The two wore matching black trench coats, white shoes, and black baseball caps, walking hand-in-hand, side-by-side. Their steps were slow but filled with warmth.
Chu Xi was looking at their backs.
But she was too familiar with Zhan Jingrui's back, the back of his head, even the angle of his shoulders and his gait.
In an instant, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head. She stood there, stunned, not knowing what to do.
There were many people in the elevator. Some were getting on, some were getting off. Chu Xi remained frozen, and the doors quickly closed, continuing their ascent.
By the time she came to her senses and took the elevator back down, the people were long gone.
Chu Xi closed her eyes and leaned against the wall of the surgical floor, regretting not having followed them, yet also feeling relieved that she hadn't.
How could she not trust Zhan Jingrui? They had been together for seven years!
During those seven years, Zhan Jingrui had never left her sight.
Except for not living together at night, they attended the same university, used the same classrooms, left together every day, ate together, and were almost inseparable.
Although Zhan Jingrui wasn't as physically affectionate as other men with their girlfriends, nor did he demand to cohabit, his devotion to Chu Xi was beyond reproach.
Whether they went out or ate, Chu Xi never had to pay a single cent.
On holidays and festivals, all the appropriate ceremonies and gifts were never lacking.
He even took her home, introducing her to all his family members, which led to many business collaborations between their parents.
His phone and computer were never password-protected; he allowed her to use them as she pleased.
Even his email and some private account passwords were a combination of his name and birthday for ease of remembering, showing no fear of her looking.
If such a man, who was so unguarded with her, was to be doubted, then what meaning did trust have in the world?
After some self-consolation, Chu Xi thought of Liang Bo.
Liang Bo had such a good figure, and he was pursuing He Yao. She must have seen wrong just now; it was Liang Bo's back.
Besides, it was during working hours. Zhan Jingrui should be at the company.
The company?
Yes, he must be at the company.
After working for so long, she hadn't visited him at the company yet. Chu Xi, with her complex emotions, decided to go and see him at his office.
Naturally, Zhan Jingrui wasn't at the company, and Chu Xi's trip was in vain.
The assistant, seeing the girlfriend looking for him and pretending not to know about his absence from the company, thought that President Zhan's whereabouts had been unusual lately. He wondered if the couple had a falling out, or…
Understanding the unspoken thoughts of men, the assistant, to avoid deepening the misunderstanding, cleverly concocted a lie for Zhan Jingrui.
He said Zhan Jingrui had gone to a certain company to attend a technical meeting.
Chu Xi thanked the assistant and returned to her car.
Everything seemed fine, yet she couldn't shake a sense of unease.
She waited until quitting time and called Zhan Jingrui.
She felt she had been playing around too much lately, and Zhan Jingrui was busy with work. They had become somewhat estranged, so she wanted to ask him out for dinner to maintain their relationship.
Zhan Jingrui was picking vegetables with He Yao when his phone rang. Chu Xi's name flashed on the screen.
They both looked at it. Zhan Jingrui reached out to lock the screen, but He Yao stopped him.
"I'm going to the restroom. You take it."
He Yao closed the bathroom door, not intending to listen to whatever Zhan Jingrui had to say. But he made no attempt to hide it from her. His voice was normal, making it impossible not to hear.
"What's wrong?"
"Jingrui, where are you? I came to the company to find you. The assistant said you went to a meeting. When will it end?"
She had gone to his company to find him? And the assistant said he was in a meeting?
Considering his behavior over the past two days, Zhan Jingrui felt a pang of guilt.
However, he hadn't yet appeased He Yao, nor had he figured out how to explain things to Chu Xi. He couldn't tell her the truth yet.
"It will end soon, but I have other things to do afterward. Is there something?"
Chu Xi asked considerately, "Do you have a dinner engagement? I was thinking since we haven't spent much time together recently, I wanted to have dinner with you."
"I'm sorry. I have a lot on my plate recently. Let's do it another day. We'll find an opportunity another day, and we can have a good talk."
Perhaps it was the seed of doubt in her heart, but she felt his suggestion of "having a good talk" had a deeper meaning.
Chu Xi still managed a stiff smile and agreed, "Then I won't disturb you anymore. You go ahead and be busy."
After hanging up, Zhan Jingrui went to knock on the bathroom door.
He Yao pretended to flush the toilet, opened the door, and Zhan Jingrui swept her into his arms.
He held her very, very tightly.
"You despise me, even hate me for this, don't you?"
He Yao feigned ignorance, "What are you talking about?"
"I lie, I'm a hypocrite. I've deceived Chu Xi, and I've wronged you too. I hate myself like this."
Hearing him say this, He Yao also felt uncomfortable.
She returned his embrace, gently patting his back to comfort him.
"Why don't you go back and be with her? I'm fine. I can…"
Zhan Jingrui's chest heaved violently, and a surge of anger shot up to his forehead.
He released He Yao and looked at her, his voice filled with anger, "Can you stop talking to me like that?"
He Yao didn't understand why he was so angry. "How did I talk to you?"
"You don't value yourself! You demean yourself! I hate you talking to me like this!"
Zhan Jingrui's expression was grim, and although he was angry with her, he kept his voice controlled.
"It's my incompetence that I can't handle our relationship properly. It has nothing to do with you. If you ever demean yourself in front of me again, I'll slap myself twice!"
He Yao was startled by his furious demeanor.
It wasn't that she feared he would harm her, but that he would harm himself.
"I didn't mean it like that, don't think so much…"
Zhan Jingrui interrupted her, "I don't care what you mean. In my eyes, you subconsciously feel inferior and look down on yourself. I won't allow you to do that!"
"Just because Chu Xi's parents are more capable than yours, and her family is richer than yours, do you think your life is less precious than hers?"
He Yao did, in fact, think that way.
It was as if the young masters and ladies from wealthy families had more precious lives.
Seeing her silence, Zhan Jingrui grew even angrier.
"I warn you, you are not allowed to think like this anymore, nor are you allowed to pass this mindset on, not to our children!"
He Yao sensed a hint of danger and wanted to flee.
"What do you mean? Why are you suddenly bringing up children?"
Zhan Jingrui gripped her tightly, "I suddenly realized, if I don't stabilize our relationship, you'll leave me sooner or later."
"I can't manage two things at once. I need to secure you first."
"He Yao, I truly like you, from then until now. Even though we haven't been in touch for so many years, there hasn't been a moment I've forgotten you."
"Do you know what it feels like to love someone to the extreme? It's that the moment she leaves your sight, you feel lonely."
"Whether you are in a bustling metropolis, surrounded by picturesque scenery, or with countless people around you. If you can't share the joy with her, then those things are meaningless."