Chapter 33: Deliberately
You Ruxu didn’t reply to Chen Xiang. It was the first time she had been so impolite, her mood consistently low. Although it didn’t show on her face, on the way back, Zhou Tianzui asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” You Ruxu glanced at her phone. “Are you going anywhere else?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Let’s go home.”
She looked at You Ruxu: “Let me borrow your phone.”
You Ruxu handed her the phone. Zhou Tianzui knew the password. She unlocked it and saw the chat with Chen Xiang, and that message. She glanced at You Ruxu, the corners of her lips lifting slightly, and typed: [She has a partner, and she loves her partner very much.]
Chen Xiang choked on her water reading the reply. You Ruxu hadn’t replied for so long that she assumed she didn’t like being asked about her personal life, after all, it was her usual style. She regretted being too forward, never expecting to receive a reply.
Her colleagues in the office looked at her. Chen Xiang said, “See, how could she not have a partner?!”
The others in the office looked dejected, but within minutes, they started discussing what her partner must be like. Chen Xiang replied to You Ruxu: [Thank you, Teacher You, I understand.]
She also added a slightly embarrassed emoji.
Zhou Tianzui put away the phone and saw You Ruxu driving calmly, her gaze fixed on the road. She said, “I want some crispy pastries.”
Without hesitation, You Ruxu said, “We’ll buy some at the entrance.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Teacher You, buy some for me.”
You Ruxu looked at her. Zhou Tianzui was smiling, a slightly different smile from usual, as if she was in a good mood. You Ruxu said, “Okay.”
They arrived at the entrance of the residential complex. You Ruxu got out of the car to buy crispy pastries for Zhou Tianzui. While paying, she opened her phone and saw Zhou Tianzui’s reply to Chen Xiang. She paused, a strange feeling creeping into her heart.
“Will you ever get married?”
“Do you want me to get married? I will if you want me to.”
Saying the most hurtful words, yet severing any glimmer of hope. You Ruxu gripped her phone tightly and heard Zhou Tianzui call, “Pay up, Teacher You.”
You Ruxu snapped back to reality, paid, and handed the pastries to Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui, looking at the pastries being handed to her, chuckled, finding the gesture amusing, like someone being pampered.
You Ruxu, slightly irritated by her laughter, placed the bag in her hands and got into the car. Her thoughts were even more chaotic now. The wind rustled through the branches, scattering fallen leaves on the ground. She felt that the scattered leaves resembled her feelings, messy and disorganized. She couldn’t simply brush them away like fallen leaves. The small details about Zhou Tianzui, initially hidden in the corners of her heart, had, at some point, started to grow, spreading and filling every corner, now disturbing her with the slightest touch, let alone being removed.
Zhou Tianzui stood outside, holding the warm pastries in her hands.
She turned and got into the passenger seat, not speaking to You Ruxu.
Back at the apartment, You Ruxu went to take a shower first. Zhou Tianzui packed her things. Although Yuhai was warmer than Jindu, she still packed a down jacket, just in case. She packed various items, not much, as she had already packed her documents at the hospital, wanting to be prepared.
You Ruxu emerged from the bathroom. She had removed her makeup, her naturally milky skin flushed from the heat, her eyes bright, water droplets clinging to her eyelashes, tiny beads of condensation. You Ruxu dried her hair as she walked out. She was wearing a silk nightgown, like satin draped over her body. Her wrist, extending from the sleeve, was as white as porcelain, slender, adorned with the deep red string bracelet, its color deepened by the water.
Zhou Tianzui didn’t look too closely, grabbing a set of pajamas and going into the bathroom.
You Ruxu stood by the window, opened her phone. Besides the ongoing chatter in the group chat, the conversation with Chen Xiang was still on her thank you message. Above it was Zhou Tianzui’s reply.
The word “partner” pricked her heart.
A bittersweet feeling.
She gripped her phone tightly, looking at the few stars visible outside the window, leaning against the window frame. Zhou Tianzui came out of the bathroom and saw her still standing there, her hair not yet dry. She couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing?”
You Ruxu snapped back to reality, looked at Zhou Tianzui, and said, “Nothing, the night view is quite nice.”
Zhou Tianzui walked over to her and looked down, “It’s pitch black, what’s so nice about it?”
You Ruxu said, “The lights are nice.”
She brushed past Zhou Tianzui’s shoulder and went to the bathroom to dry her hair. The hairdryer whirred, the warm air blowing against her face, reddening her skin.
Zhou Tianzui sat on the toilet seat and pulled You Ruxu over, “Dry mine too.”
You Ruxu lowered the hairdryer. The airflow was too strong, or perhaps because of Zhou Tianzui’s position, the air blew into her collar, puffing up her nightgown, an indecent sight.
You Ruxu stood up, slightly taller than Zhou Tianzui. She stood behind her and dried her hair, the strands blowing onto her own face, the half-dry hair tickling her cheek and neck.
