Chapter 15

As soon as Zheng Xiaorou turned to go inside, Li Mingqi stood up and rubbed his knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He slowly moved forward, a look of pain etched on his face as if each step he took caused him immense suffering, like a giant iron tower.

Lu Yongzhang watched him hobble out of the alley and coldly said, “If it happens again, I won’t go easy on you.”

His voice was low, audible only to the two of them. Li Mingqi quickly turned his head. “Was it you last night?”

Lu Yongzhang took two steps back, responding coldly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just telling you that if something like this happens again, I’ll beat you so badly you won’t be able to get out of bed.”

The look in Lu Yongzhang’s eyes reminded Li Mingqi of his experience from the night before; the overwhelming terror brought on by such absolute domination felt different from earlier.

But a deeper layer of fear stemmed from Lu Yongzhang’s gaze into him.

Li Mingqi had done similar things many times before.

He was adept at splitting the information and sending it out through multiple channels, making it nearly impossible for anyone to trace it back to him.

So, how did that living nightmare from last night expose him as the source of the rumors about Zheng Xiaorou?

When Zheng Xiaorou finished her breakfast and came out, Lu Yongzhang was already waiting at the door. Zheng Tianlei was eagerly holding his briefcase and accompanying him. “Sister, you’re too slow!”

Lu Yongzhang took the briefcase, wearing a warm and relaxed smile, as he stepped forward and said, “Let’s go.”

Zheng Tianlei held his cheek and complained, “That’s so sour it’s going to make my teeth fall out!”

Yet, his face bore a goofy grin.

Zheng Xiaorou had walked through this alley countless times but never had it felt like today, with neighbors on both sides watching her, their gazes neither averted nor whispered among themselves.

Suddenly, the elderly woman next door shouted, “Zheng family’s little daughter, I apologize for what I said before; I’m truly sorry!”

Gradually, several others chimed in, “I was wrong too; I shouldn’t have spread those rumors!”

Lu Yongzhang spoke in a volume that only the two of them could hear. “No need to put on a facade. If you’re unhappy, just say it.”

Hearing this, Zheng Xiaorou met his gaze and smiled. “Okay.” The unease in her heart wouldn’t fade so quickly; she couldn’t just dismiss it nonchalantly.

After a moment of thought, she turned around and said, “Everyone, keep your eyes open from now on. Such words shouldn’t be spread carelessly; it’s a sin to speak ill of anyone.”

“Exactly, exactly!”

“What the little daughter from the Zheng family said is right; we should listen to educated people!”

“…”

As they walked out of the alley, the two of them stepped on the fallen leaves of early autumn, crossing through the dense shade on the bustling road.

Zheng Xiaorou felt a different mood; her heart was calm and beautiful, and even the glaring sunlight appeared exceptionally gentle.

She had dreamed of putting an end to the rumors, imagining that overnight everyone would find new topics and stop obsessively discussing her, but she had never thought someone would apologize to her.

The scenes from just moments ago replayed in her mind, and her eyes began to sting as she thought about it.

Lu Yongzhang listened to her somewhat hurried breathing without disturbing her. Instead, he took two pieces of candy from his pocket, opened his palm, and handed them over.

One was a dried plum candy, and the other was a White Rabbit candy. Zheng Xiaorou looked at the candies and chuckled softly, her voice laced with tears as she said, “What are you doing? I’m not a child.”

“Eat the candy; I thought you would like it.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t need to say what she was grateful for; he understood.

She was thankful that he believed in her innocence, that he had been acting as her boyfriend during this time, and for all his efforts (even though it didn’t include finding the source of Li Mingqi).

The two walked side by side to the fork in the road, one side leading to the publishing house and the other towards the translation office.

Lu Yongzhang quietly watched her, waiting for her to speak while simultaneously preparing a mental script to respond.

But Zheng Xiaorou did not say anything. She opened the wrapper of the dried plum candy, lowering her head as she asked, “So, are you free to go to my older brother’s house tomorrow?”

