SY - 59

Before he could act, the glass door to the terrace was pushed open.

Song Zhi walked in, her face showing a slight apology for interrupting him: “Aunt Wu wants you to come down for cake.”

Her tone was measured, polite, and reserved.

When did she realize that she truly no longer needed him?

It was probably from the day her attitude began to change.

She no longer unreasonably pulled him for cuddles or threw princess tantrums at him.

The light overhead was dim, swaying in the wind, making a creaking sound.

Jiang Yanzhou lowered his hand, his deep, dark eyes quietly gazing at her.

Like a tunnel with no discernible end.

Song Zhi was a little bewildered by his gaze: “Is there something on my face?”

She thought she might have accidentally gotten cream on her face while eating cake, so she raised her hand to wipe it, but there was nothing there.

Jiang Yanzhou shook his head: “It’s nothing.”

His voice was still hoarse.

Song Zhi glanced at the ashtray beside him. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke, advising: “You should smoke less.”

Her expression was calm, showing no signs of anything amiss.

Jiang Yanzhou hummed softly in his throat, perfunctorily agreeing, then stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.

Song Zhi’s advice was merely out of friendly goodwill; whether he listened or not was his own business.

She turned and left first. Jiang Yanzhou came down a while later.

A pre-cut cake was on the table. Jiang Yanzhou didn’t like sweets, which everyone in the family knew.

So Aunt Wu only cut him a small slice.

The animal cream melted in his mouth, the cloying sweetness making him uncomfortable.

He still ate the entire piece.

Song Zhi sat on the sofa watching TV, while Aunt Wu and Xiaolian gossiped, and she occasionally joined in.

“Do you still remember Sister Zhang’s daughter? That little girl, she’s only in her second year of high school, and I heard she’s pregnant.”

Xiaolian covered her mouth: “No way! She looks so well-behaved; she doesn’t seem like the type to do something like that.”

Aunt Wu sighed: “She’s still too young and doesn’t understand. Her mother is almost dying of worry. The baby definitely can’t be kept, but her body isn’t well, and if she gets an abortion now, they’re afraid of complications.”

Song Zhi listened, dumbfounded.

Although she was disobedient when she was in school, at most she would put on makeup during class or skip a class or something.

She had never played this wildly before.

She leaned in, ears perked: “Which Sister Zhang? Have I met her?”

Gossip is a woman’s nature.

No matter the age.

Soon, she was fully involved, cracking melon seeds and listening intently, occasionally expressing her views on the matter.

Three women were like a play, immersed in gossip, not even noticing the passage of time.

Jiang Yanzhou went out to take a call. When he returned, there was still no sign of the conversation stopping in the living room.

He looked at the gloomy sky outside the window.

It was ten o’clock.

The weather forecast said there would be rain tonight, and to be more precise, it would be around eleven o’clock.

If she went home now, she should still make it in time, just avoiding the heavy rain.

Jiang Yanzhou’s eyes subtly lowered. He wasn’t kind enough to remind her.

He pressed the remote control and closed the curtains.

The night outside the window was completely blocked out.

Along with the gradually thickening dark clouds.

Sister Zhang was the maid next door, usually on good terms with Aunt Wu, and they often chatted when free.

A few days ago, Sister Zhang even joked that when her daughter got older, if Jiang Yanzhou still hadn’t reconciled with Song Zhi, she would marry her daughter to him as his young wife.

Aunt Wu told her to give up that idea early.

“How old is your child?”

“He’s only ten years older; it’s a good match.”

“Our Yanzhou has a cold personality; your girl’s timid personality won’t be able to handle him.”

Sister Zhang was still displeased after hearing this: “My daughter can’t handle him, but Song Zhi can?”

Living right next door, they saw each other constantly. Song Zhi’s daintiness was famous.

Her temper was also sporadic, flaring up at any moment.

At that time, she was still young and not stable. When her temper flared up, she would run away from home. Sister Zhang had seen it several times.

Each time, she would walk angrily ahead, and Jiang Yanzhou would follow without a word, carrying her back.

Letting her cry and fuss on his shoulder.

Sister Zhang simply felt that her daughter was countless times better than Song Zhi. If it weren’t for this incident, she probably would have still been dreaming of becoming Jiang Yanzhou’s mother-in-law.

________________________________________

For some reason, Aunt Wu suddenly remembered what Sister Zhang had said.

“My daughter can’t handle him, but Song Zhi can?”

She looked at Jiang Yanzhou, who was working in the living room.

Seemingly focused, yet his entire being was fixated on Song Zhi.

He looked distraught, and work was probably just an excuse.

When had he ever worked in the living room? It was nothing more than wanting to see her a little longer.

Aunt Wu sighed. Not only could she handle him, but...

His entire life was almost given to her.

She had watched Jiang Yanzhou grow up, and she had seen all his changes.

The original family is so important; it can affect your personality, values, and even your entire life.

To outsiders, Jiang Yanzhou was fortunate.

Born at a peak that most people would never reach, no matter how hard they tried in this lifetime.

But he was also unfortunate.

Because his surname was Jiang, because too many hopes were placed on him.

Everyone bet on him, like a gamble.

Along the way, the pressure he endured was simply not something his age group could bear.

No one ever asked him if he was willing.

No one ever asked if he was tired.

Even the mother who gave birth to and raised him resented him, disliked him, and hated him.

Such a growing environment destined his inner darkness to be far broader than others.

Obsession and possessiveness were like a huge net, firmly trapping him.

He was just better at hiding his emotions than others.

Others couldn’t see anything unusual, but only he knew that these dark emotions were like weeds growing wildly in a deep, dark valley.

Rooted in the most putrid places.

________________________________________

It wasn’t until Xiaolian yawned and said she was tired that Song Zhi gradually snapped out of the heated gossip session.

She looked at the time on her watch and exclaimed in surprise: “It’s already this late?”

Aunt Wu looked at the tightly drawn curtains and mumbled: “Why are all the curtains closed? No wonder I can’t see how dark it is outside.”

She got up to pull the curtains open. The night was gloomy; it would probably pour rain soon.

She looked worriedly at Song Zhi: “Little Zhi, why don’t you stay here tonight?”

Song Zhi was about to refuse.

Aunt Wu then added: “It’s about to pour rain. Driving in the rain isn’t safe, and it’s already so late.”

It was hard to get a taxi when it rained, and if she insisted on going back, Aunt Wu would definitely make Jiang Yanzhou send her.

Song Zhi didn’t want to trouble him further.

And he looked very tired too.

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded and agreed.

Aunt Wu smiled: “I clean your room every day, and the bedding is changed on time, just in case you come back someday.”

________________________________________

The room was indeed kept as it was, even the things in her walk-in closet hadn’t been touched.

Jiang Yanzhou was well-mannered and respected others’ privacy.

He had never once entered Song Zhi’s walk-in closet.

After showering that night, it was getting late. She was drying her wet hair with a towel, looking for a hairdryer in the room’s drawers.

“I remember it was here. Why isn’t it?”

She mumbled, searching drawer by drawer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a black object on the pristine white wallpaper.

Taking a closer look, she shrieked in fright: “Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!!!”

She even threw the towel, trembling all over with fear.

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Yanzhou rushed in, asking anxiously: “What’s wrong? Are you hurt anywhere? Did it hurt?”

Song Zhi’s lips were pale with fright, and she clung to him entirely: “Geck... gecko, boohoohoohoo, I’m so scared.”