Chapter 141: Who Is It?
You Ruxu, after reading three lines of the “cookbook,” her face flushed, closed the book, and said, “I’m drunk.” She looked at Zhou Tianzui. “I’m going to change and take a shower.”
Zhou Tianzui, amused by her obvious attempt to escape, took the book from her hand, “What are you doing?” You Ruxu asked.
“Taking it home to study.” Zhou Tianzui didn’t tease her further and stood up, “I should also be going.”
You Ruxu said, “Aren’t you staying tonight?”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her, “Sleeping in your bed?”
You Ruxu hesitated, “There’s a guest room.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I don’t want to disturb your parents, they probably have something to discuss with you.”
She had just found out about You Ruxu’s involvement in the fishing boat case. Although You Ruxu seemed calm, she must have a lot on her mind. Zhou Tianzui wasn’t oblivious, You Ruxu, watching her, pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Then I’ll be going.”
You Ruxu gave a small “oh,” and just as Zhou Tianzui turned to leave, she stood up, walked over to her, and gently took her hand, Zhou Tianzui looked down at her warm hand, gave it a light squeeze, then left the room.
You Shu and Wu Xiulian, hearing she was leaving, tried to persuade her to stay, but Zhou Tianzui said she had something to do at the hospital, that she would probably be working late, and didn’t want to disturb them, You Shu wanted to insist, but Wu Xiulian’s mother stopped him, “Alright, then be careful on your way back, send Ruxu a message when you arrive.”
Zhou Tianzui nodded, said goodbye, and went downstairs. You Ruxu watched from the window as Zhou Tianzui’s figure appeared below, she had given Zhou Tianzui her car keys earlier, she watched as Zhou Tianzui got into the car and drove away, then turning around, she met Wu Xiulian’s mother’s gaze.
She softly called out, “Mom.”
Wu Xiulian’s mother said, “Come here.”
You Shu muttered, “Why did Dr. Zhou leave?”
Wu Xiulian’s mother said, “To give us some time to educate our daughter.” She poked You Ruxu’s forehead lightly, “You’ve become bolder, I couldn’t control you when you were in Jindu, but now that you’re back, right under our noses, you decide to become an assistant, without even telling your parents.”
You Ruxu, unlike her usual obedient self, didn’t remain silent under Wu Xiulian’s mother’s gentle scolding. She looked at her and smiled, saying softly, “Mom, I knew you would agree.”
Wu Xiulian’s mother chuckled in exasperation, “How did you know?”
“Because my mom is the most understanding and reasonable person.” No wonder Zhou Tianzui said she was learning to be manipulative, acting spoiled came so naturally to her now, Wu Xiulian’s mother, who had been slightly worried earlier, was now speechless, “Look what your daughter is saying,” she said to You Shu.
You Shu chimed in, “Ruxu’s not wrong, my wife is the most reasonable person.”
They were both enabling each other, especially since they were usually so quiet and reserved. Wu Xiulian’s mother, exasperated, glared at You Shu. You Ruxu, seizing the opportunity, peeled a tangerine, “Mom, have some fruit.”
You Shu tried to take a segment, but Wu Xiulian’s mother slapped his hand away. You Shu, undeterred, You Ruxu handed him one, and Wu Xiulian’s mother snatched it back. You Shu called out, “Xiulian?”
Wu Xiulian’s mother rolled her eyes and said to You Ruxu, “Go take a shower, and get some rest.”
You Ruxu nodded, “Okay.”
She smiled, looking at You Shu, and as she went to her room to get her clothes, she saw him trying to steal a tangerine segment from Wu Xiulian’s mother’s hand, “But she gave it to me.”
“So what if she did?” Wu Xiulian’s mother retorted, “Can’t I eat it?”
You Shu said, “You’re being unreasonable.”
Wu Xiulian’s mother said, “I’ve always been unreasonable.”
You Ruxu took her clothes and went to the bathroom. After her shower, she received a message from Zhou Tianzui, saying she had arrived at the hotel. You Ruxu lay on her bed and called Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui had just arrived, sitting in her hotel room, the warm lights on, the bed unmade, You Ruxu realized she had been planning to tidy up before leaving earlier, but Zhou Tianzui had distracted her, and she had forgotten. Now, seeing the rumpled sheets, she felt a little embarrassed.
