Chapter 55: Miss Me
Yu Qiao didn’t take the bun Zhou Tianzui offered. She stared at Zhou Tianzui, speechless, her casual demeanor only fueling Yu Qiao’s anger. Finally, she turned to You Ruxu and said, “Is she crazy?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Mom, how can you say that? I’m just thinking about your happiness in the future.”
Yu Qiao said, “I don’t need you to worry about me.”
Zhou Tianzui sighed, “If I don’t worry about you, who will? I’m your daughter, isn’t it my duty to share your burdens? Mom, are you embarrassed to go on blind dates? It’s okay, I have experience, I’ll help you.”
Help her?
Yu Qiao almost choked. You Ruxu also gripped the bun tightly, pursing her lips to suppress her amusement. She had been stunned by Zhou Tianzui’s move and was only now recovering.
Zhou Tianzui ate her bun and drank her porridge, her movements slow and unhurried.
Yu Qiao kept muttering about Zhou Tianzui being crazy. She wanted to hit her, but couldn’t reach her. She couldn’t scold her either, as it did sound like Zhou Tianzui was doing it for her own good.
You Ruxu lowered her head, trying not to laugh.
After Zhou Tianzui finished eating, she took the containers outside to wash them. Yu Qiao, having finally recovered from her shock, asked, “Was Xiao Tian traumatized by something?”
She looked at You Ruxu, “Did something happen during her trip to Yuhai?”
You Ruxu shook her head seriously: “No, Auntie, nothing happened to her.”
Yu Qiao was speechless.
Nothing happened, yet she suddenly wanted to arrange blind dates for her? What was this about? Was she unhappy with the blind dates she arranged? But Xiao Tian wasn’t like her, she was already married, whether she remarried or not didn’t matter, how could they be compared?
But Yu Qiao didn’t say anything more, afraid Zhou Tianzui might say something even more outrageous and embarrass her in front of You Ruxu.
You Ruxu sat with them for a while, then left after lunch. Zhou Tianzui said, “I’ll go with you, I need to pick up some things from home.”
Yu Qiao didn’t suspect anything, “Drive safe.”
Zhou Tianzui agreed and told Yu Qiao to rest well.
Yu Qiao lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She called Zhou Tianzui’s aunt, who chuckled on the other end, “Yu Qiao, Xiao Tian’s idea isn’t wrong, your husband has been gone for so many years, it’s good for you to find a companion.”
“And let me tell you, Xiao Tian is very open-minded, many elderly people want to find a partner after their spouse passes away, but they’re held back by their children. Your Xiao Tian is very understanding.”
Yu Qiao hung up abruptly.
It was worse than not calling at all.
Now the blind date pressure shifted from Zhou Tianzui to her, how absurd!
Zhou Tianzui drove, the red string bracelet on her slender wrist clearly visible. You Ruxu was busy with her phone, constantly receiving messages. Zhou Tianzui asked, “Who is it?”
“Zeng Jing.” You Ruxu said, “Her husband woke up.”
Zhang Xiaojie had regained consciousness. Although he was still in the hospital, he could now slowly recover, which was good news. Zeng Jing wanted to treat You Ruxu to dinner to express her gratitude, but You Ruxu declined. Zeng Jing sent her a photo of the baby, thanking her, saying that without You Ruxu, she and her child might not be here anymore.
You Ruxu replied: [Don’t mention it.]
Zeng Jing: [How can I not? Reporter You, you have no idea how much you’ve done for our family.]
When all the rumors and accusations came crashing down, You Ruxu had been like a small umbrella, shielding her from the storm, giving her and her baby a space to breathe.
Zeng Jing: [Would you like to come for dinner when the baby turns one month old?]
You Ruxu looked at Zhou Tianzui, asking silently.
Zhou Tianzui said, “She didn’t invite me.”
You Ruxu said, “You can come with me.”
Her tone was matter-of-fact. You Ruxu pursed her lips after speaking. Zhou Tianzui chuckled softly beside her, the sound making You Ruxu blush slightly. Zhou Tianzui said, “Okay.”
You Ruxu looked down, not saying anything more.
She replied to Zeng Jing, then suddenly remembered You Shu’s question.
Did you become a reporter because you wanted to, or because of someone else?
You Ruxu was lost in thought, her grip on her phone tightening, when she heard Zhou Tianzui say, “We’re here.”
She snapped back to reality and got out of the car.
Zhou Tianzui said, “I’ll be right back, I’m just picking up some things.”
“Picking up things?” You Ruxu asked, “Isn’t Auntie being discharged today?”
Zhou Tianzui nodded: “Yes, I’m going to stay at her place for a while.”
You Ruxu understood, Yu Qiao’s leg wasn’t fully recovered yet, and Zhou Tianzui was naturally worried. She asked, “Do you need help packing?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I haven’t unpacked my suitcase yet, I’ll just take it with me.”
You Ruxu didn’t reply.
Zhou Tianzui followed her inside. The heater was on, the air a little dry. You Ruxu took off her jacket and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Zhou Tianzui followed her, took the glass she had just used, and said, “Are you unhappy?”
You Ruxu choked slightly: “No.”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her: “Why not?”
You Ruxu let out a puzzled “huh”: “What?”
“Why aren’t you unhappy?” Zhou Tianzui put down the glass and looked at her, her gaze deep and searching. You Ruxu met her gaze and said, “Aren’t you taking care of Auntie?”
“Then you should be unhappy.” Zhou Tianzui reached out and hugged her, whispering in her ear, “Say you’re unhappy.”
