In the days that followed, Lin Yue and her group were always busy discussing the details of the music video with the director, a genuine American who was extremely interested in Oriental culture. Upon seeing Lin Yue, he immediately rushed over, hugging her while continuously exclaiming, "Oriental Venus," leaving Lin Yue and Cenhuan standing there dumbfounded.
These days, Lin Yue's phone had been off the entire time. Rather than being too busy and forgetting about it, it was more like she was trying to avoid something. When she had nothing to do at night, she would go out alone for a stroll, as the nights in New York were always bustling.
The phone still carried the cold, impersonal tone of customer service as Zhuo Xiangqiao put down his phone and walked downstairs. On the living room couch, Zhuo Xiangnan was sitting with Lin Yao, while his mother had an indifferent expression on her face, making the entire living room atmosphere feel exceptionally cold.
"Mom, I'm going out for a few days," Zhuo Xiangqiao said hastily before rushing out the door. Just as Liao Yun was about to speak, he had already left, and she could only sit down with frustration.
It was raining heavily in New York that day, and since there were no scenes with Lin Yue, she and Cenhuan stayed in the hotel. Just as they were discussing the upcoming filming process with the director remotely, there was a knock at the door.
"Did you call for some service?" Cenhuan asked.
Lin Yue shook her head, but the persistent knocking continued, so she got up, went to the door, and asked, "Who is it?"
"Is this Shirley Lin? Someone at the front desk is looking for you."
"Okay, I got it." After waiting for the noise outside to cease, Lin Yue opened the door and saw Zhuo Xiangqiao standing there with a grin.
"Yueyue~~~~"
Upon seeing him, Lin Yue immediately tried to shut the door, but Zhuo Xiangqiao had already squeezed half his body through.
"What are you doing here?"
"Yueyue, I came especially to see you." He said, shaking his wet clothes a bit, "Look, my clothes are all wet."
Hearing the commotion outside, Cenhuan came out from inside the room and looked at the man in front of her with confusion, "Yueyue, who is this?"
"This must be Cenhuan, right? Hello." He said, extending his hand to Cenhuan, "Zhuo Xiangqiao, Yueyue's..." Zhuo Xiangqiao was interrupted by Lin Yue before he could finish.
"If you have something to say, say it and leave quickly!" she said, pushing Zhuo Xiangqiao towards the door, but he clung tightly to the wall.
Realizing it was not her place to stay, Cenhuan spoke up, "Since you two have matters to discuss, I'll be leaving first." With that, she prepared to open the door and leave.
Before she could reach the door, Lin Yue grabbed her, "It's okay!"
Zhuo Xiangqiao glanced at Cenhuan, who was awkwardly standing to the side, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Since you say so, let's talk about what happened at the bar last time. We need to settle it." He took out two pieces of paper from his pocket.
"Lin Xiaoyue! When do you plan to take responsibility?" Zhuo Xiangqiao rattled the papers.
Watching the papers being waved in front of her, Lin Yue's temples began to throb, "Everyone was drunk at the time; it doesn't count."
Hearing this, Zhuo Xiangqiao instantly erupted and threw the paper aside, "Who was it that cried and begged me to marry her at that time! Now look at you, turning your face and not recognizing people, right! Let me tell you, Lin Yue! This young master will still make you take responsibility!"
Cenhuan watched the fluttering paper with the words 'Marriage Agreement' and Lin Yue's signature, feeling the corners of his eyes beginning to twitch uncontrollably, feeling overwhelmed by the news he'd received today, and quickly found an excuse to hurriedly leave the room.
"Zhuo Xiangqiao, can you stop being so capricious!"
"Lin Yue, where do you see me being capricious."
Lin Yue turned towards him, his eyes held a seriousness that was hard to ignore. Suddenly, the earnestness conveyed in his gaze made her somewhat fearful. She turned her head away, "If you're just joking, then this joke isn't funny at all. If you're serious…" She forced a smile, "We are not suitable for each other."
Zhuo Xiangqiao grasped her hands and slowly tightened his grip, "Not suitable? How are we not suitable? Lin Yue, we have known each other for eighteen years, and this agreement is also effective."
"Stop making a fuss," her voice laced with a chill, "I've also known Zhuo Xiangnan for eighteen years, and he still left me for Lin Yao. Moreover, that agreement was just a farce when we were drunk, it has no legal effect."
Zhuo Xiangqiao held her tightly, his face turning ice-cold, "Are you still thinking about him? When I came, he had already taken Lin Yao home."
Lin Yue's face paled, and she said nothing, the expression in her eyes growing dim. Zhuo Xiangqiao lowered his head, murmuring, "What to do, Lin Yue, I just can't stop myself now, whether you accept it or not, I am not going to let you go." With these words, he embraced Lin Yue in his arms.
Lin Yue struggled fiercely, but her strength was no match for his, so she lifted her foot and stomped hard on him; yet he still did not stop his actions.
After a long while, Zhuo Xiangqiao finally stopped and realized that Lin Yue's face was already covered in tears. He reached up to gently wipe the tears from her face, whispering in her ear, "Lin Yue, from now on, I won't let go, you can give up on that idea!"
Although the air conditioning was on in the room, Lin Yue still felt like she was struggling to breathe. She pushed Zhuo Xiangqiao away, "Zhuo Xiangqiao, who do you think you are!"
"Who I am, don't you, Lin Yue, know that very well!" He paused for a moment, then spoke, "Yueyue, trust me, I can give you the life you want."
"But I don't love you." She tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Even if we were together, I still wouldn't love you, how long can you endure such a life." Her voice grew lower and fainter.
Zhuo Xiangqiao rested his face on her shoulder, the room's lighting casting his face in alternating shadow and light, "But I don't care! Lin Yue, I don't care! I can wait!"
Lin Yue stood there, frozen, and whispered, "Zhuo Xiangqiao..."
"Yueyue, I don't care, as long as you're by my side, as long as you're willing, I can resolve everything." Zhuo Xiangqiao lifted his head, looking straight at Lin Yue.
Lin Yue scoffed, a trace of irony flashing in her eyes, "What about your brother! Zhuo Xiangqiao, don't deceive yourself, okay!"
"Lin Yue, I won't give up! My brother won't be any kind of obstacle!" Zhuo Xiangqiao emphasized each word into her ear, then opened the door and left.
The door was closed with a bang, and Lin Yue leaned against the wall, slowly slumping down.