Chapter 54

Xitang returned from the balcony.

Zhao Pingjin propped himself up from the sofa. He sat up and said, “Go change into some warmer clothes.”

Xitang’s fingers were frozen, and she held them up to her mouth to warm them with her breath. Confused, she asked, “What for?”

Zhao Pingjin replied lazily, “I’ll take you out to see the lights.”

Xitang disagreed, “It’s too cold outside, and there’s snow. You won’t be able to handle it.”

Zhao Pingjin looked at her for a moment, seemingly feeling better, and replied confidently, “You go on ahead, I’ll just stay in the car.”

Xitang muttered, “What kind of person are you?”

Zhao Pingjin asked again, irritably, “Do you want to go or not?”

Xitang glanced at him, feeling a bit of anticipation in her heart. “Does it still hurt?”

Zhao Pingjin saw through her thoughts immediately. He sat up, bent down to look for his slippers on the carpet, and said, “If I were still in pain, would I be taking you out? My life is much more valuable than yours.”

Xitang hesitated for a few seconds, standing there.

Zhao Pingjin flopped back onto the sofa. “Forget it, then.”

Xitang immediately became anxious and threw herself over to his side. “I’ll go.”

Zhao Pingjin turned his face away, ignoring her.

Xitang reached out and scratched him.

Zhao Pingjin grabbed her hand and pinched her cheek, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “Go ahead. Bring me clothes from the room.”

Xitang cheerfully ran back to the wardrobe in the bedroom.

As Xitang changed his shirt, Zhao Pingjin stretched his arms out for her to dress him, while grumbling, “The place outside is packed, I don’t know what’s going on with you women.”

Xitang, picking up a sweater nearby, pulled it over his head, then roughly tied the sleeves into a knot and tightly cinched it around his neck.

Zhao Pingjin let out a yelp and pulled his head out of the sweater, shouting, “Attempted murder of the husband!”

Xitang froze for a moment, then, stunned, loosened her grip.

Zhao Pingjin’s smile also faltered.

Xitang quickly snapped back to herself, stuck her tongue out at him with a playful expression, then turned and slipped back into the room.

Zhao Pingjin finished dressing, walked around the study for a moment, and came out to find Xitang already wearing her bag and shoes, waiting for him at the door.

When she saw him, she tilted her face up to look at him with eager anticipation.

Zhao Pingjin felt a sudden jolt in his heart. He imagined if they had a daughter, she would look like Xitang—cute and chubby, carrying a little backpack and smiling up at him as she waited for him to take her to school. The thought made his heart ache.

The coldness slowly crept into his chest.

Unaware of his thoughts, Xitang cheerfully said, “We’ll be back soon.”

Zhao Pingjin glanced at her. “Your hand is still injured. If you get tired later, I’ll end up carrying your bag anyway, so don’t bother with it.”

Xitang asked, “What about my phone and wallet?”

Zhao Pingjin shrugged as he put on his coat. “No need to bring the wallet. Just put your phone in my pocket.”

Xitang happily accepted and wrapped her arm around his as they left.

The festive lights of Guomao District on Christmas Eve illuminated the streets. The decorations for Christmas and the New Year were dazzling, with glimmering buildings and large trees adorned with sparkling lights. Reindeer sleighs were filled with colorful gifts, and the whole area felt like a brilliant, glowing castle.

Zhao Pingjin held Xitang’s hand as they walked through the crowded streets, heading towards Blue Harbor. The streets were lined with glowing neon lights, and the sidewalks were crowded with young men and women. She hadn’t seen such a grand display in many years—she had long left Beijing and the bustling world behind.

The crowd was dense, and the cold night air was growing heavier. Zhao Pingjin wrapped her tightly in his coat.

As the night grew late, small flakes of snow began to fall from the sky. Xitang, too, began to feel her toes freezing. Usually, on snowy days, Zhao Pingjin stayed in the car, so he was probably unused to this kind of cold. She pulled him into a café by the roadside.

Zhao Pingjin’s face looked a little pale, but otherwise, he seemed fine. He gave her a casual glance. “Are you happy now?”

Xitang’s face was flushed from the cold, but she was beaming with joy, nodding in satisfaction.

Seeing Zhao Pingjin about to douse her enthusiasm, Xitang hurriedly said, “Don’t be so stingy, I just wanted to walk through the crowd for a bit. If I get famous one day, you won’t have this chance anymore.”

Zhao Pingjin looked into her eyes, and for a moment, both of them looked away. It was as if they both remembered that whether she became famous or not, they would never have the chance to walk in a crowd together again.

They spent over an hour admiring the lights and returned home past midnight.

When Zhao Pingjin opened the door, he froze.

The lights in the living room were on.

There was someone inside.

Xitang, having enjoyed herself too much, lost her vigilance for a moment. When she saw Zhao Pingjin stop in the hallway, she instinctively pushed him aside.

Zhao Pingjin shifted slightly, and Xitang looked up, finally noticing the lights and figures inside.

In the living room, the warm, bright lights illuminated Mrs. Zhou, who was sitting on the sofa, while a young woman stood nearby. Upon hearing the door, the woman turned towards them.

With short chestnut-colored hair, beautifully styled, wearing high heels and a light beige coat, she had a soft smile on her face.

Xitang couldn’t help but shiver, feeling the cold air from outside rush in. Instinctively, she let go of Zhao Pingjin’s hand.

But Zhao Pingjin tightened his grip.

Mrs. Zhou stood up from the sofa, her tone gentle and kind. “Zhou’er, you’re back, come inside.”

Xitang wanted to run but found her feet wouldn’t move.

