Chapter 6: Not Coming Home
“Don’t be nervous.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Rest assured, I won’t breathe a word about us to anyone outside.”
After saying that, she smiled at You Ruxu: “I’m very obedient. Whatever A Ran says, I’ll do.”
You Ruxu gripped the edge of her bag tightly.
It was her who had stipulated that their relationship couldn’t be revealed to the outside world, not even half a word. Due to her profession, she couldn’t publicly acknowledge such a “relationship.” This was the only condition she had put forward when she got together with Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui didn’t mind, holding her at the time and saying, “Don’t worry, whatever A Ran says goes.”
She knew about Zhou Tianzui’s bad temper, but she also knew how much Zhou Tianzui valued promises. If she promised something, she would definitely do it. So, they had been together for three years, sharing a bed, and even her mother didn’t know about their relationship.
You Ruxu said, “I—”
“Or can you say it now?”
Zhou Tianzui tested the waters slightly. You Ruxu lowered her head, not replying, using her silence as a response. Zhou Tianzui lifted her eyelids, looking at the traffic outside, and said, “The sunset is nice.”
The sunset outside was a vibrant red, spreading across the sky. You Ruxu sat in the passenger seat, looked up, her side profile tense. Zhou Tianzui said again, “I saw the report today, the response is good, congratulations.”
Skipping the previous topic, You Ruxu said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t be so polite.” Zhou Tianzui reached out and took You Ruxu’s hand, holding it in hers, giving it a squeeze. Looking down at the fair and smooth back of her hand, she said, “If you’re so polite, how am I supposed to introduce you later?”
Her tone was cool. You Ruxu stiffened, finally pursing her lips and pulling her hand back, opening the car door. The traffic was still jammed. They were stopped at the curb, so getting out of the car wouldn’t affect the cars in front or behind. You Ruxu said, “I’m going home.”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her: “Not coming with me?”
You Ruxu said, “I’m not going.”
Zhou Tianzui’s expression remained unchanged as she watched You Ruxu close the car door. The traffic ahead started moving, and she stepped on the gas pedal, leaving You Ruxu behind. Zhou Tianzui looked at You Ruxu standing by the road through the rearview mirror, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, the veins on the back of her hands prominent. She put away the relaxed expression from their earlier conversation, closed her eyes, her face slightly darkening.
You Ruxu walked a few steps along the road to the bus stop. She looked ahead, and Zhou Tianzui’s car had already disappeared into the traffic, the taillights a red line. She couldn’t even find Zhou Tianzui’s car for a moment.
Several people were standing at the bus stop, whispering about the traffic jam, their words laced with annoyance. You Ruxu looked at her watch, sitting quietly at the bus stop.
The traffic moved.
Cars drove past.
New cars arrived.
She didn’t move, like a stone statue. Even those who wanted to strike up a conversation with her, seeing her like this, didn’t dare to approach. You Ruxu sat silently for an unknown amount of time. A cold wind blew, accompanied by a familiar voice.
“Teacher You!”
She looked up. It was Chen Xiang.
Chen Xiang stopped the car beside her and said, “Teacher You, are you waiting for the bus?”
You Ruxu said, “Mm.” After a few seconds, she said, “Not waiting for the bus.”
Chen Xiang laughed: “Then what are you doing? Looking for inspiration?”
Although it wasn’t winter yet, the weather was strangely cold. Jindu’s weather was always extreme, either scorching summer or freezing winter. You could wear a cotton-padded jacket in the morning, short sleeves at noon, and a down jacket in the evening. Others would say, “You guys are lucky, you experience all four seasons in one day!”
Chen Xiang wanted to roll her eyes.
You Ruxu said, “Not really.”
Chen Xiang said, “Then, how about I give you a ride home?” She said, “We’re going in the same direction.”
You Ruxu nodded: “Thank you.”
Chen Xiang laughed: “No problem at all!” She said, “If the station knew I could give you a ride, they’d be so envious. But Teacher You, you’re really amazing. This collaboration with CCTV, the station leaders are overjoyed. You left the meeting early, and after you left, the big boss came down…”
She was very talkative, chattering non-stop, and had a good temper.
Completely different from Zhou Tianzui.
But at this moment, she shamefully wondered, what was Zhou Tianzui doing? Was she introducing herself on the blind date, or was it over?
You Ruxu looked down at her phone. Full signal, but no messages.
Chen Xiang looked at the road ahead. The traffic jam had cleared, and the car smoothly entered the lane. She said, “Teacher You, do you want to celebrate?”
You Ruxu turned her head: “Celebrate?”
Chen Xiang made a drinking gesture: “Have a drink?”
You Ruxu thought for a moment and said, “Okay.”
Her agreement was so readily given that Chen Xiang was a little surprised. But with such big news, she was probably happy. For convenience, Chen Xiang found a quiet bar near You Ruxu’s apartment. The bar had few people, a good atmosphere, and wasn’t too noisy. Even though it was dimly lit inside, You Ruxu still attracted some attention when she entered.
She sat by the window. From her seat, she could see the entrance of her residential complex. As long as there were cars coming and going, she could see their license plates.
Chen Xiang sat opposite her: “Teacher You, what would you like to drink?”
You Ruxu said, “Anything is fine.”
Chen Xiang had worked with You Ruxu for a while and knew she could hold her liquor, so she suggested, “Then let’s try the new drink?”
You Ruxu nodded: “Okay.”