Zhou Tianzui didn’t seem to mind, “Is your mom angry?”
“A little.” You Ruxu said, “But I coaxed her.”
Zhou Tianzui hummed softly, “You coaxed her?”
You Ruxu nodded, a smug look, perhaps because of the lingering alcohol, “Yes, I coaxed her.”
Zhou Tianzui, seeing this, her heart warming, “How did Teacher You coax her?”
You Ruxu started to say, “Said some nice things.”
Zhou Tianzui asked, “What nice things?”
You Ruxu said, “Just…” She looked at Zhou Tianzui on the screen, then changed the subject, “You should go take a shower.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I’m not showering unless you coax me too.”
You Ruxu: “Childish.”
Zhou Tianzui: “Teacher You?”
You Ruxu ignored her, putting the phone under her blanket, their muffled voices continuing their playful banter, and Zhou Tianzui asked, “When are you coming back to Jindu?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” You Ruxu said, “Maybe you’ll go back first.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Didn’t you say Reporter Fu is going in a couple of days?”
“We’re not going together.” You Ruxu said, “I’m going with Captain Yao.”
Zhou Tianzui chuckled.
You Ruxu, seeing her soft expression, said, “So petty.”
Zhou Tianzui, hearing this, “What?”
You Ruxu’s lips curved into a smile, “I said you should go to sleep.”
Zhou Tianzui’s smile widened, “Go to sleep then, I’m going to take a shower.”
You Ruxu responded with a small “mm-hmm,” and after hanging up, received a message from Fu Guang, confirming the departure date, this weekend, they had just been discussing it, and now it was finalized.
You Ruxu replied: [OK]
Fu Guang immediately replied: [Not sleeping yet?]
You Ruxu: [Not yet, I was just about to.]
Fu Guang: [Get some rest these next two days, it’ll be a busy week in Jindu.]
You Ruxu understood, said goodnight to Fu Guang, and put down her phone, but sleep wouldn’t come, her mind filled with details of the fishing boat case. After tossing and turning for half an hour, she started thinking of Zhou Tianzui.
If she continued like this, she wouldn’t get any sleep at all, a rare bout of insomnia in her own home. You Ruxu hugged the teddy bear, burying her face in its soft fur, her body relaxing, and soon, she drifted off to sleep.
Zhou Tianzui, after showering, wanted to message You Ruxu, but figuring she was probably asleep, she didn’t, just stared at the photo of You Ruxu on her phone.
A calm, serene beauty.
She traced the image with her fingertip, then closed her phone.
You Ruxu’s schedule didn’t align with Zhou Tianzui’s. She would be returning to Jindu first, Zhou Tianzui the following week, a week apart. Zhou Tianzui had wanted to go back together and frowned when she heard You Ruxu was leaving earlier. You Ruxu said, “Don’t worry.”
Although she said that, this assignment was just as dangerous as the one four years ago, the thought of You Ruxu lying in a pool of blood made Zhou Tianzui’s hands and feet turn cold. You Ruxu hugged her, and Zhou Tianzui said, “Then go home first.”
She gave You Ruxu the key to her Jindu apartment.
You Ruxu took the key, put it in her suitcase, went to the TV station to finalize the handover procedures in the morning, then went home in the afternoon to pack. She didn’t have much to pack, she hadn’t brought many things back from Jindu. Zhou Tianzui had even teased, “Did you know you would be coming back?”
You Ruxu had been silent for a moment before shaking her head.
She had thought, she would never return.
Because Yu Qiao’s hatred was real, she couldn’t accept her and Zhou Tianzui, she didn’t want to make things difficult for Zhou Tianzui, which was why she had agreed to break up, she hadn’t intended to return, she hadn’t brought those things back simply because she hadn’t wanted to.
She had been afraid.
Afraid that seeing those familiar things would make her miss Zhou Tianzui, miss Jindu.
Afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself.
So, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to bring them back, she didn’t dare to.
Zhou Tianzui, watching her put the key in her suitcase, said, “I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
Zhou Tianzui nodded.
For the remaining few days, You Ruxu spent her time either at the station, with Zhou Tianzui, or at home with her parents, her schedule not as busy with work, yet somehow even busier than before. On the night before she left, she had barely fallen asleep when Zhou Tianzui’s message, “I miss you,” woke her up. She got up and went to Zhou Tianzui’s hotel.
