Returning - Chapter 83
Chapter 83: An Old Acquaintance
The next day, Zhao Yu finally received a message from Ji Sui himself, inviting her to dinner.
She wasn't the least bit surprised. In fact, she suspected the man had been so worked up the day before that he hadn't slept a wink all night.
Even now, she could scarcely believe such a gullible man existed in this world—a twenty-eight-year-old, high-quality man who never lacked for admirers.
Naturally, faced with such an invitation, she decisively made an excuse and refused.
Having already taken the initiative once, the next step was, of course, to keep the man's appetite dangling, to leave him restless and uneasy, constantly wondering whether she was simply shy, regretted it, or if he had done something wrong again?
She was like a cat that had long ago locked its sights on its prey, toying repeatedly with the little mouse that had nowhere left to flee, letting it spin in circles within the web she had woven—rising and falling—while she watched it all unfold, utterly devoid of pity.
On Friday, Zhao Yu accompanied Xue Zhan to that large-scale gala. As usual, she had checked Zhuang Yiqing's schedule in advance and confirmed there was no chance of running into her before she dared to attend with peace of mind.
The reason Xue Zhan brought her was nothing more than to continue putting on a show for Xue Zi'ang. In this invisible tug-of-war between uncle and nephew, Zhao Yu's importance to Xue Zhan was utterly negligible. She knew very well that the person Xue Zhan truly cared about had always been Xue Zi'ang.
To minimize any risk of being discovered by Zhuang Yiqing, Zhao Yu had developed a subconscious habit of dodging every camera lens.
There were no journalists at this private banquet, but plenty of people snapping photos to show off, so there were quite a few lenses she had to avoid. Fortunately, this was something that could be done openly under the guise of politeness without arousing suspicion.
"So sorry about that." Because a group had been taking selfies, Zhao Yu had been forced to take a detour. After finishing her photos, one of the girls even ran over specifically to apologize, "It's my first time at an event like this. I found it all so novel, I just wanted to take lots of pictures. I was in your way just now."
She spoke with refreshing frankness, not like some girls driven by vanity who felt compelled to pretend they frequented such high-end events. Thinking the girl seemed nice enough, Zhao Yu chatted with her a bit more.
Who knew the girl's gaze would grow increasingly odd as she looked at her, scrutinizing her carefully several times before finally asking, "Did you graduate from Jiaotong University?"
Alarm bells blared in Zhao Yu's heart. Maintaining a calm demeanor, she smiled slightly and asked, "Why do you ask?"
"You look really familiar. I feel like I've seen you somewhere. I've been thinking about it just now, and I think it must be… I saw a photo at my sister's place. Her name is Duan Xiaohan, she graduated from Jiaotong University. Do you know her?"
Of course Zhao Yu knew her. That was her university roommate, a dear friend all along. Except they all thought she was still in America.
She smiled and shook her head. "I don't know her. You must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Zhao Yu. Is that the friend you're talking about?"
"I remember her surname seemed to be Tang." The girl apologized awkwardly, still muttering to herself as she walked away, "Did I get it wrong? She really looks just like her—and just like the photos at Brother Song Xuan's place too."
Hearing the name Song Xuan, Zhao Yu froze again. She couldn't help but cast her gaze towards the girl's retreating figure and soon spotted her heading towards a young man in a sharp suit, excitedly telling him something.
Upon making out the man's profile, Zhao Yu was instantly jolted. She quickly turned and moved into the crowd, using others to shield her figure.
Yet she was still discovered.
On her way to the restroom, Song Xuan blocked her path directly. "It really is you."
A very certain tone.
Zhao Yu looked at him calmly and smiled. "What a coincidence."
"When Xiaoya mentioned it just now, I didn't dare believe it. Never thought…" Song Xuan lowered his head with a bitter smile. "It's been so long."
It had been a long time indeed. From Yu Jin's funeral until now, nearly four years—far longer than the time they used to spend together in the same classrooms, which even at its fullest count was far less than four years.
Song Xuan had been her university class monitor and the boyfriend of her best sister before she died. She had also been the matchmaker for that romance. It was just that now, people and circumstances had changed utterly.