You Ruxu was speechless.
She pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui pinched her waist, “Say it.”
“No.” You Ruxu’s waist tingled slightly. She had taken off her jacket and was only wearing a light pink, soft, and loose V-neck sweater. Zhou Tianzui’s hand slipped inside the sweater.
You Ruxu shivered.
Zhou Tianzui asked, “Cold?”
You Ruxu nodded, “Your hand is cold.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “It’ll be warm soon.”
She didn’t let go of You Ruxu, her hand still against her skin. After a while, she asked, “Is it warm now?”
You Ruxu didn’t answer.
Zhou Tianzui’s fingers traced the lines of her waist, slowly moving upwards. You Ruxu grabbed her hand, her eyes clear, silently telling her not to move. Zhou Tianzui looked at her, her gaze intense and almost predatory. Her eyes darkened, her finger moving slightly higher.
You Ruxu couldn’t help but call out, “Zhou Tianzui.”
She pulled Zhou Tianzui’s hand away, turned, and walked into the living room with her glass, leaving Zhou Tianzui alone in the kitchen.
Zhou Tianzui followed her, “A Ran…”
You Ruxu lowered her head and said, “Don’t.”
They had been intimate several times yesterday. It had been a while, so they had gotten a little carried away. The skin above her chest was still slightly sore, from Zhou Tianzui’s bites. She had also bitten Zhou Tianzui.
In several places.
How could Zhou Tianzui act as if nothing had happened? Did she have such quick recovery powers?
You Ruxu felt slightly frustrated.
She sat on the sofa, holding her glass, and turned on the TV. Zhou Tianzui sat beside her, not watching the TV, not speaking to her, just resting her chin on her hand, looking at You Ruxu.
You Ruxu, unable to bear her gaze any longer, turned Zhou Tianzui’s face towards the TV and said, “Watch the news.”
Zhou Tianzui started to say, “No point—”
Before she could finish “not watching”—
You Ruxu leaned over and kissed her.
Zhou Tianzui watched the news, a smile playing on her lips.
After watching the news with You Ruxu for half an hour, she noticed You Ruxu constantly checking her phone, presumably preparing for work. You Ruxu was indeed preparing. After watching the news, she asked Chen Xiang which news stories she had been covering recently.
Chen Xiang replied: [There are a few interesting ones recently, one about forced demolitions, one about a medical malpractice case at the city hospital…] She listed a few, then added: [There’s also one the boss said we don’t have to cover, I think it’s quite sad.]
You Ruxu asked: [What is it?]
Chen Xiang: [A domestic violence case, I went to see the little girl a couple of days ago, she’s quite pitiful, I don’t know what will happen to her.]
You Ruxu’s pupils constricted, seeing the word “case.” Her hand froze on the screen. After a moment of thought, she typed: [Send me the information.]
Chen Xiang: [Which one?]
Chen Xiang: [Oh, the domestic violence one?]
You Ruxu: [Yes.]
Chen Xiang sent a link and two documents. You Ruxu carefully read them. The case had surfaced a couple of days ago, when a neighbor called the police, saying she heard a woman crying and screaming next door, and was worried. The police, upon investigating, found the young girl covered in bruises, fifteen or sixteen years old, looking timid and afraid to speak. Finally, they found out the man was her stepfather. The girl’s mother had been living with him for two years, then left, leaving the girl behind with her stepfather, who had a bad temper and often beat her.
Photos were attached, showing bloody and shocking injuries. You Ruxu’s heart clenched as she continued reading. The stepfather, interviewed later, claimed he had never abused the girl, saying she had mental problems, that he had provided for her for two years, asking for nothing in return, and now she was accusing him of domestic violence. He insisted he was being wrongly accused.
The conflicting interviews sparked heated online discussions.
You Ruxu was silent after reading the information, a wave of unease washing over her. Zhou Tianzui, seeing her staring at her phone, moved closer and asked, “What are you looking at?”
“News.” You Ruxu turned off her phone, looked at Zhou Tianzui, and calmed her racing heart. Zhou Tianzui’s gaze was calm and peaceful, her presence soothing. You Ruxu felt at ease. She saw Zhou Tianzui glance at the time and asked, “When are you leaving?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Around four.”
Two hours left.
She looked at You Ruxu: “Want to take a nap?”
Her intentions were clear. You Ruxu chuckled, “No.”
Zhou Tianzui sighed softly, “I probably won’t be back this week.”
You Ruxu looked at her.
Zhou Tianzui continued, “Which means you probably won’t see me for a whole week—”
You Ruxu cupped Zhou Tianzui’s face in her hands and kissed her, gently biting her lip.
Zhou Tianzui said, “A week is seven days—”
You Ruxu kissed her again, this time being held by Zhou Tianzui, their lips locked until You Ruxu’s eyes teared up, her cheeks flushed, her breathing ragged.
Zhou Tianzui released her.
And said, “Seven days is one hundred and sixty-eight hours—”
You Ruxu gave her a playful glare. Zhou Tianzui loved this look, a hint of fierceness, like a cat’s paw scratching her heart, a pleasant tingling sensation. She lowered her eyes, her gaze resting on You Ruxu’s face, and called out in a teasing tone, “Teacher You.”
So improper.
But that playful tone made You Ruxu’s ears burn. She looked up at Zhou Tianzui, hearing her ask with a smile, “Will you miss me?”
You Ruxu: Who would miss Zhou Tianzui…
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