DXXZL - 51

As a young man, Jiang Tu was introverted and aloof. He kept Zhu Xingyao hidden deep in his heart. He could quietly do anything for her but dared not pursue her or confess that he liked her. At the same time, he was selfish and ugly. He once reported her for dating Lu Ji early on. Later, when he heard abroad that she had broken up with Lu Ji, he selfishly wished that she would never fall in love again. Whether in his youth or in the following years, he had imagined countless times what he would say to her if he ever got the chance.

—He had liked her for many years.

Zhu Xingyao held the necklace in her hand, staring blankly at the man in front of her, feeling dizzy.

Jiang Tu took a deep breath and looked down at her. “I know we haven’t seen each other for many years, so you don’t have to say anything now. It’s late; go back and get some rest.” He let go of her shoulders.

After all, he had waited so many years.

He had just returned not long ago and didn’t expect her to immediately agree. He could wait longer.

Zhu Xingyao’s mind was in turmoil, her eyes red as she looked at him.

Jiang Tu leaned back, opened the car door, and got out. He retrieved her cello from the back seat along with the gifts everyone had given her. Zhu Xingyao had already gotten out of the car, and the night breeze blew against her skirt. He placed the cello on her shoulder, handed her the gifts, and said softly, “Go back.”

Zhu Xingyao bit her lip and whispered, “Mm-hmm.”

The lights in the villa’s living room were on. Zhu Xingyao opened the door and went in, seeing Ding Yu coming down the stairs.

She looked up and asked, “Mom, did I wake you?”

“I woke up and came to check if you were back. I saw your bedroom door open,” Ding Yu smiled, walked over to her, and helped her take off the cello. She smelled a faint scent of alcohol on her. “You’ve been drinking? Go take a shower. I’ll heat up some milk for you later.”

“You go to bed first. Don’t worry about me,” Zhu Xingyao said.

Ding Yu sent her upstairs. After Zhu Xingyao finished her shower, Ding Yu brought in the milk, holding an elegant brocade box. She placed the box on the table. “This is the birthday present your father picked out for you.”

Zhu Xingyao opened the box and froze at what she saw.

Ding Yu asked, “You don’t like it?”

Zhu Xingyao shook her head. “I like it. I really like it.” It’s just that she had just received a similar one—a star-shaped pendant. This one was larger, while the one Jiang Tu gave her was smaller.

“Try the necklace on tomorrow. Drink your milk and then sleep early. It’s already 2:30 in the morning,” Ding Yu patted her head and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Zhu Xingyao put both necklaces into her jewelry box. She had many necklaces, and most of them were star-shaped pendants. As she set down her milk glass, she glanced at the jewelry box and suddenly remembered the interview she had after her only performance last year.

Reporter: “Some fans noticed that almost every time you perform, you wear a star-shaped necklace. Does this have any special meaning?”

Zhu Xingyao paused, touched the pendant, and smiled. “It’s a habit. When I’m nervous, I wear a star-shaped one because it feels like a lucky star. This time, after two years, I prepared for my solo concert for a long time, and I was a little nervous, so I wore it.”

Had Jiang Tu seen her interview?

...

In the middle of the night, there were few cars on the road. Jiang Tu’s car stopped halfway, and his phone popped up with a WeChat message.

Lin Jiayu: “At least tell me how it went. I’ve kept your secret for so many years. Do you know how hard it’s been for me?”

Her previous message read: “‘Confession Balloon’ is dedicated to you and Zhu Xingyao.”

And before that: “Zhu Xingyao asked me if I knew you liked her! [Shocked].”

Jiang Tu parked his car in the underground garage, picked up his phone, read Lin Jiayu’s messages, and replied: “You don’t have to keep it anymore.”

He added another message: “Thanks.”

He put his phone down, leaned back in the seat, took off his glasses, and rubbed the marks left by the frames.

When Lin Jiayu saw his message, she was stunned. What did “You don’t have to keep it anymore” mean? Did it mean she could talk freely now? Or could she continue writing her novel?

Excited, Lin Jiayu tumbled out of bed and ran to turn on her computer.

The next morning, Zhu Xingyao received a message from Li Xixi, saying she had gone back to work. Li Xixi was busy preparing her new album, and Zhu Xingyao asked, “Did you make up with Xu Xiangyang?”

Li Xixi replied with a crying emoji: “No.”

A moment later.

Li Xixi: “Sometimes I think that Xu Xiangyang and I must have dug up each other’s ancestral graves in our past lives, and we’re repaying our debts in this life. Last time he consoled me, and this time I’ll go and comfort him.”

In the afternoon, Jiang Tu received a notice for a business trip. He always kept luggage ready in his office and left directly with Old Yuan and two colleagues from the R&D department to the airport.

Before boarding, he sent Zhu Xingyao a WeChat message.

Old Yuan happened to glance over and saw him reporting his business trip. Curious, he asked, “You actually report your itinerary to someone? Can I ask who?”

If Jiang Tu said it was Zhu Xingyao, Old Yuan would probably keep asking questions and even discuss it with Du Yunfei all night, leaving no time for work. Jiang Tu calmly replied, “If there’s a chance, I’ll introduce her to you and Du Yunfei later.”

Old Yuan thought about his words and was shocked. “Whoa, don’t tell me you have a girlfriend?”

Jiang Tu lowered his eyes. “No.”

Not yet.

They arrived at their destination in the evening, where a driver had been sent to pick them up. They went to eat first.

Sometimes, the world is really small. Under the host’s reception, Jiang Tu, Old Yuan, and the others entered the restaurant.

The restaurant was on the fifth floor, and they waited for the elevator.

After a while.

Another group of people arrived behind them.

The man leading them was tall, upright, and handsome. He was young and talking to someone beside him. The host turned around and greeted him warmly, “Lu Ji, what a coincidence! You’re here tonight too?”

Jiang Tu was startled and turned to look. His gaze met Lu Ji’s, who was walking over. Lu Ji also seemed surprised, and Jiang Tu squinted slightly.

In short, neither of their expressions was pleasant.

However, Jiang Tu was always good at concealing his emotions. After being surprised for two seconds, his expression calmed.

The elevator doors opened, and everyone went in.

The host enthusiastically introduced Lu Ji to Jiang Tu: “This is my college classmate, Lu Ji. What a coincidence to meet him here. They’re in software development, somewhat related to our field.”

Old Yuan was a friendly person, quickly reaching out with a smile. “Nice to meet you!”

Lu Ji shook hands with Old Yuan and looked at Jiang Tu again.

The host continued, “Oh, this is Jiang Tu. He’s...”

Lu Ji interrupted, “No need for introductions. We know each other.”

Old Yuan and the host were both taken aback. Old Yuan laughed. “What? You two know each other? The world is really small. How do you know each other?”

Jiang Tu withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, “High school classmates.”