"The Xiaoya you mentioned, that girl just now—she's Duan Xiaohan's cousin? Are you two… together now?"
Song Xuan shook his head. "She knows my heart already belongs to someone. There will never be a possibility between her and me."
"I heard from my godparents that you haven't dated anyone." Zhao Yu gave a pained smile. "That girl's not bad. You could give it a try."
Song Xuan's smile was equally bitter. "I've tried with others. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it."
The hand hanging by her leg tightened involuntarily. Taking a deep breath, Zhao Yu smiled and said, "Xiao Jin wouldn't want you to be like this. What she'd want to see is you forgetting her and living on happily."
"Xiao Jin wouldn't want you to be the way you are now, either."
Vaguely guessing his meaning, Zhao Yu pretended to be unruffled. "I'm doing just fine now. Xiao Jin would be at ease."
Song Xuan's gaze was burning, his words razor-sharp. "This 'just fine' you speak of—is it being a rich man's mistress?"
Zhao Yu's body stiffened, but she still smiled. "I'm merely accompanying my superior to a banquet."
"I asked around earlier. They said you're the new flame of Huacan's Vice Chairman, and before that, you were his own nephew's woman."
Song Xuan's tone held no trace of contempt—more than anything, it was helplessness. "Tang Xi, I admit I've been pretty dissolute these past few years, but at least, I haven't sunk so low as to…"
The harsh word he couldn't get out hung unspoken, but Zhao Yu already understood. Yet she neither raged nor bristled, smiling with complete openness. "My name now is Zhao Yu. You will have a new life, and so will I. This is my own business."
"If Xiao Jin knew this is what your new life looked like, do you think she'd rest easy?"
Here, Song Xuan laughed self-mockingly. "I was once jealous of her because of you. I felt that to her, you mattered more than I did. I thought she'd comfort me, coax me nicely. But instead, she said you always mattered more than me, and always would. If I couldn't accept that, we could break up at any time."
"Tang Xi, Xiao Jin cared about you that much. Don't disappoint her. I've already disappointed her enough these past few years. Now I've mended my ways. I'm working hard to pull myself together. I hope you will too. Everything in the past—it's over."
Over? Zhao Yu stared fixedly at the man before her.
They all thought it was only an accident, unaware that she was the chief culprit who had claimed three lives. If he knew the truth, could he still counsel her with such earnest intent? Could he really not hate her?
Brushing back a few strands of hair that had fallen by her ear, Zhao Yu lifted her lips in a smile. "Sorry, my name now is Zhao Yu. My life needs no interference from others."
As she turned to leave, Song Xuan's voice came from behind once more: "Did you sink into depravity because of that accident, or were you… always like this?"
Zhao Yu ignored him and continued walking back.
"Three years ago, Wu You went to the Zhuang family to make a scene."
That sentence still managed to stop Zhao Yu in her tracks.
Song Xuan drew near, his voice heavy. "I've always kept my promise to you. I never mentioned your pregnancy to anyone. During that time, I truly wasn't in the mood to care about your affairs with Zhuang Ye. But Wu You said that Zhuang Ye's sister told her it wasn't Zhuang Ye dumping you for someone else at all. It was that, while Zhuang Ye was abroad, you had an affair with another man and were caught in bed by him."
Zhao Yu smiled, tilting her head to look at him. "So?"
Song Xuan said, "I didn't believe it. Duan Xiaohan and Chen Chen didn't either. None of us believed you were that kind of person. But now, I no longer know whether I should believe it."
All smiles, Zhao Yu let out an extremely lighthearted breath. "Then you'd better believe it. Zhuang Yiqing wasn't wrong. I just couldn't endure the loneliness and slept with another man. That man was even Zhuang Ye's good brother—I initiated the seduction. Now, it's just as you see. To cling to rich men, I'm willing to sell my body at any time. Someone like me—you can get to know her all over again."
Song Xuan's face filled with shock. He seemed to want to say more, but she had already turned and walked away cleanly once more.
Only, the instant she stepped forward, Zhao Yu's heart plummeted violently.
Xue Zhan was watching her from the end of the corridor.
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