Chapter 8: Explosion
When You Ruxu woke up the next day, her whole body ached, her throat the most. She sat up with difficulty and saw Zhou Tianzui still lying beside her. Zhou Tianzui was a light sleeper; usually, she would wake up at the slightest movement. Today, even though You Ruxu had sat up, Zhou Tianzui didn’t wake. You Ruxu looked down at her. Zhou Tianzui was only quiet when she was asleep. Usually, every word she uttered was a thorn. Thinking of their conversation last night, You Ruxu lowered her eyes. The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out the light. She got out of bed, put on a nightgown, stood quietly by the window for several minutes, and finally went into the bathroom.
The moment the door closed, Zhou Tianzui woke up. Her hand subconsciously reached out to the side, but it was empty and cold. She opened her eyes, turned to look at the living room, and heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Zhou Tianzui got out of bed, went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and saw the honey jar next to it.
When You Ruxu came out of the bathroom, she saw Zhou Tianzui in the kitchen. She walked over and said, “You’re awake.”
Her voice was a little hoarse, not from last night’s activities, but from the hangover. Zhou Tianzui pushed the glass on the table towards her and said, “Drink it.”
Her tone was indifferent.
You Ruxu turned to look at her. Zhou Tianzui was wearing pajamas, her hair slightly messy, her head lowered as she busied herself. Her expression was unreadable. You Ruxu picked up the glass. It was warm water, and she took a sip. Sweet, with honey.
It was excellent for both hangovers and soothing a sore throat. She knew this because Zhou Tianzui had told her. Zhou Tianzui didn’t drink alcohol. Due to her profession, she never touched cigarettes or alcohol. Later, there was a period when You Ruxu had to frequent bars and drink for a news story, and the next day, Zhou Tianzui would prepare these for her.
Zhou Tianzui also wouldn’t let her take hangover pills.
“If there are other ways, don’t take medicine.” Back then, Zhou Tianzui’s attitude was also cold, just like now. You Ruxu realized that her bad temper hadn’t changed over the years.
But what she did and what she said were two different things.
You Ruxu lowered her head, touched the rim of the glass, and softly called, “Zhou Tianzui.”
Zhou Tianzui’s busy hands paused, and she glanced sideways.
Looking at her thin lips, You Ruxu suddenly had a ridiculous thought: it would be nice if she couldn’t speak. Perhaps this thought was too ridiculous, and You Ruxu couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes curving into crescents. She must have been really drunk last night, for the alcohol to still affect her today.
Zhou Tianzui quietly watched her laugh.
You Ruxu looked beautiful when she smiled. She had naturally smiling eyes, but usually, she was too serious and formal, so those smiling eyes also carried a cool chill. But when she smiled, it was different, like a beautiful painting with a bold stroke of color added, just the right amount of brightness and vibrancy, three times more beautiful than anyone Zhou Tianzui had ever seen.
And even more captivating.
The name “Zhou Tianzui,” spoken like that, tugged at her heartstrings, swaying along with her heartbeat.
She closed her eyes, lowered her gaze to look at You Ruxu. You Ruxu was still holding the glass, and she took another sip, saying, “It’s nothing.”
She added, “I had a dream last night.”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her: “What dream?”
You Ruxu said, “I dreamt that you couldn’t speak.”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her and said, “That’s a pity.” Then she lowered her eyes and said faintly, “Dreams are the opposite of reality.”
You Ruxu held the glass and didn’t speak anymore.
Zhou Tianzui brushed past her to go to the bathroom to wash up. The milk was still in the pot in the kitchen. When she finished washing up, she saw You Ruxu place two glasses of milk on the table, along with toasted bread, fried eggs, and a grilled sausage, a simple sandwich that Zhou Tianzui had taught You Ruxu how to make.
Actually, You Ruxu hadn’t told Zhou Tianzui that she already knew how to make it, from a very young age.
They ate breakfast slowly. Sometimes, when they weren’t too busy, they would go downstairs for a walk before work. You Ruxu had also thought about getting a dog because Zhou Tianzui liked them very much. There used to be a stray dog at the intersection near their apartment, and she had seen Zhou Tianzui feeding it several times. Later, the stray dog was taken away by someone else, and Zhou Tianzui stood there for a long time. She asked Zhou Tianzui, “Should we get one too?”
Zhou Tianzui turned to look at her and said, “I had one when I was young.”
You Ruxu asked, “And then?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “It was my birthday present from my father. It was only two months old when it came to our house. I often secretly fed it milk. My dad said there was no need, that it needed to eat more food to grow up. Later, when it grew up, I was afraid it would leave me, so I looked up how long a dog could live. I found out they could live for ten to twenty years, and I was relieved.”
You Ruxu listened quietly.
Zhou Tianzui looked at the empty space and continued, “Later, it still died.”
She didn’t say how it died.
You Ruxu wanted to hold Zhou Tianzui’s hand, her fingers curling and then unfurling, but she never found the courage to reach out. After that, they never talked about getting a dog again.
Zhou Tianzui sat opposite You Ruxu. Just as she sat down, You Ruxu’s phone rang. She answered, it was Chen Xiang.
“Teacher You, you’re awake?” Chen Xiang’s voice was full of guilt: “I’m so sorry about yesterday, I shouldn’t have let you drink so much.”
You Ruxu said, “It’s okay.”
After drinking some honey water, her dry and sore throat eased, and her voice regained some of its former clarity. Chen Xiang asked, “Then should I pick you up this morning?”
