Chapter 31

Chapter 31

At three o’clock in the afternoon, the rain eased up slightly. Xia Wanzhi brought Zhuzi along to the Zhou Family residence to move her luggage.

“Sister, why are you still keeping all these books?” Zhuzi knew Xia Wanzhi was a sentimental person, but she was honestly impressed that Xia Wanzhi had kept every single book from primary school through university without missing a single one.

Xia Wanzhi smiled faintly. “Mementos.”

The Zhou Family servants didn’t come to help, likely on the instructions of the villa’s owner. Xia Wanzhi didn’t mind; she relied on herself, climbing the stairs to carry her things down.

Just then, Zhou Yu rushed up the stairs and reached out to take the books she was holding. “Zhi Zhi, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”

He stood in the middle of the staircase, looking up slightly at Xia Wanzhi, who stood two steps higher.

Xia Wanzhi’s eyelashes fluttered downward. “There was no need.”

Besides, she wasn’t ‘coming back’; she was just ‘coming.’

This wasn’t her home.

Zhou Yu remained silent. He turned around and quietly carried the books down to the trunk of Zhuzi’s car.

Zhuzi’s car was a mini two-seater and couldn’t hold much, but Zhou Yu helped cram the items inside.

“I went to your Studio last night, but I couldn’t find you,” Zhou Yu said, trying to strike up a conversation. “Did you find a place to stay? Where are you living? I’ll drive you.”

If he hadn’t instructed the family servants beforehand to report to him the moment they saw Xia Wanzhi return, he was afraid he would have missed this meeting entirely.

He followed Xia Wanzhi back into the house, ignoring Zhuzi’s presence. Regardless of whether Xia Wanzhi responded, he poured out his thoughts: “I see that Zhuzi’s car is already full. Let her go first, and I’ll help you move the rest.”

He was telling the truth; the car was indeed packed. Hearing this, Zhuzi glanced at Xia Wanzhi.

Xia Wanzhi nodded slightly. “Yun Li is already on her way. You head out first, Zhuzi. I’ll move the rest with Yun Li.”

Finding an opportunity to be alone with her, Zhou Yu stared deeply at Xia Wanzhi. After a long silence, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Xia Wanzhi’s movements stopped.

“I can clearly drive you. Why do you have to trouble others?”

Xia Wanzhi looked up, her expression calm. “Yun Li isn’t an ‘other.'”

“Then am I an ‘other’ now?” Zhou Yu’s expression was full of disappointment as he asked, “We’ve had twenty years of history together. Do you not care about that at all?”

“If you still care for even the last shred of our friendship, you should let go. Besides, your mother is watching from downstairs; she probably doesn’t want you getting tangled up with me.” Xia Wanzhi’s rejection was already very clear.

“I just want to give you a ride. What does that have to do with my mother?” Zhou Yu couldn’t stand Xia Wanzhi’s coldness.

In the past, she had a reserved personality and would often refuse him on many things, but every time he showed weakness and coaxed her, she would eventually agree.

But this time, no matter how he tried to win her back, she remained unmoved.

Xia Wanzhi ignored him and crouched down slightly to pack the paintings scattered on the floor.

Because of the rain, the weather was a bit chilly. Fearing she might catch a cold, Xia Wanzhi had draped a thin, color-blocked jacket over her shoulders.

Perhaps for the convenience of moving things, she wasn’t wearing a dress today. Instead, she wore a pair of light-colored, loose jeans paired with a denim camisole.

Today’s Xia Wanzhi lacked some of the untouchable aura of a wealthy young lady and instead possessed more of the well-behaved temperament of a girl-next-door.

Beneath her long hair, her dazzlingly white collarbones were faintly visible.

Zhou Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he watched her, dazed.

Until the ringing of a phone broke the silence.

“Wanzi, I’ve been in a car accident…” Yun Li’s voice came through, thick with a crying tone.

Xia Wanzhi stood up abruptly the moment she heard Yun Li’s wail. Because she had been crouching for so long, the sudden movement combined with the high tension of hearing about the accident made her stumble back a few steps.

