Returning - Chapter 139
Chapter 139: Sinking
After hearing Xue Zi'ang's words, Zhao Yu could already more or less guess why Ji Sui was calling at this moment.
Sure enough, just as she answered, she heard Ji Sui's rather unnatural tone: "There's something I think I need to tell you about."
Before Zhao Yu could say anything, Xue Zi'ang suddenly snatched her phone away, put it on speakerphone, and then returned it to her with a face still brimming with fury.
Looking up at the uncle and nephew, each with expressions more sour than the other, Zhao Yu asked quietly, "What's wrong?"
"I beat up Xue Zi'ang today."
Zhao Yu glanced at Xue Zi'ang, whose face was growing darker by the second, and feigned surprise, asking, "Why?"
"My younger brother hasn't been doing well lately. Today he was drinking with friends, and I went to pick him up. Xue Zi'ang must have been drunk too, got into an argument with one of Zhuang Ye's friends, and both groups just... it was Xue Zi'ang who threw the first punch at Zhuang Ye, so I..."
Watching Xue Zi'ang seethe with hatred, his teeth itching with rage, Zhao Yu could only force a smile and say gently, "Well, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. He can't hurt me. Even though you said you have no ties to him anymore, you're still in the same company after all. I felt you had a right to know."
He paused, then added, a bit hesitantly, "Actually, when I was hitting him... I couldn't hold back. I was a bit rough. The moment I thought about how he had hurt you before, I just couldn't control it. You're not going to blame me, are you?"
Such a cautious tone—Zhao Yu naturally understood his intentions. He was afraid Xue Zi'ang still held an important place in her heart, so he couldn't help testing the waters this way. Nor did he dare hide his fight with Xue Zi'ang, worried that if she found out someday, she might misunderstand him.
Zhao Yu smiled. "Why would I? You said yourself he started it. The fault isn't yours. And besides, there's nothing between me and him anymore."
After she said this, she thought she could hear the sound of Xue Zi'ang grinding his teeth.
On the other end, Ji Sui clearly breathed a sigh of relief, his voice smiling. "That's good, then."
Zhao Yu asked, "And your brother? Is he okay?"
"He's fine. Just a few scratches on his face, not as bad as Xue Zi'ang." Ji Sui's tone had brightened considerably now. "When are you coming back? I miss you."
Zhao Yu thought she could almost hear Xue Zi'ang sharply drawing in a breath. She instinctively covered the mouthpiece of her phone. Pausing for a beat, she said, "Probably in two or three days. I'll let you know once the exact schedule is confirmed."
"Alright. Then I'll have dinner ready for you at home when you get back." After a moment of hesitation, Ji Sui added softly, "Love you."
Even through the phone, Zhao Yu felt she could almost see him right then—definitely smiling broadly, a little shy, and his cheeks and ears would be burning red the moment he said that.
Normally, Zhao Yu would have replied with a shy, coy "I miss you too, I love you too." But feeling the atmospheric pressure in the room drop drastically, she could only smile and bid Ji Sui goodnight.
The moment she hung up, Xue Zi'ang let out a cold snort. "What's so great about knowing how to cook? A grown man who just knows how to cook—what a loser."
"Not only does he know how to cook, he's also better at fighting than you. He's the Assistant to the Chairman and a shareholder of Huacan. He's the current boyfriend; you're just the ex. And you still have the face to criticize him?"
It was meant as a scolding for Xue Zi'ang, but Zhao Yu couldn't help feeling that Xue Zhan's words were also a veiled jab at her. When it came to making barbed remarks, he was certainly no less skilled than Xue Zi'ang.
Xue Zi'ang gave a defiant, humorless laugh and stared at Zhao Yu. "When have I ever hurt you?"
Zhao Yu looked at him with an innocent expression. "You haven't? Using me as a substitute, treating me like a tool for venting your desires, abandoning me twice to run after Xu Miao—isn't that the truth?"
"I..." Xue Zi'ang was left speechless by her words. For a few seconds, he just stared blankly before saying, "Well, didn't you also deceive and use me right from the start? You also..."
His face turned a shade darker. "When did you and Ji Sui start? Was it while you were with me..."
"No." Zhao Yu's answer was crisp. "We only confirmed our relationship after we broke up."
Just as Xue Zi'ang was letting out a breath of relief, he caught on. "What are you saying—you mean, while you were with me, you and him..."
Zhao Yu hurried to add, "We just knew each other."
But, quite obviously, her words now held very little credibility.
Xue Zhan, who had no patience for their bickering over this matter, asked directly, "Besides Ji Sui, besides Shang Lu and Xu Chengyan, who else?"
Xue Zi'ang felt like he'd been dealt a heavy blow. He stared blankly at Zhao Yu for a long moment, but still couldn't find his voice.
Zhao Yu lifted her gaze to meet Xue Zhan's. "No one else."
Xue Zhan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples, and fell silent.
After standing in a daze for what felt like an eternity, Xue Zi'ang finally spoke, his voice trembling. "Xu Chengyan... you and him... when did it happen?"
Zhao Yu looked straight into his eyes. "While I was with you."
"You..." His fists were clenched so tightly they could break. He glared at her, grinding his teeth, but in the end, could only pound his fist against the bedding. "Who is Shang Lu?"
"My sugar daddy when I was in America."
After a long pause of silence, Xue Zi'ang suddenly let out a low laugh. "Ling Jianwei challenged me to race because of you. Xu Chengyan... Xu Chengyan... So you had ties with him even back then?"
"Yes."
"Zhao Yu!" He abruptly stood up, glaring at her furiously. His eyes were reddening, his body trembling, but facing her completely placid gaze, he found himself utterly incapable of voicing any of the accusations or questions that followed. It was like throwing a punch at cotton.
After stewing in a quiet rage for quite some time, all he could do was whirl around and storm out the door.
The hospital room sank back into silence. Looking at Xue Zhan, who sat wordlessly in the chair, Zhao Yu gave a small smile. "If Director Xue has something to say, just say it. It's no good holding fire in your heart."
Xue Zhan looked at her with utter calm. "Why did you choose to take a path like this?"
"Why?" Zhao Yu let out a low laugh. She laughed, and soon even she couldn't stop herself.
Apart from this road, did she have any other path to walk?
She had wanted to rely on her own hard work too, to defeat the Zhuang family fairly and squarely on her own merits, to take revenge with a clear conscience. But was that even possible?
She was nothing more than an ordinary woman. No exceptional talent, no formidable background. Even if she fought and struggled recklessly for an entire lifetime, before a colossal family like the Zhuang family, she would still be insignificant as an ant.
"For someone lowly like me, apart from this face and this body, where else is there any value?"
Her fingertips gently traced across her cheek, and her smile grew even more bitterly mocking. "Zhuang Yiqing wasn't wrong. This skin-deep appearance is all I possess. What else is there?"
The moment that question left his mouth, Xue Zhan knew he had misspoken. Now, seeing the bitter self-mockery on her face, he was at a complete loss for what to say.
Zhao Yu looked at him and smiled. "Director Xue doesn't need to think I'm dirty. I already know well enough how filthy I am. A woman who does nothing but sell her body—how clean could she possibly be?"
Xue Zhan rose from his seat, sat on the edge of the bed, and slowly gathered her into his arms.
"From now on, you don't need to struggle so hard anymore. I'm here."
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