’t say that. She’s definitely still angry right now. I’ll just go and persuade her,” Wen Jin said with a smile.

“Alright, alright. I’ll wait for your call,” Zhang Huichun said hurriedly.

Wen Jin looked at her phone and smiled playfully before dialing Lu Yao’s number.

“Something up?” Lu Yao’s voice remained cold and devoid of warmth.

“Yeah, Auntie just called me. She said there’s some misunderstanding between you two and asked me to help persuade you…”

“Heh, what right do you have to persuade me? You’re just my colleague. Please, President Wen, know your place and stop meddling in other people’s family affairs.” Lu Yao said coldly, “Soon, I’ll apply for annual leave and let someone else take over this project. After all, we’ve dated before, and I’m afraid my girlfriend might misunderstand.”

“Yaoyao, things between us haven’t come to this, have they? Besides, I heard from Auntie that you two have already broken up.” Wen Jin still couldn’t quite accept Lu Yao’s attitude toward her. After all, back in university, Lu Yao had just been one of her many suitors. She had only dated her for fun—who could have imagined that after she went abroad, Lu Yao would still naively wait for her?

But now, her attitude toward her had become like this, and she actually felt like going to meet that Shen Zhirou.