You Ruxu said, “No, I’ll drive.”
Chen Xiang gave a small “oh” and apologized again before hanging up.
Zhou Tianzui said, “She’s quite concerned about you.”
You Ruxu looked up at her and said, “She has a boyfriend.”
“So what if she has a boyfriend?” Zhou Tianzui smiled. “Just because someone has a boyfriend doesn’t mean they can’t cheat.”
You Ruxu asked, “What about you?”
“Me?” Zhou Tianzui looked at her, her gaze intense. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
You Ruxu gripped her glass tightly and didn’t speak. Zhou Tianzui slowly took a sip of milk, finished the bread on her plate, and asked You Ruxu, “Want to go for a walk downstairs?”
The sun outside was nice, warm and comfortable on the skin. Zhou Tianzui and You Ruxu went downstairs wearing beige casual clothes. You Ruxu said, “There’s something going on at the station these days, I might come back a little late.”
She had an exclusive interview to do, and she would probably be busy this week.
Zhou Tianzui nodded.
Just as they walked out of the flower garden, a woman approached them. She was in her fifties, wearing a bright red coat, her face heavily powdered to cover the traces of time. The smell of perfume reached them before she did. Aunt Liu called out, “Xiao Tian!”
Zhou Tianzui looked up and smiled: “Aunt Liu.”
Aunt Liu lived in the same complex as her. They were both busy, and sometimes wouldn’t see each other for half a month, but whenever they met, they couldn’t avoid certain topics.
“Why did you leave after dinner yesterday?” Aunt Liu asked, “Were you not satisfied with the man?”
Left after dinner yesterday?
Then why did she message saying she wasn’t coming home?
You Ruxu stood to the side. Aunt Liu said, “Well, the man isn’t very tall or handsome, but he’s rich! Three apartments in the city center. After you get married, you won’t have to be so busy at the hospital all the time. You can just enjoy life at home, wouldn’t that be nice?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Aunt Liu, I’m not destined for a life of leisure.”
“You child.” Aunt Liu said, “Other people beg me to introduce them to him, and I don’t. Yes, Auntie knows you’re beautiful, you have high standards, but one can’t rely on their looks to make a living.”
She then looked at the person beside her: “Xiao Xu is still so beautiful. Does Xiao Xu have a boyfriend now?”
Seeing the topic shift to her, You Ruxu said, “No.”
Just as her voice fell, the person beside her chuckled softly. The laughter wasn’t obvious, but You Ruxu, sensitive to her every breath, still heard it. Before Aunt Liu could speak, You Ruxu said, “I don’t need you to introduce anyone, thank you.”
Aunt Liu’s words were cut short. Having just been rebuffed by Zhou Tianzui, and now hearing You Ruxu’s words, she couldn’t help but feel a little unhappy: “Both of you…”
With the condescending tone of an elder, she said, “Forget it, forget it, you two just make do with each other.”
Waving her hand, she left their sight.
After she left, You Ruxu turned to look at Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui’s eyes glinted, her expression unreadable, a mixture of amusement and something else. You Ruxu looked at her, lowered her head: “I…”
“Let’s go.” Zhou Tianzui’s tone was indifferent, as if she wasn’t unhappy. She said, “Even making do depends on whether the other person is willing.” She looked at You Ruxu: “Don’t you think so, Teacher You?”
This form of address, the cool tone, amplified the sense of distance.
You Ruxu pursed her lips. The atmosphere became a little cold. The morning’s cold wind blew through the space between them, carrying a chill. She spoke: “I’m willing.”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her.
You Ruxu said, “Whether it’s making do or whatever, I’m willing, but…”
A ringtone interrupted her words.
Both of their phones rang at the same time.
Zhou Tianzui looked down and picked up her phone. The screen displayed Zhao Mingqi’s name. She looked at You Ruxu. You Ruxu had already answered the call. It was Shi Qi: “Come back to the station immediately!”
Her tone was urgent and rapid. You Ruxu asked, “What happened?”
Shi Qi said, “The fireworks factory in the development zone exploded! I’m already on my way to the scene with the team. Come directly to the scene, I’ll send you the location.”
You Ruxu’s heart clenched. Without thinking, she said, “I’ll be right there!”
Her expression turned serious, resuming her calm and composed reporter demeanor. After hanging up the phone, she and Zhou Tianzui looked at each other for two seconds, neither saying a word, then ran back inside almost simultaneously. Zhou Tianzui said, “The fireworks factory exploded at seven o’clock. Our hospital is the closest.”
Then the injured would definitely be sent to their hospital first.
You Ruxu said, “Has the number of injured been determined?”
“No.” Zhou Tianzui opened the door, and they went inside one after the other, each entering their own room. They came out less than two minutes later. You Ruxu had already tied up her hair. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but she was in her professional attire, wearing flat shoes. She said, “I need to go to the scene first, and I might go to your hospital later.”
Hearing the words “the scene,” Zhou Tianzui paused slightly, subconsciously grabbing You Ruxu’s hand.
A fireworks explosion could easily lead to a secondary explosion.
You Ruxu looked up and saw the look in Zhou Tianzui’s eyes. It wasn’t her usual calmness and coldness, but a mixture of complex emotions. She thought Zhou Tianzui would say something.
Zhou Tianzui didn’t say anything.
She just let go of her hand.
And said, “Let’s go.”
The door closed. They quickly went downstairs, each getting into their own car. After leaving the complex, one went left, the other right.
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