Volume 9: The Acidity of the Setting Sun
Chapter 2: Read, No Reply
Wen Hupo slapped the exquisite gift box on the table, folded her arms, and sat down. Her cool expression held a hint of scrutiny. “So, you’re saying none of you knew when she came?”
Lu Li, An Baili, and Zou Yameng exchanged an awkward glance. There were still some wet spots on the table. Were they really just water spots? Or traces left from the great battle earlier? Lu Li impassively took a dry cloth and wiped the table. “At that time, um, we were all busy. We didn’t notice anyone knocking…”
Zou Yameng still wanted to fight for her dignity as the head of the family. “Could it be… that Jingyi didn’t knock when she came?”
Wen Hupo shot her a cold glance. Although there was clearly no malice in her eyes, it made Zou Yameng feel utterly ashamed, as if all her dirty secrets had been seen through by this golden-haired woman. Hupo said, “If she had knocked, it would actually be a good thing. If she didn’t knock, just left the gift at the door and left, then for Lu Li, that would be an absolutely world-ending disaster.”
An Baili retorted defensively, “Is it really that serious? Jingyi has a very good temper. She wouldn’t do anything world-ending.”
Wen Hupo retorted with dissatisfaction, “Do you all really think good-natured people are easy to bully? Just because Jingyi has a good temper, does she deserve to be bullied by you?”
An Baili talked back, “Before, Jingyi didn’t even want you living at Lu Li’s place. How come you’re speaking up for her today?”
“I’m speaking for what’s right, not for any particular person!” Wen Hupo said righteously. As she spoke, her piercing gaze was fixed on Lu Li, making him shrink his neck. “Outstanding Representative, do you remember if Jingyi actually knocked or not?”
Wen Hupo’s words moved Lu Li. They say even a cornered rabbit will bite, and when a good-natured person gets pushed too far, the consequences are earth-shattering. A good temper only means a high tolerance threshold; it also means that once a certain line is crossed, the anger of a good-tempered person will be completely unquenchable. Lu Li remembered how Jingyi had brought up the matter of the girls around him many times recently. Lu Li’s method of dealing with it was to prevaricate and delay, attempting to use time to slowly change the Silly Goose’s perspective—wasn’t this a form of deception?
Lu Li put himself in her shoes. The Silly Goose had come to find him, full of excitement and carrying a gift, only to stumble upon him fooling around with other women. She must have been utterly disappointed, right? The more he thought about it, the more he felt the endless potential for trouble. He grabbed the gift box and was about to get up and go to the Chu family’s home.
“Where are you going?” Yameng grabbed him.
“To find Jingyi.” Lu Li felt this was a matter that couldn’t wait. Once the night passed, there was no telling what thoughts that little girl would have, what decisions she would make. He had to go persuade and comfort her now, while Jingyi was still wavering…
“To continue lying to her?” Wen Hupo said softly. Lu Li froze.
He sat back down again, looking at the gift box on the table, speechless for a long time.
“You guys, tell me, am I a piece of shit?” The sentence was a bit awkward. Lu Li’s mind was a complete mess.
An Baili said in a small voice, “You’re not that bad.”
Zou Yameng said hesitantly, “Lizi, you are a bit of a philanderer.”
Wen Hupo didn’t say anything, but Lu Li could guess her answer would have been a definite yes.
These women around him—if an ordinary person captured the heart of any one of them, he would treat her like a priceless treasure, with all his heart. But he, on the contrary, collected them all without restraint. He relied on the girls’ love for him, using his “pure heart” as a cloak to coax them into accepting the reality of a harem. Wasn’t this a kind of baseness?
Lu Li silently unwrapped the gift box. The Silly Goose’s gift did not exceed his expectations; it was, indeed, a pencil case—a beautiful, azure-blue pencil case. He had only mentioned it casually back then, but he hadn’t expected the Silly Goose to have remembered it so clearly. He opened the pencil case. Inside were photos from his and the Silly Goose’s trip to the amusement park. In the photos, the two of them were intimate, their smiles brilliant, like the happiest of couples. The Silly Goose’s joy seemed to overflow from the pictures. In every photo, the little girl’s eyes were fixed on Lu Li, never once looking away…
But Lu Li’s gaze was looking all around, rarely falling on her.
Lu Li could make many excuses for himself, such as he had to operate the camera, or that his attention was unfocused… But those were just excuses.
“Lizi…” Zou Yameng stroked her brother’s hair, her heart aching for him. “Why don’t you give her a call? Or send a message? Just a simple hello, don’t mention anything else, and see what her attitude is.”
Zou Yameng herself had no confidence as she said this. She understood Chu Jingyi very well. Back when she found out Lizi had close female friends at school, for a split second, she felt like her world had collapsed, that the future was like a tunnel with a sealed exit, where not a single ray of light could penetrate.
Lu Li grunted in agreement. After a long, conflicted moment, he finally dialed the Silly Goose’s number. He had thought of many opening lines, considered many different tones, but in the end, he put down his phone in bewilderment. “She didn’t pick up.” The Silly Goose never missed his calls. Even if she were taking a bath, the little girl would ask her mom to bring her the phone.
It seemed things were more serious than he had imagined. The blow of the relationship between Lu Li and Zou Yameng was much greater on the Silly Goose than he had anticipated.
An Baili, afraid Lu Li would be sad, found an excuse: “Maybe she’s already asleep? Is that why she didn’t answer?”
Lu Li checked the time. It was only nine o’clock at night. Chu Jingyi wouldn’t go to sleep this early.
He was filled with guilt toward the naive young girl and, for a moment, had no idea what to do. He could only look to Wen Hupo for help. Wen Hupo said, “Why not just give her a night to calm down? My suggestion is not to push her too hard. Instead of trying to mend a string that’s about to snap, it’s better to replace it with a new one.”
An Baili didn’t understand her metaphor. “You mean we should just let Jingyi go?”
Wen Hupo shot her a contemptuous look. “I mean we should let Jingyi rethink her relationship with Lu Li and build a new understanding.”
An Baili pouted. What’s she so smug about? Hmph, next time I’ll drag you into bed and have Lu Li teach you a harsh lesson!
It wasn’t that Lu Li hadn’t thought of this method of meeting change with constancy, but care leads to chaos. He was afraid the Silly Goose would let her imagination run wild at night. That girl was very simple-minded and stubborn. If she set her mind on something, not even a god could change it.
Unwilling to give up, he sent Jingyi another message, asking if she was asleep. The Silly Goose still didn’t reply. Now he could be sure she was doing it on purpose. In the past, she had always replied to Lu Li’s messages in seconds.
“Outstanding Representative.” Wen Hupo, who had been watching Lu Li’s anxious state, used his nickname. “You’ve completely lost your composure. It’s not just Jingyi who needs to calm down, it’s you too. Have you forgotten how coldly you responded to my heartless words back then?”
Hupo was right… he had lost his composure. Lu Li took a deep breath. Without Hupo’s reminder, he said on his own, “I know. I need to prepare for the worst.”
Taking another deep breath, he said seriously, “I will respect every one of Jingyi’s decisions.”