She put down the hairdryer and looked at Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui looked back at her for a few seconds. Suddenly, You Ruxu was lifted off her feet. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Zhou Tianzui as she was carried into the bedroom.
The room was dark, the lights off, yet You Ruxu felt as if there was a light guiding her, and at the end of that light stood Zhou Tianzui.
Tonight, Zhou Tianzui was different.
She spoke very little, which You Ruxu liked. Usually, Zhou Tianzui’s words were like thorns, painful to the touch. Today, she wasn’t like a hedgehog, she was gentle.
Zhou Tianzui, beside her, asked, “What’s wrong?”
You Ruxu didn’t speak.
Zhou Tianzui chuckled, “In a good mood today?”
You Ruxu pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui continued to ask, “Why aren’t you talking?”
You Ruxu finally couldn’t hold back. Unlike the usually prickly Zhou Tianzui, who rarely spoke, now she wouldn’t stop talking. She called out, “Zhou Tianzui…”
“Mm.” A soft sound, laced with a smile. Zhou Tianzui said, “If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. I wasn’t expecting you to say anything nice anyway.”
You Ruxu pursed her lips, hearing Zhou Tianzui ask, “Leaving tomorrow?”
It sounded like a final goodbye, a hint of reluctance spreading in her heart. You Ruxu nodded and said, “Yes, leaving tomorrow.”
Leaving tomorrow, she wouldn’t say anything sweet, she would just hold Zhou Tianzui.
This initiative was so unusual that Zhou Tianzui paused, looking down at You Ruxu, and smiled.
The embrace was returned, slightly, a contrast to her recent reservedness. Zhou Tianzui finally stopped talking, no more prickly questions. Without Zhou Tianzui’s voice, the room fell silent, a strange mix of tranquility and warmth.
You Ruxu held her.
This time, it wasn’t out of atonement, not out of guilt, but because she couldn’t bear to leave, she couldn’t bear to be away for so long, she missed Zhou Tianzui.
Even though they were inseparable right now.
The next day, the alarm rang several times. You Ruxu opened her eyes, a little disoriented, because Zhou Tianzui was still in bed. She took her phone and saw the time, it was already 8:30 am. She hadn’t heard the previous alarms.
This was the first time she had overslept like this. You Ruxu hurriedly woke Zhou Tianzui: “Get up.”
Her voice was indeed a little hoarse than usual, but it didn’t hurt. Zhou Tianzui opened her eyes, looked at You Ruxu, and asked, “What time is it?”
You Ruxu said, “8:30.”
She said, “You’re going to be late for work.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I’m not working today.”
You Ruxu hummed, “You’re taking a day off?”
“Yes.” She opened her eyes, looked at You Ruxu, and said, “Sorry, did I not tell you?”
She really hadn’t.
You Ruxu figured it was probably because she was leaving today, and they must have tired each other out last night, so Zhou Tianzui took a day off. But it was a day off nonetheless. She lay back down, set a new alarm, and said, “Let’s sleep for another two hours then.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Let’s get up at eleven.”
She hugged You Ruxu and said, “I’ve set the alarm.”
You Ruxu felt inexplicably at ease. She leaned against Zhou Tianzui, looked up slightly. Zhou Tianzui was still asleep, her eyes closed, her long, slightly curled eyelashes like small fans, casting shadows. Remembering that Zhou Tianzui’s colleagues complimented her beautiful eyes, a natural beauty, she reached out, wanting to touch those eyelashes, but afraid of waking her, she withdrew her hand and closed her eyes again.
You Ruxu turned off the alarm when it rang at 10:30 am. After washing up, she sat in the living room for a few minutes, then went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Zhou Tianzui, after waking up, heard noises from the kitchen. You Ruxu was stir-frying, her wrists slender and delicate, their movements graceful. Her hair was casually clipped up, she was still in her pajamas, but wearing an apron, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, her milky skin almost translucent in the sunlight. Busy like this, she looked different.
More relaxed.
Zhou Tianzui liked this version of You Ruxu.
She went to the bathroom to wash up. When she came out, she saw two dishes on the table. She said, “I’ll make the soup.”
It was You Ruxu’s favorite scallion and egg drop soup. You Ruxu moved aside to let her in. Zhou Tianzui worked quickly and efficiently, finishing in just a few minutes. She covered the pot and saw You Ruxu serving rice in small porcelain bowls.
You Ruxu said, “There are some other dishes in the refrigerator.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Are there any vegetables?”
“I’ve already cooked the vegetables, there’s still some shredded pork.”
Zhou Tianzui opened the refrigerator and placed the shredded pork in the freezer. You Ruxu was puzzled: “Aren’t you eating it?”
“I won’t be here this week.” Zhou Tianzui said, “I won’t be home.”
You Ruxu looked at her, “Where are you going?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “The hospital arranged for me to attend the medical summit in Yuhai, I’ll be on a business trip for a week.” She looked at You Ruxu, “Sorry, did I forget to tell you again?”
You Ruxu: …
This person was doing this on purpose!
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