The new drink was called Wild Rose, a vibrant red. Ice cubes were placed in a transparent glass, along with the liquor. It had a faint fragrance. As soon as You Ruxu sat down, someone came to chat her up. She wasn’t impatient but simply smiled and said, “Sorry, I’m not interested.”
She pushed the offered drink back.
There were many people coming and going, quickly submerging their corner. Chen Xiang laughed: “Teacher You is still so popular.”
You Ruxu smiled at her, taking a sip of Wild Rose. It had the fragrance of roses, which inexplicably reminded her of Zhou Tianzui, also like a wild rose, covered in thorns. One touch, and you would be pricked, your heart bleeding.
She took two more sips. Chen Xiang’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and hung up irritably. The phone continued to ring, as if it wouldn’t stop until she answered. Chen Xiang gritted her teeth and threw the phone back into her bag. You Ruxu looked at her: “What’s wrong?”
“It’s my boyfriend.” Chen Xiang said, “The guy I told you about before.”
You Ruxu had met him, a recent university graduate, very young. Chen Xiang hadn’t originally wanted to be in a relationship, but after he pursued her for three months, she was moved and decided to give it a try. Not long ago, when they went to the countryside, the university student had even taken a bus to go see her. They seemed to have a good relationship.
You Ruxu asked, “Did you have a fight?”
“No.” Chen Xiang swirled her drink, the joy gone from her face, her eyes red. “He cheated on me.”
You Ruxu was stunned.
Chen Xiang said, “I knew men weren’t reliable, but I didn’t want to believe it.”
You Ruxu asked, “Didn’t you just recently…”
“Just recently, he went to the countryside to see me.” Chen Xiang wiped the corners of her eyes, her voice choked. It seemed she was drinking tonight because she was troubled. “On the way back, he and a girl he met on the bus hit it off. When I got back, they were both sleeping in my apartment.”
She blinked and laughed: “So shameless!”
You Ruxu remained silent.
Chen Xiang said, “Teacher You is so much better. Teacher You, have you ever thought about being in a relationship?”
You Ruxu’s expression changed slightly at her question. She took a sip of her drink. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it, it was that she didn’t dare to. She could lose everything in this life, but she couldn’t lose her qualification as a reporter.
Seeing her silence, Chen Xiang took a sip of her drink: “Actually, it’s quite nice not being in a relationship. It’s just that everyone at the station is anxious like monkeys.”
Seeing that You Ruxu was single and not in a relationship, everyone tried to get close to her. Not just the midday news team, but even their rivals, the evening news team, had quite a few people interested in her, wanting to ask her out whenever they had a chance.
You Ruxu always declined politely, so now there were rumors that she was against marriage.
Chen Xiang had also heard these rumors, but she had never asked You Ruxu, because You Ruxu rarely talked about her private life. Everyone’s understanding of her was only superficial.
A strong family background, her father worked in the court, her mother was a professor. She had been a princess since childhood, pampered and privileged. Many people didn’t understand why she came to Jindu TV Station to be a reporter. With her father’s connections, she obviously had better choices. Even if she wanted to be a reporter, she didn’t have to come to a third-tier city like this.
But not only did she come, she had stayed for several years. Chen Xiang asked the question she hadn’t dared to ask before: “Teacher You, why did you come to Jindu?”
You Ruxu looked at her. She wouldn’t have answered such a question before. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps her unstable emotions, but she said, “I lived here for a while before.”
Chen Xiang nodded: “Did you study here?”
“No.” You Ruxu smiled. “When I was very young.”
She looked at her glass. Half of the drink was gone, revealing the ice cubes, their sharp edges. She touched an ice cube with her finger, and it sank slightly, then floated back up. You Ruxu said, “I quite like it here.”
“That’s true.” Chen Xiang was a native of this place. She said, “Although it’s a third-tier city, the transportation is actually very convenient, not inferior to first-tier cities. And we have a good ecological environment, housing prices aren’t high, it’s very suitable for living.”
You Ruxu agreed: “Mm.”
Seeing that she was very approachable today, Chen Xiang boldly asked, “Then Teacher You, will you settle down here in the future?”
You Ruxu said, “I haven’t thought about it.”
Whether she hadn’t thought about settling down, or hadn’t thought about living here in the future, she didn’t clarify, and Chen Xiang didn’t ask further, because her phone rang again. Annoyed, Chen Xiang answered the phone and yelled, “Are you done yet?!”
Just as her voice fell, You Ruxu’s phone lit up, displaying a message from Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui: [Not coming home tonight.]
You Ruxu’s mind buzzed. She gripped her glass tightly, hearing Chen Xiang still roaring, “Enough! Get out of my apartment tonight! Get out! If you call me again, I’ll call the police and report you for harassment!”
The sound faded in and out, as if it was right next to her ear, then far away. Her fingertips pressed against the rim of the glass, leaving marks. Chen Xiang slammed her phone on the table.
She panted, took a large gulp of her drink, and said, “I’ve never seen anyone so shameless, actually staying at my place.” Her eyes reddened. “I shouldn’t have believed his lies! I shouldn’t have given him my house key!”
You Ruxu looked up at Chen Xiang with a numb expression.
As if she was looking at herself.
Yes, she wasn’t a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl anymore. Why would she still pour her heart and soul out because of someone’s sweet words?
Zhou Tianzui: Not coming home today.
You Ruxu: Don’t come back ever again.
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