Returning - Chapter 111
Chapter 111: Rupture
The consequence of daytime debauchery was, naturally, that Zhao Yu couldn't go to work and directly took an unauthorized day off.
Because she had last-minute told Ji Sui she wasn't going to his place, Ji Sui thought the matter with Zhuang Ruyun had angered her and kept explaining and apologizing. She could only tell him fine, she would go find him after work today.
Only, she hadn't expected that before the workday even ended, and before she had left Shang Lu's villa, Xia Nan's call would come through.
"Sister Zhao Yu, is President Xue at your place?"
"Xue Zi'ang?" Even though she had clearly heard the question was about President Xue, not Director Xue, Zhao Yu couldn't help but confirm with her again.
After all, she and Xue Zi'ang had no relationship now, and he had stopped clinging to her. If Xia Nan was looking for someone, she shouldn't be looking here.
"Yeah, Director Xue told me to keep an eye on him, but I... I can't keep an eye on him at all. Now he's disappeared somewhere. How am I supposed to explain this to Director Xue?"
"What happened?"
Xia Nan's tone was puzzled: "You can't... not know about today's events? You didn't come to work, and they just happened to... I thought you knew."
Her intuition telling her something major must have happened, Zhao Yu couldn't help but frown: "What exactly is going on?"
Xia Nan lowered her voice: "Actually, I'm not too clear on the details either. At noon today, we all went downstairs to eat, so I didn't see the process. Anyway, it was just... President Xue stormed into Director Xue's office and hit him."
"Is it serious?"
"A bit serious. Director Xue's hand is injured, bled a lot, and he's still in the hospital on an IV drip. I don't even know why President Xue would use such force. Even President Liu being there couldn't stop him."
At this point, Xia Nan hesitated and became a little cautious, "They're saying... they say it's because of you. Sister Zhao Yu, don't be mad. I'm just repeating what they're blindly speculating."
Zhao Yu's focus, however, was on the phrase "President Liu was there." If Xue Zi'ang and Xue Zhan really wanted to fight over her, why would they wait until now? It was Liu Ling's ambiguous relationship with Xue Zhan that was enough to make Xue Zi'ang break down.
After she hung up, Shang Lu asked: "Something urgent?"
Zhao Yu didn't find it convenient to say too much and just nodded: "I need to go to the hospital."
Meeting his intense gaze, she explained: "Xue Zhan is in the hospital. I must go see him."
Shang Lu said nothing more, just handed her the coat from the sofa.
With this unexpected turn of events, the trip to Ji Sui's was naturally canceled. Zhao Yu took out her phone to message him. Suddenly thinking of something, she opened the surveillance footage. Just as she thought, Xue Zi'ang was right at her apartment door.
By the time she arrived, another hour had passed. The rain outside hadn't stopped, and the weather was rather cold. She was bundled in a trench coat, but Xue Zi'ang wore only a thin, half-soaked white dress shirt. Like a child with no home to return to, he was curled up by the door, hugging his knees.
Hearing movement, he slowly lifted his head. He looked at her without saying a word, his eyes completely red.
Zhao Yu opened the door and said flatly: "Come in."
Xue Zi'ang followed her inside. His legs were numb from sitting too long, and he stumbled after just two steps. Paired with the dust-stained, wrinkled suit pants, he looked utterly disheveled.
Letting him sit on the sofa, Zhao Yu poured him a glass of water: "I know what happened at the company."
Looking at her calm expression, Xue Zi'ang suddenly let out a scoff: "What? Feel sorry for him? Now you hate me even more, right?"
Zhao Yu said nothing, just placed the water glass on the table and turned to head to the bedroom to find him some clothes.
Xue Zi'ang's voice came from behind: "Did you actually fall in love with him?"
Zhao Yu didn't answer, taking it as silent confirmation.
Xue Zi'ang chuckled lowly. The chuckle gradually morphed into loud laughter: "How interesting. You all love him. Not only does he steal women from me, turns out he also steals women from my dad. Sixteen years ago, he caused my dad's death. Now, why doesn't he just finish me off too?"
Knowing he had indeed discovered that secret, Zhao Yu still feigned a look of shock: "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"What? You don't know his true colors?" Xue Zi'ang's face was etched with mockery and self-derision, "Then shall I tell you just how filthy and shameless he is?"
Zhao Yu curled her lips into a smile, an expression clearly saying she didn't believe his ravings, or more precisely, that she trusted Xue Zhan's character.
Xue Zi'ang gritted his teeth, his fists clenched deathly tight.
Coming out of the bedroom, Zhao Yu handed him a loose, long coat: "Only this. See if you can wear it."
The clothes he'd left here before had long since been packed by her and mailed to his villa.
Xue Zi'ang didn't take the clothes. Instead, he grabbed her wrist fiercely: "What exactly do you love about him? Love that he covets his own sister-in-law, or love that he caused his own brother's death?"
Zhao Yu struggled a few times but couldn't break free. She could only look at him helplessly: "Let go."
Xue Zi'ang gripped even tighter.
"Then I'll call the police." Calmly taking her phone from her trench coat pocket, she opened the dial screen right in front of him. Her intention was simply to jolt him into letting go, but who knew he would just watch her and smile, his eyes a piercing, blinding red.
Zhao Yu sighed, put away her phone, and sat down beside him, allowing him to hold her wrist without moving or speaking.
Ultimately, it was Xue Zi'ang who loosened his grip first.
He was like a suddenly deflated ball, slumping weakly against the sofa, staring at the ceiling in silence.
After sitting quietly for a moment, Zhao Yu got up and went to the kitchen to cook. When she emerged after fussing for a long time inside, Xue Zi'ang was still dazed on the sofa. His posture hadn't changed a single bit.
Zhao Yu was about to call him for dinner, planning to show him the door right after they ate. But before she could reach the sofa, the doorbell rang.
A certain ominous premonition arose spontaneously. The thought that it might be Ji Sui, thinking she was still angry, having come specifically to apologize, sent a chill down her spine.
Walking to the door with feigned composure, she didn't even have the courage to open it directly. She just peered nervously through the peephole.
Thank goodness. It wasn't Ji Sui, but Xue Zhan.
The right sleeve of Xue Zhan's suit and dress shirt had been cut off. His forearm was wrapped in thick bandages. Seeing her, he didn't say anything, just glanced inside.
Zhao Yu silently stepped aside to let him in.
But even when Xue Zhan walked right up to Xue Zi'ang, Xue Zi'ang still had no reaction, as if he couldn't see him at all.
"You two talk."
Zhao Yu made a move to leave the apartment, but was stopped by Xue Zhan: "No need."
He had probably already guessed that Xue Zi'ang had told Zhao Yu everything he knew.
Zhao Yu could only obediently sit to one side. Nonchalantly, she took out her phone to WeChat Ji Sui, subtly probing whether he was at work. After all, a single-minded man could be pretty difficult to deal with if he got stubborn.
Ji Sui replied a few minutes later: I'm on my way to your apartment
Zhao Yu felt the world go dark before her eyes. Carefully glancing at the consistently silent uncle and nephew, forced by the urgency, she could only tell Ji Sui: Xue Zi'ang came to find me. Can you please not come over right now
Pausing, she added another message:
Trust me, I can handle this, just like I trusted you could handle things with your sister. Okay?
Ji Sui's side kept showing "typing," but in the end, the only thing that came through was a single word: "Okay."
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