The feeling of accelerating heartbeat seemed to remind her to stay calm, to remain alert at all times.
Outside, the fog was thick, wrapping everything in a layer of white frost.
Su Qing didn't sleep well that night, but she had grown accustomed to keeping company with the night. Fortunately, it had been a long time since her condition relapsed, which was something worth celebrating.
In the morning, she received a text message that made her scalp tingle: "Qing Qing, it's Dad. It's been a long time since we last met, hasn't it? I almost forgot what you look like. Shall we arrange a time to meet?"
To say she wasn't shocked would be a lie. She had no feelings for this father of hers, in fact, she felt a bit of disgust towards him. After her mother fell ill, he divorced without hesitation. From what she heard from others, he was someone from a wealthy family.
She couldn't understand why he was coming back to her now. When she and her mother were at their lowest point, he dealt them a heavy blow. Why did he have the nerve to come back now?
She put down her phone, feeling the text message inexplicably piercing. Her mind heated up, and she replied impulsively: "Fine."
Perhaps because he was her only relative in this world, or perhaps because she wanted an answer, a reason to stop struggling.
She packed her things and stood in front of the mirror, casually tying her hair into a bun. As she exposed her neck, she remembered what happened last night and instinctively reached out to touch her neck, where his scent lingered.
Outside the window, there was a light rain and a biting cold wind. She had thought about leaving this place to see the world outside, but she always felt trapped here, unable to escape.
At noon, when she got off work, the company was in chaos. She knew Yang Zhiyan must have said something to them, as they looked at her with a hint of disdain in their eyes.
She was all too familiar with that look. Whether it was back when she was in school or now at work, she had been looked at like that before. She used to reflect on herself, only to find it was useless.
When Su Qing received a message from Lu Xiu while she was working on some forms, it distracted her.
Lu Xiu: [Did you kiss me yesterday?]
Su Qing was a bit helpless.
[?]
Lu Xiu: [You took advantage of me, you have to take responsibility.]
Su Qing frowned. Did he want to pull her into this? The more they tangled like this, the deeper they would be in the future. Besides, it was clearly him who kissed her.
She turned her phone over on the table and looked up to meet Yang Zhiyan's eyes on the opposite side. She stirred the coffee in her hand, standing there with her smooth hair falling over her chest.
Yang Zhiyan had a delicate face, quite different from her personality. When Su Qing first met her, she thought she was a good person, but later on, many things happened that changed her opinion of her.
Su Qing quickly looked away and returned her attention to the computer screen, where the dense text made her feel a headache coming on.
Lu Xiu sat on the sofa, stretching his neck. Everything that happened yesterday replayed in his mind, and he slightly curved his lips. He turned on the screen, and a picture of a girl appeared as his lock screen wallpaper.
The girl on the screen was wearing a light blue skirt, with a pair of fair and slender legs. Her hair obediently fell over her chest, as if she had spotted the person taking the photo, her fair face pouting in dissatisfaction.
"You're so shameless, using a girl as your wallpaper." Song Yun sank down next to him on the sofa, wrapping her arm around his, a hint of gossip in her smile. "What about my wife?"
"This one already?" Lu Xiu's face carried a hint of pride.
"I knew it. Have you got her?"
Lu Xiu slowly replied, "Sooner or later, she'll be mine. It's just a matter of time."
Song Yun and Jiang Yuanzhou exchanged glances, then said in unison, "Yeah, look at who Ah Xiu is."
Lu Xiu didn't react much to their teasing.
Jiang Yuanzhou continued, "I heard my parents say your mother wants to introduce you to the daughter of the Chen family. Did your mom mention it to you?"
Lu Xiu's body tensed, his eyelashes lowered, showing no emotion. "Chen family?"
"It's her. Don't you remember? We used to play together years ago. She's the only daughter of their family. She used to be quite headstrong, I don't know how she is now. But a few years ago, her parents divorced and her mother remarried, and the man I saw was very good at sweet-talking her mother."
"You're saying I have a bit of an impression now. Their family's affairs are really bizarre. Ah Xiu, you might not know, but this caused quite a stir when you were abroad."
Lu Xiu wasn't interested in these things. As they spoke, it seemed like he had missed out on a lot over the past few years.
As they spoke, his phone rang, playing a familiar ringtone.
He crossed his legs, leaning back on the sofa, and answered the phone.
"Ah Xiu, I gave your WeChat ID to Chen Xin. She said you haven't agreed yet. Chen Yun is a good girl, don't be too harsh on her. Add her quickly." There was a burst of static on the other end, followed by a gentle female voice.
Lu Xiu furrowed his brows, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes, his voice low and hoarse. "Why should I add her? And I don't like obedient girls."
"Lu Xiu! Are you trying to kill me? Don't you know how much your mother worries about you? Can't you understand me?" After a moment of silence, she softened her tone again. "Just add her first and get to know her. If it doesn't work out, you can change later. My friends have grandchildren now, can I not be anxious?" Lu Xiu chuckled at her words, "I'm only twenty-two now. Are you already thinking about grandchildren? Tell them to have another child and give you one."
Shen Yuqing felt a surge of anger in her heart, but she didn't want to get angry with her son. Ever since she gave birth to Lu Xiu, she had been holding him in the palm of her hand, afraid that he would disappear if she let go. After all, he was her only son.
"Just add her already. That's all I'm asking. By the way, come back tomorrow. Mom has something to tell you."
"Why can't you tell me over the phone?" "Just come back, that's all."
After saying that, she hung up the phone. Lu Xiu threw his phone on the sofa and rubbed his temples.
"I told you, didn't I? But your mom is really gentle. With your temper, if you were in my family, you probably wouldn't have survived until now," Jiang Yuanzhou said.
Lu Xiu didn't care much about their words.
He unlocked his phone and noticed a prominent red mark on the top right corner indicating missed contacts. He didn't open it, turned off the phone, and ignored it.
The next day, as he returned home, he saw several well-dressed individuals sitting in the living room.
With his hands in his pockets, he sauntered in lazily, his hair almost covering his eyes, his dark eyes staring ahead as if he hadn't fully woken up yet, carrying a hint of weariness.
"A-Xiu is here," Shen Yuqing remarked, seeing him stride over with long steps.
"It's been a while since we last saw A-Xiu. Look how tall he's gotten," a woman in a black mink coat said, adorned with conspicuous rings and a necklace.