Chapter 72: Cry
You Ruxu rarely took the initiative like this, even kissing her in the car. Zhou Tianzui found it unbelievable. She asked, “What’s the special occasion today?”
You Ruxu said, “I saw your mother today.”
Zhou Tianzui responded with a puzzled “mm-hmm.” You Ruxu, remembering Yu Qiao’s request not to mention the cemetery, quickly added, “I ran into her outside and drove her home.”
“Oh?” Zhou Tianzui chuckled, “You’re this happy about driving my mom home?”
She looked at You Ruxu’s lips. “Should you do it more often then?”
You Ruxu pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Going home?”
You Ruxu said, “I have a dinner gathering.”
She had told Zhou Tianzui about it yesterday. Zhou Tianzui, caught up in the moment, had forgotten. She nodded, “Where?”
You Ruxu said, “In the city center, are you going home first?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I’ll drive you there.”
They switched seats. Zhou Tianzui drove, occasionally glancing at You Ruxu, who was looking out the window, lost in thought. Her phone vibrated. She looked down and saw a friend request, a simple and direct introduction: [Zhou Heng].
He must have added her personally since she didn’t agree to meet with his manager.
You Ruxu didn’t accept the request immediately, just turned off the screen and placed her phone aside, tilting her head back slightly. Zhou Tianzui asked, “A colleague?”
“The owner of Fengyuan.” You Ruxu said, “About the V1 news report.”
Zhou Heng, the owner of Fengyuan.
Zhou Tianzui had met him this afternoon, at Yin Lanlan’s ward. Less than thirty years old, young, arrogant, and unpleasant-looking. She had heard the nurses discussing how the previous owner of Fengyuan, Zhou Heng’s father, had suddenly passed away from a heart attack, and his older brother, having been injured in an accident abroad, Zhou Heng naturally took over the company.
It was rumored that his brother’s accident wasn’t entirely unrelated to him.
He wasn’t a good person.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Be careful around him.”
You Ruxu nodded. Her investigation was more thorough and comprehensive. She had initially been focusing on the V1’s brake disc issue, never expecting it to lead to Zhou Heng’s brother’s car accident.
It was more complicated than before.
You Ruxu rubbed her temples and said to Zhou Tianzui, “Are you going straight home after this?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Yes.”
You Ruxu said, “It’s on your way, can you pick up Yao Zhao?”
Zhou Tianzui chuckled, “Sure.”
She said, “I suddenly feel like a mom.”
Always saying the most unexpected things.
You Ruxu paused, looked at Zhou Tianzui, and pursed her lips, “Nonsense.”
The tension in the car dissipated, the atmosphere lightening. They arrived at the hotel. You Ruxu got out of the car. Zhou Tianzui asked what time she would be done. You Ruxu said, “Probably around eight or nine, I’ll take a taxi back if it’s late.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Call me beforehand.”
You Ruxu started to say, “No need, I…”
Zhou Tianzui interrupted her: “It’s your duty as a girlfriend.”
You Ruxu looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled faintly, “I know.”
A playful glint in her eyes. Zhou Tianzui said, “Go on in.”
You Ruxu entered the hotel. Chen Xiang and the others had arrived after work and were playing cards. Chen Xiang was browsing the news when You Ruxu arrived.
“Hey, have you seen the news about Zhou Heng?”
“The gossip?”
“What gossip?”
Chen Xiang, holding her phone, said, “Apparently, Zhou Heng’s brother’s car accident abroad was related to him. His brother even sued him…”
You Ruxu walked in, “Teacher You, have you seen the news?”
She nodded, “I saw a little on the way here.”
The V1 brake disc incident escalating to Zhou Heng’s brother’s car accident was unexpected, but it was already spreading rapidly online. Zhou Heng being a suspect was also being circulated by various marketing accounts, but no official media outlet had reported on it yet. Jindu TV, the first to report on the V1 incident, was silent, while other TV stations were actively trying to contact Zhou Heng’s brother, vying for an exclusive.
Zhou Heng didn’t know how things escalated to this point. Initially, it was just a reporter covering the V1 incident, which he hadn’t cared about. Now, with his family involved, he was annoyed.
You Ruxu hadn’t accepted his friend request, seemingly declining any further discussion.
This irritated him even more.
Just a reporter, what could she possibly do? He gritted his teeth and told his manager to “invite” You Ruxu over, no matter what.