A sweetness she had never experienced before.
They made up for lost time in these past two weeks.
On the day You Ruxu left Yuhai, Zhou Tianzui had a meeting, and You Shu had a court case, so Wu Xiulian’s mother drove her to the airport. Unlike before, their interactions no longer polite and distant, You Ruxu held Wu Xiulian’s mother’s arm and said, “Mom, take care of yourself and Dad, call me if you need anything.”
Wu Xiulian’s mother patted her hand, “Don’t worry about us, your aunt is here, and your father, he’s as strong as an ox.”
You Ruxu said, “You still need to take care of your health.”
“Okay.” Wu Xiulian’s mother, after all these years, finally understood what it felt like to have a caring daughter, it wasn’t that You Ruxu hadn’t been caring before, but it was different now.
She said, “Go on then.”
Captain Yao was waiting at the gate. You Ruxu hugged Wu Xiulian’s mother, took her suitcase, and followed Captain Yao through security. Zhou Tianzui kept glancing at her watch, then during lunch, she called You Ruxu, whose phone was off, she probably hadn’t arrived in Jindu yet.
Her distraction was obvious, and her colleagues, noticing it, teased her, “Dr. Zhou, waiting for a call?”
Zhou Tianzui looked at the doctor who asked, he was also from Jindu, from Yuxin Hospital, which was just a couple of blocks away from their hospital. They often saw each other. He had invited her to karaoke the day she arrived, Zhou Tianzui, sensing his intentions, had declined several times, but he seemed oblivious, even switching seats with the doctor beside her today. Seeing her constantly checking her phone during lunch, he couldn’t help but ask.
Zhou Tianzui turned off her phone screen, her fingers tracing the edges of the device, the metal cold against her skin, “Yes, waiting for a call.”
The doctor, not picking up on the hint, asked, “A friend?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “My partner.”
The doctor was stunned, the others at the table also looking over, surprised. Zhou Tianzui, among the doctors attending this training program, was quite well-known, not only for her surgical skills but also her striking appearance. Appreciating beauty was human nature, and after that incident in Jindu, even more people were paying attention to her. Several doctors had been trying to get closer to her, but she had been completely unresponsive, except for work-related matters, it was almost impossible to even see her, invitations either politely declined or simply ignored. They hadn’t expected her to have a partner.
Han Shuang, also having lunch with them, was surprised, “Dr. Zhou, you’re in a relationship?”
Zhou Tianzui nodded, her expression softening slightly, “Yes.”
Han Shuang congratulated her, then asked, “Who’s the lucky person?”
Then she frowned, hadn’t she asked the same question before?
Zhou Tianzui smiled faintly, not revealing any details, and returned to her hotel room as soon as she finished lunch. Lying in bed, she browsed the news, there wasn’t much information about the fishing boat case publicly available, compared to the Fengyuan incident in Jindu, there was barely any news, but the lack of information only made it seem more dangerous. After scrolling for a while, seeing only superficial reports, she changed her search term to “You Ruxu,” the most recent result a news report she did in Jindu. She hadn’t been back in Yuhai for long, hadn’t even finished her first story, so most of the information online was still from Jindu.
She even saw her own name mentioned.
Jindu First Affiliated Hospital, Dr. Zhou.
And at the end, the reporter’s name, You Ruxu.
It was about the baby kidnapping incident. Zhou Tianzui read the short report, saved a screenshot, then after a while, she got up and went to the bathroom, her phone, left on the coffee table, lighting up with a notification, a message from You Ruxu: [I’ve arrived.]
You Ruxu, after sending the message, felt her phone vibrate. She thought it was Zhou Tianzui, but it was Han Shuang.
Han Shuang: [Whoa! Dr. Zhou’s in a relationship?]
Han Shuang: [Since when?]
Han Shuang: [Are all you beautiful people so secretive about your relationships?]
You Ruxu, seeing the messages, was stunned for a moment, she composed herself and replied: [How did you know?]
Han Shuang: [Dr. Zhou mentioned it during lunch, everyone knows, by the way, Ruxu, do you know who it is?]
You Ruxu stared at the message, her head lowered, her heart racing, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edges of her phone.
Who is it?
It’s me.
Zhou Tianzui: Praise me.
You Ruxu: For what?
Zhou Tianzui: For openly admitting I have a wife.
You Ruxu: …