Zhou Yu hurriedly stepped forward to support her shoulders.

Xia Wanzhi pressed her fingers to her temple and instinctively retreated a few steps, focusing entirely on her conversation with Yun Li. “Where did you crash? Are you hurt? Don’t cry yet. Tell me where you are, and I’ll come get you.”
Yun Li whimpered twice as she was helped into the passenger seat of another car. After pressing a tissue against her bleeding forehead, she regained her composure. “I’m fine, it’s not serious. Just a scrape.”

“I’m coming to get you.” Xia Wanzhi stepped over the boxes in front of her, preparing to head out.

“No, no, keep packing.” Yun Li hadn’t actually been crying at first, trying her best to endure the pain. It hadn’t seemed like much, but the moment she called Xia Wanzhi and heard her voice, the pain became strangely unbearable, and she had started sobbing as soon as she opened her mouth.

Yun Li sniffled. To put Xia Wanzhi at ease, she joked with a smile, “Someone’s in a frantic rush to get me to the hospital, so don’t worry. Oh, and I’ve summoned someone to help you move your luggage.”

Xia Wanzhi felt much more relieved knowing someone was with her, but the second half of the sentence left her confused. “Summoned who?”

“Your Second Spring,” Yun Li said, pressing her hand to her forehead. The pressure made the pain flare up again; she clutched her head, said a few more words, and hung up.

Xia Wanzhi couldn’t quite figure out what that meant, but her mind was full of concern for Yun Li. After hanging up, she hurried to finish packing.

She didn’t have much left-just a suitcase and a storage bin full of books.

Xia Wanzhi awkwardly prepared to push them out.

“What did she mean by that?” Zhou Yu, who had been silent until now, suddenly stepped in front of her to block her path. His face was dark, his voice hitting rock bottom. “What does she mean by ‘Second Spring’?”

Anxious to leave, Xia Wanzhi straightened her back and frowned at him. “How should I know? Move aside, I’m in a hurry.”

“Are you in a hurry to see another man?!” Zhou Yu suddenly roared, his voice several times louder than usual. “Who is he?”

Xia Wanzhi had never seen Zhou Yu like this. She was stunned and, for a moment, even a little frightened.

“Do you have to be so unreasonable?” Xia Wanzhi looked at him with utter disbelief. At this moment, her disappointment in him was boundless.

Was he simply too good at pretending, or had she never truly known him?

How could the boy who had run alongside her to finish the eight-hundred-meter dash on the school track turn into this?

“I’m not!” Zhou Yu tried to steady his breathing, explaining with desperate frustration, “Zhi Zhi, I didn’t mean to shout. It’s because you keep rejecting me!”

“You can’t treat me like this! I can’t take it!” Zhou Yu’s eyes welled with tears as he choked out, “How can I just stand by and watch another man pick you up…”

Xia Wanzhi’s lips trembled as she gave a bitter smile. “Then am I supposed to just stand by and watch you sleep with another woman?”

They had been childhood sweethearts for twenty-five years.

It was precisely because she cherished that history that she wanted a clean break. She was letting him go, and he should stop hounding her.

But the current Zhou Yu was hurting her over and over again, being unreasonable time after time.

“It’s not like that, Zhi Zhi, listen to me…”

“I’m not listening.” Xia Wanzhi shoved his hand away, her voice rising in anger.

She was truly angry now.

Zhou Yu could feel it.

Her eyes were full of finality, and her entire being radiated an aura that felt completely foreign to him.

“Zhou Yu, let’s just leave it at this. From now on, my business has nothing to do with you.” Xia Wanzhi regained her calm and continued to strain as she dragged her suitcase toward the door.

After a long silence, Zhou Yu questioned her, “So you really do have another man?”

Xia Wanzhi reached her breaking point. “Yes. Are you satisfied now?”

Leaving it at that, Xia Wanzhi placed her hand on the doorknob to turn it. In that split second, a powerful force jerked her left arm back. Her footing faltered, and in a daze, she was dragged back and thrown onto the bed in the room.