Mrs. Zhou continued to smile and said, “Yingzi is having dinner at home tonight. She said you had a business event, so she brought some supper by.”

It was as if she didn’t even notice Xitang standing there.

Yu Xiaoying, the young woman, gently called, “Zhou Zhou.”

Zhao Pingjin turned to look at the people behind him. Before he could speak, Xitang’s pupils constricted slightly, as if seeing something she feared deeply. She suddenly turned to run outside.

Zhao Pingjin grabbed her.

He pulled out his phone, dialed the driver downstairs, his voice unusually heavy, “Lao Liu, the lobby on the first floor, send Miss Huang back.”

Before he could finish, Xitang darted out the door, running as if fleeing from something dangerous behind her.

Zhao Pingjin hesitated for a moment and quickly turned back down the hall. The elevator was already descending.

She was running too fast.

Mrs. Zhou stood in the doorway, peeking outside with a satisfied smile. “Zhou’er, why aren’t you coming inside? Come warm up.”

Yu Xiaoying stepped forward and hooked her arm through his. “Let’s go home.”

Zhao Pingjin’s mind was racing with hundreds of thoughts, desperately trying to come up with a solution that would satisfy everyone. His temples throbbed violently, but he couldn’t think of a better way. With Yu Xiaoying’s arm hooked around his, he numbly took a step toward the house.

The moment they stepped inside the door, the familiar sights of the room hit him. Zhao Pingjin’s chest suddenly tightened, his heart shaking violently. He shrugged off Yu Xiaoying’s hand and turned to run, but unexpectedly, he collided with the doorframe. He staggered, bracing himself with his hand, then hurriedly ran outside.

Zhao Pingjin burst out of the first-floor elevator. His driver, Master Liu, was waiting by the elevator doors. Seeing him, Liu was surprised and asked, “Mr. Zhao, where is Miss Huang?”

Zhao Pingjin gasped for air and asked, “Didn’t you see her?”

Master Liu shook his head and replied, “I followed your instructions and came up right away, but I didn’t see anyone.”

Zhao Pingjin immediately turned and ran outside, into the lobby of the Park Hyatt. The snow outside had gotten heavier, and by now, the streets were almost deserted, with people bundled up tightly in coats and wearing masks. He didn’t see Huang Xitang.

Zhao Pingjin ran along Hengjing Street, crossing two intersections. The fire of anxiety in his heart burned hotter and hotter, while his chest grew increasingly cold.

Finally, he remembered to go back to get his car.

Returning to the building, he saw his mother, Mrs. Zhou, waiting in the lobby of the Park Hyatt with his driver standing beside her.

When she saw him enter, both stood up from the sofa.

Mrs. Zhou called out, “Zhou’er.”

In front of his driver, Zhao Pingjin took a deep breath, his voice stiff and controlled as he said, “Please take her home.”

Mrs. Zhou replied, “I already had the driver send her home. I’ve been waiting here specifically for you.”

Zhao Pingjin nodded and extended his hand to Master Liu. “Lao Liu, give me the car keys.”

Master Liu handed him the keys.

Zhao Pingjin pressed his lips together tightly, his jaw clenched in a hard, cold line. He turned and walked briskly toward the elevator, with Mrs. Zhou following him. Her expression had darkened slightly.

The elevator descended to the underground parking lot, and it was just the two of them. Zhao Pingjin, struggling to control his temper, said, “Mom, please go back. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Mrs. Zhou’s voice lowered. “I’m stopping you from making a foolish decision.”

Zhao Pingjin stepped out of the elevator and immediately pressed the button for his car. The lights of his car flashed not far ahead. As he walked towards it, he pleaded, “Mom, please go back, can you?”

He opened the driver’s side door, turned on the lights, and began reversing.

Mrs. Zhou, holding her handbag, stood firmly behind his car, not moving.

The car’s system began checking, and Zhao Pingjin glanced at the screen. It was already nearly 1 AM.

She stood there, and Zhao Pingjin couldn’t reverse. He stuck his head out and said, “Let Master Liu take you home. This is my own matter.”

Mrs. Zhou’s face showed disappointment, as though she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Zhou’er, you’ve made one mistake after another.”

Zhao Pingjin’s patience was nearly gone. His brows furrowed tightly as he raised his voice, unable to hold back. “Can you stop meddling in my affairs?”

Mrs. Zhou’s anger surged. “I’m your mother! Are you going to keep breaking my heart?”

Zhao Pingjin snapped irritably, “I said, move!”

Mrs. Zhou didn’t budge.

Zhao Pingjin sat stiffly in the driver’s seat, suddenly releasing the handbrake, putting the car in gear. He stared blankly at the dark wall ahead. In that moment, he felt his entire body shaking. He wanted to burst out, to scream at her, to find her, to grab Huang Xitang’s hand. But everything around him, his body, the space around him, felt like it was tightly bound by an unbreakable net. He was trapped, unable to move. Staring at the black wall, one hand on the steering wheel, one foot pressing the gas pedal, he looked out of the window at his mother. His breath came in short bursts, his face twisted, and his eyes were filled with hopeless despair. “If I press the accelerator and crash, will everyone finally be happy?”

Mrs. Zhou shuddered inside. She knew her son well. For that actress, he would do anything.

Mrs. Zhou took a few steps back, clearing the way for the car.

Zhao Pingjin slammed his foot on the accelerator. As his car reversed out of the garage, he immediately sped up. His black car turned the curved bend of the garage, barely slowing down. The car scraped against the wall, producing a sharp screeching sound. In an instant, sparks flew as he sped out onto the road, driving like a maniac.