Lu Yongzhang slowly smiled, his rarely seen smile lighting up his eyes, which revealed a hint of the youthfulness appropriate for his age. “I’m all set.”

“Then, let’s meet at noon tomorrow.”

After bidding farewell, they each went their separate ways, one to the left and the other to the right.

After walking a few steps, Lu Yongzhang turned around, intently watching her figure gradually fade into the crowd.

She hadn’t said thank you, not now that the trouble had been resolved. Their collaboration was coming to an end, and the mental script he had prepared would go unused.

Lu Yongzhang’s heart trembled slightly as he placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart’s vibrant, powerful beat.

Inside, he was excited, thinking that now that this matter was resolved, he could officially pursue Xiaorou.

On his way back from Sanzhu Town the night before, he had thought about it all the way.

He had also asked Pang Haifan to help him investigate a few matters. After suppressing the rumors in Sanzhu Town, his focus had actually shifted elsewhere.

However, he had not expected that a clue to Li Minglan would suddenly appear before him as if it had fallen from the sky.

Two days before, he was set to visit Zheng Xiaorou’s older brother’s house.

He wondered if, once the source of the rumors was resolved, Zheng Xiaorou would decisively end their “cooperation.”

He was eager to know yet terrified of the answer.

Two voices echoed in his mind: one urged him to delay, at least until after the visit to her brother’s house, while the other insisted he should not wait. She wouldn’t feel at ease if the rumors remained unsolved.

Almost the next second, he decided to take care of Li Mingqi first.

He didn’t want her to suffer any longer; he didn’t want to put her through more pain or force her to continue acting with him against her will.

He preferred to resolve this issue first and then boldly ask her if she would consider dating him.

If she refused, he would persist; it was often said that a strong woman feared a persistent suitor.

Lu Yongzhang had never been so grateful for this era, where young men and women could date without a marriage contract.

Meanwhile, Zheng Xiaorou, with a piece of dried plum candy in her mouth, felt a bittersweet sensation in her heart.

She simply thought he was quite nice…

She wanted to give it a try….

It’s not that impossible, right?

Who cares?

The TV had said that love was free.

Her family situation was quite ordinary, but she felt she deserved him!

Thinking about this, she felt that this job had become particularly important; she had to work hard and save up for her college living expenses.

“Hey, is there something joyful happening with you today, Xiao Zheng?”

As soon as she walked into the office, someone noticed that she was in unusually high spirits.

Zheng Xiaorou readily admitted, “Something really happened, but I can’t say what it is.”

“What’s the happy thing you can’t talk about?” Tian Xiao’e peeked in, carrying a bowl of savory tofu pudding. “Have you finished eating already?”

At the mention of breakfast, the conversation took a familiar turn. The colleagues in the office, who were devouring their breakfast in a whirlwind, exchanged knowing glances.

Zheng Xiaorou nodded. “I ate at home.”

She glanced at the time and saw that the team leader was about to finish and return to the office. Not wanting to stir up any more conflict, she urged her, “Okay, you should go back and eat. I’ll find you at noon to talk.”

“Deal!” Tian Xiao’e said, carrying her bowl away, secretly hoping to hear about this “happy thing” from her at lunch.

—o—o—o—

However, by noon, before she could even get the chance to inquire, another incident occurred—so bizarre that Tian Xiao’e couldn’t process it and forgot to ask.

Cheng Qian was back again.

The security guard greeted him enthusiastically, calling out, “Hey, it’s the friend of Xiao Zheng’s boyfriend! Are you here to deliver tickets again? What kind of job does this boyfriend have, using movie tickets like they’re just scraps of paper?”

Cheng Qian awkwardly clenched his hands; he really was there to deliver tickets today.

The employee tickets had just been issued, and it was for a new movie that she probably hadn’t seen yet.

“Could you please call her for me? Thank you,” he said.

Just as the guard was about to respond, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from behind, filled with anger: “Cheng Qian, what are you doing here?”