You Ruxu sat in the private room. The dinner hadn’t started yet. Shi Qi was busy, taking one call after another, then she looked at You Ruxu and waved her over. You Ruxu sat beside her for about ten minutes while Shi Qi finished her calls and finally had a sip of water.
“I have to leave early.” Shi Qi said, “You’re in charge.”
You Ruxu frowned, “Leaving early?”
Shi Qi said, “It’s about Fengyuan.”
You Ruxu understood and said, “Okay.”
Shi Qi patted her shoulder. The dinner started soon after. You Ruxu rarely attended such gatherings, so it was a novelty. After Shi Qi left, she was pressured to drink, various drinking games ensued. You Ruxu’s luck wasn’t very good tonight, she kept losing, and ended up drinking quite a bit, red wine, white wine, beer. They were all young and got a little carried away. You Ruxu was slightly tipsy. She watched Chen Xiang nudge the cameraman, “You call that a tolerance for alcohol? Don’t even try to compete with me!”
Chen Xiang looked completely drunk. You Ruxu chuckled, picked up her glass, and took a sip, a burning sensation.
There were also colleagues who didn’t drink, tasked with sending the drunk ones home. With Shi Qi gone, this task fell to You Ruxu. She thoughtfully arranged for the sober female colleagues to take Chen Xiang and the other women home, the men taking care of each other. You Ruxu stood at the entrance and heard a colleague ask, “Teacher You, what about you?”
You Ruxu said, “I’m waiting for someone.”
The person beside her chuckled, “Waiting for your partner, Teacher You?”
Then, remembering You Ruxu’s stance on marriage, and that she didn’t have a partner, gave an awkward laugh. You Ruxu pursed her lips. At this moment, she really wanted to say, yes, she was waiting for her partner.
But she didn’t.
She just smiled.
Cars left one after another. Soon, another car pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, and the person inside smiled and called out, “Teacher You.”
It was Zhou Tianzui’s voice.
You Ruxu was a little drunk, but still relatively clear-headed, just a little unsteady on her feet. She rarely drank this much, even during work dinners, she always knew her limits. Zhou Tianzui watched her get into the car, her hand resting on her chin, “What’s with you today?”
She had been acting strangely since picking her up from work, and even more so at the dinner. She wouldn’t normally drink this much.
You Ruxu said, “Me?” Then, after a pause, “I’m fine.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Happy?”
She had just landed a big news story, so being happy was understandable, but You Ruxu had covered countless big stories before, and she had never been like this.
You Ruxu looked at her, her throat tightening slightly, “Happy.”
She wasn’t happy.
Zhou Tianzui looked at her for a few seconds, unable to get anything more out of her. She took a blanket from the backseat and handed it to You Ruxu, “Take a nap, I’ll wake you when we get home.”
You Ruxu nodded.
She leaned back against the seat. Zhou Tianzui’s right hand rested on the center console. You Ruxu looked at it for a moment, then reached out and took her hand. Zhou Tianzui turned, chuckled softly, and held You Ruxu’s hand tightly in return.
She released You Ruxu’s hand after leaving the hotel, seeing from the corner of her eye that You Ruxu had closed her eyes, resting.
You Ruxu had a dream. She dreamt of when she was very young, newly arrived in Jindu. Her mother was taking her to look for an apartment. The landlord, a middle-aged man, kept touching her mother’s hand while they talked. She had tilted her head, looking at her mother, whose face was grim, muttering, “Shameless…”
Fragments of conversation, and then they left that place.
Later, they rented a place near the hospital. The apartment was bare, just a bed, a dining table, and a black and white TV. She would sit by the door every day, waiting for her mother to come home from work. A child from next door, who went to kindergarten, would ask her, “Why don’t you go to school?”
Why didn’t she go to school? She didn’t know. Her mother said they couldn’t afford it yet, that she would enroll her as soon as she got paid.
She waited and waited, her mother coming home later and later each day, a man always with her. Her mother would cry whenever she saw him. They would often disappear into a room, a room her mother wouldn’t let her enter.
She felt fear and loathing, a daily dread.
Then, one day, her mother was gone.
You Ruxu woke up from the dream and saw Wu Xiulian standing by her bed, holding a glass of warm water, “Ruxu, are you awake?”
She was disoriented, her voice hoarse from the persistent fever. She opened her mouth, trying to speak, finally managing a weak, “Mom.”
