Chapter 80: Passing By
You Ruxu woke up the next morning. Snow was still falling. She opened the curtains; the snowman was still there, covered in a layer of fresh snow, now a small mound, its original shape no longer discernible. She paused for a moment, went back to the bedroom, grabbed her phone, took a photo, and posted it on WeChat Moments with the caption: [Snowman].
She rarely shared anything personal. Her Moments posts were almost exclusively work-related, reflecting her reserved personality, her dislike for sharing private matters.
This rare personal post received a comment: [???? Snowman? I see the snow, where’s the man?]
You Ruxu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Chen Xiang also commented: [Teacher You, this snowman is so unique.]
It was.
Very unique.
Zhou Tianzui made it for her.
A soft warmth filled You Ruxu’s eyes. Hearing a noise outside, she walked out. Zhou Tianzui was busy in the kitchen, wearing a light blue pajama top, her sleeves rolled up, revealing her fair and slender wrists. Hearing her, Zhou Tianzui turned around and said, “You’re awake?”
The living room curtains were still drawn. Their pajamas were on the sofa. You Ruxu blushed slightly, quickly gathering them and putting them in the washing machine. Zhou Tianzui, watching her, chuckled, “Aren’t you tired?”
You Ruxu said, “No.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Then we’ll continue tonight!”
She called out to You Ruxu, who was now in the bathroom. You Ruxu, looking at her reflection in the mirror, couldn’t suppress her smile. She ignored Zhou Tianzui, finished washing up, and walked out. Zhou Tianzui was waiting for her to have breakfast.
You Ruxu said, “Do I still need to go to the hospital?”
“Yes.” Zhou Tianzui said, “You haven’t been discharged yet.”
You Ruxu nodded.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Are you publishing Yao Zhao’s story today?”
You Ruxu nodded, “Not a live broadcast.”
Zhou Tianzui understood.
She asked, “Does Yao Zhao know the outcome?”
You Ruxu said, “She should. Want to go see her tonight?”
Yao Zhao had a dinner break before her evening self-study session. You Ruxu wanted to visit her during that time. Zhou Tianzui nodded, “Okay.” You Ruxu added, “Can you leave work early tonight? We’re having dinner at Zeng Jing’s.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I know.”
She had already cleared her schedule.
You Ruxu smiled and started eating. Zhou Tianzui picked up some food and called out, “A Ran.”
You Ruxu looked up at her.
Zhou Tianzui said, “I want to talk to my mom about us.”
You Ruxu’s expression changed slightly. Their relationship with Yu Qiao had only just improved slightly, was this the right time? How would Yu Qiao react? You Ruxu had a few guesses. She gripped her chopsticks tightly.
Zhou Tianzui continued, “Not directly, don’t worry, I’ll find an opportunity, I’ll take it slow.”
You Ruxu opened her mouth, then closed it without speaking.
Zhou Tianzui said, “What do you want to say?”
You Ruxu said, “I want to say, I’m such a coward, I should have told you the truth from the beginning, told your mother, I…”
Zhou Tianzui held her hand: “A Ran.”
You Ruxu continued to look at her, her eyes slightly red.
When she first met Zhou Tianzui, she hadn’t recognized her. She only realized who Zhou Tianzui was after she started liking her, after they became close. Whether she told her or not was torture, but she was cowardly and didn’t choose honesty.
Zhou Tianzui said, “I understand.”
You Ruxu wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t. She said, “You don’t understand.”
She said, “Zhou Tianzui, if it were you, you would have told me long ago.”
Zhou Tianzui’s nature was to be brave and righteous, “But I also haven’t told my mother, I also lied to her. A Ran, everyone has their secrets.”
She was grateful for You Ruxu’s secret.
It gave them a chance to start over.
You Ruxu looked at her for a few seconds. Zhou Tianzui said, “Eat your breakfast, I’ll talk to my mom slowly.”
The topic dropped. You Ruxu lowered her head and ate. Zhou Tianzui suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek. You Ruxu said, “What are you doing?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Playing.”
What was so fun about that?
But You Ruxu smiled nonetheless.
They went to the hospital together after breakfast. You Ruxu was discharged and arranged to pick up Zhou Tianzui after work. Zhou Tianzui was in a good mood, even being unusually gentle with He Wei during her morning rounds, which startled He Wei, who tugged on Zhao Mingqi’s sleeve, “Dr. Zhao, did I do something wrong recently?”
Zhao Mingqi was puzzled, “No, why?”
He Wei had changed considerably since the incident where she took credit for Lin Luo’s work, becoming more reliable and diligent, rarely making mistakes. Even the director commented, “Zhou Tianzui is truly amazing, anyone under her guidance becomes a model employee.”
Indeed.
He Wei, who had initially acted like a spoiled princess, was completely different now.
Dr. Zhou’s influence was undeniable!
Zhou Tianzui looked at her computer and messaged You Ruxu: [Tell me when you arrive at the station.]
You Ruxu, getting out of the car, saw the message and smiled, replying: [I’m here.]
No reply, she was probably busy. You Ruxu returned to the office. Chen Xiang, seeing her, was surprised, “Teacher You, you’re discharged?”
Then, remembering that You Ruxu had said she was fine yesterday, she slapped her forehead, “Why didn’t you rest at home for a couple of days?”
You Ruxu said, “I’m fine, why rest?”
