Searching her pockets, she found a five-yuan bill. She entered a nearby small shop with a public phone and, after hesitating, dialed Luo Xuan’s number. She could have called Lin Lan, but for some reason, she didn’t want to ask for her help.
Twenty minutes later, Luo Xuan arrived, seeing Chu’e shivering in the cold, her clothes disheveled. He rushed to her: “Chu Chu, what happened? Are you okay?” Earlier, she had only given him an address on the phone without explaining anything. He knew she would never ask for help unless it was urgent.
Smelling the alcohol on her, he asked in surprise, “Chu Chu, have you been drinking?
He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her, his eyes full of concern.
A warm feeling swept through her, and Chu’e’s nose tingled. The grievances, frustration, and anxiety of the past days, along with the humiliation and fear she just experienced, all welled up. She took a deep breath and smiled at Luo Xuan, “Can I borrow your ID? And could you lend me some money?”
Luo Xuan was taken aback, carefully asking, “Chu Chu, what exactly happened?”
Chu’e forced a weak smile, “Nothing. I lost my bag. My money and keys were in it, so I can’t go home. I just want to find a hotel to stay in for the night…”
Luo Xuan let out a sigh of relief, “Oh, I thought something had happened! Okay, I’ll help you find a hotel to stay in first, and tomorrow I’ll accompany you to find a locksmith to open the door. It’s too late today, and you look very tired and need a good rest!”
“Luo Xuan, thank you!” Chu E said sincerely.
Luo Xuan looked at her deeply, “Chu Chu, I’ve said before, no matter when, as long as you say one word…”
“Luo Xuan!” She interrupted him, “Let’s go!” She then dove into the car and said nothing more. Luo Xuan sighed silently and started the car.
Half an hour later, Luo Xuan found a clean hotel near Chu E’s home and checked her in. After opening the room door with the key card, Chu E stood in the doorway and gave him a slight smile: “Luo Xuan, thank you, good night!”
It was an obvious dismissal, and he could only stop.
“Get a good night’s sleep, I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning!”
Chu E smiled and closed the door. She turned around and threw herself onto the comfortable bed, exhausted from the previous day, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
When she woke, it was already seven in the morning. The thick curtains blocked the brightening sky outside. Chu E quickly got up, washed up, tidied herself, and checked out before Luo Xuan could come pick her up. She took a taxi directly to the local police station.
After reporting the incident from last night and giving a statement, the police promised to inform her as soon as they had news about her bag. Only then did Chu E feel relieved and went home with the police station’s locksmith, as she didn’t trust regular locksmith companies.
When she reached the downstairs area, she suddenly saw Gu Yanzhi’s car parked below, and the window of her 4th-floor apartment was lit. Was he back from Shanghai? She hurried up the stairs, taking three steps at a time, and rang the doorbell to her own home. She had given Gu Yanzhi a spare key before he went to Shanghai.
As expected, it was Gu Yanzhi who opened the door, smiling slightly when he saw her: “Where did you run off to so early in the morning?”
“
Chu E dismissed the locksmith and threw herself into his arms, greedily breathing in his familiar scent.
Gu Yanzhhi affectionately stroked her long hair, “Forgot your key, right?”
“Mm,” Chu E mumbled into his embrace: “How long have you been here?” From his tone, it seemed he didn’t know she hadn’t come home all night.
Indeed, Gu Yanzhhi said, “I came back at 11 last night, but your phone was off. Because I missed you, I came over early this morning…”
“I lost my phone!” Chu E held him contentedly, as if his presence made everything secure.
“Darling, I’m cooking porridge in the kitchen,” he laughed, separating her hands, “If you don’t let go, the porridge will boil over…”
“Really!” Chu E was overjoyed, and she darted to the kitchen like a little sparrow. Sure enough, the clay pot on the gas stove was bubbling and steaming, filling the kitchen with a fragrant aroma. She stared in surprise, “Mr. Gu, you can actually cook porridge?”
Gu Yanzhhi was both amused and exasperated, “When did you become as mischievous as Lei Lei?”
“Can’t help it, birds of a feather flock together!” Chu E laughed, lifting the lid and taking a deep sniff, “Smells so good! What porridge are you making?”
“Red bean, lotus seed, and barley porridge,” Gu Yanzhhi turned down the heat…
He’s her big-hearted and unreserved expression of feelings towards Song Yunhua, and his inexplicable bias angered her. Recalling Song Lian’s humiliating words, she felt increasingly uncomfortable, and in her emotional urgency, blurted out: “I knew it all along, from beginning to end, I was just being delusional. In terms of appearance, talent, and social status, I’m nowhere near Song Yunhua. What right do I have to ask you to give up a gold ingot for a piece of worthless copper? I’m stupid, I’m cheap, I’m throwing myself at you…”
“Xiao E!” Gu Yunzhi shouted, both shocked and angry, “What are you talking about?”
“Isn’t it true?” Chu E shouted back, “You protect her everywhere, favor her everywhere. Have you ever considered my feelings? How can you bear to let me suffer such humiliation…”
Before she could finish, Gu Yunzhi blocked her mouth with his lips. This sudden kiss made her eyes widen. She tried to struggle, but he embraced her and kissed her deeply, her voice disappearing into the kiss.
After a long time, he finally let her go. “I love you!” he said.
She collapsed in his arms, her face turning red from lack of oxygen. After finally breathing fresh air and hearing Gu Yunzhi’s passionate declaration of love, she was stunned.
Her tears slowly flowed down, “Yunzhi, do you know? When I heard that story, my heart was in such pain!”
There were two voices battling inside me. One said: I don’t want to see that man again! If his eight-year relationship with his wife turns into familial love, would it become the same for us? The other voice said: Don’t overthink it, as long as he loves you, as long as he can give you warmth! Love itself is not wrong, love is love, no need to dwell on it too much! She raised her tear-stained face, “Yunzhi, I ultimately listened to the second voice because I love you, I want to be with you, even if the path ahead is completely dark…”
Gu Yunzhi was deeply shocked. He never imagined that Chu E’s heart was so conflicted, that her love for him ran so deep!
“Xiao E! I know, actually, you harbor resentment in your heart. You resent me for not letting go of Yunhua, and for involving you!” He took a deep breath.
But my parents were traditionally minded, forcefully instilling the concept of establishing a family before a career, insisting I marry first. Later, when Yunhua’s mother was dying, she held my hand and made me promise to take care of Yunhua. I had no choice but to agree to the marriage. At the time, I wasn’t opposed to Yunhua. She was beautiful, intelligent, refined, but as time passed, I realized we could never be together! We’re not compatible, both too strong-willed, with different concepts and lifestyles. I just wanted a virtuous wife and mother, but she wanted to be a career woman and didn’t want to have children! I had considered divorce, but when I slightly hinted this to my parents, they strongly opposed it. They said if the Gu family didn’t want Yunhua, we would be disrespecting her mother in the afterlife! Moreover, Yunhua hadn’t done anything wrong!