Cheng Qian turned around to see Xiao Rujuan glaring at him with her hands on her hips. “How dare you come looking for Xiaorou? You really have no shame!”

“Rujuan, why are you talking like that? I just happened to pass by,” Cheng Qian said, genuinely frightened of this fierce woman. Back in school, she had been the same way, protecting Zheng Xiaorou fiercely like a hen, not letting anyone get close.

Xiao Rujuan pressed on aggressively, “Passing by? Your workplace seems pretty lax! What do you want to say to Xiaorou? I can pass the message to you.”

Seeing the disdainful frown on Cheng Qian’s face only made her angrier. So what if you look noble and refined? Stop pretending! You shameless dog of a man!

She shoved him toward the entrance, practically chasing him out. “Don’t embarrass Xiaorou!”

“You…” Cheng Qian was so angry he couldn’t find the words. “It’s like a scholar meeting a soldier—there’s no reasoning with you. You can’t represent Xiaorou!”

“I may not be able to represent her, but I know that a shameless person like you should just go where you came from!” Xiao Rujuan, who had honed her sharp tongue during her time in the Northeast, insulted him fiercely, every word laced with venom. “When you’re in love, you’re all poetic, but when she needs your help, you pull back like a coward. Why don’t you just stick a ‘福’character on your forehead to ward off bad luck?” ^[1]‘福’  a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and well-being, deeply rooted in the Chinese psyche as a harbinger of positive energy and good fortune.

“I had no choice!” Cheng Qian shot back defensively.

“No choice?” Xiao Rujuan pressed on relentlessly. “What do you think Xiaorou is? When there’s nothing going on, she’s your fairy, but when things get tough, you act like you don’t know her? Pah! You’re really not a man!”

Cheng Qian felt his temper flaring: “Do you even know what others are saying about her behind her back? Is she really hiding something from me? Can’t I feel jealous? Has she ever explained anything to me?”

Xiao Rujuan believed wholeheartedly in her friend’s wisdom: “Explain? Let me tell you, Cheng Qian, if you really like Xiaorou, you shouldn’t question her at all. After three years of being classmates and several more years of being pen pal, if you can’t trust her words, your life will be like this forever! I’m telling you, a real man unconditionally believes in the person he loves—just like how Xiaorou’s boyfriend does!”

Hearing the words “boyfriend,” something in Cheng Qian’s mind snapped. He raised his eyes to look at Xiao Rujuan. “Who is her boyfriend? The fact that she got a boyfriend so quickly proves she must have changed her heart long ago!”

He couldn’t forget the scene at the cinema entrance; he wanted to know if Zheng Xiaorou had changed her heart and started seeing someone else. That way, he wouldn’t be filled with regret and anxiety every night when he thought about it.

“You can’t expect anything good from a dog’s mouth!” Xiao Rujuan fumed, her face flushed with anger. “She started dating after cutting ties with you! It’s not as sordid as you think! Her parents brought a matchmaker to meet her, so it’s all quite respectable! Not to mention, they’ve arranged a job for Xiaorou. What about you? Can you do that?”

With that, Xiao Rujuan spat and returned to the security guard, waiting for Zheng Xiaorou to come out.

Cheng Qian felt empty inside as he watched Zheng Xiaorou smile and take Xiao Rujuan inside.

He heard their muffled laughter as they walked toward the cafeteria, standing dazed for a while. He didn’t even eat lunch before heading back to work.

Upon returning to the office, he was informed of an urgent meeting.

Dazed and disoriented, he listened as the leader spoke at length, then fixed his gaze on Cheng Qian and said, “Some colleagues have a poor sense of time. They still haven’t returned to their desks after lunch break. We’ve also received reports about employees selling tickets illegally. Everyone will conduct a self-inspection today. Fill out the self-inspection form. Xiao Cheng, come with me.” The leader threw two employee tickets onto the table in front of him. “We’ve emphasized countless times that employee tickets cannot be sold, yet here you are, doing just that! Include a 2,000-word explanation in the self-inspection form and thoroughly explain this matter!”