Chen Xiang gave her a thumbs-up, truly admiring her dedication, the type who would work even when sick. But they were all happy to have her back. Shi Qi bought them milk tea, one for each person. Someone asked, “Boss, so Fengyuan’s story went to Xu Jinwan then?”
Shi Qi said, “Not happy about it? Go snatch it back then.”
The speaker pouted, “That’s shameless.”
“Being shameless is normal!” The person beside her said, “When has Team 1 ever had any shame?”
Shi Qi said, “Xiao Xu, how are you feeling?”
You Ruxu said, “I’m fine.”
Shi Qi nodded, “Did you send all the information to Xu Jinwan?”
You Ruxu said, “I organized it last night and sent it to her.”
Hearing this, the office erupted in another round of complaints and indignation on You Ruxu’s behalf. You Ruxu looked down, took a sip of her milk tea. The TV on the wall was on, the morning news music playing, then Xu Jinwan’s smiling face appeared on screen.
You Ruxu sent Yao Zhao’s file to Editor Qiao.
Editor Qiao, before even finishing reading it, sent a series of question marks. You Ruxu realized she hadn’t discussed it with her beforehand. Because she wanted to protect Yao Zhao, she hadn’t told anyone.
You Ruxu called Editor Qiao, who exclaimed on the other end, “Really? Is this real?”
You Ruxu said, “It’s real.”
“Are you sure you want to publish this?” Editor Qiao had thought it was just an ordinary domestic violence case, having heard that the police confirmed Yao Zhao was lying. People tended to have preconceived notions. For example, after confirming Yao Zhao’s lie, it was difficult to trust her again.
Publishing this story would definitely cause another uproar.
You Ruxu said, “I’m sure.”
It would definitely be met with skepticism, because of Yao Zhao’s previous lie, this report would undoubtedly be questioned, but Yao Zhao could use this controversy to involve social services, and the man wouldn’t dare to act rashly. For Yao Zhao, it was a double-edged sword, if she could withstand it, things would get better.
She believed in Yao Zhao.
Editor Qiao said, “Okay, I understand.”
You Ruxu thanked her and hung up, hearing Chen Xiang exclaim, “Wow, this Xu Jinwan is really something!”
Xu Jinwan had reported on Zhou Heng and his brother’s case, shifting everyone’s attention to the bigger story. She even interviewed several car owners at the scene, their words sharp and critical, making one’s scalp tingle.
It was originally just an issue with one of Fengyuan’s models, they could just recall and fix them, but reporting on his brother’s accident, that was a different matter altogether.
Family feuds, corporate power struggles, just imagining the drama was enough to pique people’s curiosity. Although there had been some discussions online about Zhou Heng and his brother before, Jindu TV hadn’t reported on it, no official statement, so other media reports weren’t taken seriously. Many people were just watching the drama unfold. But Jindu TV actually reporting on it today seemed like a confirmation of sorts.
You Ruxu went to the station’s website and saw many comments.
[When are you arresting Zhou Heng? @Jindu Police]
[When is Zhou Heng going to jail?]
[Don’t care about Zhou Heng and his brother, isn’t the V1 false advertising? @International Anti-Counterfeiting Center]
[Exactly, the V1 is fraudulent, they don’t value our lives!]
[Our lives? What about that reporter from Jindu who was hit?]
Even she was mentioned. You Ruxu, engrossed in the comments, heard the office phone ring. She answered. The person on the other end was looking for Xu Jinwan. You Ruxu said, “Please call the morning news team’s hotline.”
She politely hung up, only then realizing that all the phones in the office were ringing.
Everyone was busy answering calls. Chen Xiang, after hanging up, collapsed onto her chair, “The hotline’s exploding again!”
The calls were even reaching the midday news team, the hotline must be overloaded. Xu Jinwan had expected this after her broadcast. While the makeup artist removed her makeup, she said, “Sister Xu, you’re amazing, our team’s hotline is completely swamped.”
All calls from V1 owners wanting to provide evidence, and others trying to get information, wanting a piece of the pie. Xu Jinwan’s phone was on silent, but she still had many missed calls, one message catching her eye: [I have evidence.]
No other information, just those three words.
Evidence?
What evidence? It couldn’t just be proof of owning a V1. Xu Jinwan’s curiosity was piqued. She said to the makeup artist, “You can leave now.”
The makeup artist, knowing her temper, didn’t ask, just nodded and left. Xu Jinwan was alone in the makeup room, sitting in front of the mirror, her phone in hand. After a moment of thought, she dialed the number.
You Ruxu, carrying a cup of water, returned to the office and saw Xu Jinwan in the makeup room from afar. She didn’t pay much attention and just went back to her office.
The office was still chaotic, phones ringing non-stop. You Ruxu took the script from Chen Xiang, who was talking on the phone, her head tilted. You Ruxu, wanting to drink some water, looked at her cup; it was empty. She sighed. You Ruxu said, “I’ll refill it for you.”
She took Chen Xiang’s cup. Chen Xiang, still on the phone, couldn’t speak, but her eyes were filled with gratitude, she even made a heart sign with her fingers.
You Ruxu smiled, lowered her head, and went out to refill the cup.
She ran into Xu Jinwan.
Xu Jinwan was also on the phone. She saw You Ruxu, their eyes met, then she looked away and brushed past You Ruxu.
Zhou Tianzui: Tired?
You Ruxu: Not really.
Zhou Tianzui: You might be tired tonight.
You Ruxu: …
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