“How are you feeling?” Wu Xiulian said, “Have some water, okay?”
You Ruxu said, “Okay.”
The warm water soothed her throat. There was a knock on the door, visitors, friends of Wu Xiulian’s, coming to see her. She lay in bed, listening to their words of comfort, then heard Wu Xiulian say she would see them out.
The visitors were standing at the door. You Ruxu, on her way to the bathroom, saw them and walked over, hearing them mention her name.
“How is she feeling?” Her friend asked. Wu Xiulian said, “She’s alright.”
“This must have cost you a lot again.” The friend handed Wu Xiulian a red envelope. Wu Xiulian tried to refuse, but her friend insisted, “Take it, buy the child something to eat.”
“You’ve been so kind, treating her like your own daughter for so many years. I hope she’ll appreciate it, treat you well in the future.”
Wu Xiulian said, “She’s a good child.”
“Even if she is, she’s not your own, her heart will always be with her own family.” Her friend said, “I really don’t understand you two, adopting a child, and a child like that. I’m not being prejudiced, but like father, like daughter, her father was that kind of person, she’s a ticking time bomb, you never know. Your husband is a proud man, if she does anything to shame him in the future, you’re practically driving him to his death.”
She froze, her hands and feet turning cold.
The words she wanted to say to her mother were caught in her throat. Even swallowing was difficult. Her fever spiked again that night. Wu Xiulian stayed by her side. She remembered Wu Xiulian saying, “You’re our daughter, a child of the You family. Let’s forget about the past. From now on, you are Ruxu.”
She had said, “Ruxu, don’t disappoint Mommy.”
Zhou Tianzui, parking the car, heard You Ruxu call out, “Mom, Mom…”
She touched You Ruxu’s arm, “A Ran?”
“Mom!” You Ruxu woke up with a start, her eyes meeting Zhou Tianzui’s. She was disoriented for a moment. Zhou Tianzui said, “Did you dream about your mother?”
You Ruxu said, “Yes.”
She wanted to say more, but didn’t know how.
She had dreamt about her mothers, both of them. You Ruxu felt a little dazed, leaning back against the seat. She remembered seeing her mother’s body under the white sheet, her face disfigured, the wounds crisscrossing her skin. You Ruxu shuddered, a chill running through her. She remembered the day she mailed the notebook, how it was lost, how her anxiety had turned into a high fever, how she had wanted to tell Wu Xiulian, and how, standing outside her door, she heard that woman say, “You’re practically driving him to his death.”
And Wu Xiulian saying, “Ruxu, don’t disappoint Mommy.”
She gripped the blanket tightly, lowering her head. In the end, she hadn’t disappointed Wu Xiulian. She had buried the truth deep inside, hidden it for so many years. She was shameless and selfish, meticulously maintaining a facade of normalcy. Tears welled up in You Ruxu’s eyes, she couldn’t tell whether it was from the lingering alcohol or the overwhelming guilt. Zhou Tianzui, seeing her motionless, leaned closer, “A Ran?”
You Ruxu looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, the corners red. She pursed her lips and suddenly called out, “Zhou Tianzui.”
Zhou Tianzui was puzzled.
You Ruxu heard Yu Qiao’s words echoing in her ears.
“I would never forgive her, not even in death.”
And Zhou Tianzui saying, “Hate? How could I not hate…”
You Ruxu closed her eyes. Zhou Tianzui asked, “What’s wrong…?”
Arms wrapped around her neck, You Ruxu, like when she had greeted Zhou Tianzui at the car earlier, buried her face in Zhou Tianzui’s embrace, only this time, her embrace was tighter, desperate. Zhou Tianzui’s collar was damp with You Ruxu’s tears as she repeated her apologies over and over, “I’m sorry, Zhou Tianzui, I’m sorry…”
I’m sorry…
I’m sorry…
She seemed capable of only these words, her voice choked with sobs. Zhou Tianzui’s heart ached. She didn’t speak. Even You Ruxu’s crying was subdued, her joy carefully contained, her sorrow also carefully contained. Zhou Tianzui’s nose tingled, she held You Ruxu and said, “A Ran, just cry, don’t hold back.”
You Ruxu’s crying intensified, then paused, catching her breath. Hearing Zhou Tianzui’s words, she cried like a child, her sobs unrestrained.
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